Good News Shoes

Ephesians 6: 14,15 "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace."

Shoes are very important, they protect our feet and not only keep them from getting dirty, but also from getting hurt. It is also imported to carry the good news, or the gospel of Jesus in our hearts. The gospel protects us spiritually, very much like our shoes do.

"Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil." Proverbs 4:26, 27

In Rome there used to be spiky pits in the roads covered with leaves to hid them, so that when armies came to attack they would injure their feet and not be able to fight. On the road of our lives sometimes we go through hard times that are hidden so that we could not see that they where coming. This is why it is important to wear your Gospel Shoes! They keep your safe when you go though hard times.

Righteousness

A man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. Galatians 2:16

God wants us to have a clean heart, in fact when God created man there was nothing evil or wicked in him at all. But, when Adam and Eve sinned they because unrighteous. Being unrighteous means that you are no longer in right standing with God. This makes our hearts feel guilty and sad. Often times people try to fix there guilt by attempting to cover up the problem. But no matter how hard we try, there is only one way to have a clean heart again. And that way is Jesus. God send his Son Jesus to die for us so that the punishment for our sins would be paid and we would be righteous is God's eyes again. So when we accept what Jesus did for us on the cross we are made right before God.

Fourth of July

"One nation, under God."

That's what we say in the pledge of allegiance. We understand that our country is here because it started out being led by a group of folks who tried to do what was pleasing to God.

Pastor Keith mentioned a quote that says, "America is great, because America is good. When America ceases (stops) being good, it will stop being great."

Our country needs to continue to do what is good!

James 4:17 says, "Anyone who knows the good he ought to do, but doesn't do it, sins."

Are there good things we could do, and should do, as citizens of the United States of America?

What are some of those things we, as Christians, should do?

Are there things we can do to help take care of our country?

What things should we pray about that will help our country be good and do good?

Be thankful today, for this great country that you may live in! ...and look for ways to do what is good as a Christian and as an American!

The Belt of Truth

God is good...all the time!

For the next couple of weeks we will be talking about the armor of God. Last sunday we talked about the Belt of Truth. Ephesians 6:14 says, "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist"

We learned that a truth we can live by is that God is good all the time. Is God good just some of the time? Only in the happy times? No! God is good ALL the time! Nahum 1:7 says, "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble." This is the truth that we hold on to, our belt of truth. God is good (all the time!) and will be there for us in the good times and the bad times.

Dinosaur Sunday

Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." but what about dinosaurs?

Check out Job 40:15-24 and Job 41:1,8,9,12-33. Can you believe it? God talks about dinosaurs in the bible! Job 40 tells us of the mighty Behemoth, and Job 41 talks about the fearsome Leviathan!

Did you know that a dinosaur is a giant lizard? Lizards never stop growing. Before Noah and the big flood, people and animals lived a long time. Noah was 600 years old when he built the ark! Can you imagine how big a 600 year old lizard would be? I'm thinking it would be about the size of a dinosaur.

God of Creation

Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."

It's clear that this world didn't just happen by accident! A whole bunch of puzzle pieces didn't just fly up in the air and connect together to make a complete puzzle that we call this world...or this universe! God created the heaven and the earth!

Take time to read Colossians 1:16, 17 right now.

Then read Genesis 1:27.

Because He made us and everything else in this world , Psalm 24:1 is also true! (Read that too!)

You can know that you are SPECIAL! You are VALUABLE! God created you UNIQUELY to be someone special to Him.

You were not not an accident. You didn't just happen by chance...accidentally evolving from a frog or a fish or a monkey!

God has a wonderful plan for your life. You can talk to Him about that (as you pray.) Live in such a way that it shows you belong to the Creator of the universe.

If you can quote these verses one of the next two Sundays, you will receive a reward in Kid's Church! (We have been working on memorizing them with actions in Kid's Church.)

Proverbs 4:23-27
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.
Make level paths for your feet
and take only ways that are firm.
Do not swerve to the right or the left.
Keep your foot from evil.