Many of you know that a few weeks ago Cuyahoga Valley Church (CVC) announced our new resource, RightNow Media (RNM). This is a free resource CVC is providing to our church family to assist in biblical literacy, spiritual growth, LifeGroup curriculum, and Christ-centered children’s programming. In this post, I’m going to share with you a few highlights that will hopefully encourage you to dig deeper into the depths of RNM.
FOR KIDS
If your kids are anything like mine, it is a constant battle to keep them away from the TV and engaged in activities, family bonding, games, reading, etc. Not that there is anything inherently wrong with TV, but those other things are important as well. One of the main problems that I have with TV is that modern cartoons are not helping my kids develop in their spiritual growth at all. This bothers me. RNM has provided some excellent resources for my kids, and here are a few of my favorites:
THEO
Theo is a gentle and patient old man that lives in a little cottage in the woods. There are two Tom-and-Jerry-like mice that accompany him and are always getting into trouble. Theo uses the interactions of the mice to teach biblical lessons. What I particularly like about Theo is that the theological lessons are clear and biblical. Some other cartoons can tend to skirt around the main issue. However, Theo is a straight shooter and has his theology intact.
Theo is extremely well produced and also comes with family discussion guides free with RNM. While on the computer, just scroll to the bottom of the episode page and download the parent guide. This is, in my opinion, the best Christian children’s programming currently available.
WHAT’S IN THE BIBLE
What’s in the Bible is resource created by the insanely famous Phil Vischer – the creator of Veggietales. The goal of this series is to teach kids the entire story of the Bible – from beginning to end – to see how it all fits together. This is an EXCELLENT plan and I am thankful that this series is not just telling Bible stories, but showing how they all fit into the grand story of God, which culminates in Jesus Christ. Sit down and watch with your kids – you might learn a few new things too.
THE MINGLING OF SOULS
Matt Chandler’s new book, The Mingling of Souls, is a book about the Song of Solomon, the steamiest book of the Bible. Sit down with your husband or wife (after the kids go to bed because this explores mature topics) and learn about how God has something to say about your marriage, romance, and yes, your sex life through this sermon series. There is also a study guide that you can purchase if you would like to dig deeper.
YOUR TIME STARVED MARRIAGE
Les and Leslie Parrott have been a great support to my marriage over the years with their practical and biblical insight into the marriage relationship. We’re all busy with life – getting kids to school, work, cooking, cleaning, baseball practice, and more. It can be hard to find uninterrupted time with your spouse. This six-session series will help you reclaim your time together and begin to build a more healthy marriage.
THRIVE
Despite what many people think, singleness is not a disease. It’s not the lesser option. Singleness is God’s gift to you today. In Thrive , Lina AbuJamra – who has been single for over 40 years – will show you how you can make a difference with your life right now instead of sitting around waiting for something to happen to you. If you’re ready to figure out what God has to say about singleness. This is a really cool resource that elevates the God-given gift of singleness instead of trying to show you how to find the “right one”.
THEOLOGY
WHY WE TRUST THE BIBLE
Have you ever wondered how the Bible came together, who wrote it, and how they managed not to mess it up? This 6-part series by Stephen Nichols helps you answer those questions and deepen your trust in God’s Word.FOUNDATIONS
One of my deepest passions is to see thepeople to CVC grow in their understanding of the Bible – to study the Bible deeply and understand it’s implications for our lives.Often times we base our entire belief system on a few proof texts instead of understanding the full counsel of the Bible. These short lectures by R. C. Sproul are EXCELLENT! If you want to get serious about learning theology but don’t have time to attend seminary or read thousands of pages, this is a great place to start! There are 66 session in this series and will teach you lots of good stuff!
CONFERENCES
It would costs thousands of dollars to attend the conferences that are supplied by RNM. While on the computer, go to the top of the screen and click on the “Leadership Events Library” You’ll find resources from the D6 conference (family ministry), Passion Conference, Send North America (missions), Linger Conference (worship), True Woman (women’s ministries), and many more.
AN INCREDIBLE RESOURCE!
Personally, I have found that the best way to navigate all of the resources is on the computer, so take some time, and put a plan together for your family to use this new resource to grow in your new life.
