Kids of the King, Arise!

Write “Church” on the whiteboard- capital C because it is talking about all the people who belong to Jesus.
ASK: What does it look like?
-it is a building,…
ASK: Where is it? can also be church in a store, home, room or school, even be a field.
-big or small?
- anywhere people worship God
Small group Activities:
First we are going to play a game that will show us that we can’t get along without one member of the body.
Puzzle:
Start with all puzzle pieces face down: (one piece removed)
GO! After 3 minutes Stop!
- Was anything missing from your puzzle?
- Do you think your vehicle would work well if it was missing this part?
- A church is incomplete without all it’s members
Each member helps the others to keep focused on the goals (mission) of the church.

A church building is made up of what? Bricks or stones, and mortar, and wood etc. right. Well look at this bible verse and see what we are called here.

1 Peter 2:5
you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Isn’t that interesting. Talk about what this might mean.
Go to google and click on images and google “Living stones” . See if you can find a plant that actually looks like a stone and is called a “living stone”. If you have access to a plant store, see if they carry any of these plants and buy one as a reminder that you are a living stone, a part of the bodyof Christ.

By the Way. The church that is seen is in Resolute Bay one of the northern most communities in Canada. See if you can find it on a map.

Contributed by:
Jo-Anne Hollander
Children’s Pastor
Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada Manitoba & NW Ont

I don’t know about you but there are times when I am facing something really hard and I get scared. A few months ago I had a BIG surgery on my hand that took 8 hours, and it would mean a long time to recover. I started to get scared and think about all the things that could go wrong. Then the Holy Spirit brought this verse to mind and I believed Him. I remembered that I was a daughter of the King and that maybe there would be someone in the hospital while I was there that would need encouragement. I asked Him to give me Kingdom goggles and you know what He did? During the time that I was there, there were 3 other people that were facing surgery or had just had surgery and I was able to pray with them. And encourage them. For myself, even though the doctors thought there would be alot of pain, and I was on a morphine drip I had hardly any pain!!

When we face hard times the devil wants us to focus on the problems in front of us. He loves it when we are afraid and worry. That’s the kind of thing he specializes at. But we are called as sons and daughters of the King to focus on Jesus and His promises and not to listen to the lies of the enemy. As soon as we do the devil scurries away. This takes practice though. Every time a fearful or worry-some thought crosses your mind, deliberately refuse to think about it and instead remember one of Jesus’ Promises, like the two scriptures above.

There is a story of a man that owned a record company. Besides running the store, he spent many hours listening to the ‘mother disk’, which was the record from which all the other records would be copied from. Over the years, his ears could catch the faintest ‘pop or sizzle’ that meant there was a slight scratch on the record. One day someone visited him and commented that he must really enjoy his work listening to music all day. He replied, you know, I haven’t really listened to music for a long time, because no matter what I listen to I automatically focus on the “pop or sizzle”.

See it really makes a difference what you focus on. You need to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit and focus on all that is good and lovely, instead of the negative, scary stuff that “pops and sizzles”, which you can easily find all around you. God promises His peace to Guard our hearts and minds, but we need to co-operate with Him to be able to have that peace in our hearts.

Again another story: An group of artists were asked to draw a picture of peace. What would you have drawn? Think about it.

Well the winner drew a picture of a terrific storm, with trees bending way down, and lightening zigzagging across the sky; looked like he hadn’t heard the instructions quite right.

there in the center of the storm the artist had painted a bird’s nest in the crotch of a gigantic tree. There a mother bird had spread her wings over her little chicks, waiting quietly until the storm would pass. Peace That is the kind of peace that God has promised us. The quiet inside where we KNOW we belong to Jesus , and HE is Bigger than all of our problems.

What are you worried about or what makes you fearful. Talk to God about it.
What are some things that are good, and lovely and wonderful?
God wants to free you from everything that weighs you down, so that you can be carefree.
We get so easily caught up in the cares of the day, that we miss the great things that God wants to do for us and through us. Stop worrying about the problems of yesterday and the worries for tomorrow. Really does worrying help fix things…no it only gives you an upset stomach and a cranky disposition.

ACTION: Write down the things that you are worried about, or the things that make you afraid on a piece of paper.
Look at these things and when you are ready, ask God to help you give these things to Him.
As an action step “Cast” these cares, or throw them to “Jesus” and say, “Jesus, I give you these cares and I will trust you to take care of them. Help me to focus on you and your promises, so that I can be a carrier of Your glory wherever I go, instead of being a thundercloud that is weighed down with all sorts of worries and cares. I don’t want them any more. I believe that You don’t lie, and will help me and fill my heart with peace, as the Bible says. Help me to look only to You. Fill my mouth with praises instead of worries.

Although you will have to make a point of doing this the first while, (obeying the gentle nudges of the Helper by casting your cares on Jesus, and refusing to think about the worries and fears), after awhile it will become automatic. God’s peace will more and more fill your hearts and you will be able to stand firm in whatever circumstance you are in. Just like Jesus.

ACTIVITY:

Read Mark 35-41. What did Jesus do and say in the middle of a terrible storm?
1)Color the picture below and make a speak bubble that shows what Jesus said to the storm.
or
2)Draw a picture that portrays the kids of peace that Jesus gives. It would be great if you could scan it and send me a copy and I could post it on the blog.
Send to kkarise@shaw.ca

Josh, age 11
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Have any of you ever thought of what you can buy for $40 million Dollars ???
Well I did some research and found that you can buy…

-1050 dodge trucks [$38 000]
-105 average Winnipeg homes [$ 380 000]
-13 Million bags of hot chocolate & marshmallows [$3]
-20 Million big bags of Old Dutch chips [$2]
-727 272.7272 I pod shuffles

Well….you might not believe it but…..
I prayed for $40m and I got it
It’s True!

Well we all know I didn’t actually get 40million dollars for myself
…..But I did get it……….Let me explain…..

I’m part of a group called Daniel Prayer Group. Daniel Prayer Group is a group of kids that meet once a month to pray for what ever God puts on our hearts.

Last Fall, the Lord really had us focus on the needs of the poor in our city. We went on a prayer walk through Point Douglas.

Here the Daniel Prayer group kids are praying at a church wall in the Pt. Douglas area. (Josh has the brouwn jacket on)

Point Douglas is an area of town just off Main Street that used to be wealthy but over the years has become more and more run down. There is a lot of need there, drugs, violence and poverty.

On our prayer walk we prayed that God would once again bring finances into the area and also that he would close all the crack houses. Then we went home.

Well, about 6 months later there was a big story in the newspaper. It was on the front page and it was even in a big font!

The Story said…that $40 Million Dollars was going to be spent to help clean up Main Street.

In fact the story said, that the project was to breathe new life into the desolate strip. “When you remove decay and replace it with functioning spaces and people coming and going, it results in a renewal that changes the reality of life in the area.” Do you hear the words they used? “Breathe new life”, “renewal”? Sounds like something God would do hey?

If THAT wasn’t enough read what the CBC news shared a week later!

People who live in the Point Douglas neighborhood are celebrating the closing of what they say is the last major crack house in the area. Last fall, a group of residents identified about 30 houses believed to be used for drug-dealing and use in the central Winnipeg neighborhood.
By working with police and landlords, neighbors have been able to shut them down, said Sel Burrows, spokesman for the Point Douglas Residents Association. Police have told the group the crime rate in the neighborhood has dropped 70 per cent, Burrows said.

Now, I realize that we ourselves didn’t give the money or close the crack houses. But I feel that our prayers somehow made a difference. I believe that God answered our prayer. I believe in the power of prayer.

The Bible says in Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it shall be given to you.”
Then later in Matthew 21:22 it says “and all things you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.”

It’s clear; the Bible says we are supposed to ask. We are supposed to pray.

Now I am not telling you to pray for $40 Million Dollars, but I am telling you that, God wants us to pray. Ask Him what is on His heart, after all he sees everything and knows what is going on. This is called intercession.
I also believe that God will honor those kinds of prayers when we pray on behalf of others, especially if it is for others who are in need

Why don’t you try it?

I dare you to change world.

I dare you to pray.

Around 1912 a group of Christians in Armenia had been praying, and one of their small sons had a vision. He tried to draw the vision he had so that his elders could understand it. What God was telling them, he said, was that they should leave Armenia and go to a distant land.

The young boy knew little about world geography, but the map he drew was clearly of the American West Coast. As a result of his vision, a large group of Armenian Christians left home to settle in California. Shortly after they had embarked on their journey, a massacre took place in their homeland that started in 1914. Their lives were spared only because they had already escaped to America, because they believed in the vision that God had sent.

Now that particular group of Armenian Christians were not used to having visions like that, perhaps they never needed them before. Now they did, and the Holy Spirit showed them what they needed to do. It would have been easy for them to have ignored the vision, as it was “only” from a child, especially as it required them to make such a big change. But they didn’t.

These Armenian believers prospered in America and raised healthy and happy families. One of their children was Demos Shakarian and God used him to bring revival to the United Sates and around the world. See God told Demos to start an organization called the Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship, where Christian businessmen would meet, and invite other business men and pray for their businesses. At these meetings, people would give testimonies on how God has blessed them or their businesses. Many people in the buisness community came to know Jesus.

ACTIVITY: Find Armenia on a world map. Then find California on the western coast of America. See how many miles these Armenian Christians had to go to obey what God had showed them.

Would you and your family be willing to move that far, or obey that radically in response to a vision?
Paul in the Bible also received information about where He should and should not go through dreams and visions.
Look up Acts 16:9-10, Acts 18:9-10, and Acts 21:10-11

Keep that in mind, God knows all things and He may, prompt you to go someplace near or far to protect you or for you to share the good news about Jesus to someone.

Story taken from book “Revelation Glory” by Ruth Ward Heflin

Day 15: STEP FOUR - LISTENING TO GOD

The following is a longer session adapted from Warrior Bride Arise by Carolin Sadler. It describes one way that groups can gather together to seek the heart of God and hear His voice. This can be used as a continuation of Day 10 (skip the closure and do this instead), or a separate session.

Supplies needed:

– tent or large canopy that can represent the “tent of meeting” and hold the whole group (A parachute can work)

– worship CD’s and CD player

– Bibles for all

– journal and pen for leader

Focus:

1. Ask, Do you remember what this tent was for? (to represent the tent of meeting, where Moses went to talk to God).
2. Ask, Do you remember what the purpose of our “adventure” is? (to seek God’s heart).
3. Say, That’s right! We are on an adventure of seeking the heart of God. When you want to get to know someone’s heart, one of the best ways to do that is to sit down and talk with them. We call that a “heart to heart” conversation. Today, we are going to spend some time together, having a “heart to heart” with God. We’ll talk to Him about some of our own needs, but also ask Him what is on HIS heart. What does He want us to do? How does He want us to pray? We will use the “tent of meeting” as a symbol of entering God’s presence.
4. Ask, Do you remember who else went into the tent of meeting? (Joshua, the people of Israel)
5. Say: That’s right! Throughout Israel’s history, when they wanted to hear from God, they would go to the “tent of meeting.” King David, who is called “a man after God’s own heart,” would to the “tent of meeting” (a couple hundred years later!) to meet with God when he had questions. Here, he would ask God what to do about battles and problems. He would also go there to worship God.

God also spoke to David through prophets, and one time after receiving a message from the prophet Nathan, David went to the tent of meeting to thank Him for what God had told David through Nathan. (2 Sam. 7)

After Jesus died, rose again, and returned to heaven, he sent the Holy Spirit to be our teacher and our guide. The book of Acts talks about Paul and his companions being led by the “Spirit of Jesus” to stay away from a certain area. In Acts 8, the Spirit told (Philip) to go and talk to a man in a chariot, who ended up being an Ethiopian eunuch reading the book of Isaiah. This man accepted Christ and got baptized that day.

God also spoke to Peter through a vision in Acts 10 to say that it was OK for Peter to visit Gentiles and tell them the good news of salvation. Throughout history, God continued to speak to people who were ready to listen and obey. He spoke “in many times and in various ways, and now he speaks to us through His Son, Jesus” (Heb. 1:1-2). God has not stopped speaking. He is just waiting for “friends” who will listen. If you want to be one of his friends who will listen, then tell God you are ready to listen to Him. As a way of showing with your body that you are ready to listen to God and obey, As you do, imagine that Jesus is waiting for you and you are entering a holy place.

There is nothing special about this tent, really, except that we will invite the Holy Spirit to come and speak to us here today.

Procedure:

1. Step inside the tent.

1. WORSHIP:

1. Spend time in worship, praising God who He is. Choose familiar hymns or choruses that focus on the character of God. Encourage people to call out short prayers of praise and thanksgiving.

2. Explain that we are inviting God to be with us. (Psalm 22:3 - “God is enthroned on our praises” or “the Lord inhabits the praises of His people.” We are setting up a place for God in our hearts when we sing praise.)

2. CONFESSION:

1. Read Psalm 24:3-4 “Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who can stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart.”

1. We want to have clean, pure hearts so we can hear from God

2. Read Psalm 139:23-24. Pause and allow time for the Holy Spirit to convict of any unconfessed sin.

3. “Check carefully in relation to the sin of resentment, and make sure that you have forgiven those who have wronged you.” Allow time for reconciliation in the group, if needed. Ask someone to lea in a prayer of confession.

3. ASK: Ask for the help of the Holy Spirit.

1. Acknowledge that you can’t really pray effectively or hear what God is saying without the Holy Spirit’s help (Rom. 8:26b)

2. Invite the Holy Spirit to fill you, guide you and control you as you pray and listen (Eph 5:18b)

3. Ask someone to lead in a prayer inviting the Holy Spirit’s presence and guidance.

4. REBUKE THE ENEMY:

1. Read James 4:7, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

2. Have the leader come against any thoughts or intents of the enemy during this prayer time in the name of Jesus.

5. SURRENDER:

1. Your own imagination

2. Your wishes

3. Your burdens as to what you think you should pray for

4. Read Prov. 3:5b, “Lean not on your own understanding”; Isaiah 55:8a, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts.” Pray silently.

6. PRAISE GOD:

1. Together, praise God and thank Him that He is a God who wants to speak with us.

7. WAIT SILENTLY:

1. Have your Bibles with you and respond to the direction of the Lord to passages in the Bible (Ps. 62:5; Mic 7:7). No talking.

2. Listen for His direction. God may bring to mind a Scripture, a picture, or a name of a person or a place. Allow 3-5 minutes for this.

8. GATHER TOGETHER:

1. Ask the group what the Lord brought to mind. It is important that everyone shares his or her thoughts. Don’t worry if what participants receive doesn’t make any sense – it mayb well be part of the puzzle and a necessary part of the bigger picture.

2. Record these on a large pice of paper, visible to everyone, and go over what you wrote down. Determine any common themes or sense of direction.

3. Have leader journal what the kids get in a book that can be kept for future reference.

9. CLOSING PRAYER OF THANKS;

1. Thank God for the time with Him.

2. Ask God for further confirmation.

3. Start to take action to what God brings to mind.

Closure:

1. EXIT TENT – reminding everyone that because the Holy Spirit lives in us, we can live each moment of our lives aware of His presence with us. Let’s “live listening” to what He says.

A few months after David was given his name, a new team member was being shown around the village. A figure came running towards him, and with a beaming smile said excitedly, “Hello, I’m David!”

ACTIVITY:
Read out David’s story again, and then act it out, giving as many children as possible a role, (David, project workers, other children etc.) Talk about how it would feel if you didn’t have a family or a name, then pray together for children like David.

Taken from the Children at Risk booklet www.viva.org

WORSHIP
From the ends of the earth
to the depths of the sea
to the heights of the heavens
your name be praised

ASK: Does anyone know how many people are in the world today?
(There are 6.5 billion people on earth)

ASK: How many of these are children?
(52% of these are kids under the age of 15)
Not all children are as fortunate as you are. Let’s have a look at what many other kids are facing in the world today.

PREPARE: Beforehand on black construction paper the following statistics:
-Put the headings on one set of construction paper
-And the statistics on another set.
-Hand them out and then ask the kids to mingle and try to find the statistics that belong to the headings.

What it is like to be a kid in the world today?

CHILDREN LIVE WITH AIDS
• about 3 million new cases of_______each year
• 13 million children’s parents die because of_________ .
• 64 % of children who have__________and are 1 to 10 years old will die this year

CHILDREN ARE STREET KIDS (HOMELESS)

• 100 million_________ .

• no parents to care for them
• no safety (protection)for the___________
• abandoned
• get beaten up and hurt

CHILDREN ARE HUNGRY.
• 28% of children do not have enough food to eat ( malnourished)
• 17 million children starve to death each year
• 35 thousand children starve to death each day

CHILDREN GO TO WORK (NOT SCHOOL)

• 200 million child laborers between the age of 5 and14 years old.
• 2 out of 3 children live on less than $2.00 per day

CHILDREN LIVE WITH WAR
Because of __________in the last 10 years
• 1.5 million children were killed,
• 4 million disabled,
• 12 million lost their homes

CHILDREN LIVE WITH WAR
• 90% of people killed in__________ are women and children, not soldiers
• 70% of refugees made by ____________ are children

CHILDREN LIVE WITH WAR
• 300 thousand children were forced to be child soldiers
• Child soldiers are forced to find land mines.
• Child soldiers are forced to act as human shields.

GIRLS ARE NOT LOVED AS MUCH AS BOYS
• 60-100 million __________ have “disappeared” in the last 10 years
• 15 million_____________ who are 8 to 15 years old are already mothers and have their own children to take care of
• it is not important for girls to go to school
• boys get birthday parties and presents, girls might not

CHILDREN ARE KILLED BEFORE THEY ARE BORN (ABORTED)
• 40 million children ARE ___________each year
• It used to be against the law to____________ but now it isn’t.
• 1 billion children in the world have been______________ now that it is not against the law.

After the kids have found the clues:

ASK: Do you know that Jesus loves you and all the children of the world? Do you know that Jesus weeps at all the suffering that they are going through? Do You know that millions of them don’t even know about Jesus?

ASK: What is Jesus doing in heaven right now? (He is interceeding for us and for the people of the world)
Shall we join Him in praying for the children that are hurting like we talked about? It can be overwhelming all the needs around the world. Now God doesn’t expect you to pray for everything, that would be way too much. So look over the list and ask God to highlight one of the needs and then ask Him what it is that YOU should be praying about. Then obey and do it.