Terrific Tuesday! God's Miraculous Acts of Provision

• Tuesday's are FULL of provision. We talk all about what it means to be provided for and how we can reflect the heart of the Father as we provide well for the animals, friends, family and things that God has blessed us with. 
  
  God has blessed His Creatures, and He has blessed us with the ability to care for them!
  •  We share our favorite animal memories and look for the blessing of God within these memories
  • We acknowledge the ways we have learned to care for animals on the farm and the ways we can learn to care well.
  • We talk about what we all need, and yet how God meets our needs differently
• Matthew 5:3-12 - Our verse for the year, reminds us that God's blessing is found EVERYWHERE.
  • “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.
    This is such a deep concept, but it is so fun to see kiddos grasp the truth that to be poor in spirit really means to live like Jesus, following the greatest commandments - loving God and loving others and ourselves well.  
  • Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 
    God is near to the brokenhearted, I love how your kiddos shared their deep concern for rejoicing with those who rejoice and being sad with those who are sad. Again, reflecting God's love to others. We can comfort others when we allow ourselves to be comforted by God, we can learn to give the comfort we have received away to others. 
    
  • Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
    ​I loved seeing this verse click today as we talked about what it meant to be meek. Not weak but humble. The faithful and gentle saints of God will one day inherit the new Heaven and the new earth. 
    
  • Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled.
  • We talked about the importance of seeking after righteousness and how when we look for God's handiwork we see more of His goodness all around. 
  • Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy.
    
  • God's mercies are new every morning, and it is such a blessing! We can respond by being merciful as well. 
  • Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 
  • Often times, a childlike faith will in fact see more of God in the details of life than a life that is consumed with worry, striving, or evil. 
    
  • Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 
  • With this part of the verse we talked about the difference between being a peaceMAKER and a peaceKEEPER. It is one thing to "keep the peace" and it is a very different thing to MAKE peace. One requires humility and boldness; the other is simply an attempt to be nice and not rock the boat. We are called to be bold and humble as we bring the peace of the Kingdom to our world.
  • Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. 
  • Bullying, being hurt, being taunted. No one wants these things in their life but look at the disciples of Jesus and how they suffered for the truth, for bringing love and unity to a world so divided. Surely, they brought the kingdom of God near, and surely, they lived in the reward of that kindness. 
  • Blessed are YOU when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in Heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 
  • Great is our reward when we are "offensive" to others as light is offensive to the eyes that have been in deep darkness. Its brightness isn't bad; it only brings awareness to the eyes and then illuminates wonderful things. To see a friend and a beloved child of God come to know the truth of God is a huge reward, and it is so worth the trail.
• Later in the sermon on the Mount (Jesus’ most FAMOUS talk which we should take seriously! All that he says and asks of us in these passages is to become like Him - its a process.) He talks about worry. As we watch the animals here on the farm, we don't see any of the animals stuck in worry. Specifically, Jesus uses the example of the “birds of the air”. As we watch our feathery friends soar and glide, we see their carefree nature in their daily life. Provided for. We are too. And we can trust that even in the “Be attitudes” we are provided for with blessings that far outweighs any of the suffering. HOW WILD IS THAT?!
• The tricky part of faith is trusting this truth even when we don't feel it. Think of the disciples who suffered for the truth of Jesus’ life giving work on the Cross. They KNEW it was true, and so they were unshakable in their declarations of the truth. 
• We discuss the truth of knowing that our heavenly father knows what we need even before we ask. 
• We talk about providing for our animals and how there are specific ways to care for their specific needs
• I enjoy sharing the blessings of today and more miraculous stories of God providing here on the farm. From the timing of God bringing our animals to the farm, our care, and even special donations that have come at the perfect time: hay, mobile grazing fences, a new pony and more! It is fun to hear how your kids have seen God provide for them as well. Ask them! 

• We cover several stories of God's Miraculous Act of Blessing/Provision:
  • Abraham
  • Isaac
  • Jacob
  • Joseph
  • Israel
  • Balaam - Read parts from Numbers 23-35
  • David - God with him and strengthening him/preparing him to lead
    • The Psalms
  • Elijah 1 Kings 17 - Fed by the ravens  and by a widow - recall the blessing in John 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” 
  • Jesus - giving us full access into the family of God through His blessing. - The Cross
• We discussed nutrition as we covered Feeds and Food Labels 
  • We learned the 6 essential nutrients AND 6 spiritual disciplines
    • Fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, water
    • Prayer, Praise/Gratitude, Sabbath, Silence/solitude, Fellowship, Generosity. 
      • Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” John 6:38
    • Help your kiddos to think of activities that have spiritual “nutrition” and the appropriate amounts of “nutrients” Some examples below:
      • Church
      • Youth Group or bible studies
      • Jumping on the trampoline with friends of by yourself
      • Going for a hike/ bike ride
      • Learning to do a quiet time
      • Serving with your parents
      • Thinking of friends first
      • Practicing being generous with our words, our time and our talents.
  • For more fun Food Parts enjoy asking them about the plants/ veggies in your meals for the next few days! You can also as them what is in the food they are eating and discussing what our bodies need. 
    

Many blessing to you and your families! 

Our worship today: 
Canyons - Cory Asbury

Same God - Elevation Worship