The Gospel Project Family Devotion-Week of 1/26-2/1, 2014

Volume 6 Adult/Kids Connections
Unit 18, Session 1: God Called Jeremiah
Jeremiah 1

Christ Connection: Jeremiah challenged the way people lived in Judah and called them to turn away from their idol worship and other sins. Christ did more than challenge how people lived; He called people to turn from their sins, and He provided the way for people to have a relationship with God.

Adult Connection Point: 
“The love that won on the cross and wins the world is a love that is driven, determined, and defined by holiness. It is a love that flows out of the heart of a God who is transcendent, majestic, infinite in righteousness, who loves justice as much as He does mercy; who hates wickedness as much as He loves  goodness … He rules, He reigns, He rages and roars, then bends down to whisper love songs to His creatures … He is a God who triumphs.” 1 —Timothy Stoner 

We think the big deal in the universe is us. This may be horribly offensive to us as humans who think the universe is all about us—but itʼs not. This whole creation is a theater to the only true, good, all-powerful God. He is the big deal in the universe, and everything works to His glory. But no matter how great and mighty God is, He is also loving. Thatʼs why He invites us to know and love Him, to enjoy Him and share in His delight. God is so loving that He even sacrificed His own Son for us so that even after we trampled His glory, He could allow us to know and enjoy Him again. 

1 Timothy J. Stoner, The God Who Smokes: Scandalous Meditations on Faith (Colorado 
Springs: NavPress, 2008), 30.

Family Devotion:
Find pictures of favorite celebrities, sports stars, or heroes. Bring the pictures to your family time or display them on your computer. Ask: “Why do people buy posters, watch movies, or games to see these people? What else do people do to learn more about or get closer to these people?”

If we are not careful, people or things can become idols in our lives. An idol is anything that takes the place of God in our lives. Instead of an idol being made out of wood or metal, our idols can be man-made or man himself. One of the \problems with Godʼs people is that they were often following after idols instead of Him.

Recall Jeremiah 1 and ask, “What did God want Jeremiah to say to the people of Judah?” God used Jeremiah to point out othersʼ sins. He wanted them to stop sinning and turn to God. Jesus not only tells us to turn from our sin, but He provides the way for us to have a relationship with the one, true God.

Remind your kids that because of Jesusʼ death on the cross, we are forgiven by a loving God. He does not pour out His anger on us because it was poured out on the cross. Once we are forgiven, we have a right relationship with God.

Hold a time of confession with your family; then pray, asking God to forgive you. Thank Him for sending Jesus to die on the cross for your sins.

BBC is going to the Newport Aquarium

BBC is taking a church-wide trip to the Newport Aquarium. This is a great way to appreciate God's Creation as we study through Genesis with Pastor Tony Wolfenbarger on Sunday Mornings.

The Newport Aquarium is offering children under 12 free admission with the purchase of an adult ticket. For every 1 adult ticket, we can get in 2 children free! The cost of an adult ticket is $23. (Children 2 and under are free.)

We would love to take as many children as possible. If you are an adult or a family who is not going to use all of your free tickets, please let Elizabeth Horne know so we can take more children with us on this trip.

BBC will purchase our tickets together so we can be guaranteed space at the aquarium.The deadline to sign up is February 16, 2014. There will be sign up in the Welcome Center starting in February. 

Lunch will be at the Sharky's Cafe in the Aquarium on your own and is not included in the price of the ticket. 

We will meet at BBC at 9:00 am and travel to Newport. The bus will be going on a first come, first serve basis. 

If you have any questions or you would like your child to attend but cannot attend yourself, please contact Elizabeth Horne at Elizabeth@BBCLife.org or you may call the church office at 502-222-9165.

The Gospel Project Family Devotion-1/19-1/25, 2014

Volume 6 Adult/Kids Connections
Unit 17, Session 5: Nahum, Prophet to Nineveh
Nahum 1–3


Christ Connection: Nahum brought a message of comfort to Godʼs people, reminding them that God loves His people and will protect them from their enemies. Jesus also brought a message of comfort to His people. Jesus assured us of salvation and peace. All of the enemies of God and the enemies of Godʼs children were defeated at the cross. In the end, all evil will be finally punished.


Adult Connection Point: God is the Redeemer of moments both small and large. God gathers up our tears and holds them in His hands. The truth is, what people in pain need, more than answers, is God. And when we are willing to push deeply into pain and the questions that come with it, we donʼt necessarily find all the answers—but we find God. Heʼs at the core of our questions. And He Himself is the answer to our pain. 

Through our suffering, God bonds us together in the church. We serve as tangible expressions of the deep and abiding love and care of Jesus Christ to each other. This is especially important for us because, no matter how rock solid our faith might seem to be, we are incredibly forgetful people.

We know God is loving. We know this not only because the Bible tells us itʼs true but because we believe that the love of God is demonstrated in the cross of Jesus Christ. We also know that God is wise. Though we might not understand the reasons behind our suffering, we know they are there. We further know that God is powerful and faithful and a host of other things. But thereʼs nothing like a diagnosis, an end to a relationship, a job loss, or some other jarring life \transition to make us temporarily forget those things. (See 2 Cor. 1:3-7.)

“If we again ask the question: ʻWhy does God allow evil and suffering to continue?ʼ and we look at the cross of Jesus, we still do not know what the answer is. However, we now know what the answer isnʼt. It canʼt be that he doesnʼt love us. It canʼt be that he is indifferent or detached from our condition. God takes our misery and suffering so seriously that he was willing to take it on himself.” \

1 —Tim Keller 
1 Timothy Keller, The Reason for God (New York: Penguin, 2008), 30-31.


Family Devotion: 
Materials: candle, matches

Play a game of hide and seek with your family with a different twist. Direct your kids to hide in the spot where they feel most safe when life is chaotic. After giving them time to hide, go find your family members and bring them back as a group.

Ask each child, “Why did you choose the spot to hide in?”

Light the candle and review the Bible story. Recall how God had sent Jonah to warn the people of Nineveh once before, but they returned to their evil ways. God sent another prophet, Nahum, to warn the people of Nineveh that they would be destroyed because of the evil things they had done.

Remind your kids that God hates evil and will punish it. Even though the Ninevites thought they would be safe within their city walls, God is more powerful than His greatest enemy. Direct your kids to look at the candle and estimate how long it could burn. Even though God hates evil, He is patient and will wait a long time for people to return to Him—but not forever.

Those who love God can run to Him and find protection from the Enemy because the Enemy was defeated at the cross. We can find comfort in the fact that all our enemies will be defeated in the end.

Pray, thanking God, that we can find comfort and protection in Him. Ask God to protect your family and keep them safe.

The Gospel Project Devotion-Week of 1/12-1/18, 2014

Unit 17, Session 4: Habakkuk, Prophet to Judah
Habakkuk 1–3

Christ Connection: Habakkuk lived at a time when evil seemed to be everywhere. By faith, he trusted God's promise that God would deliver His people. Injustice, violence, and wickedness surround us today, but we can live by faith and trust that Jesus will return to make all things right.

Adult Connection Point: Is God a moral monster? No. Without God, we are the moral monsters! We are the creatures that contaminated creation, the ones who provoke a holy and just God to righteous anger. “I was like a beast toward You,” the psalmist correctly confessed (Ps. 73:22). 

The anger of God is His right reaction to evil. But the love of God and the compassion of God will exist long after evil is abolished. Listen to what God told Isaiah: “In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you” (Isa. 54:8). 

God is good. And not just good, Heʼs great! Death defeated, sin crucified, God is in the process of reversing the effects of the fall. And God will not tolerate sin in this world much longer. 

At the cross of Jesus Christ, the question shifts from “Is God angry?” to “Is God angry forever?” With a heartfelt hope experienced by all of Godʼs people throughout history, we can confidently exclaim no! Because of Christʼs work, a day is coming when that which makes God angry—and that which makes us 
angry—will forever be forgotten. Sin will be no more. Death will die. No more evil, famine, or war. As God Himself said, “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins” (Isa. 43:25). 

Family Devotion: 
Materials: current newspaper, large pot of water

Heat a large pot of water on the stove. Periodically, choose a child to see if the water is boiling. While you wait, locate a newspaper and paraphrase stories that reveal the sinfulness of people or nations. Direct your kids to give a thumbs up or thumbs down in relation to the action taken.

Recall the Bible story from Habakkuk. Ask: “What was Habakkuk complaining about to God?” Even though God used a wicked nation (Babylon) to punish the Israelites, Habakkuk trusted what God was doing. He trusted God, knowing He is a compassionate and loving God. Even though today we see wickedness all 
over, we can trust that God is in control and is still compassionate and faithful toward those who love Him.

Ask: “How does it make you feel to know wickedness continues to thrive in our neighborhoods and world?” 
Remind your children that God wants people to love Him and hate sin. It may seem He is slow in punishing our enemies just like the water is slow to boil, but because of Jesusʼ death on the cross, a day is coming when there will be no more evil, war, or famine; rather, all will be right in the world.

End your family time with a song of praise remembering Godʼs goodness and 
faithfulness.

Pray, thanking God that He is faithful, good, and loving toward your family. 

The Gospel Project Family Devotional-1/5-1/11, 2014

Volume 6 Adult/Kids Connections
Unit 17, Session 3: Zephaniah, Prophet to Judah
Zephaniah 1–3

Christ Connection: Zephaniah prophesied about the Day of the Lord—a day when God will judge the world for its sin and Jesus Christ will return. Jesus will make everything new, and everyone who trusts in Him will be safe.

Adult Connection Point: Christian philosopher William Lane Craig notes, “If life ends at the grave, then it makes no difference whether one has lived as a Stalin or as a saint. Since oneʼs destiny is ultimately unrelated to oneʼs behavior, you may as well just live as you please.” 

1 Solomon described that situation as “vanity of vanities”—all life becomes meaningless.  If there is no judgment for humanity, then human life is of no consequence,  and furthermore, human life has no meaning. But if God ultimately judges human beings, it means that humans are the sort of being that is worthy of being judged. Do you see? The idea of judgment assumes that people are responsible and important, that their actions have real consequences. 

The worth of a human is shown beautifully through Jesusʼ teaching. He described the Creator of the universe—the kind of Being who can make powerful stars such as our sun—as knowing the number of hairs on your head (Luke 12:7). If God knows each and every sparrow (a bird of relative insignificance in Jesusʼ day), then how much more does He know about and care about you, the one made in His own image? (Gen. 1:27)

1 William Lane Craig, Reasonable Faith (Wheaton: Crossway, 2008), 74.

Family Devotion: 

Hold a family court. Direct each of your kids to find a stuffed animal, action hero, or doll. Guide the kids to think of something each of the “guilty persons” could  have done wrong, and then bring each one before the judge (dad or mom).

As judge, ask: “What did you do wrong? Are you sorry for what you have done? Will you do it again?” Allow each child to respond for his “accused person.” The judge can then decide if the “person” is guilty or not.

After “court” is out of session, recall what Zechariah prophesied about the Day of the Lord. Remind your kids that the Day of the Lord was coming to Judah because of the peopleʼs continual sin and refusal to return to the Lord. On the Day of the Lord, those who do not follow Jesus will be judged, but those who believe and follow Jesus will be safe.

Ask: “How does that make you feel that some will be punished but those who know Jesus will be rewarded?” (See Rev. 11:18.) Know that Jesus loves all people and wants them to follow Him. When we trust Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are now His and safe from His judgment. Jesus invites everyone to believe He loved us and died for us.

Pray, thanking God for sending Jesus that we can live forever with Him. Pray for those who do not know Jesus.

CentriKid Preregistration Form-Due February 9!

CentriKid is a 5 day, 4 night summer camp for our 3^rd through 5^th graders to experience the time of their lives and learn more about the message of Jesus Christ! From the future sports star to the young scientist to the rising chef, every kid gets to participate in exciting activities of their choice. Our group will take part in Bible Study, recreation, track times, and worship just especially designed for our kids! Campers are staffed with people who love children and the Lord who can’t wait to spend time with our kids and share Christ through every aspect of Camp.

Camp Dates: June 8-12, 2014 (Sunday-Thursday)

Camp Location: Campbellsville University in Campbellsville, KY…Just 2 hours from Home!

Camp Cost: A Non-refundable $50 Registration Deposit is due by February 9, 2014

                       Total Cost of Camp is $270. Please note that our first camp fundraiser is February 1 at Applebee’s. Please see Elizabeth Horne for tickets to sell to raise funds for your child’s camp fees!

CentriKid Camp Pre-Registration*** Student’s Name:_____________________________________________________________________ Current Grade: ________________         Age:___________________      T-Shirt Size___________ Parent/Guardian Name:_______________________________________________________________  Home Phone:___________________________   Cell Phone_______________________ Address:____________________________________________________________________ Email Address:_________________________________________________________________ Parent/Guardian Signature:____________________________________________________________

***Please Attach your $50 to this form and return it to Elizabeth Horne no later than February 9, 2014

Pre-Registration will not be valid without payment of deposit!

This registration form and deposit guarantees a slot for CentriKid. More registration will be gathered after deposit date.

If you have any questions about CentriKid Camps or our trip, please contact Elizabeth Horne, Children’s Minister, at 502-222-9165 or Elizabeth@BBCLife.org. You can also check out CentriKid.com for more information!

DC/KZ January 2014 Newsletter

·         I’m a Christian Now Class: We are excited to once again offer the discipleship class I’m a Christian Now for children who have recently made a decision for salvation. There is still time to register your child before the course begins next week! Contact Elizabeth Horne at Elizabeth@BBCLife.org.

·         Awana 2014: Awana begins on January 8, 2013. If your child is not involved in our Awana Clubs, we invite you to join us in the new semester in the New Year!

·         Imagine Children’s Ministry Conference: As a parent or leader, you are invited to attend Imagine Children’s Ministry Conference on January 31-February 1 in Bardstown. This annual conference is an exciting look into the world of children’s ministry and how to minister to your child and others more effectively. The cost is $50 for a ticket and hotel room plus the cost of your meals. Deadline to pay and sign up with Elizabeth Horne at Elizabeth@BBCLife.org or sign up in the Welcome Center booth is January 22.

·         CentriKid 2014: Although Children’s Church is for 2^nd grade and under, many of you have students who are in 3^rd, 4^th, or 5^th grade. We invite these older students to CentriKid Camp on June 8-12. The deadline to register your child and pay your nonrefundable $50 deposit is February 9. We are having a fundraiser on February 1 to help offset the cost of deposits and the cost of camp. This fundraiser is a pancake breakfast hosted by Applebee’s in Lagrange. The tickets are sold for $8 and the child selling them gets $6 towards camp. If your family would like to participate in this fundraiser, please see Elizabeth Horne to get your tickets to sell!

·         VBS Training: We know that it is just January, but VBS prep for 2014 is already in full swing. Our theme this year is International Spy Academy. There is a free training in Florence, KY for VBS this year on February 7 at 10:00 am. If you are interested, please contact Elizabeth Horne.

·         Discovery Club and Kid’z Zone Rules:

1.      Always come in quietly and ready for instruction

2.      Always listen carefully to the teacher and respect others

3.      Never fight or yell

4.      Always follow directions

5.      Toys belong at home or against the wall (Food is not allowed in our classrooms due to extreme allergies)

6.      Have Fun!!!!!

We are asking that our parents help us make Discovery Club and Kid’z Zone a great time of biblical learning and excitement. Talk to your kids about their attitudes, actions, words, and language that should be used at church. Help us make DC/KZ a fun and healthy environment for our children and an exciting place to serve for our leaders. Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.-Proverbs 22:6

The Gospel Project for the Week of 12/30-1/3

Volume 6 Adult/Kids Connections
Unit 17, Session 2: Josiahʼs Reforms

2 Chronicles 34–35

Christ Connection: Josiah had great respect for God's law. He allowed God's Word to control what he did as a king. Josiah wanted God's people to love God and obey the law too. When Jesus came to earth, He fulfilled the law by obeying it perfectly.

Adult Connection Point: As Josiah began his reforms, he had to take a stand for what was right in Godʼs eyes.

The traditional definition of tolerance accepts the existence of other viewpoints and recognizes that other people have the right to hold different beliefs or practices. The newer understanding of tolerance means one accepts the other viewpoints as true or valid. D. A. Carson writes: “To accept that a different or opposing position exists and deserves the right to exist is one thing; to accept the position itself means that one is no longer opposing it.” 1 

People in our society often confuse religious tolerance with relativism. Rightly understood, tolerance is accepting that people should be able to coexist with different religious beliefs. Wrongly understood, tolerance means all religious beliefs are equal—“Whatʼs true for you may be true for you but not for me.”  Jesus shatters this notion. Standing against the idea that all religions lead to God are the words of Jesus Christ. In John 14:6, Jesus made a claim to be the exclusive path to God, saying, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

1 D.A. Carson, The Intolerance of Tolerance (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2012), 3.

Family Devotion: 

Materials: family Bible

Hide the family Bible, and then give your kids time to find it. If you have a competitive bunch, hide a Bible for each child. Once kids retrieve the Bible, recall the story about King Josiah.

Ask: “What were some of the reforms or changes Josiah made during his reign  as king?” The Bible says Josiah “did what was right in the Lordʼs sight” (2 Chron. 34:2). Even at a young age, in the midst of many foreign gods, Josiah took a stand for God. He did not worry about what other people thought, but he 
sought and obeyed God. Josiah tore down carved and cast images, repaired the temple, and—in the process—discovered the book of the law written by Moses.

Remind your family that as good of a king as Josiah was, even he could not keep all the commandments and neither can we. Only Jesus kept the law perfectly. Because Jesus never sinned, He is the only way to have a 
relationship with God the Father.

Ask: “Do you know friends who follow a different religion?” Talk about how following Jesus is different than following a religion. Remind your family that Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

Pray, thanking God that your family knows Jesus never sinned, and He died on the cross so you could have a relationship when you put your faith and trust in Him.

CentriKid Camp 2014

Dear Parents,

We are excited to be attending CentriKid Camp 2014! CentriKid is for students who are currently in 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade. CentriKid is June 8-June 12, 2014, and the cost of camp is $270 per child. This includes the cost of camp for a week, room, all meals, and a camp t-shirt. Camp is at Campbellsville University about 2 hours from home.

In order for your child to attend camp, they must be registered with Elizabeth Horne and have a nonrefundable $50 deposit paid by February 9, 2014.

In order to help with the cost of camp, we are having several fundraisers in the upcoming months. The first fundraiser is a pancake breakfast hosted by Applebee's in Lagrange on February 1 from 8:00 am - 10:00 am. Each child can sell tickets to the breakfast. The tickets are $8 and the child receives $6 per ticket sold to put towards camp. Sell them to your friends, family, coworkers, and teachers. Students do not have to participate in fundraising in order to attend camp, but they do have to participate in any or all of our fundraisers to receive camp financial assistance.  Please see Chuck Sumner or Elizabeth Horne for tickets to sell, and put your child's name on the ticket so we can track how much money they have earned for camp.

If you have any questions about CentriKid, please don't hesitate to give me a call at 502-222-9165 or email me at Elizabeth@BBCLife.org. You can also check out CentriKid.com for awesome videos and updates about camp 2014. Also, be sure to be here Sunday, January 5, for a special Camp video featuring our BBC Students!

Myself and the leaders for Camp 2014 are excited for camp this year! We hope your child will join us at CentriKid!

Elizabeth J. Horne

Minister to Children

Ballardsville Baptist Church

Numbers 6:24-26