Teach Intentionally..."Family Time…Jesus in the Flesh and the Mediator", with Stacy A. Davis ~ Bible Teacher and Sky Ranch Board Member

Family Time…Jesus in the Flesh and the Mediator

               

Trick or treat? Which one do you usually pick? We all want the treat, don’t we? I don’t like to be tricked. I don’t think anyone really does. Deception is very similar to being tricked. No one likes that either. God warns you in scripture that there will always be people who want to deceive you and one common form of their deception is to say that “Jesus did not come in the flesh” or “God did not really come to earth.” This month’s family time topic from the “Sky Ranch Family Devotional: Follow the Leader” is on “Jesus is Man“ and the weekly discussion is on “Jesus in the Flesh and the Mediator.“ Today, the more common deception is that people question if "Jesus is God"…instead they claim Jesus was only a man without supernatural power. It is important to teach your family to truly believe God at His Word and His Word says that Jesus is fully God and fully Man. He is both. When your family states that they believe in Jesus, then you are committing to believe in the God-Man Jesus and the opposite is true too…if you deny belief in Jesus, then you are denying belief in the God-Man Jesus. Scripture tells you there is a harsh penalty for denying belief in Jesus. This really is an important aspect of your family’s spiritual understanding. One of the awesome benefits of believing in Jesus is His response to you. If you trust Jesus, He will explain God to you and you to God. He will be a Mediator for you. He will speak to God, the Father on your behalf. Christians still sin and make mistakes after their initial repentance and belief in Jesus. You need Jesus to be a Mediator. There are many benefits from trusting Jesus, but the fact that He intercedes for you with God, the Father, is one of the biggest. Share with your family the idea of interceding or mediating and tell you kids how it can help you

  As a Mom, I found the idea of mediation wasn't hard to explain. All siblings fight, kids at school fight, kids even fight with a parent. It happens. Most kids understand what it means to be in a fight and they usually have had the experience of a mediator, a person uninvolved in the fight who reasons with the two people fighting and helps them settle the argument. Most people appreciate the mediator who will get involved and help everyone find a peaceful solution. The complicated part was explaining to my kids "why" you need Jesus as a mediator. Why is a Mediator needed between you and God, the Father?  Most people know about sin, but don't really want to think they actually sin and cause their separation from God. But they do. It is critical to understand "why" you need Jesus. My kids thought repenting (asking for forgiveness) of sin was a one-time confession, at the time of belief. It was a surprise to them, when I explained that you need to say you are sorry to God the next time you offend Him too. Just like in a relationship with people, if you did something offensive, you need to apologize for the new offense. Otherwise, there is a distance in the relationship, but, thankfully, “I am sorry” is very healing and Jesus is continually mediating for you.

This week in your family time, I would encourage you to prepare by praying for your family and asking God to reveal if anyone struggles with the belief that Jesus is God in human form. Pray that God will give you the right words to explain the God-Man, Jesus. Pray that your family will be honest and recognize if they struggle with sin. Talk about sin and define it for them. Pray that they will trust turning to Jesus as a Mediator when they recognize that they have sinned and need to ask forgiveness.

Do you have questions or need prayer for your family? Email me at SkyMoms@skyranch.org.

I will be praying for you! 

Stacy

Stacy A. Davis

Sky Ranch Family Devotionals and

Teach Intentionally Author

This week we are in the 2^nd  Topic and 10^th  Family Time (or page  25) of the Sky Ranch Devotional “Follow the Leader”…

Family Time 10: 

Topic 2: Jesus is Man…Jesus in the flesh and the Mediator

Talk with God: Read… Scriptures and questions below.

1 John 4:2  By this you know  the  Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh  is from God;  3  and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the [spirit] of the  antichrist…

• In 1 John 4:2, who confesses that Jesus has come in the flesh?

2 John 1:7  For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ [as] coming  in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.

• In 2 John 1:7, who does not confess Jesus as coming in the flesh?

1 Timothy 2:5  For there is one God, [and] one mediator also between God and men, [ the ] man Christ Jesus,  6  who gave Himself as a ransom for all,  the  testimony [borne] at  the  proper time.

• In 1 Tim. 2:5, who is the one mediator between God and men?

Walk with God: Discuss… Scripture says that it is important to confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. Why is it important for you to know and confess personally that Jesus came to earth in the flesh? 

Prayer suggestion… Pray for God’s help to believe Jesus came to earth in the flesh.

Family Time 10: 

Leader Answers:

• Those from God
• Deceivers
• The man Jesus Christ
• Discussion ideas: If you deny that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, then you are listening to a deceiving spirit or a deceiver. You are being lied to, so don’t listen to any religion or teacher that teaches this lie. Since Jesus came in the flesh, He acts as your mediator between you and God. Romans 8:34 tells you that Jesus intercedes on your behalf.  Even as a Christian, you still have sinful moments and Jesus is there to intercede or mediate for you. What sinful moments has Jesus mediated for you?

© 2012 Stacy A. Davis, Inc. All rights reserved.

Prayer Encouragement: "Guiding Your Children as Election Day Approaches" by SkyMom, Terrie Chevaillier

Guiding Your Children as Election Day Approaches

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

Romans 13:1

Hey SkyMoms….I just wanted to send out a couple of scriptures as we have MANY opportunities for

discussion in the next few days.

God’s Word is truth.

It is truth that we can stand on and truth that will not return void.  It will accomplish what it is sent forth to accomplish. Isaiah 55:11

So, with that said, as your children ask questions regarding possible outcomes, these are two truths you can give them.

In regards to 2 Chronicles 7:14….we are His people.  God’s people.  God’s children.  

So, what should we do?  Humble ourselves and pray.

Seek His face.

Turn from sin.

The promise…He will hear from Heaven.

He will forgive our sins.

He will heal our land.

Keeping in mind….His Ways are often higher than our ways as His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.  He is sovereign over how He will heal our land. Isaiah 55: 8-9

Regarding the current appointed authority and the next appointed authority we have Romans 13:1

Who is subject to the governing authorities…..everyone.

Who establishes authority……God.

Who has established the authorities that exist….God.

He is Sovereign and He is on the throne regardless of how things may appear or not appear.

Moms, this is truth.  It is God’s Word.

We believe it and we teach it.

So, let’s use these next few days to speak faith filled Words of truth to our children.

Let’s take advantage of sweet opportunities to gather on bended knee with our families

and humble ourselves and pray.

Let’s Pray God’s Word:

Dear Father in Heaven, thank You for Your Word.

As Your people, we come before You with humble hearts seeking You.

Convict us of sin that separates us from fellowship with You.

Lead us to turn from those sins and seek Your face in prayer.

Thank You that You will hear us from heaven when we do.

Thank You that You will forgive us and 

Thank You that You will heal our land.

We also acknowledge all authority as God appointed.

Lead us to be moms that encourage our children to respect all authority.

Guide us as we teach them that ALL authority is in Your mighty, powerful and capable hands.

Amen.

~Terrie Chevaillier

Teach Intentionally..."Family Time…Jesus as a Man and a Spirit inspired life", with Stacy A. Davis ~ Bible Teacher and Sky Ranch Board Member

Family Time…Jesus as a Man and a Spirit inspired life

Relationships matter. People matter. What helps you relate another person? Is it because you have something in common or can identify with them? Usually, you relate to someone because there is a connection or something that you both understand. There is a trust and respect. In your relationship with Jesus it is the same. You can relate to Jesus through the events of His daily life on earth. This month’s family time topic from the “Sky Ranch Family Devotional: Follow the Leader” is on “Jesus is Man, “and the weekly discussion is on “Jesus as a Man and a Spirit inspired life. “ Jesus, the visible image of God on earth, went through emotions, hardships, a daily job and needed to rest…just like you do. When you seek Jesus’ advice, you know that He understands your emotions, your hardships, your job, and if you need to rest…and many other things…because He personally went through it. Help your family understand that you can talk to Jesus about anything and He will understand! He did it too.

As a Mom, I found spending the time and talking to my kids about relationships with their friends and being honest about the real problems in relationships was very useful in many ways. First, it helped my kids work through current issues and second, it helped them remember to talk to Jesus about it too. This is why prayer is so important. Whether it is after a family time devotional or just a conversation, take the opportunity to pray, at the end, and ask for God’s help. Role model for your kids that you can turn to Jesus about relationships and trust that He can relate to any issue. I also took every opportunity to give the credit to God when the issue was resolved. I found that turning the focus to God did give credit to God, plus, it pointed out the positive that the problem was actually resolved. Any focus on “good things” is important in an often negative world.

This week in your family time, I would encourage you to prepare by praying for your family and asking God to show you the best way to explain the “human” side of Jesus to your family.  Ask God to help your family see the emotions, daily life and normal relationship issues that Jesus went through and pray that your family will trust Jesus to help them with their own struggles. Pray that God will open your families’ hearts to share if they need counsel on any relationships or struggles. Pray that they would feel safe discussing it with the family. Praise God if they do! And then just listen…kids need to talk sometimes and don’t necessarily need advice…but just a listening heart on their side.

Do you have questions or need prayer for your family? Email me at SkyMoms@skyranch.org.

I will be praying for you! 

Stacy

Stacy A. Davis

Sky Ranch Family Devotionals and

Teach Intentionally Author

This week we are in the 2^nd  Topic and 9^th  Family Time (or page  24) of the Sky Ranch Devotional “Follow the Leader”…

Family Time 9: 

Topic 2: Jesus is Man…Jesus as a Man and a Spirit inspired life

Talk with God: Read… Scriptures and questions below.

John 11:35  Jesus wept. 36 And so the Jews were saying, "Behold how He loved him!”… 38 Jesus therefore again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb.

• In John 11:35-38, what emotions does Jesus have?

Luke 19:47  And He was teaching daily in the temple; but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to destroy Him,  48  and they could not find anything that they might do, for all the people were hanging upon His words.

• In Luke 19:47, what did Jesus do daily?

Mark 6:31 (Jesus is speaking)  And He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and  rest  a while." (For there were many [people] coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.)  32  And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves…

• In Mark 6:31, what did Jesus need to do and encourage others to do?

Walk with God: Discuss… While Jesus lived on earth, He put aside His supernatural abilities and operated just like you do as a human. Jesus had emotional challenges, daily duties and even needed to rest. Yet, He stayed obedient. You can learn from Jesus. When Jesus was challenged, what kept Him going? 

Prayer suggestion…  Pray for Jesus’ strength to help you.

Family Time 9: 

Leader Answers:

• Jesus wept, loved, and was deeply moved
• He taught daily
• Rest, eat, be alone
• Discussion ideas: When Jesus was on earth, He chose to operate as we do. He put aside His deity and relied on the Holy Spirit to strengthen Him and YOU can, too! Phil 4:13 states that “you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.” So, when you are challenged to keep going, what can you do?

© 2012 Stacy A. Davis, Inc. All rights reserved.

Prayer Encouragement: "Sky Moms in Southlake" by SkyMom, Terrie Chevaillier

Sky Moms in Southlake

This past week, Sky Moms who gathered in Southlake had the wonderful 

privilege of hearing Sky Ranch parenting mentor Lisa Clark speak on the topic of

“Why can’t My Children be Perfect Like Me”

It was truth filled, convicting, and encouraging.

For those who were not able to be there and glean this wisdom from Lisa,

I thought I would share with you what I learned this past Thursday.

I felt as if it were a gift straight to me from the Lord above…good and perfect as His timing always is.

I jotted down four take aways that I felt the Lord wanted me to take as instruction that day.

She encouraged us to not let our children becomes idols…which would show up in the way we expected perfection from them which would bring disappointment when they messed up. 

From that piece of wisdom, I want to encourage us to pray:

Exodus 20:3

You shall have no other God’s before me.

You can simply pray….Lord, please show me the areas where I am holding my children and their performance as an idol.   Convict me in your loving mercy and lead me to repentance.

Another piece of encouragement that Lisa shared was that moms are the heartbeat of the home.  I loved that analogy as sometimes when I wear myself doing too many things outside of the home, my heart has been beating so hard and fast as I pursue things that aren’t necessarily focused on my home, leaving me with little energy to manage what God has entrusted me with..

MY HOME

For that piece of sweet wisdom we can pray: 

Titus 2: 4-5

and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

Lord, show me where I do not love my husband and children as You would have me love them.

Help me to see my work at home as valuable and life giving.

Lead me with courage and strength as I make my home a priority.

Then boundaries. ….Lisa helped us understand that our children love them and crave them.

For this nugget of truth, we can pray 

1 Corinthians 10:23

You say, "I am allowed to do anything"--but not everything is good for you. You say, "I am allowed to do anything"--but not everything is beneficial.

Let’s pray:  Lord please show us the things that are not good for our children..maybe they are good things, but at this time, they are not beneficial.  Give us courage and trust to take them away for a season or limit them.  Lead us to know Your boundaries for parenting that show love over legalism.

And personally, the most important reminder that Lisa gave for me was 

to remember that we are sinners raising little sinners.  HOW TRUE!

So, that would lead us to pray for grace…grace, grace and more grace.

2 Corinthians 12:9 says

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Let’s pray God’s Word:

Oh Lord, thank You that Your grace is sufficient for do overs as Lisa reminded us that we need.

Grace to ask you for do overs.  Many do overs.

Where this is leading us to feel guilt and shame for having to ask so many times,  we ask You in Your sweet grace and mercy to cleanse us from that and help us to know that when we are weak…Your power is made perfect during those times.

Therefore, as Your Word says, we can boast all the more gladly in asking for do overs so in that we know 

That Your Power will rest on us as we receive the perfect Love of You to love our children through

Your perfect power that releases all of the wrong perfection that we are demanding or our children,

And reminds us of Your perfect grace that sustains that is made perfect in our weakness and in the weaknesses of our children.

Amen.

~Terrie Chevaillier

Tori's SkyMoms Tips....Fall decorations and a Yummy dessert to go along with your beautiful home decor!

After a little fun with Fall decorating...oh, and I must admit I am in love with anything Chevron Patterned... But, now I am getting really excited for getting out all my Christmas decorations!!  So to end this week with my fall decor and the beginnings of putting out all my Christmas decor, I thought we would celebrate with Paula Deens, Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes!!

The internet is all abuzz with Thanksgiving culinary masterpieces, so it is only fair that I join in on the fun and share this recipe.

They are called Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes and they make pumpkin pie feel like the third sister-wife of the dessert table. 

You can tell by the title that this recipe is clearly a Paula Deen.  Only she would title a recipe “Gooey Butter Cakes.”  Thanksgiving is her bailiwick.  No contest.

Usually I have a nose for the more nutritionally balanced recipes, but this is a well-worth-it exception.  And if you want to make yourself feel better about the two sticks of butter in this recipe, remember that pumpkin is a vegetable.

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1 egg
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.  Check on them after about 35 minutes so you make sure not to overbake them. The center should be a little gooey.   Let the pan cool completely before you cut the squares.  I usually cut them pretty small since they are so rich.  Dust them with powdered sugar to make them extra pretty before serving them.

Please, please trust me on this one.  Tear up that stale pumpkin pie recipe and enjoy this variation.  Just put on your heals and  and dazzle the person(s) you are most thankful for with this sinful seasonal delight.

Tori Miller

Sky Ranch SkyMom Parenting Mentor

Ronda from ~ The Family Table, brings us "Pumpkin Ginger Bread"

Pumpkin Ginger Bread

 This time of year is full of fun family moments and most of them at our house revolve around the table, eating good food.  Our house is usually packed with guests and that means a lot of cooking for me. I do love it, but every year I tell myself that I will make more stuff ahead of time and use my freezer.  So here goes… Starting with breakfast and coffee treats. Never make just one batch of anything. Ever. Always make a second to freeze or give away. This is one of the easiest ways to stock up the freezer for a later date.

Pumpkin Ginger Bread

2 ¼ cup flour

¾ tsp salt

¾ tsp baking powder

¾ tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground ginger

1 T ground cinnamon

1 inch freshly grated ginger

1  stick of unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 cup Libby pumpkin

¾ cup milk

½ cup chocolate chips

Sift dry ingredients and set aside. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and fresh ginger.  Alternate dry ingredients with milk. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into greased loaf pan. If desired sprinkle with a little sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees until a toothpick inserted into center comes out dry about 45-60 minutes.  Let cool and either slice to eat or wrap tightly in plastic wrap then food saver loaf  and freeze to use during Thanksgiving Week. Perfect to have as part of a breakfast buffet or as a late afternoon snack with coffee or tea.

Happy Cooking,

Ronda from The Family Table

Prayer Encouragement: "Harvest Time" by SkyMom, Terrie Chevaillier

Harvest Time

 Let us not become weary in doing good,

 for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up

Galatians 6:9

Have you ever had the opportunity to teach your children about sowing and reaping?

From young children to older, I believe that God gave us the ability to understand

a very important truth by watching the seed.

When planted, a seed needs to be covered up with dirt so that we cannot see it.

This gives it a place to germinate.

Depending on the seed, some need a period of dormancy before they can sprout and emerge up from the ground. 

The definition of dormancy is: Lying asleep or as if asleep.

Latent, but capable of being active.

Do your children every get discouraged and feel like the fruit of their good choices are as if asleep….seeming to bear no fruit.

Sometimes, just as the seed, the seeds of good character put into practice

day after day tend to lay dormant for a season.

Even though we cannot yet see the fruit of the daily choices,

Something beautiful is taking place and will emerge into something

bigger and more amazing than what was every planted.

Sowing seeds of hard work by disciplined study habits and prioritizing

allow you to reap a harvest of choices instead of a harvest of limitations

when it comes time to possibly apply for a college.

Sowing seeds of faith in friend choices by refusing to follow the crowd

allows one to reap a harvest of right relationships instead of wrong ones.

Sowing seeds of encouraging words over ones that tear down allow us to reap a harvest of truth:  God’s Word and His promises coming to light in our situations.

Think about how when you plant a seed, you never see it come up from the ground.

It would be rare to be standing there at just the time it poked it’s head through the dirt

and see movement of a stem emerging.

And so it is with doing good.

We often don’t get to see the fruit of it until one day, we wake up and there it is.

Let’s Pray God’s Word:

Dear Father, thank You that You promise a harvest.

Sometimes my children get weary of doing good.

Often, I get weary of doing good.  I forget that disciplining them is good.

I get weary of saying the same things to them day after day.

I desire for their harvest to be plentiful and abundant.

However, it seems that sometimes, they cannot even imagine 

the harvest that is coming or possible for them.

In the stages of their development, it is often hard for them and for me to see the future and what good could be.  Choices made today greatly affecting somewhere down the road…tomorrow.

I want their tomorrow to be full of all that You intended it to be.  Every seed bearing full blooms that blossom for Your Kingdom.

Your Word gives us comfort that when we become weary…to not give up.

It lets us know that we will become weary.

When they do and I do, please lead us to Your Word for strength to keep on going.

For You say that if we do….that there is a PROPER time to reap as we trudge through

the weariness.

I want to wait for the proper time.

I want them to wait for the proper time.

Help me not to push, and cause them to become weary as a result of my 

own desires for performance or perfection.

The proper time would mean faith in Your time.

The proper time would be looking hopefully and expectantly with thanksgiving

as we wait for the seeds to take full bloom.

Help me to wait for the harvest that You have coming at just the

proper time.

Amen

~Terrie Chevaillier