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LESSON 4: WHAT ARE YOU STORING UP?

Guard your heart for everything you do flows from it. A guard has two functions. The first is to keep out anyone or anything that will cause harm or does not have the owners permission to enter. The second is to allow in those persons or things that the owner has authorized. Why is a guard on the heart so critical? We’ve all used the expression, “garbage in, garbage out,” and are familiar with its implications in any type of analytical task. It can be equally applied to our heart (the biblical center of the will and emotions). How about this positive version of the expression, “Jesus in, Jesus out”? Both are biblical principles are they not? Regulating what goes in to the heart is directly connected to what will come out.

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. (Luke 6:45)

How does a person guard or protect their heart then? One would be correct to say, “Flee the evil desires of youth!” (2 Tim 2:22) However that is only half of the truth. We are taught by God’s word that lasting heart health can only be achieved when we flee FROM those things of lesser value and TO some One of infinitely greater value. The passage cited above continues, “and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace.” Flee and pursue. How? We flee by creating distance between ourself and temptation, by turning our backs on the twisted values of the world. We pursue by “looking on” Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, by setting our hearts and minds on things above, by thinking about whatever is “true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable.” Finally, this call to flee and pursue is meant to be carried out in community. Let’s look again at our passage in full, “Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” Let us encourage the children to guard their hearts with us.

BIG IDEA: Wisdom guards my heart.

MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
Proverbs 4:20-27
2 Timothy 2:22
Philippians 4:6-8
Psalm 101:3
Colossians 3:1-2

SECTION VERSE:
Then you will understand what is  right and just and fair—every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. – Proverbs 2:9-10

LESSON VERSE:
A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. – Luke 6:45

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

• Read Proverbs 4:20-27 out loud and discuss, verse by verse.
• How can we help keep our heart clean?
• Name some things that are not good to put in your heart. How about some good things?
• How can you apply what you learned in Quest this week?

– – –

ABOUT FAMILY QUEST: At Reston Bible Church, we firmly believe that parents are a child’s first and most important spiritual leader.  In order to support you that mission, we have created a parent devotional and some discussion starters to go along with each lesson your grade school age children are learning at Quest on Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that this material will help you to engage with your children around the topics they are learning on Sunday mornings, answer their questions, go deeper with them, and find real, day-to-day applications. We are honored to be able to partner with you in the critical task of sharing Christ with the next generation.

LESSON 3: GOD IS A TRUSTWORTHY GUIDE

Spiritual G.P.S. The God Positioning System. Just like our geographical GPS requires three parts to function correctly, a satellite system, a receiver, and a reliable digital map, so does our spiritual GPS. It begins by having a connection to our heavenly Father through his Son, Jesus. The next piece is the indwelling Holy Spirit to quicken our conscience and open our spiritual eyes. Finally we need a reliable map; God’s living and powerful Word. With these 3 pieces our guidance system is complete.

Any GPS system is only useful if we have it turned on and actually follow the instructions given. However, while global positioning systems have gotten very sophisticated and much more reliable, they can still fail. Not so with our God guidance system. It is completely dependable and rejecting its guidance is the height of foolishness. Why you say? Let’s go back and look at its parts. The character of our heavenly Father, his all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present, and all-loving nature make Him 100% reliable over and against our “own understanding” of our circumstances and the world around us. His thoughts and ways are infinitely higher than ours. Then there is the submissive obedience of the Spirit to the Father and Son. This reassures us that He will only provide the guidance that the Father has spoken. Because they are one in three persons there is no chance of a communication breakdown. Finally, the living and active Word of God, divinely inspired, infallible, and protected through the ages, is given to us as God’s primary means of transforming our hearts and renewing our minds into the image of the Son. We have a reliable road map.

This spiritual GPS is worthy of our complete trust. Don’t second guess it with your own “understanding.” Put it to the test and you will see that it is truly wise to place our faith (confide = with faith) in the guidance of our God. Better yet, encourage the children to do the same and you will have an impact on eternity!

BIG IDEA: Trust in God’s wisdom and He will guide you.

MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
Proverbs 3:1-12

SECTION VERSE:
Then you will understand what is  right and just and fair—every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. – Proverbs 2:9-10

LESSON VERSE:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

• Read Proverbs 3:1-12 out loud and discuss, verse by verse.
• What are we told to do with God’s words?
• What does it mean to trust? Who is someone you trust? Why?
• How can you apply what you learned in Quest this week?

– – –

ABOUT FAMILY QUEST: At Reston Bible Church, we firmly believe that parents are a child’s first and most important spiritual leader.  In order to support you that mission, we have created a parent devotional and some discussion starters to go along with each lesson your grade school age children are learning at Quest on Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that this material will help you to engage with your children around the topics they are learning on Sunday mornings, answer their questions, go deeper with them, and find real, day-to-day applications. We are honored to be able to partner with you in the critical task of sharing Christ with the next generation.

LESSON 2: DON’T BE A FOOL, LISTEN TO THE WISE

What is one of the most often lamented or joked about attributes of youthful thinking? We all know the old adage, “The older I get, the wiser my father becomes.” The foolishness of youth leads us to believe that we know everything and that our way is better. “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes.” Sadly, this foolishness, if not lovingly corrected in our children, often continues on into
adulthood and creates ever increasing heartache along the way as the consequences of our foolishness grow more serious. “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to
death” (Prov. 14:12).

How is this foolish tendency remedied? What is God’s plan for His children? There are two main parts; the content and the delivery mechanism. The first part, the content, is the revealed word of God. If a Christian ever hopes to share the mind and attitudes of Christ then they must immerse themselves in knowing Him. “Blessed is the one…whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who
meditates on his law day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2). The writer of Hebrews tells us we must be “transformed by the renewing of your mind,” in order to understand and share the mind of Christ.
This occurs through exposure to His Word. But there is a second piece of the puzzle.

“Turbulence ahead.” Have you ever wondered how pilots know ahead of time to have you buckle up in preparation for turbulence? The answer is simple. Pilots talk to one another. Pilots further along a flight path will report turbulence back to those who are following behind. In a very real sense they’ve been where the other pilots are heading. God places us in families, both biological and
spiritual, for many reasons. Not least of these is for the purpose of imparting wisdom to those following behind us. Those of us who are more wise and experienced are able to lovingly point out
the coming turbulence and, more importantly, the solution to life’s turbulence in the living Word of God. It is vital that we echo and magnify the Bibles’ exhortation to the young to “pay attention and turn your ears to the sayings of the wise.” Do not be discouraged. Though it will often seem like you are talking to an impenetrable wall, God’s word is “sharper than any two-edged sword,” and can be trusted to penetrate the heart of our kids if we are faithful and do not give up in our task of graciously and lovingly pointing them to the way, the truth, and the life.

BIG IDEA: Listen to the wise and wisdom will protect you.

MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
Proverbs 2:1-11
Proverbs 22:17-19
Proverbs 1:8-9
Psalm 1:1-3

SECTION VERSE:
Then you will understand what is  right and just and fair—every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. – Proverbs 2:9-10

LESSON VERSE:
Pay attention and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach. – Proverbs 22:17

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

• Read aloud Proverbs 2:1-11
• What does God want us to do with His wisdom?
• Where does wisdom come from? (verse 6)
• What good things will wisdom bring us?
• How can you apply what you learned in Quest this week?

– – –

ABOUT FAMILY QUEST: At Reston Bible Church, we firmly believe that parents are a child’s first and most important spiritual leader.  In order to support you that mission, we have created a parent devotional and some discussion starters to go along with each lesson your grade school age children are learning at Quest on Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that this material will help you to engage with your children around the topics they are learning on Sunday mornings, answer their questions, go deeper with them, and find real, day-to-day applications. We are honored to be able to partner with you in the critical task of sharing Christ with the next generation.

SOUL SHERPA, LESSON 4: THE HOLY SPIRIT IS OUR GUIDE

How many times have you heard something like this, “God first, others second, I’m third,” or, “God, country, family.” Maybe you’ve even said something similar or worn the t-shirt. I know I have. At first glance it seems like a godly enough thing to say and it sure feels good to think we have our priorities straight.

Unfortunately it is not at all what God’s Word teaches us. God’s place isn’t first in a list of other lower priorities. He is the center and essence of every priority. We need to make sure that our children are not subjected to this wrong thinking. Whenever love for God is mentioned in scripture it is with all encompassing phrases like, “with all your heart, soul, mind and strength” or “in all your ways acknowledge Him,” or “one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all,” or “all things have been created through Him and for Him.” There is no sacred and secular for the Christian.

“If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:11)

Now matter what we do, we are called to do it as a representation of Christ. What would Jesus be like as a schoolteacher, a lawyer, an IT professional, or a manager? What would Jesus be like as a parent, a son or daughter, a husband or wife, brother, or friend? In all our ways, in all our decisions, in all our activities, in all our roles and thoughts, acknowledge Him. This is not an acknowledging in the shallow English meaning either. The Hebrew word means to know intimately by experience. Search your heart this week. Are you knowing God intimately by experience in all your ways?

BIG IDEA: Make God the center of everything and He will guide you on the best path.

MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
1 Peter 4:11
Mark 12:30
Ephesians 4:5-6
Colossians 1:16, 3:17
Psalm 34:8

SECTION VERSE:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not depend on your own understanding. In all your ways remember Him. Then He will make your paths smooth and straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6

LESSON VERSE:
There is one God and Father of all. He is over everything. He is through everything. He is in everything. – Ephesians 4:6

PRAYER:
Ask God to help you give Him control of every part of your life, and to trust His guidance.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

• What does it mean to acknowledge God in all your ways?
• How do you make Jesus the center of your life?
• How can you learn to trust God? (knowledge + experience = trust)
• What things do you let take Jesus’ place on the throne?

LIVE IT OUT!

• Have a family sharing time to talk about when you should be seeking God’s guidance.
• Make a list of your gifts, talents, possessions, and hobbies. How can you dedicate each of these to the Lord?

– – –

ABOUT FAMILY QUEST: At Reston Bible Church, we firmly believe that parents are a child’s first and most important spiritual leader.  In order to support you that mission, we have created a parent devotional and some discussion starters to go along with each lesson your grade school age children are learning at Quest on Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that this material will help you to engage with your children around the topics they are learning on Sunday mornings, answer their questions, go deeper with them, and find real, day-to-day applications. We are honored to be able to partner with you in the critical task of sharing Christ with the next generation.

SOUL SHERPA, LESSON 3: THE HOLY SPIRIT IS OUR GUIDE

“Already There” by Casting Crowns
(written by Bernie Herms and Mark Hall; Copyright: Songs Of Universal Inc., Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, G650 Music)

From where I’m standing
Lord it’s so hard for me to see
Where this is going
And where You’re leading me
I wish I knew how
All my fears and all my questions
Are gonna play out
In a world I can’t control

When I’m lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory
Cause You’re already there
You’re already there
Standing at the end of my life
Waiting on the other side
And You’re already there
You’re already there

From where You’re standing
Lord, You see a grand design
That You imagined
When You breathed me into life
And all the chaos
Comes together in Your hands
Like a masterpiece
Of Your picture perfect plan

Amen!

BIG IDEA: What God thinks and does is always BEST.

MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
Isaiah 46:10
Isaiah 55:9
Deuteronomy 32:4
Jeremiah 29:11
James 1:5-7
Jeremiah 33:3

SECTION VERSE:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not depend on your own understanding. In all your ways remember Him. Then He will make your paths smooth and straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6

LESSON VERSE:
The heavens are higher than the earth. And My ways are higher than your ways. My thoughts are higher than your thoughts. – Isaiah 55:9

PRAYER:
Thank God for the guidance He gives us in His Word and through His Spirit. Ask Him for the courage to trust Him and obey.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

• Who helps you make decisions at home? At school?
• Why do you ask for their help?
• If you had to fix a computer who would you ask? (an engineer)
• What is it about God that makes Him our best teacher? Read James 1:5, Jeremiah 33:3.

LIVE IT OUT!

• Read Mark 12:30, Ephesians 4:5-6, and Colossians 1:16. Talk about them together for next week.
• Think of a way you can obey God’s guidance today and do it.

– – –

ABOUT FAMILY QUEST: At Reston Bible Church, we firmly believe that parents are a child’s first and most important spiritual leader.  In order to support you that mission, we have created a parent devotional and some discussion starters to go along with each lesson your grade school age children are learning at Quest on Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that this material will help you to engage with your children around the topics they are learning on Sunday mornings, answer their questions, go deeper with them, and find real, day-to-day applications. We are honored to be able to partner with you in the critical task of sharing Christ with the next generation.

SOUL SHERPA, LESSON 2: THE HOLY SPIRIT IS OUR GUIDE

My mother is infamous for her sense of direction. Or should I say, lack there of. She once followed a car for some distance out of her way because, “they looked like they knew where they were going.” She has driven almost out of state before realizing she had taken a wrong turn. Mom was sure she was going in the right direction. She even thought she had recognized some landmarks. It took some time but Mom has learned to lean not on her own understanding when it comes to directions. Nowadays she makes sure she either rides with or follows someone who knows the right path.

How many times have you headed down a path that you were sure was right and wise only to find out that you were on a road to heartache? When we depend on our human discernment and worldly understanding they will fail us in the end. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12).

We can contrast two great men of scripture in this regard. Saul, the first anointed King over Israel, when pressed, did what he discerned to be the wise thing when Samuel was delayed and an attack seemed imminent. He took it upon himself to sacrifice to the Lord. It might seem to us, on the face of it, to be an intelligent move. Samuel hadn’t shown up on time, they were in great danger, and they needed God’s favor. But Saul had been told to wait. He did not inquire of the Lord and he did not trust the command he had been given by the man of God. He was leaning on his own understanding. By contrast his successor, King David, inquired of the Lord for almost every big decision he made, with the exception of a few that famously went badly for him. God has given us a trustworthy spiritual GPS system; his Word and his indwelling Holy Spirit, ever present to guide us. Inquire of the Lord and He will make your paths straight.

He is our trustworthy teacher and guide. This is a promise of God.

Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? (1 Corinthians 1:20)

BIG IDEA: Depend on God and not on what you THINK you know.

MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
Proverbs 14:12
1 Corinthians 1:20
1 Samuel 13
1 Samuel 23:4

SECTION VERSE:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not depend on your own understanding. In all your ways remember Him. Then He will make your paths smooth and straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6

LESSON VERSE:
But I will bless any man who trusts in me. I will show my favor to the one who depends on me. – Jeremiah 17:7

PRAYER:
Thank God the Father that Jesus laid down his glory, his power, and his life so that He could become one of us and show us what God is like. Ask
Him to help you make Jesus the center of your life every day.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

• Who do you trust? Why?
• Do you trust God? Why/why not?
• How can you learn to trust God? (knowledge + experience = trust)
• How can we experience God’s will? (Read Romans 12:1-2)

LIVE IT OUT!

• Read James 1:5, Jeremiah 33:3, and Isaiah 55:9. Talk about them together for next week.
• Pray together. See the prayer focus.
• Think of a way you can obey God’s guidance today and do it. Write it down and talk about the results together.

– – –

ABOUT FAMILY QUEST: At Reston Bible Church, we firmly believe that parents are a child’s first and most important spiritual leader.  In order to support you that mission, we have created a parent devotional and some discussion starters to go along with each lesson your grade school age children are learning at Quest on Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that this material will help you to engage with your children around the topics they are learning on Sunday mornings, answer their questions, go deeper with them, and find real, day-to-day applications. We are honored to be able to partner with you in the critical task of sharing Christ with the next generation.

SOUL SHERPA, LESSON 1: THE HOLY SPIRIT IS OUR GUIDE

The work of the Holy Spirit – To manifest (make known, show) the active presence of God in the world and especially in the church.

Isn’t GPS a great thing? It amazes me that a satellite high above the earth can see me, and when combined with digital mapping software, can tell me how to get from point A to B in the quickest way possible. It amazes me even more to consider that this system can see if there is heavy traffic or an accident along my route and re-direct me around it. If I take a wrong turn, it quickly notifies me. “Rerouting.” But as amazing as this system is, it is only as good as its underlying data. How many times have you followed your GPS directions only to find out that its map data is incorrect and you are at a dead end or the address data is incomplete and you end up in a business park when you wanted to be at a friend’s house? Even when the data is good, it isn’t fool proof. An overcast day or poor cell coverage can knock your GPS out completely.

But there is a guidance system that is 100% trustworthy, 100% of the time. Its data is perfectly reliable. It works no matter how dark it gets because to it, “darkness is as light.” It is an integrated system that lights your path, turns your darkness to light, guides you on the best path possible, reroutes you when you make a wrong turn, and even provides roadside assistance when you break down along the highways of life.

That is our triune God. God’s living Word, breathed out by the Father through the Son is its database. It is empowered by his Holy Spirit whose job it is to make known the active presence of God in the world and especially in his children by guiding us into all truth. Our students need to learn early that they can depend, with ALL their hearts, on their failsafe guidance system. “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.” (Isaiah 42:16)

BIG IDEA: We can trust God to guide us.

MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
Proverbs 3:5-6
Isaiah 42:16
John 8:12
Psalm 119:105
Psalm 23:1-3

SECTION VERSE:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not depend on your own understanding. In all your ways remember Him. Then He will make your paths smooth and straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6

LESSON VERSE:
Guide me in your truth. Teach me. You are God my Savior. I put my hope in you all day long. – Psalm 25:5

PRAYER:
Thank God that Jesus laid down his glory, his power, and his life so that He could become one of us and show us what God is like. Ask Him to help you make Jesus the center of your life every day.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

• What did you learn today?
• From our memory verse, what 3 things should we do? What will God do in response?
• Who is a leader you admire? What makes God the best leader?

LIVE IT OUT!

• Read Psalm 32:8, Romans 12:1-2, Jeremiah 17:7 and talk about them together
• Commit to spending 15 minutes each day this week to just be quiet and think about God.

– – –

ABOUT FAMILY QUEST: At Reston Bible Church, we firmly believe that parents are a child’s first and most important spiritual leader.  In order to support you that mission, we have created a parent devotional and some discussion starters to go along with each lesson your grade school age children are learning at Quest on Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that this material will help you to engage with your children around the topics they are learning on Sunday mornings, answer their questions, go deeper with them, and find real, day-to-day applications. We are honored to be able to partner with you in the critical task of sharing Christ with the next generation.

THE ROCK: INTRODUCTION

As a culture, we place a very high value on certainty, on assurance and security.  We work towards “financial security.”  We pay for car insurance, homeowners insurance, disability insurance, health insurance, and a whole host of other “insurances,” in order to protect ourselves from financial ruin or hardship. Why?  Because in order to live a life free of anxious thoughts and fear we need some assurance that if something goes “wrong” we will have a safety net.  Most of us will only take risks when the potential downside of those risks is minimized.  We want protection.  But all of these “assurances” are only temporal and financial and a poor substitute for the real assurances we can have in our God, the giver of all good gifts, the maker of heaven and earth, and the owner of all wealth seen and unseen.

In Isaiah 36, the Assyrian King laying siege to Jerusalem taunts the Israelites with this question: “On what are you basing this confidence of yours?  You say you have counsel and might for war—but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me?  Look, I know you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces the hand of anyone who leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him.” (Isaiah 36: 4-6).  But Hezekiah took this before the Lord and said essentially, “Lord, our confidence is in you alone.  We are not strong enough to fight this enemy.  Only you can deliver us.”  Hezekiah didn’t trust in Egypt or in counsel of war or ancient insurance plans, but instead in the Living God of Israel – a wise choice, as the account makes clear.

Once we, like Hezekiah, have come to understand that God’s promises are trustworthy, we are able to place our “weight” on them much as a climber places his weight on his harness, ropes, and carabineers. We will find that our confidence grows as God shows himself to be faithful.  The peaks God asks us to climb may increase in difficulty but each will be accompanied by an increase in our confidence in Christ.  When we fall or are taken through a valley experience it will be with this same confidence that we are in the hands of our all-loving, all-powerful, all-wise God.

This year we will cover five main areas we can be sure of based on God’s promises. These are, our salvation, the power of prayer, freedom from the power of sin, forgiveness, and guidance from his Holy Spirit. With our map now laid out before us, I pray that you will meditate on the scriptures we will be exploring.  I am confident that you will see your own trust in God grow as you lead your children on their “Quest” for a deeper relationship with the Lord.   Our hope is that as adults they will look back over their lives and say with the Psalmist, “For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth.  From birth I have relied on you.” (Psalm 71:5-6)

BIG IDEA: With Jesus, we can build our lives on the Rock.

MEDITATING ON THE WORD:

Matthew 7:24-25
Psalm 62:1-2
Deuteronomy 7:9

SERIES VERSE:

I find my rest in God alone. He is the one who saves me. He alone is my rock. – Psalm 62:1-2a

LESSON VERSE:

I find my rest in God alone. He is the one who saves me. He alone is my rock. – Psalm 62:1-2a

PRAYER:

Pray together for children who are enslaved or otherwise mistreated around the world.  Thank God for His “rock” solid promises to us.

DISCUSSION STARTERS:

• Why is God compared to a rock?
• What are some promises God makes?
• Why can you trust God?
• What does it mean to be “sure” of something?

LIVE IT OUT!

• Write down Psalm 62:1-2 and decorate the paper, then hang it up somewhere you will see it everyday.
• Search the Bible for places where God is called a Rock.

– – –

ABOUT FAMILY QUEST: At Reston Bible Church, we firmly believe that parents are a child’s first and most important spiritual leader.  In order to support you that mission, we have created a parent devotional and some discussion starters to go along with each lesson your grade school age children are learning at Quest on Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that this material will help you to engage with your children around the topics they are learning on Sunday mornings, answer their questions, go deeper with them, and find real, day-to-day applications. We are honored to be able to partner with you in the critical task of sharing Christ with the next generation.