A New Devotion Posted to Our Page for Family Devotions

I have started a new page – the Devotions page – to share/republish Kids and Family devotions.   I expect that there will be two, or more, each month.

To LINK to the new Devotions Page, Click HERE .

This New Devotion, titled “FLYING BLIND”, is from The Adventure Bible devotional book.     

The big idea is: If you trust your senses to tell you what’s right and wrong, you’ll make bad choices and get into trouble

The texts from the Holy Bible are:   Proverbs 6:23, Proverbs 14:12, and Judges 21:25.

Robert Beeson Video -"Being Your Tweens' Teacher".

This is a short video from Robert Beeson, a minister and parent, about how your child will be exposed to various worldviews that compete with Christianity, in school.




***The video is one of several that play in a sequence.  Parents should note that I have reviewed the first six short videos (only), not the others.   Use the pause-button on the video screen to stop the sequence of videos, if they continue to play when this video ends

"Dino-sized Dilemmas"

Heartshaper Preteen Activities - Lesson 2 - Fall, 2014.   September 14, 2014

For a color-copy of this page, that you can print, click on this LINK .

Lessons in September on Faith and Science

Lessons in September on Faith and Science

By George Nielsen

Starting this month, we are teaching from Year Two of the Heartshaper Preteen curriculum, and our lessons are starting at a very good place for our 5th graders – Creation.    The lessons for September 7 - 14 - 21 are:

• Made by God
• Dinosaur Dilemma
• Man or Monkey.

Our Memory Verse for this month, Revelation 4:11, also affirms God Almighty as the Creator.

The publishers of the Heartshaper lessons make this statement about the intent behind their lesson planning, development, and content:

Help preteens go beyond right and wrong answers, engaging them in meaningful discussion and encouraging them in their commitment to Christ.

(Source: Heartshaper website - http://heartshaper.com/current-quarter/ )  

Parents should note that to “go beyond right and wrong answers” is a reference to going from merely content-knowledge on the subject of our lessons, to life transformation and learning to be Young Disciples of Jesus.   Lesson content is the starting point, and our lessons are based on the Holy Bible, taken literally.   

We teach this material without any compromise or wavering.   We hold to a High View of the Scripture, which means we teach the following, about the Holy Bible:

• Inspired by God (human authors, over about a 1,500 year period, wrote the books of the Holy Bible - with direct leading and guidance from Holy Spirit).
• Inerrant (there are no mistakes in the Holy Bible).
• Sufficient (the revelation given in the Holy Bible is complete, for the purpose of understanding the Kingdom of God, the plan of God for people to be part of the family of God, receiving forgiveness and salvation through faith in Jesus, and for living a faithful, committed, Godly life).

Parents should further note that “encouraging them in their commitment to Christ”  means that we teach things that are specifically a contradiction to what is taught at Rochester Intermediate School, which is where all but two of our students attend school.   So, we are striving to explain and develop their worldview so it is based on the Holy Bible, taken literally.   By being confrontational with what they are presented in school, we are teaching them to stand – encouraging them to be committed to the Biblical Christian worldview and to the real King of the universe, the Lord Jesus Christ.      

▢  ▢  ▢

We have taught (on September 7th) that there was not a “bang” of matter out in the nothingness of space, that somehow resulted in the origin of our universe.   Also, there was not a spontaneous generation of Life in some green slime, after millions of years, that then evolved over millions more years into fish, frogs, and then land animals – of whom, the apes were able to develop at a higher level and some of them supposedly become people.    

We have an additional resource, intended for adults and not used in our class, entitled “Evolution -- The Anti-Science” by Dr. Jason Lisle.  Parents can link to a copy of this paper, for further review, by   Clicking HERE .

The Holy Bible teaches that there were six evenings and mornings (24-hour days) when the creative power of God was active, through God’s spoken Word and the brooding, hovering presence of Holy Spirit over the earth.  God brought forth the universe, then life on the earth, and finally, God’s special creation – mankind.  

On September 14th,  our lesson focused  on Dinosaurs, which is the name we now use to describe several different kinds of animals.  We taught that the name Behemoth, found in the Holy Bible (Job 40:15), is used to describe an animal with characteristics like a dinosaur.    Behemoth lived during the time of man’s existence on the earth, not millions of years in the past.   

In class, we concentrated on the Scripture texts for the lesson, from Genesis 1 and Job 40; we also have a Christian book about Dinosaurs that students looked at after class.   We did not have time to go over page one of our Activities paper in class, but students were told to spend some time with that, at home.  The page is called “Dino-sized Dilemmas”; it deals with conflicting worldviews, in real-life situations. It has space to write out a Prayer for Help.   (This is intended to be in the student’s own words, but parents can always help when your child is given a written assignment).   

We feel that this Activity page is important.   Parents should work with their child to complete it – if your child was absent, you can see a copy of  this page in the next post published in our Blog, or for a color-copy of page one, that you can print, click on this LINK .

Parents – if you want to have a paper copy of the Activities class handout, you can email your request to me at rcc.5gr@gmail.com .    A copy can be mailed or you can pick it up in person, after class.   

On September 21st, our lesson will be about Man and Monkeys.   God spoke, and the animals came into existence, male and female, and they were able to reproduce – after their own kind.   This was not the case with mankind.   Adam, the first human being, was formed by God who had said mankind was not an animal kind, but instead was made “in the image of God.”    This will be another important lesson to establish a Biblical Christian worldview in our students, teaching them to stand against what one Christian teacher calls “The Big Lie” – evolution and the millions of years it supposedly took for evolution to happen.

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The NEW **Devotions Page** for Parents and Kids

The NEW  **Devotions Page**  for Parents and Kids

By George Nielsen

I read several Devotional messages on a regular basis.  some are intended for adults, some are for kids, and one is particularly directed toward preteen and young teen kids.  Sometimes I feel led to share the Devotion on the 5th Grade Class Blog.   If I write the Devotion myself, or it is one I read that is intended for adults, then I will publish it directly onto the rcc5gr blog (on this page).

I have started a new page – the Devotions page – to share/republish Kids and Family devotions.   I expect that there will be two, or more, each month.

To LINK to the new Devotions Page, Click HERE .

and

Bookmark the page address so you can go back to read new Devotions, when they are posted.   The page address is: http://rcc5gr.blogspot.com/p/5gr.html

You can post your comments about a devotion if you wish, just like you can do with any Blog post.    

The idea about devotional reading is to take some time for a spiritual focus; hopefully what you read will speak to you, and be good spiritual food – for spiritual strength for your family and to help parents communicate with their kids on matters of Faith.

“Developmental Milestones” are not just something that we look for regarding growth of babies and toddlers.    I also have developmental milestones that I work toward as a minister and teacher of preteen kids, in their spiritual life.  One of those is for your kids to be able to express their thoughts and ideas about faith and about the Holy Bible, particularly verbally – being able to talk about what they believe, to ask questions (some of those questions have been amazingly insightful), and to testify about their faith.  

GOD Bless you.   I hope the Devotions are a blessing for you.

5th Grade Memory Verse for September 2014

11    11    “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,
   for you created all things,
    and by your will they were created
    and have their being.”

Revelation 4:11

"Look the devil in the eye -- saying ---- "

To: parents of our 5th graders and other adults ーー  I am passing along this quote from a teaching message given by Christian Evangelist and Teacher, Dr. Mike Smalley, of Rockwall Texas, along with my comments.   Our Lord has spoken through Dr. Smalley’s teaching, and I ask that you take what he said to heart.    I have added some of my own thoughts, after his quote.  ー  George Nielsen

“Look the devil in the eye -- saying:  ‘you can’t have this generation.’”  (Dr. Mike Smalley, September 2, 2014)

God Almighty has given parents the authority that you need to raise the children He has given you, and also the instruction to raise them in the nurture and instruction of the Lord -- that is, to raise them in the faith.  We, as ministers and teachers in KidZone, assist you with this.   In our class, rcc.5gr, a major goal for this year is that the students be (or, become) Young Disciples of Jesus who agree to serve Jesus, as their own decision, not just because you as parents “made them go to church”. God’s enemy, satan, also has a goal, which is to get your child off the path in life where they serve and follow Jesus, and to have them be worldly, discarding the faith and teaching they heard as a child in church.

You parents are the most important influencer of your children, spiritually.   Now that your children are preteens, we make a rather intense, focused effort to also be a strong influence in their lives for spiritual commitment and for growth.    

Your preteens can learn:

• to be strong in their faith,
• to be leaders,
• to pray with faith,
• to give financially, as an act of worship, not from a “bill-paying” mentality,
• to practice basic spiritual disciplines,  
• to use their talents, and
• to discover and use their spiritual gifts.   

We are intentional about encouraging them in all of these aspects of Christian life.  On the very first day of class, June 1st, they were told “We have high expectations for them,” and also that they are fully capable of meeting those expectations.    We remind the students about the High Expectations, regularly, and teach them that “Christianity is a Way of Life” -- it’s not just “well, I go to church.”   

So, we the teachers at rcc.5gr, and the other adults in the church that are in agreement with us, STAND, along with you parents, in opposition to satan, who desires to hurt your children and keep them out of God’s Kingdom, not achieving the good plans God has for them.   God’s plans will be a blessing -- satan’s wants to bring people under a curse and suffering.   One of the ways we STAND is by speaking out with authority and making spiritual declarations and decrees.    These comments are written to encourage parents to do the same.

Dr. Mike Smalley’s quote is an example of this.   “Look the devil in the eye” can be understood as having an aggressive posture and directly challenging satan and being resolute -- you are not going to to back down.  Then the declaration is made.  “You can’t have this generation.”   You can then follow this with a decree that specifically addresses things in your child’s life, speaking them positively, as a form of blessing upon your child.  

Examples might be “she will be strong in the faith”, “he will be a leader, not just following the crowd, and will lead his friends in a Godly way”, “she is a doer of the Word, and will do exploits, advancing the Kingdom of God”.    

This kind of spoken word, declarations and decrees spoken into the spiritual realm, is linked with the process of binding and loosing, described in a declaration made by Jesus, recorded in Matthew 16.

And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”      

(Matthew 16: 19.  NKJV)

The reason why Jesus could call this particular process of speaking a “Kingdom key” is that the Holy Bible declares that God Almighty listens to our spoken words, and is actually seeking out these decrees spoken in alignment with His Word -- so that He can act on them, releasing His Power.   

Your children are in your sphere of spiritual authority, and their friends and classmates can be included too, when you make declarations and decrees.  Dr. Mike Smalley spoke the statement quoted above as a challenge to us.   I accept  it.   I encourage parents and the other adults that stand in agreement with us to also accept it.   Speak out victorious and overcoming declarations and decrees for our children, and watch for the results.

(Note:  with this challenge, you do not have to pour ice water over yourself -- but if you want to, go ahead.)

WHAT Do You Know About GOD ?

WHAT Do You Know About GOD ?

How Do You Learn More ?

A Devotional Message Written for Preteen Children and their Parents

By: George Nielsen

God’s Word is the best place to learn about God.    When we study the Holy Bible, God’s Word, this serves a purpose – we get to know God.   We also can learn about life, from both the good and the bad examples of people that are in the Bible.     Read and consider these two passages from the Holy Bible:

Psalm 119: 41-42

41 Let Your mercies come also to me, O Lord—
Your salvation according to Your word.
42 So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me,
For I trust in Your word.

Psalm 24: 1-2, and 8

1The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
2 For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the waters.

8 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.

The Holy Bible teaches that God is Almighty, He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and that we – people here on earth – are special, His highest and best creation (“We are His offspring” – Acts 17: 28).   He is a good, kind, loving God.   He also is Holy; He hates sin, and practices true and perfect justice, when He punishes sin.    

God offers mercy to people, through His plan for our salvation, through faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ.    So, the first part of our message to people, from the Holy Bible, known as The Gospel, can be simply stated as “Come to JESUS”.  Trust in Him as Your Savior – believe that He paid the price for your sins, and you can be forgiven and adopted into God’s family if you make a commitment to Jesus.  Repent of sins that you have committed and agree to serve Jesus. Obey Him, as your Lord.  

The second part of our message, The Gospel, is that Jesus is the King of Glory.  We become Kingdom members when we Come to Jesus.   Jesus is a mighty, victorious King.  Even though there is still much evil and rebellion against God in our world now, there is a day coming, known as The Day of the Lord.   On that Day, all rebellion and evil will be defeated by Jesus and His heavenly armies.  This will establish the Kingdom of God fully, on the earth.   

We have a mission – as we serve Jesus, we are also to work to push back evil and spiritual wickedness.   This will expand the rulership of Jesus as King now, over more and more of the earth and by testifying to others about The Gospel, we can do our part to help more people Come to Jesus, too.

Trust in His Word.  LEARN all you can by studying the Holy Bible.  Come to JESUS, our Lord, Savior, and King.   Then – serve Him.