Concert
Looking for something to do Friday night? Although it’s not an official Deep Water event, many of you may know Tim from Deep Water or the open mice I organize. He’s playing from 6-9pm this Friday, June 7 at LeLoLi cafe in Milford. (It’s close to Dover Pools in Milford, just after veering off Route 1 onto 113.) Check out the Facebook event for more info. Connect with Tim or like his music page on Facebook if you want to find out more places he’s playing!
While we won’t post every event we find in the area, I thought you might want to know that there are good things happening in the area. Get involved and enjoy!
Devotional Highlight
Reading Scripture is a privilege, but often hard to do. Many things call for our attention from the time we wake up to the time we lay down again to sleep at night. One way to help get the most out of our reading is to use a devotional–a book, website or app containing a brief lesson on a Scripture.
One I reason occasion is called Today. The readings from yesterday and today showed a cool connection between the Old Testament and the New Testament as fulfilled by Jesus–and how it applies to us:
Monday, June 3
Tuesday, June 4
So what is God asking us to do? We are to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit we’ve been given—like Jesus and the prophets who came before him. Today this means we make known to the world the good news of Jesus. We make God’s presence known through our words and actions. We are to speak out, not remain silent. We are to act with courage, not retreat in fear. We are to offer God’s compassion to the world instead of indifference.When we pick up the cloak of the prophet, accepting the anointing to which we are called, God will use us to be the persons through whom the good news is preached and the name of Jesus is known.
Ways to grow in Faith
Living things grow. While that statement might seem obvious, many times in our faith we don’t grow–we stagnate…we never move forward, becoming more like Jesus and enjoying the promised full, abundant life (John 10:10).
One of the core actions we stress at Deep Water is grow. Our spiritual life should be moving forward every day. There are many ways to grow. One of the things that helps many people grow is something called taking time to step back and reflect on God and the Scriptures–that is, it is a time devoted to growing in your spiritual life. While some people simply read and study books of the Bible, others find something called “devotionals” helpful in maintaining their spiritual growth. Devotionals are typically a Bible verse or verses with a few paragraphs explaining how to live it out in our daily lives (kinda like a mini-sermon).
When first introduced to them, I recall getting a small booklet with a few short paragraphs and a Scripture to read. Of course, the internet and apps have brought change to the form in which they come. Many of these devotionals are now available online, through email, RSS feeds, apps (iOS, Android and others), Twitter and Facebook. So, here’s a quick review of a few of the materials that seem to be good sources for people here at Deep Water.
YouVersion
It’s available online and as a great Bible app for your iphone, ipad or android device–and also offers devotional material (www.youversion.com/reading-plans). Of course, you can review or discuss the sermon weekly thru live events each week or check out the group for Deep Water.Our Daily Bread
This has been a classic devotional for as long as I can remember. It offers a brief commentary on Scripture and can now be played audibly for your drive to work. It is available online and as an app on iOS ($0.99) and Android. You can also sign up to follow them on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.Today
Randomly found this one when looking through some apps and found the material well written and relevant. It is available as and app on iOS and Android. You can also sign up to follow them on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.Parent Cue & Kids Devotional
Although the materials are designed for Kids. The Parent Cue and Kids Devotional sheets are a great way to introduce kids to Bible study and can be a great way for parents to grow too. And since most Americans feel stressed for more time, it allows parents to grow while helping their kids grow. These sheets are available on Sundays, posted on Deep Water’s website and go out in our weekly email let every week.
Please check them out–and let me know about your experience so I can continue to recommend them to others.
We’re also hoping to add more discipleship groups in the future. These groups meet to study a particular curriculum or topic over time. While many are announced, some form without formal announcements. If you’re interested, let me know and I’ll try to connect you with others as groups form.
Baptism
Jesus told his disciples to make new disciples and baptize them (Matthew 28:18-20). Several people attending Deep Water have expressed interest in baptism. While we’ll explain more about baptism in the near future, I am trying to get some feedback on planning the date, location, etc. If you are possibly interested in getting baptized, please contact me or leave a comment below, so I can ask you a few questions as I plan.
June 2013 Kids Church
When we look at the life and teaching of Jesus, we’re reminded how important it is to go back to the basics. Luke gives us some insight into how Jesus grew up. Luke 2:52 notes that Jesus grew in wisdom and in favor with God and others. Throughout our lives, we should also circle back to these ideas as we seek to live like Jesus.
These are the basics: Wisdom—I need to make the wise choice; Faith—I can trust God no matter what; Friendship—I should treat others the way I want to be treated.
When we return to these ideas, we can begin to discover what God is doing in us to change the world around us. This summer we’re heading back to Base Camp where we’ll learn from the life of Jesus, His teachings, and His example.
The monthly memory verse is: “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men,” Luke 2:52, NIrV. When we respond to God and follow where He leads, we will see ourselves develop in wisdom, faith, and friendship. Then we will be able to set the example for other people.
In Week One’s biblical principle, Luke tells us how Jesus grew up (Luke 2:52). Jesus grew closer to God by growing in wisdom, faith, and friendship. Our Bottom Line is:God is doing something in you to change the world around you. We can’t change the world until we allow God to change us on the inside and make us more like Jesus.
In Week Two’s Bible story, Jesus heals a blind man (John 9:1–38, NIrV). This miracle causes the Pharisees and other Jews to wonder if Jesus is the Messiah they had been waiting for. And Jesus tells the healed man exactly who He is. Our Bottom Line is:God is doing something to show me who He is. God is continually doing things around us that help us know Him better.
In Week Three’s Bible story, Jesus’ friend, Lazarus, dies (John 11:1-44). At first,Lazarus’ sisters couldn’t understand why Jesus didn’t help, but they soon realized Jesus had everything under control. Our Bottom Line is: God is doing something big to help me trust in Him. God may not fix all our problems, but He’ll give us the strength to get through it.
In Week Four’s Bible story, Jesus calls Matthew to leave his post as tax collector and follow Him (Matthew 9:9–13). Matthew was hated by most of the Jews, but when Jesus accepted him, it showed that anyone could follow Jesus. Our Bottom Line is:God is doing something in me to help me follow Him. No one is too bad or too good to follow Jesus.
And finally, in Week Five’s Bible story, Jesus tells a story about a farmer who sows seeds in different types of soil (Matthew 13:1–23). The seed is like God’s Word, and the soil is like people who hear God’s Word. If we listen to God and do what He says, we will be good soil and see great growth. Our Bottom Line is: God is doing something in me when I do what He says.
If you would like to use this article in communication with parents and leaders in your church, feel free, so long as you (1) make no changes to the article, and (2) include the following credit line with the article: By Jessica McKee ©2013 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. www.ThinkOrange.com *Used by permission.
