Thursday, December 22, 2016

Thoughts For My Girls - Angie Tingle



The Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack was playing in the background as the menagerie of Christmas decorations was being marched down the stairs by the children.  Each child had to make a couple of trips to the attic in order to bring it all out.  As boxes opened, memories and stories and traditions seemed to be opened, too.  A fire was going in the wood burner, hot cocoa was being prepared, and the stage was set for the traditional decorating of our tree and our home.


After 17 years of marriage and 16 years with children, we had collected many, many tree decorations and “pretties” to sit around.  The decorations had become a nuisance to try to maneuver around for a month in our home.  So, this year I decided we would scale down and have only a few of our decorations out.  And so, according to eight year old Abbie, there was one hitch in her celebration:  Mama. 


As everyone else was in agreement and was going about their chosen decorating jobs, Abbie found the bag that she had packed the year before.  It was filled with an accumulation of ornaments and lights for a mini-tree. 


In the early years of our marriage, I had been given several tiny ornaments.  They looked best on a tiny tree, set it in a pot with gravel from the driveway to steady it, and placed in my kitchen by the sink or on the counter somewhere.  About 3 years ago, Abbie appointed herself as the tiny tree finder and decorator.  By last year, instead of being 12”, it had become about 3’ tall with lights and a velvet clad, ceramic angel ornament on top.  The simplicity of a mini tree had been lost and “bigger and better” had taken over. 


Abbie, already displeased with the idea of scaling down, placed herself on the floor near an electric socket to check her lights.  All was scattered in front of her: ornaments, tree topper, some tinsel, a 12” tree, a pot, and a string of 100 lights.  After wrapping the tiny tree with as much of the strand of lights as she could (with the rest trailing toward the socket), hanging all the small ornaments, and putting the ceramic angel on top, the tree looked gagged and bound. 


She blurted out, “Mama, I told you we needed a bigger tree!”  With an inhale of breath, more was coming!  


She slumped, knitted her eyebrows, and finished, “Why didn’t you let me get a bigger one?!  This just looks awful!  You wouldn’t listen to me and get the bigger one!” Her frustrated exhale of breath was sent my way on the vehicle of her dissatisfied, blaming glance.


As I walked over, her eyes never left my face.  Their blaming expression began filling with tears and she snapped again, “I told you we needed to choose the bigger tree!” It seemed as if her joy for the holiday would be based on the satisfaction she would gain (or not) in the decorating of her tiny tree.  It was my turn to take a deep breath and whisper a prayer to my Father for the right words to redirect her focus.


Cautiously I replied, “No, Honey.  This is the right size.”
“No, it isn’t, Mama! Everything doesn’t fit!  It’s awful!!” she cried.


“You are right.  Everything doesn’t fit.  We will not get a bigger tree, though.  This is just the right size.”  I sat on the other side of the tree and began removing the lights.


Abbie was not willing to let go so easily.  “Mama, we could buy a smaller set of lights.  You know, the battery operated kind!”  Her little mind was still trying to figure a way to put as much on the tree as possible because her thoughts were telling her: more is always better.


“Yes, we could, but we won’t.” was my reply as I kept unburdening the little tree. 


Abbie’s face drooped.  “Mama, please don’t take everything off.  You will ruin what I’ve done!” 


I didn’t answer.  My hands were working carefully and quickly to restore the tree to a more natural state as I began teaching Abbie about the burden of carrying or having too much. 


The tree returned to an upright position in its pot, again.
 

Abbie sat quietly and watched while the tree was turned and viewed from all directions, each ornament being placed in a carefully chosen spot.  As she watched and listened, her countenance began to change.  The tiny tree was just right for what it was meant to carry.


“Do you like the tree now?” I asked.  She just nodded her approval.  “Would you make a star for the top?  You are so good at making things.  Cut it out of something, anything you like . . . but keep it simple to fit the tree.”


A little while later, a foil covered star cut from card stock topped the tree.  It was beautiful.  Abbie had to even show me how she rigged the back of the star to make it fit!  Joy had returned to her heart. 


This episode with Abbie reminded me: a simple focus requires self-discipline.  It is so easy to be swept away by the presents that must be bought, wrapped and presented; homes that must be decorated; jolly attitudes that must be displayed; parties that must be planned or attended; the annual Christmas letter that must be written, addressed, and sent; and the unspoken other expectations that must be met . . . and the real reason for the celebration is forgotten.


By the way, who is dictating the must be’s?  Who is our audience for whom we perform and what is the focus? Celebrations are important because they cause us to remember.  But, to what extent should we go for a celebration and is the purpose for it still in view?


I ask myself these questions because when the weeks of preparation and celebration for Christmas are over, the sun will lay its head to rest and all festivities will come to a close.  At that time, there will be a moment, a stillness speaking of Truth.  I hunger to tarry in that moment, that place where “bigger and better” doesn’t fit because I know the fullness of that moment arrives when my heart humbly turns toward the Father in thankfulness for the coming of His son, my Messiah.


Celebrate well by keeping a simple focus.
And remember,
the most precious celebration
is the private one
between you and the Father.

Love always,
Angie



Thursday, December 15, 2016

Free Gift




Family Fun Icebreaker: What is a special gift that you received?

Question:Why Is Jesus Sent to You?

Today’s Big Idea: Jesus Is the Redeemer
Jesus is a special gift for you. God sent Jesus to redeem you by being a sacrifice to take away your sins and give you peace with God, the Father. Read 1 John 4:9–10. Scripture shares that God loves you! And He loves you so much that He sent His one and only Son into the world so that you personally could have eternal life. When you believe in Jesus and trust Him as Lord of your life, you receive other promises, such as help from God’s Holy Spirit (John 14:26) and the promise of a better, more satisfying (purposeful) life while you live on earth (John 10:10). In return, you allow Jesus to be Lord of your life. When you confess your sin and repent, you are choosing to stop continuously rebelling against God and instead to continuously be obedient to Jesus. Allowing Jesus to be Lord of your life means you choose obedience to Jesus. And then in return, Jesus helps you be obedient—by giving another gift, the gift of His Holy Spirit.


Talk with God: Read the scriptures aloud.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 NLT


For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time. 1 Timothy 2:5–6 NLT

Walk with God: Read aloud and discuss.

Jesus can pay for your sins, but you must confess your sin, repent and decide to believe in Jesus, this decision will lead to a friendship with God.


Discuss with your family:
Have you received the free gift that God has offered to you? If not, would you like to receive His free gift now? Pray, “Lord, please forgive me. I confess to You that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my wrong behavior. I believe that trusting Jesus, whom You raised from the dead, as my Lord and Savior will save me. I confess that I want Jesus Christ to be Lord of my life, and I would like to receive your gift of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus Christ’s name I pray, Amen.” If you have already prayed this prayer, how has your life changed since then?


Prayer suggestion: Pray for God to help you trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

I will be praying for you!
Stacy


Stacy A. Davis, Author
Exerpt from Come One, Come All, a Sky Ranch Family Devotional
© 2016 Stacy A. Davis, Inc. All rights reserved.

Monday, December 12, 2016

Jesus was 100% Man


Jesus Was 100% Man
Family Fun Icebreaker: Do you cry at commercials on TV?
Question: Who Is Jesus?
Today’s Big Idea: Jesus Is 100% Man
Admit it, sometimes the commercials get you and there are a few tears! We are emotional and once the tears start, it can be hard to stop them. Or maybe you find yourself laughing out loud at one. We relate to emotions. Jesus grew into a regular guy who had real emotions. Scripture shares that God sent Jesus from heaven to earth in order for Jesus to carry out and follow the plan that God set up. Read John 6:38–40. This passage explains God’s plan for Jesus. While on earth, Jesus operated as an ordinary person who put aside all of His godly abilities and behaved as a normal relatable man. Why would Jesus do that? He didn’t have to, but He put aside His divine nature to relate to you and me.

Talk with God:
 Read the scriptures aloud.

(About Jesus) There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.
 Isaiah 53:2–3 NLT

Walk with God: Read aloud and discuss.
Jesus wept in John 11:35. This shows He had real emotions and feelings like you do. He lived a regular life during this part of His life on earth so that He could relate to you.
Discuss with your family:
How does knowing that Jesus was a regular guy help you relate to Him more?

Prayer suggestion:
 Pray for God, the Father, to show you how you can have a real relationship with Jesus.


I will be praying for you!
Stacy


Stacy A. Davis, Author
Exerpt from Come One, Come All, a Sky Ranch Family Devotional
© 2016 Stacy A. Davis, Inc. All rights reserved.

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Christ in Christmas by Lisa Clark

  


LET'S REMEMBER WHOSE BIRTHDAY WE'RE CELEBRATING!

We have to be intentional to keep CHRIST in CHRISTmas or the worldly stuff finds it’s way into our homes. Here are some thoughts to remember WHOSE birthday it is we’re celebrating!
  •  3 gifts – Jesus received 3 gifts for His birth…so maybe 3 is enough for our kiddos, too? (Matthew 2:1-12)


  • An empty seat at the table – Leaving a chair for Jesus at the Christmas table is a reminder to all that it’s His party!


  • Happy Birthday, Jesus! – Bake a cake and celebrate!!


  • Advent – Daily, intentional and all month long! There are all kinds of Advent studies, devotionals and apps to join in! 


  • Serve – Jesus, the Lamb of God. His life was about laying His life down. What better way to celebrate His coming to earth than to serve each other, neighbors, and those God puts in our path?


  • The Christmas Story – Read it before any gifts are opened to remind all gathered ‘round that He is the Reason for the Season! (Luke 2:1-20)


Merry Christmas!

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Jesus As A Boy



Jesus As A Boy
Family Fun Icebreaker: Does listening to someone wise make you wiser? How?
Topic 1 Question: Who Is Jesus?
Today’s Big Idea: Jesus as a Boy
Just like you listen to others and become wiser, as Jesus grew into a boy, He learned wisdom from others and grew in wisdom. As God continues His plan to help mankind, He knew that Jesus would also relate to humanity by growing up as a boy on earth. Growing from a baby into an adult can be a challenging journey. By sharing a similar journey that others in mankind go through, God knew that some would relate better to Jesus. To learn more about Jesus as a boy, read Luke 2:40–52. Scripture shares more about Jesus’ years as an adult, but we do know enough about His years as a boy to learn that He had to figure out how to improve His relationship with people and God—Jesus grew! Jesus didn’t have it all figured out as a baby; He had to grow in relationships like you do. Hopefully, that will be an encouragement to you to continue to learn and improve in your relationships with others.

Talk with God: Read the scriptures aloud.

Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people. Luke 2:52 NLT

Walk with God: Read aloud and discuss.
In Luke 2, Jesus was missing for three days and He did not tell His parents where He was. His parents were frantic and searching for Him. Jesus didn’t intentionally do anything wrong to His parents, but He was accused of intentionally treating them wrongly. He thought that they knew where He was, but it was a misunderstanding.

Discuss with your family:
Jesus had misunderstandings with his parents as you probably do. He understands how it feels to be misunderstood. The next time you have a misunderstanding with someone, would you turn to Jesus for advice? Why or why not?

Prayer suggestion: Pray for God to help you grow in your relationships.

I will be praying for you!
Stacy


Stacy A. Davis, Author
Exerpt from Come One, Come All, a Sky Ranch Family Devotional
© 2016 Stacy A. Davis, Inc. All rights reserved.

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Jesus as a Baby


Jesus As A Baby

Family Fun Icebreaker: Can you trust God like a baby trusts his mother?


Topic 1 Question: Who Is Jesus?

Today’s Big Idea: Jesus as a Baby

God always has a plan. God created mankind and He knows exactly what humanity will do. Mankind needs God, but is rebellious and won’t listen to Him. So throughout scripture God shares that He wants to help humanity by sending someone special to help. God knows some people will listen to Him, and those smart people who listen will receive extra help from God. Jesus is the special one that God sent to earth to help. God’s goal is for you to trust Jesus. But for you to trust Jesus, God knew that Jesus needed to relate to you. So God sent Jesus to earth by being born as a baby, a human baby. Jesus entered life on earth in a similar way that you entered life. The story of Jesus’ arrival is told in Matthew 1:18–25. Take time to read it. Jesus came to earth as a baby and trusted His earthly parents to care for Him.


Talk with God: Read the scriptures aloud.
"And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped him in cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." Luke 2:7 NISB

Walk with God: Read aloud and discuss.
Jesus was wrapped in cloths and held in His mother’s arms when He first arrived as you were. He was small and vulnerable and trusted others to care for Him. He knows what it feels like to depend on someone else. He trusted
His heavenly Father to care for Him through the people on earth.


Discuss with your family:
Jesus trusted others to care for Him at a young age. It can be uncomfortable to be dependent on someone else. Most people like to be independent. But sometimes when you are sick or in need you have to rely on someone else.
How well do you trust others? What helps you trust them? Why do you trust them?


Prayer suggestion: Pray for God to help you trust Him.


I will be praying for you!

Stacy



Stacy A. Davis, Author

Exerpt from Come One, Come All, a Sky Ranch Family Devotional
© 2016 Stacy A. Davis, Inc. All rights reserved.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

The Overflowing Cup by Terrie Chevaillier

The Overflowing Cup



You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, you anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. Psalm 23:5

You have a cup that you walk around with.  So do your friends.  I have a cup.  It’s an invisible cup that we hold out each day.  No one can see it and you don’t really know you are holding it out and walking around with it.

The cup says, “fill me up, I want to overflow.”  Maybe you hold it out to your husband and expect him to fill it up.   Perhaps it is food, excessive exercise, the approval of others, tennis, kid’s sports, kid’s accomplishments, a fixer upper house complete with Magnolia Market furnishings (who doesn’t want that?) 

We wake up each day and are unaware that we pick that cup up and take it into our day and ask it to be filled as we move in and out of our circles and places.  Our hearts say to the things of this world….fill my cup today.  Some people wish you didn’t have your cup because they are hurt and tired of trying to be the one to fill it when they see you holding it out and coming towards you to with it.

I have a personal name for my cup.  It is called The Contentment Cup.  When I am discontent, I hold it out to all sorts of people and places until it reaches the mark of contentment.  The hard thing about that is that the next day my cup is empty and I have to take it back out and plan and go and do and fret and work, sometimes until the night to get it filled back up again.

Godliness with contentment is great gain.  1 Timothy 6:6

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding the promise for both the present life and the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:8

We have an unlimited source of supply each morning that is just waiting to fill that cup up till it overflows.  And when you let Him fill it up each morning, you then get to take it into your home and into the world and instead of asking it to be filled by limited sources, you spill your overflowing cup out and over into the lives of others?  

Godliness spills out all over you and whoever you bump into.


Are you holding out your cup today?  If so, there is One who is waiting to fill it till it overflows.  Take it to Him and it will never run dry.  Not only will it bring you happiness, but others will be happy too.

Friday, November 11, 2016

Teaching Humility by Lisa Clark



"Mom, what's HUMILITY? I keep hearing that word!"

The best way for parents to teach humility is to model it.  But we're only able to be humble in thought, word and deed because of the true servant who modeled it for us all, Jesus Christ.  So telling the story of Jesus to our children teaches them what humility looks like and how we are able to be humble in this world of  "all about me" and self-centeredness. 

Jesus Christ left the glories of heaven to come to earth and be a man. He left his Father. He left all adoration and praise to be a man on earth so that we could have hope. He left all majesty, honor and glory to come to earth. He was a King. And he came to save us. He left his kingdom to come to earth and save us.

He was raised as a carpenter's son, learning carpentry by trade. He lived modestly, and at times had "not a place to rest his head" at night. He learned all he could from his teachers, was obedient to his parents, worked hard, resisted Satan and had no sin in his life. Never a bad thought. Never a disagreeable tone. No envy. No jealousy. No covetousness. Never pinched his siblings in the car. No sin. Perfect. And he lived this out in an imperfect world full of all kinds of filthy sin.

He was beaten, brutally, and nailed to a cross. All the while pursuing us. Forgiving us. Loving us. He died and rose 3 days later because he wanted us to have a relationship with his Father and we couldn't without him. There's no hope for us without Jesus. He never quit pursuing us.
We don't deserve what he did for us. But he did it anyway. 


That's humility.

Sunday, November 6, 2016

Fall Apple Crisp

For our family, nothing says Fall and Thanksgiving like Apple Crisp!  

Enjoy the bounty of apples right now in this easy-as-pie (pun intended) recipe.  

 APPLE CRISP




Apple Filling:
2 Tbs. flour
3/4 cup sugar
4-5 cups sliced baking apples
 (1 apple = approx. 1 cup of sliced apples.  this time, I used Pink Lady, Golden Delicious and Granny Smith)




Crust Topping:
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 egg, beaten 
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
Cinnamon



  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease or butter a large pie plate or a 9” x 9” x 2” baking dish.  
  • To prepare filling, mix flour and sugar in a medium bowl.  Add apples and toss gently to coat them.  Transfer the fruit into the prepared baking dish.  
  • For the crust, combine flour, sugar and baking powder.  Make a ‘well’ in the center of the dry ingredients and blend in the beaten egg, mixing until crumbly.  Pour the topping over the fruit mixture.
  • Drizzle the melted butter evenly over the crumb topping.  Sprinkle the top with cinnamon.
  • Place baking dish on a foil-covered pan to prevent spillovers in the oven.  Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown on top.  



You can swap out the fruit, depending on what’s in season.  Blueberries and blackberries (alone or combined) are delicious in this recipe.  If using a fruit other than apples, omit the cinnamon.  Also, if you use a sweeter fruit (like blueberries), you might want to reduce the amount of sugar in the filling a bit.  

The harvest is plentiful!
Sue Beddingfield, SkyMom


Thursday, November 3, 2016

God and All People



Family Fun Icebreaker: Do you have an embarrassing moment that taught you something? What?

Question: How Does God Relate to Others?

Today’s Big Idea:
 God and All People
The Bible explains God’s plan for a relationship with all people. God knows of Adam and Eve’s sin before they commit the act; God has a plan. Before He gives Moses the Ten Commandments, He knows people cannot keep His Law. God is aware that you require guidance to meet His glorious standard. God wants you to see that you need Him to live the right way. He planned all along to send Jesus Christ, His Son, to pay the price for all the sin of those who believe in Him. Jesus, the only sinless man, died on the cross almost 2000 years ago. Since Jesus had no sin, God raised Jesus from the dead and placed Him in heaven, so that He was not separated from God. God, in His great kindness, allows your sins to be paid for by Jesus’ death if you let Jesus be Lord over your life. After accepting Jesus as your Lord, you receive special guidance from the Holy Spirit and the gift of eternal life from God.

Talk with God: Read the scriptures aloud.

For everyone has sinned, we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Romans 3:23 NLT

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 NLT

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8 NLT

Walk with God: Read aloud and discuss.
Even though you struggle with sin, God still helps you. God wants you just as you are, and He loves imperfect people. You don’t have to change first to be in a relationship with God. He accepts you as you are with patience, desiring for you to get to know Him and learn His ways. In time, as you read His Word, your heart changes. You begin to want to live more like Him. God helps you by giving you a desire to do the right thing, but the transformation is a process. Your trust in God grows as you learn more about Him; the change in heart happens in time.

Discuss with your family:
 God is a good influence on you. Do you see your need for God? How? Have you noticed that the more you learn about God, the more you recognize sin and resist it?
Prayer suggestion: Pray for God to help you see Him.

Stacy

Stacy A. Davis, Author
Sky Ranch Family Devotionals, from the book 
All In
© 2015 Stacy A. Davis, Inc. All rights reserved

Friday, October 28, 2016

Tips for Bringing Autumn Inside

TIPS for BRINGING AUTUMN INSIDE




While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat,
And summer and winter, and day and night
Shall not cease.
Genesis 8:22

The faithfulness of our God is seen in the rhythm of the changing seasons.  They always come in the right order!  And they come right on time.  In our area, trees are changing colors, bears are raiding garbage cans to get ready for hibernation, elk and deer are coming down from the high country, and a chill is in the evening air. That speaks of autumn at Sky Ranch Ute Trail in Colorado!

Bring a flavor of autumn into your homes and celebrate the changing beauty God displays.  Start with something that smells good and warms you on a chilly morning!  This tea mix recipe came from my best friend and we often drink it while visiting together. I always save this recipe for autumn and winter months.

Russian Tea Mix
2/3 cup instant decaf unsweetened tea mix
1 cup powdered orange juice mix (Tang)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 Tbl powered lemonade mix
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Mix all ingredients and store in air tight container.
About 3 tsp of mix per 12 oz of boiling water.

Other ideas: 


  • Put together your favorite “comfort soup” and have it cook slowly in a Crock pot or on the stove top. It will make the whole house smell good!
  • Decorate with lots of pumpkins and pine cones! Place little ones on the table tops and counters. Then, put big ones on the porches. 
  • Pull out the old quilts and use them for table cloths! It just speaks of warmth!! Then cozy up to the table and eat some of your “comfort soup!”
  • Buy a bag of marshmallows for the children to roast over the first fires you build in the fireplace . . . if you don’t have a fire place, use a gas stove top! The kids will love it!
  • Don’t throw out the seeds when carving pumpkins, they make great snacks that are rich in fiber as well as vitamins B and E. Those of us that are purists will want only salt as a seasoning and those of us feeling adventurous can experiment with seasonings blends.


Gourmet Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds
2 teaspoons melted butter or oil (olive oil or vegetable oil work well)
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 300º F.
Clean off any major chunks of strings and pulp on your seeds.
Toss pumpkin seeds in a bowl with the melted butter or oil and seasonings of your choice. Spread pumpkin seeds in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet.
Bake for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.

Flavor Combinations for Gourmet Roasted Pumpkin Seed Snacks:
• Italian Style Pumpkin Seeds -- Italian Seasoning Blend, Parmesan Cheese,
Olive oil, salt and pepper.
• Pumpkin Pie Pumpkin Seeds -- Cinnamon, Ground Ginger and Pinch of
Nutmeg, and Butter
• Greek Style -- Lemon Pepper Seasoning Blend, Oregano, Salt, Olive Oil
• Buffalo Wings Pumpkin Seeds -- Butter, Tabasco Sauce, Salt



Happy autumn!
Love always,
Angie

Saturday, October 15, 2016

"Perfect" Encouragement!



“Perfect” Encouragement! 

It’s going around and I guess if I have bumped into, you have as well.  It’s been around forever but it seems to be kind of an epidemic of sorts.  Perfect!  To play the game of mom, friend, bible study girl, keeper of the home, volunteer at the school, neighbor next door, kid’s resume overseer…. you need to be, well, perfect!  But I want to encourage you on another set of rules to the game and it’s the gospel. 

The gospel is for the imperfect!  No matter how you did today or your child did today, this is what the guidebook of life, The Bible, has to say: 

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:23-24 

As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one Romans 3:10  

We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. James 3:2 

Go ahead and ask your friend to pray for that other prayer request you would just really like to have covered, but doing so might seem a little too needy or imperfect. 

Go ahead and prayerfully share with your children your hurts, habits, and hang ups when you were their age or even better, your current age! 

Go ahead and let the mom know who is sitting by you at the game and a little discouraged about her child’s overall performance lately that you too have been there or are currently there with your own children! 
We all need the grace of the gospel for the imperfect we did nothing to inherit other than coming into this world as a sinner in need of a savior!  It’s a perfect weakness with a perfect solution!

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Adam and Eve and Jesus


Adam and Eve and Jesus



Family Fun Icebreaker: What is a comforting scripture for you? Why?

Question: How Does God Relate to Others?

Today’s Big Idea: God, Adam and Eve, and Jesus

God’s relationship with Adam and Eve illustrates mankind’s struggle with sin. Rebelling against God is sin, and sin has consequences. In Genesis 3, Satan deceives Adam and Eve with his lies. They both choose to eat the forbidden fruit, listening to Satan rather than staying away from the tree God instructed them not to touch. From that moment on, the world changes through the lasting effects of that original sin. Satan’s temptation for you to sin is a real, daily struggle. Genesis 3 explains how Adam and Eve (mankind) begin pure, but fall into sin. Thankfully, God has a plan! Jesus, God’s Son, also faces temptation from Satan to sin. However, Jesus’ response to Satan is quite different from Adam’s. Jesus is the only sinless man. In His struggle, He conquers sin through knowing God’s Word. Jesus is an example for you. He counters each sin Satan presents with the truth found in the Bible. Read Matthew 4:1-11. God sends Jesus to repair the damage done by Adam and Eve, giving you a way to find freedom from sin’s control over you.

Talk with God: Read the scriptures aloud.

The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” 
The LORD God asked the woman, “What have you done?” 
“The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.” Genesis 3:12-13 NLT

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. Matthew 4:1 NLT

Walk with God: Read aloud and discuss.
God knows from the beginning that you need His help to defeat sin. Sin is difficult to overcome, especially when Satan accuses and tempts you. Jesus shows you examples of how to resist temptation through scripture. There is
power in God’s Word! 

James 4:7 says, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will free from you.” 

Spend time confessing your struggle with sin to God. Search scripture and find verses that teach you how to counter your problem through His Word. The next time you feel temptation, pray the scripture aloud and resist the urge to sin.

Discuss with your family: God calls scripture “the Sword of the Spirit” because it is your weapon against the attacks of Satan. What truth in scripture helps to keep you from sinning?

Prayer suggestion: Pray for God to help you learn the scripture that will help you the most.

Stacy
Stacy A. Davis, Author
Sky Ranch Family Devotionals, from the book 
All In
© 2015 Stacy A. Davis, Inc. All rights reserved