Ministry class assignment 2

Ministry class assignment #2 – Humbleness

Lesson in humbleness… (Hypothetically would be for the Girl’s Ministry class)

Central message: The best lifting up is through God. He will lift up the humble.

Memory Verse:

Proverbs 16:19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Scripture:

Luke 15:11-32  -- Prodigal Son

¹¹ And he said, A certain man had two sons:

¹² And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.

¹³ And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

¹⁴ And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

¹⁵ And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

¹⁶ And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

¹⁷ And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

¹⁸ I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

¹⁹ And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

²⁰ And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

²¹ And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

²² But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

²³ And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:

²⁴ For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

²⁵ Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.

²⁶ And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.

²⁷ And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.

²⁸ And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.

²⁹ And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:

³⁰ But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.

³¹ And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.

³² It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

Lesson:

We want to have a byline, share our two cents, and be recognized with admiration for our achievements; we are by nature prideful beings. Seems logically to receive praise for the accomplishments we have under our belts, but how much glory do we tend to rob? How many situations do we walk away with the glory that rightfully deserves to be in the hands of God?

 There is not one person who does not struggle with pride in one or many areas of their lives. And pride is a dangerous weakness to dwell in because Proverbs tells us God hates pride. God has a way of bringing those who were set up high to a lowly state and those who find their selves low in stature to a highly valued place.

The lowest person does not have anywhere to go but up and the highest can sometimes merely fall. Another example in scripture is David. David was the youngest of his siblings and God called him out and set him as King, whereas, the giant was arrogant and prideful in his ways and God made him fall.

In the story of the prodigal son, we are given a wonderful example of what happens when we let our guard down and slip off the pedestal we built ourselves and find ourselves in a low place needing His grace. At the beginning, the son has wealth and is living in a riotous manner. He has no concern for others and was probably self-absorbed. It does not take long for him to find himself in the pig pen where no one else will give to his want. (Note: only God through Christ can fulfill our need for salvation.)

It is when he is lowly that he finds himself to be humble. When he looks back to return to his father, he does not want the wealth he had, but rather he would be grateful just to work as a servant for his father. He does not think himself to deserve a place in his father’s house, but he realizes he could ask to serve his father.

This is a beautiful picture of a person who looks to God and knows they have nothing, but if they could only serve God it would make the difference in their life.

Once the son returns, he is given more than he could have ever anticipated. His father welcomes him back with open arms and adorns him with his very best. God gives us the best when He gives of Himself through Christ and Holy Spirit. So, our Heavenly Father places value on those who are lowly. When we have nothing, but a willingness to turn, repent and serve Him, He gives us everything.

The older brother is then pulled aside in his anger for his father’s unmerited favor toward the younger son. The older brother sets outside the celebration because pride creates jealousy in his heart. He has the same access to his father’s riches and gifts, but it is untold if he lets go of his anger to join the celebration.

Pride can take many forms in our lives and sometimes we do not even realize it is there, but it still separates us from our father. Whether you are in the pig pen after spending everything you thought belonged to you or you think you are playing ever card the right way, pride can sweep in and bring you to a low place which only your Heavenly Father can lift you from.

Supporting Scripture:

Psalm 138:6 Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.

Romans 12:16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

Ezekiel 21:26 Thus saith the Lord God; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high.

Proverbs 16:19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Proverbs 29:23 A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.

Activity options:

1.) Tug a war in mud. Flesh and pride are opposite forces of spirit and humbleness. They will pull in opposite directions and the mud to symbolize being in the pig pen similarly to the prodigal son and/or our filthy righteousness.

2.) Fire pit. Take several scraps of paper and write the things you have failed at, things you might not like about yourself, things from the past. Throw those papers in the fire and discuss how God takes us when we are imperfect and we have value because he created value in us. He gives us freedom to walk away with the fire of His spirit in us and no longer those things that hinder our walk with Him. 

Essay for Ministry Class

I continue to neglect my blog, but enjoyed this writing so thought I would share. 

Essay for Ministry Class

In the moment when all commotion ceases, where the noise transcending the air dulls and clarity rushes your mind and soul despite the atmosphere seen through physical eyes, it is at this moment when no doubt can push aside the presence of God in your heart. I have experienced these moments where God makes the things of this life seem so simple, and yet have other times where I tug to fight confusion for my next step forward. However, when all the dust settles the truth will always remain, and the truth is, God has placed purpose in my life.

I have always had the inclination I was mostly average in just about every area of life. When I was younger I automatically assumed God gave talents and those talents depicted how someone was called to serve God in ministry. Within this concept I have never found myself to really fit into and clique. I could not carry a tune, so worship leading was not for considering. I never felt lead to preach; studying is not my forte. Due to a difficult childhood, dealing with the older generations through a nursing home ministry did not stand out to me, and I was usually quite terrified of traveling. Therefore, my options were diminishing. My prayer as a young teen trying to search out my calling from God turned into a cry to experience motherhood knowing I could cling to the role of parenting.

Of course, now I have been able to grow up some, and while I have been granted the position of Mommy, I have learned so much more about God’s ministry work beyond this title. First, I do not need a talent in any field. I need only to have willingness. After all, it is His ministry, not mine. There is not much use in attempting to place God in my box when His capabilities far outweigh my own. So, when I try to answer the question as to why I feel called into ministry, it is because I could not imagine anyone not called. Ministry can take many forms. Typically, we perceive it as a genre of work that progresses the church body. While my efforts are not to weaken this perception, I feel God’s ministry comes in the form of merely sharing His truth and love.  Granted, there are those who taint His ministry by jumping into a position trying to utilize tools God has not equipped them with, but if broken down to its purest form there would be features of God’s truth and love missing replaced with selfishness or fleshly desires. God’s truth and love are key components to ministry’s recipe and we bring willingness to the table. These aspects along with others are then orchestrated to further the will of God; His will that none should perish. I feel called because there is a fire of willingness unexplainable leading me to act within God’s truth and love.

Along with the feeling of being called to serve God through ministry, He takes the time to direct and guide me. He has sent me in several directions, but cleverly to areas of teaching in most cases. When I think about children learning, I feel as if I would move those mountains to make clear a way for them to see the God we serve more undoubtedly. The cloud of smoke from the enemy firing shots around our children is thick and deceiving. I take responsibility in swatting away the smoke for a better picture of the truth and love God would have them see. Being raised in a family wrapped in hypocritical religion, rarely did I feel loved or valued. It was only when I experienced the true love God offered me did I wipe the scales from my eyes, and this is a process which continues as we grow closer to Him. I want to make available myself so God can have others have this experience and others with Him.

Overall, I feel called to work with children. I will work with them where ever God puts me. Currently, I have been giving the opportunity in a few different areas. He has opened the door in my home to minister to my children. I pray He will hear my cry to open our home up to more children in the future through the means of adoption. Time will tell, but I have faith he will make adoption a reality. I could write more than three pages alone on the ministry of adoption and how it relates to our Heavenly Father adopting us into His family. Also, I have had the privilege to lasso the Girl’s Ministry for our church. There are so many bumps along the way. One moment I will feel empowered in this ministry and in the next breath I will feel overwhelmed. It takes a great deal of trust to lean to God and not my own understanding in all ministry work. It is a great deal of work and with each stride I tend to question my capabilities in some areas while remaining confident in others. I see God touching the lives of the girls involved with this ministry and while I am rewarded with the time I spend with these girls, I also want them to feel loved and valued. The desire I have for the girls to learn who God is and to make the relationship they have with Him real triumphs my skittish thoughts in the processes.

Similarly to the Girl’s Ministry, I have the opportunity to work with girls through coaching basketball. This is a dream come true for me. Aside from God saving my soul and reaching out to me, playing basketball when I was a teen was another lifeline I held tightly to in the darkest parts of my life. I am able to push girls to greater lengths they might have otherwise not known they were capable of and all the while having a lot of fun. Many of the challenges they face on the court can be a direct replica of areas of difficulty off the court. Some might see a game or a sport, but when looking closer there is a picture painting examples of real life. In all ministry work, there is an opportunity to display the examples God has outlined for us through truth and love.

The only clear vision I have for the future of the ministry work I am involved in is to continue to provide those examples of the true Word of God and His love. I am willing to take the measures necessary to move in the right direction with my ministry work, but my prayer at the end of the day will always be for God to have His will and move me accordingly.