The Week in Review

Family First!
This was taken from a conference I lead in October 2005. We will look at the points this month about how we can help our children be better prepared, and how to put family first! This is the study guide and overview. I will share the teaching on each of these areas this month.


RAISING HEALTHY CHILDREN
Conference Leader: Jewel D. Williams

And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. Isaiah 11:2 KJV

We should desire good characteristics in our children. What that looks like through Christ.

He first has God’s spirit – We need to nurture their spiritual life.
He has wisdom and understanding - We need to nurture their understanding of the things of God.
He has counsel and might- We need to nurture their ability to influence good in others and to give Godly counsel.
He had knowledge – We need to nurture them to have fellowship with God.
He had the fear of the Lord – We need to nurture them to have reverence for God.

Christ is our example of what a healthy child looks like.And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. Luke 2:52 KJV

Increase in stature: The natural height of a human, an achieved level. What can we do in this area that helps our children physical growth as well as their spiritual growth? What things can we do around food that directs them toward the Lord?
Favour: Friendly or favorable regard, approval or support. How do we help our children find favor with man and with God? What do we model in this area? Discipline God’s way.
Increase in wisdom: The ability to discern or judge what is true, right or lasting. We are our children’s first teachers on what is true and what is right. We are their first teachers on how they should handle the things in their lives.
A. How to suffer – I know that as a parent our first response to this is, “I don’t want my child to go through any pain”, so out of our love we will protect them from the things that will hurt them. Yes there is some wisdom in that belief. Now you don’t want to sit back and watch your child burn him or herself when you can take them away from the fire that will hurt. There are however times when your child will suffer and what you do with that situation can make a great impact on them and help them to grow in their understanding of God.

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Hebrews 2:9-10
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 1 Peter 2:20
B. Encouragement - We should be our children’s best supporter.

C. What do we look like? - What are we planting in our children’s lives? Taking a personal inventory of our choices and how we handle the day-to-day situations. Do our actions turn our children toward God or away?

Conclusion – Once we understand the importance of our actions and our support of our children, what are the next steps to take? We will look at the personal changes we must make to bring about the desired behavior in our children.

The Week in Review

Jewel's Gems
“The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth”
Originally preached by Jewel D. Williams at Faith COG 8/06
Colossians (READ 2:6 – 23)

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than Christ” – Colossians 2:8

This letter was written by Paul to warn the people of the Jewish Zealots who pressed the necessity of observing the ceremonial law, and to fortify them against the mixture of the Gentile philosophy (worldly beliefs) with their Christian principles. In other words, Paul is cautioning them against deceptive words. The way Satan spoils souls is by beguiling them, deceiving them. He deceives them and then by doing so, he slays them. He could not ruin us if he did not cheat us and he could not cheat us but by our own fault and foolishness to listen to his lies.

Paul also writes this letter to warn them against those that try to persuade them to worship angels. We see this today, the fascination of individuals to angels as the messengers of God, and not looking to the true God for the answers to life. This letter is two fold, to assure the Colossian (as well as the Laodicians, who are supposed to receive a copy of this letter) of Paul’s interest and care. He wants them to be fully receptive to Christ in their midst. The second reason involves false teaching and teachers who may be misleading some in the church. Their arguments sound impressive, but are based on human traditions and basic principles of the world, instead of Christ. Paul’s concern was for the people to stay grounded in the truth of God. Paul presents this letter to fight against heresy (falsehood) at work. Some believed in a form of legalism, that their works rather than God’s free gift of grace was what was needed. He sends this letter because some believed harsh treatment of the body was a means of earning divine favor and growing spiritually (if you do some study you see this belief is part of some of the Hindu religions, self sacrifice, self-mutilation and self-denial). He was calling for them to hold on to the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth of God.

I read a book about how we present the gospel to individuals today. In this book, the author said, if Disney made a movie of what is taking place in our churches, it would be called, “HONEY WE’RE SHRINKING THE GOSPEL”. How is this happening?

Reflection: How do you think we are shrinking the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Come back for part II of the message, The Truth, the Whole Truth and nothing but the Truth.