Let's remember the motivation that we parent from, love. The month of February is much about celebrating love and those we love, but the love that we are to show our children and the world is a love that goes beyond all loves, God's love. It is through this love that parents can direct their children down the path that is best for them. It is through this love that forgiveness and grace is given. It is through this love that discipline and correction are administered. It is through this love that we live. Be sure that your teens know that you love them with an unconditional love that comes only from God.
The day is getting closer that we will be meeting in person again for all services, but until then we are continuing to utilize the RightNow Media watch party function for our Sunday School time. If you need to register for a free RightNow Media account follow this link: <<RightNow Media>>.  Each week the link will be updated on our HF Sunday School page here - <<HF Sunday School>>. As things are progressing in the right direction, plans are being made for this year's ENGAGE Camp! (I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!) Be watching for the HF Events calendar with updates for camp dates and fundraiser.  

Get the Picture ~Hebrews 4:12
Objective:
Students will be encouraged to read and study the Bible which will be fostered by helping them to understand the Bible’s basic structure, how it came to be, and how it lasted through the years.
Key Thought: 
Know your spiritual sword.
Lesson Summary:
Tonight’s lesson was the first lesson in a four-part series called “Swordplay: Wisdom for Wielding the Word.” The four lessons in this series all deal with the Doctrine of the Bible. It was designed to give your students a better understanding of the Bible and how to read and interpret it.

1st, we discussed how we got the Bible. The Bible is unlike any other book, in that it is God’s Word given to mankind through a process called “inspiration.” God used human writers to communicate His Word to us and they wrote down His words accurately and completely.

2nd, we looked at the Bible’s structure. Your student learned that it has two basic divisions: the Old Testament and the New Testament. Your student also heard that those divisions are also divided into four sections each and what these sections contain. This should assist your student in being better acquainted with the Bible.

3rd, we learned how the Bible has been preserved through the ages. We saw how the books of the Bible were preserved through the accurate copying of them. Your student learned that the Bible has more ancient copies in existence than any other ancient text, including the well-known works of Homer and Plato. This fact demonstrates the reliability of God’s Word.
 
In this lesson, we encouraged your students to read the Bible regularly by using a Bible reading schedule or another tool. There are many available in both print form and online. Here are a couple of online options for a Bible reading schedule. <Bible Reading Plans 1>  or <Bible Reading Plans 2>

You could also help your student to find a personal Quiet Time journal to aid them with the process. Word of Life produces age-appropriate Quiet Times for ages 4-year-old to adult. The Word of Life family of Quiet Times is designed to help your whole family read the same portion of Scripture each day. Visit the following website to purchase quiet times for each member of your family: <WOL STORE>. As the parents, you can reinforce the importance of developing a habit of Bible study and personal quiet time.

Get the Text ~Luke 24:27
Objective:
Students will learn to identify the different genres of Scripture and be instructed to interpret them effectively.
Key Thought: 
Study your spiritual sword before you swing it.
Lesson Summary:
Tonight’s lesson was the second lesson in a four-part series called “Swordplay: Wisdom for Wielding the Word.” The four lessons in this series all deal with the doctrine of the Bible. Your student learned about the different genres found in the Bible. A genre is a type of writing. For example, biographies and historical fiction are two types of literature you would find in a library or bookstore.

The Bible has five basic genres:

1. Historical Narrative
These are historical accounts of events which happened and are found throughout the Bible.

2. The Law of Moses
These are commandments and instructions given to the people of Israel which ultimately point to Jesus Christ. The Law of Moses is found in the books of Genesis through Deuteronomy.

3. Poetry and Wisdom Literature
This genre provides principles for living, most often found in Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon, but can be found in other books of the Bible in specific passages as well. (This genre typically does not rhyme but rather is based on sentence structure, comparisons, or conditional statements.)

4. Letters (Epistles)
These are writings to churches and individuals communicating doctrine and practical guidance and found in the books of the New Testament from Romans through Jude.

5. Prophetic Utterances
These are words from God given through specific people, often starting with a phrase such as, “And the word of the Lord came to (name of person) saying…”

The point of this lesson is that identifying the genre of a particular passage in the Bible can help us to interpret it properly. Much like it takes study and practice to master the use of a sword, it takes study and practice to master the use of the Bible.

Get the Meaning ~1 Corinthians 2:13
Objective:
Students will understand how to interpret the Bible properly using basic concepts and be able to study their Bible with confidence.
Key Thought: 
A sword is useless unless you use it.
Lesson Summary:
Tonight’s lesson was the third lesson in a four-part series called “Swordplay: Wisdom for Wielding the Word.” The four lessons in this series all deal with the doctrine of the Bible.
In tonight’s lesson, your student learned three principles for interpreting the Bible. These principles are a great help to anyone who wants to know God’s Word better.

1. Interpret Contextually
a. Verbal context: Examine the text surrounding a word or sentence.
b. Historical context: Understand the social, cultural, economic, and political environment of the timeframe in which the text was written.
c. Grammatical context: Analyze the grammar, vocabulary, and syntax to determine the meaning of the text.
2. Interpret Consistently: We use “natural interpretation” which means that we view the text as literal unless that doesn’t make sense. Figurative language is used in the Bible but always points to literal reality.
3. Interpret Comparatively: We compare different passages of Scripture to confirm and clarify meaning.

These principles provide a framework for drawing out the meaning of a passage of Scripture and avoiding error. By looking at the Bible in this way, a person will gain a more comprehensive view of the Scriptures.

All of this may sound very academic. However, as your student discovered this past week, this is how Jesus viewed the Old Testament text when He referred to it. It is more than academic. It is a useful habit that can be developed.

When a person commits to studying the Bible in this way, using these principles becomes instinctive rather than a list to be followed. Furthermore, we live in a time when there are a seemingly infinite number of tools both in print and online to help plumb the depths of God’s Word.

Your student has been challenged to take this step and start studying a passage from the Bible and truly make it a spiritual sword that can be used to know God better and face the difficulties and temptations of life. Will you commit to studying a passage with your student? If so, start with John 3 and interpret Scripture using the three techniques above.

Get the Connection ~2 Timothy 3:16
Objective:
Students will learn that the Bible can be used in real-life situations and will be challenged to apply it regularly to the situations they face.
Key Thought: 
Your spiritual sword is a powerful weapon.
Lesson Summary:
Tonight’s lesson was the final lesson in a four-part series called “Swordplay: Wisdom for Wielding the Word.” The four lessons in this series all deal with the doctrine of the Bible. Your student learned in this week’s study that the Bible is relevant in today’s world and can be applied to people’s lives. This application of God’s Word takes time and effort. However, through regular discipline, the benefits will be seen over time.

We examined the relevance of the Bible by looking into three areas: (1) self-worth, (2) sexuality, and (3) salvation. These topics were chosen as a representative sample of the various topics in which the Bible can be applied. Of course, there are many others, including many problems and concerns which both you and your student will face. The Bible is truly a powerful force in one’s life when properly applied. Be sure to ask your student about the subject matter and how the Bible was used to address the issues we covered.

Your student was encouraged to identify one area of life where he/she needs direction. We then challenged them to research that topic with the commitment to apply the Word of God when he/she discovers what the Bible says about that topic.