Equipping Families to be Strong in the Lord
Two weeks from today I’ll be in New Jersey sharing an “Introduction to Bright Lights” at Mountain Ridge Bible Chapel (not far from New York City). We’d love to see more Bright Lights groups start on the East Coast. If you know anyone in the area who would be interested, click here for the flyer.
For those who don’t get our family’s e-newsletter, here’s this month’s article!
Dinnertime is an important time for families! Here is a list of 25 items to talk about during family dinnertime discussions this month. There is one for each day, starting today (December 1st) and concluding on Christmas Day. These questions are designed to be done when the whole family is together.
If your family completes this challenge, email us after Christmas, and we will send you a free copy of your choice of either Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends, Before You Meet Prince Charming, or Will Our Generation Speak? 🙂 (If you start a day or two late, that’s fine, as long as you complete all 25. Also, the time of day is flexible. The “deeper” questions are optional.)
1) What is your favorite Christmas carol and why?
Deeper: Which Christmas carols best explain the gospel?2) Christmas is much more than a birthday—it is a coming! What is the difference between a “birthday” and a “coming”? Why is it important to make this clear?
Deeper: What could be some of the negative effects of referring to Christmas as a birthday?3) When we wish people a “Merry Christmas,” what are we actually wishing them? Make a list of 10 things to help families have a true merry Christmas. (After making a list, see some ideas at the end of this email.)
Deeper: What is the difference between what the world thinks is a “ Merry Christmas” and a true “Merry Christmas”?4) What is your first Christmas memory? What is your best Christmas memory?
Deeper: What is something that God taught you at Christmastime in the past?5) What is your favorite Christmas tradition in our family? Can you think of any new traditions we could start this year that would help us to focus even more on Christ?
6) What does the word “Incarnation” mean and why is it so important? (John 1:14) How would we explain the Incarnation to someone who had never heard?
Deeper: Here is a suggested project. Print out the Christmas account from Matthew and Luke (download here). Ask people if they have read the Christmas account in the Bible yet this year, and ask them if they would like a copy. See how many you can give away as a family this month.7) In what way is a Christmas card similar to an angel? Is there someone in particular who would be blessed by a surprise Christmas card from us this year?
Deeper: Why do you think God used a star in Matthew (Matthew 2:1-2, 9-10) and an angel in Luke (Luke 2:8-15) to announce the birth of Christ?8) Why did Jesus have to be born as a baby? Why couldn’t He have come as a grown man?
9) Who is a person or family in need that we could reach out to this Christmas season? What could we do for them?
Deeper: How did the shepherd’s respond to the angel’s message? How can we imitate them today?10) How do people in the world today demonstrate the same attitude as King Herod? How do people respond like the wise men?
Deeper: What wicked Old Testament King played an important role in the Christmas story (Isaiah 7-9)? Why did God offer what He did?11) Read Luke 2:19. What do you think were some of the things Mary was pondering in her heart?
Deeper: In Jesus’ own words, why did He say He came? What verses can you find?12) Read the story of Anna (Luke 2:36-38). What can we learn from her example?
Deeper: Why did Jesus come when He did? Why didn’t He come earlier or later in history?13) What is your favorite Christmas gift you ever gave? What are some good aspects of giving Christmas presents? What can be some negative aspects of it?
Deeper: Can you think of any times in Scripture when the Israelites sent presents to each other? (See answers at the bottom of this email.)14) What are the ways that Jesus’ birth was specifically humble?
Deeper: How are Jesus’ first and second coming different?15) What Christmas ministry has our family been involved in over the years? How have we seen God work?
Deeper: Why is it better to give than to receive (Acts 20:35)? What is an example of a time we saw this concept to be true in our family?16) How can each one of us be like the star? What was the star’s purpose? How can we fulfill that same purpose?
Deeper: What did the star in the Christmas account ultimately represent? (Numbers 24:17, Revelation 2:28, 22:16)17) What does the name “Emmanuel” mean and why is it important?
Deeper: When was the last time in Israel’s history that there was a command to kill baby boys? Can you think of any other similarities between these two times in history?18) Read and discuss Micah 5:2. What does the word Bethlehem mean?
Deeper: Why do you think God arranged for Jesus to be born in that particular town and a town with that name?19) What is the first Christmas verse in the Bible? (See answer at the bottom of this email.)
Deeper: Which of the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob) prophesied the coming of Christ? (See answer at the bottom of this email.)20) What are some ideas of things we could do for our neighbors this Christmas?
21) Why is Jesus the Prince of Peace?
Deeper: How many names can you think of for Jesus and what do they mean? What do the names of Christ listed in Isaiah 9:6 tell us about some of the roles He fills?22) What is a fun family memory from Christmas?
Deeper: How do we know that the angels and the wise men did not come at the same time? (There are at least 2 reasons.) Was the star in the east or the west?23) How many different people are mentioned in the accounts of the Christmas story in Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2? Name them all. Pick one person and share something that we can learn from them.
Deeper: What prophecies can you think of that were fulfilled at Jesus’ birth? (Genesis 3:15, Genesis 49:10, Numbers 24:17, Isaiah 7:14, 9:6, Micah 5:2)24) Why did God name the baby Jesus rather than allowing Joseph to choose a name for Him?
Deeper: What are two reasons Joseph was told to name the child “Jesus”? (See answer at the bottom of this email.)25) Without looking, what were the “good tidings of great joy”?
Deeper: Why was Jesus’ birth “glory to God in the highest”?
Also, we will be tweeting the daily question(s) from @BrightLightsMin and @TFInc.
I love how Malachi 3:16-17 reminds us that the Lord is listening to our conversations!
“Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, And the Lord listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name.
‘They shall be Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.’” Malachi 3:16-17
Answers:
Question 3: Honor Christ, Read Scripture, Make Christmas “merry” for someone else, Sing carols, Witness, Give generously, Be excited about the coming of Christ!
Question 13: Esther 9:22, Nehemiah 8
Question 19: Genesis 3:15, Genesis 49:10
Question 24: 1) It means salvation and Jesus would save His people from their sins. 2) It is the same name as Joshua who delivered the people and brought them into the Promised Land.
The early registration deadline for the “Strong in the Lord Conference” and “Radiant Purity Conference” in Cedar Rapids, Iowa is today. Click here for more information!
The conferences are coming up very soon: July 8-9 and 11-12. We’d appreciate prayer that the Lord would bring just the right people and be preparing their hearts now!
We are VERY excited to be going to England with the Jobe Martin family to run three conferences in Derbyshire, London, and Devon. Below is the information about these events. Please pray that the Lord does a great work. If you’d like to be on our prayer e-mail list, email me with the words “England prayer points” in the subject line. Also, please help us spread the word if you know anyone in the UK!
The first conference will be in Derbyshire:
Click HERE to see entire flyer. Here’s a summary:
Discipleship Conference for Families
Equipping families to stand for truth and be strong in the Lord
August 1-3, 2014
Location: The Hayes Conference Centre, Derbyshire (meals and housing provided)
Session Topics: Biblically Handling Technology and Social Media, Developing a Pattern for Discipleship (individual and family discipleship), Families for the Kingdom of God (being a family ministry team), The Evolution of a Creationist (creation vs. evolution), Will Our Generation Speak? A Call to Be Bold with the Gospel, Bible Prophecy, Biblical Discernment: Applying it to Cultural Trends, Dinosaurs and Incredible Creatures that Defy Evolution
Conference registration deadline: July 19.
Click here to register.
The Second Conference we will be doing will be in London:
Click HERE to see entire flyer. Here’s a summary:
Christ Centred Lives Discipleship Conference
Encouraging individuals and families to be strong in the Lord & faithful in serving Him
Monday evening, August 4th, 7:00-9:30 PM
Tuesday evening, August 5th, 7:00-9:30 PM
Location: Chinese Church in London, 69-71 Brook Green, Hammersmith, London (no meals or housing provided)
Session Topics: Families for the Kingdom of God, Biblically Handling Technology and Social Media, Developing Discernment in a Culture of Deception, Training the Younger Generation to Be Strong in the Lord
On Monday, August 4th, during the day, we will run a “Young Men’s Strong in the Lord Conference” and “Young Ladies’ Purity Conference.”
Session Topics for Young Men: Being a Godly Young Man—Lessons on Leadership, Dinosaurs, Evolution, and the Battles of Our Day, Dragons that Young Men Face: Protecting Purity, Being Bold With the Gospel
Session Topics for Young Ladies: Radiant Purity—Waiting for God’s Best, Guarding Your Heart When you Have a Crush, Biblical Beauty, Deepening Your Walk with Jesus
Click here to register.
And the third conference will be in Devon:
Click HERE to see entire flyer. Here’s a summary:
Young Ladies Retreat
Encouraging girls and young ladies in their walk with the Lord
August 8-10, Torquay, Devon
Location: Brunel Manor, Teignmouth Rd, Torquay (meals and housing provided)
Session Topics: Applying God’s Word to Daily Life, Contentment, Radiant Purity, Guarding One’s Heart and Mind, Using One’s Time Wisely, Biblical Beauty, Finding Joy and Fruitfulness in the Season of Singleness, Becoming Deeply Rooted in Christ, How to Have Meaningful and Loving Sibling Relationships, How to Biblically Handle Social Media, Creation vs. Evolution, and Sharing the Gospel Boldly.
Click here to register.
We are doing our first “evangelism training conference” in Saint Paul, Minnesota, three weeks from now.
We’ve had a desire to run some kind of witnessing conference for a couple years now, and when a pastor in Minnesota invited us to come to his church, it pushed us to actually make plans and put it on the calendar. We are excited to see what the Lord has in store!
All are welcome!
Click here for flyer, or for bulletin inserts, click here.
To register, click here.
I imagine that a majority of you are already planning on watching the Bill Nye/Ken Ham Debate on February 4. Hopefully many of you are already planning to live-stream the event for a group!
This morning as my dad was out shopping he had three different conversations with people about the debate.
“Have you heard of the big debate coming up?” he’d say.
Each person he asked responded with great interest, saying, “No, what big debate?”
“It’s between Ken Ham from the Creation Museum and Bill Nye the Science Guy.”
All three had heard of Bill Nye. Only one had heard of Ken Ham.
Then my dad continued, “It’s getting a lot of publicity because the creation/evolution issue is so critical. If evolution is true there is no standard for right and wrong. (People are just “animals” and we are all a big accident!) But if we are created by God, we are made in His image, for His purpose, and there is a standard for truth.”
Dad came back excited about his conversations and about the great “witnessing-conversation-starter” we have for the next twelve days! It’s easy to bring this up with anyone because it’s simply a news item. People like news and controversial debates.
We can share with people that the seating in the 900-seat auditorium sold out in 2 minutes because people are so interested in this debate! We can also share what today’s e-mail update from Answers in Genesis stated: “We already have registrations for an estimated 650,000 people attending in groups to watch the event.” (Wow, praise the Lord!)
And then, if people are interested to talk, we can then ask them, “Do you have any beliefs about the topic of origins and how we got here?” and pray that the Lord opens their heart to be willing to talk with us. Let’s not miss the good opportunity this debate provides us to speak of our Creator with people in the next week and a half. Let’s make the most of every opportunity (Ephesians 5:16).
What you can do:
-Print out and carry the little postcards with you so you can give it to those you talk with (cashiers, bank-tellers, waiters, neighbors, etc.).
-Pray for open doors for conversations.
-Consider live-streaming the event. (In your living room, church, a local university, or a community center…) There is still time—we still have twelve days. Answers in Genesis has provided posters.
-Sign up at www.debatelive.org to receive e-mail updates.
-Pray for others who are live-streaming the event, and for fruitful conversations afterward. The other night I was talking to a friend who is live-streaming it in a large room at his college and he’s very excited about how the Lord will use it.
If you’re looking for a tract to use this Christmas, here is one that I recommend. It’s produced by Answers in Genesis. It’s filled with interesting information about the historical details of Christ’s birth – details that even most Christians get incorrect. It explains how the word “inn” does not actually mean “small hotel,” but rather “guest room,” which changes a lot about the story! I haven’t found a place where you can read the booklet online, but you can read some of the same information in this article.
The booklet is basically a brief history lesson combined with a clear presentation of the gospel and a lot of Scripture. Click here for more information. (Note: if you order 50, the price comes down to $.49 a piece and if you order 100, the price comes down to $.29.)
Also, for another option, here is a fun “Christmas Quiz” tract that you can print out and give away. These are fun to give because people smile and often start reading them right away.
Christmas opens a whole array of wonderful opportunities for witnessing, and I think it really helps to be thinking and planning ahead. Otherwise it’s easy for the “good things” to squeeze out the “best things” that we could be doing at this time of year.
We often talk and pray as a family about how to use our time in December. I thought I’d share a few ideas, hoping it will spark thoughts of things your family could do. (And I’m sure many of you already do these things!)
It’s exciting to know that so many of you Bright Lights girls are in different states (and countries) and when we all work together we are a global team sharing the gospel at Christmas!
Here are some ideas:
-Every time you check out at a store, give them one of these nativity booklets or another Christmas tract. Tell them, “Here’s some fascinating facts that most people don’t know about the true Christmas story.”
-Invite international students over to your home for a Christmas party. Have snacks and share about the Biblical account of Christmas. Explain how most of America misses the whole point.
-Every time you pass a Salvation Army bell ringer, put something in their bucket and then give them a tract. (We have a friend who told us how she buys a snack at the cashier line to give them along with the tract. It’s also a good idea to stop and talk with them for a minute. They likely get bored. And although they may claim to be a Christian, they may not truly understand the gospel.)
-Invite neighbors over for a Christmas party.
-Pick a family at your church who could use some encouragement. Invite them over for Christmas snacks, singing, and read a Christmas passage in the Bible together.
-Go out witnessing at malls and take a short Christmas questionnaire. (I suggest using a few simple questions such as “Why did Jesus come to be born as a baby?” “What would be the best gift you could ever receive?” etc. )
-Go Christmas caroling. Remember that you don’t need perfect singing voices. It’s more the thought that counts. Just sing a couple carols and leave them with a small plate of cookies (and the “Uncovering the Real Nativity” booklet. [smile])
-Go to a nursing home to sing for the residents and talk with them. If you have never done this before, you may be surprised at how much it means to people.
“…you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35
In other news, we are grateful for the help of Hannah and Tia (who come help at the Bright Lights office) for their help in decorating our Noah’s Archive storefront for Christmas today!
More Mexico reports coming soon.
I am very excited to announce this conference being held in the Dallas area, January 3-4!
Challenging Christians To:
Defend the faith and Be Bold with the Gospel
Deepen Discernment in a Culture of Deception
Develop Biblical Patterns of Discipleship
See HERE for the flyer or HERE to go to their website and register.
Last spring we began brainstorming with the Martins… saying, “We’ve done a lot of young ladies’ conferences together, but wouldn’t it be great to do a conference together for whole families?” We both had the same vision: a discipleship conference for whole families with a focus on evangelism and ministry.
The Martins decided to set one up in their area in January, and they have done a lot of work already in planning it! We are excited to be involved, and to see how the Lord will use it!
It is not just for families, but also for individuals students, grandparents, and anyone who is able to come.
Even if you can’t come, we’d appreciate prayer for this conference. As you’ll see if you look at the flyer, there are very important topics being taught. Our desire is that the Lord would greatly use this to equip Christians to be strong and bold for Him in our generation. We’d also appreciate help in spreading the word!
Our special friend and long-term Bright Lights leader, Abby Kramer, is now Abby Spragg!
It was a special day and we are so happy for Guy and Abby!
The Bright Lights conference leaders who were able to make it to the wedding.
Guy sang a song he wrote at the wedding with his guitar as accompaniment:
We’ve been waiting, You’ve been guiding, showing us the path to go
Yours the better way to travel, all along the steps You show.Give us patience, Lord we pray Thee, help us learn to wait for You
You have better timing always, then we could ever do.All the goodbyes, and the heartache, draw us closer and closer to You
Mold and make us, to your image Lord, sanctified and true.As we gather here together, for to make two as one
Lord we praise Thee, glorify Thee, for the work that You have done.In our marriage help us show, You to be the Lord of our all
Guide us on Lord, through the future, make us faithful to Your call.-2013, Guy Spragg
Our last Bright Lights conferences of 2013 will be in St Cloud, Minnesota just over one month from now!
Strong in the Lord Conference – October 8-9
Radiant Purity Conference – October 11-12
For more information see here.
“O taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
O fear the Lord, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is no want.
The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing.”
Psalm 34:8-10