His Eye Is on the Sparrow

Today I celebrate 24 degrees. I rejoice over positive wind chill factors. Last week's single digit temperatures and bone-chilling breezes gave me fresh appreciation for all things thermal, flannel, and fur-lined. Daily emails, from a certain retired preacher wintering in Florida, reporting his local forecasts filled with sunshiny, eighty degree weather, made me grouchy.


Then I remembered a particular sermon from that certain preacher.

The preacher, while walking from his car to his workplace one bitter February morning, saw a sparrow fall from its perch on a small tree branch. It had frozen to death. Tears welled in eyes already watering from the cold. The tears were not from sorrow over the death of the bird, but from joy, as he was reminded afresh of Jesus' assurance of our worth in God's eyes. To this day, decades later, the old familiar hymn, His Eye Is on the Sparrow, brings those same tears to those same eyes.

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31 ESV

Life as a bird, when snow is deep or food is scarce or temperatures are extreme, is a struggle. Making birdseed cakes is a fun winter craft for kids and an opportunity to teach them about God's care and provision.

Here is the link to the recipe I used: http://www.pallensmith.com/articles/bird-seed-cakes


Last week was so cold. How did you stay warm?

I have a picture to show you. This bird is a sparrow. A sparrow is a small bird. He weighs about the same as a pencil. Sparrows do not fly south for the winter. They live here all year, even when it's extremely cold, like last week.

Sparrows are everywhere. They are just common, everyday birds. Lots of birds are more beautiful than sparrows. Lots of birds sound more lovely when they sing than sparrows. Sparrows are ordinary.

Yet, Jesus had something to say about sparrows:
"When sparrows are sold, two small sparrows cost only one penny. But not even one of them can die without God's knowing it. God even knows how many hairs are on your head. So don't be afraid. You are worth much more than many birds." Matt 10:29-31

We sometimes sing a song in church about how God cares for the sparrow. Let's have everyone sing the chorus with us:
     I sing because I'm happy
     I sing because I'm free
     His eye is on the sparrow
     And I know He watches me
     His eye is on the sparrow
     And I know He watches me

God loves the sparrows, and He pays attention to their lives. God loves you much more, and He pays close attention to your life. God knows how many hairs are on your head. And God knows what is going on in your life. God knows when you are sad about something; and when you are happy, He knows that, too. God knows when you are afraid; and He understands about that.

Let's thank God for caring about us.
Bow your heads, fold your hands, close your eyes.

Dear God,
You care for the little birds and you care even more for us.
Thank you!
Why should we ever worry?!
God bless us all, and keep us safe and warm.
In Jesus name we pray, amen.

We can care for the sparrows, too, just like God does. When it is very, very cold outside, birds need to eat more food for their little bodies to stay warm. Here is a birdseed cake for each of you. Take it home and put it outside. Then watch from your window--the birds will come and eat it!

Feed The Poor

Who should we talk about today? JESUS!

I know something neat about Jesus. When He taught people, he told stories. His stories are special. They are called parables. A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. I'll show you what I mean. Here is one of Jesus' parables in Luke, chapter 14.

Jesus was at a big party, a feast, and lots of people were there.

12 Then Jesus said to the man who had invited him, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, don’t invite only your friends, your family, your other relatives, and your rich neighbors. At another time they will invite you to eat with them, and you will be repaid. 13 Instead, when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 Then you will be blessed

The people had never heard anything so strange! They thought to themselves, "Jesus said I should NOT invite my family and friends when I give a party! Could He really mean that?" Nooooo, Jesus had a heavenly meaning.

Then they thought, "Jesus said I should invite poor people instead! I don't even know any poor people! Do I have to go find some poor people and invite them to my party? Is that what Jesus means?" Nooooo, Jesus had a heavenly meaning.

Now I will tell you His heavenly meaning. Are you ready?

Feed the poor. We all have enough food to share. We all have enough food to give parties. We all have ... so ... much! Poor people have ... nothing. Their children are hungry. Their cupboards are bare. Feed the poor.

Every week, take something to the food pantry, a box of cereal, a can of soup, something. If you gave just one thing every week, Anna, and if I did ... and if you did, Jeremy ... and if each person in church did ... soon the food pantry would have plenty of food to give. And when poor people come to the food pantry to ask for food, there would be ... so ... much! And they would know someone cares for them. And God will be so pleased; and He will know you care for the poor people, just like He does.

Time to pray.

Wonderful God,
We have so ... much ... food in our kitchens, plenty to share, and we thank you. Please help us to remember every week to feed the poor, just like Jesus taught.
In His name we pray, amen. 

I Remember You

I was overwhelmed and touched by the many people who remembered me on my birthday via gifts, visits, telephone, texts, and facebook. Was Jesus asking too much that we remember Him? How much more worthy is our Savior and King to receive our remembrance, our attention, our love than anyone else?  And I knew the church kids would love to be remembered, too, in a special, personal way. 

Pondering each child, one at a time, I  recalled a fond memory, and matched it with an appropriate Bible verse. After printing my list on card stock, I cut them apart and mixed them up. I made several of the last one for any visiting children,  and planned to greet their families and learn their names as they arrived at church.

Once I had read the first couple of memories, the kids' eyes were glued to mine as I read the name on each next strip. Be sure to recall every child, even the ones who only attend occasionally or sporadically. Get help if you need to, but do not forget anyone. If you know the kids in your church, do this for them. They will never forget it, and neither will the adults.


Yesterday was my birthday. Maybe you can figure out how old I am. It was my 25th "29th" birthday. Many, many people remembered me on my birthday, and wished me a happy birthday, and that was so nice! Do you know I have special memories of each one of you children? So, in honor of my birthday, my gift to each one of you is a flower from my garden, along with my special memory of you and a special Bible verse just for you. I'll read each memory out loud, but I don't think I have time to read your Bible verses because there are so many of you.

>Aaron, I remember when I set up a "time-out" corner in nursery class. You wanted to try it out, so you pushed Lily down on purpose! Aaron, God made you fearless.
Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or lose heart! 1 Chronicles 22:13
>Anna, I remember when I asked you if you were being a good girl, and you were sad because you weren't always good. God made you tender and humble, and He is very pleased with you.
“I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, Isaiah 66:2
>Ava, I remember at first you didn't like coming up front in church, and now you do! Ava, God made you to enjoy church.
And the large crowd enjoyed listening to Jesus. Mark 12:37
>Ben, I remember watching you polish off at least four platefuls of food at a church picnic. God gave you an appetite and the energy to match!
Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. 1 Peter 4:11
>Cameron, I remember many times you spoke up during Children's Moment, and I like that! God made you bold, so be bold for God, like Paul in the Bible.
He boldly preached about the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ, and no one stopped him. Acts 28:31
>Carter, I remember the day I met you, and you sang a song. It was "Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord" and you knew every word! God made you a person who worships Him in song.
Worship the Lord with gladness. 
Come before him, singing with joy. Psalm 100:2
>Cheyenne, I remember the day in nursery class you wanted to make a picture for everyone in your family! God gave you a heart full of family love.
As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15
>Claire, I remember you were the first Hasara I had in nursery class. God gave you a big job when He made you a big sister and a little sister, just like Miriam in the Bible.
Then the baby’s sister asked the princess, “shall I find a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby for you?” So the girl went and got the baby’s own mother. Exodus 2:7-8
>Ethan and Tyler, I remember how you two brothers always stick together. God gave you hearts filled with brotherly love.
Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Hebrews 13:1
>Emma, I remember the day you ran up,to me and hugged my knees, and called me "Teacher!" God made you a person who shares love.
We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too. 1 Thessalonians 2:8
>Gabe, I remember when you shared your transformer toy, and I couldn't do it right, and you helped me. God made you able to figure things out.
Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions; 
I will put them into practice with all my heart.  Psalm 119:34
>Haley, I remember one day when you were sad, and your sadness changed to happiness. God made you for happiness.
Those who plant in tears 
will harvest with shouts of joy. Psalm 126:5
>Jena, I remember one day in nursery class you made a very special picture for your daddy. God made you a very good daughter.
In all the land no women were as lovely as the daughters of Job. Job 42:15
>Jeremy, I remember how excited and happy you were to become a big brother. You take good care of your little sister. God made you protective of your loved ones, like He is.
During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. John 17:12
>Jill, I remember you have a favorite story, "The Elephant's Nose." It makes you giggle! God gave you a happy heart!
A happy heart brings a smile to your face; Proverbs 15:13
>Jordyn, I remember when the puppets played with you in nursery class. God filled you with wonder!
They were completely amazed and said again and again, “Everything he does is wonderful.” Mark 7:37
>Justin, I never remember you with a frown, you are always smiling. God gave you a smile that spreads happiness.
A smiling king can give people life;
his kindness is like a spring shower. Proverbs 16:15
>Lily, I remember a Children's Moment when you tried to say a great big word, and you were only four years old, and you said it perfectly! God made you able to do amazing things for Him!
“Anything is possible if a person believes.” Mark 9:23
>Mason, I remember when you admitted doing something wrong. God made you serious and truthful.
In every way be an example of doing good deeds. When you teach, do it with honesty and seriousness. Titus 2:7
>Max, I remember when you were three in nursery class, and we tried to throw ping pong balls high enough to hit the ceiling. They bounced and rolled everywhere, but you crawled around 'til you found every single one. God made you a person who does not give up.
I love those who love me,
and those who seek me find me. Proverbs 8:17
>Miguel, I will always remember the first time I saw you smile. Your whole face lit up, the room seemed brighter, and my heart was lighter, too. God made you a light in this world.
You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:14
>Miles, I remember how you like to help your dad and your brother pass out the church bulletins. God made you a good helper.
He is a beloved brother and faithful helper in the Lord’s work. Ephesians 6:21
>Sam, I remember playing with you on my iPad. You thought it was wonderful! God made you to understand just how amazing He is.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness, 
And for His wonders to the sons of men! Psalm 107:8
>Tatiana, I remember watching you help your brothers. God made you patient and kind.
“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ Matthew 25:40
>(for visitors) I remember the first day you came to church, and God remembers that day, too. God loves to see you here in church, and He hopes you come back!
You should not stay away from the church meetings, as some are doing, but you should meet together and encourage each other. Hebrews 10:25

It's nice to be remembered. It is a reminder of being loved. Jesus wanted us to remember Him, too. Let's pray. Bow your heads, close your eyes, fold your hands.

Dear God,
Bless these precious children. You remember us every day and show us Your love. Help us to remember Jesus because we love Him. Help us remember each other because of our love.
In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Living Water

The story of Jesus and the woman at the well, from the fourth chapter of John, is familiar to children. In it, Jesus proves to the Samaritan woman that He is the Messiah by telling her all about her private life, she then runs to town to tell everyone else, a crowd comes and persuades Jesus to stay, He does for two days, and many believe in Him. The teaching about living water is usually skipped in Sunday school, thus leaving the difficult material to the preachers to explain. Children are capable of understanding more than we give them credit for. I want to make the concept of living water comprehensible to kids, and maybe a few adults in the congregation. 

It sounds like it should be simple analogy, ordinary water to spiritual water, but I was surprised at the several interpretations my studies unearthed. Living water is variously presented as being (a) Jesus, (b) the Holy Spirit, (c) salvation, (d) the love of God, (e) belief in Jesus, and (f) God's grace. The sermon I like the best, is Charles Spurgeon's "The Water of Life," number 770 preached in 1867. Here is the link to it: http://www.spurgeongems.org/vols13-15/chs770.pdf. It is eminently adaptable to a children's lesson.

As the children come forward, give each a little 8 ounce bottle of water.
Here is a little bottle of water for each of you.
Save it for later. Maybe you could save it for bedtime.

People like to talk about their weekends. Our friends ask us all the time, "What are you doing this weekend?"
That's an easy question. We say, "Oh, I'm going to do this or that, and, of course, I'm going to church on Sunday." That's very interesting," our friend might say, "Where do you go to church?"
That's an easy question. We say, "I go to the KV Christian Church." "Oh," says our friend, "you are a Christian! Tell me, what's it like to be a Christian?"
That question is not so easy. What's it like to be a Christian?
Take that question, and hold on to it. We'll answer it before we're done.

I promised Anna a story about Jesus today, and here it is:

Jesus and His disciples are traveling, walking from Jerusalem to Galilee. About half way they stop for lunch in Samaria. The disciples go into town to buy food, and Jesus waits by Jacob's Well. A woman walks up to the well to fill her jar with water. Jesus says to her, "Give me a drink, please." At first the woman does not know Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. Then He says, "If you knew who I am, you would ask me for water, and I would give you living water, that lasts forever, and you would never be thirsty again!" The woman says, "Sir, give me this living water, so I won't have to come to the well every day."

She thought Jesus meant ordinary water. But Jesus offered her living water. Let's try to understand living water.

*Ordinary water is good to drink when you're thirsty. But living water is for our thirsty hearts. All of us are thirsty for God's love.
*Ordinary water is good for soaking hard things to soften them up. Think of a dry sponge. But living water softens up our hard hearts. All of us think we are not so very bad, but we are.
*Ordinary water is good for putting out fires. But living water puts out every fire of temptation in our hearts. All of us are tempted by Satan.
*Ordinary water is good for washing. But living water washes our hearts that are dirty from sin. All of us do wrong.
*Ordinary water is good for growing plants and blooming flowers. But living water makes our hearts grow and bloom with good deeds. All of us need help doing good.
*Ordinary water is good for floating and swimming. But living water floats our souls all the way up to heaven. All of us want to be in heaven when our bodies die.
*Ordinary water, like the water in the well, is still. But living water bubbles up like a fountain out of our hearts. All of us could shower other people with living water, by living a Christian life.

When Jesus offered living water to the woman at the well, He was offering her a new life, a Christian life. And He offers it to you, and He offers it to me, and He offers it to every single person in the whole world. Do you want the living water? I can't give it to you. Mom and Dad can't give it to you. The preachers in church can't give it to you. Only Jesus can give you living water that lasts forever.

Remember your friend with the question, "What's it like to be a Christian?" Now it's an easy question because we learned about living water and what it's like to follow Jesus.

*It's like always having God's love.
*It's like soaking our hearts in living water to stay soft and humble.
*It's like putting out the fires of temptation with living water.
*It's like being washed clean with living water when we are bad.
*It's like being watered with living water so we can grow and bloom and do good.
*It's like floating in living water all the way up to heaven.
*It's like being a fountain of fresh, bubbly water, sharing Jesus Christ with everyone.

But it's not just having the water. You have to take the cap off the bottle and drink the water! How do we drink from Jesus' living water? We pray.

Bow your heads, fold your hands, and close your precious eyes.

Wonderful God,
We ask for Your living water, although we do not deserve it.
Won't You make us fresh fountains of bubbly, living water, so we can share You with everyone.
In Jesus name we pray, amen.

Remember Me

"You are so polite" my husband said as I hung up the phone. "Thanks, I take telephone etiquette to heart." "No, I mean you are super-polite, over-the-top polite. I am never so polite. Nobody is so polite." Paying attention now, I wondered whether I crossed the line, maybe I sounded patronizing. Turns out, the compliment was genuine, and Tim was inspired to improve his manners. Not that he used to be rude. Oh, he might display moderate rudeness at times, but only when the other person was being foolish. And since Tim is a wise guy ... well, you get the picture.
Good manners undergird our every relationship, so we teach our youngsters the nuances of acceptable conduct. We guide them in proper behavior, correcting their mistakes. Woe to the children of military families who receive the most rigorous training of all. Count your blessings if you don't know what I mean. The rest of us will never be able to omit the appropriate "sir" or "ma'am" when addressing our betters.
My goal in today's lesson is for the children to practice remembering Jesus in two ways. First by thinking back, as we do when we recall the past. Second by keeping Jesus in mind, as we do when we remember our manners.
Jesus said "Do this in remembrance of me," meaning continuing, repeated remembering. To Christians nothing should be more at the forefront of our psyches than Jesus proclaiming the new covenant, offering salvation to all the world. Which begs the question, would the world be different if we remembered Jesus as pervasively as we remember our manners?




Who should we talk about today? {jesus} Who? {Jesus} I can't hear you! {JESUS!} OKAY!
Do you like shouting "Jesus" in church? I taught you to do that a long time ago. I taught you to do it because I want you to remember Jesus.
When grownups come to church they also remember Jesus. We have a special way of remembering Him. We have a bit of bread and a sip of grape juice. Jesus taught us to do this a long, long time ago, right before He died. He said we should do it to remember Him.
There are two ways to remember.
First, you can think back. What did you eat for breakfast this morning? {answers} Very good. You were not thinking about your breakfast, but you thought back and remembered your breakfast.
Second, you can keep something in your mind. Remember your manners. I know you are all remembering your manners right now. You are not talking when I am talking. You are listening to me. Those are good manners. We should keep our manners in mind always.
Jesus wants us to remember Him.
The first way to remember Jesus is to think back, like you remembered your breakfast. We can think back about Bible stories we learned about Jesus. Can you think of any Bible stories about Jesus?
{If the kids are little, or having trouble, help them out, "remember how Jesus walked on water and how He fed thousands of people with only two fish and five loaves of bread, and how He made a blind man see, and how He ... "}




The second way to remember Jesus is to keep Him in mind. Keep Jesus in your mind like you keep your manners in mind. Jesus wants us to always remember He died to save our lives. Bread helps us grownups remember Jesus' body when He died. Grape juice helps us remember Jesus' blood when He died. Jesus died to save the world. Can you remember that? Can you remember Jesus?
Dear God,
Thank you for teaching us all about Jesus in the Bible.
Please help us to always remember Jesus died to save us all.
In His name we pray,
Amen
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Pay Attention to Your Giving

"Are we poor?" Twisting around in the front seat to check out the expression on my son's face, I asked, "Are you serious?" Never one to abandon his position, Nick rattled off his evidence, "We live with Aunt Jo and Uncle Ralph, we can't afford new clothes, not good ones, anyway, and anytime I need money for school, you get mad!" The move back home, the career change, the sacrifices necessary to save for a downpayment, all at the same time, changed our family's spending habits. Nick made a valiant effort to process the changes using his seven-year-old worldview, and came to the obvious conclusion: we were now poor. Makes me smile to this day. Nick doesn't remember asking the question, but he remembers that every Sunday we placed a check in the church offering basket.

A child's sense of what matters and his attitudes about money and stuff and God are formed day by day, every day. From the tenderest of ages, our children soak up their world by studying people--all people, all the time--people at home, people at church, people at school, people in public, people on television. Too often the messages teach them they don't have enough, they need more.

What are you teaching your kids about money, about spending, about saving, about giving, about stewardship of God's monetary blessings? Pay attention to your giving. Your children do. Jesus does, too.

1 As Jesus looked up, he saw some rich people putting their gifts into the Temple money box. 2 Then he saw a poor widow putting two small copper coins into the box. 3 He said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow gave more than all those rich people. 4 They gave only what they did not need. This woman is very poor, but she gave all she had to live on.” Luke 21:1-4 NCV

This lesson calls for: play money, one piece per child, a large, clear coin-filled jar, and a church offering basket within easy reach.

(As the kids arrive at the front of the church, hand each a piece of play money while asking questions. You will get some cute answers.)

This is play money.
Do you have any real money?
How do you get real money?
Where does money come from?

Here is a story about money.
Jesus went to church. He watched the people giving money to God. Jesus kept His eye on a rich man who put in lots of money. Will one of you play the rich man? (Choose a big boy.) Al, you are the rich man. Put your hand in the jar, and get as much money as you can hold. Get lots. Now put all those coins in the basket. Good job.

Jesus also spotted a poor woman who put in only one cent. (Hold up a penny.) What is this? (A penny) Is this much money? (No) The poor woman only had one cent. It was all of her money. She put her last cent in the basket for God. Will one of you play the poor woman? (Choose a little girl.) Anna, here is the poor woman’s money. Now put the penny in the basket. Good job.

The poor woman had no money left. She could not buy bread or any food to eat. Why did she want to give all her money to God? Was she silly? No. Did she worry? No. The poor woman gave everything to God, because God always gave everything to her. She trusted God to give her food. Somehow He always did.

God gives everything to us, too. Can you name some things God gave you? Raise your hand if you have a mom. Raise your other hand if you have a dad. You all do! God gave you all moms and dads! Do your moms and dads drive a car? God gave you all cars. How about food? Did any of you eat breakfast this morning? Waffles? Oh, my, what a yummy breakfast. God gave you moms and dads, houses, cars, food, even toys and games and clothes. That is so much! God is good!

(God bless Cameron, who spoke up.) “My dad and mom don’t have any money to buy me what I want.” (Or you can start this topic by asking, “Do you sometimes want something, and your mom or dad say, ‘No, we don’t have money for that?’”) Cameron, here is what you need to think about when that happens. Dads and moms get all this money from God. First they give some money back to God because they want to thank Him. Second, they use some money to pay for a house. Do you boys and girls get to live in the house? Third, they use some money to pay for a car. Do you children get to ride in the car? Fourth, they use some money to buy clothes for you boys and girls. Moms and dads buy you clothes again and again, because you grow! They also use some money to buy food to feed your hungry tummies.

Moms and dads must be careful with the money God gives them. They try to be smart when they spend money. They try not to waste money, because money is a big gift from God. Are any toys and games at your house, Cameron? Not all the toys and games you like, but that is not a bad thing.

Here in our church, we all give money to God, too. We pass this basket around, and people put in some money for God. Does Jesus take a peek at us when we give money at church like He did in our story today? Yes, He always sees us.

Remember the rich man and the poor woman? Jesus said one of them gave more. Raise your hand if you think the rich man gave more. Raise your hand if you think the poor woman gave more. The rich man had a lot of money left over. He didn’t care about the money he gave to God. He didn’t even need it. Jesus said the poor woman gave more, because she gave all!

Bow heads, close eyes, fold hands. Let’s talk to God to thank Him.
Dear God, You give us everything. Thank you! Please help us not to want too much. In Jesus name we ask, amen.

Easter Eye Witnesses

Sorry for posting in reverse order, but that's how my memory works. I love the account in John of the two men on the road to Emmaus because they witnessed the risen Lord. Jesus was not just a good man who lived long ago, not just a prophet, and certainly not a myth. He is alive. He is the risen Son of God. Hallelujah!

These Easter bible lockets can take some time, depending on how you decide to finish off the necklaces. You can use 36 inches of yarn and tie 3 or 4 square knots and that will look fine. Or get fancy by making the size adjustable with sliding Chinese button knots. Here is the link to learn how to close your necklaces with sliding Chinese button knots:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85Au8vFvc2s. 
Use 0.5 - 1.0 mm cord to fit the lockets' opening. If you do these knots, be sure to get real satin rattail cord--yarn won't work. It comes in lots of colors or my favorite, rainbow!

The lockets are really small, 11 mm by 13mm, so print a page of the Jesus pictures really, really tiny! 

This Jesus picture is a painting by Akiane Kramarik and is copyrighted, but people have shared it freely on the internet. Go to www.akianeart.com to purchase your own download, see more of her amazing art, and learn her amazing story.

Happy Easter! I want to tell you my favorite Easter story today. 


On the very first Easter day, these two guys were so bummed out about Jesus dying on the cross, they decided to leave town. They were walking away from Jerusalem on the road to Emmaus. Suddenly there was another man walking with them! It was Jesus, but Jesus used His amazing power to make it so they could not recognize Him. He said, "Can I walk along with you two?" They said, "Sure." Jesus said, "You guys seemed really bummed out, what's wrong?" They said, "Haven't you heard? Jesus of Nazareth was crucified dead and buried. We really thought Jesus was the Messiah that would save us, but now He's dead."

So Jesus started teaching the men everything in the bible about the Messiah. How the bible says that the Messiah would have to suffer and die. The whole bible is about the Messiah, about Jesus. 

Pretty soon they arrived where the two men were going. Jesus would have kept going, but the men said, "why don't you stay the night here and have supper with us?" So Jesus said okay. When they sat down to supper, Jesus took the bread and blessed it. That was when Jesus allowed the men to suddenly recognize who He was. They said, "Jesus! It's You! You're alive!" Then Jesus suddenly disappeared! The men were so happy and excited, they ran all the way back to Jerusalem and started telling people that Jesus of Nazareth was alive.

I have two reasons why I love this Easter story. First it teaches me that the whole bible is about Jesus. From page one all the way to page 1,255 in my bible. Second, it teaches me that if anyone invites Jesus to be with them, Jesus says yes. To every person, every time! All you have to do is invite Jesus to be in your life. He'll always say yes!

I have an Easter gift for each of you that will help you remember that the whole bible is about Jesus. This is a necklace with a bible locket. The bible opens and inside is a picture of... who do you think? (jesus) Who? (Jesus) I can't hear you! (JESUS!)

Now bow heads, close eyes, fold hands. Let's pray to God.


Dear God,
Thank you for Jesus and for telling us all about Him in Your bible.
Thank you that Jesus was willing to die to save us.
And thank you for raising Him back to life.
Help us all to invite Jesus into our lives. We know He will always say yes.
We pray in Jesus name, Amen.

Mother's Day

Here is a Mother's Day children's sermon that moms will appreciate. The gift is for mom, and not a single child complained. They understood...

Today I'm going to teach you three things. First I will teach you about
candles, then about mothers, then about Jesus.

(Hold up an unlit candle.) What is this? (a candle) (as you light candle) Is it easy or hard to put out a candle's flame? (easy) How can you put out a candle? (fire extinguisher, blow it, spit on fingers and pinch, use "one of those things":) i.e. a snuffer) Right, it is very easy to put out a candle's flame. Let's blow out our candle now (they blow, what fun!)


Today is Mother's Day. Now I know you all love your mothers, right? Raise your hand if you love your mom (raise both your hands high). Our moms take care of us, help us with homework, fix meals, read to us, what else? (clean the house-moms clean everything!) (fix our bathroom-some moms can be plumbers!) They teach us, take care of us when we get sick, and some moms go to work too! Our moms do everything! They are strong and busy and fun.

But sometimes... sometimes... moms get tired, don't they? (nods) Sometimes moms get headaches, or they get sick, or they just don't feel good, right? (nods) And sometimes moms have tears, don't they? (nods) They can be happy tears, like at a wedding. But sometimes our moms are just very sad and they cry, right? (nods) Then what do we do? Hmm...

Well, I learned something in the bible about Jesus. When Jesus was dying on the cross, He still showed how He cared for His mother. He told His disciple, John, to take care of His mother when He went to heaven. Jesus really cared about His mother.

I learned something else in the bible about Jesus. The bible says Jesus would never snuff out a smoldering wick. This part that we light is the wick. (show them on the candle where it is). It is easy to put it out, but Jesus would never do that. Jesus is careful and gentle with the candle's flame. The candle's flame is like a person's light. We say let your light shine, right?

When someone is feeling tired, or sick, or sad, their light is almost out. Jesus is always gentle with a person who is tired. He is gentle when people are sick. And Jesus is very gentle when someone is sad.

That's what we can do when mom is tired. Be gentle with her. When mom is sick, we can give her a gentle hug or gentle words. When she is sad, a gentle gift can help. I want to give you each a gift for you to give to your mothers. It is a brand new candle just like the one we lit here today. Sometimes a candle with a gentle, soft smell helps moms feel better.

(Make sure everybody gets one.) Bow your heads, close your eyes, fold your hands. Let's thank God for our mothers.

Dear God,
Thank you for our moms. Help us to care for them like Jesus cared for His mother. Help us to be gentle with our mothers. In Jesus name we pray,Amen.

The End or the Beginning?

Here is a quick one to pull together. You just need a pack of black balloons and a pack of brightly colored ones. Then some string or ribbon to tie two together (one of each) for each child. Bring them to church in a big black trash bag, so they can't guess their suprise!


The End Or The Beginning?


Pop quiz! Who is God's Son? (jesus) Who? (Jesus) What did you say? (JESUS!) Boy, you kids are really learning a lot about Jesus!


Remember last time, Jesus was in Capernaum and he helped all the people? Well, someone in the crown in Capernaum got an idea. He said, "Hey, Jesus, I have a good idea! Why don't you stay here in Capernaum forever and be our preacher at our church?!" Then someone else said, "I like that idea! Stay here Jesus, be our preacher." Then pretty soon everyone was saying what a good idea that was. "Jesus, stay here with us. Jesus, stay and be our preacher."


What did Jesus say? If you think Jesus said yes, raise your hand (three hands sneak up). If you think Jesus said no, raise your hand (three hands go up, one is a duplicate!) Okay, if you're not sure what Jesus said, raise both hands (this is fun, and everyone raises both hands, big laugh)! Well, the Bible tells us that Jesus said, (pause for dramatic effect)... He said, "I have to leave." (they are disappointed!) "BECAUSE God wants me to preach His good news to ALL people, not just here in Capernaum."


So, the people of Capernaum were sad, but they understood. Jesus was sad, too because he would miss the people of Capernaum. They loved Him, and He loved them. But also, Jesus was excited to be starting His first big preaching trip to ALL God's people. He wanted to meet them all. And He wanted to help them all. And He wanted to teach them all about God's good news.


And that's the good news! Jesus is for ALL people!


Did you notice that this story is about ending, but also about beginning? Jesus had to end His visit in Capernaum, and He had to begin preaching in other towns and cities. Did you know everytime we have an ending, we also get a beginning? Endings can be sad, right? But beginning can be fun, exciting, happy, joyful, running, jumping, laughing, clapping, GREAT!


When Kindergarten ends, you get to begin first grade!
When Spring ends, we get to begin to enjoy Summer!
When a Christian dies, it is the end of their life here on earth, and people are sad. But it is the beginning of their forever-life in heaven with Jesus, and that is the best new beginning anybody can ever get!


I have something to help you remember. These two balloons are tied together. What color is this one? (black) What color is the other one? (yellow) Which color is a sad color? (black) Which color is a happy color? (yellow) The black balloon is the ending, it is sad. The yellow balloon is the beginning, and it is happy. They are tied together because whenever we have an ending, we also get a new beginning. Just like Jesus got to begin His first big preaching trip to ALL God's people.


Bow heads, close eyes, fold hands.


Dear God, 
Thank you for sending Jesus to be for ALL people, even us. 
Thank you for endings, even though we get sad.
Thank you for beginnings, and help us to be glad.
In Jesus' name, 
Amen.

Jesus is the Christ

Leave yourself plenty of time to trim the plastic canvas and to thread the cord. Each one took me ten minutes. I used the 3" pre-cut crosses but trimmed them to be similar to the shape of the pattern which I modified.  Here is the link: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf56057668.tip.html 

Also, I didn't use ribbon, but the metalic cord from the craft shop in various colors.


Jesus is the Christ


Well, we started talking about Jesus quite a few Sundays ago. 
Of course at Christmastime, we heard again all about the amazing birth of Jesus. Angels told Mary and Joseph and the shepherds about God's wonderful plan for the birth of His Son, Jesus.


Remember John the Baptist? What a goofy guy! What was goofy about John the Baptist? (they may or may not remember) What did John wear? (camel skins) What did John eat? (locusts and honey) Where did John live? (in the wilderness) Yep, goofy! But he taught people about Jesus. He said the Messiah was finally here. When he baptized Jesus, God spoke to Jesus from Heaven and said, "You are my Son. I am very happy with You."


Remember the devil testing Jesus? He tried to make Jesus doubt that He was really God's son. The devil said to Jesus, "IF you are really the Son of God, turn this stone to bread." But could he fool Jesus? (head shake) No, Jesus believed God.


Remember the people at the synagogue in Nazareth? (they're not sure) Remember the BAD IDEA? (this they remember) While Jesus was preaching to them, they loved His words. But then someone got the BAD IDEA that Jesus was no one special. And the BAD IDEA spread to the others, and soon they were all trying to push Jesus off a cliff! But what did Jesus do? Did He get mad at them? No, did He blast them with His awesome power? No, He miraculously walked right through them!


Jesus IS someone special, isn't He? Who is Jesus? (the Son of God) Right!


So after all that, Jesus left Nazareth and walked to Capernaum. Can you say Capernaum? (let a three year old try, you'll be amazed) The next Sabbath day, he preached to the people of Capernaum in their synagogue. But we'll just call it church, like we say today. 


During church a man with an evil spirit in him said the most amazing thing! The evil spirit in the man said, (use a scary voice) "Jesus, I know who You are. You are God's Holy Son, leave us alone!" Do you think Jesus obeyed the evil spirit? (heads shake) No, Jesus commanded the evil spirit to BE QUIET and come out of the man. And what do you think that evil spirit did? (see if they can guess) It did exactly what Jesus ordered! It did not speak another word, and it came out of that poor man! Everyone at church was AMAZED!


After church, Jesus went to Peter's house, and Peter's mother-in-law was very sick-very, very sick. Peter asked Jesus to help her. What do you think Jesus did? (helped her) Of course He did! He healed her so perfectly that she got up and fixed lunch for them! (wide-eyed amazement)


Well, you know how news gets around, right? (nods) Pretty soon everybody in Capernaum heard about Jesus whooping the evil spirit and healing Peter's mother-in-law. 


At sundown, when they were finally allowed to, everyone came to Jesus. They brought all their loved ones who had evil spirits, or who were sick. And what do you think Jesus did? (helped them) 


How many did Jesus help? (they have no idea, but may guess. if they guess, say, are you sure?) Here's a clue: Jesus spent the whole night, from sundown to dawn, helping them. What do you think? Did he help ten of them? (no, more) How about 100? (yes, probably) Well, Luke tells us Jesus helped them ALL! Everyone in town! 


Why? What do we already know about Jesus? (he is good, he loves us, he has power) You kids are really learning a lot about Jesus! He is good. He loves all of us. He has amazing power. 

Here is a cross for each of you to remember Jesus. Why does a cross remind us of Jesus? (Jesus died on a cross) That's right. Who is the Son of God? (jesus) Who? (Jesus) Can't hear you! (JESUS!)


Bow heads, close eyes, fold hands.


Dear God our Father,
You are the Father of Jesus too. 
Some people don't believe it, like the people in Nazareth. 
Some people do believe, like the people in Capernaum. 
Please help us to always believe in Jesus, Your Son.
In His name we pray, 
Amen.

A Bad Idea

A heart almost as beautiful as the heart of Jesus: this is a good little craft, if you like origami. Use the 6" by 6" squares in a cool and brightly colored design. Follow this link for instructions:  http://www.origami-fun.com/origami-heart.html


Continuing in the fourth chapter of Luke, Jesus has some trouble with the hometown crowd. They revile Him, accuse Him, and finally, caught up in their mass, ignorant frenzy, they are driven to attempt His murder. These are people He grew up with: the families of His boyhood playmates, the friends and customers of Joseph and Mary.  


Jesus, the best preacher ever, had had them in the palm of His hand. They were amazed at the beauty and authority of His words. Then came the bad idea. That is how every sin begins, with one bad idea. And ideas, good or bad, tend to sweep through crowds.


A Bad Idea


When Jesus got done whooping the devil in the wilderness, he went to his hometown. It was called Nazareth. That's where Jesus grew up, in Nazareth. He went to church like He ALWAYS did. They called it synagogue back then, but let's just call it church like we say today, okay? Jesus went to church to preach. 


The people of Nazareth were so excited to have Jesus back home. Jesus was the best preacher ever. He preached from the book of Isaiah in the Bible. It was this part:

"The Spirit of the Lord is in me. This is because God chose me to tell the Good News to the poor." (Luke 4:18 ICB see link at left) 

Then Jesus said, "This is happening right here and now!" What did Jesus mean, "This is happening right here and now?" What was happening right here and now? (they have no idea) The people of Nazareth understood what Jesus meant. When He said, "God chose me" Jesus meant HE was the Messiah Isaiah was writing about!  


But then something happened. Someone in the church got an idea. It was a BAD idea! The person said, "Wait a minute! This is only Jesus. We knew him when he was a small boy. He grew up in our town. Jesus is NOBODY SPECIAL!" (they are shocked) Then a few more people started saying the same thing, "Jesus is nobody special!" Pretty soon all the people in the church got the same bad idea. They were so mad at Jesus for saying He was God's Messiah.


The people were so mad, they started pushing Jesus right out the door of the church. Then they were pushing Him all the way out of town, right to the edge of a cliff! They wanted to push Jesus off the cliff and kill Him! What do you think Jesus did then? (they don't know) Do you think He blasted them with His awesome power? (they don't know) Maybe He sent plagues to Nazareth just like God sent plagues to Egypt long ago. Remember? God sent flies, frogs, blood, death, it was just awful. Do you think Jesus did that? No, He did not do any of those things. Jesus did not even get mad at them. He just walked right through them, and there was nothing they could do about it. Jesus walked through them and went on His way.


(Choose the oldest boy) OK Garrett, you pretend to be Jesus. Stand on the edge of the step with your back to the people. Everybody else come around and try to push Garrett off the step when I say so. Garrett, try your best to walk through them, okay? Ready, set, push! (Garrett tries to stay up, but goes down in the end with a great stage fall!) If Garrett couldn't get through a small group of kids, HOW did Jesus get through a big crowd of angry grown-ups? Jesus really has awesome power, doesn't He!


And He has awesome love. Jesus grew up in Nazareth, and He knew those people, and He loved those people, and He loves all of you, too. Jesus would never hurt anyone. 


I have a reminder for you. This heart will remind you of Jesus and His awesome love. Who loves you more than anybody? (jesus) Who? (Jesus) I can't hear you! (JESUS!) Yes, He sure does.


Bow heads, close eyes, fold hands.


Dear God,
The love of Jesus is wonderful.
He loves us even when we get a bad idea, even when we do something naughty.
He doesn't get mad.
Please make our bad ideas go away.
Please give us good ideas.
Please help us be good for Jesus.
In His name we pray,
Amen.

Temptation In a Fishbowl

• What’s happening in this picture? (kitten reaching for fish in fishbowl)
• What will happen next? (kitten spilling fishbowl, getting fish, eating fish)
• Is the fish in trouble in this picture? (yes)
• Why is the fish in trouble? (fish is in danger from kitten, he will spill out or get eaten and die)
• The fish is in danger, but who is in trouble? Who is being bad? (kitten)
• What will happen to the kitten for being bad? (punishment, time-out, etc.)
• Do you know who can help the kitten be good? (they don’t know)

If this happened in a Harry Potter movie, could Harry or Ron or Hermione help? Maybe Hermione could wave her wand and say, “leviosa” and make the fishbowl float up to the ceiling where the kitten can’t reach. That would help the fish, but the kitten would still WANT to eat the fish. Hermione might be able to help the fish, but she can’t help the kitten. The kitten is still TEMPTED to be naughty.

If this happened in a Fantastic Four movie, could Thing help? Maybe Thing could clobber the kitten, and scare the kitten away. That would help the fish, but the kitten would still WANT to come back later to get the fish. Thing might be able to help the fish, but he can’t help the kitten. The kitten is still TEMPTED to be naughty.

That poor kitten! He WANTS that fish, doesn’t he? He WANTS to be naughty and catch the fish. He WANTS to be naughty and eat the fish. 

Who can help the kitten? Who can make the kitten want to be GOOD instead of naughty? When the devil TEMPTS us to be naughty, who can help US to be good? Jesus! Who? JESUS! Louder! JESUS!!!

Jesus can help us be good, because Jesus already beat the devil. Here is what happened: 

(abbreviated from Luke 4: 1-13, The Message)

The Spirit led Jesus into the wild.

For forty wilderness days and nights he was tested by the Devil.

Jesus ate nothing during those days, and he was hungry.

The Devil gave the first test saying: "Since you're God's Son, command this stone to turn into a loaf of bread."

Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy saying: "It takes more than bread to really live."

For the second test the Devil said, "Worship me and all the kingdoms of the earth are yours.”

Jesus refused, again with Deuteronomy, saying: "Worship only the Lord your God."

For the third test the Devil said, "If you are God's Son, jump off the top of the Temple. It's written, isn't it, that 'God has placed you in the care of angels to protect you'"

"Yes," said Jesus, "and it's also written, 'Don't you dare tempt the Lord your God.'"

 That completed the testing. The Devil retreated temporarily, lying in wait for another opportunity.

See, Jesus beats the devil EVERY time. And when YOU feel like being naughty, Jesus can change your mind. Just ask Him. WOW! How can Jesus DO that?!

Simple, Jesus has AWESOME power, REAL power—not movie power like Thing or Harry Potter and his friends. Jesus has REAL power, and He will use it for YOU, and you, and you, and all of us! All we have to do is ask!

Here is a badge for each of you. It says POWERED BY JESUS. So when you feel like being naughty, remember to pray and ask Jesus to help you with His amazing power to be good. Let’s ask right now. Bow heads, close eyes, fold hands.

Lord, nothing is impossible for You.

We want to be good, but sometimes we feel like being naughty.

Thank you for loving us and helping us.

Please make us good. You’re the only one who can.

Amen.

A Child's Prayer

Teaching children to pray is so important. One of the best ways is to model prayer that is reverent, humble, trusting, and penitent. Use the routine of mealtimes and bedtime. When teaching kids to take their requests to God, don't set them up for disappointment. Let them know God hears every prayer, understands their prayers even better than they themselves do, and answers every prayer. As they observe our own patience in prayer, they will begin to understand the peace that comes from submission to God's perfect knowledge and perfect timing.

Sometimes I go overboard on my projects for Children's Moments, and this is one of those times. I made origami books out of pretty wrapping papers with a prayer printed inside on the tiny pages. (The wrapping paper needs to be pretty heavy to feed through the printer; start by cutting 8 1/2 x 11 sheets, then after printing, trim to 8 1/2" square.) Here is the link to the You Tube video for folding instructions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXLhjYgMZ68 


You can adapt this project to make it much simpler for your group. Try printing the verse onto photo paper and cutting into bookmarks. Or just enlarge the font enough to print on a separate sheet for each child. You can get beautiful paper in the scrapbooking section of a craft store. Or get post-it printing paper from the office supply store, so they can stick the sheet on the wall beside their beds.


Our Bible verse today says, " Ask, and it shall be given to you;" Matthew 7:7. In this verse, Jesus is telling us two things. First He says, "ask"; He is telling us to pray. Then He says, "it shall be given to you"; He is saying that God answers our prayers. "Ask, and it shall be given to you."


Here is a story about a boy who prayed:


Nick loved basketball. He started playing basketball when he was seven years old. Nick wanted to be a good basketball player like Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan is six feet, six inches tall. Nick wanted to be tall. He prayed, "Father, please make me tall, please make me grow at least six feet tall, so I can be a good basketball player." Nick trusted God to answer his prayer. So he practiced basketball. He played basketball. He listened to his basketball coaches and obeyed them. Nick got better and better at basketball. And he grew taller. By the time he was fifteen years old, Nick was five feet, nine inches tall.


Then one night in a basketball game, Nick rolled his ankle. His mom took him to the doctor the next day. The doctor said, "Nick, your ankle is not broken." That was good news. Then the doctor said, "I can see from your x-ray that you're done growing." That was not good news to Nick. Why not? (because he wanted to keep growing, at least three more inches) He was very sad that he would not be six feet tall like he had prayed. He tried not to cry, but he couldn't help it. Nick's mom asked him why he was so sad. He told her about his prayers to God asking God to make him at least six feet tall. He thought God did not answer his prayer. His mom said, "Nick, God understood your prayer and will answer it in the best way and at the best time for you." Nick was not so sure. He decided to play the rest of the season, but after that, he didn't want to play basketball anymore. Nick's coaches were very unhappy. They wanted Nick on the basketball team.


One year later, after missing a whole season of basketball, Nick changed his mind. He was still only five feet, nine inches tall, but he tried out for the basketball team. He made the team, but did not get to play much. Most of the game, he sat on the bench. Nick wanted to play more, so he worked harder, and practiced a lot, and obeyed his coaches, and Nick got better and better at basketball. After awhile, his coaches let him play more in the games. Then at last, Nick was allowed to be a starter and play almost the whole game for the rest of the season. Nick's team was so good that year, they won their basketball sectional, and their first regional basketball game. They were one of the best teams Boone Grove High School ever had.


Nick thought about how God answered his prayer to be six feet tall. God understood Nick's love for basketball. God knew that Nick didn't need to be six feet tall to be good at basketball. So He just helped Nick become good at basketball. Nick worked as hard as he could, and God did the rest. God made Nick and the other players and the coaches as good as they could be. And God gave them all a great basketball season they will never forget. Nick thanked God for his wonderful season of basketball, and Nick thanked God for a better answer to his prayer than he could ever have hoped for.


God loves you all so much. He wants to hear from you. When you pray to God, you are having a talk with God, and He loves that. You can tell God anything. There is nothing you cannot tell to God. God will hear your every prayer. And God will answer your every prayer in the best possible way for you, because He loves you.


Sometimes, we all have trouble deciding what we want to say to God when we pray. Here is a little book with a good prayer to get you started. It's called "A Child's Prayer", and since we are all God's children, it is a good prayer for all of us. So, let's bow our heads, fold our hands, and close our eyes.


Lord, Teach this little child to pray,
   and then accept my prayer.
For You can hear the words I say,
   for You are everywhere.


A little sparrow cannot fall
   unnoticed, Lord, by Thee.
And though I am so young and small,
   You do take care of me.


Teach me to do the thing that's right,
   and when I sin, forgive.
And make it still my chief delight
   to serve You while I live.
Amen.


God bless you in your ministry, and God bless the little ones you are teaching.

Jesus Got Baptized, What's Up With That?

Continuing in Luke, we are at the baptism of Jesus. What do kids need to know about the baptism of Jesus? Why did Jesus get baptized? Did he have sins to repent from? God had something to say about it. What did God say? What else happened and what did it mean? Just covering these basics will help kids begin to understand the baptism of a penitent believer. And let's face it, kids are curious about baptism!


This origami dove is pretty easy, only takes a couple minutes to fold. I didn't have paper lace doilies, so I used basket style coffee filters. Here is the link to the instructions: http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-dove.html. Good luck!


Hi Everybody! This is my puppet friend, Eli. What kind of animal is Eli? (call on a 2 or 3 year old) An elephant, very good! Is it true that elephants never forget? (heads shake or nod) Well I don't know about real elephants, but I do know that Eli has a great memory. It seems like he remembers everything! Especially Bible verses. Let me see if he gets this one right. (speaking to puppet) Eli, what is our Bible verse for today's lesson? (listen to puppet). Sure enough, he got it right! Luke 3: 21-22. "Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He prayed, heaven opened, and the Holy Spirit came down on Jesus in the form of a dove, and a voice came out of heaven saying, 'You are My beloved Son, I am very pleased with You.'"


Remember our lesson last Sunday? Who was baptizing all the people? (John the Baptist) Right! So who baptized Jesus? (John the Baptist) Right again! John the Baptist told the people to do something before they got baptized. Eli, what was it? (repent from their sins) I know all people sin, but Jesus is the Son of ... who? (God!) Right, Jesus is the Son of God. (speaking to puppet) Eli, isn't there a Bible verse that tells if Jesus ever sinned? (listen to Eli) I knew you would remember! (speaking to kids) Eli said "in Jesus there is no sin." 1 John 3:5. Thanks, Eli. So the people had sins to repent from, but Jesus was like, perfect. So why did Jesus need to get baptized? What's up with that?


Well here's the thing, part of baptism is symbolic. Eli, do you know what symbolic means? (Eli shakes his head) Here's what symbolic means: a symbol looks like one thing, but means another thing. Give me a thumbs up. (they do) Good, what does thumbs up mean? (we like something, we agree with someone, this movie is good) Baptism looks like just getting dunked under water, right? (nods) But it means something else. It means the person is starting over to be different. It's like saying, "before I did things my way, not God's way, and that was sinning, but now I want to do things God's way."


Jesus getting baptized was really important. You know how I know that? (heads shake) Because all four gospels tell about it. Who can name the four gospels? (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) Excellent! They all tell the story about Jesus getting baptized. It is the beginning of His ministry, His work, the very first thing He does! And what does God think of Jesus getting started this way? Who remembers? Eli? (he was pleased) Yes, God was very pleased with Jesus, and He let everybody know it, didn't He? How did God let the people know He was pleased with Jesus? (speaking from heaven) Yeah, God spoke from heaven. That must have been awesome to hear! So even though Jesus' baptism was different from everyone else's baptism because Jesus didn't have to repent, still God wanted Jesus to be baptized, and God was very pleased with Jesus.


So, for all the rest of us, baptism is the start of a new life, a life with God. We repent from our sins, and God forgives us. One more thing happens when we get baptized, and it happened to Jesus when He got baptized. What was it? (the dove) Right, the dove! The dove was the Holy Spirit! Baptism is when we get God's gift of the Holy Spirit! Jesus said the Holy Spirit is our Helper. The Holy Spirit helps us live our new life with God!


Here is a paper dove for each of you. It is a symbol of Who? (the Holy Spirit) God's Holy Spirit, right!


Let's bow our heads, fold our hands, and close our eyes. Dear God, You spoke from heaven to everybody. How awesome! You said You are so pleased with Jesus. We want to please You, too. Thank you for forgiving our sins and giving us Your Holy Spirit to help us. In Jesus name we pray, amen.


If you ever have an opportunity to volunteer for nursery duty at your church, do it! This kind of paper project is so fun for kids, especially the 3 and 4 year olds, and you can tell a Bible story while you demonstrate the steps for them. There is nothing better than teaching kids about God, and how much He loves them!