Teach Intentionally..."Family Time…Jesus gives peace", with Stacy A. Davis ~ Bible Teacher and Sky Ranch Board Member

Family Time…Jesus gives peace

This month’s family time topic from the “Sky Ranch Family Devotional: Follow the Leader” is on “Jesus brings you love and peace“ and the weekly discussion is on “Jesus gives peace and it is better.“

This week in your family time, I would encourage you to prepare by praying for your family and asking God to help your family understand better the peace that God is talking about in scripture. Pray for God’s help as you lead the discussion on the differences between His peace and the peace that the world offers.

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 5^th  Topic and 25^th  Family Time (or page 50 ) of the Sky Ranch Family Devotional “Follow the Leader”…

Family Time 25: 

Topic 5: Jesus brings you love and peace…Jesus gives peace and it is better

Talk with God: Read… Scriptures and questions below.

John 14:27  (Jesus is speaking)  "Peace I leave with you; My peace I  give  to you; not as the world gives, do I  give  to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

• In John 14:27, is Jesus’ peace the same as the world’s peace?
• In John 14:27, how will your heart respond to Jesus’ peace?

John 16:33  "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

• In John 16:33, what can you have in the midst of tribulation?

Philippians 4:7  And the peace of God, which  surpasses  all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

• In Phil. 4:7, is God’s peace something that we can understand?
• In Phil 4:7, what does it guard? 

Walk with God: Discuss… A big topic today is world peace. Everyone wants the fighting to stop. But is that what Jesus is talking about in these passages? How is Jesus’ peace different from worldly peace?

Prayer suggestion…  Pray for God to help you understand His peace. 

Family Time 25: 

Leader Answers:

• No
• It isn’t troubled or fearful
• Courage and peace
• No, it surpasses all comprehension (it doesn’t make sense)
• Your heart and mind
• Discussion ideas: Jesus’ peace is a peace that you are given by God’s Spirit in the midst of the chaos and fighting. It is a peace that does not make sense based on the circumstances. It also only comes from God and you cannot create it yourself. World peace would be nice but God’s peace is better. Have you seen this peace in your life? How has the peace that Jesus gives helped you in your life?

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

Prayer Encouragement: "The Beginnings of Prodigal Living" by SkyMom, Terrie Chevaillier

The Beginnings of Prodigal Living

The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. (Luke 15:12, 13 NIV)

The parable of The Prodigal Son.  It is often used when teaching how much God rejoices over the return of one of His children who have strayed.  It is a story of God's grace toward us and His love.  From it, we learn the unconditional love of the Prodigal's father which mirrors the unconditional love of THE FATHER.

After studying the parable this week, I saw something new.  A few things happened before He started off on his path of wild living that I think would be helpful when SkyMoms pray for how to love their children well.  First and foremost we learn unconditional love from this parable. As moms, that is our call....to love unconditionally as we are sinners raising little sinners.  For those of you who have attended a SkyMoms luncheon this year, Lisa Clark has encouraged us immensely in this area and also in the one I am going to encourage you to be in prayer about.


From the scripture we see these two phrases: "Father give me my share" and then we see the outcome of this request.....so he (the boy's father) divided. In modern day language we would call this request a sense of entitlement.


In our day, I am not seeing moms cave to the request to give an inheritance to a child in what would be deemed too early. However, I am seeing moms loose the battle to withhold privileges (inheritance) that should come at a later age. Our kids are saying "Give Me" in the area of social, emotional, physical, and material freedoms.  I am seeing moms dividing, or in our day, delivering. And then, I am seeing the not long afters.  Notice the words in the scripture above.

Now,  please know as I write about seeing moms.....I am that mom.  Way too often than not, I am that mom. See, on days where I haven't been in the Word to gather courage to parent as unto Him, I cave where He would have me stand strong. I become their friend on that day.  I say yes before praying about the request. I just kind of forget to go to my husband and get his unified "yes" before I deliver my solo "yes".  Often times where I am weak or enabling, he is strong. And vice versa,  where he tends to succumb to being their friend over their parent, I have courage and for lack of a better phrase.....don't care what the little people say.

Just a little tip. Often when they push back, it means you are pushing in the right direction. So moms, don't cave at the first whine of disapproval to your boundaries. Push forward in faith and trust.

This is HARD, so let's take the scripture above and pray God's Word for strength to pass the test.

Father, thank You that we have your Word that is truthful in guiding us to be an earthly father and mother.

When my young ones say "Give me mom or give me dad", where am I in disobedience to parenting Your way?

In what areas is it ok to deliver or divide? Give me a nudge to know.  Even in what I would think are little things like maybe waking them up so they don't have to hear the alarm or not taking their phone because I need them to have it. I ask for discernment in all areas where I am enabling because I am under the deception of loving in how the enemy would prefer me to love.  Give it to them now and then chaos will come later.....however we fall under deception to the outcome of later and proceed in the now. Help me be aware!  Help me to be a mom on guard!

Lord, You know those distant countries in my child's heart where they are being tempted to rebel in wild living. Where are they squandering an inheritance now that is meant for years later because of my disobedience?

Lord, thank You that you show us mercy and grace.  Keep my child under Your watchful eye. When they do stray in little or big ways, help me to stand in trust and celebrate each moment of repentance and return.....whether it just takes a day or a year.

Amen
~Terrie Chevaillier

February 21: First Baptist Church McKinney - 7pm, SKYFI, BE THERE!!

Sky Ranch SkyFi's are back for 2013!  The Summer Camp Team is coming to a location near you for a FREE event featuring the summer camp team, your favorite camp songs and skits, as well as information about Sky Ranch Christian Summer Camp.  Come be the FIRST to learn about the 2013 Summer Camp theme! Additionally, campers will have a chance to win an awesome giveaway and all new registrations recieve $100 off camp tuition!*

Campers - everyone is invited! Come get a taste of the awesome summer the Sky Ranch team has planned and bring your friends to join the fun!

Parents - this is a great way to experience what your camper will be doing their week of camp, reunite with camp friends and the summer camp team, and get all of your questions answered!

February 21: First Baptist Church McKinney - 7pm in the Chapel
1615 West Louisiana St, McKinney, Texas

It's a sneak peek of Summer 2013, plus a chance to meet the Summer Camp Team!  Come enjoy your favorite camp songs, your favorite camp staff, awesome videos, fantastic giveaways, some major camp fun, and MORE! Have friends who have never been to camp?  Have them join you to learn how a week at Sky Ranch can impact their life...forever! $100 off for new summer camp registrations!*

Teach Intentionally..."Family Time…Respond to Jesus", with Stacy A. Davis ~ Bible Teacher and Sky Ranch Board Member

Family Time…Respond to Jesus

This month’s family time topic from the “Sky Ranch Family Devotional: Follow the Leader” is on “Jesus brings you love and peace“ and the weekly discussion is on “Responding to Jesus’ love and getting to know Jesus.“

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 loving others. Pray for God to give you the words to speak to their hearts and the ideas for leading them by example.

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  5^th  Topic and 24^th  Family Time (or page 49 ) of the Sky Ranch Family Devotional “Follow the Leader”…

Family Time 24:

Topic 5: Jesus brings you love and peace…Respond to Jesus’ love and getting to know Jesus

Talk with God: Read… Scriptures and questions below.

1 John 4:19  We love, because He first loved us.

• In 1 John 4:19, why do you love?

John 15:9  (Jesus is speaking) "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love…”

• In  John 15:9, what does Jesus tell you to do?

John 14:15  "If you love Me, you will keep My commandment.”

Ephesians 5:2  and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you…

• In both John 14:15 and Eph. 5:2, if you love Jesus, what will you do?

John 14:23  Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will  love  him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him.”

• In John 14:23, if you love Jesus what will you do?
• In John 14:23, how will Jesus and the Father respond?

Walk with God: Discuss… 1 John 4:16 tells us that God is love…and you and I are able to love because God loved us. Jesus tells us that your love for Him will be evident if you keep His commandments, walk in love and keep His Word. Just like anyone that you love, you will want to know what Jesus has to say and respect Him. Do you know His Word well enough to keep it? What can you do to get to know Jesus better?

Prayer suggestion… Pray for God to help you love Jesus.

Family Time 24: 

Leader Answers:

• Because He loved us 
• Abide in His love
• Keep His commandments, walk in love
• Keep His word
• They will live within you (make their abode)
• Discussion ideas: Abiding is the key to your relationship with Jesus. Jesus through His Holy Spirit helps you abide in Him. God’s Spirit gives you a desire to want to know Jesus’ Word.  How can you really know someone if you don’t listen to what they say? As a family, share how you get to know a new friend. Isn’t that how you get to know Jesus better, too? Commit to spend time with Jesus. Let each family member share something good that has happened to them recently. What can you share that is good about Jesus?

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

February 19: Prestonwood Christian Academy - 7pm, SKYFI, BE THERE!!!

Sky Ranch SkyFi's are back for 2013!  The Summer Camp Team is coming to a location near you for a FREE event featuring the summer camp team, your favorite camp songs and skits, as well as information about Sky Ranch Christian Summer Camp.  Come be the FIRST to learn about the 2013 Summer Camp theme! Additionally, campers will have a chance to win an awesome giveaway and all new registrations recieve $100 off camp tuition!*

Campers - everyone is invited! Come get a taste of the awesome summer the Sky Ranch team has planned and bring your friends to join the fun!

Parents - this is a great way to experience what your camper will be doing their week of camp, reunite with camp friends and the summer camp team, and get all of your questions answered!

February 19:  Prestonwood Christian Academy - 7pm in the Horner Training Center
6801 West Park Blvd, Plano, Texas

It's a sneak peek of Summer 2013, plus a chance to meet the Summer Camp Team!  Come enjoy your favorite camp songs, your favorite camp staff, awesome videos, fantastic giveaways, some major camp fun, and MORE! Have friends who have never been to camp?  Have them join you to learn how a week at Sky Ranch can impact their life...forever! $100 off for new summer camp registrations!*

Prayer Encouragement: "What Do I Deserve?" by SkyMom, Terrie Chevaillier

What Do I Deserve?

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

Have you ever thought....well I hope this happens for my child because he or she just really deserves it.  They have worked hard.  I have worked hard.  She has sacrificed.  I have spent lots of money working helping them work towards this.  Lots of time has been dedicated.  I have at one time or another said these things and thought these things and even prayed those things.

Today, while praying for some specifics and requests for all of my family, that little thought tried to creep in.  The Holy Spirit gently nudged me to the gospel.

Wait, ok....no. We don't deserve ANYTHING....they don't, we don't, I don't, not anyone does. Quickly my prayer changed.

It shifted from requesting He bring this "thing" about, to this request... Lord, we deserve death but we got life.  Only through Your son is anything possible or do we get to partake in anything of value and worth.  Would You give us Your mercy, grace, and kindness in this situation? It went more along the lines of because You are good God and we are not.....actually nothing good lives in us apart from You.....just because of Your goodness and for Your glory....would you bring about this thing?

It made me think about how lately I have heard and read the word narcissism in a lot of parenting articles, blogs, and teachings. I looked up the definition of a narcissist. Dictionary.com defines a person suffering from narcissism as deriving erotic gratification  from admiration of his or her own physical or
mental attributes.

This buzzword is being used in regards to how children are suffering from this  and therefore our society is reaping the effects of an entire parenting era that promotes this behavior and glamorizes their children's mental and physical attributes.  They even go on to say that it is almost epidemic as social media adds to promote..aka glamorize  the already underlying issue.

If ever our children need the gospel it is now.  Our society needs the gospel to heal our land.  It starts with parenting by the gospel.

Let's Pray God's Word:
Dear Heavenly Father, we confess that nothing good lives in us apart from You.  From the beginning we are born sinners. Thank You that not because of something we did, but because of something You did, that we get to experience life and any good thing.

Lord, please help me to be a mom that does not conform to culture in how I view and teach my children.  I know it begins with living out my own dependence on You. Create in me a new level of dependency and humility so it can spill over to my little edge of the world....my home....and flow out into Your big big world through my children.

Any physical or mental attribute my child has is a gift from You. They did nothing to deserve and it had nothing to do with how good I am.  It is only because of how good YOU are.

Teach me daily so I can teach them daily that we deserve death, but we have life.  Only through You Jesus.

Amen

~Terrie Chevaillier

Teach Intentionally..."Family Time…Love like Jesus", with Stacy A. Davis ~ Bible Teacher and Sky Ranch Board Member

Family Time…Love like Jesus

Take time today to stop and tell each person in your family that you love them! This month’s family time topic from the “Sky Ranch Family Devotional: Follow the Leader” is on “Jesus brings you love and peace“ and the weekly discussion is on “Love like Jesus and loving others.“ The family time discussion will give your family the opportunity to think about how lovingly they act to each other and people outside the family. As Mom, you can direct the conversation to encourage kindness within your family and discuss constructive ways that kindness is shown by words and actions. Focus on their positive attempts and compliment each person when you notice their efforts.

This week in your family time, I would encourage you to prepare by praying for your family’s hearts. Sometimes family members are not being kind to others because they are hurting inside. Pray and ask God to reveal any hurting hearts and for God’s direction to help them heal. Pray for God to direct you as you talk about reflecting Jesus’ love to others and ask Him to give you examples of ways to live this out in your home.

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 5th Topic and 23 Family Time (or page 48) of the Sky Ranch Family Devotional “Follow the Leader”…

Family Time 23:

Topic 5: Jesus brings you love and peace…Love like Jesus and loving others

Talk with God: Read… Scriptures and questions below.

Mark 12:30  and you shall  love  the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. 31  "The second is this, 'You shall  love  your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these.”

• In Mark 12:30-31, what two things are you to love?

1 John 4:21  And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

• In 1 John 4:21, if you love God, who else will you love?

John 15:12  "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”

• In John 15:13, if you love one another how do you show it?

Walk with God: Discuss… Jesus is clear. If you love Him, you will love others.  In scripture God’s love is a loving-kindness or desiring another’s highest good. As a family, how do you treat each other? Do you want the highest good for each other? What are ways to express love in the way Jesus asks?

Prayer suggestion…  Pray to love others as Jesus did.

Family Time 23: 

Leader Answers:

• Love the Lord God, love your neighbor
• Your brother
• Love as Jesus loves and lay down your life for another
• Discussion ideas: Our words can build up or tear down. How does your family speak to each other? Do you point out the good to each other? Are you there to cheer each other on? Do you encourage each other? Choose to see the positives and avoid pointing out the negatives. Train your family to look for, say and do the good all the time. What is good about the person to your right?

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