Idol Lies for Tweens - Week Two

Again we all stayed in a big group together and opened with prayer and the video for week two. Then we separated into groups. 

We opened this week by checking in to see if the homework assignment was completed. I asked them to pay attention to a time they were anxious or irritated this past week then remember the core idols we talked about. How those feelings were indication that a functional savior was trying to rise up in their circumstances.

We reviewed last weeks key deep rooted idols and how other behaviors are just symptoms of what is going on deeper in their hearts. Then we reviewed how we need to cry out to God as the one who meets those needs.

We reviewed two key Scriptures from last week.

We talked about some practical examples this week of things that are good in our lives. We discussed how God is the giver of all good gifts (James 1:17). That does not make them bad but there is a fine line between making  a good thing in our life our everything. The girls gave some examples.

I asked, "is there something in your life where you would think, I would just die if............."

This seemed to stir some thought processes in their minds and they could relate. We spoke more about a fine line you can cross when you have a good thing you can be thankful for and actually worshiping it.

We reviewed this Scripture from the past weeks adult homework.
Ezekiel 14:1-8
We discussed how God's people were caught in this trap of making idols in their hearts. Even leaders of God's people. We talked about how we all fall into this. Then I pointed out v. 6 and asked what God tells us to do? It was repent, turn away from sins and stop doing it.

It is here we discussed that Jesus died for all of our sins so when we discover we have run to an idol yet again we must immediately run to Him. He forgives us and will empower us to turn the other way. By His Spirit He will help us to stop and keep from doing it as we seek His help.

I pointed out to them that in any temptation to sin God provides a door out (1 Corinthians 10:13). Always look for the door.

Practically I introduced a way of doing this. I call it the S.P.A. Method.
S-Stop
P-Pray
A-Act

When you start to feel that irritation, annoyance in your body you know those are warning signs. As soon as you recognize it. STOP! Then take a moment to PRAY to God asking Him to direct you according to His word. We discussed the importance of knowing His word so we know the right way to walk. Then when we are refocused on Him and His ways we ACT.

We discussed a few practical examples that we can do this through the week and looked at some from the past week and thought of how practicing this could have helped.

Homework for this week is to practice the S.P.A. method and report a situation from the week.

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Week One - Joy in Christ! Philippians for Tweens. Summer Bible Study

First I am so glad you have chosen to join me and my girls in this study for tweens! I am praying it will bring forth much fruit. That we will grow in the gospel of grace together. That our children will desire God’s word above all things. That they learn to cling to Him continually knowing what He did for us brings great joy.

If you would like me to send this to you weekly in a document form so you can print it out easier send me your email address at angela @ refreshmysoul.com otherwise I will post here each day’s home work on Sunday or Monday of each week. Leave comments as you feel led I would love to hear.

So let’s dig right in!

Introduction/Monday
The book of Philippians is a letter written from Paul, (an amazing man of God who wrote most of the New Testament) to a group of believers that he dearly loves. These people have been amazing as well toward him. They had been supporters of Paul for a long time. Paul was the man who formed the church in the location of Philippi probably about 11 years earlier. This group of people formed the first church on the continent of Europe.

 Photo credit to saintjameskids.blogspot.com

When Paul writes this letter we now him as an older man who is living in prison. His crime is preaching the gospel of Jesus. He has done nothing wrong. Prison cells at this time were not like they are today. They were carved in the ground or made with stone which gets really hot or really cold depending on the climate. Since he older now, his body probably hurts in these conditions. He has been beaten many times by enemies for preaching the gospel; he has had a really hard life. He has much to be sad about or even complain about yet we see he does not. I admire this about him. We will be exploring why he was like this as we read the letter. Here is a picture of an entrance to a prison cell in his time. Many Scholars have differing opinions about this particular imprisonment so this could have also been a time Paul was on house arrest. We cannot be completely sure but the principles still remain the same.

Photo credit to historylink101.com

The time frame of history features a horribly cruel leader of the romans who persecuted Christians greatly. His name was Nero. As Paul was in this prison he was most likely awaiting his trial in Rome which could end in the death penalty. He has all the reason to be anxious or worried about himself yet we see this man selflessly concerned about his friends instead. This is remarkable. We will see also how we too can be like Paul when we are tempted to worry.

Read this then answer the questions below.
1-Circle Holy Spirit and Spirit of Jesus
2-Underline each place mentioned

Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia,but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there. So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas.

That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there. Acts 16:6-10

1-Why could Paul not go to Asia?
2-Why did Paul go to Macedonia?
Macedonia is where Philippi is located. I think this is so important for you to take notice of. God moved Paul to Philippi to establish this church by sharing the good news of the gospel. This is how his relationship with these people started.

Think About It.
Do you have any friends you know that God placed in your life for a significant purpose or reason? If yes, do you value those friendships? If no, ask God to do that for you. Do you share the gospel with those friends?

Just so we are clear, the gospel, is the good news that because we are sinners by birth, Jesus came and lived the perfect life we could not live then died as the perfect sacrifice once and all for all of our sins then three days later rose from the dead defeating all death and sin. So if you believe what Jesus did for you, God sees you as if you lived that perfect life Jesus lived. Pretty amazing news right? Good enough to share! And news we need to remind ourselves of everyday especially when we mess up. God does not see the failure, He sees perfection in Christ. Now that is grace!
Great work today! It was a lot to take in for day one. Keep it up!

Tuesday

Today let’s look at the first two verses of this letter.

“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons^: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:1-2, NIV).

Paul is with his friend Timothy. Timothy is a younger friend who is helping Paul. Paul is a father like figure to Timothy.

How do you identify yourself when you introduce yourself to someone else?

Paul introduces them in this letter as servants of Jesus. In fact this word can actually be slave. Is this a prestigious title? Hi my name is Angela and I am a slave? But Paul takes pride in this title. It is of great joy he is a servant of Christ even after all the hardships he has faced. I love his faith, don’t you?

He is writing to all the believers in this city of Philippi. He is also including the leaders of the church. It is good that we give them special recognition for serving us while they do God’s work.

Do you ever think about this? Do you ever thank your pastor for his hard work of service?

Then they open this letter as a standard greeting of the times. It is going to them in grace and peace that comes from God. He is the only one who can give us ultimate grace and peace.

Think About It
Nero was an evil emperor who hated Christians. At the time he wrote down many things. So did the apostle Paul. Now looking ahead to our day what writings remain? Tons of Bibles are all around us that include Paul’s letters. Did you know none of Nero’s writings survived? God is in control despite the circumstances. His word is true and unending. It will remain.

This was a shorter day but good work! Keep up the good work of studying His word! It is what is useful for us in all things.

Wednesday
Read the following passage and take note of what Paul is thankful for.

^“Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:3-8).

1-Is there someone that you can give thanks to God for every time you think of them?
2-Are you the type of person that people can be thankful for when they think of you?

3-How have these people been partners with Paul? (in the 2^nd sentence)
These friends in Philippi were faithful in sharing the gospel with others. Paul is encouraged to hear and see this. He is genuinely thankful for them. He is certain of something too. What is he certain of? Find that word certain and write down what he is certain of.

Paul was convinced that God who began a good work in them would bring it to full completion. Do you feel this way about others in your own life? When you look at them now they are not perfect but God has begun a work in their lives. In this view can you trust God to bring it fully to completion? There are some people it is easier for me to see this in than others.

However, in your home especially with your brothers and sisters, consider that God created them in His image. He will finish the good work in them He started. It is His promise. We must trust it. Or even if you are frustrated with yourself for not being as close to God as you like, trust God is working in you and will finish His work in your life. We can trust Him in this and His promises.

Paul has a special place in his heart for these friends. They are true friends who do not desert him while he is in prison. They continue to remain concerned and care for him even though this could be embarrassing. They are true friends.

Think About It
1-Do you have friends like Paul has here? If you did something embarrassing would they still remain faithful friends? Faithful friends who love you for you are the best kind. Maybe you could take time today to pray for one of your faithful friends. Maybe you could even take time to write them a card thanking them for their friendship.

2-When you are frustrated with someone but especially a fellow Christian; can you trust that God is working in their life? When you feel this particular frustration remember God is working in them until they are complete just as He is working in you. He is always using all things in our lives to mold and change us more and more into His image.

3-Paul is thinking of others in his time of trial in this prison. This is part of the secret of his ability to have joy in these hard circumstances. Think about how often you think of others vs. thinking of yourself today. Just take note of it. We will discuss it more later.

Thursday
Read this next section of Paul’s letter. It is a prayer.

“I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.  May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God” (Philippians 1:9-11).

This is a great prayer to pray for anyone you know! Why don’t you take time to memorize it today? A tip to make this easier is to read it 7 times. Slowly read and let it sink in. Then try to say it line by line until you got it. Next try to write it without looking several times. This is hiding God’s word in your heart and is a good practice. This is all you need to do today.

Friday
Did you try to memorize yesterday? How did you do?
Reread the passage Philippians 1:9-11.
In the first sentence what does Paul pray about their love?
Then what does he pray about them growing?
Next what does he want them to understand?
Why does he want them to understand this?
What does he want them to be filled with always?
Why?

This is a beautiful prayer. Since you are working on memorizing it why not pray it for your friends? God hears our prayers. He is true to His promises so praying Scripture is a great way to pray. 

Think About It
1-Are people drawn to Jesus by others when they are loving or condemning? Why?
2-Have you seen an example of this?
3-Do you use a benefit to memorizing Scriptures? Why or why not?
Take time to pray this Scripture for your friends.
4-Do you make it your goal to bring glory to God or yourself? The prayer Paul is praying for these friends is a prayer for God’s glory.

Great job this week! Keep it up! His word is so important to hold in your heart.

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Idol Lies for Tweens Study Chapter One

First I have to say to every woman who visits here, Idol Lies is a great book to study and work through. It is life changing and I highly recommend it! We are doing this study together in my church. We have chosen to split the tween girls and put them in their own group because of the sensitivity of some of this material. These may help you if you decide to do the same thing. Group time is about 30 minutes for us.

For you Concord moms here is what I will be using during discussion time with your daughters.
Chapter One:
1-In the video you saw that cliff and the dark waters below. What did you think about that?
Our hearts can be just like those dark waters. It is hard to know what is under the surface.
Questions can help us identify what is in our hearts.

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
    and desperately wicked.
    Who really knows how bad it is?" Jeremiah 17:9


"Though good advice lies deep within the heart,
    a person with understanding will draw it out." Proverbs 20:5
Here are some ways to discover some of these idol or things we run to instead of running to God.

1-Have you ever been angry or upset and thought if I just eat some candy it will make me feel better?
Or if I have a scoop of ice cream it will make things alright?

If yes this is one of the ways you run to something other than God for comfort.
God is the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3). We were meant to run to Him for this comfort instead of anything else.

2-Have you ever said something mean to make yourself feel better? Or have you ever said something bad about someone else to make yourself look better than them? Have you ever thought I must be the best at this or that?

If yes this is one of the ways you are running to an idol other than God. God gives us our identity so beyond that it does not matter what anyone else thinks (1 Cor. 4:3-4). And in Him we are His children which makes us royalty. That then makes you princesses so you should walk confidently before Him not in arrogance but in confidence that you belong to the most high King. Your identity is in this if you are in Christ. (shared the gospel here. Christ came, died, and rose again for our sin. That is only way we can be identified with Him in this way.)

3-Have you ever wanted something that someone else had? If they would not give it to you have you ever made something else look better so they would leave the thing you wanted? I see this happen with brothers and sisters often and this is called manipulation. When we do this we are not being content with what we have (Philippians 4:11). We are not trusting God to give us all we need or want. 

God is the Ruler of the entire universe. He is the one who owns all things. Cry out to Him and he will help your heart be content. 

Now we have identified root idols, how do we run to God instead of running to these false idols? These false things we run too are not going to help us in the long run. God will help us with them.

We need to learn to know when one of these temptations are rising up and then cry out to God for His help or even ask your mom or dad to help you work through this. If you start to feel anxious, annoyed, or frustrated you are to stop and think about what is really going on. Think about where it is you are not trusting God and cry out to Him to help in this area. 

Homework assigned for the week was to pay attention to these frustrations, annoyances, anxiousness and report back to class what happened.

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Summer Tween Bible Study: Joy in Christ! Philippians for Tweens.

I am so very excited to start this summer series for tweens! The study is broken down into Monday thru Friday sections giving your daughter the chance to practice daily quiet time. The first week's set of lessons will post this Sunday the 16th. Do come back and leave comments or questions if you like. It would be a fun way to connect. If you would rather have a copy sent to you via Word document so you can print it more easily let me know and I will send it to you! Looking forward to doing this together!

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Hi My Name is Angela and I Have a Child with Autism but GRACE

My friend who also has a child with special needs asked me if I was going to sign my child up for dream night which is a special event for families of kids with special needs. I knew about this event and saw it listed earlier but conveniently forgot about it. When it was brought back up to the surface again I was confronted with my heart.

Several times a year I see these events for special needs kids. I think they are great yet I try to forget I have a kid with special needs. There is a problem in my heart with pride. Because outwardly she looks "normal" it is easy to forget she does have special needs until a tantrum occurs or I see her try to spread peanut butter on bread or I see her in social situations or remember we can never again watch a family movie together until some anxieties clear up.  I quietly mourn these things by myself. Maybe I don't want to accept it? Maybe I am faced with my own weakness and I want to be strong here? Maybe I think people just don't care about my grief? I am not sure.

You see I am more than happy to serve special needs kids or support special needs kids but when the grace of service comes to me personally I find it difficult to receive. I find it difficult to accept this gift of service and love toward our family because of our special needs. Families like ours desperately need this gift of grace. We need to know we are loved and not alone. We need to know there are others out there who want to help and love on us. I just need to accept it. I need to receive it.

It is not unlike God's free gift of grace to us. It is too good to be true but it is TRUE! We must simply believe it is ours and receive it by faith. It is so simple yet so profound! God will never turn away one who believes this. And not only is this good news my answer for a secure eternity, it is my answer for here and now as well. When my pride gets in the way of receiving help I run to Him knowing He took my pride on the cross. I confess this to Him and then ask for Him to help me with my unbelief. I remember because of what He has done I am free to be weak. I am free to receive help. I am free to be a family with special needs. I am free to admit my weakness. I am free to admit the ugly thoughts of my heart. Christ took those on the cross on my behalf. He then gave me the identity of all He ever did. That is how I am viewed in God's eyes. It does not matter what anyone else sees not even how I view myself. I am wholly loved. I am wholly accepted. I am free. Period.

This free gift is available to all who believe it. What a Savior!

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Son, You No Longer Need to Eat the Crumbs -- Believe Your New Reality

"It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God," Galatians 6:15-16.


My son often grabs a cookie or piece of candy from the floor among dust and dirt. It is like he has an eye for this treasure. I am thankful he asks me if he can eat it first because as his mom it is my job to tell him that this is not a treasure at all. In fact, it could make him sick since it has been on the ground where disgusting shoes travel that pick up all kinds of germs.

Upon his latest discovery, which makes him so excited, of a cookie on the floor destined for the garbage but I had not yet swept up he asks excitedly, "Can I eat this cookie?" I reply, "No son that one is dirty." He trusts me which is a miracle because in his early years he was deprived of food. I know he had to scavenge for food so floor food was probably indeed a treasure. But not anymore. I am not sure how long it takes one to get over this. It must be believing what his new reality now is instead of remaining in the past.

I took him to the cupboard and opened it up to retrieve a new box of cookies which I gave him a few. I told him these are the good ones and reminded him we don't eat the scraps.

It reminds me of how God our Father must view us. If we are in Him we fully belong to Him. We are part of the royal family with all the rights and privilege that are inherited there. All the promises are ours. We are a new creation yet we continue to settle for crumbs. We don't believe that God the good Father has better for us. We settle for what we knew. We frown at grace because we feel like we are not worth more than crumbs. But this is so far from the truth. He has the delicacies displayed for us to dig into. Can we trust Him for them? Can we believe in faith and not settle for second best?

Lord help me to do this as your blessed princess, fully redeemed and adopted in Christ Jesus.

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Philippians for Tweens -- Joy in Christ. Period.

I have a desire to write these studies to help my daughters love the study of the word as well as help them with the discipline of it. Would you like to join me in piloting this with your tween? Let me know if you would like to join in and maybe our daughters can even find a way to discuss it. I don't know I just love the word and want to help as many as possible love it too. Since I am doing this for my tweens I want to help you too.

Leave a comment or message me if you want in. I will put the study up once a week on Sundays or Mondays. It will give your daughters assigned work to do on their own for their own quiet time. Then if you study it alongside them mom it will give you some things to talk about together. This would be best to aid them in their growth.

Philippians is very relevant to today. Paul is an amazing example of grace, love, and joy despite his difficult circumstances. I am encouraged so much by him and this inspired word of God that we are left with.

You can encourage your daughter to read the book of Philippians as a whole now. It is only four short chapters. Tell her to focus on what stands out to her. Encourage her to write it down. Also tell her to focus on repeated words.

Look forward to doing this together! I will have this ready to go next Sunday or Monday! Sign up to receive posts in your email if you do not want to miss it. Otherwise just come back during that time and check in.

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