Slight Schedule Change

Happy Monday! There have been some changes made to our MOMS schedule. This Thursday, October 7th, we will be having Bow Making 101. I will teach everyone how to make Holiday bows for gifts, wreaths, & your Christmas tree. We will also, time permitting, learn to make a basic hair bow.

You will need to bring ribbon for the holiday bows. Ribbon that has wired edges is the easiest to use to make bows. If you are wanting a big bow for your Christmas tree I recommend getting 2.5" wide & 100 feet of ribbon. Hobby Lobby already has there Christmas ribbon out and they have a great selection to choose from. If you want a bow with 2 colors, we can make those as well. I will provide floral wire.

I will also provide the grosgrain ribbon for hair bow making. If you have a hot glue gun please bring it with you on Thursday. I will provide all other materials needed for this project.

If you have any questions please respond here or call or email me.

October 14th we will be having our Cooking 101 class with Cherie Barrett and then we should be back to our regular schedule.

Thanks so much!!!
Melanie Sharpe

MOMS Fall Schedule

Just wanted to give you all a run-down of the schedule this fall. The couponing day went very well! Thanks, Suzanne, you did a great job! And thank you, Tina, for the great devotion and for sharing your heart!

September 23rd - Product Comparison with Hannah Sparks
September 30th - Homemade Household Products with Beth Kicker
October 7th - Cooking 101 with Cherie Barrett
October 14th - Cake/Cookie Decorating with Delaine VanDyke
October 21st - Applique with Sashari Caretti
October 28th - Mission Project - details to be announced
November 4th - Homemade Christmas Gifts with Tara Sandlin
November 11th - No MOMS - Veterans Day
November 18th - Holiday Decorating with Tonya Haynes
November 25th - No MOMS - Happy Thanksgiving
December 2nd - You can be a mommy and not wear mommy pants with Beth Caviness
December 9th - Christmas Party / Last Day

Couponing!

Hello everyone!
I hope you are having a great week so far. I just wanted to let everyone know that this Thursday Suzanne Ogstad will be doing a coupon class for us at MOMS. Tina Warner will also be doing our devotion this week. I hope to see you there!

God Bless!
Melanie Sharpe

A Whole New Way of Doing Things

Hello Ladies!!! I am so excited to say that MOMS will be starting back this Thursday, September 2nd. We will start at 8:30 am with finger foods and fellowship. The food will be provided for the first day. We are mixing things up a little bit this first semester of MOMS. I can't wait to fill you in on all the great things we will be doing, so make plans to be there this Thursday. Please invite a friend to come with you. We are always excited for new moms to join. We will not be doing a book study this fall, so even if you can't come this first week still make plans to attend.

Can't wait to see you Thursday :)
Melanie Sharpe

Fun Facts about KidsStuff children's and maternity consignment sale!

Fun Facts about KidsStuff!

Did you know that KidsStuff:

• raised $5676 for our Children's Ministry last year alone and continues to grow?
• is not a “MOMS event” but a church-wide effort?
• proceeds benefit all ministries for nursery through 6th graders?
• is an opportunity to be a positive witness in our community and is conducted as such?
• needs your help to make it happen?
• is coming up soon?!

The next KidsStuff maternity and children's consignment sale will be the weekend of August 19-21. If you are able to help, please call Melanie Sharpe at 590-3057!

Use it or Lose it

With spring break and no MOMS this Thursday, you have a wonderful chance to get all caught up on the For Women Only study, if you've gotten behind! Don't miss this chance! Hope you're having a wonderful week and can't wait for discussion next week:)

For Women Only

Wow! Where has the time gone?! I missed posting the last couple weeks of the study for being out of town the first week and for plum forgetting the second... so sorry! I'll update that info. soon even though it is behind.

So, we started the For Women Only (by Shaunti Feldhahn) study last week and I was bummed to have to leave from discussion early... it was getting good! :) Seriously, I have done the study before and enjoyed it immensely and am really looking forward to getting new perspectives on the men in my life, primarily my hubby, and learning how to love him in the way that really means something to him!

Last week the focus was on respect. Respect is the primary way that your man will feel love from you. And his definition of respect is probably different from yours. So, ask him what makes him feel respected and what makes him feel disrespected. And when he gives you his answers, don't scoff because it doesn't mean the same for you or seems silly. You'd want him to really listen to you, so give him the same attention and care you'd hope for from him. Put him first this week in everything, pray for new ideas on showing him respect, and keep all your words to him and about him this week on the positive side! Ready, set, go!

Week 2 of discussion coming up!

KidsStuff Sale

Please pray that the KidsStuff sale will be smooth, successful, and will reflect Christ with every opportunity! If you are still needing a number please call Carrie at 590-4243 and if you would like to work the sale, either 4 hours in order to shop early or just a couple hours in order to help us out, please call Melanie at 590-3057.

Beth Kicker will be teaching Week 6 of the 1 John study this week as last week was a fun day. Look forward to seeing you!

Reading Week 5

1 John 3:11-24

Day 1-2: Agapeo love is to have God’s best interest for another at heart…not
necessarily what THEY think may be in their own best interest. God’s best interest for us all is for one to experience true Love, real Joy, and everlasting Peace. The path to this is for us to BE Love. What does it look like to be agapeo to others?

Matt. 5: 17-48
Matt. 9:10-13, 35-38
Matt. 25:31-46
Luke 6: 27-36
Romans 5:6-11
Romans 12:3-21, 13:8-10
1 Cor. 12: 27-13:13
Eph. 2: 1-10
Phil. 2: 1-18

Day 3-4: How can I show Love by laying down my rights?

Acts 4: 1-4
Acts 4:32-37
Acts 6-7
Romans 14: 1-6
1 Cor. 9: 1-23

Day 5: What brings God [Love] pleasure?

Psalm 5: 3-4
Psalm 35: 27
Psalm 103: 21-22
Psalm 104: 34
Psalm 147: 11
Psalm 149:3-4
Isaiah 58: 1-14
Ezekiel 33: 11
Micah 6:8
Matt. 9:13
1 Cor 12:18
Eph. 1:3-4
2 Thess. 1: 3-12
Heb. 10: 38-39
Heb. 11: 5-6
Heb. 13: 15-16
1 Peter 2: 20-21

Week 5 Basics of Christianity: 1 John 2:18-3:10

I. Living in the last hour.
A. The anti-christs. (1 John 2:28-22)
1. Many have appeared.
2. They went out from among us.
3. They weren’t really of us.
4. They lie.
a. Jesus is not the Messiah
b. Deny the Father & Son.
B. The little-Christs.
1. You have an anointing.
2. You know the truth.
3. You confess the Son.
4. You have the Father also.
5. What you heard from the beginning abides in you.
6. You will abide in the Father & Son also.
7. You have eternal life.
8. No need for anyone to teach you.
9. The Holy Spirit teaches you.
10. You abide in Him.
II. The hope of His appearance at His coming. (1 John 2:28-3:3)
A. We have confidence.
B. We are not ashamed.
C. We are born of Him.
D. We are loved by Him.
E. We are his children.
F. The world does not know us or Him.
G. We don’t know what we will be.
H. We will be like Him when He appears.
I. We will see Him as He is.
1. This is the reason for our hope.
2. This is the reason for purity.
III. Testing time for myself. (1 John 3:4-10)
A. Am I Anti-Christ.?
1. Do I practice sin?
2. Do I practice lawlessness?
a. Jesus came to take away sins.
b. In Jesus (Love) there is no sin.
c. No one who habitually sins has seen Jesus or
knows Him.
d. The sinners (lovers-of-self) are born of the devil.
e. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.
f. No one who is born of God practices sin.
3. Do I love my family in Christ?
B. Am I a little Christ?
1. Do I abide in Him?
2. Do I practice righteousness?
3. Does the Holy Spirit teach me what is right?
4. Do I love my family in Christ?

Reading Week 4

1 John 2: 18-3: 10

Day 1 & 2: What does it mean to be born again?
John 1:12-13
John 3:1-21
2 Cor. 5:17-7:1
Col. 3:1-17
1 Peter 1: 3-12
1 John 2: 29
1 John 3: 9-10
1 John 5: 1-4, 18

Day 3: What do unbelievers think about end times?
Matt. 24 9-12
1 Tim. 4:1-5
2 Tim. 3: 1-7
2 Tim. 4: 3-4
2 Peter 3: 1-9
James 5-6
Jude 1:17-19
Rev. 13: 1-18

Day 4: What will believers think & do & hope for the end times?
Matt. 13: 1-23
Matt. 24: 3-31
2 Thess. 2:1-3:15
1 Tim. 4:1-16
2 Tim. 3:1-4:8
James 5: 7-20
1 Peter 1:13-25
2 Peter 3:1-18
Jude 1:17-25

Day 5: What do believers have to hope for at Christ’s coming?
Is. 26: 19
Is. 35: 3-10
Amos 4: 1-5
Zephaniah 3: 9-20
Zechariah 8:5
Matt. 25: 31-46
1 Cor. 15: 16-58
2 Tim. 4:7-8
Rev. 19-20

Week 4 Basics of Christianity: 1 John 2:3-17

I. The Test of true faith. (1 John 2:3-11)
A. My actions.
1. Keep his commands.
a. The love of God is perfected.
b. Walk in the same manner as Jesus.
2. The new Old Commandment.
a. Be lovers--of others.
1) because the darkness is passing away.
2) because the Light is already shining.
3) because you won’t cause others to stumble
b. Not haters--lover of self.
1) It shows that you walk in darkness.
2) You don’t know where you are going.
3) blind eyes.
B. My growth (1 John2:12-14)
1. Little children
a. Your sins are forgiven
b. You know the Father *basic knowledge.
2. Young men
a. You have overcome the evil one!
b. You are strong.
c. The Word of God abides in you.
3. Fathers
a. You know Him who was from the beginning. *intimate knowledge
C. My treasure.
1. The temporary are not from the Father.
a. The world
b. the things of this world
c. Lust of the flesh
d. Lust of the eyes
e. Pride of life. *boasting in your status
2. The one who does God’s will, will live forever.

Reading Week 3

Basics of Christianity—1John 2: 3-17

Day 1: What are God’s commands?
Exodus 20-23
Leviticus 19:17-18
Deuteronomy 6:4-6
Mark 12: 29-31

Day 2: What are the consequences for obeying or disobeying?
Leviticus 26
Luke 11:28
John 14: 15-27
Daniel 9: 11-14
Why did God give the letter of the law?
Rom 7:1-8:17
Gal 3:23
Heb. 10: 1-25

Day 3: What is the Spirit of the Law?
Amos 5: 21-24
Matt. 22:34-40
John 13:31-35
Rom. 13:8-10
Gal 4:21-5:8
Gal. 6:2
Eph. 5: 1-2
Phil. 2:1-4
1 Thess. 4:9-12
2 Tim. 2:20-26 James 2: 1-26
2John 1:4-6

Day 4: What does Spiritual growth look like?
Matt. 5: 43-48
Rom. 8:28-30
Eph 4:17-16
Phil. 3:12-16
Col. 1:28-29
1 Thess. 5:12-22
1 Peter 2:1-2

Day 5: What are different kinds of treasure?
Isaiah 33:6
Matt 6:19-21
Matt. 16:24-27
Mark 10: 17-27
Gal. 5: 19-26

Week 3 Basics of Christianity: 1 John 1:1-2:11

I. Jesus is the Word of Life. (1 John 1:1-4)
*God’s visible message of Love to us.
A. He is God.
B. He was one with the Father.
C. He became man.
D. He is God’s only begotten son.
E. He is the Savior.
F. He is the Anointed one.
G. He is Light.
II. God is Light. (1John 1:5-2:3)
*A=B, B=C & C=D
*Jesus= Light, God =Light, so Jesus =God
*God =Light, God=Love, so Light=Love. (1John 1:5, 4:8)
*Believer= Light, Believer=Love, so Believer=Body of God (1Jn 2:10, Jn. 10:34, 5:18)
* Unbeliever=Dark, Unbeliever= No Love, Dark=No Love. (John 13:9)
A. If we walk in the light or love then:
1. We have fellowship with God.
2. We are forgiven.
3. We won’t practice sin—love of self.
4. We have an advocate in Jesus.
5. We have a satisfying payment for our sin.
6. We know Him.
7. Our love is perfected or mature.
8. We walk in the same manner.
9. No cause for stumbling in Him.
10. The Light is already shining.
11. The one who loves abides in the Light.
B. If we walk in the dark or without love then:
1. We are liars, if we say we have fellowship with God.
2. We are liars, if we say we have no sin.
3. We make God a liar, if we say we have no sin.
4. The Word is not in us.
5. We are liars, if we hate our brother & say we walk in the Light.
6. We don’t know where we are going.
7. We are blind.
* 2 Timothy 3:1-7—Those who live without love of others may have a form of godliness (Religion), but they deny the power of God’s love in their life.
* Matt. 7: 21-23—Not everyone who calls Jesus Lord will enter the kingdom.
* 1 Cor. 13: 1-3—You can call Him God and do all the right things and say all the right things, but if you do not have Love (God) in your heart, then He is not your real Lord and it doesn’t do you any good.

Reading Week 2

For Basics of Christianity—1 John 1:1-2: 11

Days 1 & 2: Who is Jesus?
Isaiah 7:10-16
Isaiah 9: 1-7
Matt 1:23
Matt 16: 13-17
Mark 10:41-45
John 1: 1-18
Philippians 2: 5-11
Heb. 6:13-20
Heb. 7: 23-28

Days 3 & 4: What does it mean to walk in the light?
Psalm 119:1-16
Psalm 119:105
Psalm 119:130
Proverbs 6: 20-23
John 8: 12
Romans 13: 11-14
1 Thess. 5: 1-8
Eph. 5: 3-21
James 1: 12-18

Day 5: Propitiation means to appease or satisfy.
What must be satisfied?
Romans 3:23
Romans 6:23
What satisfies the debt we owe God?
Lev. 16: 1-34
Heb. 9: 22
Heb. 2:14-18
1 John 9-10
Whose blood was the satisfaction for believers?
Isaiah 53: 1-12
Matt. 27: 15-56
How do we obtain this payment?
Eph. 2: 1-10
Rom. 3: 21-26

Week 2 The Basics of Christianity: Abide (Strong's #3306)

1. Meno—to remain, to dwell, to live, or in relation which one person of thing stands with another united in heart, mind and will.
* used 19 times in 1 John.
2. What does it look like to have the same heart, mind, and will as God?
A. 1 John 2: 3-11
1. Obeys God's commands
2. Loves one another.
3. Serves - Matt. 20:24-28
4. Be holy - Rev. 20:4-6
B. 1 John 2:19
1. Don't leave the faith
2. Do stay with us
C. 1 John 3: 23-24
1. Believe on His name
2. Love one another
3. Obey His commands
a. Fellowship with God
b. The Holy Spirit lives in us
D. 1 John 4:13-19
1. Proclaim Jesus is the son of God
a. God lives in Him
b. They live in God
2. Know how much God loves us
a. Trust Him
b. We give love
c. Our love grows
d. We are not afraid
e. We are confident
*because we are like Christ in this world
3. We love others as a result of God's love for us
E. John 6:53-58
1. Share in His suffering (flesh)
Share in His promises (blood)
a. Eternal life
b. Resurrection
c. Live in the power of God
F. John 8:31-36
1. Obey my teachings
2. Know the truth
a. Set you free
b. You become family
G John 14:8-21
1. Believe in Jesus
a. You will do the same works as Jesus
b. You will do greater works than Jesus
c. You will ask anything in Jesus' name (in His character)
1. He will do it
2. He will bring glory to God
2. Obey His commands
a. He will give you a counselor - Holy Spirit
b. The Spirit will lead you into truth
c. The Spirit lives in you - you're never alone
3. Love God - the results:
a. you are resurrected
b. the Father loves them
c. Jesus loves them
d. Jesus reveals Himself to them
H. John 15:1-17
1. Produce lots of fruit
a. Ask what you will
b. Give glory to the Father
2. Obey
a. Remain in God's love
b. Your joy overflows
3. Love
a. You are God's friend
b. God reveals Himself

Catching Up

OK, so I had a little trouble getting the 1 John study in digital form so I could be posting the info. each week so now there's just a little catching up to do. I'll start with the answers from our intro. session on the 21st.

Week 1:The Basics of Christianity


I. Written by John the Apostle
A. Brother of James. (Acts12:2)
B. Son of Zebedee. (Matthew 10: 2-4)
C. Nicknames “Sons of Thunder”—outspoken, intense, etc.
(Mark 3:17, Luke 9:54)
D. One of Jesus’best friends. (Matthew 17:1, 26:37)
E. An eyewitness to Jesus’ ministry. (1 John 1:1-4)
F. Disciple “Whom Jesus Loved”. (John 13:23, 19:26, 20:2, 21:7)
G. Wrote five Books of the Bible.
1. 1 John
2. 2 John
3. 3 John
4. Gospel of John
5. Revelation
H. The only disciple who died of natural causes.
1. He was boiled in hot oil.
2. He was exiled to die on Patmos—means my killing.
3. He was released by a new ruler.
I. The last Apostle to die. He was over 86 years old.
II. Why was 1 John written?
A. Gnostics--false teachers that believed that TRUTH was:
1. Man’s reason, not God’s revelation.
a. Sin doesn’t affect ones spirit.
1) Sin doesn’t matter. (Heb. 10:26-31)
2) The more one sins the more grace there is.
(Rom. 3:5-8)
b. Everything that appeals to flesh is sin. (Col. 2:20-23)
1) “Don’t handle, taste, or touch.” (Gen.3:1-3)
2) Severe treatment of the body.
2. Flesh is evil,
--therefore Jesus wasn’t God in the flesh.
3. The man's spirit is good.
--mystical knowledge
B. Failure to love.

Emily

I'm sorry I haven't posted this before now, but I have just needed a little time. Emily Mulkey passed away this past Wednesday morning, January 27th, 2010. Many of you knew Emily personally and many of you have heard of her story of incredible, undying faith in the ugly face of many, many physical and emotional hardships. She was a precious friend to me and had a great impact on my personal relationship with Christ. She has left a huge hole in many lives, that I know Christ will fill up with Himself as we allow Him to. I love you, sweet Emily. Please be in prayer for all of Emily's family and friends.

Her blog has the complete obituary and the service information posted http://www.themulkeys-mulkeys.blogspot.com/. On Friday, her friend Emily Tardy let me know that the service on Monday at 2 pm will be available to view via webcast through the website http://www.memorialdesigners.net/. Click on Emily Mulkey under Current Visitations. On Monday a button will be added there that says View Webcast.

The MOMS group will be having Emily's blog printed and bound for her 3 year old daughter, Faith, and possibly for other family members as well. If you would like to contribute, please contact Melanie at melsharpe79@yahoo.com and you can arrange to get your donation to her either at MOMS on Thursday or sometime before. At some point, Emily Tardy will post on Emily's blog to encourage people to post comments to Faith and Jason and all of Emily's family so that those notes will be included in that bound copy. You may want to go ahead and write out what you'd like to write to them. We'd love for Faith to treasure this and to be able to read these letters of what her mama meant to you and what her mama was like. Also, I had ordered one of our new t-shirts to send to Emily. When it comes in, I'd like for those of you who knew Emily and prayed for her to sign the shirt so that I can give it to her sister Callie. Please pray for all those travelling home from services later this week.

Love you guys,
Carrie:)

KidsStuff!!!

Fun Facts about KidsStuff!

Did you know that KidsStuff:

• raised $5676 for our Children's Ministry last year alone and continues to grow?
• is not a “MOMS event” but a church-wide effort?
• proceeds benefit all ministries for nursery through 6th graders?
• is an opportunity to be a positive witness in our community and is conducted as such?
• needs your help to make it happen?
• is coming up soon?!

The next KidsStuff maternity and children's consignment sale will be the weekend of March 4-6. If you are able to help, please call Melanie Sharpe at 590-3057!

1 John - LOVE

I will try to do better in the future and get the weekly "homework" on the blog by Friday each week for the following Thursday... just didn't think about posting the homework on the blog until today. Hopefully, you'll be able to use it and keep up with the group as we read through and study 1 John. We had a great Introduction lesson on Thursday!

Please let us know if you want a binder (they're very, very slim)... it has each week's outline and the reading for the following week, so it comes out to 17 pages total. Not overwhelming at all! The homework will always be broken down into 5 days, but you can do it however it suits your schedule as it is a very light 5 days of homework anyway.

Looking forward to learning about "abiding" in Christ this Thursday!

1 John Reading for Week 1

Day 1: Overview

• 1 John 1-5
• 2 John
• 3 John

Day 2: The eye witness of Christ's miracles.

• John 1-6

Day 3: The eyewitness of Christ's authority.

• John 7-11

Day 4: The eyewitness of Christ's Love.

• John 12-17

Day 5: The eyewitness of Christ's death and resurrection.

• John 18-21

The eyewitness of Christ the King.

• Revelation 1-3
• Revelation 19:11-16

Prayer and Fasting

Please consider fasting tomorrow either all day or at the noon hour as you pray for Emily Mulkey. She is not doing well at all and is being med-flighted to UAB tonight. Hopefully her friend, Emily T., will be able to post some updates at http://themulkeys-mulkeys.blogspot.com/

Thank you

T-Shirts and 1 John !!

I'm so excited to share with you that the MOMS group now has a t-shirt to sell and use the small profit in missions opportunities. It's going to be a t-shirt for all northbrook women (or any women really)! If you'd like to buy one in the first order, you can let Melanie know at melsharpe79@yahoo.com and let her know what size and sleeve length (small - 3x in short sleeve or small - 2x in long sleeve). The cost is $13 for short sleeve or $15 for long sleeve and she'll need the money by this Wednesday evening or Thursday morning. I have attached the design above that will go on the back of the shirt. There will also be a Bible verse underneath the cross design and Northbrook Baptist (not the church logo design, just the name) above the design. The shirts will be Kiwi green and I will post the full design when we receive it from our supplier! I can't wait to get them in! They'll be super cute and I pray that when ladies see us wearing them, they'll want one, too:) What a great way to develop a sense of family among our women, spread the TRUTH of God, and help others all at the same time!

This semester we'll study 1 John for the first several weeks and then do the For Women Only study by Shaunti Feldhahn. This is an EXCELLENT Bible Study and will open your eyes to see your husband, son, and all men in a totally different light. It's really fascinating! But first, I can't wait to dive into 1 John!! Beth K has prepared a weekly curriculum that you'll receive this Thursday. If you can't be there and want one of these little binders, please let Melanie know! There is no reading for this week as we'll be getting an overview of the book and the author's life.

Lots of fun and exciting things on the horizon, ladies! Please be in prayer for this semester and our group and the ride He has planned for us this spring:)

Love y'all,

Carrie:)

MOMS in 2010!

Hey Ladies! I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. This spring semester of MOMS will be starting on January 14, 2010. The first day we will have a MOMS panel that includes Tana Britt, Hayley McElroy, Barbara Morrow and Tina Warner. These are a wise and fun group of ladies whom you can bring your questions to about parenting or marriage and you will receive godly and experienced answers in return. If you have never been when we've had a panel, you have missed out! It's always incredibly helpful! Please be thinking of any questions you have and get them to me in the next couple of days so I can get the questions to the ladies in advance. You can post them here in a comment or email them to melsharpe79@yahoo.com.

Food will be provided the 1st day of MOMS and I will send a new food list around for the spring semester. We will be studying 1 John for the 1st part of this semester so no books will be purchased until later in the semester. Please be in prayer for the new semester of MOMS and all the exciting things God has in store for our group. I'm looking forward to seeing each of you on January 14th!!!

~Melanie