The Akridge Sunday School Class

• Sunday Social-next Sunday March 6th in Sunday School. We'll have a short devotional and spend the hour getting to know one another better. Potluck breakfast. Be sure to be there at 9:15am
• March 5, 2011, Saturday-Visiting Children's Harbor-Please continue to bring deo for the hygiene bags. Contact Emily if you want to go.

Prayer Requests/Praises:

• Clista-Sinus infection
• Brenda-Praise-Jim was able to take his treatment on Tues.
• Julie-Aunt dealing with husband and mom w/dimentia (Julie's grandmother); Sis-in-law having a C-section Wed. (Complicated/high risk pregnancy)
• Brady-grandmother w/lung cancer
• Scott T.-cousin Daryl Stovall battling cancer in his jaw and Leukemia. He will be setting up a surgery to replace bone from his leg into his jaw.

• Jason & Ashley--Praise! its a girl and she is healthy.
• Brenda-for Jim's platelets to be up so he can take his treatment Tuesday

Announcements:

• Sunday Social--March 6, Sunday--9:15am in our classroom. We will have a good time of fellowship and Mike & Brenda will give a devotional. You can sign up to bring something with Ashley. This is a great way for us to visit with each other and childcare is taken care of.

Lesson Recap: 2 Kings 18-19

"When the outlook is bleak, try the uplook."

Hope=confident trust in God

These chapters give us a look at the account of Hezekiah's reign as king. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord unlike so many kings before him. The foe is King Sennacharib (Mike really enjoyed saying his name.) Sennacharib trys to set Hezekiah up as the one deceiving the people. But God is on Hezekiah's side and shows them all who is boss. (my paraphrase...lol) In a time where Hezekiah's very reputation and belief system are coming into question he doesn't lose hope, he turns to God in prayer. This is the only adequate response. He didn't try to take things into his own hands, he put them in the hands of the One that could truly provide. His prayer shows that he knows God as the one true God, that he believes God is able and that He has the power to provide the salvation they need for the moment. The beauty of the close of the prayer is that he prays all of this to give God the glory so that all kingdoms may know Him.

God does answer Hezekiah's prayer and shows up on the battle field as the angel of the Lord and slays 185,000 men. Hezekiah's men never even had to strike a sword. Sennacharib was taken care of as well, as he fled back to Ninevah and then was killed by 2 of his own sons.

Mike reminded us that It's one thing when a king speaks or a president, etc.....its another when the Lord speaks. We can always have hope, no matter how bleak things are because we know the ending is in God's hands.

Questions of application-

• What is your biggest battle in your life?
• Where is your hope? confidence? trust?
• Do you even have hope?
• Do you expect God to show up?

God knows our battle. We need to turn to Him in prayer. We can claim a promise in Scripture and not be afraid. Fear says I do not trust God.

If you are having trouble in turning to God for something going on in your life right now, do not try to go it alone. We want to help. Turn to someone in our class, or to Mike and Brenda. God is able to carry you through whatever you are facing.

■Individual counseling helps individual family members to identify, understand, and resolve personal and relationship difficulties.

■Family counseling helps a family work together more effectively and supports the growth and development of all its members.

■Parent and child relationship counseling helps the child and parent explore ways to maintain balance and strengthen their relationship through effective communication and cooperation.

■Parenting training provides parents with effective methods for improving their parenting skills.

■Play therapy provides opportunities for clients to express their feelings through therapeutic play.

■Coping techniques teach skills related to reducing and managing stress and anxiety.

■Support groups are provided for people in similar circumstances to develop new relationships, share methods of coping, and encourage each other.

■Social support services assist families with referrals, transportation, housing, and other social needs which have evolved due to the child's illness

• Jason & Ashley--Ultrasound on Thursday to find out the gender fo the baby. Look for email on Friday after they tell their parents. ;)
• Brenda--Jim (b-i-l) to be able to continue treatments for cancer
• Krista--Christy Dooley & family as she goes through treatments for breast cancer
• Brian & Liz Sanders--b-i-l and sister of Jennifer Michaelson
• Jason & Susan Flebott--Jarrod & Stacie Robinson--Jason (35yrs old) has been diagnosed with inoperable stage 4 colon cancer. They have 4 children.
• Continue praying for Pastor Buddy's daughter Grace. You can follow updates on his blog at http://www.buddychampion.wordpress.com/

Announcements:

• Saturday Feb. 19th--Chili social & Ministy project--big day for packing Hygiene kits....see previous post
• March 6th-First Sunday Social in class--sign up for potluck will be passed around in class, or you can contact Ashley.
• Be sure to register for the Preschool Parent's Night Out, through the church website, coming up on Friday, March 25th.

Lesson Recap:

About Face!

Deut. 4:1-2, 6, 2 Kings 17:5-13, `4-23, 41, 2 Pt. 3:9

Israel:

1. Forgot God's Mercy (v7)
2. Imitated the ungodly (v8)
3. Turned a deaf ear to God's preacher (v 13-18)
4. Worshipped the Lord, but not exclusively (v32-34, 41)

• Israel thought they could sin secretly and get away with it.--Are we deceiving ourselves in thinking we can hide our sin from God?
• They knew God's laws--God had sent His prophets and they ignored them. --Are we ignoring God's word?
• They became worthless like the idols they worshipped--Are we worshipping worthless idols?
• Are we becoming immune to God's warning?
• What is it in our lives that would cause anger in God's eyes?
• How has God spoken warnings to us?
• What has been our response to those warnings?

The only appropriate response is Repentance--to make an about face! When we make that about face we will be staring into the face of God. When we turn from our sin God will lead our paths straight. God is full of grace, turn to Him today!

• Hygenie kit packing day Social--Feb 19, 5:30-8:00pm in the Blythe Equipping Room. We are having Chili and goodies. Sign up to bring something in class or contact Emily. Don't forget to bring your travel size toiletries. Scroll down and see the sidebar for ideas for collections.
• We need some volunteers to take birthday cakes to Springville and Margaret schools once a month. Please see Emily to help out.
• TEAM food collection--fill a bag with some groceries to help fill the local food bank. Return items February 13th.

• Julie-grandmother in nursing home with dementia and brain seizures. Adjusted meds, seems more alert. Cooper has tube out of right ear and left is almost out. A lot of pressure is on the right. Pray he stays healthy & tubes don't have to be replaced.
• Clista Whitworth-Kaitlin has upper respiratory infection
• Robert-his boss is departing to Puerto Rico/health issues.

Lesson Recap:

(2 Kings 9-10)--Today was an amazing lesson on our passion in Christ. Simply put, are we where we need to be or where we could be in our relationship with Christ? If not, why not? Mike and Brenda gave us a strong challenge to adjust our lives so that they will line up with where God wants us. The world has one standard, but God's is a far cry from the world. By which standard are we living our lives? Do we think we are ok, because we have cleaned up our act by the things we say, or the fact that our name is on a church roll, or perhaps because we volunteer left and right? Is that really all God desires of us? Let's not be satisfied with where we are simply because we measure up to the status quo of the church. Let's give every aspect of our lives to God. In Revelation, the writer notes that God would rather us be hot or cold but if we are lukewarm he wants to vomit us out of his mouth. How would you rate your passion, your love, your zeal for God? God's love can reach into every area of our hearts and lives. It is powerful enough to transform the coldest heart. And its power continues to drive the strongest to reach for more. It is full of amazing grace. God so desires us to live in a love relationship with Him. His love for us is reason enough to respond with our lives in worship!