ORANGE.  Where Faith and Family intersect.

Activity:  Nature Watch

The other day my son and I were out sitting in the woods.  I know it is cold out side, but with the leaves off the trees, you can see so much more of nature. 

As we entered the woods everything got quiet as the animals scurried toward safety.  It only took 15-20 after we found our spot and sat still before the animals soon reappeared from their safety.  It was amazing to sit there and watch my son’s eyes and see the expression on his face as squirrels and birds came within feet of him.

After we got back into the car, my son was full of questions about God, creation, and nature.  For the entire ride home we talked about how amazing God is to have created all the different things He did.

Application:  Take your student away for 1-2 hours to just sit in nature.  Alum Creek, Delaware State Park or Highbanks are great areas.  Just be still and watch as God’s creation comes alive around you.

Afterwards, find a place to talk.  I prefer on the ride home or better yet in a coffee shop.  Ask the following questions:

1.  What was your favorite thing about sitting in nature?

2.  What surprised you the most?

3.  What does nature say about who God is?  (i.e. creative, powerful, detailed, etc).

4.  What stood out the most from this experience?

Don’t let God moments pass by with out point them out and talking about them with your student.

This past Sunday we continued our series on Heroes and tackled the life of Samson. 

As I reflected on Samson I thought to myself, "is this the kind of person I would want my children to look up to?"  I would definitely have to say "NO" and yet God still used him in incredible way despite all his flaws.

Below is the outline I used for my teaching:

I. THE FLAWS IN HIS CHARACTER

A. He Couldn’t Resist a Girl (14:1-3)

How To Protect Your Place as a Spiritual Champion With Regard to Your Moral Lifestyle:
1. Confess lust as a sin (Matt. 5:27-28; 1 John 1:9).
2. Ask God to help you walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16-26).
3. Think pure thoughts (Phil. 4:8).
4. Stay away from situations that encourage immoral behavior. This includes what we watch on tv and what we listen to on the radio; where we go on the weekends; where we allow our children to go.
5. Think about consequences. Learn from the mistakes of others.

B. He Couldn’t Resist a Joke (14:12-14)

C. He Couldn’t Restrain His Temper

II. THE PLAN OF HIS CREATOR (14:4)

A. God Overruled His Mistakes

B. God Honored His Memory
God honored the memory of Samson by including him in the “Faith Hall of Fame” found in Hebrews 11.

III. CONCLUSION: LESSONS FROM SAMSON’S LIFE

A. What We Feel to Be Our Strengths May Actually Be Our Weaknesses
1 Corinthians 10:12 – “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”
Proverbs 16:18-19 – “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud.”

B. God Uses Us Despite Our Flaws

C. God Forgives Our Sins When We Repent and Confess