Attitudes Come, Attitudes Stay

This week we will continue to look at the Gifts of the Spirit and the works of the flesh and how they affect our attitudes and, conversely, we will be looking at how our attitudes the gifts of the Spirit.

Many times our attitudes are driven and condoned by society rather than corrected by the principles taught in the Bible. Meekness, longsuffering, joy, and love are the attitudes that replace hatred, variance/disagreements, emulation, wrath, strife and envy. We must learn to curb our desires and do what the Scripture teaches.

One reason God's children do not bear all the fruit is that attitudes and actions affect everything. Attitudes create actions. While the gifts of the Spirit are external, the fruit, comprised of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance are internal (Galatians 5:22-23)

How will the attitudes we carry affect the moving of the Spirit? The fruit of the Spirit that we bear every day affects how much we allow God's Spirit to move and minister through us. The fruit of the Spirit is different from the gifts because how much we allow the fruit to work in our lives will determine the gift's ability to work in us.

Our memory verse this week is found in Galatians 5:16 -

This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh

Congratulations to Clare, Jamilla and Mosa who rolled last weeks memory verse off their tongues as if they had known it all their lives!! Well done!!!

If you wish to talk to any one of us, please do not hesitate to do so.

God bless,

Dave, Robin, Heather

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

This week ... and over the next two to three weeks ... we will be looking at the scripture from Galatians 5:19-23. Too often, we allow Paul's famous lists of human attributes (both positive and negative) to become blurs of outdated words. Too often, it is easy to skip through the polysyllables and decide, "that's not me," or "I do most of that just fine." These two lists are essential - perhaps the most essential lists he ever wrote.

The fruit of the Spirit are the key attributes we must master to live a conqueror's life. The works of the flesh are the easiest and most deadly traps we can fall into, leaving us scarred and weak from the experience (assuming we escape at all). Each cancels the other out. It is only when we choose one list or the other that we can learn which side will win in us, for the works can negate the fruit, but the fruit can overpower the works. The choice should be easier than it is, but thanks to this study, at least we will understand them both better.

Many Christians confuse the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is the way in which the gifts of the Spirit are to be used by those who have been given them. Christians should use the gifts of the Spirit with love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. As Paul told the Galatians, "Against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:23). These traits of the Spirit certainly make for a better world and a greater moving of God.

The memory verse for this week is found in Galatians 5:24 -

"And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts"

Please, please, please encourage your child to learn their memory verse. To know the word of God is such a vital part of overcoming sin and living a victorious life.

God bless you abundantly in all you do to help your child live for Him.

Robin, Dave and Heather

Welcome to Sunday School for 2010

A happy new year to you and our prayer is that this year will be exciting for you and your children as we all look to God for greater things in our lives ... greater ways to love Him, greater ways to serve Him, greater ways to worship Him, to seek Him, to draw near to Him ... and the list could go on and on!! As your child's Sunday School teachers, our fervant desire and prayer is that your child would grow close to the Saviour and would become confident to serve Him in these last days, in spite of their youthfulness.

Welcome to Dave Moss who is joining the High School teaching team this year. We look forward to seeing his creativity in the class room in a variety of ways. Michael is joining Pamela Cutting in teaching a younger group and we are sure that Michael will do well.

Pastor Downs has outlined his vision and goals for the church and it came to our attention, recently, that some of our young people may feel that this vision is only for adults. We want to assure our young people that God wants to use anyone who will make themselves available using the gifts that He has given. We will be starting this year talking about those gifts and how God can use them in mighty ways.

The memory verse this week is from 1 Timothy 4:12 -

Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."

At the moment, we are reading a wonderful book recommended by Jonathan Downs titled "Do Hard Things." It is a book written by teenaged twin brothers, Brett and Alex Harris, for teenagers. It is highly recommended to every teen ... and anyone on the edge of their teen years ... and their parents. It is a book that will inspire teens to get out of their comfort zones to accomplish wonderful things for God. There is one account after another of teens facing their fears, moving out of their comfort zone and achieving great things. The book is about how teenagers can rebel against the low expectations that society and culture has set for them. You can go to their website to find out more.

We are looking forward to teaching the High School class this year. Actually, we're excited about the things we believe God has planned for this class and we pray that you will be too.

God bless you and we look forward to working with you this year,

Dave, Robin and Heather