Weekly Update Mar 11th

This Wednesday at Hyfi as we continue our No Limit series, we will be looking at the miraculous story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead in John 11. Through this story, we want the kids to learn that God’s love is powerful! God’s love is so powerful it can overcome what may seem impossible. This week, I pray you and your kids will celebrate and remember how powerful our amazing God is! Before you begin your school day or drop off your kids, remind them that God’s love is big and powerful! Do a fun action like flexing arm muscles or give an exploding fist bump each day as a reminder of God’s powerful love.

This Wednesday at Refuge Students we will be taking a look at 1 John 3:4-10. In this passage, we learn that Jesus came to deliver us from sin, destroy the works of the devil, and reveal what it means to be a child of God. Regarding assurance of salvation, we learn that true believers:

• Have been born again.
• Abide in Jesus and don't live in sin.
• Love one another.

This week spend time reflecting on what it means to be "born again" with your students. Not everyone knows the exact moment when they became "born again believers," however, the reality of God's life-giving Spirit residing in us should be life-transforming. A life filled with the spirit should be a life filled with joy, growth in godliness, and love for fellow man.

This Sunday at Sunday School and at Refuge Hangout we will be taking a look at Acts 4. Standing before members of the religious elite, Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and couldn’t stop declaring Jesus as Lord. Though he had spent the night in jail, he was resolved in his mission to make no name for himself apart from Christ. In response to Peter’s boldness, the religious leaders were at a loss for words. The disciples’ time with Jesus offered more insight into God’s truth than the Jewish leaders possessed from all their years in rabbi school, and the power of the Holy Spirit within them illuminated their minds to recall this truth. When the church heard news of Peter and John’s time spent before the Sanhedrin, they responded the only way they knew how: altogether, voices raised to heaven, in prayer before God. Their course of action became one of boldness through the filling of the Holy Spirit as these men and women continued to show and tell the world about the Savior in whom they placed their hope. As you lead your kids this week, remind them—and yourself—that even in our stickiest situations and circumstances, God’s Word remains the rock where we find truth. We are invited to pray bold prayers and to ask for His Spirit to lead us in the places we don’t have strength to go; our faith is revealed through our boldness in action.

Don't forget that there will be a volunteer/parent training session March 27th on the topic "Gender and Sexuality Issues Facing Our Children Today." This event will be hosted at 6pm in the fellowship hall. Refreshments and childcare will be provided. Even though it is a "volunteer training session," it is open to anyone who wants to come. We will be focusing on issues such as pornography, homosexuality, and transgenderism before discussing how we can best navigate them as a church, as families, and as individuals.