1 Peter 3:1-7

Jenna and Alyssa are up this week

In the same way, wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, even if some disobey the Christian message, they may be won over^[a] without a message by the way their wives live ² when they observe your pure, reverent lives. ³ Your beauty should not consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold ornaments^[b] or fine clothes. ⁴ Instead, it should consist of what is inside^[c] the heart with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very valuable in God’s eyes. ⁵ For in the past, the holy women who put their hope in God also beautified themselves in this way, submitting to their own husbands, ⁶ just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You have become her children when you do what is good and are not frightened by anything alarming.
⁷ Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives with an understanding of their weaker nature^[d] yet showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

Questions
1.       How do wives submit to their husbands? A
2.       How do we submit to something? J
3.       How can you win over a spouse? J
4.       Should we care about how we look? A
5.       Why should we have a gentle quiet spirit? A
6.       What does it mean to live with our wives with understanding and show honor to them? A

1 Peter 2:18-25

TJ and Andrea are reading this week.  Here is the verse and the questions.

Submission of Slaves to Masters

¹⁸ Household slaves, submit with all fear to your masters, not only to the good and gentle but also to the cruel. ¹⁹ For it brings favor^[b] if, mindful of God’s will, someone endures grief from suffering unjustly. ²⁰ For what credit is there if you sin and are punished, and you endure it? But when you do what is good and suffer, if you endure it, this brings favor with God.²¹ For you were called to this,because Christ also suffered for you,leaving you an example,so that you should follow in His steps.²² He did not commit sin,and no deceit was found in His mouth, ²³ when He was reviled,He did not revile in return;when He was suffering,He did not threatenbut entrusted Himself to the One who judges justly.²⁴ He Himself bore our sinsin His body on the tree,so that, having died to sins,we might live for righteousness;you have been healed by His wounds.^[f]25 For you were like sheep going astray,^[g]but you have now returnedto the Shepherd and Guardian^[h] of your souls.

1. Who are the household slaves? A
2. What does the message Peter is trying to say in verse 18? T
3. What does verse 20 mean? Not learning, Learning. T
4. What does bore mean? A
5. How can Jesus' examples help you when you face hardships you cannot change? T
6. Is a friend you know facing a hardship?  How can you help? T

Service Opportunity

 "Riverview FCA friends and family - Reminder of Service Opportunity coming: Saturday Sports Day: April 6th Jackson Elementary - 3733 E. Kerckhoff Ave. Fresno 93702 8:30 am -11am Meet at the school at 8:30 for prayer and prep. Local kids from the community come for a craft, sports, fellowship, devotional and lunch. FCA will sponsor the craft for the day. A crafts area and sports area going on at the same time from 9:00-10:30am. Then at 10:30 all will gather for worship, a devotional then lunch together. The Poverello House provides a sack lunch for all the kids- volunteers included."

1 Peter 2:11-17

Alyssa, Jenna, and Mark are reviewing this weeks reading.

¹¹ Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and temporary residents to abstain from fleshly desires that war against you.^[a] 12 Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles,^[b] so that in a case where they speak against you as those who do what is evil, they will, by observing your good works, glorify God on the day of visitation.^[c]13 Submit to every human authority^[d] because of the Lord, whether to the Emperor^[e] as the supreme authority ¹⁴ or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. ¹⁵ For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. ¹⁶ As God’s slaves, live as free people, but don’t use your freedom as a way to conceal evil. ¹⁷ Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the Emperor.^[f]
Question:
1. How are we strangers and temporary residents in this world? J
2. What fleshly desires war against you? A
3. How can  we conduct ourselves with honor? M
4. What is authority/ submit to? J
5. Who is our Emperor? M
6. How can we be free men and also be a slave to the Lord? J
7. What does it mean to fear God? A

1 Peter Ch 1:13-25

Today Mark, Jenna, and Alyssa will be reviewing 1 Peter

¹³ Therefore, with your minds ready for action,^[a] be serious and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. ¹⁵ But as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; ¹⁶ for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.^[b]17 And if you address as Father the One who judges impartially based on each one’s work, you are to conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your temporary residence. ¹⁸ For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from the fathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. ²⁰ He was chosen^[c] before the foundation of the world but was revealed at the end of the times for you²¹ who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.²² By obedience to the truth,^[d] having purified yourselves^[e] for sincere love of the brothers, love one another earnestly^[f] from a pure^[g] heart, ²³ since you have been born again—not of perishable seedbut of imperishable—through the living and enduring word of God. ²⁴ ForAll flesh is like grass,and all its glory like a flower of the grass.The grass withers, and the flower falls,²⁵ but the word of the Lord endures forever.^[h]And this is the word that was preached as the gospel to you.

Questions
1. In verse 16 who is the Holy one?
2. How do w act Holy?
3. What is perishable and imperishable?
4. What does it mean to have a pure heart?
5. What does verse 24 and 25 mean?
6. How can we change someone to be a Christian? Is it our job?

1 Peter Ch 1:1-12

Today Andrea and TJ are reading through first Peter.

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ:To the temporary residents dispersed^[a] in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosen² according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and set apart by the Spirit for obedience and for sprinkling with the blood of Jesus Christ.May grace and peace be multiplied to you.A Living Hope³ Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead ⁴ and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. ⁵ You are being protected by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.⁶ You rejoice in this,^[b] though now for a short time you have had to struggle in various trials ⁷ so that the genuineness of your faith—more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire—may result in^[c] praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ⁸ You love Him, though you have not seen Him. And though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹ because you are receiving the goal of your^[d] faith, the salvation of your souls.^[e]10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that would come to you searched and carefully investigated. ¹¹ They inquired into what time or what circumstances^[f] the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when He testified in advance to the messianic sufferings^[g] and the glories that would follow.^[h] 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you. These things have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Angels desire to look into these things.Footnotes:

1. What does "may grace and peace be multiplied by you" mean? (vs 2)

1. How do life trials serve a purpose in your life?

1. What is the salvation of our souls?

1. How can we still be happy even though we are going through trials?(vs 5)

1. What are some ways we can deal with struggling?

1. What trials can you be facing right now?

No FCA March 1st

No FCA this Friday because of Muffins with Mom.  See you then week.  Please tell a friend.

James Outline

Overview of James by TJ, Jenna, Andrea, Alyssa, and Mr. Alfaro

Ch. 1
·         Trials
·         Wisdom
·         Obeying God
·         Rejecting Evil
·         Acceptance

Ch. 2·         Favoritism is evil/sin
·         God chose the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that He has promised to those who love Him
·         Love your neighbor as yourself and do not be a lawbreaker
·         Mercy triumphs over judgment
·         Can Faith without works save you? No
·         If you have faith and I have works, we will do well together
·         For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead

Ch. 3·         Learning to control our tongues
·         The wisdom of God is the best wisdom you could ever receive
·         Don’t brag about things you have done, it’s better to let other people notice it

Ch. 4·         Christ needs to be the center of our lives
·         We shouldn’t be friends with the world, or we will be God’s enemy
·         Your focus should be on God not you
·         Christ is the only judge, we don’t have the right to judge others
·         We don’t know what’s going to happen each day.  God is in control of our lives

Ch. 5·         Be careful not to worship your money, your riches will all parish
·         We must have patience in the Lord
·         We will all endure trials at some point in our lives, we must trust the Lord
·         Your yes must be yes and your no must be no
·         The power of prayer is mighty
·         Always look to help someone in need

James 5:13-20

Tyler and TJ are leading this week.  We are going over the last verses is James

¹³ Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they should pray over him after anointing him with olive oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will restore him to health; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.¹⁶ Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The urgent request of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect. ¹⁷ Elijah was a man with a nature like ours; yet he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land. ¹⁸ Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit.
¹⁹ My brothers, if any among you strays from the truth, and someone turns him back, ²⁰ let him know that whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his life from death and cover a multitude of sins.

Questions

1. Why should we pray when we are suffering?
2.  Why should we confess our sins?
3.  When we confess our sins how are we supposed to do it?
4.  What is the prayer of faith?
5.  When are you suffering?
6.  How do you deal with hard times?
7.  what does it look like to help a brother out in need?

James 5:7-11

Today Maddy, Alyssa, and Kylie are reading James 5:7-11 their questions are:

⁷ Therefore, brothers, be patient until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. ⁸ You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.
⁹ Brothers, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door!¹⁰ Brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name as an example of suffering and patience.¹¹ See, we count as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

1:Why should we be patient with the Lord?
2: In verse 9 what do you think it means by do not complain for the judge is at the door?
3:Do you feel closer to God during times when you are suffering or in a good time?
4: What do you you think a prophet is?

We will also be reading from Job to understand what he went through to receive God's mercy.

James 5:1-6

The leaders this week are Tyler, Bryson,and T.J.

Warning to the Rich5 Come now, you rich people! Weep and wail over the miseries that are coming on you. ² Your wealth is ruined and your clothes are moth-eaten. ³ Your silver and gold are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You stored up treasure in the last days!⁴ Look! The pay that you withheld from the workers who reaped your fields cries out, and the outcry of the harvesters has reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.^[a] 5 You have lived luxuriously on the land and have indulged yourselves. You have fattened your hearts for^[b] the day of slaughter. ⁶ You have condemned—you have murdered—the righteous man; he does not resist you.

We also found some helpful notes on Soniclight.com

Gold and silver do not literally rust. They corrode and tarnish. Nevertheless corrosion does the same thing as rust. It destroys the value of the metal. Christians should use  money, not hoard it. Therefore the presence of rust or corroded gold in the rich man's treasury will bear witness to his unfaithful stewardship of his wealth. James warned that the process that destroys gold and silver is the same process that destroys the people who collect these precious metals. Hoarding wealth is a particularly serious sin for Christians since we are living in the last days, the days immediately preceding the Lord's return. We should be using our money to get the Lord's work done, not to enable us to live lives of luxury and laziness (cf. Matt. 6:19-24).

Again James confronted his readers as a prophet (cf. 4:13). Rich people are usually happy that they have wealth. However, James challenged his rich readers to weep and howl in anguish, not repentance. The Bible nowhere condemns the rich for being rich. Money is not evil (cf. 1 Tim. 6:10). Nevertheless God's Word consistently warns the rich of the temptations that financial abundance brings  with it. These temptations include a false sense of security, a desire to control others, and personal pride. The rich should not rejoice too much. Material misery may be just around the corner

Here are their questions

1. What is James warning the rich for?
2. What does verse 3 mean?
3. If it is wrong to withhold wages then why did the rich do it?

FCA this Thursday 12/20/12

We will not be adopting a family this year for Christmas.  Instead we will be participating in God’s Gift.  God’s Gift is a program I have adopted and tweaked from my church.  Megan and I are taking our tithe and giving every FCA student 5 dollars to bless someone in need.  You are essentially taking God’s money and using it to bless someone in need.  This is not my money, this is God’s money. It is up to you to decide who/how you are going to bless someone in need.  You can take God’s 5 dollar bill and combined in with your own money, or another family member, or another member of FCA.  It’s completely up to you.  You can do almost anything with the 5 dollars.  You can bless someone all at once, or separate the money in several blessings.  Remember, this is God’s money. Some examples of what you can do: buy food for a homeless person, buy any kind of warm clothing for a person in need, buy a gift for a child in need, some churches have Christmas trees with gift needs attached to the tree; buy one and give that gift.  You can take God’s 5 dollars and buy cooking supplies and bake a cake for a neighbor.  Buy coffee for a neighbor.  Take a meal over to a friend.  Use the money to help a neighbor fix something.  Anything and everything goes, as long as there is a need to bless someone.  Please try not to buy something for your family unless there is a tremendous need for that person. Please feel free to remind the person you are blessing how much God has blessed you and that God loves them.  When you are finished with God’s Gift I want to hear about it.  Every person will HAVE to write, or type me a letter telling me how they used God’s money to bless others.  I will be expecting this letter when we get back from Christmas break.  We are going to read them out loud the week we get back. Have a great time blessing others.  Get in the Christmas spirit and remember your Saviors birth. 

James 4:13-17

This week Eleanor, McKenna, Jenna, Andrea are going to lead FCA in James 4:13-17. These are their questions for this week.

Our Will and His Will
¹³ Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” ¹⁴ You don’t even know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes.

¹⁵ Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ So it is a sin for the person who knows to do what is good and doesn’t do it.

1. How you ever bragged about things you have done?
2. Why do we boast?
3. Why do we sin when we know what we are doing is evil?
4. What does verse 14 mean when it says,"You are like a smoke that appears for a little while?
5. Have you ever "listned" to God to say something to do something good but done the oppisite?
6. What is God's will.
7. What are some things God wills opon us?

T-shirt orders are here $16.00

They will be the exact opposite colors.  Blue will be red, and gold will be gold.  LOL  Please make checks payable to Valley Spirit.  We will be ordering them on the 20th of December.  There is no school on December 21st, so make sure you order soon.  Thanks

Here are some pics from FCA 12/7/12

Here we are praying

Here is a little teaching

Riverview is in the God's Word

James 4:1-12

This week Maddy,Kylie,and Alyssa are doing James 4:1-12

4 What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from the cravings that are at war within you?^{[a] 2} You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. You do not have because you do not ask. ³ You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your evil desires.

⁴ Adulteresses!^[b][c] Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world’s friend becomes God’s enemy. ⁵ Or do you think it’s without reason the Scripture says that the Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously?<sup>[d]

6</sup> But He gives greater grace. Therefore He says:

God resists the proud,
but gives grace to the humble.^[e]

⁷ Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people! ⁹ Be miserable and mourn and weep. Your laughter must change to mourning and your joy to sorrow. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.

¹¹ Don’t criticize one another, brothers. He who criticizes a brother or judges his brother criticizes the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. ¹² There is one lawgiver and judge^[f] who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

1. What would life be like if God didn't  give grace?

2. In verse 6 it says, God gives us greater grace. what are some ways we show grace?

3.In verse 6 What does it means when it says,'' God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble?

4. What does it mean when it says "be miserable and mourn and weep"?

5.What is the source wars among you ?

6. What do you think  verse 3 means ?" you ask and you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, so taht you may spend it on your evil desires'

James 3:13-18

Today TJ, Tyler, and Chase are going to being teaching from James 3:13-18

Who is wise and has understanding among you? He should show his works by good conduct with wisdom’s gentleness.  But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t brag and deny the truth.  Such wisdom does not come from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.  For where envy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every kind of evil.  But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without favoritism and hypocrisy.  And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.

Questions:
1. How do we show bitter envy and selfish ambitions in our hearts.
2. Who is wise among you and shows it by their deeds????
3. What does eartly wisdom mean?
4. What does evil practice?
5. How can we get wisdom from above? What follows wisdom?

James 2:8-13

This week Tyler,Chase, and TJ are the leaders, here are their questions:

 Indeed, if you keep the royal law prescribed in the Scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well. But if you show favoritism, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the entire law, yet fails in one point, is guilty of breaking it all. For He who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder.So if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you are a lawbreaker.Speak and act as those who will be judged by the law of freedom.  For judgment is without mercy to the one who hasn’t shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
     1. What is the Royal Law?
     2.What is a trangressor? What can we do to stop ourselves from transgressing?
     3.How can we not show favortism?
     4.In verse 10 what does it mean to keep the whole law?
     5.How does mercy triumph over judgement?
     6.How can we speak and act as if we are judged???

James Ch.2:1-7

Jenna, kylie, and eleanor are doing James 2 1-7

My brothers, do not show favoritism as you hold on to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.  For example, a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and a poor man dressed in dirty clothes also comes in.  If you look with favor on the man wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here in a good place,” and yet you say to the poor man, “Stand over there,” or, “Sit here on the floor by my footstool,”  haven’t you discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

 Listen, my dear brothers: Didn’t God choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that He has promised to those who love Him?  Yet you dishonored that poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?  Don’t they blaspheme the noble name that was pronounced over you at your baptism?
Here are our Questions.

Question 1: What does verse 5 mean?

Question 2: In verse 6 it says We have insulted the poor.... Have you ever insulted the poor?

Question 3: In verse 1 God says dont show favoritism What do you think God means when he says that?

Question 4: What thing have you done to insult the poor?

Question 5: What do you think the gold ring the man is wearing states about him?

James Ch1:22-27

This week Maddy, Andrea, and Alyssa are reading James Ch.1:22-27.

22 But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but one who does good works—this person will be blessed in what he does.


26 If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, then his religion is useless and he deceives himself. 27 Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Here are our questions:

1.What would the world be like if everyone was a hearer instead of a doers?
2.What would the world be like if everyone was a doer instead as a doer ?
3.In verse 24 what does it mean to look at yourself and right away forgets what kind of man he is?
4.In verse 26 what does it mean by your religion being useless if you do not controll your tonue?