Christmas at BFGFC

December 10, 2011
Firebrands Youth Caroling



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December 17, 2011
Operation Blessing

Since November 2011, we collected donations and contributions from the congregation
for our annual Operation Blessing.  This year's recipients were the elderly residents of the
Philippine-Chinese Charitable Association, Inc.

More pictures here

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December 22, 2011
Christmas Party

Fun games, entertaining presentations by the different cellgroups, overflowing food,
and warm fellowship graced this year's Christmas party.

More pictures here

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December 25, 2011
Christmas Service

The Firebrands Kids reminded the congregation of the Christmas story through a wonderful re-enactment of the Nativity
followed by a heart-warming rendition of Silent Night to cap the program.

More pictures here

2011 Bible Memory Challenge

Congratulations to the winners of this year's Bible Memory Challenge:

1st Place: Abegail Letigio

2nd Place: Marjorie Chico

3rd Place: Ghoseph Monzon

The winners of this year's Bible Challenge (Abegail, Marjorie & Ghoseph), surrounded by the Sunday School team. 
Also in the photo are the other two finalists: Jonathan How and Jamaica Castro.

The Contestants

Elimination Round

Semi Final Round

  

Semi-Final Round

Final Round - working on the Crossword Puzzle

Final Round

Instructions on the Crossword Puzzle

The Judges for the Bible Exposition Challenge

The winners - 2nd & 3rd place

The Grand Champion!

Check out more photos here.

Paving the Way to Loving Relationships: The BFGFC 30-Day Challenge

Matthew 22:37-39 “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your sould and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

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No matter how difficult or impossible it may seem, as Christians, we are expected to love the difficult people in our lives.  All of us have our own faults.  We may be 1, or 2, or 3 of the 10 in last week’s list and not even realize it.  And yet, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

We can only love others when we have the love of God flowing in our lives.  I love this old song which I remember usually when I am at work and irritants and stresses are present:

Let your love flow through me (2x)

Make me a blessing Lord, wherever I may be;

Keep me pure, keep me clean

So that You might be seen

Let your love, let your love flow through me.

Difficult people are not always unbelievers.  There are Christians who still remain to be difficult (!) and we are also expected to love one another.

John 13:35 “By this shall all men know that y are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

We have to always keep in mind:

Love is a decision.  It is not based on feelings.[1]

We CAN decide to love everyone, including & especially the unlovables!

More quotes from Creflo A. Dollar’s book Lord, Teach Me How to Love

·         How much endurance does your love have?

·         God accepts us as we are and still chooses to stand by us and shower us with His blessings daily.

·         True love doesn’t give up on people just because they are irritating or because they make mistakes.

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Matthew 22:37-38 “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your sould and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.”

Different people have different ways of showing their love to someone.  Some say it with gifts; some through physical touch.  Others offer words of affirmation.  Some people are willing to serve the ones they love.  And then there are those who show love by spending quality time with their loved ones.    These are called the 5 Love Languages. 

Jesus already gave us the directive on how we can show our love for God. 

John 14:15 “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

The best way that we can show our love for God is by OBEYING HIS COMMANDS.

How do we know what his commands are? Read the Word!

Some things to remember about Obedience (still from CADollar Jr’s book):

PARTIAL OBEDIENCE IS DISOBEDIENCE.

DELAYED OBEDIENCE IS DISOBEDIENCE.

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Matthew 22: 39 “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

If we say we love God, then we must love our brothers as well.  

1 John 4:20, 21 “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.”

Be ready to be tested!  If you ask God for patience, get ready for the test! If you ask God for courage, brace yourself to face your fears.  That is the only way to know you have overcome something – when you go through a challenge.  So when you say you love God and you want to obey His commands – then be ready to love the unlovables, for you will surely be tested!

“The more we strive to walk in love, the more our love will be
challenged in our relationships with everyone around us.”
– Creflo A. Dollar Jr.

In the NT epistles, we can find many “one another” verses.  These verses teach us what loving relationships are all about, thus making them great practical applications in loving our neighbors.

I challenge every one of you to take part in this 30-Day Challenge.  

Note: Click on the photo to view the 30-Day Challenge.

 

“Our horizontal relationship with one another is based on our vertical relationship with God.”
– Creflo A. Dollar Jr.

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[1] Lord, Teach Me How To Love – C.A. Dollar Jr.

Firebrands Kids: Bible Memory Challenge

Coming this October, Firebrands Kids will hold another Bible event - the Bible Memory Challenge.  All Juniors will compete in a Bible Verse and Exposition Challenges.  They will have to learn 21 verses, as well as 4 scripture passages about Love. 


Come & join us in this much-awaited Firebrands Kids event!

October 23, 2011

9:00 a.m.

BFGFC

Firebrands Youth and Kids 1st Joint Fellowship

March 26, 2011

28 young people gathered together in an unforgettable fellowship organized by the Firebrands Youth. This is to formally welcome the kids into the youth ministry. From this point on, the Primaries and Juniors (ages 7-12) will be known as the Firebrands Kids.

The program started with an ice breaker to help the youth and kids get to know each other a little better.

Icebreaker: Playing the Curtain Surprise game.

Then it was followed by an introduction of what the Firebrands Youth is all about.


For the main event, the kids were treated to a special screening of the pride project of the Firebrands Youth Ministry - Shade of Love (2008). There, they got to see the youth in their best performances. An intermission number was presented representing the Firebrands Kids: a special song number by Gemberlie Tiu, Geslyn Kate Tiu, and Veronica Chua.


After the movie, a Ministries Overview was presented to the kids so they can have an idea on how they can be a part of the different ministries (or simply put, "clubs") in church. Talks were given by the department heads of the following ministries: Youth, Praise Team, Compassion, Carecells & Discipleship, Creative, and Children's Ministry.


Finally, as part of the standing tradition of Firebrands Youth, the graduates and birthday celebrants were honored with a simple gift and a prayer of blessing, led by Ptra. Zarah Grace See and Sis. Carrie Ann Batay.



The Graduates of 2011 / March Celebrants



See more photos at our Facebook page: