This Week # 2-38

WELCOME 6^th graders!!!! This week in OFF ROAD the former 5^th graders moved up into OFF ROAD so we used this time to really re-focus ourselves, and to establish what OFF ROAD is all about. I talked through Matthew 4:18- 22, the calling of the first disciples. In these verses Jesus walks up to a couple of people who were fishing and says to them, “come follow me,” and immediately they leave everything and follow Jesus. Pretty crazy when you don’t know the background, but when you look deeper you realize that who they say Jesus as. Jesus was a rabbi, someone whom these disciple (who, by the way, were about the age of a jr. higher) wanted to be like. Unfortunately somewhere in the disciple’s Biblical training they were told they were not good enough, that no rabbi would want them to follow Him. Then Jesus comes along, and not only accepts them, but asks them to join Him!!! Jesus is the same way with us. We don’t have to be perfect, or know all the bible. The standard God sets for us is- Are you willing to follow me? We need to be ready to do that, leaving everything behind.

Questions:

What are you going to make OFF ROAD all about? Is it all about friends and hanging out, games, and fun? Or is it all about growing closer to Jesus and following Him?

Are you willing to give God your all? What does that look like? What is keeping you from living every second for God?

How can I help you, as your parent, focus on God and grow closer to Him?

This Week # 2-37

This week was and emotional week as we bid farewell to our 8^th graders. The talk was geared to them, but was for everyone. As a sending off we looked at the example Jesus set in washing his disciple’s feet. Jesus humbled himself in service to show us how to live for Him. We must realize no matter where we are in life that we and everyone around us come to Jesus with dirty feet. We are no better than anyone else and we all need forgiveness. In washing His disciples feet Jesus also gives us a tangible example of something we can do every day to live for Him- humble ourselves to those around us and serve them. I ended the talk letting the 8^th graders know how much I and the leaders love them and how much we desire for them to continue to follow Christ all their life. We hope that they can look at our lives and say, “I want to live like those leaders, those leaders lived for Christ.” We hope their time in OFF ROAD was fun, enjoyable, enriching, but most of all, above everything else we hope that they have grown more in love with God, and have set a firm foundation in him, a foundation that will not crumble.

Questions for your kids:

What are some ways that you can humble yourself to those around you and serve them?

What group of people do you find it hard to serve? Why?

What group of people do you find easy to serve? Why?

How can you start serving others (both hard and easy) on a more consistent basis?

What qualities do you see in the OFF ROAD leaders that you want to copy?

Do you feel like you are drawing closer to God, further away, or staying the same? Why?

ANNOUNCEMENTS

-OFF ROAD SUMMER KICK OFFFAMILY BBQ- THIS SUNDAY!!!!! 12:30- 3:00 . Please RSVP to drew@westgatechurch.org , and bring a side to share. Cost is only $5/ person. INVITE FRIEND AND FRIEND’S FAMILY. (Giant slip and slide- bring your bathing suit, jousting, and a dunk tank!!!!!!!!!!!)