The end of VBS week one summer 2013

Day 3 VBS: The peak of attendance at 34 kids

 Thursday we had a nice large, ever growing group of Shania and R.J., Tabi, Mateo and Payden and Will and Diamond plus of course my two biggest fans Anthony and Jayna along with me.  It rained like C-R-A-Z-Y allllll day long.  It continued allll night long!  Add the horrible weather to the fact, as I mentioned this was/is a small church.  about HALF of the VBS attendees were brought by me (9 of us!), True Story. 
They learned the story of Zacchaeus- Our obedience is evidence of God's transforming power in us. 
^{Luke 19:10} For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
By Friday we were able to add two more guests to our tally!  Shania's cousins Leah and Tyler came too and that required my parents to help with the transporting!
They learned about Saul of Tarsus- God's message of salvation should be shared with everyone.
^{Acts 9:8} Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.
 That brought our weekly visitor totals to 9 and our total group was 12 total! 

The kids practicing for VBS graduation and performing Sunday morning

The kids loved it.  They enjoyed the smaller size and more focused attention that you don't get at a big church.  There was no fancy light show and giant band or big screen tvs.  There was no gigantic scenic display on every wall, in every corner.  But do you realize what there was?  There was the love of Christ. They were so loving towards all the kids  even when they were less than perfectly behaved.  They were accepting.  Even when the attendance doubled and they were likely overwhelmed, they rearranged workers and made it work.  They were able to have a larger age group 2-16 plus adults too and that allows to reach more in the community.  I wish more VBS's were more like this.  Kill some of the fanciness and add a larger age range with all the love of Christ.

Night 5 of the kiddos I brought to VBS, minus Payden and R.J.

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The adult Lessons:

Thursday:
The Trial of Paul- He was in prison for a crime he was innocent of.  Like Christ they couldn't find fault in Paul under the law.  Paul was in prison more than 2 years by Felix.  Felix put off accepting Christ.  Paul's desire was to take God's word to cities who hadn't yet heard it. So many of the people Paul told couldn't understand the spiritual side of Jesus. They couldn't embrace the extra-ordinary that is Jesus.
The Jews wanted to have judgement and peace from their enemies.  They were being ruled by the Romans.  Being a Christian in the New Testament was very difficult and full of persecussion.
All Paul went through- ship wreck, poison snake bite, stoned, imprisoned, he still said in whatever state he was in he had all he needed through Christ.
Everyone looks for contentment.  Instead you need to look for more, to do more and better spiritually.  However, we also need to ask Christ for contentment.  We don't need THINGS, the newer bigger better THINGS of this world.  If you have have Christ you have everything.
God's thoughts are way higher standards than ours and he has our best interest at mind.  The word of God pierces at the heart. 
Even while being beaten Paul tried to win his attackers souls to Christ. 
Temporary gain often means eternal loss.  Paul's temporary loss equaled eternal gain.
We were made to worship Him and to follow Him.

Friday:
My Day in Court- God is a just judges.  If we got what we deserved, we wouldn't be here.

^{Deuteronomy 16:19} Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent

^{Psalms 50:6} And the heavens proclaim his righteousness,
    for he is a God of justice.

We live in a fallen world where sin has made it a mess.  God ensures justice is upheld.  Once a Christian you have been pardoned and forgiven through His blood.  

^{1 John 1:8} If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. 

There's no condemnation for those justified through Christ.  God doesn't ignore sin.  He became sin for us to have eternal life.  If you've stood before the judge by obeying and believing you have been declared innocent.  Repent, turn to God and bring forth the proof of the change in your life.  There should be a change in you, evidence that God is within you.

^{Romans 8:9} You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life^[d] because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of^[e] his Spirit who lives in you.
¹² Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. ¹³ For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
^{John 4:4} You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.