Looking forward to a great weekend.

Here is what is on the agenda:

1.  Grace Point Golf Outing–Saturday, September 19th. We are playing at Delaware Golf Club.  I am excited about our team:

• Me
• Bud Kalbaugh (one of Isaac’s baseball coaches)
• Jay Coane
• ???  (I had another one of Isaac’s baseball coaches but he is sick)

I am simply looking forward to hanging out with these guys and perhaps meeting new people at the outing.

2.  EPIC Couch Races–Sunday, September 20th from 4:30 to 7:30 pm.  We have teams of four students who have worked over the past month putting together some amazing couch racers.  I am looking forward to this crazy event.  Anyone who wants to join in on watching is encouraged to show up.  I may even put you in as a judge!

3.  Vacation.  Alright–it is actually next weekend, but I am SO looking forward to it.  Anna and I are sending the kids to Indiana with my mom and dad and we are heading to Amish Country here in Ohio.  We have an awesome cottage we are staying in and I am looking forward to just relaxing and getting away with Anna.  It has been a rough couple of weeks so this in much needed!

Hoping your week-end is as enjoyable as mine!

Below is the teaching outline for week three in our Fight Club series.  Thanks to Rob Laughlin and Brad Clark for teaching.

THE GOOD FIGHT (3): BEHIND ENEMY LINES

Bottom Line: My relationship with my parents is up to me.

TEACHING OUTLINE

INTRO:

When we look back on our lives we have good memories and we have bad memories.

In everything we do, all day long, we are in the process of creating good memories or bad ones.

TENSION:

Someday we will live outside of our parents’ home, and we will remember the time we spent there. Our memories will either be good or bad.

The way we live while we are under our parents’ roof will determine the remaining 75 percent of our life. Will it be a springboard to bigger and better things, or will it be an obstacle we have to work to overcome?

TRUTH:

2 Samuel 13-15; 18

David’s oldest son Amnon raped his half-sister Tamar. Absalom, Tamar’s brother, murdered Amnon and escaped from the city. Absalom then rallied support and returned to the city to challenge his father for kingship.

Even though Absalom murdered his brother and was coming after David with an army, David pleaded for his soldiers to spare Absalom. David did not want any harm to come to his son. When an accident occurred and Absalom died, David mourned for his son.

APPLICATION:

You have tremendous power over the heart of your parents. What are you going to do with that power?

Your relationship with your parents is up to you. You will choose to honor or not honor your parents, and you will see the effects of your choice.

LANDING:

What do you need to do to take the initiative in a relationship with your parents?

What are their interests, and how can you share in things that are special to them? What are the things that are holding you back from pursuing relationship with your parents?

Below is our teaching outline for the second week in our series, the Fight Club.

THE FIGHT CLUB (2): Surveillance

Bottom Line: Relationship=putting position over perspective.

TEACHING OUTLINE

INTRO:

What is the dumbest fight you’ve ever been in?

Haven’t we all gotten worked up over something that really didn’t matter?

TENSION:

Every conflict is about perspective.

We fight with our parents because we interpret words and events differently than they do.

We want to have things “my way” not “your way.”

TRUTH:

The Old Testament closes with instructions about the coming day of the Lord. God instructs His people about how they should live as they prepare for this day. He reminds them to follow the commandments He gave to Moses and also tells them that Elijah will return to set things right before that day.

“He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse” (Malachi 4:6 NIV).

The New Testament opens with the gospel accounts of the life of Jesus. However, before the famous Christmas story about Mary and Joseph, another baby is born. His name is John and he is a miracle baby too. When an angel comes to tell Zechariah that his wife will give birth to John, the angel tells Zechariah how John will prepare the way for Jesus.

“He will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous–to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17 NIV).

The end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament emphasize one thing–the relationship children have with their parents. God wants us to have a good relationship with our parents.

APPLICATION:

In order to turn your heart toward your parents and have a good relationship you will have to change the fight. Stop fighting against “their way” and start fighting for a relationship.

Fighting for relationship might mean surrendering your right to be right.

When you have no relationship, you will rebel. Rules without relationship equals rebellion.

LANDING:

What does your relationship with your parents look like? Do you have a relationship? Are you honoring them? Are you rebelling against rules? If so, the reason is not because they’re wrong; it is because you have no relationship.