The Youth Ministry Of Temple Baptist Church
We are going to King’s Dominion on Thursday, August 12th. We will leave church @ 7:30am and arrive back @ 7:30pm. The cost will be $30.00 per person. You can either eat lunch in the park or pack a lunch (make sure to bring extra money for food & souvenirs). Everyone must sign-up & pay by Sunday, August 8th.
Please let me know if you have any questions!
Here is the sermon audio from last night’s Temple Teens service.
We finished our study of John 9 with Jesus’ dialog with the formerly-blind man (John 9:35-41).
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Pete’s Thoughts:
At last Esther springs her trap. Imagine Haman’s surprise. He thought everything was going well. He was dinning alone with the king and queen something few others could say they had done. This was sure to be a great step in his career in the palace. Yet all at once his dreams come crashing down as Esther reveals the one who has threatened her and her people. Picture the King’s face when he hears what Haman has done. The shock and rage that he would dare harm the queen. Look at the irony that Haman is hung on his own gallows that he had intended to hang Mordecai on.
King Ahasuerus knew he could not outright change the law. That was the nature of the law of the Medes and Persians – once something was signed by the king it could not be revoked. Therefore Esther had to come up with a way for the Jews not to be killed that worked within the framework of the law. Read more »
Pete’s Thoughts:
It is important to note that when Esther went to the King to tell him about the plot to kill him, she gave the credit of the discover to Mordecai. This was written in the chronicles. This may seem like a trivial bit of information now but it plays a large part later in the book.
Mordecai remembered that the Israelites were not to bow to anyone but God. Therefore when Haman would pass by, he, alone, would not bow. Because of this, Haman set out to kill all of the Jews. Read more »
Pete’s Thoughts:
The people were so serious about their returning to a right standing with God that they made a covenant with God and each other. There were two parts to this covenant an oath of what they would do and a curse of what would happen to them if they failed in this covenant. That is a serious commitment – to put your well-being on the line. Yet that is the type of commitment that God requires of us. He commands us to be holy just as He is holy. You can’t do that and be like the world.
The next step that was needed was to determine who would live inside Jerusalem and who would live in the surrounding areas. While everyone helped build and complete that wall, it would not have been feasible for everyone to live inside of the way for various reasons. Some of these reasons would be as simple as the need for farmers to grow their crops to feed people, to as complex as making sure everyone received the proper inheritance according to the Law. Read more »
Pete’s Thoughts:
Nehemiah had to deal with the people being too much like the world. He had to rebuke the elders for taking advantage of the people. He had to lead by example of what it meant to be generous. Too often today, we, as Christians, would fall into the traps that these people fell into. From being too much like the world to taking advantage of each other for a “quick buck,” do people real notice a difference between the church and the world?
It is a great mark on the leadership of Nehemiah to read that the wall was completed in only 52 days. Considering the obstacles he faced, everything from the nobles not working, the people being attacked, opposition from the outside and so much more, Nehemiah was one of the greatest leaders and motivators to grace the earth. Read more »
Pete’s Thoughts:
Whenever there is revival taking place, there will always be repentance of sin. When was the last time that you focused on the holiness of God so much that you had a realization of your sin?
Nehemiah was in a unique position. He was before the king everyday and had a relationship with him. When his heart was burdened for the city of Jerusalem and the people living there, he had a responsibility to make use of the opportunities and positions that God had placed him in to change things. When was the last time we took advantage of the positions and relationships God has given us to further His kingdom? Read more »
Pete’s Thoughts:
The leaders in Israel sent a letter back to King Darius to have the articles for the temple sent to them. Darius had possession of these articles because they were apart of the loot that Nebuchadnezzar took from Jerusalem when he destroyed the temple. In order for worship to be properly restored, these articles were needed.
It is evident that God was working in this situation to rebuild the temple. Darius not only found the decree made by the Cyrus concerning the articles, he declared that all other expenses for the rebuilding of the temple would be paid at the king’s expense. Read more »
Our ‘Ool ‘Arty @ The Thompson’s has been moved to Tuesday, July 13th Thursday or Friday of next week. We will meet at church at 1:30pm and arrive back at 7:30pm. Make sure you bring all your swim gear – bathing suit, towel, suntan lotion, etc. We will have some hot dogs & hamburgers & snacks. This is be a great time to relax and enjoy the wonderful summer God has blessed us with! Don’t miss it!
Pete’s Thoughts:
The last chapter of II Chronicles has the people of Judah being killed or led off into captivity. The encouraging fact about the captivity is that Jeremiah had already proclaimed that it would only be for 70 years so the land could keep the Sabbaths that the nation never observed. The end of the book sets the foundation for the book of Ezra to open. Cyrus has just be told by God to build a temple in Jerusalem.
It is important to be reminded that when God promises, He always fulfills. He promised the captivity would only be for 70 years. What do we find occurring at the end of those 70 years? God stirring the heart of Cyrus to send the Jews back to Jerusalem to build a temple and worship the Lord. Read more »
Pete’s Thoughts:
Hezekiah initiated many reforms in Judah to bring the people back to the Lord. One of the greatest things written about his is that “in every work that he began…he did it with all his heart.” Too many times we are fickle in our service to God. We need to commit ourselves with our whole heart to serving Him.
Sennacherib boasted against the Lord yet when he went to worship is ‘god’, his own children struck him and killed him. Some god he served! Read more »
Here are some pictures and video from our 3rd annual Big, Fantastic, Dirty Fun Night.
And we couldn’t forget the $5.00 Foot Long Smoothie!
Pete’s Thoughts:
Uzziah was struck with leprosy and was a leper until the day of his death because he became proud and arrogant. He decided that he was able to preform the duties of the priests, completely against what God had directed. He should have been willing to serve the Lord by allowing the priests to preform their duties and he preform his duty of leading the people in his example of worship.
We don’t have much information in this chapter on Jotham when compared to the information given about other kings. One interesting note, however, is the reason behind his might. He became mighty because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God. There are several things we can learn from him in this one sentence. First, we know that God is this source of his might and thus he relied on God. Second, when he considered a course of action he prepared according to the Lord. Third, we know he had a personal relationship with God because it tells us “before the Lord his God.” This may be just one sentence use to describe Jotham but we know a lot from it. What are the descriptive sentences in you life and what are they saying about you? Read more »
