Growing In Christ

[Nancy]

Hello friend
The longest friendship I have and it is close is with someone who lived a few doors down from us in H.S. She would do anything for me and I her too. We don't get to see each other often because she lives pretty far out there but, we do speak and get together for lunch sometimes. The other long friendship I had with a women who was 27 and I was 19. Her and I did everything together. We even had planned (HAHA!) to rent an RV and just drive around the country and visit small schoolhouse church's, quaint restaurants, when we retired. Unfortunately, she developed dementia about 10 years ago and she's in a nursing home now. I miss her...we talk all the time as, she forgets that I DO call her, lol. But, she is not who she was, she's always angry at God but, I know how deeply she loved and followed Him for so long. She can't help it, God knows.
But yeah, friendship...if a friend needs help, if possible, drop everything you are doing and go immediately to help them...that is how my dementia friend was.
Love one another's quirks and be able to talk about ANYTHING. And yes, having things in common and that's not always easy to find so, it's to be cherished if/when you do! Humility with one another, forgiveness, understanding, empathy, confession...lot's of things really, that make up a healthy friendship

BTW- Jesus is my best friend too

 

[April_Rose]

Hello friend
The longest friendship I have and it is close is with someone who lived a few doors down from us in H.S. She would do anything for me and I her too. We don't get to see each other often because she lives pretty far out there but, we do speak and get together for lunch sometimes. The other long friendship I had with a women who was 27 and I was 19. Her and I did everything together. We even had planned (HAHA!) to rent an RV and just drive around the country and visit small schoolhouse church's, quaint restaurants, when we retired. Unfortunately, she developed dementia about 10 years ago and she's in a nursing home now. I miss her...we talk all the time as, she forgets that I DO call her, lol. But, she is not who she was, she's always angry at God but, I know how deeply she loved and followed Him for so long. She can't help it, God knows.
But yeah, friendship...if a friend needs help, if possible, drop everything you are doing and go immediately to help them...that is how my dementia friend was.
Love one another's quirks and be able to talk about ANYTHING. And yes, having things in common and that's not always easy to find so, it's to be cherished if/when you do! Humility with one another, forgiveness, understanding, empathy, confession...lot's of things really, that make up a healthy friendship

BTW- Jesus is my best friend too

You're a little bit late on the friendship thing but that's nice. And I decided that after I give these makeup questions that I'm going to teach today's lesson after all.



1. What does love mean to you?

2. How can you show love towards people who don't always show love towards you?









Okay and this is for @Tone before we get started.















Okay, so I hope that somebody saw yesterday's assignment and did something nice for their family and has that to share as well. I baked brownies for my mother yesterday and I always help her grab her dirty dishes and put them in the sink for her so she doesn't have to do it herself. (I currently still live at home since I am mentally challenged) Here's some more questions for today as well.





1. What do you think that it means to be a member of God's family?
2. What do you think it means to be a member of your own biological/adoptive family?
3. What do you love about being part of a family the most?





Here are my answers.



1. Repenting when you do something wrong, loving, respecting, and honoring Him as well as others and following His commands.


2. Loving and respecting each other as well as listening to one another.


3. Having fun. (Geocaching.)






Also, I will close out with today's Bible verse.





Timothy 5:8 "Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."







Well that closes out today's lesson and there's no homework today and I got a scavenger hunt going on tomorrow so not sure when I will update but I honestly will try and that fits because tomorrow's lesson is all about honesty. (And I am honestly glad I found a way and strength to continue with this thread and I also thank @Tone for his encouragement. )

 

[April_Rose]

Btw, tomorrow we will be watching a Berenstain Bear's episode about lying.

 

[amadeus]

Just so you guys know, if there's not a lot of interest in this thread anymore I will no longer continue it.

Instead of quitting altogether, try breaking it up. Each time you start a new subject, start a new thread. That way people will participate or not according the title of the thread. Other sub-topics are sometimes lost to new people who only see the title... Just a suggestion.

 

[Tone]

Thanks for the mustard...even though its not Grey Poupon.


And yw!

 

[April_Rose]

Instead of quitting altogether, try breaking it up. Each time you start a new subject, start a new thread. That way people will participate or not according the title of the thread. Other sub-topics are sometimes lost to new people who only see the title... Just a suggestion.

Thank you for your suggestion. I made this spinoff topic right here. (I think I will only create a new thread though when I realize that people aren't responding to one of my subjects.)




Love






As promised even though it's tonight instead of today since I had a very busy day and I got second place in the scavenger hunt so woohoo!!! Anyways, today's topic is honesty and instead of me talking about the importance of telling the truth and how it's harder to keep up a lie and to glue trust back together we have a video to watch instead. (I think that I will go ahead and start a new topic on gossip though.)

And here is today's Bible verse.




Proverbs 12:22 "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are His delight."







Now, there was originally going to be an assignment but I don't know how many people are doing them so I'm just going to teach a lesson tomorrow about happiness and I hope you enjoyed tonight's even though it was late.

 

[Tone]

I got second place in the scavenger hunt

I'm finding it hard to believe without a pic...

 

[April_Rose]

I'm finding it hard to believe without a pic...

Sorry, I don't like posting pictures of myself. Also here's another spinoff topic that I just made.





Gossip

 

[Tone]

Sorry, I don't like posting pictures of myself. Also here's another spinoff topic that I just made.





Gossip

I'm sorry, for making you feel uncomfortable...if I did...

 

[April_Rose]

I'm sorry, for making you feel uncomfortable...if I did...

It's okay, but I honestly am a truthful person. It's up to you whether or not you want to believe me.

 

[Tone]

It's okay, but I honestly am a truthful person. It's up to you whether or not you want to believe me.

I'm just playing with you...I believe you...and I believe in you too!

 

[April_Rose]

I'm just playing with you...I believe you...and I believe in you too!

Aww,.. thank you I believe in you too.

 

[April_Rose]

Okay so I figured that I would start off today's lesson about happiness by sharing how happy I currently am because somebody that I know has decided to start turning away from drugs and alcohol and turn to Jesus instead and she recently got saved and so that is the answer to my prayers since I've been praying for her for quite awhile now. And how can I not get happy about that?




I guess that's what God means (I can't remember the exact Bible verse or verses exactly) to find joy in the suffering since she was really going through a rough time in her life and she found that she would rather have joy in her life that God was with her and in her heart then to be without him especially since a close friend of hers recently committed suicide.




Anyways, so I have a few questions for you guys today.



1. What makes you happy more than anything else?
2. Have you ever found joy in the suffering?
3. How do you make others happy?
4. What makes us feel joy?





And here's a really good Bible verse for the day.





Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."






Also if you want to feel really good by yourself giving onto others can certainly make you feel happy.

 

[April_Rose]

Oh yeah and tomorrow's lesson will be about courage btw.

 

[April_Rose]

Hey guys before we get started with today's message I just wanted to point out another spinoff thread of mine.



Joy





Anyways instead of teaching a message today I could really use your guy's help. @Tone, @amadeus, what do you think it means to show courage, have courage, and are there any Bible verses on this? Cause to be perfectly honest with you (which was a topic from a couple of days ago) I'm not really all that sure myself lol and I don't really know how to put it into words. :/ I'm always amazed to learn how much I still need to learn.

 

[Tone]

what do you think it means to show courage, have courage, and are there any Bible verses on this?

Showing courage is being afraid...yet stepping up anyways...until the fear...slinks away.

Hebrews chapter 11, aka, "the faith chapter" is a great picture of courage. From it I would say that courage is when the creative imagination overrides the noise of doubt.


Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

 

[amadeus]

Anyways instead of teaching a message today I could really use your guy's help. @Tone, @amadeus, what do you think it means to show courage, have courage, and are there any Bible verses on this? Cause to be perfectly honest with you (which was a topic from a couple of days ago) I'm not really all that sure myself lol and I don't really know how to put it into words. :/ I'm always amazed to learn how much I still need to learn.

I saw this yesterday somewhat late in the day and nothing came to my mind, so I saved the place for this morning hoping God would have something for me from the scriptures my own primary resource. This time however what He showed me was written by Oswald Chambers, a man of God who died about the end of World War One... some 25 years before I was born:

"He hath said... so that we may boldly say..." Heb 13:5-6

My say-so is to be built on God's say-so. God says- "I will never leave thee," then I can with good courage say- "The Lord is my helper, I will not fear-" I will not be haunted by apprehension. This does not mean that I will not be tempted to fear, but I will remember God's say-so. I will be full of courage, like a child "bucking himself up" to reach the standard his father wants. Faith in many a one falters when the apprehensions [fears] come, they forget the meaning of God's say-so, forget to take a deep breath spiritually. The only way to get the dread taken out of us is to listen to God's say-so.

What are you dreading? You are not a coward about it, you are going to face it, but there is a feeling of dread. When there is nothing and no one to help you, say- "But the Lord is my Helper, this second, in my present outlook." Are you learning to say things after listening to God, or are you saying things and trying to make God's word fit in it? Get hold of the Father's say-so, and then say with good courage- "I will not fear." It does not matter what evil or wrong may be in the way, He has said- "I will never leave thee."

Frailty is another thing that gets in between God's say-so and ours. When we realize how feeble we are in facing difficulties, the difficulties become like giants, we become like grasshoppers, and God becomes a nonentity. Remember God's say-so -- "I will in no wise fail you." Have learned to sing after hearing God's key-note? Are we always possessed with the courage to say- "The Lord is my helper," or are we succumbing?

 

[April_Rose]

Showing courage is being afraid...yet stepping up anyways...until the fear...slinks away.

Hebrews chapter 11, aka, "the faith chapter" is a great picture of courage. From it I would say that courage is when the creative imagination overrides the noise of doubt.


Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

You know right when I saw this I forgot all about what it say in The Princess Diaries (and yes I believe that even guys can enjoy it) that courage is not the absence of fear, but more of the fact that realizing something is more important than fear.






Well today's lesson/message isn't very long at all and it basically is pretty much the same thing that I've been talking about for awhile now on here. How none of us know everything, but through the water of the Word it can help our seeds to grow, and we might not be able to reach perfection but we can reach it through Christ Jesus which I have a very good Bible verse for the day.





Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said; "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."







So that's it for today, and tomorrow's lesson will be all about all kinds of beauty.

 

[April_Rose]

Well today is a topic that I already know I've talked about on here before, but instead of using scripture today I'm going to do something fun instead. (Not like scripture can't be fun of course) Today's lesson is based upon Disney's Beauty and The Beast because let's face it I'm a Disney fanatic!!




So for those of you who don't already know the film and the storyline, it's about a prince who is every bit handsome on the outside, but on the inside he isn't so charming and is very selfish with no love inside his heart. So a beautiful enchantress casts a spell on him that unless he can learn to love another and earn her love in return that he will be doomed to remain a beast forever. I don't want to spoil it for those of you who haven't seen the movie, but basically it depicts how beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it doesn't matter so much of the appearances of people on the outside,.. for God judges us by our hearts so why can't we judge others exactly the same way?






So I hope that you all enjoyed today's lesson and tomorrow will all be about blessings and the following video is just for fun. (I can't wait until our virtual trip to Disneyland this summer and next Monday looks like we'll be watching the play Beauty and The Beast.

 

[April_Rose]

I decided that today's topic is good enough to start a separate spinoff thread so I will go ahead and edit this post in a few moments and post the link to it before I have lunch.



Counting Our Blessings