Home Connect, July 31, 2011

Date: Sunday, July 31, 2011
God Promises to Restore Israel After the Exile

Link: http://finance.christiansunite.com/Money-Management/13-Creating-a-Budget-That-Works.shtml

Investment brokers and financial providers make their livings showing people how to create financial plans. Take a moment and ponder the tips presented at this website. Do you think it is advisable to seek out professional help when making financial decisions? Why or why not?

Link:

http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200206/20020626_family1162.html

Read this article on daily planning. Have you ever made a “To Do” list? Were you able to do everything on the list? Allow a few minutes for family members to share their experiences with “To Do” lists. Did you reach the same conclusion as this author? Explain.

Answer the following questions as a family:
• How often do people seek professional help when setting goals and making plans? What are the advantages? disadvantages?
• What can you gain from seeking the Lord’s thoughts when making plans? Do you think God’s leadership and advice might differ from that given by the “professionals”? How?
• How can we facilitate God’s plans for us in our daily lives? What sort of help will God provide?
• Why is it important to accomplish God’s plans?

Make up your own language and find out more about how the Holy Spirit helps us with the “Say Again?” activity on page 1072 of your Hands-On Bible™!

http://teachersupport.group.com/faithweaver/homeconnect/summer-2011/week-9-(july-31,-2011)

Home Connect, January 9, 2011

Date: Sunday, January 9, 2011
Jesus Is Baptized

Link:

http://www.historychannel.com/

Search for “Jesus” at the History Channel site. Then read the description that is provided. What is said about Jesus as a person of history? Do any of the articles discuss who Jesus is today? How have you experienced the person Jesus? Do you know him as a person of history or as the risen Christ who is alive and living through you every day?

Link:

http://www.unitedmedia.com/comics/ripleys/index.html

Ripley’s Believe It or Not is known for reporting the unusual. Take a moment to read the cartoons at this site. If you’d like to see more, use the calendar at the bottom of the screen to pick some others. Then talk about how the amazing things depicted in the cartoons compare to the marvelous things Jesus does. No comparison, right?

Spend a few moments in prayer, thanking God for his son, Jesus.

Group Publishing: http://teachersupport.group.com/faithweaver/homeconnect/winter-2010-2011/week-6-(january-9,-2011)

Christmas Morning Family Worship

Christmas Morning

Family Worship

Gather everyone around. If you have a manger scene that is “kid-friendly” have it nearby.  Make sure to place Jesus in the center.  Light a candle.  Sing a favorite Christmas song, like “Joy to the World, the Lord has come.” Have someone read this:

Luke 2 (The Message)

^1-5″About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David’s town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.

^6-7While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.

^8-12There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”

^13-14At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:

Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

^15-18As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. “Let’s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us.” They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.

^19-20Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they’d been told!”

Sing Happy Birthday to Jesus.  Pray, “Thank you God for this special day and for sending Jesus.  Help our family to remember You all through our day.  Amen.”

We hope your Christmas morning is full of faith filled traditions, to pass your faith in Christ to the next generation.  Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

We are just day’s away from Christmas.  Are you ready?

Are you ready with anticipation?

Are you ready to receive a gift?

I’m not talking about the gifts under the tree or being done with all your shopping.  I’m talking about being ready to receive the greatest gift in life.  It is the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ.  It all began on Christmas with a baby being born in a manager.  You can read the account in the Holy Bible in the book of Luke.

“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.  (This was the first census that took place while^[a]Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.  She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” Luke 2:1-7, NIV

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16, NIV

I encourage you to read the Nativity story on Christmas morning as a family.  Make this a tradition of “getting ready” for Christmas.     

I am praying your Christmas is Merry!

God Bless,

Home Connect, December 19, 2010

Date: Sunday, December 19, 2010
Jesus Is Born

Link:

http://www.bluemountain.com/

Find a Christmas card at this site that will communicate the reason Jesus was born. Send the card to at least one person. You can even add a message that expresses your thoughts of why Jesus was born!

Link:

http://www.biography.com

Click on Biography Search and then type in the name “Jesus Christ.” What does this biography say about Jesus? Of the things Jesus did, which does this biography highlight? What do you think is missing from this biography? Do you think the research adequately explains why Jesus was born? Explain your thoughts on this.

Read Hebrews 1:1-4. Discuss the following questions:
• Why did God send Jesus to free us from sin?
• Who does God say Jesus is?
• How does who Jesus is affect your thinking when you communicate the reason Jesus was born?

Join hands as a family and bow your heads. First, thank Jesus for who he is. Then thank God for sending Jesus.

Group Publishing: http://teachersupport.group.com/faithweaver/homeconnect/winter-2010-2011/week-3-(december-19,-2010)

Home Connect, December 12, 2010

Date: Sunday, December 12, 2010
An Angel Appears to Joseph

Link:

http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/_angel.html

Browse this page of angel craft ideas. Do you find anything that interests you? Make one of the crafts as a family project. As you work, discuss the following questions:

• What do you think it was like for Joseph when the angel appeared to him? Do you think he was frightened? Why or why not?
• What were God’s plans for Joseph? What do you think made Joseph decide to trust God?
• Why should we trust God’s plans?

Link:

http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/Byrnes-S2000/Hansen/postalr.html

Click on this link to read a short lesson on the postal service. Look at the picture of the postal worker. Would you trust news that is delivered by a postal worker like the one pictured at this site? How would it be different from plans that were delivered by an angel? Which would you trust more? Why?

As a family, make a list of ways God shows us his plans for our lives. Post it in a prominent place in your home, perhaps on the refrigerator. Set a time to get back together to discuss how God guided you through the week when you trusted his plans.

Group Publisher: http://teachersupport.group.com/faithweaver/homeconnect/winter-2010-2011/week-2-(december-12,-2010)

Home Connect, December 5, 2010

Date: Sunday, December 5, 2010
Solomon Tells of Jesus’ Coming

Link:

http://www.nflrush.com/rush

Go to this football Web site and check out the games. How fast are your reflex effects? Whew! That was fun. But getting ready for real football games is hard work. Spend a few minutes and talk about what it must take to get ready for each NFL game. Compare that to what we should be doing to get ready for Jesus’ coming. Solomon encouraged the people to prepare for Jesus’ coming. Are we ready today?

Link:

http://www.travelocity.com

Find the Travelocity site and then click on “Vacation Packages.” Pretend you are planning a vacation to one of the places mentioned there. Discuss what each member of the family would need to do as a part of the family’s preparation for the trip. Be sure to discuss the following questions:

• Why would you look forward to this trip? In what ways would you need to plan and prepare?
• What if a friend or family member that doesn’t live with you decided to plan a trip to come visit you? How would you prepare for his or her arrival? Would you get the guest room ready or buy groceries to prepare a special meal?
• If you had lived in Solomon’s day, would you have believed him when he told of Jesus’ coming the first time? What do you suppose Solomon wanted the people to do in order to prepare for Jesus’ coming?
• Why should we look forward to Jesus’ coming? How can we prepare for Jesus’ return?

Group Publishing: http://teachersupport.group.com/faithweaver/homeconnect/winter-2010-2011/week-1-(december-5,-2010)

HomeConnect August 1, 2010

God Chooses David to Replace Saul

Link:

http://www.ask.com/

Link:

http://www.ajkids.com/

Go to the Ask.com Web site and allow each family member to enter a question, word, or phrase in the “Ask” box. Click on the “Ask” icon, and then wait to see if the Web site will have an answer. Allow children to use the Ask for Kids URL.

Consider that while the Internet may contain extensive information, it doesn’t really know anything about you. Only an all-knowing God can look inside hearts.

Turn to 1 Samuel 16:1-13. In this passage, the prophet Samuel is following God’s direction to look for the next king of Israel. Read verse 7 aloud. God tells Samuel not to base his search on outward appearance, but to remember that God looks at a person’s heart.

Let each family member offer suggestions for what God might find when he examines hearts. How does the fact that God knows you so well make you feel? Is it exciting to know that God doesn’t care how we look? Our hearts are what matters to God.

Group Publishing: http://teachersupport.group.com/faithweaver/homeconnect/summer-2010/week-9-(august-1)

HomeConnect Week 13, May 30, 2010

Group Publishing: http://www.group.com/tips/Default.aspx?tipID=6289

HomeConnect Week 8, April 25, 2010

Date: April 25, 2010
Week 8: Peter Raises Tabitha From the Dead (Acts 9:36-43)
Bible Study: God answers when we pray.

Link:

http://www.prayerrequestsite.com/

Browse this prayer site. You might take a few moments to pray for some of the people who have left prayer needs, or you can click on “Place a Prayer Request Here” to leave your own prayer request if you’d like. As a family, discuss what it means to have a prayer request. Name some times in which people have turned to prayer for resolution or help.

Link:

http://waxdog.com/pray/

Visit this prayer chain site and read some of the requests. You may want to pray for some of the people who have listed their needs there. What is a prayer chain? Does your church have one in place? Let family members share whether they would ever leave a request with a prayer team. Explore circumstances in which you might consider doing so.

Ask a family member to read Acts 9:36-43 aloud. Then consider the following questions:
How were the prayers in the city of Joppa answered in the passages you just read?

Does God answer prayers today? How?

Exchange prayer requests among family members. Promise to pray for each person’s needs every time you think about it for a week. Set a time to get back together and learn how your prayers have been answered.

Group Publishing:http://www.group.com/tips/Default.aspx?tipID=8199