Monday, December 20, 2010

Family Connection 12.20.2010

Family Connection

12.20.2010

“In Jerusalem there was a good man named Simeon. He was a good and godly man. He was waiting for God’s promise to Israel to happen. The Holy Spirit was with him. The Spirit had told Simeon that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. The Spirit led him into the temple courtyard. Then Jesus’ parents brought he child in. They came to do for him what the Law required. Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God. He said, ‘Lord, you are the King over all. Now let me, your servant, go in peace. That is what you promised. My eyes have seen your salvation. You have prepared it in the sight of all people. It is a light to be given to those who aren’t Jews. It will bring glory to your people Israel.’”-Luke 2:25-32 (NIrV)

Do you remember how it felt to wait for Christmas when you were a child? Just as children are eagerly anticipating Christmas, there were many who were anticipating the birth of the Christ, the Messiah, God’s Salvation for all mankind; Simeon was one of those people. He had been given a promise that the birth of Christ was near and he wouldn’t see death before he saw the Salvation of Israel born. He was fortunate but we are even more so because we know that Jesus has already been born, led a sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, rose again from the dead and has an offering of salvation for each of us who believe. WOW!!!!

We celebrate Christmas as a reminder, a memorial, of the gift of God through Jesus Christ. Just like children, who need reminders and structure in their lives, we also need to take the time to focus on the important things in life. Thank you God for the reminder of Christmas!

I’m not sure how exactly it started but we have a tradition in my family of having our picture taken on the roof of our house; just me and the kids. We have been doing this for years and will even do it this year even though our children are 16, 14 and 11. This is something we do and it helps us focus on the Christmas season; what traditions do you have? Just as it is important for us to focus on the real reason for Christmas (if your child has been in Flight School in the last month they should be able to complete the following…Christmas is all about…Jesus); I believe it is also important to create traditions and memorials for the children in our lives to help them focus on God.

I hope you and your family have a wonderful, blessed and joyous Christmas!

Walking by your side,

Brett Humphrey

Pastor H

Monday, December 6, 2010

Family Connection 12.06.2010

Family Connection
12.06.2010
“There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby. It was night, and they were looking after their sheep. An angel of the Lord appeared to them. And the glory of the Lord shone around them. They were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy. It is for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord. Here is how you will know I am telling you the truth. You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.”-Luke 2:8-12 (NIrV)
This past weekend in Flight School, I taught the children that Christmas is all about Jesus. This should be obvious because Christ is found in the very word “Christmas” but sometimes we may forget what this is really all about. It’s all about Jesus and His willingness to come to this planet, to be born in a barn, to spend 33 years in daily obedience to God the Father being faced with every temptation we face and yet not sin, die a horrible death on a cross, rise from the dead 3 days later and all because He wants to spend forever in Heaven with us. That’s amazing! That’s wonderful! That’s what Christmas is all about!

I would encourage you to take some time reading through Luke 2:1-40 with the children in your lives this week. Take the time to remind them why we celebrate Christmas in the first place and how we as followers of Jesus should live as He did (Philippians 2:5). I would encourage each of us to keep our focus on Jesus and serving Him through this holiday season.

I would also like to encourage you to look at an opportunity to serve with your family during this season. We have a local impact coming up this weekend, December 11, and we have opportunities for the family to serve together. Please follow the link for more information. http://www.southwestcc.org/PurposeCenter/Reach/Locally/ReachLocalImpact/tabid/1187/language/en-US/Default.aspx

It is my hope that each of us can make an eternal impact on the children in our lives this week.
Walking by your side,
Brett Humphrey
Pastor H

Monday, November 29, 2010

Family Connection 11.29.2010

Family Connection
11.29.2010
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”-1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)
“Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"
Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.”

This was the very first presidential proclamation signed by President George Washington in 1789. Even though, technically, Thanksgiving has passed us by, it is my hope and desire that we live each day in thankfulness to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

As we enter the “Christmas season” where the children in our lives (and if we are honest about it, we ourselves) will be tempted to become discontent and un-thankful for the things we currently have as we are pushed to buy more. I would encourage each of us to remember the things we have to be thankful for, to praise God for those things, and remind ourselves and the children in our lives about these things. I would also encourage each of us to find a tangible way to serve others as families during this season. We have a Local Impact coming up on December 11th and this may provide a great way for you to serve alongside your children helping others. Think of it as a way to serve others and fight off the “gimmes” at the same time.

It is my hope that each of us can make an eternal impact on the children in our lives this week.
Walking by your side,
Brett Humphrey
Pastor H

Monday, November 15, 2010

Family Connection 11.15.2010

Family Connection
11.15.2010
“There are different kinds of gifts. But they are all given by the same Spirit.”-1 Corinthians 12:4 (NIrV)
In Flight School this month we are using the above verse as our verse for the month. We are focusing on the fact that God has given us gifts but He wants us to use these gifts to help and serve others. This is something that we believe children can learn at an early age and as families this value can be modeled in the home, neighborhood and even around the world.
To help facilitate this, we participate in Operation Christmas Child through Samaritan’s Purse. This Organization collects shoeboxes, filled with Christmas gifts, and distributes these boxes around the world to needy children. Not only do our children get an opportunity to see how the gifts and blessings they have received can bless others, our children also get a lesson in gratitude as they see how these small things that are given can really brighten up another child’s life. I have also issued a challenge to the children. If they bring in 200 shoeboxes into Flight School by this Sunday (November 21) then I will jump out of a plane and video the entire experience. (A generous volunteer in Flight School has paid for the skydiving experience complete with video package; there’s no backing out for me). We will also give each child 50 Bible Bucks for each filled shoebox they bring in. Even though we are giving the children incentives we really want them to learn how to love and serve others by what they receive.
This really is a wonderful opportunity for you to help the children in your lives learn the value of giving to others. For more information, including the way to track your shoebox to see which country it is delivered to, go online to www.samaritanspurse.org/ezgive . It’s that easy.
It is my hope that each of us can make an eternal impact on the children in our lives this week.
Walking by your side,
Brett Humphrey
Pastor H

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Family Connection 11.02.2010

Family Connection
11.02.2010
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,”-2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”-Ephesians 6:1
The Word of God is not a club to be used to bash the children in our lives so they submit to God, but it should be used to guide and direct them in the way they should go. When my children were little the first verse Jennifer and I had them memorize was Ephesians 6:1. We would use this verse to help gently correct our children when they disobeyed. Even though at times it is tempting to say, “Because I said so!” when it comes to behavior, it is really better to have a measuring tool to help the children in our lives when we correct them. What better tool than the Word of God?
I am not encouraging treating God as the big, bad ogre in the sky waiting to strike us down when we don’t fall in line but rather to present God as the Bible does as a loving Father who does expect us to obey and follow Him. God’s ways are the best ways and as 2 Timothy 3:16 reminds us, Scripture is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.
So what do we do? In order to utilize Scripture the way Paul exhorts in 2 Timothy, we must be familiar with Scripture for ourselves. If we want to teach the children in our lives how to apply God’s Word for themselves, we must take the time to study for ourselves. We have quite a few resources at our church to help you do that. Each weekend, Pastor Bob (or one of the other pastors) teaches from God’s Word and gives practical suggestions on how to apply that Scripture to our lives. We also have classes offered here at the church and through small groups to help people grow in their faith and biblical knowledge. There are also resources available on our website www.thehangar.org and through the Children’s Ministry office.
It is my hope that each of us can influence the children in our lives with the truth of God’s Word and train them in righteousness.
Walking by your side,
Brett Humphrey
Pastor H

Monday, October 25, 2010

Family Connection 10.25.2010

Family Connection
10.25.2010
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:4-9 (NIV)
I sat next to my friend, Doug White, in the ER this past Friday and read these words to him (Doug’s wife, Kym and his parents were in the room as well. Doug had an accident; he fell off the back of a golf cart at work and fractured his skull. As of this writing, he is still in the ICU recovering. Please pray for his healing and for strength for his family). As I read the words out of Philippians, I was struck by the power contained in the passage; how we can trust in and rely on our Heavenly Father in all situations. We can rely on Him when things are going well, and we can rely on Him when things are difficult. We can trust God no matter what!
We live in a world where tragedy occurs on a daily basis. We cannot turn on the news, or open a newspaper without reading about something bad happening to someone, somewhere. The children in our lives are growing up in the same world; what can we do to help prepare them to face the hard things in life? We can help them understand that we can trust God no matter what.
This week, I would encourage you to have a conversation with the children in your lives about a time when God came through for you. Tell them about a time when you really needed to have God show up, and He did. Even though things may not have turned out the way you would have liked them to; talk about a time when you felt a peace that transcends all understanding and how God saw you through that time (maybe He is still seeing you through even now). I want to encourage you not to worry if you don’t have all the answers, just rest in the fact that the peace God gives doesn’t have to make sense to us, in fact it’s supposed to transcend all understanding. My friend Kym is resting right now in that same peace that doesn’t make any sense based on circumstances.
Walking by your side,
Brett Humphrey
Pastor H

PS-I did receive permission from Kym to share their story with you.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Family Connection 10.18.2010

Family Connection
10.18.2010
“My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Proverbs 2:1-6 (NIV)
“Make wise choices!”-Any parent of a middle school or high school student to their child 
One of the best things we can understand about being parents is that we are to train up our child in the way he/she should go. Even though the years may seem to fly by, God gives us the time we have with our children to prepare them to follow Him as they grow. If we find ourselves calling out to our children that we want them to make wise choices when they are in their teenage years, we should work on teaching them how to make wise choices while they are young (remember that most of the things our children know are “caught” rather than “taught” so we should make sure we are asking God how to make wise choices ourselves).
A couple of years ago I read the book, The Best Question Ever by Andy Stanley, and in it he highlights the importance of asking the question, “Based on my past experiences, current realities and future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing for me to do?” This may seem like a simple question but I have found this question to be very helpful personally as I have faced difficult decisions and one we ask our children on a regular basis (In fact, it was almost two years ago I asked myself that question in regard to my weight and that led me down a path where I ended up losing about 40 lbs).
The book of Proverbs is full of ways to find God’s wisdom and is very useful for training up our children. There may be some things in Proverbs that your children aren’t facing at this point but probably will some day. I would encourage you to take the time to focus on God’s wisdom with your children and train them up in a way where they can see what a “wise choice” looks like. I would encourage you to point out examples from your life when you make wise choices and if you feel especially brave, point out those times when you have made unwise choices and the consequences that have followed. When we spend the time helping our children make wise choices now, this training will assist them later on in life.
Walking by your side,
Brett Humphrey
Pastor H

PS-Thank you to the 39 people who responded to my email last week, your responses will help us make a better ministry for your children and family.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Family Connection 10.11.2010

Family Connection
10.11.2010
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’-which is the first commandment with a promise-‘that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’ Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:1-4 (NIV)
“Don’t worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.”-Robert Fulghum
Did you know that the goal for our ministry is: “To create a partnership between church leaders and parents who are committed to a systematic plan of action where their sons and daughters develop faith and character in Jesus Christ.”? It is, or if that is too wordy; try this: We want to help you, in whatever way we can, to raise your children to follow the Lord. In fact, we want to do whatever we can to help you live out the words of Ephesians 6:1-4.
This is a huge goal, and one we cannot accomplish without your help. As a ministry to children and families we need to know the areas where you need the most help. We would like feedback from you so we can make sure we are doing whatever we can to provide the resources you need to raise your children in the Lord; that is why I am asking for your help.
Please take a few moments to send me an email with the answer to the following questions:
1. How can we, as a ministry, come alongside and support you as you raise your children?
2. What are some of your greatest needs as a parent?
3. What type of biblical support can we offer to you as you strive to raise your children in the Lord?
4. What do you think are some of the biggest challenges facing parents today?

I would really appreciate you taking a few minutes to answer the following questions and sending your responses back to me. Please don’t assume someone else will answer so you don’t have to, you would be surprised how few responses I actually get when I ask for responses; I really want to hear from everyone. I don’t promise we can meet all of your parenting needs, but we do want to build a ministry that serves you as you parent your children. Thank you for your time.
Walking by your side,
Brett Humphrey
Pastor H

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Family Connection 09-09-2010

Family Connection

09.09.2010

“Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice!”-Philippians 4:4 (NIV)

Do the children in your life ever complain? For that matter, do you ever complain? It’s natural for us to complain because, if we’re completely honest, we all prefer for things to always go our way. It’s natural for us to complain, but it is destructive. When we complain, we tend to only look at our needs, interests and selves. Instead of falling into the complaint trap, why not try to spend time rejoicing instead?

This week I encourage you to find something to rejoice about when tempted to complain. When you rejoice, spend time thinking about and thanking God. Thank Him for the good things He has given you. Sure the thing you are complaining about is still there but it is outweighed by the many things God has given you that you can call “good”.

I also want to give you some information about some upcoming information in Children’s Ministries. With the start of school we have a lot of children coming back to church. This is great but also causes some issues for us in the classrooms, especially in the preschool program. Every week we have to close classrooms and turn people away. One of the reasons we have to do this is because we don’t have enough volunteers. Believe it or not, some people think that they aren’t needed and we have everything covered; this just isn’t the case. We do our best to have every classroom open at every service but have a great need for volunteers. We need about 150 volunteers per weekend to make our ministry run smoothly. If you would like to help out in our classrooms; please contact Grandma Alice at alice@southwestcc.org
This month in Flight School we are studying the virtue of Respect. Each week the children will be given a challenge to find ways to show respect to others, especially those in authority in their lives. This could be a great conversation starter for you and the children in your lives this week. Our key verse for the month is 1 Peter 2:17.

We will also be starting online registrations for Kid U on September 13. Kid U is our next step for children, Kindergarten through 5th Grade, where we help children grow deeper in their relationship with God. For more information look for the flyer we will send home this weekend or check out the website at www.thehangar.org
Even though September has just started we are looking to the end of October and our Harvest Fun Fair. HFF is a fun, family event designed for you to bring friends who don’t attend church and it is a great way for people to see SCC in a different light; this year HFF will be held on Friday, October 29 from 5pm – 8pm. We are looking for people who can help us in the following areas: Leadership Team (these people would help plan and organize HFF), Set-Up (these people would help on the day of the event to get everything set up before people get there), Running the event (these people would man stations at HFF to make sure everything runs smoothly), Clean-up (tearing everything down and cleaning up). If you are interested in helping out, or know someone who might be able to help please contact Susan Coia at susan@southwestcc.org . Even if you think you might not be needed, or we have enough help, please contact Susan to volunteer. Thank you!

Walking by your side,

Brett Humphrey
Pastor H

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Family Connection 07.29.2010

Family Connection

07.29.2010

“One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, ‘Of all the commandments, which is the most important?’ ‘The most important one,’ answered Jesus, ‘is Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”-Mark 12:28-31 (NIV)

After the last earthquake we had I thought a bit about what things I would take out of the house if there was a disaster. After making sure my family was safely out, what important things would I take with me? This was an interesting exercise for me as I thought about those things that were irreplaceable and most important in my life.

As a parent, I frequently have to think about the lessons I teach my children; especially those things I consider most important and things on which I want my children to base their lives; the above verses are exactly those things I want to have them build their lives upon. Jesus taught that we are to love God and love others and we teach these same concepts each week in our Children’s Ministry programs here at church.

This week I would like to challenge you to find practical ways to challenge the children in your lives to love God and love others. I encourage you to spend time worshiping God wherever you are this week. I encourage you to make an effort to thank God for the things He has put in your lives; spend time looking for the good and giving God the glory for it. I would also encourage you to find simple ways to love others this week with the children in your lives as well. These are lessons that your children can take with them throughout their lives; and you will grow as well.

We are committed to helping families grow together in the Lord and want to provide resources for you to do this. We have practical ways to help others on our website www.thehangar.org as we are currently asking children to bring in school supplies for needy children in our Valley. We also have the weekly God Time cards on our website as well as other parent resources; you might find something on there to help you this week.

Walking by your side,

Brett Humphrey
Pastor H

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Family Connection 05.20.2010

Family Connection
05.20.2010
“Train up a child in the way he should go. When he is old, he will not turn away from it.”-Proverbs 22:6 (NIrV)
A few years ago I was fortunate to take a flight in a single engine plane. I got a chance to sit in the co-pilot seat and could hear messages from the tower through the headsets. I was amazed that the pilot was in constant communication with control towers along our way and would receive instructions on minor course corrections he would receive along the way. As we travelled along our way, and our flight plan would be handed off to different control towers, each tower would give the pilot simple corrections to make and he would do it. After some time we touched down at our destination having been corrected many times along our journey; that is a lot like raising children.
As parents we are called to make corrections to our children along the way, which is called discipline. Sometimes we think of discipline as “punishment” but that isn’t the case. Discipline is nothing more than training, course corrections, gentle shepherding our children along the way. The more often we make these course corrections the easier they are and can be well received. It is much better for us, and our children, if we are constantly making these corrections as we go rather than having to make major corrections because our children are far off course.
I would like to challenge you to read through Proverbs with your children. There are 31 Proverbs so you can read one per day and make it all the way through Proverbs in a month. If you start today, you would read Proverbs 20, tomorrow the 21st and so on. There are a lot of great “conversation starters” found in Proverbs but this is a great book of wisdom for us and our children. This won’t take too long, 5 minutes to read through each Proverb and could provide a wonderful opportunity to spend time together in God’s Word. Why not give it a try?
Walking by your side,

Brett Humphrey
Pastor H

PS-Summer Spectacular registrations are underway; go to www.thehangar.org for more information on how to register your child to attend Summer Spectacular or for you to register to volunteer.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Family Connection 04.22.2010

Family Connection
04.22.2010
“Don’t just listen to the word. You fool yourselves if you do that. You must do what it says.”-James 1:22 (NIrV)
This is our key verse for Summer Spectacular 2010, but it is much more than that; this is a verse that can transform our families. When I was younger I was once told, “do as I say, not as I do.” I’m sure you have heard something similar in your life; maybe you have even said something similar to the children in your life, but we all know this isn’t something that Jesus would say to us. In fact, throughout scripture we learn to live out our faith and to live like we really believe what we say we do. Whether we like it or not, the children in our lives are watching us to see if we live out the faith we claim to follow on the weekends; they are waiting to see if we really do what the word says.
This week I would like to challenge each of us to enter into a conversation with the children in our lives about the value of living out our faith and living in such a way that our beliefs are seen by our actions. Take a few minutes to talk to the children in your life about some needs of people around you and some real, practical ways you can work as a family to meet those needs. Encourage the children to come up with some problems, and then propose some solutions and see what you really can do together as a family. Find a real, easy and strategic way to put James 1:22 into practice. Do this personally and as a family.
One of the easy ways to do this would be by bringing in a bag of rice to church this weekend and drop it off in Flight School. We are attempting to supplement the rice supply for the hungry in the Coachella Valley as ministries who feed the poor are experiencing a rice shortfall as USDA surplus rice has gone to Haiti. This may seem like something small but it is something practical you can do as a family to live out your faith. Give it a try and explain why you are doing this to the children in your life.
Walking by your side,

Brett Humphrey
Pastor H

PS-We have begun volunteer registration for Summer Spectacular on www.thehangar.org
PPS-Rob Biagi will be here the weekend of May 8-9, 2010 and will be singing in Flight School at every service.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Family Connection 03.27.2010

Family Connection
03.27.2010
“The Lord detests lying lips. But He delights in men who are truthful.”-Proverbs 12:22 (NIrV)
This has been our key verse in Flight School for the month of March as we have been studying the virtue of Honesty. This issue of honesty is difficult for children, and to be perfectly honest, it can be difficult for adults as well. Whether we like it or not, God hates lying and dishonesty in any form and we need to make a choice to follow Him and be completely honest; no matter what!
This week I encourage you to spend some time with the children in your life and give them examples of times in your life when you struggled with honesty and the consequences for poor choices. When we are real with the children in our lives, and show them that we have also struggled in life we can help them make wise decisions. When you talk with them, give examples of negative consequences for lying as well as positive results when you have chosen to tell the truth. Let them know the good along with the bad.
My personal prayer is that I can help my own children learn from my mistakes and hopefully avoid poor choices I have made in my life. I desire to follow God in all I do and say and want to choose honesty because it will be pleasing to Him. I want to live my life in such a way that I will not bring shame to the name of Jesus.
I hope that is something we all want for ourselves as well as the children in our lives.
Walking by your side,

Brett Humphrey
Pastor H

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Family Connection 03.11.2010

Family Connection
03.11.2010
“Please forgive me for…” This is a very important phrase in our house. Before we had children we had some very good friends we would watch as they raised their children. We noticed that when their children did something to each other, they would ask for forgiveness rather than just say “sorry”. When we asked about it, these friends told us it was because when the children would ask for forgiveness they would actually have to realize that they did something to hurt someone else and had to take ownership for that offence and seek to make it right. However, when they would just say “sorry” there might be some underlying meaning behind the “sorry” (such as, I’m sorry I was caught or I’m sorry I didn’t hit you harder, or I’m sorry dad and mom are looking right now because when they turn their backs you’re really going to get it…you get the point!).
This week we are continuing on in our Spiritual Growth Campaign, Live like you were dying. This week we will be focusing on “Give Forgiveness” and this is just as important as asking for forgiveness. We all know the feelings we get when we hold a grudge against someone. Not only does it affect our feelings for that person, it can affect our health, general attitude and even our relationship with God. Many times when we refuse to give forgiveness we only hurt ourselves because the object of our un-forgiveness may not even realize there is a problem. Take a look at these verses:
Matthew 6:14-15-“Forgive people when they sin against you. If you do, your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive people their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
I would say that Jesus considers it important that we give forgiveness to others and if it is important to Him it should be important to us as well.
There are some times when children have a hard time with this concept so here’s a suggestion for you for this week as you work with the children in your life. Why don’t you read through Matthew 18:21-35 with the children in your life this week? Talk about how important it is to give forgiveness and why God puts so much emphasis on it. I would also encourage you to use some real examples from your own life. Talk to the children in your life about a time you gave forgiveness and how you felt; also share a time when you withheld forgiveness and how you felt about that. Use this time to get real and talk about forgiveness as that is important to a right relationship with others but essential to a right relationship with our Heavenly Father.
Walking by your side,

Brett Humphrey
Pastor H

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Family Connection 02.25.2010

Family Connection
02.25.2010
This last weekend we began a Spiritual Growth Campaign at Southwest Community Church entitled “Live Like You Were Dying”. For this campaign we are challenging everyone to live their lives as though they only had 30 days left to live and to ask questions about what God would have them do or changes He would have them make. If we only had 30 days to live, how would we like to live our lives and what would we like to be remembered for? As believers in Jesus Christ we want to make our lives count for Him and to make an eternal impact on those around us. As adults we understand that life is precious and none of us are guaranteed “tomorrow” but this is a difficult concept to teach to children; hopefully this can help.
In Flight School (our ministry to our elementary children) we will be tying the themes of the campaign into things the children can understand. Each week we will be emphasizing one of the following (Life Counts, Words Matter, Love Others, Give Forgiveness, Forever Focused, Trust God) and encouraging children to talk with their parents about the things they have been taught in “Big Church”. Hopefully this will help facilitate some godly discussion at home and you can focus on living for God as a family. We will also be wrapping the campaign materials around our February and March virtues of Honor and Honesty, so hopefully you will see an impact at home on these as well.
One other thing you can do with the children in your life over the next couple of weeks is to read through Philippians 1:12-27 and take a look at how Paul felt his life could best be spent as he desired to live for God. Talk to the children in your life about the gift of life and how God would like them to use the gifts and talents they have for Him. Share with them about a time in your life when you lived for God in a real and practical way.
Our desire is to create a partnership between church leaders and parents who are committed to a systematic plan of action where their sons and daughters develop faith and character in Jesus Christ. I hope that you can have some fruitful discussion with the children in your life as we go through this campaign together and think about what it means to “Live Like You Were Dying”.
Walking by your side,

Brett Humphrey
Pastor H

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Family Connection 02.11.2010

Family Connection
02.11.2010
I’m a fan of The Angels baseball team (I guess I should say The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim but I just can’t bring myself to do it), because my dad was a fan of that team. I love to read, partly because my parents loved to read and I love to laugh because my parents enjoyed watching comedies as I grew up. My parents had great influence on my life; many of those influences are so deeply ingrained I don’t even realize it at times. As parents we still have the largest opportunity to influence the children in our lives and we should be as strategic as possible to influence them to follow the Lord.
Consider the words of Deuteronomy 6:5-7-“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
As parents, we have opportunities to influence the children in our lives for the Lord in everything we do. Instead of thinking of a family devotion as a set time around the dinner table, why not think about talking about God and his ways as you drive along in the car. As you take a trip in the car to the school, or to the store, why not turn off the radio and take turns talking about all of things you are thankful for that God has given you. Whenever you see someone who has an accident, or see an ambulance drive by; why not pray for the people who have been injured? When you see something beautiful in nature, or even on TV, why not take a moment to praise God for His creativity?
I encourage you to think about all of the ways your parents influenced you and then ask God to show you ways you can influence the children in your life for Him. When you make your walk with Christ a living, breathing relationship; you can influence the children in your life to adopt that relationship for themselves. I would love to hear how that works for you this week.
Walking by your side,

Brett Humphrey
Pastor H

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Family Connection 01.28.2010

Family Connection
01.28.2010
When I was little my dad used to read to me from my favorite book Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss; not only would he read it to me he would make the voices of each character. It is because of that I have a deep love of reading myself. When my children were younger Jennifer and I would read to them out of The Preschooler’s Bible as well as out of other books. We wanted to show them that the time we spent reading in God’s Word had value and was a value we wanted to pass along to them.
Even though our children are older Jennifer still reads to them out of the Bible. Because we home-school we have the opportunity to make God’s Word part of their curriculum. Not only does Jennifer read to them, we also encourage our children to read God’s Word for themselves. It’s fun for me to see my children opening their Bibles on their own and spending time with God.
In November I started a challenge I accepted from a friend. He challenged me to read through the Psalms and Proverbs every month for six months. Because of that challenge I am reading 5 Psalms and 1 Proverb each day (it’s a good thing I love reading so much). I’m not asking you to spend that much time reading God’s Word with the children in your life but I would like to challenge you to read at least one verse per day to them during the month of February (you can always do more if you want). I challenge you to not only read the verse but talk about some of the things God is teaching you through that verse or through your own personal Bible reading time. Ask the children in your lives to share how the verses you read impact their lives or how they see them in practice. Spend time reading God’s word with the children in your life, using different voices is optional.
If you would like some further resources, we have some verses you can look at on our website www.thehangar.org
Walking by your side,

Brett Humphrey
Pastor H