Hold Fast the Promises!

2013 Global Encounters Curriculum Overview by Elyssa VanGilstHere is an exclusive sneak peek at what GE team members will be teaching the kids in Colombia, Romania, Ecuador, and Mexico this summer: The Promises of God.Salvation - "...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved..." - Acts 16:31. God has promised salvation to those who put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. We have all sinned and broken God's law. God is holy and cannot look upon sin. The punishment for sin is death- separation from God forever. Because of his great love for us, God sent his one and only Son, Jesus, to die in your place and mine so that we could have everlasting life. Those who look to Christ in faith and turn from their sin in repentance will be saved.Victory Over Sin - "We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin." - Romans 6:6. Once we are saved, God has promised us the grace to walk in victory over sin. Because we died with Christ, sin no longer has dominion over us. This does not mean that we will no longer sin, but because Christ conquered sin and death, we are no longer slaves to sin. Jesus has given us the power to overcome sin and temptation.Holy Spirit - "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." - John 14:26. For those of us who are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, God has promised us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells within the believer, convicts us of sin through the Word of God, guides us, comforts us, consecrates us, communicates with us, and intercedes on our behalf. If we are walking in the Spirit we will have godly fruit in our lives such as love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, faith, meekness, and self-control.Hope in Suffering - "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." - James 1:2-3. As believers, we are called to suffer. The Christian life is not an easy one, so God has promised us hope in suffering. It is through suffering that we have sweet and intimate fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ. There is beauty and hope in suffering for the believer. God uses suffering to mold us into the image of his Son and to sanctify us. The trial may be bitter, but the victory and eternal reward is sweeter.Direction and Purpose - "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." - Jeremiah 29:11. God has promised the believer direction and purpose in life. There is no magical formula for discovering the will of God or the purpose that he has for your life. Rather, it is through spending daily time in the Word and in prayer, that we develop a relationship with God. It is through this fellowship that he guides us day by day, step by step. It is through these things that we learn to trust him and follow his direction.Provision - "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:19. God has promised to provide everything we need to carry out his will. He will give us what we need, when we need it, according to his perfect timing. His promised provision in our lives is not always physical provision. Too often his provision in our lives is not given in a way we expect or in a way we think it should be. The ultimate provision is Jesus Christ; he is all we need.Relationship - "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." - John 15:5. Every believer is promised a personal relationship with God, the Creator of the universe. God is our Father and we are his children. Jesus is the Vine, we are the branches. Our relationship with Christ is strengthened by spending time in the Word and in prayer.This summer, GE team members will be teaching these powerful promises to kids all over the world through crafts, games, stories, songs, skits, and more! Interested in going on a trip and teaching kids around the world about the promises of God? Visit our new website or send us an email. See you this summer!Elyssa VanGilst is the Curriculum Development Coordinator for Global Encounters. For the past decade, Elyssa has been involved in various children's ministries, including two GE trips to Romania and Ukraine. When she's not writing GE curriculum, Elyssa enjoys teaching music lessons, playing violin in several southern California orchestras, reading, and spending time with her family.