The Value of Christian Education Part 4

Throughout this week we will be looking at the advantages to the value of a Christian education.

1. You are accountable to God for what your children are taught  2. Christian schools offer a better level of instruction. 

3. Children grow spiritually stronger Christian environment. 4. Christian schools take wisdom from the Bible 5.  Christian school educators teach all subject matter from a Christian context. 

They put the Bible at the center of the curriculum and ask students to evaluate all they see in the world through the eyes of God.    The secular vs. Christian school issue is really a question of whether a child will learn to view life from man's perspective or God's perspective.  From man's viewpoint, history is purposeless; from God's viewpoint, history has meaning.  From man's viewpoint, science is the laws of "nature" at work; from God's viewpoint, science is the outworking of His laws.
In a Christian school, a student is exposed to the centrality of God in all of life.  In public education, a student is legally "sheltered" from this important dimension of education.

If you know of a child entering pre-school, starting kindergarten or early elementary age, come to Victory Christian Academy’s OPEN HOUSE on Tuesday June 2nd at 6:30pm and find out for yourselves about the benefits of a Christian Education at VCA.   

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

59 Encounter students led by Dr. Jeff Burnett are returning from Haiti, they will be sharing their experiences this Sunday at C3.

Child Dedications, Adult Baptisms, New Member Recognitions, Bring nonperishable food items for pantry. RSVP ericka@celebratejesus.org

The Value of Christian Education Part 3

Throughout this week we will be looking at ten advantages to the value of a Christian education.

1. You are accountable to God for what your children are taught 

2. Christian schools offer a better level of instruction. 

3. Children do not grow spiritually stronger in a negative non-Christian environment.
Students become stronger Christians by being taught Christian thinking, and there is no such person as a "neutral" school teacher who neither advances nor inhibits their faith perspective.  School represents 16% of your child's time.  It is prime time, a training time, and Christian school education represents a positive Bible- centered form of instruction that will build a child up in the faith- -not tear them down. 

4. Christian schools have not cut themselves off from the most important book in the world--the Bible.  Standards for morality must be taken not from what culture says but based on Biblical principles like modesty. A modest dress code is one of the requirements at our church’s school, Victory Christian Academy.

If you know of a child entering pre-school, starting kindergarten or early elementary age, come to Victory Christian Academy’s OPEN HOUSE on Tuesday June 2nd at 6:30pm and find out for yourselves about the benefits of a Christian Education at VCA.   

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

ATTENTION MEN: Join me TONIGHT at 7pm at C3 for a study of one of the great men of the Old Testament

Continue to pray for the 59 Encounter students sharing the love of Jesus with orphans in Haiti.

The Value of Christian Education Part 2

Those of us who are involved in Victory Christian Academy believe that a school's ultimate purpose should be to equip children to understand the truth about life, the world, and their place in it. Throughout this week we will be looking at ten advantages to the value of a Christian education.

1. You are accountable to God for what your children are taught in school.  Proverbs 22:6 is a direct command to parents.  It says, "Train up a child in the way he should go..." What your children are taught in school should be a direct extension of your parental views.  The teachers under whom your children are taught should be the kind of teachers you would personally hire if your children were being educated in your home.

2.  Christian schools offer a better level of instruction.  There is no question about it.  The test scores over a long period of years are conclusive.  The annual Stanford Achievement Test administered to first through eighth grade Christian school students in the western states shows these students to be seven to nineteen months ahead of the national norm in reading, and seven to thirteen months ahead of the national norm in all subject areas.

Desty Cox and Kate Tillman, our teachers at Victory Christian Academy are two of the finest women and teachers I know. They are committed to providing the very best educational experience in a loving caring Christian environment. If you know of a child entering pre-school, starting kindergarten or early elementary age, come to Victory Christian Academy’s OPEN HOUSE on Tuesday June 2nd at 6:30pm and find out for yourselves about the benefits of a Christian Education at VCA.   

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

Continue to pray for the 59 Encounter students sharing the love of Jesus with orphans in Haiti.

The Value of Christian Education Part 1

Why would we choose to send our children to a Christian School?

Those of us who are involved in Victory Christian Academy believe that a school's ultimate purpose should be to equip children to understand the truth about life, the world, and their place in it.

We also believe that in order to understand these truths, the deeper questions regarding the meaning and purpose of life cannot be ignored.  As dedicated as the teachers are (and I know how dedicated my wife Debbie is) the curriculum of public education cannot guide students through these deeper questions of life, and it cannot use the Word of God as it's standard of truth.  Christian Schools, on the other hand, seek to equip students to recognize the Lordship of Christ in all subject areas of learning, and to respond in obedience to His call to be transformed.

Secondly, not only does a school shape a child's mind, but one also cannot ignore the impact that a school has on the heart of a child.  All schools have a vision for the kind of person they want their students to become.  In other words, schools do not only teach information, but they also seek to educate the emotions, and influence the living actions of a child's life. The power a school has to impress a worldview on a youngster is great.

At Victory Christian Academy, Celebration’s Pre-School and Elementary learning center school, our teachers strive to share their love of learning, their love of the Lord along with loving on your children.

Come find out more about Victory Christian Academy at our OPEN HOUSE next Tuesday June 2nd at 6:30pm

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

Prayer Request:

For safety and Spiritual protection for our 59 Encounter Missionaries in Haiti

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is much more than a three-day weekend that marks the beginning of summer. To many people, especially the nation's thousands of combat veterans, this day, which has a history stretching back all the way to the Civil War, is an important reminder of those who died in the service of their country.

Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day. Decoration Day was first observed on May 30, 1868 and it was on this day that graves of the fallen Union soldiers were decorated with flowers, wreaths and flags to pay tributes to their dedicated service in defense of their country. General James Garfield, a lay pastor in the Disciples of Christ church and destined to become our nation’s 20th President delivered a speech at Arlington National Cemetery.

Legend has it that a strong wind came up during the ceremony and blew all of the flowers from the Union soldier’s graves onto the Confederate section of the cemetery. Never again were fallen soldiers segregated.

Enjoy today with barbecues and friends. I pray that God’s Spirit of unity will blow mightily in you today as we remember those who paid the price for the freedom we enjoy.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

Prayer Request:

SO proud of C3's college age group Encounter, and these 59 Missionaries in Haiti. Please pray for their safety and that EVERYONE who they come in contact with over the next week will experience the love of Jesus through them. -PK

God Uses Problems In Our Lives - Part 5

Throughout this week we are looking at five ways God uses problems in our lives.

1. God uses problems to direct us.

2. God uses problems to test us.

3. God uses problems to correct us.

4. God uses problems to protect us.

5. God uses problems to develop us.

Romans 5:3-4 reads, We can rejoice when we run into problems and trials for we know they are good for us.  They help us learn to be patient and patience develops strength of character and helps us trust God more and more each time we use it.

You may not realize it but we are like uncut diamonds, and God wants to chip off the rough edges.  God wants to polish us up and make us beautiful gems that glisten and reflect God’s glory, so God uses problems to chip off the rough edges in our lives. He comes along with His hammer and chisel, sees the rough edges in our lives and knocks them off. Sometimes, if we are resistant, God uses a jackhammer if we are real stubborn He may even use dynamite.

God wants to mold us into the image of Jesus and He uses three ways. God’s Word, God’s Spirit and circumstances if we have not learned, take for example, patience, through his word or through the still small voice of his Spirit, he may put us in traffic jams so we can learn patience the hard way.   

Indeed, God gives us problems for our own good. God uses problems to direct us, to test us, to correct us, to protect us, and to develop us that we might become like Jesus, our Lord.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

BEGINS THIS SUNDAY 9:30am @ Lake Wilson

God Uses Problems In Our Lives - Part 4

Throughout this week we are looking at five ways God uses problems in our lives. 1. God uses problems to direct us.

2. God uses problems to test us.

3. God uses problems to correct us.

4. God uses problems to protect us.

Sometimes God allows problems in our lives for our own benefit.  A problem may actually be a blessing in disguise when it prevents you from getting involved in something harmful. The Bible says, “It is better if it is God’s will to suffer from doing good than doing evil.”1 Peter 3:17

I once heard about a man who was asked by his boss to make an unethical decision but he didn’t want to do it.  His boss said, “If you don’t do it, you will get fired.”  He refused to do what is wrong and he was fired from his job. It just so happened that in a matter of a few weeks, he found another job, a much, much better job than the one he lost. A few months later, his former boss and all of the top employees of his former employer were indicted and went to prison for fraud.  Did God protect him?  I believe he did.   He suffered for doing right rather than for doing wrong.  If I’m going to have problems, I’d rather have them for doing right rather than wrong.

For some of you, getting fired may end up being the best thing in the world for you. Maybe there is a temptation at work, a circumstance detrimental to you and your family, to your health, to your spiritual life, and God knew what He was doing all along.

One very good example of suffering for doing good is the story of Joseph in the Book of Genesis. His brothers sold him as a slave. The wife of the master that acquired him tried to tempt him to go to bed with her day by day.  Joseph said NO, so she falsely accused Joseph of rape and he went to prison for not giving in to temptation.

But while in prison, Joseph met two men who, because of the relationships they developed with him, later brought him to power in the nation of Egypt.  He became second in command only to the Pharaoh.  He came up with the plan to save the nation of Israel.  While Joseph was in jail, God was preparing him for great things. God knew what He was doing. Joseph said in Genesis 50:20: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.”

Problems are a necessity in preparation for eventual success. Experience failure and you can immediately learn what does not work.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

God Uses Problems In Our Lives - Part 3

Throughout this week we are looking at five ways God uses problems in our lives. 1.  God uses problems to direct us.

2. God uses problems to test us.

3.  God uses problems to correct us.

Psalm 119:71 says, “It was good for me to be afflicted that I might learn Your statutes.”  Life is a school and problems are a part of the curriculum.  Have you experienced that some life lessons could only have been learned through trials?

We often learn the value of things when we lose them.  We learn the value of money by losing it.  We can learn the value of relationships by losing them as well.  We can certainly learn the value of health when we get sick.  It is human nature that we often learn best through pain.

When problems arise for you, don’t ask, “Why is this happening to me?”  Instead, ask, “What is God trying to teach me in this? What can I learn from this problem?”  Maybe God wants to teach us about His power. Maybe God wants to teach us that He can handle any situation. Maybe God wants to teach us about His grace and His wisdom, and He wants to teach us to rely on Him.   

God also uses problems in our lives to teach us about ourselves. God may use situations to reveal to us our weakness and character faults. God may allow problems in our lives to show us our blind spots so that we can better reflect His image to others.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

God Uses Problems In Our Lives - Part 2

Problems have a purpose. They develop our perseverance—which strengthens our character, deepens our trust in God, and give us greater confidence about the future.

Throughout this week we are looking at five ways God uses problems in our lives.

1.  God uses problems to direct us.

2. God uses problems to test us.

People are like tea bags.  Once you drop them into hot water, you quickly find out what they’re like on the inside.

Deuteronomy 8:2 says, The Lord led you all the way into the desert these forty years to test you in order to know what was in your heart.

God used Moses to lead the Hebrew people out of bondage in Egypt and lead them to the Promised Land.  The trip from Egypt to the Promised Land, which is Israel today, would only take about two weeks by foot, yet it took the Hebrew people forty years to reach the Promised Land. Why? God tested them in the wilderness so that they would be prepared to meet the challenges of life in the new land.

The Bible compares suffering to a refining fire.  You can take silver and gold and heat them up to burn off the impurities.  Similarly, God burns off the impurities within people through trials. “I, God, have tested you in the fire of suffering as silver is refined in a furnace." Isaiah 48:10

God uses problems to burn off excess in our lives that we don’t need.  How can a metal refiner tell if gold or silver being refined is finally pure?  The metal is pure when he can see his reflection on it.  When God can see His reflection in our lives, then the impurities have been burnt off.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

God Uses Problems In Our Lives - Part 1

³ We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. ⁴ And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. ⁵ And this hope will not lead to disappointment. Romans 5: 3-5

Trials, difficulties and problems are a part of life and if approached correctly they can help us grow. We rejoice in suffering, not because we like pain or deny its tragedy, but because we know God is using life's difficulties and Satan's attacks to build our character. The problems that we run into will develop our perseverance—which in turn will strengthen our character, deepen our trust in God, and give us greater confidence about the future.

Throughout this week we will be looking at five ways God uses problems in our lives.

1.  God uses problems to direct us.

God often uses problems to point us in a new direction, to motivate us to change. Proverbs 20:30 says, “Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways.”  We change not when we see the light but when we feel the heat.  Sometimes God has to light a fire under us.  We then become uneasy and uncomfortable and life gets hot.  C.S. Lewis said, “God whispers to us in our pleasure but he shouts to us in our pain.”  God gets our attention real quickly when problems come upon us.

A person is more likely to change when he or she gets desperate. God uses problems to direct us and get us moving. God uses our problems to prompt us to change.  Change is rare when there aren’t any problems.  In understanding that God uses problems to prompt us to change, one may ask: “Where is this problem leading me?”  Problems never leave us where they found us. When we go through a problem, we always end up someplace different from where we started.  God uses problems to direct us.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

Teach Your Children Part 5

Throughout this week as school is winding down, we have seen how important it is to train our children in having healthy relationships and teaching character and values.   

Ephesians 6:4 says "Fathers, bring up your children in the training and instruction of the Lord."  Obviously, that's not only an instruction to fathers.  It's an instruction to parents. God has given the responsibility of spiritual training to parents and it's not optional.  It is a command.  The most important lesson that we teach our kids is about knowing and loving God.  The bottom line of parenting is to point our kids to God.  

This is why we at Celebration Community Church take Christian Education so seriously. We are here to support and resource what you as parents need to be doing like reading Bible stories, singing songs about God and His love,and helping your child to memorize Bible verses. I know its a lot in our busy schedules but it is that important.  

This is why we started Victory Christian Pre-school and Academy.

Why is a Christian education so important?  Proverbs 9:10 "Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding."  Philippians 3:8 "Everything else is worthless compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord."  Knowing God is the foundational issue of life.  Knowing God is what you build every other form of learning or training on.  It's not just enough to talk about God. We need to make sure we point our kids to Jesus Christ, their Savior, the one who loves them, the one who died for them, the one who gave His life.

If you have a child or grandchild that is entering pre-school or kindergarten or you are looking to have your child's elementary school experience be one that provides quality education from a Christian perspective, come to the next VCA OPEN HOUSE on Tuesday June 2nd at 6:30pm. For more information call 639-6303 or e-mail info@haysvca.com.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle


This Saturday at 7:30 am.

Teach Your Children - PART 4

Throughout this week as school is winding down, we are looking at what the Bible has to say about training up a child in the way he should go so that when they are old they will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

Yesterday we saw how important it is to train our children in having healthy relationships. Today we will focus on training your child in character and values  

As you help your kids develop good habits, they develop good character.  If they don't develop good habits, they're not going to have good character no matter what you say.  I love the expression “Character is more caught than it is taught”.  Our kids learn character and values by watching what is done around them. Values are constantly being communicated and picked up on, one way or the other.  

I know you've heard people say, "I'm not going to impose my spiritual values on my kids.  I'm going to let them decide for themselves." What I say to that is “Baloney!”  What that basically is saying is “to hell with my kids”.  God’s values cannot be optional 

By the time a child is 18 he or she has seen hundreds of thousands of sexual situations on T.V. and in movies with a majority of them being between unmarried couples with an increasing portion between same sex couples. The Bible is clear that we are not to judge others but the Bible is also very clear when is says one day we're all going to be judged before God and we will all give an account of our lives.  Those of us who are parents will give an account of our parenting roles.  Did we care enough to say, this is right and this is wrong, because  lets be honest, most kids don't know right from wrong today. And they learn these character values inside of a Christian home and Christian school. 

This is one of the reasons Celebration Community Church has a Christian school, Victory Christian Academy under its authority. To create an environment of Christian values that can support what is being taught at home. 

Tomorrow we will look at part 5 of Teaching Your Children about God. 

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

THIS SATURDAY

MEN'S BREAKFAST

7:30 IN THE POND AT C3

Teach Your Children

Throughout this week as school is winding down, we are looking at what the Bible has to say about training up a child in the way he should go so that when they are old they will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

Here are some things we can train our families in:  

1.  Relationships.  For better or for worse, your happiness in life is determined by your relationships.  If you know how to relate to people, if you know how to get along with people, you're probably going to be happy a good percentage of your life.  If you don't know how to get along, if you don't know how to relate to people, you're going to be miserable most of your life.  One of the most important skills the family teaches is how to relate.  

Right or wrong, the way you relate to other people you picked up those skills growing up.  Sometimes people grow up in dysfunctional homes and you have to relearn later on how to relate to people because you never learned to relate to people in the right way.  You didn't learn how to resolve conflict.  You either blew up or clammed up.  You do different kinds of inappropriate behaviors so you have to relearn.  So as parents we have to teach and we have to model basic things about relationships.  

Good relationships don't just happen.  You don't just have a good marriage.  You don't just have a good friendship.  It takes time, it takes work.  Relationships have to be built. They are built on things like truthfulness, honesty and vulnerability.  It takes communication.  You cannot have a relationship without communication.  It takes authenticity. It takes massive doses of forgiveness to build a healthy relationship.  Because you're going to be hurt and you're going to hurt others.  Sometimes intentionally.  Sometimes unintentionally.  We have to teach our kids how to resolve conflict.  They need to see not only when you as a parent have a conflict with your spouse, but how you resolve it. We need to teach healthy relationships.

Tomorrow we will look at training up a child in character. 

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

Establishing a healthy relationship with God and with God’s people is just one of the benefits of sending your child or grandchild to Victory Christian Academy. Fall enrollment is starting now. Contact me at kyle@celebratejesus.org if you would like to find out more about our church’s school. 

Teach Your Children

In Luke 2:52 we learn that in his  formative years "Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and with man."  That ought to be the goals you have in your family for each of your children, that you help them have balanced growth -- mental, physical, spiritual and social.  The job description for a Godly parent is described in Deuteronomy 6:7 "You must teach these commandments to your children and talk about them when you are at home or out for a walk, at bedtime and the first thing in the morning." 

This says four important things:

         "You"… -- this is not talking about the government, a preschool, a grade school, a private school, some club, even the church.  It's talking about you if you're a parent.  You are primarily responsible to prepare your kids for life, not some preschool or anybody else.

         " You must…" -- this is not optional.  It's not, "if you have time for it you must do these things" or "It's ok whether you do them or not."  It says "You must..."  It's not optional.

         "You must teach..."  Parents are teaching all the time whether they realize it or not.  If your kids are around you, you're teaching them sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintentionally.  They're watching every move.  You're modeling, exampling, showing how to live.  You are constantly teaching. The only question is, "What are you teaching?" 

         "You must teach these commandments…"  They are commandments, not suggestions.  God didn't give us ten suggestions.  He said these are commandments you are to do.  As parents there are three areas we especially have to be concerned with in raising kids, helping prepare them for life. If you get anything taught, you've got to get these three down. We will look at these over the rest of the week.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

Celebrating Mother's Day

Yesterday we celebrated Mothers Day and I got to thinking about my mom and the how loving and giving she was raising me and three brothers.  

I remember one night as I was having a chicken dinner with my mom I asked her why she only ate the wings of the chicken when the legs, thighs and breasts were so much meatier.  Her reply did not surprise me. She told me that by the time her husband and sons had chosen for themselves what parts of the chicken they liked best , all that was left was a wing.

That is the kind of selfless living that typify so many good Moms and Dads that help their children to grow. It takes sacrifice and selflessness to raise a child well. 

In  Luke 2:52 we are told that from the  "Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and with man."  Those are the same four ways as parent, we help our children to grow. 

            First it says Jesus grew in wisdom.  That's mental or intellectual growth.

            He grew in stature.  That's physical growth.

            He grew in favor with God.  Spiritual growth.

            He grew in favor with man.  That's social growth.

These are good goals for you to shoot for in your family for each of your children so that you can help them have balanced growth -- mental, physical, spiritual and social.  The Bible is very clear that the primary responsibility of raising children, helping them be prepared for life, is laid at the feet of parents.  The moment you took part in a conception you got a job description.  You took on the greatest responsibility in life, parenting a child. Throughout this week as school is winding down, we will look at what the Bible has to say about Training up a child in the way he should go so that when they are old they will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle