Ambassadors of Christ
What is a priority? What should be our first priority?
A priority is something of greater importance or attention compared to other things.
God comes first!
What should we do if our parents ask us to do a task that we dislike?
Tell them hadder, finish the task, and speak to them later.
What is envy?
“A feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else’s possessions, qualities, or luck” -Google
a.k.a jealousy
How many times does Christ tell us to forgive our brother who sinned against us?
Seventy TIMES seven or 490 times (Matthew 18:20-21)
How did Aaron serve as a supportive figure to Moses?
Aaron went with Moses to Egypt because Moses was scared to go alone
AND Aaron (along with another man) held Moses' arm up in the sky so that Israel could defeat the Amalekites.
What is another priority we should have in our lives that should be second to God only?
FAMILY!
True service begins at home!
We should show our parents the respect and honor and thanksgiving they deserve!
If we love God, then we love our parents (since He commanded us to honor them)
Who is the saint who is commonly known for obedience and what is his story?
St. John the Short
His spiritual father asked him to plant a dry, dead stick into the desert sand and water it consistently for 3 years, for which he'd have to walk for 3 miles going and 3 miles coming every day. After these 3 years, the stick blossomed into a fruitful tree.
What is a "little fox"? How is envy a little fox?
A habit or practice that we see as small but can “spoil the vines” or undo our hard work in church or cause our downfall in our spiritual life.
Ex: Imagine a person who follows all the commandments very well, but the one sin they commit is envious thoughts. Just thoughts. It seems like such a small thing but can deprive them of eternal life if they don't get rid of it.
Where was forgiveness found in the story of Esau and Jacob?
Esau forgave Jacob after his return from his 20-year journey of escape from the face of Esau. Jacob stole Esau's blessing from Isaac and ran to his uncle Laban's house, all at the advice of his mother, Rebeccah.
St. Andrew did something for St. Peter that we should also do with our siblings. What is this thing that we can copy?
Sharing the joy.
When we see something (bible verse, sunday school lesson, sermon, etc.) that is very powerful, we should show it to our siblings!
When did St. Mary perform an act of service for a family member? How long did she perform this act?
St. Mary served Elizabeth for THREE MONTHS at the beginning of her pregnancy with St. John the Baptist! She traveled alone as a young girl! Most surprisingly, she served Elizabeth directly after hearing that she would be the mother of God!
What should we receive gladly from our parents even if we don't understand it perfectly?
We should always value their guidance and wisdom above anything else because they are truly looking out for us and searching for the best pathway for us at all times!
Give two examples of envy from the book of Genesis. Name the cause of the envy and what the envy led to.
Cain & Abel: jealousy for approval from God led to the first murder in the world
Joseph and his very own brothers: jealousy for love led to betrayal of family, lying, and sorrow
Why is it important to have peace between the siblings?
It is a commandment from God (our Lord Jesus commanded us to forgive our brothers a certain number of times)
Also, God will forgive us if we forgive others. “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12).
What does it look like to build a team using your family or siblings?
Helping the poor, visiting the sick, or even just cleaning up at home
Doing anything that helps us grow together in Christ
(Tasony Marian must approve of the answer)
Come recreate the priorities workshop and explain its meaning.
Tasony Barthena must approve.
Priorities must be done in order. Otherwise, they are not your actual priorities but just by words, not actions.
What does it mean to serve our parents willingly? Give an example of this.
It is about the heart. Doing chores or responding to your parents is NOT enough. You must also do it while happy and while aware that this is the least you can do in exchange for everything they have done for you!
What does it mean to see the cup half-full vs half-empty?
Seeing the cup half-full is noticing what we have. We focus on the positive side of the story, ignoring the fact that we are missing half of the cup. In our lives, this is focusing on the presence of our parents and friends, the house we sleep in, the good food we can eat, the education we can receive, etc.
Seeing the half-cup empty is the opposite. You leave half the cup that is available for you to drink and remember that you are missing half the cup. You have some, but you would rather be sad about what you COULD have had. These are the people that want to be sad and focus their thoughts on the bad in the situation. They complain that they are missing the iPhone 16 even though they have the 15. They complain to God that they have a cold but do not thank God they do not have cancer.
How does patience help us have forgiveness?
Tasony Barthena what do you think?
There was a set of siblings who exemplified praying for each other in the Old Testament. Who are these siblings? When did this happen?
Moses prayed for Miriam his sister when she became leprous. This was a punishment from God because she complained about Moses, but Moses still prayed on her behalf because she was his sister!
What is an ambassador of Christ? Where should we begin our mission as ambassadors of Christ?
An ambassador of Christ is someone who represents Christ to the people, bringing people to God!
"Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God."(2 Corinthians 5:20)
This mission begins in our own homes! We must begin sharing the word with our own families. How? By literally encouraging prayer and reading the bible together or by following God's commandment of honoring our father and mother.
Name three examples of bible characters or the saints who served their parents willingly.
Our Lord Himself is said to have helped his father in his career of carpenting.
Joseph (Old Testament) obeyed his father to go send food to his brothers.
David obeyed his father to send food to his brothers AND to tend the sheep even though he faced a bear and a lion.
Different answers are acceptable.
In the Thanksgiving Prayer, we say "for He has covered us, helped us, guarded us, accepted us to Himself, spared us, supported us, and brought us to this hour". What does each word mean?
covered us = prevented people from knowing our sins and kept our secrets from spilling to everyone
helped us = been with us on every test, every homework, every presentation, every difficult situation we have been through
guarded us = kept bad away from us (car accidents, thieves, murderers, bad weather, wars)
accepted us to Himself = chose us as His people, who He'd die for, save, love, provide for
spared us = saved us from our sins, from the devil, and from temptation
supported us = given us what we need to live (food, water, shelter, clothes)
and brought us to this hour = given us every second of our lives to repent, thank Him, and do good works
How can we build peace with our siblings at home? Give 2-3 that were mentioned in class.
1) listen first: let them share their feelings before responding
2) apologize quickly: say, "I'm sorry," even if it's hard.
3) do kind things: help with chores or share a snack
4) pray for them: ask God to bless and help you love them more
5) speak gently: use calm words during disagreements
6) have fun together: play games or watch a movie
7) forgive fast: let go of anger and move on
8) celebrate them: say, "great job!" when they succeed
What is the name of the saint who raised her brothers to be 3 great bishops in the church (in other words, she built a team with her brothers)?
St. Macrina