HomeFront Monthly Knowing by Christ Community Church

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Illustration by Anne Berry

God knows me, and I can know Him!

HOMEFRONT | ENVIRONMENT | KNOWING

ENVIRONMENT

FAMILY FOOD TIME p. 4 & 5 GAME TIME p. 6 GOD’S WORD p. 8 PRAYER p. 9 WORSHIP p. 11 BLESSING p. 12

How 1 to 2 Use 3

It’s as easy as 1 ... 2 ... 3 ... Start by deciding on a day and time that works well for your entire family. It can be an evening, afternoon, or morning. Just commit to building this time into your family’s natural rhythm. (It’s usually best to build this time around a meal!)

this Resource

HOMEFRONT | ENVIRONMENT | KNOWING

Look through the HomeFront Monthly and see what stands out. Choose one or two experiences that you would like to incorporate into your family times this week. Don’t feel burdened to complete all the activities at once, but carefully select which ones will fit your family best. Each month of curriculum provides more than enough experiences to last you throughout the month.

Remember to have fun! Strive to make each gathering unique to your own family as you enjoy spending time with God and each other.

Editor’s Note

When I hear the word knowing, I usually think about head knowledge and information the stuff I learn from books and school. Do I know the capital of New Jersey? Do I know the quadratic formula? But when I think about knowing God, I realize that truly knowing Him requires far more than information and facts. It requires becoming intimately acquainted with another person. Honestly, it would be a lot easier if knowing God simply required memorizing some verses, catching up on my Old Testament prophets, and making sure I could pick out all the important places on a map of Israel. That type of knowing I can control; I can make it happen. But this relational knowing means I have to surrender to a mystery that I really can’t manage. It means that I have to actually trust that God will make Himself known to me. And it’s probably going to take a lot longer than I’d like it to. If I let myself, I can become pretty overwhelmed and intimidated by it all. Yet I’m reminded that God already knows me. He has pursued me; He created me. He has already done the hard work. My job is simply to open myself up and ask Him to make Himself known to me.

© 2010 David C. Cook. TruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church © 2010 Davidnetwork C. Cook.ofAll rights reserved. and a national family and children’s ministry leaders. All rights reserved.

Getting to know Him is a process. It’s okay if it takes longer than I think it should. This journey is going to take my whole life. In describing this process of getting to know God, Donald Miller says, “I am early in my story, but I believe I will stretch out into eternity. And in heaven I will reflect upon these early days, these days when it seemed God was down a dirt road, walking toward me. Years ago He was a swinging speck in the distance; now He is close enough I can hear His singing. Soon I will see the lines on His face.”

LAURA WEBER | EDITOR the Tru Team | Costa Mesa, CA

ENVIRONMENT

KNOWING Just as the environment of knowing is described, we are living in a world that denies and dismisses that absolute Truth exists. What a tragedy this is. There is an urgency to pass on the Truth of God and His Word to the next generation. In learning this Truth, we are opened up to knowing God Himself and entering into relationship with Him. As we create space that allows for our family to study God’s Word, we will develop a hunger and thirst to know God more.

HOMEFRONT | ENVIRONMENT | KNOWING

Nothing is more important in our spiritual lives than knowing and being known by God. We live in a world that denies absolute Truth and yet God’s Word offers just that. As we create an environment that upholds and displays God’s Truth, we give children a foundation based on knowing God, His Word, and a relationship with Him through Christ. VERSE OF THE MONTH Memorizing Scripture can be an incredible practice to engage in as a family. But words in and of themselves will not necessarily transform us; it is God’s Spirit in these words that transforms. We come to know God more when we are willing to open our hearts and receive His Holy Spirit through the words we memorize. Have fun with these verses and think of creative ways to invite your family to open up to God as they commit these verses to memory. 3

ELEMENTARY versE

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.“ Psalm 23:1–3 Pres/Kinder versE

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” Isaiah 6:3

Michelle Anthony | Families ROCKHARBOR Church | Costa Mesa, CA

by Sarah Markley

Family Food Time Conversation Starters Friendship with God I grew up in Sunday school. I recited Bible verses and stared at posters of the Ten Commandments in tablet form on the walls of my Sunday classroom. Smells of sharpened pencils, old crayons, and dusty closets always make me think of that room.

But knowing God? Actually knowing Him? For me, that came in bursts at ages 14, 20, and 28. I look at my own girls and hope they don’t have to wait that long until they have an intimate knowledge of God and understand that He knows them, too. We often forget that we have been brought into close relationship with the Creator of the universe Himself and that our children, just like we do, can have intimate friendship with God. Tonight at dinner, ask your children to talk to you about their favorite friend. Then share with them that we are friends of God in very similar ways that we have friends at school, on the playground, or at church. Go around the table filling in the sentences below. You go first so they know what to do. • Because God is my friend, together we can __________. (Examples might include go to school, ride the bus together.) • Because God is my friend, I can talk to Him about __________. (Possibly getting my feelings hurt, feeling scared.) • Because I am a friend of God, I should ___________. (Examples might include listen to Him, help Him.)

To get the discussion going, prompt your children with questions: What kinds of things do you do with your friends? You can invite God to come along with you during those same things. What kinds of things do you share with your friends? You can talk to God about the same things. How should you treat your friends? You can treat God the same way.

HOMEFRONT | ENVIRONMENT | KNOWING

I knew a lot about God and the Bible: that Moses parted the Red Sea, King David was a shepherd, and that Jesus cast out demons.

Let’s try to introduce our kids to intimate friendship with God and show them how it can be a part of our daily lives.

Recipe

As fall begins and the busyness of a new school year sets in, I thought a quick and kid-friendly recipe might be fun. Since everyone likes different types of pizza, the toppings can be tailored to your family’s tastes. If you want to include the kids in the prep, they can help chop ingredients, spray the pan, press the dough into the muffin cups, and top their own pizzas. Serve with a fresh green salad or fruit.

HOMEFRONT | ENVIRONMENT | KNOWING

by Kathy Swogger

Family Food Time

This simple recipe is quick, easy, and can include a couple extra hands while preparing. So take that time, and tell them a great story.

Mini Deep-Dish Pizzas

(SERVES 6)

Prep Time: 30 min. Overall Cook Time: 20 min. 1 can refrigerated tube biscuits cooking spray, for the muffin tin 2 tablespoons olive oil ¼ pound Italian sausage 1 small onion, chopped ½ package presliced pepperoni 1 small can diced olives 1 cup tomato sauce 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded Preparation: Preheat oven to 400°F. Open up biscuit can and separate individual biscuits. Press them into the cups of a sprayed muffin tin, pushing in on the corners and making sure they go all the way up the sides. Place in the oven and bake until golden brown, about 8–10 minutes. While the biscuits are baking, place a medium skillet over medium-high heat with about 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the sausage and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add in the onions and cook until tender, about 4–5 minutes. Add the pepperoni and olives and mix till warmed through. Take muffin tin out of the oven and fill each pizza crust with sauce, sausage-onion-pepperoni-olive mixture, and a sprinkle of cheese. Place under the broiler until light brown and bubbling.

by Angelina Pavone

GAME TIME YOUNGER KIDS Tub Time

by Rae Lynn Lott

HOMEFRONT | ENVIRONMENT | KNOWING

Make tub time a great time to have fun and talk about God with your kids instead of just something to check off the nightly list. Get some tub crayons and write a letter on the wall of the bathtub. Point at the letter and ask your child, “What is something God made that starts with this letter?” Once she thinks of something, write a new letter and ask her again. Continue to write new letters until your child can no longer think of something that starts with that letter.

GAME TIME

OLDER KIDS

Sharing Collages A professor in college asked us to make collages that described who we knew God to be, using magazine cutouts, pictures, and art. I found it to be one of the most fun homework assignments ever, and loved finding just the right picture and word to describe the God I had come to know and love. When we turned in our collage, we each got to describe who God is by showing off our beautiful artwork. I was amazed at the many different ways people described God. The different experiences of each person revealed characteristics of God that others might not have thought of. I walked away feeling like I knew God better.

Whether you have younger or older kids, this project can be a great way for your family to get to know God and each other better. Grab a stack of magazines, markers, and pens, and sit around the kitchen table, talking while you work. When everyone is done, each person can take a turn sharing his artwork, and maybe even sharing a story about how he came to know these parts of God. Once everyone has shared, spend some time reflecting on how each person’s experiences have helped him to know God more. Share anything new that you realized about God as you looked at the collages.

by Kit Rae

Storytelling Three months ago, I met a God I had never known.

I called myself a Christian; I was a follower of Christ and loved God. I told my friends about God and brought them to church. The funny thing about all of this is that I still didn’t know how to have a relationship with God. I loved God, I read the Bible, I served Him with my life, but I didn’t have the kind of relationship with Him that I wanted. I wanted to hear God’s voice. I wanted Him to help me in my day-today life. But I had no idea how to get there. I was left asking, “How can I do this? What would it even look like?” As I asked these questions and wondered what it would look like to have a better relationship with God, I simply started to pray. I talked to God; I told Him many things; I told Him when I was mad, angry, or happy. I asked for some things and I prayed for others. One day, I was telling a friend about what I had been praying about and he said to me, “Kit, do you ever listen to God?” Listen to God? In all my years going to church and growing up a Christian, I had never thought about listening to God. What would it look like to listen to God? What would His voice sound like? How could I know it was Him and not just my own thoughts in my head? In any good relationship, you need to do two things: talk and listen. I began to notice that I was very lopsided in my relationship with God. This new idea of listening sent me on a journey. It wasn’t easy. Most of the time it was very hard to simply listen, but what I began to notice was, little by little, I began to hear God’s voice.

He spoke when I read the Bible. I heard Him as I sat in silence. He spoke to me through His creation. What I then began to notice was that God is always trying to get our attention. He desires relationship with us and can use anything to get it. God loves to speak to His people. God loves to speak to His kids. I’m one of those kids. In the midst of this process, I went on a threeweek solitude retreat. It was intended to be a time to simply be with God, a time to listen, and to be open to how God might want to work in my life. What I found was incredible. I found that as the weeks went on and distractions became less and less, I could hear God more and more. God was real, and He wanted to meet with me. Those three weeks in solitude introduced me to a God who I had never known before. I met a God who is incredibly big. I met a God who loves me extravagantly. I met a God who is kind and merciful. I met a God who is in control. I met a God who is concerned with the little things in my life. I met a God who I can be in relationship with, and a God who wants to be in relationship with me.

HOMEFRONT | ENVIRONMENT | KNOWING

was born into a Christian family, went to church every week, and grew to know and love the church. It was fun, we played great games, and heard incredible stories about how God worked in people’s lives. We heard about David and Goliath, about Daniel and the lions’ den, Peter walking on water, and even a story about a talking donkey. I knew all the stories. I knew that God did miracles. I knew that God loved me, and I knew that God died on the cross for me.

In this month’s passage (2 Timothy 3:14–17), Paul tells us the uses for Scripture in our lives and confirms its validity. He writes to Timothy and says, “From infancy you have known the holy Scriptures.” I resonate with that sentence as I, like Timothy, was raised hearing Scripture taught every weekend as I listened to my father preach. However, as my wife and I approach the finish line of reading The One Year Bible together, we realize just how much we have discovered for the first time. This happened to us a few months back when we came across this passage: “Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet” (2 Kings 13:21).

This month, set a challenge for your family. Instead of committing to reading the entire Bible, choose one book to read through together. Don’t panic just yet, there are some short books to tackle. This can easily be done at family mealtime or consider getting up just a bit earlier each day and read for 10 minutes. It can be done. At the beginning of the month, decide together which book you will read. Make sure you rotate the reader in your family at each gathering. Start each time together by having a family member read this month’s passage. After you have read the Timothy passage, have someone pray that God would reveal new and exciting things to your family as you read. Then, dive in and read some of the book of the Bible that you have decided on.

“Did I read that right?”

It’s exciting to come across a specific passage and literally stop midsentence and say to one another, “Did I read that right?” Our excitement in reading something so unbelievable and the realization that it actually happened compelled us to tell everyone around us. We were amazed: “A man came back to life simply by touching Elisha’s bones! Can you believe it?!” We were frantic to tell others: “I don’t think you heard me right. Elisha was dead; it was just his bones, and a man came back to life simply by bumping into them!” Newfound knowledge cannot be contained. Even as we teach sections of The Big God Story in our weekend celebration services at church, I (along with our teams) am amazed all over again at the realization that the characters, situations, and outcomes are real.

The realization that this is a nonfiction book is never more amazing than when you come across a passage describing something unimaginable: the parting of the Red Sea; the defeat of a giant by a boy with a sling; a man living inside a huge fish?! And let’s not forget the many miracles and the promise fulfilled through the coming and sacrifice of Jesus. The most amazing part of it all is that I (we) have a place in this story. That knowledge is life changing and compels us to continue to participate in God’s story today.

HOMEFRONT | ENVIRONMENT | KNOWING

by Tommy Larson

GOD’S WORD

2 Timothy 3:16 reminds us that God has breathed life into all of Scripture. How exciting to hear that not only do we worship a living God, but we read a living Word! For prayer this month, we would have you wonder: hat life has God breathed into Scripture for W your family? hat Truth does He have in the Word for your W children? aybe it’s a word of encouragement, M correction, or direction. aybe it’s a promise He wants to speak over M your family, kids, or marriage. aybe it’s a Truth about Him that your heart M needs to be reminded of. This month, try using one of your family nights to prayerfully read Scripture together. Try doing the following exercise as a way of opening your family up to hearing from God through a specific passage of Scripture. Choose a passage to read. This can be anything you want to read as a family. If you aren’t sure where to start, choose part of a Psalm or several verses from one of the gospels. Gather your family together and begin your time together by praying and asking the Lord to reveal Himself to each of you in the words you are about to hear. Read the passage out loud. Afterward (you may need to adjust this time depending on how old your children are), tell everyone to simply sit and offer their time and their thoughts to the Lord. Then sit in silence for 30–60 seconds. After the silence, read the passage through a second time. This time, tell everyone to listen for a word or a phrase that sticks out as you read. Invite everyone to share the word or phrase that stuck out. Don’t expand on that or share anything else, just share the word. Then, read the passage one more time. Sit in silence for about a minute again. This time instruct everyone to ask God why He had that specific word or phrase stick out. Spend time asking Him what He might be trying to say to you.

Now invite everyone to take turns sharing what they think God might be trying to say to them through this passage. It’s okay to share your thoughts, even if you are not certain it is from God. Remind your children that God does want to talk to them, and that it is okay to share whatever it is they are thinking. This might feel uncomfortable or weird to them, and that is okay.

HOMEFRONT | ENVIRONMENT | KNOWING

by Laura Weber & Jaque Becwar

PRAYER

Close your time by praying together and thanking God for giving you His Spirit to breathe life into Scripture. Thank Him for speaking to each of you.

Declare the words that everyone heard in the passage, and pray them as truths over each of your individual lives.

There aren’t many things we can claim as absolute Truth anymore. However, God and His Word are exactly that! The reality is that coming to understand God’s Truth helps us to know Him better. If we don’t acknowledge and respond to these truths, then our relationship with Him isn’t really growing.

Marriage is God’s idea and He knows best how to make it work. I am convinced that if we were to live out our marriages according to the precepts that Scripture teaches, we would have marriages that not only bless us, but that would leave a legacy long after we are gone.

Lately, I’ve been noticing that there are a lot of truths about God that I’ve never taken the time to really think about, appreciate, or praise Him for. What would it look like to do this regularly? What if we made celebrating Truth a tradition in our families?

Here are just some of the precepts from Scripture. When applied to marriages, these will bless our children and us:

Here’s the plan: Create a place where your family can post truths about God. Maybe it’s posting index cards on the fridge with magnets or maybe it’s writing on a whiteboard in your kitchen. In any case, at your next Family Time, start a tradition of posting the facts that you learn about God as you discover them. These can be in the form of pictures, drawings, written descriptions, or even verses that describe that truth. Family members can add more throughout the week as they encounter God at church, in school, in nature, or just in life. Each month, take the time as a family to look at the various truths that have been posted and allow the members of your family to tell the stories of how the truths were discovered! Talk to your family about how these truths allow us to know God more deeply.

• Love hardly notices when others do wrong. 1 Corinthians 13:5 • Forgive as the Lord has forgiven you. Colossians 3:13 • Submit to one another. Ephesians 5:21 • Love others as Christ has loved you. John 13:34 • Control your anger. Proverbs 20:3 • Be patient. 1 Corinthians 13:4 • One seems right until we hear the other person’s story. Proverbs 18:17 • Complacency can kill your marriage. Proverbs 1:32 • You’re not really fighting each other. Ephesians 6:12 Spend some time this month reading these precepts with your spouse and with your children. Give everyone a chance to share where they have experienced the Truth of these words in the life of your family. Pray that God would increase in all of you the capacity to follow Him and His perfect design for marriage and family.

HOMEFRONT | ENVIRONMENT | KNOWING

Marriage

by Roger Tarabasi

by Matt Barnes

Traditions

I am a worrier. It’s not a quality I’m excited about. In fact, it’s one of those qualities that was passed down to me by my family. Without even trying, I can get myself caught up in a web of worry that will keep me awake at night or even launch me into an unnecessary crying session. (Can anyone relate to that, or is it just me?) It takes a lot of effort to keep from going down the path of worry, as it comes to me so easily and naturally. At some point in my college years, I had a huge “aha” moment as I learned a very effective tool to combat my worry habits. As I am also a “list” person, this worked perfectly for me! Each and every time I started to worry, I began listing off things that I know to be true about God. Sometimes I wrote it down, sometimes I listed it off in my head, and sometimes I said it out loud as I drove in my car. God is creator, God is love, God is faithful, God is provider, God is everywhere, God is all-powerful … and so much more. I just kept listing things I knew to be true about God until my worry dissipated. Before I knew it, God, not my worry, was at the center of my thoughts. And the more I meditated on these truths, the more I came to actually know God Himself. It is in that relationship with Him that I find peace and relief from my stress and worry. Over the years, this has turned into a form of worship for me. My anxiety has continued to ease as I’ve learned to combat worry with truths about God. When my heart is turned toward God and His attributes, my worries suddenly seem small, and that’s a huge reason to worship Him.

his month, consider using your family night T to stop and list off things you know to be true about God. 1. Invite your family members to share some of the things that are worrying them right now. After everyone has shared, spend a few minutes inviting God into those areas of worry. 2. Next, spend some time listing what each of you knows to be true about God. You may choose to write them out individually on sticky notes or brainstorm together on one giant piece of paper. Whatever you do, take the time as a family to list as many attributes of God as you can think of. 3. When you are done with your list of who God is, stop and reflect on what was written. Look at how big God is, how great He is, and how powerful He is. Remind your family that this big, great, powerful God is who we have a personal relationship with. 4. Take time to pray and talk to God about the things He has revealed about Himself to each of you during this time. Pray that as you let these truths of God sink into you, you will find that you know God more deeply than ever.

HOMEFRONT | ENVIRONMENT | KNOWING

by Stacy Igarashi

Worship

There is something incredibly safe and comforting about relationships where we are completely known, and still completely loved. As parents, you have the amazing opportunity to learn who your children are, inside and out, and show them that you accept and love them fully. More than that though, you have the chance to point them to a heavenly Father who knows everything about them, who created them, and still loves them deeply and extravagantly. They are able to know and love a Jesus who knew and loved them first. Use this month’s blessing as a way to remind your children that God knows them fully. Pray that, as they become more and more aware of who created them, they will feel

the freedom and the safety to chase after this person who already knows all the details of their hearts. Each month, you will see a different blessing in HomeFront Monthly. This will be your blessing for the entire month. Use this blessing, or consider praying and asking God to direct you to a specific blessing for each of your children. Take the time to speak this blessing into the lives of your children at different times throughout the month. You can do this on the way to school, before bed, or while you eat as a family. Just make sure that you have your children’s attention. Look them in their eyes and pray the blessing over them. Affirm your love for them by placing a hand on their shoulder or holding their hands. Remember, God’s Spirit is at work; He will bless and care for the growing and tender hearts of your children.

HOMEFRONT | ENVIRONMENT | KNOWING

by Laura Weber

Blessing

“O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me … For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:1–5, 13–14 d

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I felt aitalized es that had felt at times, holin restored relationship that what tions children use story Big they just d with God His genu Father. Thus, ted to hopeless. Tell them n you ed. I beca The thestory.The heard is a part hosp little to avoi s, t we are Whe any ques My daughter that a messing up, s-ups for is his Bigof of God and I nal piec r e I wan tice thriv anything ushered abou in the Bible haveinto t God’s a part God Story your r Here family graphing datio had grad orde mes prac little le in ardy storm and that they d iswill hear more they neve common the us into ifa faith t in that to those e sixth one, my andfoun or aboujust hear will hear it in church Scripture: Genesis to hand she —no foolh the mostly this weekend. stretches around phcommunity but 17, 21:1-7 redeem Sinc them that ble kept ened day to was Close ind herself. Jose like time I the they me they your by praying globe. We loos a challenge from so, ed in it It was just thanking (Abraham and Isaac) have world—a . Rem that age and sisters from brothers And lives and God for keeping continually Even Sintothriv pass ded trust tothatallow y and weekend of the His their every tribe emed promises. Stornation. and Main Point: God Has The Power to do All That God was al. family, our family, em on top e my way. deceit. working d corro He rede ch thisThis E t—an andindeni her life. has the God cam with lfish He to rede just like chur unique hear , in Promises that opportunity ing RS to gled ect walk it , my se alongside ph, it strug es of one another in is work d Jose solid s of negl My daughter R VE t of and ared and is now 28 years God true worship of God Almighty. This resource nce ris designed to allow your family to BE old, en plac t in area appe We can live in redeeme lives on the hidd lessother side tice l—lef ou havecotime de He such a way that the world in God’s Word before your children of the MEM country will desire to be in nsi my prac beco and ming like meta our ey relationship is RE ing you. in relationship with our God— the weekend service. Because God’s years was mon strongerhthan va attend The El Shaddai. co for my ever For 20 rneath I with it’s ot or plan parents to be the spiritual nurturers of ssedbeen. I’m not sure nwhy ty is an u unde made obse me wait o tiGod on ilitheir s but untable yofaith, we know that as you grow Church “Dllment m thchildren’s acco and more promise, e. Yearshly for the fulfi ARBOR biof this of children less imag foolibut to will grow spiritually as well. ROCKH d. er chyour hu ttspiritually, I do know that more hip with Reserve the waiting am ly t also Right and status and ly and which I partners t in be ed in leaders. All . are develop with ministry recklesstion in no more © 2010 s. Ea ot on s, bu ers.“ bu ers urces David C’sCook. TruResources r children ks and aand national TruReso are developed n ve network of family of living a situaand cove in partnership chec h st and children’s C Cook. of family with ROCKHARBOR ministry leaders. ng; David network ed oth rsel look Church All Right Reserved. l against © 2010 caus scramble ped ringi nationa u ld tere of ot filed and a g the yo could e stop were losin n in rests IV) phon uits ou laws of this I was wife. The ow sh r t ced; te 4 (N and boun the mids my precious u practice t. No of yo the in s 2:3– me. In trust my own was intac nning and er s in pian love to begi year to neith , was ilip 20 place After of marriage my wife Ph one God s me, knew me!” 25 year wanted I only nge day. and ts me that clien ise me, to God, “Cha rescued to despcried out and I d me turn. hear Himself

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