Promotion Sunday!

Sunday, June 6, is promotion Sunday at the AG Church.

In the Sunday morning adult services, our graduating seniors will be honored. Also, all of our grade school aged kids will officially move up a grade. Kindergartners will be moving into Kids Church as new first graders. Sixth graders may continue to attend Kids Church through the summer as seventh graders.

Congratulations kids! It's been a good school year, and now we're heading into a great summer!

Guard Your Eyes

Proverbs 4:23-25 Above all else guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth. Keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.

It helps us to guard our hearts if we will be careful about what we focus on. The things we look at will influence our attitudes, our thoughts, and our spiritual life too!

Colossians 3:2 says, "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." The things we think about, ...the things we talk about, ...the things we look at, should be tested by this verse. Does it help us think about good, clean wholesome, eternally-important things? ...or does it make us think about selfish, sinful, temporary earth-bound things?

Philippians 4:8 says, "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things." Usually, the things that we watch and look at are the things we end up thinking about. So what kinds of things are you watching on t.v., or on DVD, or on the computer, or ...?

Hebrews 12:2 tells us something we should focus on. Take a moment and look at that verse!

Have a great week!

Guard Your Tongue

The Bible tells us that we should be careful with the words that we speak. We can use them to help people, or to hurt them.

Proverbs 18:12 says, "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing."

We talked about how Peter used a sword to hurt someone in the garden of Gethsemane. You can read more about that in Luke 22:45-54. In John's listing of this event, he tells us that it was Peter who did this. (John 18).

Just as a person can be hurt with a sword, a person can be hurt by someone's words.

Psalm 19:14 is a prayer. It says, "May the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord..."

We need to speak words that honor God. If we will do what Proverbs 4:24 says, we will honor God with our words.

For more information on how important it is to use good words, read James 3:2-12.

Guard Your Heart

In Luke 5:22 Jesus said to the Pharisees, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?" Jesus knew that what a person thinks in one's heart is very very important. That's why the Bible tells us, "Above all else guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." (Proverbs 4:23)

Proverbs 23:7 says, "For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." (KJV) That means, you will become what you think about. If you think about selfish things, you will become selfish. If you think about godly things, you will become godly. If you think mean thoughts, you will become mean. Your actions will follow along with the thoughts you always have.

That's why we pray and ask God to cleanse our hearts and minds. Read the scripture found in Psalm 51:10-15.

God wants to help make our hearts clean...and then we need to do our part and guard what we allow into our hearts and minds!

Here are the words for a great song that we heard in kids church today. It's called, "GO!"

* * * * Go! Gotta Go! Go! Gotta Go! Go! Walk away. * * * * *

Where do I begin when it comes to sin? It’s a tricky little mess to get in.

You think it doesn’t matter then your world begins to shatter

and that’s where Jesus comes in.

How do you deal with the things that are real

that get you down and take joy away?

You look it in the eye and you tell it “bye bye”

‘cause you are strong, so stand up and say.

No! Don’t want it. Not gonna hear it.

No! And I don’t care what you say.

Go! Don’t need it. Not gonna have it.

Go! Just turn your head. Walk away.

Go! Gotta Go!

When you got that funny feeling that sin is not appealing,

But temptation stands in your way.

You go to the Word, repeat what you’ve heard.

This is how you make it one more day.

How do you deal with the things that are real

that get you down and take joy away?

You look it in the eye and you tell it “bye bye”

‘cause you are strong, so stand up and say.

No! Don’t want it. Not gonna hear it.

No! And I don’t care what you say

Go! Don’t need it. Not gonna have it.

Go! Just turn your head. Walk away.

Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! You gotta go!

Talents For the Lord

God has given everyone different gifts and abilities. But, each person also has the choice to develop their skills! Just because you are not good at something right away, does not mean that you should quit! Maybe you just need to practice.

Usually, no one starts "good" at something. The more you practice, the better you will become.

Read some of these scriptures to find out about different talents that people used in Bible times. They used these talents to honor God and to help others.

Exodus 36:37

Acts 18:3,4

Acts 10:6

Luke 8:1-3

1 Chronicles 15:16

What new talent are you working on?

A friend of mine once said to me, "Before you can be good, you have to be willing to be bad." Many people quit trying right away if they are not good at something. Don't do that! Maybe you have a hidden talent that God will use, if you'll just take the time to practice.

Do your best. Try some different things. Don't give up if you are not good at something right away. And, use your talents to help others and do God's work.

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Don't forget to check out http://www.bgmckids.ag.org/ and read the story, "Egypt: The Big Snake." Come next Sunday and tell Miss Renee how big the snake was that stopped people from traveling on the road, and you will receive a prize. (AND, it's B.G.M.C. Sunday.)

Committed to Train!

The word "train" often means that a person is learning to do what is right, even if he does not feel like it. Sometimes our feelings lead us to do things we should not do -- things that do not honor God and do not honor other people. Sometimes our feelings may even lead us to do things that are BAD for us!

Take a moment and read what Paul has to say about going through training. See 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. Paul is saying that he is going to ignore his feelings at times, and make himself do what is right!

Great athletes have learned that there are times they have to FORCE themselves to ignore their physical pain and just keep on going!

Also read 1 Timothy 4:8. Paul shares that physical training is good --- but there's a certain kind of training that is even MORE important for each and every one of us. What is it?

I know that at times training is not fun. (Hebrews 12:7-11 talks about that.) But, I know that the more I do something, eventually it becomes easier. So, don't give up doing what is right, even if it's hard!

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NEXT SUNDAY IS "TALENT SUNDAY" IN KID'S CHURCH!

Plan to come to kids church on Sunday, May 9th and share a talent! Bring a creation, a craft, or a drawing. Plan to sing a song, share a poem, do a drama, or show a project from school. It's kind of like "show and tell". When you come Sunday morning, check in with Pastor Randy to find out when you may share your talent during the service. It's going to be fun! See you there!