IT'S FALL Y'ALL PARTY

Fall is one of my favorite times of year.  The colors and weather are just glorious.  What better time of year to get the ladies together for some outdoor fun.   Choose a date, place and time to get together for an outdoor fall party.   If you have a fairly large yard, this would be the perfect opportunity to invite the ladies to your house for some fall festivities.

Using fall themed scrapbook papers and plain papers, make simple invitations. 

Of course decorations would include colorful leaves, pumpkins, cornstalks, hay bales, mums, etc.  Weather permitting set up tables outside for dining.  Any kind of tables will do.  If your budget allows use hay bales for seating.

Ask each lady to bring their favorite cool weather dish or dessert.  Chili and soups are always favorite fall dishes.  Also, grilled corn on the cob and other fall vegetables are yummy.

Make sure you have plenty of apple cider and hot cocoa on hand.

A bonfire, s'mores and kettle corn are always great fall treats too.  You can now make microwave kettle corn which is easy and tasty. 

Games can include:

Sack races and Bobbing for apples are always fun fall activities.  If you don't like bobbing for apples the old fashioned water in a bucket way, hang the apples from strings and hang them from the clothesline.  The ladies can bob for apples without the mess of water.

Play a name the leaves game.  Have a tray with assorted tree leaves.  Number the leaves.  Give each lady a numbered sheet of paper and ask them to identify each leaf by what type of tree it came from (if you don't have a variety of trees to choose from, cutout different leaves from construction paper.  Go online to find leaf patterns to trace).  Give a door prize to the lady who guesses the most right.

Pumpkin or gourd toss.  Cut holes into a large sheet of cardboard or plywood.  Large enough for a small gourd or pumpkin to go through.  Lean the board against a table or wall.  Allow the ladies three tries to get the pumpkin in the holes.  If she succeeds, give her a small trinket.

Ring toss.   Place a large pumpkin (with a stem) on the ground or a table.  Give each lady milk jug rings.  The lady needs to ring the stem of pumpkin to win.  If she succeeds, give her a small trinket.

*Door prizes and trinkets can be anything you choose but you might choose things with a "fall" "autumn" theme.

Easter, What's it all About

Easter, what’s it all about?

 

Commercialism, I’m so tired of commercialism! Every holiday, every event is cheapened by commercialism. At Christmas we are given Santa Claus, flying reindeer and elves as heroes. Who ever made up such foolishness. At Thanksgiving we celebrate the Turkey instead of the one who gave us turkey. Now Easter, what’s up with bunny rabbits and colored eggs. It sounds to me that once again it’s foolishness and we are celebrating the creation more than the creator (Rom. 1:25).

Have you been to the local Wal-Mart recently? Have you spied all the cute little bunnies, pretty spring flowers, huge assortment of candy and plastic eggs. What exactly is this stuff for? Is it to celebrate spring or is it the devil’s way to mask the truth in order to keep people from remembering what Easter is really about? I say it’s the latter! The devil will do anything to make sure that everyone forgets that the real reason we celebrate holidays like such as Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter because he don’t want us to remember or think about the wonderful things that God has done for us.

We as Christians oftentimes allow commercialism to consume us as well. I at times have been caught up in all that stuff because it’s cute and fun. I love my family and I want them to enjoy life. I want them to be happy. However, the world and my family needs a savior not an Easter bunny.

So what is Easter and why do we celebrate it? We as Christians all know that Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Christ, but what really does that mean? Let’s read all about it.

We are going to start at the beginning because before there can ever be a resurrection there must first be a death and burial. Isaiah 53:5

The Death

Matt. 26:1-5; Christ speaks of his crucifixion; 14-25—the betrayal of Judas;

Then Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane that he would not have to go through this.

Matt. 26:47-50—arresting of Jesus

Matt. 26:59-68—before the counsel

Matt. 27:1-2;11-50

The Burial

Matt. 27:57-61

John 19:38-42



The Resurrection

Matt. 28:1-7

Why did all of this happen and why do we need to remember or celebrate it?

Matt. 28:18-20

Christ’s death and ohh so important resurrection was so that his gospel might be preached to every nation. His gospel of salvation. Because really Christ came, suffered, died and rose again that we all have the chance to be saved.

John 3:17—For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. Now that’s worth celebrating!

Isaiah 53:5—he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).

Gal. 1:4—Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.

Titus 2:14—Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

We don’t deserve all this but it’s because of God’s love that we have this wonderful opportunity:

Let’s remind someone today, someone who may not have heard, or maybe because of all the commercialism, has forgotten, that Jesus died and rose again just for them. He took back the keys to death, hell and the grave which is the wages of sin and gave each and every person the chance to be free from it’s grip. Thank you Jesus!

　HAPPY EASTER!

Chose You This Day

CHOSE YOU THIS DAY...

You know the greatest part about being a human being is that God gave us the power of choice. The freedom of making decisions that effect us individually. We (all of us) make choices every single day. We choose what to wear that day. How we want to fix our hair. What to eat. Who to talk to and make friends with and who not. Sometimes we make good choices and sometimes not so good choices, but whatever the outcome, good or bad, it was our choice.

Many of the choices we make, like what kind of toothpaste to use, is not important but there are many choices we face that are important and we must choose wisely, lest the "bad" happen because of a poor choice. There is one choice we make every single day; however, and most of us make the choice without even thinking about it, and yet it is the single most important choice you will ever make, so tonight we are going to highlight this choice and try to help you make the right choice.

Lets turn to Joshua chapters 23 & 24

First I have a question, are any of you familiar with Joshua’s famous last words? I bet you are...they are posted on plaques and pictures everywhere....

Finish this scripture for me...but as for me and my house,                                 . See I knew you knew Joshua’s famous last words. However, there is more to what Joshua said in that scripture than that...and it’s the more that we are going to focus on tonight.

Joshua 23:1-3 & 24:1-15

Here we see Joshua (remember I taught a few weeks ago about Joshua and Caleb, this is that Joshua) He become the leader of the Israelites when Moses died. He led the Israelites under God’s direction into the promised land. They had to fight a lot of battles in order to "get" this land they were promised, not only the battle of Jericho but many more, and only with God’s help were they able to win these battles. Either way we see in the last few chapters of Joshua that, Joshua is old and getting ready to die so he calls all the people of Israel to a meeting and reminded them of all the great things that God had done before their very eyes. All the times that God helped them when they were in trouble, and then he said, but you have forsaken your God. Every since you have come into this land you have corrupted yourselves to serve the gods of the other nations, and; finally he told them, today you have a choice to make.

He said...you need to fear "the Lord", and serve him in sincerity and in truth...quit being wishy washy,

Put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord...

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY WHOM YE WILL SERVE; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: BUT AS FOR ME, AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD.

Of course, just as Joshua thought they would. The Israelites said: God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods, for the Lord he is our God. (Joshua 24:16)

Let’s just dissect the word serve...

What does the word serve mean...they said they would serve the Lord...what does serve mean...

(Note to teacher:  Do a little object lesson on service...act as if you are someone’s servant...ask them what they would like for me to bring them and then give them something else.)

How about when you go to a restaurant and order steak...does the server bring you chicken...probably not if he/she wants a tip (or reward) later for good service.

You see in order to serve you must follow the words of or instructions of the one you are serving, and this is what Joshua was saying. You want to say you will serve the Lord but you refuse to follow his instructions. You are not living as if you are a servant of the Lord. You are not keeping his commandments but you are follow other gods and living like those who are not God’s people.

The bible says...you cannot serve two masters, you will love the one and hate the other or cling to the one and despise the other....Matt 6:24

There is a choice we make every single day without even realizing it...and yes it is a daily choice...when you get up in the morning and choose your actions for the day...you are choosing whether to live like the world and enjoy the sinful pleasures of the world...or you are hopefully choosing to be a Christian and live according to God’s word, but you can’t do both. You are either a Christian and following God’s word or you are not. There is no in between!!!

You see, there are consequences with every decision we make...good or bad...yes, it is your choice to forsake God and to run after the things (gods) of this world and to live any ol’ way you want, that your freedom of choice. Yes, it’s your choice to forsake the one who created you and gave you life, the one who loved you enough to shed blood for your sins...the one who makes sure you are well cared for in this life...but there are consequences...

Joshua told the people...God is a jealous God, he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. If ye forsake the Lord, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.

My friend...hell is the consequence of folks who make the wrong choice on who to serve.

You have the opportunity at this very moment to make up your mind...the scripture says...

Behold, now is the day of salvation (2 Corin. 6:2)

You know, you guys are reaching the age that you can’t depend on mom and dad or someone else to make the right choices for you. Some of you perhaps right now, have moms and dads right now who don’t make the right decision regarding this issue so you have to make the choice for you.

As Joshua said ...AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD...what are you going to do?

Memory Verse:  Joshua 24:15--And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

(This is quite a lengthy verse.  If you wish and your children are somewhat young, pick a portion of the verse as a memory verse).