Dear Parents and Students,

Greetings to each of you!

As I shared with the 8th graders, we are now on the "home stretch" for the school year. Last Monday, April 22nd was the first day of the 4th quarter. With this in mind, 3rd quarter report cards were handed out on Friday, April 26th. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

In 6th grade, we are finishing Unit 7 where we began studying the book of Acts and discussed Pentecost and the events surrounding the birth of the Early Church. We will now be continuing in the book of Acts and studying the first missionary journey of Paul.  This is very engaging material and the students have been asking lots of questions which has led to some great class discussions!

In 7th and 8th grades, we will be concluding unit 7 and our studies of the 400 year time frame between the Old and New Testaments. This unit has led to some very fruitful and engaging discussions as well. It’s been exciting to see how the hand of God worked through the events of history during this time in order to prepare the world for the coming of Jesus.

For all grades/classes, I have felt led by the Holy Spirit to spend time in class discussion on several verses which I have also assigned as memory verses over the course of multiple weeks (see below). I sense God wants to speak to the students about the vital importance of having a heart that is transparent before Him. I appreciate your prayers over the course of this next week as we continue to discuss and apply these verses.

Last week’s memory verses:

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. – Hebrews 4:12-13

This week’s memory verses:

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” – Jeremiah 17:9-10

Next week’s memory verse:

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. – Proverbs 4:23

As always, please feel free to contact me.

Blessings in Christ,

Mr. Holmes

Blog post April 8, 2018

                                                                             

Dear Parents and Students,                                                                                                                                                        

Greetings to each of you,

As we return from Spring Break, I feel so blessed to have the privilege to invest in each one of our students. I thoroughly enjoy the class discussions that we have and I hope that they may even carry over to further discussion with you at home!

Beginning Monday, the 7th and 8th graders will start Unit 7 which covers the 400 year interval between the Old and New Testaments, sometimes referred to as the “Silent Years.” However, God was not silent during these years as we’ll study and discuss over the course of the next two weeks. Please refer to the two-week Bible planner attached to the email I sent for specific passages we’ll be discussing as well as the upcoming memory verses for the next two weeks.

The 6th graders will start Unit 7 which covers the events of Pentecost and the book of Acts. It is exciting reading and I’m looking forward to going through it with our students. Please refer to the two-week Bible planner attached to the email I sent for specific passages we’ll be discussing as well as the upcoming memory verses for the next two weeks.

Please know that my goal for the students is to teach not just what the Bible says, but what it means, and how it applies to our daily lives. In my experience as a pastor, I have found that most of us struggle with how to work out the truths of the Bible in our everyday lives. I believe God wants us to study His Word not to know ABOUT Him, but to know Him. As Paul wrote in Phil. 3:10, “I want to know Christ,” – not I want to know about Christ.

I share this with you for two reasons: 1) So we can pray and partner together to ask God to bring this to fruition in each one of the students’ hearts and 2) because life transformation is hard work (whether you are in middle school or well into your adult years!) Please know that my heart’s desire and motivation is to challenge the students to study God’s Word so that they will be changed by it.

As always, please feel free to contact me anytime.

This week’s memory verse:

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

– Hebrews 4:12

Blessings,

Mr. Holmes