Introducing the Bible

God gave us the Bible because He wants us to know Him.  The Bible is like a personal letter sent to us from God.  The Bible is also the true story of history as seen from God's viewpoint.  God is the central character of the Bible and as we study in the coming year at God Quest we will learn what God is really like.  We will learn who He is, what He did/does and what His personality is like.

Here is what we learned this week as we begin to lay the foundation of studying the Bible. 

• God communicates with man.
• God spoke to men called prophets the exact message He wanted written down.
• Sometimes He spoke out loud, sometimes He spoke to them in visions and sometimes He just put the message directly into their minds.  Whatever the method, God caused the prophets to write down exactly what He spoke to them.
• No other book in the world was written this way----with God telling men exactly what to write.  God is the author of the Bible.
• God used more than 40 men to write down His words. All were Jewish except for one (Luke).
• The Bible was not written all at once----it took 1,600 years for all of the Bible to be written down.
• The Bible is God's message to the world, which He gave through the Jewish people.
• The original books of the Bible were written either in Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek.
• The Bible never needs to be updated or changed.
• The Bible has been printed more times and translated into more languages than any other book in the whole world.
• The Bible has impacted and changed more lives than any other book.

Trusting God

This week we learned about trusting God. I know, it sounds a bit cliche. If we have heard it once we have heard it a thousand times;  trust God! It sound easy, especially when you are telling someone else to do it. But how do we switch off from talking about trusting God to actually doing it? 

The first step in trusting God is by getting to know who He is and what motivates Him. When we begin to understand His character by reading and studying the Bible we can learn many things about Him. First and foremost God is almighty. That means He is more than capable of handling any and all circumstances, situations, and yes ladies and gentlemen people who may seem impossible. And because God's motivation is love we can rest in this wonderful promise found in Romans 8:28, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

We can take comfort in the fact that He wants the best for us and He will never fail us!

God Quest

I just love beginnings.The potential of hope, of new opportunities and better things to come.  As we Kicked-Off our brand new weekly children's program God Quest, that was the attitude fostered by the leadership.  We are excited to be able to minister to children and their families on a weekly basis. We have a wonderful year planned for the children. Our curriculum is a chronological study of the Bible. That means we will start at the very beginning in Genesis and study God's Word as He revealed it all the way through to Revelation. We also have many special events planned throughout the year for the children and their families.  Combine that with praying, singing and worshiping every week, and you have a formula for an amazing year.

And so together we begin this quest to know God. And if we already know Him then to know Him even better! That is our goal at i AM Children's Ministries. But we fully recognize that we cannot do this alone.  First and foremost we are praying and depending on God to work in the hearts of the children we will be teaching every week.  We are also depending on God to work in the lives of the families of these children.  And lastly we are depending on God to lead and guide us as we fulfill the work which we have been called to do.

With all that said, we also recognize that ultimately it is the responsibility of parents to be the primary spiritual teacher and role model for their children.   We are however so honored, privileged and humbled to come along side parents in the spiritual development of their children. We look forward to a fantastic year.  Welcome to God Quest!  

Pentecost:The Coming of the Holy Spirit

Did you know that Pentecost was originally a Jewish feast? The Jewish people came to Jerusalem (as they did for the Passover) from all over the world, as is indicated in Acts 2:5 and 20:16. The word Pentecost literally means "50^th and it was the 50^th day after the Passover that this feast was celebrated. Various names were used for this particular Jewish holiday such as Feast of Weeks, celebration of the giving of the Law and Feast of First Fruits. But, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ we know Pentecost as that moment in History when God poured out the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 2:1-4, ¹ When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.² Suddenly a noise like a strong, blowing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.³ They saw something like flames of fire that were separated and stood over each person there.⁴ They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak different languages^[a] by the power the Holy Spirit was giving them. (NCV)

God kept His promise and He sent the gift of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. This is what Jesus said to His the apostles in John 14:26, “²⁶But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.” (AMP)

WOW!!! God the Holy Spirit teaches believers how to live lives that pleases God the Father. When believers read God’s Word, the Holy Spirit helps them to understand what they are reading. God speaks to believers through His Word and when we memorize God’s Word, the Holy Spirit brings it to our minds when we need to remember it.

The believers gathered together in that room had experienced an amazing event! God kept His Promise and sent the gift of the Holy Spirit! Pentecost is the story of how the Holy Spirit gave believers the courage to share the Good News. We are privileged at i AM Children’s Ministries to share God’s amazing, incredible and most wonderful news with children and their families.

Mother's Day 2011 is over...

So what did you do for Mother’s Day?  Did you go see your Mom, or did your family honor you in some way? Did you receive some pretty flowers to plant in your garden or maybe a pretty card?

Whether you had a good Mother’s Day, or a not so good Mother’s Day, I would like to encourage you. Here is something you need to remember…God thinks mothers are important. He gave women the awesome gift of being able to nurture and to take care of others. Whether you gave birth to your children, or you adopted them, God thinks you are important. There are times when we “mother” people in our lives who are no longer children.  We step in and nurture that person and encourage them, and show them a mother’s love.  That’s showing a mother’s love, but it is also showing the love of Christ. God thinks that is important, too. 

Mother’s Day 2011 is over. The flowers that you received have been planted and the cards that you received have been opened and are being displayed on a shelf. Our families honor us formally one day out of the year, but God thinks what we do as mothers is important every day of the year. He loves his children and blesses us throughout the year. Turn to him in times of joy, in times of sorrow and in times of frustration. He is there and He can be trusted!

What's Happening at iAM Children's Ministries

1 Peter 1:23
The living and abiding word of God

After returning from the Children's Pastor's Conference, I  was energized by so many others who share my passion for reaching children for Christ. The past two months I have been busy teaching kids about the nature and character of God. I have been teaching a chronological curriculum where God is the central figure of every lesson, and it's been great. I am happy to announce that I have a new office, which has become the incubator for the many stories that I have been writing.  I thank God for the opportunity to study and teach His Word to children! When God's Word is planted in a child's heart good things are bound to happen.

Encourage Openness