Before getting started we rearranged some of the furnishings to accommodate more kids...podium definitely not deeded so Irene moved it to behind the door...and kids brought in more desks from other classrooms...
After asking the kids to share something that God has done for them this week, Irene led us in prayer to open the session...
Then we spent extended time in praise and worship...to tenderize and prepare our hearts to hear what God would want to say...
Several of the kids led the first few songs...
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| Jane leading the first praise song |
There are so many new faces, and I still have not learned all their names...
Irene then asked which kids had not been with us before...there were several! That helps her know who to call on when asking questions...
Time to find out who remembers what we are studying...this is one of the newer kids, Wilfred, reminding us that part of what we've been discussing is the fruit of the Spirit.
Another new kid, Cynthia reminds us that we have been also discussing about the Tree of Wounding.
Sharon shared that the Tree of Wounding is primarily about the bad things people do to each other...
Many of the kids added to the list of sins we all commit; idolatry, lying, and others...
...the kids also listed more serious sins such as murder, drunkenness, etc...
They were all eager to share, which encouraged Irene and me so much!
Then Irene used Anne's wound on her leg to help the kids understand about the wounds we all carry around with us, which is why we manage to do bad things to each other...
We talked about where wounding comes from; other people, and even from ourselves.
We then talked about the three branches of the tree of wounding; Bitterness, Self Focus and Rebelliousness...
Bitterness causes a negative expectation in life; even when good things happen it is difficult to see the good...this leads to loss of Hope...
Self-focus is an inability to focus on God or others for any length of time...
Rebelliousness leads to an independent, self-reliant lifestyle, which then excludes other people and especially God.
The three main fruits produced by these branches are Irresponsibility, Inability to Trust and Hostility Towards God...
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| The kids were all so eager to answer! |
Irresponsibility produces powerlessness...
Inability to trust includes God, other people, even ourselves.
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| Anne reading Gal 5:22 & 23 - Fruit of the Spirit |
Hostility towards God - blaming God for bad things that happen and making a decision that God may not be good...
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| Charles, a former discipleship student now teaches at St. Catherine's school |
Then we moved on to discuss about the Tree of Life...
The kids helped us remember that the Tree of Life is planted in a foundation of a relationship between God and His children...
The stem or trunk contains; Hope (expectation of God's favor upon our lives, Faith (co-laboring with God and taking a risk together with Him), and Love (for God, self and others).
The fruit of this tree is responsibility, ability to trust, and deep reverence for God.
We also spent time reviewing the fruit of the spirit from the book of Galatians.
Irene then asked who wants to 'eat' from the Tree of Life...all raised their hands...who has 100% of the qualities contained in the Tree of Life - no raised hands. Now is the time to choose the Tree of Life - it is attainable, but only in the power of the Holy Spirit.
She then asked the kids to put their heads down and think about three questions...
...what is the wounding in your life? Who has wounded you? How does the wounding make you feel?
We waited until all the kids had thought through the questions and, one by one, they raised their heads...
I loved this kid's hat and finally got a good shot!
She then asked for the passage from John 10:10 to be read from 4 different translations...
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| Charles |
NKJV says "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly"...that is a promise!
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| Tobias |
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| Josephine |
Irene then asked the kids to think about what they want from the Tree of Life to help with the wounding they had identified earlier...
We went around the room and each kid stated what they want...
Some said peace, some love, some forgiveness, some hope...it was a powerful time of sharing...
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| Irene's 'listening' face |
Irene then led us in a prayer "Jesus I want you to help me practice ___________" whatever quality each child wanted from the Tree of Life...
I took a short break and discovered this 'greenhouse' in the hallway!
Irene reminded the kids that the only way to truly live from the Tree of Life is to be saved...she asked who is not saved or is not sure if they are saved...several kids raised their hands...
She then asked those kids to stand as she read from Romans 10:9 "...if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved"
She then asked them to raise their hands to God as she lead them through a prayer to receive Jesus into their hearts...
After asking for prayer requests she closed our session with a word of prayer...
I love the way we began with the Tree of Wounding, moved on to the Tree of Life and then Irene led the kids to recognize and declare their desire for the Tree of Life and how none of us can display the fruit of the Spirit unless He lives in us...it was a wonderful, interactive and inspiring morning!
