DAY 100, LUKE 23 AND 24

Good Morning! Our names are Nikki and Haley Butcher and we were asked to bring a devotional thought from Luke 23 and 24.

KEY VERSE: Luke 24:46-47  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day; And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

REFLECTIONS: Can any of you think of a friend or family member who does not know Jesus?  I sure can!  I can think of so many people all around me who don’t have Jesus in their heart.  That makes me very sad to think about those I love who may die without asking Jesus into their life.  Well, the good news is, I can share the WONDERFUL news of Jesus dying on the cross for my sins with whoever I want!  The Bible tells us over and over again to preach the gospel to everyone.  You don’t have to be a “preacher” to tell someone about Jesus.  You don’t even have to be a grown up to tell people about Jesus.  YOU can tell someone about Jesus right now, EVEN as a child!!!  So kids, don’t be afraid to tell your friends and family about what Jesus did on the cross.  YOU might be the only person who will tell that friend or family member about Him. Be brave! Jesus is on your side!  

APPLICATION:

(Nikki)  When I was about 10 years old I told my grandpa about Jesus.  He was a very sick man and very close to dying.  One night I went to his house and asked him if he knew he was going to Heaven.  He told me that he didn’t think anybody could know that!!  Well, I shared with him what the Bible said and that night he got SAVED!!!!!  That was one of the most exciting things that has ever happened to me!!  Children can make a difference!  God wants to use you!!  Be brave and tell somebody about JESUS!!  Now I get to see my grandpa someday in Heaven!!!  How exciting that is to me!!!

(Haley)  I think it’s important to tell people about Jesus, because if they don’t know Him they’re going to go to Hell.   And we don’t want anybody to go to hell, we want people to go to Heaven. I like bringing in tracts to stores and handing them out and hoping they get saved.  Tell others about Jesus!

QUESTIONS:

Should we tell people about Jesus?

Can even a child tell someone about Jesus?

Can you think of someone to tell about Jesus?

Thank you for being a part of the 100-Day Challenge. Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!

In Christ, Nikki and Haley

Name:  Nikki Butcher

Favorite  Bible Character: David

Family:  Husband -- Jason, Kids – Madison, Haley, Cade

Occupation:  Stay at Home Mom

Favorite Bible Chapter:  Psalm 27

Saved:  About 9 years old

Area of Children’s ministry at VBC:  Sunday School Teacher, Nursery, Ladies Ministries

CHILDHOOD FAVORITES:

HALEY                         NIKKI

TOY:               Barbies                         Roller Skates

COLOR:          Green                           Pink

FOOD:            Junk                              Oreos

GAME:            WII                              Nintendo

TEACHER:      Mrs. Lariviere            Mrs. Price

DAY 99, Luke 21-23

Good Morning! My name is Matt and I was asked to give you a devotional thought from the book of Luke 21-23.

KEY VERSE: Luke 22:52-53  Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs?  Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me.  But this is your hour-when darkness reigns.

KEY PASSAGE:  Luke 22:47-53

REFLECTION:

Having just celebrated Easter I was reminded of the great price Jesus paid to guarantee my salvation.  As written in My Utmost for His Highest, “Christ’s resurrection destiny – His foreordained purpose – was to bring ‘many sons to glory.’  The fulfilling of His destiny gives Him the right to make us sons and daughters of God.”  Furthermore, “And what His resurrection means for us is that we are raised to His risen life, not to our old life.”  (My Utmost for His Highest, April 8, 2012).  In the passage above it is clear that, although Jesus knew the suffering He would endure while on the cross, He did not try to run and hide from His “foreordained purpose.”  Although He had the power of God on His side, He willingly surrendered to the chief priests and officers of the temple guard for me and you.

Even though Christ died for our sins, He did not remain in the tomb.  Jesus rose from the dead and as is quoted above:  “And what His resurrection means for us is that we are raised to His risen life, not to our old life”.  The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ makes it possible for all of us, even though we are sinners, to put our sins behind us and spend eternity in Heaven with him.

APPLICATION:

Although we celebrate Easter only once a year, as Christians every day is Easter for us.  The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ saved us all from an eternity in Hell and gives us the promise of everlasting life.  What a mighty God we serve.

Thank you for being a part of the 100-Day Challenge.  Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!

In Christ,

Matt

Name:  Matt

Favorite Bible Character:  Job

Family:  Wife Jennifer; Kids Madison, Morgan, and Marleigh

Favorite book in the Bible:  Proverbs

Area of ministry at VBC:  Security Team

DAY 98, LUKE 18-20

Good morning!  My name is Jennifer and I was asked to give you a devotional thought on Luke chapters 18- 20.

Key Verse:  Luke 18:1

And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

Read Key Passage:  Luke 18-20

Reflection:   Have you ever felt like you have been praying for something and felt like God was not hearing your request?  God wants us to always pray regardless – day or night, good or bad.  God has a plan for you, Jeremiah 29:11, and He will answer your prayers in His timing.  Although we might not feel like God is hearing our prayers, He does.  He knows what is best for you in your situation and will answer you.  Jesus wants us to never give up on our prayers!

When we read the Bible we should always apply the lessons that we learn, to our lives. Applying scripture is how God’s Word begins to change us!!

Application:  When we are praying, we should always remember that God is listening and will answer our prayers.  You will be blessed beyond measure when you have a relationship with Him.  You can always count on God to be there to listen to you.  Never, Never give up!

Review Questions:

1.) When should we pray?

2.) Should we pray regardless of whether our prayers are being answered?

3.) What does God want us to do?

Thank you for being a part of the 100-Day Challenge.  Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!

In Christ,

Jennifer

NAME:  Jennifer

FAVORITE BIBLE CHARACTER:  Paul

FAMILY:   Husband Matt and daughters Madison, Morgan and Marleigh

FAVORITE BOOKS IN THE BIBLE:   Proverbs and Revelation

FAVORITE VERSE IN THE BIBLE:  Jeremiah 29:11

SAVED:  Age 7 at Vacation Bible School

CHILDHOOD FAVORITES

TOY:  Bike

COLOR:  Purple

CARTOON:  Tom & Jerry

FOOD:   Fettuccini Alfrado at Olive Garden

GAME/HOBBY:  Softball, piano

FAVORITE TEACHERS:  Mom, Dad, Sunday School Teacher, Mr. Don, and My Aunt Brenda

DAY 97, MATTHEW 28 AND MARK 16

Our Easter devotional is written by Mrs. Carla Segally, one of our 4's and 5's Sunday School teachers.

Good Morning!  My name is Carla Segally and I was asked to give you a devotional thought from Matthew 28 and Mark 16.

KEY VERSES:     Matthew 28:5 & 6  /   Mark 16:6 & 19

KEY PASSAGES:   Matthew 28:1–8  /   Mark 16: 1–7

REFLECTION:    And the angel said, “He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.” (Matt. 28:6)  The most wonderful words in the Bible!  Jesus accomplished His goal.  No amount of pain and suffering would keep our Savior from completing His task because He loved us so much.  But, before He returned to Heaven, He left us with work to do.  Sometimes we may feel the work is too difficult.   Maybe we try with all our might, but somehow we feel ignored, disliked or inferior.  Quitting may seem the way to make us feel better.   Certainly Jesus was ignored and disliked.  But, did He ever feel inferior or did He ever quit trying?  Absolutely not.  Well, He is our example.  When we feel down, it's time to remember that all things are possible if  we depend on Him and use His methods.  He is our power source, and prayer keeps us “plugged in”.    We serve a RISEN Savior, and He is only a prayer away. 

APPLICATION:   Jesus wants us to study and learn so that we can be more effective Christians.  This chapter in Matthew contains what is called “The Great Commission” (Matt. 28:19 & 20)...Jesus' last command to His disciples.  It's a good idea to memorize these verses.   Memorizing scripture keeps the Bible with us even when the book is not available.  It keeps His example with us because it is in our hearts and minds.

QUESTIONS:  1)  Did God raise Jesus from the dead?

                               2)  Did Jesus ever break a promise?

                               3)  Will Jesus love us even when we make mistakes?

Thank you for being a part of the 100-Day Challenge.  Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!

In Christ,

Carla

NAME:  CARLA SEGALLY

FAVORITE BIBLE CHARACTER:  Daniel

FAMILY:   Husband Ron and sons Brent, Scott, and Ryan

FAVORITE BOOKS IN THE BIBLE:   Daniel and James

FAVORITE CHAPTER IN THE BIBLE:  I Corinthians 13

WHEN YOU WERE SAVED:  Age 9

CHILDHOOD FAVORITES:   Singing; reciting; piano; baseball

TOY:  Board games

COLOR:  Red

CARTOON:  Bugs Bunny

FOOD:   Strawberry Ice Cream 

FAVORITE TEACHERS:  Dad, Mother... & Miss Marjanian

DAY 96, Matthew 26-27

Good Morning!  My name is Mike Cervik and I was asked to give you a devotional thought from the book of Matthew 26-27.

Key Verse:  Matthew 26:75  Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times…"

Read Key Passage: Matthew 26:69-75

Reflection:  We have all probably turned our backs to God at one time or another.   Many of us have friends, classmates, or someone who we know who isn’t a Christian.  Many times we won't share our faith with them because we are afraid or embarrassed of what others might think of us.  This is turning our back to God.  Do you think this pleases God when we do this?  How do we feel when one of our friends turns their back to us?  Peter was a great Christian and one of the best disciples, and he turned his back to Jesus three times because he was afraid of being persecuted.  Thankfully we serve a forgiving God who never turns His back to us.

When we read the Bible we should always apply the lessons that we learn, to our lives.  Applying scripture is how God’s Word begins to change us!!

Application:

Next time you are in a situation when the conversation is about God, just remember God wants us to spread his Word and share our faith with others.  Aren't you glad God isn't ashamed or embarrassed of us?

Review Questions:

1. Can you think of a time you turned your back to God?

2. What exactly did Peter do to disown Jesus?

3. Do you think God would ever turn His back to you? Why?

In Christ,

Mike

Name: Mike Cervik

Family: Jenny, Norah, and Nathan Cervik

Occupation: Firefighter/paramedic

Favorite book in the Bible: Mark

When you got saved: 4th grade

DAY 95, Mark 14-15

Good Morning!  Our names are Jason and Emily and Kaylee Reeder, and we were asked to give you a devotional thought from the book of Mark, chapters 14 and 15.

Key verse:

Mark 14:31  “But he spake the more vehemently, if I should die with thee I will not deny thee in any wise.  Likewise also said they all.”

Key Passage:

Mark 14:27-31

Reflection:

This is a great reminder that we all make mistakes.  We may want to do right, and even plan on it, too.  But sometimes we don’t do what we know we are supposed to.  Peter was one of Jesus’ disciples and was with Jesus and saw all the miracles that Jesus did.  Even he had times when he didn’t do what he knew he should.  I’m sure we all know the story of how Peter denied Christ and afterward he remembered what the Lord had said.  Mark 14:72 says Peter wept bitterly when he remembered the words of the Lord.  I believe Peter was truly sorry for what he had done in denying the Lord.   I’m glad that’s not the end of the story with Peter.  Acts 2 tells of God using Peter to preach and 3000 people got saved!  Surely this was a different Peter, right?  How could God use someone that had denied Jesus?  It’s called forgiveness.  I John1:9 says if we confess our sin he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  Yes, Peter got things right with God and was later used by God in a mighty way to tell others about Jesus.

Kaylee:

The key verse is Mark 14:31.  In this verse Peter said, “I would never deny you Lord.”  I picked this verse because sometimes kids say they will or will not do something and they do or do not.  Once I promised Dad I would be good for Mom and I wasn’t.  Mom called Dad, and the next day I was punished because I didn’t keep my promise.  On March 22^nd, I told Josh I would do a puppet show with him and I didn’t.  Emily told Mom our room was clean and it wasn’t.

Emily:

As soon as I read this passage, I knew this was the verse to write.  In this passage Jesus is talking to Peter, telling him that he will deny Him that night.  Peter says I won’t deny you, but later he does.  Kids often say they are going to do something and then they don’t.  For example, I told my Dad I would fold the laundry but then I didn’t do it.  Afterwards I felt kind of guilty.  So let’s all pray to God and ask Him to help us choose our words carefully and to do what we say we will do.  Have a good day.

Application:

I am so glad that when we mess up and make mistakes as Christians, that’s not the end of our story.  When we make mistakes we should be quick to bring our mistakes to God, and ask forgiveness.  He promises to forgive us and He can still use us to tell others about Jesus.

Thank you for being part of the 100-Day Challenge.  Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!

In Christ,

Jason and Emily and Kaylee

Review questions:

1.     After we are saved, will we always do everything right?

2.     When we mess up what should we do?

3.     Will God forgive us when we ask Him to?

4.     What’s one thing we can do every day to help keep us from sin?

Favorites:

	Kaylee	Emily	Jason
Toy	CD player	Bicycle	M.A.S.K. figures
Color	Green	Purple	Blue
Cartoon	Popeye	Popeye	GI Joe
Food	Ice cream	Homemade bread	Shrimp fried rice
Game	Sorry	Life, Scrabble, Connect4	Too many to list
Teacher	Mom	Miss Dabbelt	Dr. McCoy

DAY 94, Mark 12-13

Good Morning! Our names are Erich and Brandon and we were asked to give you a devotional thought from the book of Mark 12 and 13.

KEY VERSE:  Mark 13:7a  And when ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars, be ye not troubled:

KEY PASSAGE:  Mark 12 and 13

REFLECTION:

It is hard to escape what is happening in our world today.  Destructive tornadoes, horrible earthquakes, ravishing fires, wars, sickness, disease, divided nations, selfishness, the killing of our young.  These are signs of the end times.  They can be troubling to witness and/or even experience.  While this is all sad in God's eyes, it is the product of sin and a sinful world.  As Christians we can be comforted in knowing that even though we live in this world, we do not have to be a part of this world and that there is HOPE in our Lord.

APPLICATION:

Erich: Trusting in the Lord daily, knowing that He has made a way for us to be with Him.  Even though times are bad, which I see on a daily basis, He is there, I need not be troubled because He is in my heart.

Brandon:  It is scary to see how people’s homes have been destroyed by tornadoes.  The Bible says that there will also be wars and other dangers, but I know that I do not have to be afraid.  I have Jesus in my heart.  He is always with me.

Thank you for being a part of the 100-Day Challenge.  Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!  

In Christ,

Erich and Brandon

Name:  Erich

When you were saved:  March, 1983

Favorite Bible Character:  Moses

Family:  Wife Carissa; Brandon, age 6; Anna, age 4

Favorite book in the Bible:  Luke

Area of ministry at VBC:  Head of Security

CHILDHOOD FAVORITES

Brandon                                                         Erich

Toy:                Dog Dog (his favorite stuffed dog)              Toy BB gun

Color:             Red                                                                 Blue

Cartoon:         Thomas the Train                                         Road Runner

Food:              Grapes                                                            Macaroni and cheese

Game:             Go Fish                                                           Hide-n-seek

Teacher:         Miss Elaine G                                                Mrs. Callahan