Sparks 3.4.15

****Sparks Highlights****    These weeks of Sparks we have been learning about salvation – our Bible heroes and their lives are pictures of Jesus.  They were saved or were used by God to save someone else.  We learned that Christmas was when Jesus – God’s Son, God in human form – came to earth in human flesh as a baby.  Last week, for Valentine’s Day we talked about God’s love for us that He gave us that gift of Jesus that when we believe on Him, we can have everlasting life.  That gift of love took the punishment of our sin, which was death.   He was and is our salvation from the punishment of our sin.  Tonight, and for the rest of the Sparkie year, we are learning about who Jesus is and why He is the One who is fit to take that punishment and to claim He is God in the flesh, to claim why He is the One and Only One that can grant us salvation.   Specifically, tonight, we are looking at Jesus’ character of Holiness.  He was tempted to sin, yet did not.  He could not take the punishment for our sin if He Himself was a sinner as He would be no different that you and me.   Indeed, we are not perfect as Jesus to never sin, but we can use His example to help us try not to sin.  Jesus was tempted three times in Matthew Chapter 4, and each of those three times, He used the help of His Father God to resist the temptation.   Those words He quoted were words of His Father, and you know, we have those same words in scripture.   That is why it is so important to learn God’s words, memorize scripture.  These verses your Sparkie works on every week are the words of God!   They can hide those words in their hearts that they might not sin against God.

You are welcome to join us anytime at Sparks!    You can also check out the AWANA program at           www.fbc.littletonil.org.    

Mrs. Jennifer Schroeder, Mrs. Barb Stein.

Sparks 2.25.15

****Sparks Highlights****    All of our holidays – whether remembrance days or just special days – can remind us of God and His provision for us.  Thanksgiving we are thankful to Him for His blessings.  Christmas we are blessed by the gift of His Son Jesus Christ coming to earth as a man.  Valentine’s Day – it is not a remembrance day, but it is a special day that we can be thoughtful of the greatest love of all – John 3:16 – our Sparks key verse tells us that God so loved the world.  He so loved the world that He gave us His only begotten Son that whoever believes on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.   The penalty of sin is eternal, everlasting death, but God provided a substitute to take that death – His son Jesus – that when we believe in Him with all of our heart, soul and mind and He then so becomes the Lord of our life, we have everlasting life through Him.  He loves us that much that He sacrificed.  We talk about loving people – God is Love because He has given us the greatest love anyone can give and receive – that Jesus laid down His life so that we might have everlasting life.  We just have to believe, it is nothing we earn or pay back. This Love is free to those who believe.  Do you really know and have Love this Valentine’s Day?

You are welcome to join us anytime at Sparks!    You can also check out the AWANA program at           www.fbc.littletonil.org.    

Mrs. Jennifer Schroeder and Mrs. Barb Stein.

Sparks Highlights 2.11.15

****Sparks Highlights****   Last time in Sparks, we learned about the three Hebrew friends that God saved from the fiery furnace – how about being saved from the mouths of hungry lions?!  Again, a Hebrew young man by the name of Daniel obeyed God.  There was a law in the land that no one could bow or pray to anyone but King Darius.    Daniel knew he was to pray only to God, so he continued to do so.    The Bible describes that he purposed in his heart to obey.  When you purpose in your heart to do something, it means you put that ideal above all else, no matter what the cost.  That is exactly what Daniel purposed – to obey God.  And when he was found out that he was obeying God rather than King Darius, by punishment of that law, he was thrown into the lions’ den.  God shut the mouths of the lions and Daniel was unharmed.  God again was able to prove Himself – obey and trust Him, and He will save.  He will save and show that he is mighty and powerful.  Read about this other exciting story of God’s salvation of His people in Daniel Chapter 6! 

You are welcome to join us anytime at Sparks!    You can also check out the AWANA program at           www.fbc.littletonil.org.     

Mrs. Jennifer Schroeder, Mrs. Carol Sheley, Mrs. Barb Stein.

Sparks Highlights 1.21.15

Kids and people of any age can make good decisions to serve and obey the Lord – such were three Hebrew young men we know by the names of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.  They knew that God did not want them to bow down to the golden statue of the king.  The penalty of disobeying the king was to be thrown into the fiery furnace.   The three young friends obeyed God, instead of the king, and refused to bow before the statue.  Under penalty of the law, they were thrown into the fiery furnace.  But, God did not allow them to be burned or even harmed by the fire.  When the king looked into the fiery furnace he saw not three people, but four.  The king saw the fourth person, an angel of the Lord, sent to protect the three friends from the flames, to save them.  That is exactly what Jesus does for us.   He saves us from the fire – the Bible tells us there is a lake of fire that burns night and day for eternity apart from God.  That lake of fire is the place of punishment for the penalty of our sins, but when we accept what Jesus did on the cross and make him the Lord of our life, Jesus saves us from that punishment.  We continue to see the plan of salvation through the lives of ordinary people  - this time, three young men who obeyed and only served the Lord.  Read about them in Daniel 3.

You are welcome to join us anytime at Sparks!    You can also check out the AWANA program at           www.fbc.littletonil.org.     

Mrs. Jennifer Schroeder, Mrs. Carol Sheley, Mrs. Barb Stein.

Sparks Highlights 1-14-15

Wow!  It is great to be together again!  We hope you had a Merry Christmas celebrating the birth of our Savior.  We hope, too, you are looking forward to the upcoming year and for the great blessings God has in store for us.  We have spent the last few weeks in Sparks learning about the promise of our Savior and His earthly birth.  All year, we have been discussing our need for His birth and life.  Before really focusing on Jesus the rest of the Sparks-year, we are going to learn about a few more Old Testament biblical stories that point to Jesus.  One such was Josiah – did you know that the nation of Israel had a king who was only 8 years old?   If Josiah were living here now, he would be a Sparkie!   Did you know that that 8 year old was very wise?  Josiah was wise because he led his people to obey God.   Obeying God is a wise principle to live by and a great New Year’s resolution – if you are still looking for one!    

You are welcome to join us anytime at Sparks!    You can also check out the AWANA program at www.fbc.littletonil.org.     

Mrs. Jennifer Schroeder, Mrs. Carol Sheley, Mrs. Barb Stein.

Sparks Highlights 12-10-14

  As the world now turns its attention to Christmas because of gifts and parties, we should be turning our attention to the Greatest Gift of All. That is the Gift of God that through His Goodness and Mercy, He gave us His One and Only Son Jesus Christ that came to the earth in the form of man.  He was born of a virgin and took on the likeness of man, yet was God in the flesh – God dwelling among us  - Emmanuel.  The last few weeks have flown by in Sparks, but we have been studying many important Bible accounts in the Old Testament that have shown us the picture of Jesus and His Salvation for us.  Jesus is the Deliverer from the penalty of our sins – what a gift!  It is free to those who confess their sins, believe and allow Jesus to be the Lord of their life.  Tonight we learned how hundreds of years before Jesus was born on the earth, His birth was prophesized in many Old Testament.  Not only was His birth prophesized, but also His death and resurrection.  Everything said of Him and everything He said has come true – even some things He said are yet to be seen. We know those yet to be seen things are true because He has proved Himself over and over.    Your Sparkie is working hard on a mural that tells this incredible true story.

Our Sparks key verse is John 3:16 – that is the greatest gift to us.  Have your Sparkie recite it for you!  You are welcome to join us anytime at Sparks!    You can also check out the AWANA program at www.fbc.littletonil.org.     

Sparks Highlights 12-3-14

 God continues to show His might power through using the seemingly weak among us!  First, the walls of Jericho fell by shouting and loud instruments.  Then, Gideon’s small army of just a few hundred me conquered the enemy in the thousands.  And now, tonight, we learned of a small shepherd boy named David who defeated a giant man named Goliath with just a sling and a stone.  Read about this exciting account in 1 Samuel chapter 17.  There were many voices telling David that he was no match for the giant, but David knew that God was with him and that God had trained him as a shepherd to defend his flock from many bad things.  David was most empowered as he stated “ I have come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel”  and he went on to say “ for the battle is the Lord’s”   -  today the battle is still the Lord’s and with Him we will prevail.  If David would have not defeated the giant, the nation of Israel would have been under the Philistine’s control.  David saved them from that bondage.  David later because the king of Israel and wrote many of the psalms in the Bible.  But even more amazing, this little shepherd boy was in the lineage of Jesus Christ the Messiah – our Savior, our King and Greatest Defender.  Jesus Christ saves us from the bondage of our sin as we see David saved his people from the bondage of the enemy.  What a fitting time to learn about David as we are in the Christmas season – celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ!

You are welcome to join us anytime at Sparks!    You can also check out the AWANA program at www.fbc.littletonil.org.     

Mrs. Jennifer Schroeder, Mrs. Carol Sheley, Mrs. Barb Stein.