“ You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:14-15 (NIV)
*This morning I read in my devotions “A child of God who loves Jesus and has Him as his special Best Friend is a really happy person!” I wonder how “ happy” you are today. Sure we say we love Jesus but do we really love Him and trust Him with everything? Just food for thought. Every day we are tested on our Love for Jesus. My hope is that you choose Jesus every time. He Cares!
Updates: The Single Parent Retreat is coming up August 4-6 at Camp Kulaqua. If you or you know of someone who would be interested in coming, just go to the Camp Kulaqua website under events and register. We are offering 50% off of the registration fees until August 2. There are about 10 openings left so the soon you register the better your chances are to be a part of this event.
Leadership Training is coming soon. The Basic Certification is August 19 @ 10AM at the Florida Conference Office in the Community Room and the Advanced Certification is September 16 @ 10AM at the Florida Conference Office Community Room. Both sessions are FREE…you just need to let us know that you are coming so we have the food and supplies we need for you. Email: judy.smith@floridaconference.com to register. You must attend all the sessions for the Basic and/or the Advanced to get the certificates. They are both stand-alone events meaning you can attend one without going to the other. Looking forward to seeing you there.
Somebody Knows Jul 18, 2017 07:00 am
There are corners in your heart that no human eye can see; there are trials that no human friend can help you bear; there are perplexities and longings which you can never explain to an earthly friend. But Jesus knows; He understands; He loves; and He longs to help and comfort.
Somebody knows when your heart aches, and everything seems to go wrong;
Somebody knows when the shadows need chasing away with a song.
Somebody knows when you’re lonely, tired, discouraged, and blue.
Somebody wants you to know Him, and know that He dearly loves you.
For the friend of Jesus there is peace, undisturbed peace, in this world of trouble!
Object Lesson:
My Best Friend, Jesus John 15:14-15
Supplies: globe, cross, badge, small blanket
Today we are going to learn an amazing truth about Jesus.
He is our CREATOR. (Read Colossians 1:15-17. Show the class a globe and talk about how
big, powerful, incredible, amazing, and huge Jesus must be to have made the world and still be
holding it all together!)
He is our SAVIOR. (Read John 4:14. Show a wooden cross and review briefly how Jesus died
for the world. Place the cross over the globe and talk about how wonderful it was for Jesus to
die for the sins of others.)
He is our MASTER. (Read Luke 17:12-14. Show a badge and state that Jesus is the highest
authority in the universe. When you see a person with a badge, you feel a sense of his or her
power. Jesus not only has power over people, but He also has the incredible power to heal and
calm storms—so we owe Him our lives and allegiance. We should live to serve Him.)
He is our FRIEND! (Read John 15:14-15. Show a blanket, and explain that it keeps us warm and
close, just as Jesus promises to stay close to us, too. In this staggering verse, Jesus says that he no
longer calls us servants, but friends! He wants to have a close, personal relationship with us!)
What makes someone a friend? You “clik” with friends! You have things in common, such as:
C—Calling: Similar purposes and goals in life
L—Language: Humor, passions, conversation, etc.
I—Interests: Hobbies, sports, music, books, media, etc.
K—Knowledge: School, expertise, career, etc.
When it comes to Jesus, we should “CLIK” with Him!
When we are friends with Jesus, our calling is to reach the lost, our language should
please Him and reflect our faith, our interests should flow from our relationship with
God, and our knowledge should grow according to the gifts and talents that God gave
us! Being God’s friend is actually easy, because He made us!
The main thing that sets our friends apart from all other people is time. Friends are the
people with whom we spend time. Therefore, the biggest way to tell that we are Jesus’
friends is by how much time we spend with Him.
May your Best Friend, Jesus be your friend today and ongoing.
Remember you are making a difference in the lives of our children and families.
I will continue to pray for you and your spoken needs.
Looking forward to meeting you soon at an event near you.