Extra Points!!!

This is the week we have all been waiting for!!! Who will be silly stringed, boys or girls??? Find out this Sunday as our Silly String Showdown competition reaches it finale. There are still ways to get those last minute points in:
1. Bring your Bible.
2. Bring your offering. (Don't forget, all offering goes to the Dirty Water Challenge)
3. Whisper this phrase to Mrs. P.J. "Don't stress me out!!!" (we are talking about dealing with stress this week).

Our new Boys vs. Girls competition will also be announced this Sunday!!!

Hard to say "I'm sorry"...even harder to say "I forgive you"

This week in Graceland Studios we talked about dealing with forgiveness. Even though it is very hard to say "I'm sorry" sometimes it is even harder to say "I forgive you". We learned four reasons why God wants us to forgive:
1. Not forgiving hurts me.
2. God forgives me. It doesn't matter what I have done, or how many times I have done it.
3. I should always choose to forgive.

During small group this week, we talked about some things that had been done to them that was hard to forgive. Take some time this week to talk to your kids about how important it is to forgive others, and take this time to also explain God's great love and forgiveness for us.

Below is our Power Verse and Big Idea for this week. Ask your child to show you the sign language for "forgive".

EXTRA POINTS!!!!

Only two more weeks left until the Silly String Showdown!!! Here are three easy ways to get some extra points for your team:
1. Bring your Bible.
2. Bring your offering.
3. Whisper this secret phrase in Mrs. PJ's ear - "Ain't no thang, but a chicken wang" (we are dealing with forgiveness this week)!

Don't forget your food for the Food Fort! We want it to EXPLODE!!!

Can't wait to see you Sunday!!!!

How to have a good church fight!

Big Idea:
“If Eye To Eye You Cannot See, You’ve Got To Choose To Agree To Disagree!”
Power Verse:
“In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing.” – Philippians 2:14

Deal With It: Conflict

This past week in Graceland Studios we learned how to have a good church fight! The boxing gloves even came out! (Not to teach them any moves, just to illustrate a point). These are the points we made to make sure we are resolving conflict the way the Bible says to:
1. Focus on what is most important.
2. Don't involve others.
3. Stick to the facts.
4. Use God's word as a guide.
5. Pray and move on.

Talk with your kids this week about conflicts they may be having with others. Encourage them to do what our power verse says, "In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing." Phillipians 2:14

Extra Points and Announcements

- Want some extra points for your team this week? Here is this week's phrase to whisper to Mrs. PJ:"Wanna fight?" So, just say that, and You will get extra points for your team. (And, just for the record, I don't want to fight, HaHa!)

- Food Fort : Only 3 more Sundays to fill our Food Fort! All donations will be given to the Harvest House!

- Dirty Water Challenge : All offering collected in Graceland Studios during the month of January will go toward the "Dirty Water Challenge". So, drink water and the money you would be spending on other drinks, set it aside, and bring it on Sunday's to help raise a money for a well to be built in Africa to give clean water to those in need.

- Silly String Showdown : Our boys vs. girls competition is very close! It's hard to tell who will be silly string-ed on January 31st. So, don't forget to bring your bible, offering, and the secret phrase!

Don't Get Burned by Peer Pressure!

We really "heated" things up this week in Graceland Studios as we talked about dealing with Peer Pressure. Our Bible story this week was about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (better known as Rack, Shack, and Bennie according to Veggie Tales, ha!)We learned that they had to make a choice to follow the King and an entire nation or be the only ones standing up for what was right. If they refused to bow to the idol, they would be thrown into a fiery furnace and die! Talk about peer pressure!!! But because they chose to do what was right, God delivered them. We learned that when we stand up for God, He shows up for us, just as he did for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

We also met a new friend this week, Silly Sally! Silly Sally made a really bad decision and gave into peer pressure this past week, and boy did she have a HUGE price to pay! Ask your kids what happened to her. She will be visiting us again in a couple of weeks.

Take some time to talk to your kids about peer pressure this week. Make sure they know that God is with them and will give them the strength to do the right thing.

Family Devotion - "Don't get burned by peer pressure"

Big Idea: I won't bow to peer pressure!
Power Verse: "Don't copy the behaviors and customs of this world." Romans 12:2

For this devotion, you will need some toothpicks, a small cup of peanut butter, and a small ball of Playdoh or clay, or a cup of very firmly packed soil.

Ask your children to tell you what they learned about Shadrach,Meshach, and Abednego this week (Daniel 3). Discuss the following questions:
• What did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego do that made the king mad?
• Why wouldn’t they obey his order?
• Did they know God would deliver them from the fire if they were thrown in?

Explain to your children that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were experiencing peer pressure. Ask your children to tell you what peer pressure means. Help them understand that there will always be people who will pressure or push them to do wrong things. Emphasize that even though it might be hard to resist the pressure, God is always there to help us.

Place a few toothpicks deep in the peanut butter, and ask your children to gently push the toothpicks. Then place a few more toothpicks deep in the Playdoh, clay, or soil, and ask your children to gently push on those toothpicks, too. Ask them which is harder to push over. Then explain to your children that as our relationship with God grows more solid, the harder it is for people to push us to do the wrong thing. And when people see that we aren’t going to bow to peer pressure, they’ll want to know what’s different about us, which gives us a great opportunity to tell them about Christ.

Pray with your children, asking God to deepen your relationship with Him. Pray that He will give all of you the strength to stand up under any peer pressure you’re experiencing.

Happy Snow Day!!!

Hi Graceland Kids!!! I hope you are enjoying your day off from school, WOO HOO!!! I hope you are having snowball fights, building snowmen, making snow angels, and not even thinking about school.

Things are going to get HEATED this Sunday. Let's just say the opposite of snow will be making an appearance this week. Curious? Good!

Also, don't forget to bring your bible, offering, and something for our Food Fort. I guess you want to know how to get some extra points for your team, soooooo..... whisper this phrase to Mrs. PJ - "Woo Wee it's hot in here".

I can't wait to see you Sunday!!!

Family Devotion for "Fear Factor"

Big Idea: “Bring On The Scary, Bring On The Fear, I Know That My God Is Near!”
Power Verse: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid…for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”- Joshua 1:9

For this devotion, you will need some tape or a long piece of string or yarn. You’ll also need something you can use as a reward, such as a piece of candy or other treat.
Take the tape or string and make a straight line across the floor that’s several feet long. Place the treat at one end of the tape/string. Tell your children that in order to get a reward, they must walk with one foot in front of the other across the tape/string without letting either foot touch the floor on the side. Some children will be able to do this while others won’t; it doesn’t matter either way. After each child has had a chance to walk across the tape/string, have them walk back to the beginning and try it again, this time holding your hand. Then discuss the following questions:
• Was it easier to cross the tape/string by yourself or when someone was helping you? Why?
• What would have happened if you’d never taken the first step to cross the tape/string? (You wouldn’t have gotten the reward.)
• If the tape/string had been really high or over a pit of alligators, how would you have felt? Would you have still wanted to walk across?

Explain to your children that throughout their lives, they’ll be faced with situations where they may have to do something they’re afraid of in order to achieve their goal. They may not have to walk over a pit of alligators, but they may have to face other types of fear such as the fear of failure or the fear of poverty. Read Isaiah 43:1 and remind your children that God will always be with them, helping them make it through any fearful situation they might face.

Pray together, thanking God that He’s always with you and will always give you the courage to face your fears.

Fear Factor

This week in Graceland Studios we talked about dealing with Fear. Our Bible story came from Joshua chapter 1. Joshua was very sad because Moses had just died, and he loved Moses. Moses was a great and powerful leader. But, now God has told Joshua that he is going to be the new leader fo the army of the Israelites. Can you imagine being told that you are now the general of the army? Imagine, one day you are just a young man minding your own business and then next day you are told you are going to be then general of the army! What would you do? Probably the same thing Joshua did...Joshua FREAKED OUT! He is afraid the people won't follow him. He's afraid he will fail as the leader of God's people. When he tells God about his fear, God replies, "Be strong and courageous... do not be afraid..." (Joshua 1:9)

I hope you will take some time this week to talk with your children about some fears they may have in their life. Pray that God will help them deal with those fears and "be strong and courageous" and always remember that God is with them.