Blog (Page 18)
LifeWay Youth – April 23, 2020
Hey, parents! Are you wondering how you’re supposed to keep your student busy during this crazy time?! Well, we have a few things planned to help with that this week! Daily Zoom Calls Daily 2 p.m. Zoom calls are happening on Wednesday and Friday this week. We want to dial it back for this week to give the students a little break. Weekly Youth Group Live Streams For our Thursday youth group, we’d love to hear your feedback on what time…
Consistent, Fervent Prayer
I will admit that I am not the prayer warrior that I wish I was. I’m not really great at praying consistently, persistently, and with a great deal of faith. And yet all of these things are descriptions that the Bible uses to describe the way followers of Jesus should approach prayer. In Luke 18, Jesus describes the need for persistent prayer with a story about a widow and an unrighteous judge. In Mark 11, he says that whatever the…
When Are We Coming Back?
When do we come back to the church building? Are you asking that question yet? Well, if you are asking, here’s the answer: We just don’t know! But there are some things that we do know for sure, no matter what. We are learning a great deal about ministry with COVID-19. The following is a short list of some things we are continuing in these shut-down days, some of which we will continue after life opens up. NOW: We…
Community: The First Pillar of Christian Living
If it was essential to the Christians to live close lives with each other in the 1st century as they went and made disciples of all nations, and I do believe it was, it is and should be essential for you and me today.
LifeWay Youth – April 14, 2020
Hey Parents! Are you feeling overwhelmed and stressed out, not knowing what to do with your youth? Need some extra resources to help? Check out what’s going on with LifeWay Youth! Daily Zoom Calls Daily 2 p.m. Zoom calls are happening Monday through Friday as a way for your student to stay connected with others in our youth ministry as well as have fun. We are doing daily devotionals, we have been playing games, and we’ve given away prizes every…
This Week in KidVenture – April 14, 2020
Happy Tuesday, KidVenture Kids and families! This Week In KidVenture I hope you all had a great Holy Week and Easter weekend! I love spending time remembering the incredible sacrifice Jesus made for us. If Jesus hadn’t gone to the cross, we could never go to Heaven! This week, we will spend a little more time looking at pieces of the Easter Story in Matthew 26-28 that show us that Jesus really is the savior who took the punishment for our sins.…
A Study of Romans 8
On Easter Sunday we launched a series of messages that we are calling Epic. I used the illustration of an epic journey, such as David Livingstone’s exploration of the middle of Africa, or Lewis and Clark’s trek across western North America. These epic journeys reshaped the future for millions to follow. To call the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus an epic event is an understatement. Everything has now changed because of what Christ has done. Romans 8 spells this…
Sunday’s Coming!
It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming! This is a line from a famous sermon that has been passed around for years. But it’s not only a famous sermon—it’s a forever truth. This is Easter week; today is Good Friday, and Easter is this Sunday. I have been carefully reading the story and contemplating Jesus’ last few days of earthly life. This year we’ve been doing nightly Passion Week devotions that have helped us walk through the story. (You can watch them…
Behind the Scenes
Join Heather by video this week as she updates us on ways to engage in God’s mission and reminds us that God is doing exciting things behind the scenes, just as he did during the original Easter weekend. Find out how you can help at and around LifeWay here.
KidVenture – Holy Week
Happy Tuesday, KidVenture Kids and families! I hope you are continuing to dig into God’s word this week. Here are a few things to help you do that. This Week In KidVenture This week, we will check out Matthew 21:1-11, the story of Jesus coming triumphantly into Jerusalem. This took place about a week before Easter. In this story we learn that Jesus was fulfilling the words of the prophets of the Old Testament because he truly is the Messiah! Here…
Passion Week: Preparing for Easter
We are now in the middle of a week that reflects the last week of Jesus’ life before his crucifixion and ultimate resurrection on Easter Sunday. I hope you have been able to join in the 7 p.m. devotional readings and reflections on the significance of each particular day. I have celebrated Easter Sunday all my life, but I have never taken the time to contemplate and remember the significance of each day that led up to the cross, the…
Spring Break & Holy Week
Hey, Parents! Happy Spring Break and Holy Week! We are in week four of our new way of life. I just wanted to give you all another little update of some things for this week in youth ministry! Daily Zoom Hangouts We are continuing our Monday-through-Friday 2 p.m. Zoom Hangouts. Zoom has been in the news lately for some security concerns, so I just wanted to let you know that since we’ve started, we have been taking as many measures…
Easter Cookies
We made these nutty meringues with our children every Easter for years. It’s a wonderful object lesson for Easter and you get yummy cookies to boot. I wish I knew who to credit for the original recipe; it was passed to me by my Aunt Robin a very long time ago. Ingredients and Supplies: 1 C whole pecans 1 tsp vinegar 3 egg whites Pinch of salt 1 C sugar Ziploc baggie Wooden spoon Tape Bible Wax paper 1. Preheat oven…
How Can I Help?
I have asked this question so many times over the last couple weeks. I want so much to serve God in the midst of this crisis. I want so much to help LifeWay serve our community in the midst of this crisis. I want us to take advantage of this opportunity to live out our faith and be the body of Christ. The funny thing is, for the last couple of weeks, every opportunity I pursued to get LifeWay involved…
Passion Week Begins
In the midst of business shutdowns, school closures, and a global pandemic that is affecting every country and corner of the world, we are about to enter Passion Week. We have always taken time on Good Friday for a reflective service, followed by a joyful Easter Sunday service. A few times I have led or participated in an Easter morning sunrise gathering. But I am not sure that I have ever taken the time to follow the traditional church calendar…
LifeGroup
I wrote two weeks ago that one of the features of LifeGroup is that it is a safe place. LifeGroup is where no one is afraid to ask the questions he or she really wants to ask. People ask because they know no one would look at them in a funny way or laugh at them. People hear the answers to the questions they really want to ask. And they grow. Even though LifeGroup is a safe place and people…
Fear
I recently started reading Genesis for my devotions. I say this because it has been at least a few years since the last time I did that…not devotions, but Genesis for devotions. In Genesis 15:1, it said the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you.’” If I am correct, this marked the first time in the Bible God said to someone to not be afraid. Check this…
Virtual Prayer Meetings Launch Next Week!
The Prophet Isaiah introduced a King in Isaiah 61 who would rule in a glorious kingdom. He went on to say that the destruction of Jerusalem would come to a stop. The people of God would restore the city back to its former greatness. More importantly, the people would be restored to a right relationship with their God. Then in Isaiah 61:6, it said, “But you will be called the priests of the Lord; You will be spoken of as…
A Message from Marta — March 31
Happy Tuesday, KidVenture kids and families! Let’s continue to dig into God’s word this week. Here are a few things to help you do that. This Week In KidVenture This week, we will check out Mark 12:41-44. In this very short story, Jesus teaches us that giving—especially giving back to God—is a way to worship and honor him. Here is a printable reading plan for the week, with questions and a verse of the week to help us dig into…
Reading Your Bible
For years, I have had a system for reading my Bible. I typically read in this order: an Old Testament chapter or two, a portion of the gospel story in the life of Jesus, then a New Testament chapter. Sometimes I will work my way through the Psalms to end in worship. In recent days, I have been reading through the Prophets, and I have been hit in the face with the relevant and current message that comes from the…
Message from Billy – March 27, 2020
Isolation and Insulation These terms have become a reality for us in these remarkably unusual days. In our B.C. (Before COVID-19) existence, we were all so busy with constant demands. We filled our lives with non-stop reasons to have fun. We spent our days accumulating all the stuff of life, then spent our nights constantly thinking of ways to insulate and protect it. We could only dream of an isolated retreat where we could all get away from the rat…
Generosity in a Time of Fear
This week the Bible Project, like many other organizations, created some content for families to start gospel conversations at home. It included a short video, some Bible readings, and some discussion questions—and overall, it was quite good. What struck me was the topic. The first topic that they chose, in response to a pandemic sweeping into the United States and across the world, was generosity. This might seem minor in comparison to God’s sovereignty, His power, or our faith, but…
A Note to Parents
As a result of our nation’s response to the virus outbreak, children have been transformed into homeschooling students and parents have been transformed into teachers overnight. So how is #Homeschool2020 going in your home? I have heard reports that in isolated cases, students have been expelled, and teachers have been caught drinking on the job! It is OK. The beginning may be rough, but hang in there, parents! I am a parent, too. As with everything else in life, things…
A LifeGroup Update
Several Sundays ago, before the Stay At Home order, I began to introduce to you a community group ministry called LifeGroups. LifeGroups is very simply a place where believers at LifeWay live closely with one another. It is an intimate community group. As you probably guessed, much like everything else at LifeWay, the launch date of LifeGroups is on hold until God gives us the “all clear” to proceed. But even though LifeGroups is delayed, this does not mean I…
KidVenture Update – March 24, 2020
Hello, KidVenture kids and parents! I hope you are all enjoying time at home together. Since we aren’t getting together for KidVenture, here are a few things you can check out during the week to keep digging into the Bible, and a few resources you may find helpful. THIS WEEK IN KIDVENTURE This week, we will check out Luke 15. In this chapter Jesus tells three parables. A parable is a story that teaches us something about God. Here is…