Lesson Snapshot

BOTTOM LINE:

We can forgive others as God forgave us.

OBJECTIVE:

Kids will learn they can forgive others because God loves and forgives them.

KEY PASSAGE:

Luke 15:11-24 The Prodigal Son

MEMORY VERSE:

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)

SUMMARY:

Jesus told a story about a man who had two sons. One son was very rude and disrespectful of his father. His father however, showed us how much God loves us and is willing to forgive us because when the disrespectful son returned, his father welcomed him with a hug rather than punishing him.

Song

Lesson

Trivia Game

Craft Activity

Have the kids design a logo for a super hero team called the Non-Avengers. They can draw and color their logo, or they can cut and paste construction paper together to make their logo for this super team.

Memory Verse

Merry Christmas

Lesson Snapshot

BOTTOM LINE:

Jesus is the greatest gift we could ever receive.

OBJECTIVE:

Kids will learn that they need Jesus.

KEY PASSAGE:

Matthew 2:1-12, The Magi

MEMORY VERSE:

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:11 (NIV)

SUMMARY:

Cody came the furthest to be here tonight, carrying visitors from the east. He tells everyone how the Magi followed a new star in the sky to this very spot, and of the gifts they delivered to the newborn king.

Game

Craft Activity

Let the kids cut out and create a camel using construction paper. (You can search online for “free camel templates.”) Punch a hole in the camel’s back, and he can become a Christmas ornament! Or instead, have the kids create and color a crown like the wise men might have worn.

LESSON SNAPSHOT

BOTTOM LINE:

Be thankful for Jesus.

OBJECTIVE:

Kids will be able to share what Jesus did to save them from sin.

KEY PASSAGE:

Luke 7:36-50, A woman anoints Jesus’ feet.

MEMORY VERSE:

“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done.” 1 Chronicles 16:8 (NIV)

SUMMARY:

God sent his son, Jesus, to die for our sins. We can thank God for his amazing love and for wanting a relationship with us.

OBJECT LESSON

ITEMS NEEDED:

A box of leftovers

Show the kids what you have in the box. Ask if they can tell what restaurant it is from. Ask them what their favorite restaurants are and if they ever bring home leftovers.

I could have left this food at the restaurant. It wasn’t a complete meal anymore, and
in truth, it will never taste as good as it did when I first got the food. So why did I ask for a leftover box? Two reasons. First, it’s wasteful to just let the restaurant throw the food away. But also… I love this meal! This is good food, and I didn’t want to let it go to waste.

God could have tossed mankind out like leftovers. After Adam and Eve broke the rules and sin entered the world, God’s creation was ruined. It would never be the same. Why would God want to hold on to something so broken?

For the same reason I kept this food; God loves us. He loves us way more than anyone ever loved a plate of food. He loved us enough to sacrifice his son Jesus for our sake.

Jesus is the greatest gift ever offered and the greatest gift you will ever receive. We need to thank God every day for the wonderful gift he has given us in Jesus.

Last week we felt compelled to ask for donations of “gift cards” for those in our area who are food and housing insecure or have lost their jobs due to the pandemic or been displaced or impacted by the fires. Your response has been overwhelming for which we are deeply grateful. Deb and I are out tomorrow to purchase the cards and combine them with other gifts from the Inter-faith ministerial association to be distributed to the health center, La Luz (rent and utility assistance) and F.I.S.H (local food bank)whose resources have been depleted due to demand.Thank you all

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1-FKkA6ReGBFzLZtdku5gfHh-aQcU4qebjDZduqNoA3A/edit?usp=sharing

The Apostle Paul writes a letter of encouragement from prison in Rome to his beloved son in the faith. Words we might hear afresh today in light of our current pandemic. 

In his letter, Paul addresses living courageously in dangerous times. The Apostle addresses “the spirit of fear” or “timidity” depending on your translation. As followers of Christ we are called to live with wisdom, to be responsible, and to be thoughtful. We do not hoard (store up treasures on earth where moth and rust corrupts), we do our best to not spread a contagious virus by following the recommendations of experts in the medical profession, and we remember our neighbor. 

In times like this we must be The Church. This is our opportunity to elevate the Light of Christ so that it shines brightly in the communities in which he has placed us. The Story of Easter (which will be upon us in just a few weeks) is that death does not have the final word. Those around us will learn from our witness. 

I would encourage you to read these words today as if you were hearing them like young Timothy (albeit in a slightly different context). Please believe, your pastors are praying for you. Be wise, be responsible, and be thoughtful. Take care of yourself. Use this time to love on friends and family and to spend some time in prayer. 
Stay Connected.

2 Timothy 1 New International Version (NIV)

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,

To Timothy, my dear son:
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Thanksgiving
I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

Appeal for Loyalty to Paul and the Gospel
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

What I like most about the Season of Lent

I like that Lent is a time that we purposely slow things down. These 40 days are part of my personal journey with Jesus to Easter. It is the time in the Church calendar where each of us is humbly offered the opportunity to physically participate in the life of Christ. It is a time to recognize my humanity, to come to terms with my frailty (sinfulness) and my mortality, and to remember that what we do in this life matters. Jesus knew this, and during these 40 days Jesus was preparing for the ministry the Father had ordained for him. So lent then is a time of preparation.

There was never a time from this point forward that Jesus identity was not challenged. So as a follower of Christ and part of His Church, nothing is more important for me than to be clear about “Who I am in Christ.” Jesus temptations in the wilderness were less about turning “stones into bread” than about his identity. “If you really are the Son of God, turn these stones into bread.” So lent then is a time to affirm our identity.

The prophet Isaiah some 1600 years earlier cried in a loud voice to Yahweh the God of Israel “When will you rend the heavens and come down and save your people?”

Yahweh’s answer came on that day when Jesus and his cousin John stood in the Jordan River. It was a ministry & mission commissioning moment. And the “Heavens were opened, the Spirit of God descended, and the voice of the Father was heard to declare, “This is my Son in whom I am well pleased.  Listen to him.” 

As Jesus followers, we share His heart and His mission. Jesus came to heal the broken hearted, to deliver those held captive by whatever it is that holds them, and to give us life.

Lent for me is personal. It is a special time to purposely exercise the same spiritual disciplines Jesus himself practiced. Disciplines like, fasting, solitude, prayer, and meditation on the word of God. It is a time of inward reflection and self-examination.

So lent is a time of replenishment and repurposing for the ministry (a ministry of healing and reconciliation) in which God has called each of us.

Five weeks ago I was invited to lead Sonoma Valley Church of the Nazarene. As I prayed and sought guidance as to how this church fit into God’s larger plan for the community I considered several factors.  First, where is God already afoot?  Where is the Holy Spirit already at work?  What resources, gifts and graces could we bring to the table?  These questions were important because we understand our self to be One Holy Church, not one among many. We also understand that Shalom is so much bigger than the common understanding of peace. It is God’s central vision of the world. It’s the Kingdom, a unified community living together where justice and righteousness are displayed.  Shalom includes a well being that is physical, social, and economic here and now.

So we began with a little appreciative inquiry. I began to meet with other clergy, I asked about what God was doing in their ministry context, I considered other ministries already in place, I looked over our facilities in order to see logistically how we might reach beyond our self and I believe we may have found a place to begin.  

The Fires

Having just survived the Camp fire in Paradise and serving with East Ave Church in Chico, California in the care for the displaced; providing physical, medical and spiritual care for those traumatized by the horror of the event, those separated from loved ones, those who’ve lost homes and everything they had.  I knew we were in no place to take on this type of endeavor.

Where I do see a possibility is in partnering with a group in Sonoma County that is focused on providing counseling to First Responders and their families. These men and women are confronted with a large array of mental, physical and emotional stress that uncared for can be devastating.  I am in the hope that as we work together Sonoma Valley can be a support to these services in two ways:  First, in assisting with child care during counseling sessions and second through our 12-step Christ centered ministry for those struggling with substance abuse and other trauma, hurts, habits or hang ups.

Stay tuned for more as the week’s progress!

Pastor Scott