Livia - 2 Corinthians 5 : 17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)

Livia shared this from a lesson at the NAZ with Pastor Jamie:

Disrespect is attitude toward your parents.

Disobedience is not doing what your parents tell you to do.

If we are in Christ and a new creation we should care about being respectful and obedient to our parents.

Livia had 6 scripture marked in her Bible to share with us. We heard quite a sermon this morning. You go girl! And thank you Pastor Jamie for pouring into our kids!

Tim - 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:17, 18 NIV)

Momentary troubles? Uggh.
It's hard to embrace that these troubles achieve eternal glory for us.

We can experience All kinds of trouble ...so the advice today is to fix our eyes on not what we see but rather what we can't see. Let's not focus on our struggles because this life is a blink and eternity is forever.

Devin - Matthew 5:5

Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5 NIV)

What does meek mean?
Quiet, gentle, humble, enduring injury with patience and without resentment.

Sir Thomas says ...."meekness allows a person to forgive or overlook perceived insults or offenses."

Proverbs says it is a wise man who overlooks an offense. He who overlooks an offense promotes love.
He who covers an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

Wow! Devin - you nailed us all today!!!' Good word son!

Psalm 95:6-8

Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care.
Today, if only you would hear his voice, "Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah,
as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness, (Psalm 95:6-8 NIV)

What does it mean to harden our heart?

Dev - to do it without God, thinking you can do it yourself.

Liv - ditto!

Tim - saying no to God and turning from his ways.

Kadin - what Dad said!

I agree, when we harden our hearts towards God our pride increases and we lean into our own strength. As the scripture points out LISTEN to his voice! Let that be our lesson today - to never close our ears, turn our head, close our eyes to our God.

Gina - Matthew 15:7-11

You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: "'These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.'" Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. What goes into someone's mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them." (Matthew 15:7-11 NIV)

What does it mean to honor Him with your lips? Liv and Dev said you say one thing but do another. Hypocrites! Ouch. We are all guilty of saying we believe one thing and living totally different but as we grow that should become less and less of who we are.

This message is powerful! What goes in comes out!!! Let it be all HIM!!!

Tim - Matthew 5

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:3-12 NIV)

This sermon is one of the most known that Jesus ever preached. What does poor in Spirit mean? Liv said it's to know that being humble is best. I don't feel like I am better than anyone so , I am better to be poor in spirit than to think I am "all that!" I am not good enough on my own - I can't earn salvation! Lets embrace being poor in spirit everyday. Full of me or full of thee? Your choice!!

Kadin - 1 Cor 2:9

However, as it is written:
"What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived"—
the things God has prepared for those who love him— (1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV)

Kadin said Go has big plans for us. Livia said it's beyond what we can think of. Daddy said we cat even fathom. On a beautiful fall day he remembers thinking what could heave be??? Wow. It gives us chills. Dev quoted the reference before kadin could finish because this is one of his favorite verses and it's printed I his blanket he got for Easter.

Lets remember even now our lives have been prepared for us. Daddy could have never dreamed his life is what it is today!!

Amazing touch of God's hand on all of our lives. He has prepared all of this for us.