Palisades Junior High- NOVEMBER: the Word is GOOOOD!

Hey Junior Highers!
You are all high flyers!
Here's the Bible reading for November!
This is the Word, God wants you to remember!
Have a great week and see you soon!

In all seriousness, please check out November's Bible reading!

And also come out next Friday, November 5th, with some goodies, toys, pencils, pens as we make OPERATION Christmas Child boxes for the children around the world!

November 2010 Bible Reading Schedule

For this month please follow the reading schedule. You can follow the following format.

On Your Own

-Pray. Take this time to pray for this time of hearing God speak through the living Word of God.

-Read. Underline, highlight or take note of any words, phrases, verses that stand out or confuse you. You will eventually develop your own way.

-Ask yourself these three questions as you read through the text. You may have to read the text a few times.

o What does the passage say? Read it at least once and, if necessary, compare different translations.[1]

o What does it mean? What did it mean to the person who first wrote it and those who first read [and heard] it? Extra reading (like commentaries or articles on this text) may help here. Write down questions, items to note, etc.

o How does it apply to me, my family, my [school] or work, my neighbors, the society around me? …It is when we see the relevance to our own lives that Bible reading becomes so exciting and we become conscious that we are hearing God’s voice? Think also about the words, phrases that really stood out to you. Why do you think they stood out? Is God saying something to you?

Sundays will be a day of rest as you hear the Word of God by Pastor Rana or Pastor Paul. However, please think about the Word that day as you worship Him!

- 11/1/10: Genesis 18:1-15

- 11/2/10: Genesis 18:16-33

- 11/3/10: Genesis 19:12-26

- 11/4/10: Genesis 20

- 11/5/10: Genesis 21

- 11/6/10: Genesis 22:1-19

- 11/8/10: Genesis 23

- 11/9/10: Genesis 24

- 11/10/10: Psalm 15

- 11/11/10: Psalm 16

- 11/12/10: Genesis 25:19-34

- 11/13/10: Genesis 26:17-33

- 11/15/10: Genesis 27

- 11/16/10: Genesis 29:1-30

- 11/17/10: Genesis 31:1-29

- 11/18/10: Genesis 31:30-55

- 11/19/10: Genesis 32

- 11/20/10: Genesis 33

- 11/22/10: Psalm 16

- 11/23/10: Psalm 17

- 11/24/10: Proverbs 10:22-32

- 11/25/10: Proverbs 11

- 11/26/10: Genesis 34

- 11/27/10: Genesis 35

- 11/29/10: Genesis 37:1-11

- 11/30/10: Genesis 37:12-36

---

[1] Italics from Gumbel, Nicky. Alpha-Questions of Life, Deerfield, IL: Alpha North America, 2003, 95.

Seek His face, live in God's Grace!
- p. paul

Sr. High Bible Reading - Matthew 9

Pick one of the following to focus on for today.

(1) vv. 1-7
When Jesus heals the paralytic he asks the scribes the question... "Which is easier to just say 'Your sins are forgiven' or to tell the guy to get up and walk?"

Obviously, it is the former... because anyone can say it.. and they were accusing Jesus of blasphemy for saying something only God should say..

And then to prove that they may know that Jesus does have the authority to say that - he makes the paralytic to walk.

It's kind of like an "in your face" kind of thing.

Jesus is not setting for us an example to be "in your face" Christians. Not the kind of Christians that act righteous and better than the rest of the world because it is obvious in the very next part, as Jesus was sitting with the tax collectors (remember these guys are traitors that are working for the Romans to cheat the Jews, their own people - so, yes the worst) and other sinners, Jesus is not interested in being self-righteous. Jesus attracts believers by his life. People want to follow him. People want to be around him.

How can we live that kind of life - of an attractive Christian? People look at us and wonder "Man, what's going on there? I want that."


(2) vv. 8-13
In v. 13 "I desire mercy and not sacrifice" comes from Hosea 6:6 which is in the context of how Israel doesn't seem to get it. They do all the rituals - the worship service, the offerings, coming and doing the "duty" but God wants something else. Another wording for "mercy" is "steadfast love". God wants to be in a love relationship with us and desires that for all of us. This is not a relationship of duty but of love - that comes from our willingness.

The contrast here is with the high religious leaders being criticized are the ones caught up in the work of religion - prayers, services, dressing a certain way- everything external and outwardly. They are compared and contrasted to the weak, sinners that have really messed up in life, those that have been deemed "unclean" because of their sickness and outcast in society, and the Gentiles.

And where does this love relationship begin? Verse 13 - Jesus says, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."

We begin as sinners, recognizing our need for our Lord Jesus. Chasing after him, following him, going where he goes -- as these people are for the miracle in their lives. They are desperate for his saving power and love.

The question is - are you desperate? Or, is this just the convenient choice?

(3)vv. 20-22
Talk about desperation and faith. This woman in v. 20 was desperate. She had nothing left. During these times "bleeding" especially of the womanly kind made you unclean. No one could be near you, touch you, etc. So imagine if you had this for twelve years. Can you imagine twelve years of being completely alone because some religious law told you - you were unclean and so must be cast out of society?

Well, this woman was desperate. She managed to get near the crowds somehow. Probably she tried her best to conceal herself and keep herself under the radar - thus she did the least she could do -- not confront Jesus in front of everybody and gather attention to herself but just TOUCH THE FRINGE of his garment.

It's hard to relate to this kind of desperation that leads to this kind of faith in our society. We're comfortable. We have all we need so being "desperate" for Jesus kind of doesn't make sense. Think about it. What do these people have because they are desperate? What are we missing out on?

(4) vv. 35-38
The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
This is a perpetual truth the church is faced with. There is always more work to be done than workers to do them. Right now our church is in need of a shepherd, a pastor. And Jesus's command is simple: pray earnestly.
We must pray earnestly that a true shepherd who will protect, serve, nurture and guide his sheep will come to our church.

Sr. High Bible Reading - Matthew 8

YES! We are reading in Matthew for now. I wasn't sure where to start because everyone is at different place in Matthew so we'll start with Matthew 8.

Matthew 8 follows a very important huge CHUNK of teaching in Matthew 5-7. Those are known as the "teaching" chapters.

Now we're heading into the MIRACLE chapters (Matthew 8-9). Remember Matthew didn't organize this gospel chronologically. He made sections.

So what are you supposed to do?
Well..
1) keep a journal. Date it, write down the scripture passage you read that day. Write down any questions, thoughts... take a moment to pray and write down what God is saying to you. Sometimes you might not hear anything but let the word stay on your heart and mind all day and come back to your journal at the end of the day. Bottom line is... this is a discipline and it won't come naturally. But, I do pray and hope that you will have a desire to do so..
2) Comment on this blog with questions and/or comments. I'll be sure to address them to the best of my ability. This will help our community engage in the Word of God together.

Let's get started...
Notes:
vv.1-3 Note the leper's attitude towards Jesus. "If you will.. (volition, want)" He doesn't demand to be healed but humbly asks. He knows that Jesus is a person of extraordinary authority and power.
v 4 "Show yourself to the priest" - it's to get cleared so that this leper is no longer considered "unclean" and thus outcast from society

vv. 5-13 The Roman Centurion's faith...
Here we see another person (this time a Gentile) whose humble attitude towards Jesus is quite evident. Note verse 8 - "Lord, I am not worthy to have you..." A centurion was a man of power in the Roman empire who had command of more than a hundred men. Yet, this man (a man of much pride and power) comes to Jesus humbly to ask to heal his servant. It probably wasn't an easy thing to do.
Jesus notes this man's faith..that this man's faith trusted that Jesus can heal even from a distance. All he needed was His word.

vv. 14-16 Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law..
Immediately as the mother-in-law is healed, she begins to serve him.. (things to just note)
v. 17 Matthew does his signature "This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah" Remember, Matthew's audience is the Jewish people and he is trying to make a connection to the Hebrew Bible to what Jesus is doing and fulfilling.

So..what is all this healing for??
FAITH.

And we come to a sort of PAUSE moment where Matthew takes a break from all the miracles and talks about the COST OF FOLLOWING JESUS.

So, if you want to follow this amazing Jesus who can heal the sick and calm storms - you've got to commit. Are you willing to put God first before even your family? Your reputation? Your pride? Your desires?

Busy Sunday (Oct 24) ahead... Rev. Taehoo Lee and LiNK

This Sunday, October 24 is packed...
The first event is at 9:45 AM and we will pick you up if your parents cannot bring you earlier. You should not miss this! Please reply to your email or text.
1.
Speaker: Rev. Taehoo Lee (Inner City Philadelphia Missions - Summer 2011 Project)
Oct 24- 9:45 AM, Room 201
With hopes of participating in Philadelphia missions in Summer 2011 - Rev. Taehoo Lee will come and speak at our 9:45 AM Korean Youth Group Retreat. He will speak in both English and Korean. He will share about his ministry which is awesome...
Below is a clip of one of the many projects he is involved in. You can learn more about justice missions work in the inner city by going to the following website:


There is also a book by Shane Claiborne (his most popular is below)




2.
LiNK's (Liberty in North Korea) first documentary... Hiding..
Oct 24 - 12:30 PM - Room 011

LiNK is a non-profit organization started in 2004 by young people in their 20s that felt a burden to educate the world about the atrocities in North Korea. They began sharing in colleges and now they work with governments, non-government organizations (NGOs), and now directly with North Korean refugees. This documentary is about their work with these refugees.
Please come for the screening of this documentary at 12:30 PM in Room 011.

LiNK Documentary "Hiding" Trailer

LiNK (Liberty in North Korea) will visit Palisades Church on Sunday, October 24th to do a screening of their first documentary. Please invite your friends, family -- anyone. Spread the word.
Date: Sunday, October 24, 2010
Time: 12:30 PM
Where? Room 011 (Our worship room)

Hiding Teaser I from LiNK Global on Vimeo.

Hiding Teaser II from LiNK Global on Vimeo.

Palisades Junior High- Bible Reading is BACK!!!

Hey Junior Highers!

In building wise habits as young, growing Christians, what better way to grow our faith, than reading what God has revealed to us in His Word and talking to Him in prayer! I hope that as we start again this important discipline, that we meet the Lord in an intimate way and feel his love every day. LET US THINK ABOUT GOD EVERYDAY!

As you read the passages.

-Pray. Take this time to pray for this time of hearing God speak through the living Word of God.
-Read. Underline, highlight or take note of any words, phrases, verses that stand out or confuse you. You will eventually develop your own way.
-Ask yourself these three questions as you read through the text. You may have to read the text a few times.


* What does the passage say? Read it at least once and, if necessary, compare different translations
* What does it mean? What did it mean to the person who first wrote it and those who first read [and heard] it? Extra reading (like commentaries or articles on this text) may help here. Write down questions, items to note, etc.
* How does it apply to me, my family, my [school] or work, my neighbors, the society around me? …It is when we see the relevance to our own lives that Bible reading becomes so exciting and we become conscious that we are hearing God’s voice? Think also about the words, phrases that really stood out to you. Why do you think they stood out? Is God saying something to you?
(Gumbel, Nicky. Alpha-Questions of Life, Deerfield, IL: Alpha North America, 2003, 95.)

10/8- Psalm 1
10/9- Romans 8:31-39
10/10- Genesis 1:1-2:3
10/11- Genesis 2:4-25
10/12- Genesis 3
10/13- Genesis 4:1-16
10/14- Matthew 3:13-17
10/15- Psalm 46
10/16- Proverbs 2:1-15
10/17- Genesis 6:8-22
10/18- Genesis 7
10/19- Genesis 8
10/20- Genesis 9:1-17
10/21- Genesis 11:1-9
10/22- Colossians 3:9-17
10/23- Psalm 49:1-9
10/24- Proverbs 3:1-26
10/25- Genesis 12:1-9
10/26- Genesis 12:10-20
10/27- Genesis 13:1-13
10/28- Genesis 15:1-21
10/29- Psalm 14
10/30- Proverbs 10:1-10
10/31- Genesis 16

"Think about them every day and night so that you will be sure to obey all of them. For only then will you succeed. Yes, be bold and strong! Banish fear and doubt! For remember, the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" Joshua 1:8b,9

Have a blessed time!

October 2010 Permission Slip

October 2010 Letter

Welcome PASTOR PAUL HWANG!
We would like to welcome our new Jr. High Pastor Paul Hwang. He is a New Jersey native and currently resides in Cresskill, NJ.


OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS!
Junhyun An (10/9)
Tony Kim (10/11)
Sarah Song (10/20)

Annual Jr. High Field Day 2010
We had a great 2nd annual Jr. High Field Day this year on Saturday, October 2. Lots of games and flag football… and great food! Thank you to our PTA and Deacon Elaine Cooke. Next year, we’ll win!

LiNK (Liberty in North Korea)
LiNK will come and do a special screening of a documentary about North Korean refugees on Sunday, October 24th at 12:30-2:00 PM Please join us in our youth worship room and learn about what you can do for North Korean refugees.

Operation Christmas Child - November 14, 2010
We will be sending gifts to children around the world again. Please take a look at the enclosed brochure and prepare a gift for a needy child. Gift boxes are due November 14, 2010 (Sunday)

SAVE THE DATE!
Save the Date – Winter Retreat is FEBRUARY 19-21, 2011 (not December)
**JAMA 2011 is July 6-9, 2011
**Summer Missions also TBA for July 2011

Fridays (7:30-9:45 PM):
October 1 – Flag Football Practice (Cancelled due to weather) Worship and Fellowship
October 8 – Worship and Bible Study (Worship together, Bible Study separate)
October 15 - Worship and Bible Study (Worship together, Bible Study separate)
October 22 – Bowling at Montvale Lanes
October 29 – Holy Win Preparation (Helping Out our Younger Elementary Students)

Important Sunday Items:
-Bible, Offering prepared in envelope
-Schedules: Sunday Worship begins promptly at 11:30 a.m. and ends at 12:30 p.m. Bible study is from 12:30-1:15 pm. Please wait for your son/daughter and refrain from calling their cell phones until 1:15 pm.


Pastor Paul Hwang (Jr. High)
hwangph@gmail.com
Cell: 201-638-2507

Pastor Rana Park (Sr. High)
Ranap927@gmail.com
Cell: 213-500-3750

Sunday Servants Schedule