Red Letters: The Parable of Pride

Chetkeila @ L56

• Luke 14:7-14 NLT
  When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: "When you are invited to a wedding feast, don't sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited?  The host will come and say, 'Give this person your seat.' Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! "Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, 'Friend, we have a better place for you!' Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests.  For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." Then he turned to his host. "When you put on a luncheon or a banquet," he said, "don't invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward.  Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.  Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you."

1. Pride brings humiliation.
   A. You shouldn't think more highly of yourself than you should.
   B. An when you walk in pride, you are telling God that you can do things on your own.
2. You will be humbled.
   A. Humility is about putting others in a higher place than you.
   B. Luke 9:24 NLT...If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
   C. Philippians 2:3-4 NLT...Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
3. Heart change
4. God is our Lighthouses
• Dead ahead, through the pitch-black night, the captain sees a light on a collision course with his ship. He sends a signal: "Change your course ten degrees east.""Change yours ten degrees west," comes the reply.The captain responds, "I'm a United States Navy captain! Change your course, sir!""I'm a seaman second class," the next message reads. "Change your course, sir."The captain is furious. "I'm a battleship! I'm not changing course!""I'm a lighthouse. Your call."

Level 56 VIPs: David and Goliath

Level 56

October 6 & 7, Week 1

David and Goliath Bible Story Lesson

1 Samuel 17:12-58

• This month we are learning about Bible stories EVERY 5^th & 6^th grader needs to know!

• Today’s, VIP has a very important lesson to be learned from it – it doesn’t matter your age, God can use anyone to do big things!

• Create the ultimate Oreo cookie!

WHAT YOU NEED

3 bags of Double Stuff Oreos

HOW TO PLAY

Choose three teams of two and bring them on stage. Give each team a bag of Oreos. The object of the game is to see who can create the tallest, free standing stack of Oreo cookies. To do this, contestants must start with one cookie, then remove one of the chocolate cookies from another cookie and stack it (filling side down) on the first. Contestants will continue this process, stacking their Oreos high, until only one team has a cookie still standing.

RAISING THE STAKES

For older kids, have one student hold the cookie in their palm while the other stacks the cookie. This adds an extra element of difficulty and the potential for some messiness.

[Check Back for Pictures]

NOTES FROM THE SERVICE

1. David was not from a royal family, he was not rich or had any special things he was known for. To his family and friends, he was the youngest brother and and a shepherd. That’s it. No one saw greatness in him & yet, he killed the leader of one Israelites greatest enemies.
1. v.55 When Saul saw David go out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, “Tell me about this young man’s family.” Abner said, “For the life of me, O King, I don’t know.”
2. It wasn’t about how old David was or what he could do. God just knew in David’s heart – he was willing to do what others wouldn’t. He wasn’t afraid because he knew God was on his side and greater than any Philistine – even a GIGANTIC Philistine!
1. v.45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

3 Things to Remember:

• Here are some important things we can remember from this story:

1. God can use anyone
1. No one knew who he was.
2. Your age doesn’t matter
1. David was the YOUNGEST son of Jesse. He had 7 big brothers.
3. Be willing
1. David was willing to do what his earthly father said (take his brothers lunch) and believe in his heavenly father. Saul said "go and the Lord be with you"

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS

KNOW WHO YOU ARE WORKING FOR

While his three oldest brothers went to war with Saul, David went back and forth from attending to Saul (the king) to tending the sheep that belonged to his father (Jesse) in Bethlehem.

This is how our lives are. We have a “job” and we work for our Heavenly father.

NO ASSIGNMENT IS BENEATH YOU

v. 17-19 Jesse sent David to take his BIG brothers lunch!  (v. 17-19)

I’ve been asked to do things that I felt like were “beneath you” and I got a little upset.

Had David not honored his father’s request, then he wouldn’t have been in the position to defeat Goliath

• Things really happen for reason and Your attitude  will determine your aptitude.: Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

v. 20 David arranged for someone to be a stand-in shepherd.

IF someone asks you to do something, you still have to take care of your current responsibilities.

KNOW WHO YOU ARE

v. 28 David’s OLDEST brother Eliab accused David of neglecting his responsibilities. A lot of time, the people closest to us will assume the worse about us because they grew up with us. In the past, Eliab probably had to pick up after David.

v. 39 They tried to give David armor, but he wasn’t used to it. When facing any situation go as yourself! You are in the situation because you are needed. You don’t have to pretend to be anything that you’re not.

YOUR SKILLS ARE TRANSFERABLE

V. 34-37 David said, “I’ve been a shepherd, tending sheep for my father. Whenever a lion or bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I’d go after it, knock it down, and rescue the lamb. If it turned on me, I’d grab it by the throat, wring its neck, and kill it. Lion or bear, it made no difference—I killed it. And I’ll do the same to this Philistine

EVERYTHING is preparing us for the future. Oftentimes we are given tasks and responsibilities that are boring, like math and we wonder how it will help us in real life. Well, that seemingly useless task may put is in the position to defeat a giant. But we still have to choose to fight that giant.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO DECLARE VICTORY (BECAUSE IT’S THE TRUTH)

v. 46 David was not afraid to speak the truth. Sometimes we are scared to declare victory because, well what if we don’t get it, right? Well David was not!

God's Love

Jonathan @ Level 56

1. We know God loves us becaue He has a plan and purpose for our lives.

• PSALMS 139:13-18 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my bodyand knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born.Every day of my life was recorded in your book.Every moment was laid outbefore a single day had passed. ow precious are your thoughts about me, O God.They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them;they outnumber the grains of sand!And when I wake up,you are still with me!

• Isaiah 41:13 For I hold you by your right hand—I, the LORD your God.And I say to you,'Don't be afraid. I am here to help you.

• Matthew 28:20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

2. We know God loves us because we are His masterpiece.

• Isaiah 64:8 And yet, O LORD, you are our Father.We are the clay, and you are the potter.We all are formed by your hand.

• Jeremiah 1:4-5 The LORD gave me this message: " knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apartand appointed you as my prophet to the nations."

3. We know God loves us because He sent His son to die on the Cross for us.

• John 3:16 "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

•Romans 5:8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

-- Sent from JRochelle's Palm

Worship @L56

Today is the last day of the Level 56 Focus Topic: Worship. A lot of people would call it strange to "teach" anyone about worship but on the contrary, the word tells us in Proverbs 22:6 to train up children in the way that they should go so that when they are old they will not depart. The 5th and 6th graders of Level 56 need to understand the purpose of worship. Furthermore, they need to feel comfortable worshiping the Lord no matter where they are. This month I saw students enter into God's presence and it was beautiful. I'm so glad that we gave them a chance to explore worship in a safe setting.

LEVEL56: WORSHIP (Week 2)

John 4:23-24 23 But the time is coming-it has, in fact, come-when what you're called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter. God is sheer being itself-Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration."

Worship reflects our relationship with God.

Worship us not about me.

Leave it at the alter.

-- Sent from JRochelle's Palm Pre