April 7, 2024
Families,
Today we talked about John 20:19-130 Doubting Thomas.
Doubt, we all struggle with it. Faith is hard, believing what is unseen and unbelievable is a struggle. The disciples told Thomas they h seen Jesus alive! Thomas didn’t believe them. Jesus lovingly shows himself to Thomas.
Family discussions:
1. Would you believe 10 of your closest friends about something unbelievable, remember they were all grieving still?
2. Would you need to se it to believe it?
3. What things in your life were you not able to believe until you saw it?
4. What were you able to believe based on what your friends told you?
March 17, 2024
Families,
Today we talked about John 12: 20-26
"Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.
Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me."
We talked about how a seed has to be buried and die to produce fruit. We need to die to things, like die to disobeying your parents, die to wanting what your friends have, and die to our natural sin. In order to live and produce Godly fruit. Sometimes life can be hard, and we feel like we are buried with sadness, but hope, love and life grow in that, and we produce fruit of compassion, empathy, and giving hope to others.
This reminded me about something my friend wrote for me right after my world crashed down around me. I had really pulled away from almost everyone. I hardly spoke to anyone. I was in a dark, lonely, and scary place. My friend wrote this for me:
That little seed was so happy. Everything seemed just right. Hanging out in the big apple, surrounded by those who loved her. But then it happened, suddenly, a cutting and pulling away. All of a sudden everything was different, and she was alone. There were feelings she was dealing with on a whole new level. Then the unimaginable happened. When she thought it couldn't get any worse, she was plunged into unexplainable darkness. Buried alive...the depression...rejection...feelings of unworthiness filled her heart. She felt like she would be there, alone and no one would ever know, or care. But then something moved. Something inside of her. A feeling that she had not felt in such a long time. Could it really be? Could hope exist in such a place of darkness? It was then that she remembered. She was made for more. She wasn't meant to die in this place. She was meant to thrive, rise above, grow... From the same darkness that entombed her, she gathered strength and confidence to push on...to become something she didn't know she was. It wouldn't always be like this, and she knew it. This was just a season. Though it was a slow, often tedious process and though she felt like she might never make it. She kept pushing herself for better days, times, life. Today she looks back on all of those years of darkness, despair and growth. She remembers those feelings but only as a distant memory. That thriving apple tree stands proud, a sentinel to those around her. She sees the apples growing on her branches and realizes that each seed in them will go through it's own season of separation. But if it allows the purpose inside of it, to overcome the circumstances on the outside, it will too thrive! No matter what you've gone through. No matter the circumstances that surround you. You need to know. Whatever is burying you, doesn't know that you are a seed!
Discussion Questions:
1. Have you ever felt like you were buried alive?
2. Did you grow in that space?
3. Did you feel yourself coming out and coming to life again, or did you just notice the end result? Life, love, and hope?
4. What are some things you need to die to?
March 10, 2024
Families,
Today we talked about John 3:16. God’s love cannot be measured!
When you cook or bake do we measure the ingredients? What about time? We measure time. What else do we measure? God’s love? Can that be measured? Can you capture it? See how much it is, how long it is, how big or wide it is, how much love is in God’s love? No. In fact, we cannot measure it. I tis unmeasurable, uncontainable, and uncapturable!
Family Discussion:
1. Can you even fathom how big God’s love is.
2. Is it hard to imagine that you can’t measure it, I won’t ever run out!
3. How would we live and act if we really understood this?
4. How can We show this love to others?
5. Can I change my attitude to others and to God?
February 18, 2024
Families,
Today We talked about Noah and the Ark.
Challenge:
1. Obey God no matter what, even if you don’t understand.
2. Trust God, even when it seems impossible!
Family Discussions:
1. Has God ever asked you to do something you didn’t understand?
2. Have you obeyed God when others around you didn’t?
3. When God sent the rain, how do you think all the other people that chose not to listen to God felt?
4. Do you think they tried to get on the ark?
5. How do you think they felt when they realized they were too late, God had already shut the door?
6. What does the arc ad God shutting the door and everyone but Noah and his family being saved mean for us today?
January 21, 2024
Today we read Jonah and the Big Fish and did a craft.
Challenge:
1. Do what God has asked, even if you don’t want to.
2. Show Jesus (kindness) to the kids you think shouldn’t receive God’s forgiveness.
3. Repent when you are wrong. Repent is not just saying oops I'm sorry God. It is admitting you were wrong and asking for forgiveness. And then turning and running in the opposite direction and not doing it again.
Family Discussion:
1. Have you ever thought you knew better than God?
2. Have you decided someone, or a group of people were unforgivable and unworthy of God’s forgiveness and grace?
3. Has God told you to share Him with someone, and you didn’t do it? How did you feel? I've done it, I knew I let God down. I had to repent. The next time, I did what He asked.
4. Have you felt like you were in the belly of a fish?
5. Have you wanted people to “throw you overboard”?
6. Have you gotten mad when someone else received God’s Grace?
7. Have you done exactly what God told you, even when you didn’t feel like it? What happened? How did it make you feel to obey when you didn’t want to?
8. Has your heart broken for the “unlovable”?
The Lord's Prayer from Luther's Small Catechism
We have put together a guide to The Lord's Prayer from Luther's Small Catechism that will be available to pick up or you can access the digital version here.
Shares perspective on what to see at the box office, which TV shows are worth watching, what video games are all about, and what music to listen to
Check out this helpful article from Kari van Wakeren titled,