Great Lakes Kids!

Sunday, February 12th, 2012- Esther Queen of Persia

2012-02-12T00:00:00.017-06:00

This Week's Bible Story- Esther 9-10

King Xerxes promoted Mordecai to a new job. Mordecai was now in charge of writing laws, decrees and orders on behalf of the King. Despite Mordecai’s recent promotion, Haman’s previous law to kill all of the Jewish people was still in effect. Esther made this fear known to King Xerxes and asked him to put an end to Haman’s law.

Immediately the King created a new law that protected all of the Jews in his Kingdom. Since Mordecai was the lawmaker, King Xerxes called for him to make the law official. The decree was sent to every corner of the Kingdom. Mordecai encouraged all of the Jewish people to remember this day and celebrate it forever.

Questions for the Family

What does it look like to be brave?
How did Esther show bravery?
Talk about a situation where you needed to be brave. Was it tough?
What kind of challenges does God give you each day

Memory Verse: 1 Corinthians 16:13

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be brave. Be strong.

*This week the 3-5 year olds learned about how Zaccheus learned that sharing is better than being greedy. We thought of a lot of things today that you can share with your family and friends. Sharing is a way that we can show love to others. Do you have any brothers or sisters? If you do, is it sometimes hare to share with them? Do you think it makes Jesus happy when we share?

Sunday, February 5th, 2012- Esther: Queen of Persia

2012-02-05T00:00:00.018-06:00

This Week's Bible Story: Esther 7-8

The second night arrived for King Xerxes and Haman to dine with Esther. The King was still curious as to what Esther desired so he asked her to tell him once again. Esther responded by informing the King that someone had demanded that she and all her people be killed. Stunned, King Xerxes asked who “dare do such a thing?”

Esther responded to the King and told him it was Haman. Angered, the King left and walked to the garden where he stood in disbelief. Meanwhile, Haman, knowing he was in trouble, begged Queen Esther for his life. When King Xerxes reentered the room, he had Haman removed from his palace forever. No longer was Haman a threat to Mordecai, Esther, and all of the Jewish people. In fact, Haman was killed at the same place he had planned to dispose of Mordecai.

After Haman’s death, King Xerxes ordered all of Haman’s possessions to be given to Esther, who passed them on to Mordecai. Esther also informs the King that Mordecai was her cousin. King Xerxes was thrilled to discover this information and honored Mordecai with the job of writing laws for his kingdom. He gave Mordecai the special “signet ring” taken back from Haman, allowing any of Mordecai’s orders to become law.

Questions for the Family

Q What is wisdom?

Q: Tell about a time when someone did something mean to you. Did you want to get revenge?

Q: Why should we pray for our enemies?

Q: Why is it so difficult to pray for our enemies?

Q: Why should we avoid “getting even” and leave that up to God?

Memory Verse: 1 Corinthians 16:13

Be on your guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be brave. Be strong.

*This week the 2-5 year olds talked about how to be a friend to everyone. Jesus chose to be a friend to the men whose eyes didn't work, even when no one else wanted to be their friend. Do you know someone who needs a friend? What can you say to someone who needs a friend?

Sunday, January 29th, 2012- Esther: Queen of Persia

2012-01-28T00:00:00.009-06:00

This Week's Bible Story- Esther 5-6

Esther requested the presence of the King and Haman at a dinner she was preparing that night. At dinner, the King asked what it was that Esther wanted. She complimented him and asked him to attend another dinner banquet the following day where she said she would reveal her question. Both King Xerxes and Haman agreed.

That evening, Haman went out to the palace gates where he found Mordecai who again refused to bow in respect Haman's presence. This enraged him and he promised to destroy Mordecai and the Jews. Haman traveled home and boasted about his fame, wealth, and power and how he would not rest until Mordecai was gone.

Meanwhile, King Xerxes discovered how Mordecai had stopped a plot to kill the king earlier in his reign. He decided that Mordecai needed to be honored for his service. As he made this decision, Haman entered the room and Xerxes asked him "How should he honor someone for something good that they did." Haman believed the King wanted to honor him so he suggested giving him a beautiful robe and horse, and parade him around the kingdom. Xerxes agreed and told him to do that for Mordecai.

Angry, Haman ran home and told his wife what had happened. It would be impossible to kill Mordecai because of his good deed and recent honoring. If he did it would lead to his fall in power.

Questions for the Family

Q: Have you ever been honored or praised for something? What?

Q: Do you do good things in life for Praise and attention?

Q: Why should we do the right thing without expecting rewards or honor?

Memory Verse: 1 Corinthians 16:13

Be on your guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be brave. Be strong.

*This week the 3-5 year olds learned about Peter's friends. They were praying for him. Do you remember where Peter was? That's right, in jail, even though he hadn't done anything wrong. God sent an angel to help Peter escape. The friends prayed for Peter and God answered their prayers. God can help your friends too when you pray for them. What is one way you could pray for a friend?

Sunday, January 22nd, 2012- Esther: Queen of Persia

2012-01-22T00:00:00.025-06:00

This Week's Bible Story- Esther 4- 5:2

Soon after Xerxes and Haman’s decree to kill all of the Jews, Mordecai became very upset. Esther was unaware that all of the Jews were to be killed and wondered why Mordecai was so upset. Mordecai told Esther what Haman and Xerxes were planning on doing and asked her for her help to save all the Jewish people.

Esther told Mordecai that the only way to speak to the King was by receiving an invitation. Mordecai insisted that she must talk to him. He told her that this is the reason God had made her Queen of Persia, to save the Jewish people. Esther finally agreed. She asked Mordecai and the Jewish people to pray for her for 3 days. On the third day she spoke on behalf of her people to King Xerxes about his decree.

Without being invited, she presented herself to the king who was intrigued as to why she came to see him. King Xerxes asked her “What is it Queen Esther? What is your request? Even half my kingdom will be given to you.”

Questions for the Family
Q: What types of sacrifices have you made in life?

Q: What types of feelings do you think Esther was having when she needed to talk to King Xerxes?

Q: What is the greatest sacrifice God ever made? Why is it important?

Memory Verse: 1 Corinthians 16:13

Be on your guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be brave. Be strong

*This week the 3-5 year olds learned that Job's friends were unkind. They didn't say kind words to him. Is that the kind of friend Job needed? No, he needed friends who would say kind words to him. Kind words make our friends smile. What kind words can you say to a friend?

Sunday, January 15th, 2012- Esther: Queen of Persia

2012-01-15T00:00:00.020-06:00

This Week's Bible Story: Esther 2:19- 3:15
At this time, Esther had recently become queen. Her cousin Mordecai was given a job as Palace administrator. One day, Mordecai overheard two officers plotting to kill King Xerxes because they were angry with him. After he heard their plan he immediately informed Esther of the danger. She quickly shared the information with the King Xerxes, credited Mordecai, and upon investigation, Xerxes demanded that the plotters be killed.

Soon after these events, King Xerxes named a new Prime Minister: Haman. Xerxes demanded that all the royal officials bow and pay honor to Haman whenever he was in their presence. However, Mordecai refused to bow down. This enraged Haman. He decided to destroy Mordecai and all of his Jewish ancestry. The reason Mordecai didn’t bow down was because his Jewish Laws told him to bow only to God.

Haman went to Xerxes and presented his plan to eliminate Mordecai and the Jewish people for their disobedience. Xerxes agreed, gave Haman his ring, and told him to execute the plan. However, Xerxes didn’t realize it would result in the death of Esther, Mordecai, and all of their ancestors.

Questions for the Family

Q: Talk about a situation where you did the right thing but still got in trouble.

Q: What are some things God always wants us to do?

Q: How does God reward us for doing the right things?

Memory Verse: 1 Corinthians 16:13

Be on your guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be brave. Be strong.

*This week the 3-5 year olds learned about how the samaritan man helped th eman who was hurt. How did he help him? Being a good friend means that we look for ways to help. How can you help a friend this week?

Sunday, January 8th, 2012- Esther: Queen of Persia

2012-01-08T00:00:00.012-06:00

This Week's Bible Story: Esther Chapters 1 & 2
During this time, King Xerxes was ruling his empire in Susa. He decided to throw a massive party for all of his people. He asked his wife, Queen Vashti, to accompany him during the party. However, she refused which angered the King and led to her being banished from the Kingdom.

After this, the king was lonely and decided to find a new Queen. He sent his officers to find him some of the most beautiful women in the land. A woman named Esther was one of those chosen. Her cousin, Mordecai, worried about her because his and her families were Jewish, and the people of Persia did not like Jews. Mordecai made her promise never to reveal her Jewish identity to anyone, especially King Xerxes. Both Mordecai and Esther decided to trust and obey God's plan for Esther. He was going to use her to doing incredible things for the Jewish people in Persia.

For an entire year, Esther and a group of other women were pampered in preparation for one to be chosen by the king. One by one the women were present to King Xerxes and he rejected all of them. But finally, Esther was introduced to the King. King Xerxes immediately fell in love with Esther and declared her his new Queen.

Questions For The Family

What does it mean to trust and obey God?
What is Wisdom?
Who are some great people in your life you can go to for Wisdom and Advice?
Is it tough to know God’s plan for our life? Why?

Memory Verse: 1 Corinthians 16:13

Be on your guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be brave. Be strong.

*This week the 3-5 year olds learned that Jonathan and David were sticky friends. They loved each other, they played with each other, and they even protected each other. Do you remember how Jonathan helped David escape from the bad king? He shot an arrow up into the sky to give David the message to escape. Jonathan was a sticky friend. he loved his friend David and didn't want him to get hurt. Sticky friends love each other How can you be a sticky friend?

Sunday, December 18th- The Christmas Show

2011-12-18T00:00:00.001-06:00

This Weeks Bible Story: Matthew 2:1-12

After Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem. They asked, "Where is the baby who was born to be the king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east. We came to worship him." When King Herod heard about this new king of the Jews, he was troubled. Herod called a meeting of all the leading priests and teachers of the law. He asked them where the Christ would be born. They answered, "In the town of Bethlehem in Judea. The prophet wrote about this in the Scriptures: 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are important among the rulers of Judah. A ruler will come from you. He will be like a shepherd for my people, the Israelites.'" Then Herod had a secret meeting with the wise men from the east. He learned from them the exact time they first saw the star.

He sent the wise men to Bethlehem. He said to them, "Go and look carefully to find the child. When you find him, come tell me. Then I can go worship him too." The wise men heard the king and then left. They saw the same star they had seen in the east. It went before them until it stopped above the place where the child was. When the wise men saw the star, they were filled with joy. They went to the house where the child was and saw him with his mother, Mary. They bowed down and worshiped the child. They opened the gifts they brought for him. But God warned the wise men in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they went home to their own country by a different way.

Questions for the Family:

Q: Name some New year’s resolutions that people usually make.

Q: Have you ever made a New Year’s Resolution? What was it? How long did it last?

Q: How do you think you can be encouraged and encourage others to continue ton in the commitment to living for God?

Memory Verse: Isaiah 9:6

A child will be born to us. God will give a son to us. He will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace

**This week the 3-5 year olds learned about the angels who told the shepherds some very good news. Baby Jesus was born! The shepherds were so excited that hey ran to the stable to see the new baby and then they praised God for what they had seen and heard. What animals do shepherds take care of? Would that be a fun job? Do you like to hear special messages?

Sunday, December 11th- The Christmas Show

2011-12-11T00:00:00.003-06:00

This Week's Bible Story- Luke 2:1-7

At that time, Augustus Caesar sent an order to all people in the countries that were under Roman rule. The order said that they must list their names in a register. This was the first registration taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone went to their own towns to be registered.

So Joseph left Nazareth, a town in Galilee. He went to the town of Bethlehem in Judea. This town was known as the town of David. Joseph went there because he was from the family of David. Joseph registered with Mary because she was engaged to marry him. (Mary was now pregnant.) While Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have the baby. She gave birth to her first son. There were no rooms left in the inn. So she wrapped the baby with cloths and laid him in a box where animals are fed.

Questions for The Family

Q: When you hear good news or have something exciting to share, how do you tell people?

Q: What are some ways that you can share your faith in Jesus with others?

Q: Who is someone that you know that needs to hear the good news about Jesus’ love for us?

Memory Verse: Isaiah 9:6

A child will be born to us. God will give a son to us. He will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace.

**This week the 3-5 year olds learned about Mary and Joseph who traveled to bethlehem and couldn't find a place to stay. they ended up staying in a stable where animals slept. Baby Jesus, the greatest gift ever, was born in that stable. have you ever gone on a trip? How did you get there? Where did you stay on your trip?

Sunday, December 4th- The Christmas Show

2011-12-04T00:00:00.011-06:00

This Week's Bible Story- Luke 2: 8-20

That night some shepherds were in the fields nearby watching their sheep. An angel of the Lord stood before them. The glory of the Lord was shining around them and suddenly they became very frightened. The angel said to them, "Don't be afraid, because I am bringing you some good news. It will be a joy to all the people. Today your Savior was born in David's town. He is Christ, the Lord. This is how you will know him: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a feeding box."

Then a very large group of angels from heaven joined the first angel. All the angels were praising God, saying: "Give glory to God in heaven and on earth let there be peace to the people who please God." Then the angels left the shepherds and went back to heaven. The shepherds said to each other, "Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened. We will see this thing the Lord told us about." So the shepherds went quickly and found Mary and Joseph. And the shepherds saw the baby lying in a feeding box. Then they told what the angels had said about this child.

Everyone was amazed when they heard what the shepherds said to them. Mary hid these things in her heart; she continued to think about them. Then the shepherds went back to their sheep, praising God and thanking him for everything they had seen and heard. It was just as the angel had told them.

Questions for the Family:

Q: What do you do when you have good news to share?

Q: What is Jesus’ free Gift of Salvation?

Q: How do we share that Free Gift with others?

Memory Verse: Isaiah 9:6

A child will be born to us. God will give a son to us. He will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace.

**This week our 3-5 year olds learned about How Mary got very good news from an angel. The good news made her very happy. What was the special message? She was going to have a special baby named Jesus. Jesus was the best present ever.

Sunday, November 27th, 2011- The Christmas Show

2011-11-27T00:00:00.008-06:00

This Weeks Bible Story: Matthew 1:19-24

Mary's husband, Joseph, was a good man. He did not want to disgrace her in public so he planned to divorce her secretly. While Joseph thought about this, an angel of the Lord came to him in a dream. The angel said, "Joseph, descendant of David, don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife. The baby she is going to have is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son. You will name the son Jesus. Give him that name because he will save his people from their sins." All this happened to make clear the full meaning of what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be pregnant. She will have a son and they will name him Immanuel." This name means "God is with us." When Joseph woke up, he did what the Lord's angel had told him to do. Joseph married Mary.

Questions for the Family

Q: What kinds of things does a cookie recipe tell me?

Q: What would happen if you didn’t want to follow the directions?

Q: What is the recipe book that God has given us for our lives?

Q: Describe a time when you heard directions but didn’t follow them. What was the result?

Memory Verse: Isaiah 9:6

A child will be born to us. God will give a son to us. He will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace.

**This week the 3-5 year olds learned about Jesus going to the temple. When Mary and Joseph came to get him, he obeyed and left, even though he probably wanted to stay longer. Do you think it makes your mom or dad happy when you obey? Can you obey your parents today just like Jesus did? He is always near.

Sunday, November 20th, 2011- The Christmas Show

2011-11-20T00:00:00.015-06:00

This Weeks Bible Story- Luke 1:26-38

God sent the angel Gabriel to a young woman who lived in Nazareth, a town in Galilee. She was engaged to marry a man named Joseph from the family of David. Her name was Mary. The angel came to her and said, "Greetings! The Lord has blessed you and is with you." But Mary was very confused by what the angel said. Mary wondered, "What does this mean?" The angel said to her, "Don't be afraid Mary because God is pleased with you. Listen! You will become pregnant. You will give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and people will call him the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of King David, his ancestor. He will rule over the people of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end."

Mary said to the angel, "How will this happen? I am not married!" The angel said to Mary, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will cover you. The baby will be holy. He will be called the Son of God. Now listen! Elizabeth, your relative, is very old, but she is also going to have a son. Everyone thought she could not have a baby. God can do everything!" Mary said, "I am the servant girl of the Lord. Let this happen to me as you say!" Then the angel went away.

Questions for the Family:

Q: How would you feel if you were Mary and an angel appeared to give you a message from God?

Q: Besides angels, what are some other ways that God communicates with us?

Q: Describe a time where you feel like you heard God and responded to Him. (Leaders, this is a great time to share a personal story to help students get ideas!)

Q: What are some things that can distract you from hearing God’s voice?

Memory Verse: Isaiah 9:6

A child will be born to us. God will give a son to us. He will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace.

**This week the 3-5 year olds learned about Jesus going on a trip to Jerusalem with his family. Was he a child or an adult in our story? Jesus was a child, just like you, but he grew to be big. Will you grow up to be big too?

Sunday, November 13th- The Adventures of Daniel

2011-11-13T00:00:00.000-06:00

This Weeks Bible Story: Daniel 6:1-28

Daniel had also found favor with the new King, Darius. In fact, King Darius chose Daniel and two others to supervise all the other governors and the king’s own interests. Daniel was so good at his job that, within just a short time, the king wanted to put Daniel in charge of everything! Well, the other governors and leaders became jealous. They wanted to get rid of Daniel so they schemed and devised a plan. The plan stated that everyone was to be loyal to King Darius. So for thirty days, no one was to pray to any god, but show allegiance to the king. Anyone who disobeys was to be thrown into a pit of lions. They asked the king to issue the order and make it a law – one that cannot be changed. The king agreed and signed it with his seal.

When Daniel learned of the new law, he went home and prayed just as he had always done. Daniel’s enemies were watching and when they saw Daniel praying, they went straight to King Darius. They reminded the king of the law he had signed and that Daniel was disobeying and must be thrown into the lions den.

King Darius was sad. He knew Daniel was loyal to him and the king tried to find a way around the law. Daniel’s enemies reminded him that a law issued by the king could not be changed. King Darius knew he had been tricked and had no choice but to have Daniel thrown to the lions. As Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den, the king asked that Daniels God protect him. In the morning, he hurried back to the pit and called out for Daniel. “Daniel, has your God saved you?” Daniel replied, “The Lord sent His angel to stand beside me and the lions have not harmed me.” Darius was overjoyed and then had the wicked governors arrested and thrown in the lion’s den. Then King Darius issued a new command that everyone in his empire must respect the God whom Daniel worshipped.

Questions for the Family

Q: Do you think you have a reputation for Godliness? Why or why not?

Q: How do you build this kind of reputation?

Q: Can a reputation for Godliness lead other people to know Jesus personally?

Memory Verse: Proverbs 22:1

Choose a good reputation over great riches, for being held in high esteem is better than having silver or gold.

**This week the 3-5 year olds learned about how Jesus was kind even when people weren't kind to him. He was brave as well, because he stood up to the unkind people. We can be brave just like Jesus was. has anyone ever been unkind to you? What do you do that is kind?

Sunday, November 6th - The Adventures of Daniel

2011-11-06T00:00:00.008-05:00

This Weeks Bible Story: Daniel 5:1-30

Even the mightiest king is nothing compared to God. King Nebuchadnezzar learned this but his son, Belshazzar, did not learn that from his father!

When Belshazzar became king, he inherited the richest ,wealthiest kingdom in the world and could do whatever he pleased and have whatever he wanted. The one thing he did not do was worship God!

King Belshazzar decided to have a great feast to celebrate HIM and how wonderful he was. He decided to bring out all the sacred pitchers and cups of gold and silver that his father had taken from God’s temple in Jerusalem. He and his guests drank wine from them with no thought at all that these belonged to God and they were holy.

The king and his guests were laughing and singing too loudly. They bowed to statues of other gods and thanked their gods for making them so great and wonderful.

Right then, in the middle of King Belshazzar’s party, a human hand appeared out of nowhere. It was not attached to a body and it began to write on the wall of the banquet hall. It wrote four words – Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin. Everyone went quiet and King Belshazzar was terrified. No one could tell the King what it meant.

However, Daniel was brought to him and told him that he has not learned from his father. He told him that he is nothing without God and that God has given him all of his power. He also told him what the words meant. Belshazzar rewarded Daniel, but his gratitude did not save him. That same night Belshazzar was killed and Darius, king of Medes, took possession of the kingdom of Babylon.

Questions for the Family:

Q: Describe the difference between “telling it like it is” and “speaking the truth in love”.

Q: Are you more likely to listen to someone who is confronting you if they speak to you in a caring tone rather than a harsh manner?

Q: Tell about a time when someone spoke the truth in a caring way to you.

Memory Verse: Proverbs 22:1

Choose a good reputation over great riches, for being held in high esteem is better than having silver or gold.

**This week the 3-5 year olds learned about the king that got mad. He threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendego into the furnace, but they were brave and followed God no matter what. God was with them and he is with us. God is with you when you are in places that make you afraid. When you are afraid, what can you do?

Sunday, October 30th- The Adventures of Daniel

2011-10-30T00:00:00.002-05:00

This Week's Bible Story: Daniel 4:1-37

King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and called for it to be interpreted. “I saw a tree so tall that everyone in the world could see it. It had beautiful leaves and fruit enough for the whole world to eat. An angel came and said, ‘cut down the tree. Leave the stump in the ground where it will be soaked with rain. Let this “tree” eat grass like an animal and have a mind like an animal. Then everyone will know how great God is. Now, tell me what my dream means.”

The magicians, astrologers, fortunetellers and wise men did not know what the king’s dream meant! And so King Nebuchadnezzar sent for Daniel. The king told Daniel his dream and Daniel became so afraid, he could not speak! The king begged him to tell him the meaning of his dream. Finally Daniel told him what it meant and the news was not good.

Then Daniel gave the King some advice. Stop being sinful. Do what is right. Give up your evil practices. Show kindness to those who are being treated badly. Then perhaps things will continue to go well with you.

The king refused to give God credit for the good things that happened to him and after a year, God took his power away from him. And in that moment, the great and mighty King Nebuchadnezzar became like an animal. He ran from the comfort of his palace and lived in the fields and forests. All the things Daniel had told the king came true. It took 7 years but eventually the King admitted that God was king over all things. Immediately, the king came to his right mind again. He praised God and said, “God will rule forever, and his kingdom will never end. No one can stand in his way. He is in control of all things, in heaven and on earth!”

Questions for the Family

Q: What did Daniel do that caused him to be seen as humble?

Q: Do you think King Nebuchadnezzar learned from Daniel’s humility? Why or why not?

Memory Verse: Proverbs 22:1

Choose a good reputation over great riches, for being held in high esteem is better than having silver or gold.

*This week the 3-5 year olds learned that there were lots of lions in the den and only one Daniel, but Daniel was brave because God was with him. We can be brave too, because God is with us. God is with you when you are in places that make you afraid. When we are afraid, we can talk to God. When you are afraid, what can you do?

Sunday, October 23rd- The Adventures of Daniel

2011-10-23T00:00:00.003-05:00

This Week's Bible Story: Daniel 3:1-30

King Nebuchadnezzar worshipped the gods of Babylon and he wanted everyone in his empire to worship the same gods. A messenger came and gave the king’s instruction that when the music starts, they were to bow down and worship a Gold statue as a god.

When the music played, everyone bowed down except Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. King Nebuchadnezzar had the three young men brought to him. The king asked them if they had bowed down to his golden statue because if they did not, he would throw them into a fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were courageous and showed no fear. They replied to the king, "King Nebuchadnezzar, we don't need to talk about this anymore. We might be thrown into the blazing furnace. But the God we serve is able to bring us out of it alive. He will save us from your powerful hand. And we want you to know this. Even if we knew that our God wouldn't save us, we still wouldn't serve your gods. We wouldn't worship the gold statue you set up.”

The King became angry and threw them into the fiery furnace. Suddenly the King saw four people in the furnace and decided to make it hotter. Despite his efforts, All three of the men came out of the furnace unharmed. Not even their clothing was burned.

The King began to praise the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego because God protected them and he saw their courage and faithfulness. King Nebuchadnezzar gave an order that forbid any nation, race or language to say anything against their God.

Questions for the Family

Q: What did they do that caused them to stand out in the crowd?

Q: When have you seen someone display the courage needed to stand up for what was right?

Memory Verse: Proverbs 22:1

Choose a good reputation over great riches, for being held in high esteem is better than having silver or gold.

*This week our 3-5 year olds learned about Elijah who was brave because God was with him. Elijah did the right thing when he stood up against the 450 bad messengers. We can be brave to do the right thing too because God is with us, just like He was with Elijah!

Sunday, October 16th- The Adventures of Daniel

2011-10-16T00:00:00.006-05:00

This Week's Bible Story: Daniel 2

One day King Nebuchadnezzar had a terrible dream. He did not believe in God, so he called for some of his advisors (magicians and fortune-tellers) and demanded they explain the meaning of his dream. But none of them could tell the king what his dream meant. Eventually, the king lost patience and told his commander to gather all his advisors and kill them because none was found who could interpret the terrible image of his dream. When Daniel heard the news, he went to find out why such a harsh order had been given.

Daniel was certain God would give him the wisdom to be able to interpret the king’s dream. That night God revealed to Daniel the secret of the king’s dream. The next day one of the king’s bodyguards led Daniel to King Nebuchadnezzar. The bodyguard told the king that one of the Jewish exiles, Daniel, who was known for his wisdom, would be able to interpret his dream. Daniel was brought before King Nebuchadnezzar and explained that the God in heaven can reveal mysteries and dreams and that because he and his friends had prayed, God had showed Daniel that the king’s dream was about something that was to happen in the future.

He was so impressed with Daniel’s wisdom that he knelt before him and pledged allegiance to Daniel’s God. Loading Daniel with treasure, he appointed Daniel as governor of Babylon gave his friends significant roles as well.

Questions for the Family

Q: When is a time that you used wisdom to solve a problem or find the solution to a tough situation?

Q: Why do you think it is important that we give God credit for our wisdom?

Memory Verse: Proverbs 22:1

Choose a good reputation over great riches, for being held in high esteem is better than having silver or gold.

*This week the 3-5 year olds learned about Joseph who was all alone when he was thrown into a hole. But Joseph was brave because God was with him. We can be brave too because God is with us. have you ever been afraid? What helps you not be afraid?

Sunday, October 9th - The Adventures of Daniel

2011-10-09T00:00:00.015-05:00

This Week's Bible Story: Daniel 1:1-19

Daniel was a young man who lived in Jerusalem. He learned how to worship God and to obey God’s Law. When King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem, he took some of the articles from God’s temple young men from Jerusalem who were healthy to serve in his palace. These young men had to be able to learn and have the ability to understand new things quickly and easily. Daniel was one of the captives taken to Babylon.

Since Nebuchadnezzar did not believe in the one true God, he asked Daniel and his friends to disobey God and do things they knew were wrong. The young men were offered food and drink that had been used in idol worship. Daniel knew it would not honor God if he ate what was offered. So he asked the chief official to be excused from eating and drinking what the king had offered them.

But Daniel stood strong and would not disobey God by eating food. Instead he asked the guards for plain vegetables and water for 10 days.

After the ten days Daniel and his friends looked healthy and well fed. In fact they looked better than any of the young men who ate the king’s food. So the guard didn’t require Daniel and his friends to eat the special food and drink. He gave them vegetables and water instead. Daniel’s reputation of strength was not just his physical strength, but an inner strength that allowed Daniel and his friends to be noticed above all the rest because they had: a Reputation of Strength.

Questions for the Family

Q: What are some things we can say/do that can harm our reputation?

Q: What are some things we can say/do that can help our reputation?

Q: Why is it important for Christians to have a good reputation?

Memory Verse : Proverbs 22:1

Choose a good reputation over great riches, for being held in high esteem is better than having silver or gold.

*This week our 3-5 year olds learned about how Jesus came down to earth and died on the cross so that we could be friends with God. Being God's friend means we can talk to Him anytime and He is always with us.

Sunday, October 2nd - SNAPSHOT

2011-10-02T00:00:00.003-05:00

This Week's Bible Story: Genesis 2-3

Adam and Eve were the first people and God gave them the world! Everything was perfect. There were no disasters, no pain, no death, no tears. But God wanted to give them a choice. He wanted them to choose to be His friend. In order to have a choice, they had to be able to choose not to be God’s friend as well. So God made one tree that Adam and Eve were not allowed to eat from. Even though Adam and Eve had everything, they wanted more so they ate from that one tree. By doing that, they turned away from God.

Even you and I choose against God because we all do things God does not want. Even though we do this, there is some good news. God came down to Earth as Jesus. Jesus came to take the death penalty, even though He never did anything wrong. He took this punishment in our place. You can turn back to God by thanking Jesus for taking your punishment and asking Him to forgive you for doing bad things.

Questions for the Family:

Q: What do you think it looks like to “turn away from sin”?

Q: Is there a sin that you need to turn away from?

Memory Verse: Joshua 1:9

I am the Lord your God and I will be there to help you wherever you go.

*This week the 3-5 year olds learned about how Jesus came down to earth and died on the cross so that we could be friends with God. Being God's friend means we can talk to Him anytime and He is always with us. He is our very special friend! Do you want to be God's friend?

Sunday, September 25th - SNAPSHOT

2011-09-25T00:00:00.003-05:00

This Week's Bible Story: Jonah 1-3

Jonah was a well known prophet in his day. God used prophets for many things, not just to say what is going to happen in the future. Most of the time, prophets tell people to turn back to God. That is why God sent Jonah to Nineveh, a huge city. The people in the city had turned away from God and God was about to destroy them. But he wanted to give them another chance. That is why God wanted Jonah to tell the people of Nineveh to turn back before it is too late.

Now Nineveh was not part of Israel. It was an enemy city and that is why Jonah did not want to go. He disobeyed God and took a boat to another city (Tarshish). God caused a huge storm and the sailors thought they had to throw Jonah overboard in order to please God. So they did. God saved Jonah by sending a huge fish to swallow him, swim to land and spit him out. Then God called Jonah again to go to Nineveh. This time he obeyed and the people there turned back to God

Questions for the Family:

Q: What do you think Paul meant when he said “So continue to work out your own salvation?” How does this relate to being obedient?

Q: Who are some people we need to be obedient to?

Q: What is one area in your own life that you struggle with obedience?

Memory Verse: Joshua 1:9

I am the Lord your God and I will be there to help you wherever you go.

*This week the 3-5 year olds learned about a little boy who shared his lunch with Jesus. What was in the little boy's lunch? That's right! There were five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus made that little lunch feed lots and lots of people. Jesus did something special through the little boy who shared his lunch and He can do something special through you too.

Sunday, September 18th- SNAPSHOT

2011-09-18T00:00:00.023-05:00

This Week's Bible Story: Luke 15:11-24

Jesus told a story of a father who had a rich household, he had possessions and servants and everything. He shared this with his sons. But one of his sons was selfish. He wanted to have his dad’s inheritance, but did not want to wait for his father to pass away. So he went to his dad and demanded he get his inheritance right away. His dad gave it to him and the son went off and spent it all on a wild life.

But then he got in trouble: the money ran out, there was a drought and no food anywhere. After looking and looking, he found a job herding pigs. This brought him to his senses. He went back to his father and apologized. He said “I sinned against heaven and against you. I can no longer be called your son.” But his father hugged and kissed him and threw a party because his son had returned.

Questions for the Family:

Q: How was the son in the Bible story selfish?

Q: Why can it be so hard to share?

Q: What do you have that you can share with someone this week?

Memory Verse: Joshua 1:9

I am the Lord your God and I will be there to help you wherever you go.

*This week the 3-5 year olds learned about how special we are to God. He made each of us different from anyone else. Is there anyone else who is exactly like you? God made each of us special and He loves us so much.

Sunday, September 11th- SNAPSHOT

2011-09-11T00:00:00.011-05:00

This Week's Bible Story- Exodus 5-14

Today, we are talking about Pharaoh and the people of Israel. You see, Pharaoh had made the whole nation of Israel into slaves. The Israelites had to work hard for Pharaoh. Pharaoh had them beaten and sometimes even killed. So the Israelites cried out to God for help.

God sent Moses to command Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, but Pharaoh did not listen. So God unleashed plagues on Pharaoh, his people and his nation. A plague is an outbreak of really bad things. Every next plague was worse than the one before, but Pharaoh was incredibly stubborn.

God had to bring plague after plague, not one, not two, but ten plagues. After this, Pharaoh finally let the Israelites go. Because of Pharaoh's stubbornness, his country had become a mess! Insects ate all the plants, there were dead frogs everywhere, water turned to blood, cattle died, houses were destroyed and people became ill. All of this did not have to happen if Pharaoh had not been so stubborn.

Questions for the Family

Q: How could Pharaoh have avoided all of the plagues sent upon the people of Egypt?

Q: What can our own stubbornness cost us?

Memory Verse: Joshua 1:9

I am the Lord your God and I will be there to help you wherever you go.

*This week our 3-5 year olds learned about how some friends helped a man whose legs didn't work. How did they help their friend? A good friend is one who helps others. How can you help a friend who is sick? How can you help a friend who is scared? God gave us special friends because He loves us so much.

Sunday, September 4th - SNAPSHOT

2011-09-04T00:00:00.014-05:00

This Week's Bible Story: 2 Kings 5: 1-15

This week there are two stories. Your challenge is to see what they have in common:

Naaman was an enemy of Israel, who got very sick. No healer could help him. Then he heard about God doing miracles through the prophet Elisha. So Naaman went to Elisha with gold and silver, expecting to buy a great treatment. But Elisha simply sent a servant to Naaman who told him to keep his money and go to the (dirty) Jordan river to bathe seven times. Naaman was furious! He was too proud to do this pointless ‘exercise’ and headed home. But his servants convinced him to do this not so courageous bathing thing. Naaman did and God healed him when he came up from the water the seventh time!

The second story is the story of Jesus. Jesus is God who walked on this Earth. Many people loved Jesus and followed Him, but some wanted to kill Him. It seems strange, but He let them! He let them nail Him to a cross, which is a long, painful death. After He died, He came back to life again. After all, He is God.

Questions for The Family:

1. What is the difference between being humbled and humbling yourself?

2. Jesus humbled himself in several different ways. Can you name some of those ways?

3. Describe a situation in which felt prideful but you humbled yourself. How did you feel afterwards?

Memory Verse: James 4:10

Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up in honor.

*This week our 3-5 year olds learned about Gideon, the man God chose to lead the Israelites against the Midianite army. Gideon was afraid and even hid from the Midianites. But with God's help he was brave and the Israelites won the battle. When can you be brave? (Judges 6-7)

Sunday, August 28th - SNAPSHOT

2011-08-28T00:00:00.018-05:00

This Weeks Bible Story- 1 Samuel 5: 1-25

David lived in the mountains with an army who followed him. He protected the shepherds who lived there. One of them was Nabal who was extremely rich. After protecting Nabal’s shepherds for a long time, David sent some men to ask Nabal for some food for his army. Nabal refused and insulted David and his servants.

When David heard it, he became so angry that he set out to kill Nabal. This was not God’s plan. Luckily, Nabal’s wife heard about it and was able to stop David by giving him gifts and asking forgiveness for her husband’s insults. She kept David from sinning, stopped him from killing someone. Later in the story, God punished Nabal for living a bad life. It is God’s job to judge fairly, not David’s.

Questions for the Family

Q: Describe a situation where you someone you or someone you know was angry and made a wrong decision because of that anger.

Q: What are ways that people who follow Jesus can deal with anger?

Memory Verse: Joshua 1:9

I am the Lord your God and I will be there to help you wherever you go.

*This week the 3-5 year old learned about Queen Esther. The Jewish people were in trouble, and she needed to talk to the king to help save them. Why was she scared to talk to the king? She would get in trouble if she wen tot see him without an invitation. She prayed that God would help her to be bold and then she went and talked to the king. The Jewish people were saved! If you ask God, he will help you be bold to do things that might scare you too! (Esther 4-6)

Sunday, August 21st - SNAPSHOT

2011-08-21T00:00:00.012-05:00

This Week's Bible Story - 2 Kings 6: 8-17

The nation of Israel tried to follow God, but they had a lot of enemies. One of their enemies was the king of Aram. He wanted to take their land. Whenever the king tried to attack Israel, God would tell the prophet Elisha about it. So Israel was always prepared.

When the king of Aram found out about this, he was furious and sent horses and chariots to surround the city where Elisha was. When Elisha’s servant saw that they were surrounded he was afraid. Elisha told him not to be afraid. He said “those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha asked God to open his servant’s eyes and God did just that. Elisha’s servant could see the hills full of horses and chariots of ﬁre. They were all around Elisha!

Questions for the Family

Q: What is something that you used to be afraid of but aren’t anymore?

Q: How did you overcome that fear?

Q: Do you think God cares about your fears? Why or why not?

Memory Verse: Joshua 1:9

I am the Lord your God and I will be there to help you wherever you go.

*This week our 3-5 year olds learned about Balaam and his donkey. Which of them had look-out eyes? Look-out eyes help us to se trouble and go the other way. When might you need look-out eyes? (Numbers 22)

Sunday, August 14th - Galatians Race

2011-08-14T00:00:00.004-05:00

Paul realized it was important that he exercise self-control if he was to be an effective servant of God. In the first letter he wrote to the Corinthians, Paul talked about self-control and here’s what he said:

“Though I’m free and belong to no one, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became a Jew, to win the Jews. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the good news, so I can share in its blessings. Do you know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that won’t last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. So I don’t run like a man running around in circles; I don’t fight like someone punching the air. No, I make my body do what it must so that after I’ve told others the good news, I myself won’t be disqualified for the prize.”

QUESTIONS FOR THE FAMILY

Q: Which of these fruits seems to be most prominent in your life?

Q: Which of these fruits do you have more difficulty noticing in your life?

*This week our 3-5 year olds learned about how God didn’t want the Israelites to be slaves anymore, so he told Moses to go talk to Pharaoh. Moses was scared to talk to Pharaoh, but did he obey? Yes!

The Marriage of Church and Family

2011-08-09T00:00:00.001-05:00

Hey Parents!

Wrap your mind around this:

the average church has only 40 hours in a given year to influence a child
the average parent has 3,000

Church and family, for the most part, have operated on two separate wavelengths for many years. As a matter of fact, I would venture to say that some parents leave the ENTIRE "spiritual thing" to the church and don't take any time at home to talk about God.

At Great Lakes Church we truly believe that it is up to us to partner WITH you to help your kids grow spiritually. We want to be a resource to you and set you and your kids up for success when it comes raising them to know and understand who God is.

It is important for us to realize what is at stake if our children and teenagers walk away from church without a concept of God that captures their imaginations. They NEED US to show them the wonder, mystery, and power of a God who is too big to define, yet who has proven through time and space that he loves them intimately!

That's what this blog is all about! It's about a marriage between church and family that will revolutionize the future of our kids!

On this blog you will find resources such as:

What your kids learned at church on Sunday
Memory verse
Questions to help facilitate discussion at home

Thanks and I'll keep you posted!

Pastor Tony

Sunday, August 7th - Galatians Race

2011-08-07T00:00:00.001-05:00

After Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, his life changed forever. He became a follower of Jesus and his name was changed to Paul. Barnabas, a disciple, met up with Paul and they traveled together to preach the good news of Jesus Christ. They later went to Jerusalem to join the other disciples. But none of them would meet with him. They didn’t believe Saul had really changed. They remembered that Saul had once persecuted followers of Jesus.

Barnabas told them how Saul had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him. He also told them how courageously Saul had preached in the name of Jesus, which helped them change their opinion.

Paul and Barnabas continued traveling all over, preaching and teaching about Jesus. Sometime later, they decided to go back and visit their fellow Christians in all the towns they’d preached before. Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them, but Paul didn’t want to. John Mark had left them earlier in Pamphylia and didn’t continue with them. But Barnabas was accepting of others and had a gentle heart. Well, Paul and Barnabas had such a big disagreement that they went their separate ways. Even though they disagreed, Barnabas and Paul continued to preach about Jesus on their own journeys.

QUESTIONS FOR THE FAMILY

Q: How did Barnabas model Gentleness?

Q: Have you ever felt like someone reacted harshly to what you were saying or doing?

Q: How did that make you feel?

Q: How can we accept someone without agreeing with his/her opinions, views, or actions?

*This week our 3-5 year olds learned about King Jehoshaphat and how he needed God’s super power to help his people win a battle. All of the people prayed to God and asked for God’s help. Did God help them? Did he show his super power? Yes! We can pray to God just like they did, and God will help us too.

Sunday, July 31st - Galatians Race

2011-07-31T00:00:00.002-05:00

Stephen was a man full of God’s power and he did great things among the people. But the Jews from one of the Synagogues began to argue with him. They couldn’t stand up to Stephen’s wisdom and seemed to be jealous. These Jews secretly convinced some men to say they heard Stephen talk badly against God. Stephen was arrested and brought to trial before the religious rulers.

People accused him and told lies about Stephen. Finally, the high priest asked if this was true. Stephen began to speak to everyone who was listening. He told them how God’s people often rejected the leaders God had sent them, like Moses. Stephen reminded them how the children of Israel made an idol in the desert, rejecting what God wanted. He told them how they also rejected God’s son, Jesus.

When the people heard this, they were really angry with Stephen. Then he looked to heaven and saw the glory of God. And standing at God’s right hand was Jesus. When he told them this, the people covered their ears and rushed toward Stephen and grabbed him. They took him outside and began to throw stones at him. While they were throwing stones at him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, take my spirit.” He fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them.” After that Stephen sadly died. His friends came and took his body to bury and they mourned him.

QUESTIONS FOR THE FAMILY

Q: When was the last time you kept a promise that you made?

Q: How does being faithful make us a great example to others for Jesus?

*This week our 3-5 year olds learned about what God made on the sixth day of creation. He made animals and people. He made all of us! Do any of us look exactly alike? No. God had a special plan when He created our world. He made things for us to enjoy because He loves us so much.

Sunday, July 24th - Galatians Race

2011-07-24T00:00:00.002-05:00

Paul and Silas began speaking to some women in Philippi. One of those listening was a woman named Lydia. Lydia was a worshipper of God and the Lord opened her heart to receive Paul’s message. She became a Christ believer that day. When Lydia and the members of her household were baptized, she invited Paul and Silas to her home. Lydia said, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.”

Philippi was the town where Paul and Silas were thrown into prison for healing a slave girl. While in prison, an earthquake shook the doors open, but they didn’t run away. They led the jailer and his family to the Lord and the jailer treated them well. The next day, the judges told the jailer to release Paul and Silas. However, when the judges found out Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were afraid. They came and escorted Paul and Silas out of prison and asked them to leave the city.

Paul and Silas stopped by Lydia’s house where they met with the believers and encouraged them. It appears that Lydia’s house became a frequent place for Paul to stay while he preached the gospel in Philippi. She was very hospitable towards Paul and his friends. She saw it as the least of what she could do because of what Paul had done for her in bringing her the good news of the gospel. Lydia reflected God’s goodness as she opened her home to others.

Questions For The Family

Q: Think about our Bible lesson today. What did Lydia do that showed goodness?

Q: When was a time that someone showed goodness to you?

Q: What are some creative ways we can show goodness?

*This week our 3-5 year olds learned about what God made on the fifth day of creation. He made birds and fish. What is the biggest fish you have ever seen? God had a special plan when He created our world. He made things for us to enjoy because He loves us so much.

Sunday, July 17th- Galatians Race

2011-07-17T00:00:00.011-05:00

In the years following the resurrection of Jesus, in the town of Joppa lived a woman named Tabitha. She was also called Dorcas. Dorcas was a very good person. She helped the poor and was kind to everyone. Suddenly Dorcas became very sick and eventually she died. Her friends were very sad as you can well imagine. They gathered in an upstairs room to prepare her body for burial. However, in town were some followers of Jesus. They knew that the disciple Peter was in the nearby town of Lydda.

The followers sent two men to find Peter and requested his presence in Joppa immediately. Peter came just as the men asked. When he got into town, he went upstairs to the room where Dorcas’ body lay. There he found some women friends of Dorcas sobbing from the loss of their good and kind friend. Peter told everybody to leave the room. He stayed alone with Dorcas’ body. He knelt down and began to pray. Then he turned toward Dorcas and said, “Tabitha, get up.” Remember, Tabitha was Dorcas’ first name. Dorcas opened her eyes at once. She was alive! Right after she sat up, Peter took her by the hand and helped her to stand.

He then called all of Dorcas’ friends back into the room. Peter presented Dorcas to them. The women could hardly believe their eyes! Their kind friend was alive! The word quickly spread about what Peter had done through the Power of Jesus. Many people in Joppa became followers of Christ because of this miracle.

Questions for the Family

Q: Who can share a time when someone surprised you by being kind to you?

Q: Name a person who you know could benefit from some kindness?

Q: What can you do for someone this week to show them kindness?

*This week our 3-5 year olds learned what God made on the fourth day of creation. He made the sun, moon and stars. What would it be like if God didn’t make the sun? Or the moon? God had a special plan when He created our world. He made things that help us because He loves us so much.

Sunday, July 10th- Galatians Race

2011-07-10T00:00:00.006-05:00

Paul was in prison. The high priest Ananias and his lawyer accused Paul of being a troublemaker and stirring up Jews around the world. Governor Felix motioned for Paul to speak and Paul then told the governor he was innocent. The governor said he would decide Paul’s case later.

Soon after, as Felix and his wife listened, Paul spoke to him about believing in Jesus. Felix spoke to Paul frequently, but he left Paul in prison for two years! Paul waited patiently for his day in court, but he didn’t stop talking about Jesus. A new governor came and his name was Festus. Paul was still in prison. Again, the Jewish leaders came and asked the governor to send Paul for trial in Jerusalem. Festus wanted to please the Jews so he asked Paul if he’d go down to Jerusalem. Again Paul said he’d done nothing wrong. Paul remained patient. He asked for a trial before Caesar in Rome. Governor Festus said, “You have asked to go to Caesar; to Caesar you will go!”

A few days later, King Agrippa and his wife Bernice came to visit Festus. The King heard about Paul’s case and he wanted to hear from Paul himself. The next day, Paul appeared before the king and the governor. Paul told them of his troubled past and he spoke of how Jesus changed his life. Paul wasn’t afraid to speak the good news to everyone even though he was in prison for two years. He never gave in and never stopped talking about Jesus.

Questions for the Family

Q: Is it hard to patiently wait for something you really want? Why?

Q: Have you ever prayed for something and God’s answer was not what you expected it to be?

*This week the 3-5 year olds learned about what God made on the third day of creation. He made the land, plants and trees. What is underneath us right now? Or underneath the building we are in? Have you eaten something today that came from a plant or tree? God made good things for us to enjoy because He loves us so much.

Sunday, July 3rd- Galatians Race

2011-07-03T00:00:00.017-05:00

King Herod was a cruel man and didn’t like anyone speaking about Jesus. Herod knew Peter was a follower of Jesus so he had him arrested and thrown into jail where sixteen men guarded him. The whole time Peter was in prison the church prayed for him. Peter was at peace knowing others were praying for his safety and knowing God would protect him.

Peter slept in his cell the night before his trial. He was chained to two soldiers making sure he couldn’t escape the prison. All of a sudden, an angel appeared before Peter and the room was filled with light. The angel told Peter to hurry and get dressed as he was freed of the chains. Peter obeyed the angel’s instructions, but he was a little confused.

Peter knew God sent the angel to rescue him from the evil king. He then came to the door of the people who were praying and began to knock. As they opened the door and saw Peter standing before them, they couldn’t believe it was him. They thought for sure Herod would have him killed. Peter told them how God answered their prayers by rescuing him. He then left for another place where he would be safe from King Herod.

Questions For The Family

Q: Have you ever had a time when you were really worried about something?

Q: How does it make you feel to know that God can take away those worries and give you peace?

Q: Do you have anything coming up that you may be worried about?

Q: What can we do to help ease those worries?

*This week the 3-5 year olds learned what God made on days one and two. That’s right. He made the earth, water, day, night, and sky. We do lots of things during the day, don’t we? What is something we do during the day? How about during the night? God made so many things for us to enjoy because He loves us so much.

Sunday, June 26th- Galatians Race

2011-06-27T22:50:00.000-05:00

Paul and his friend Silas went to a town called Philippi. While they were there, a fortune teller who was possessed by an evil spirit followed them around town. The girl would say the same thing to them day after day.

Finally, Paul decided to stop the evil spirit from speaking out and he cast the demon out of her. You would think the people in town would be happy about this, but they weren’t. You see, this girl was a slave and the people who owned her could no longer use her to make money. The men who owned her were very upset with Paul and Silas. They convinced the crowd that these men were evil and should be thrown in jail.

Then the rulers of the city came and arrested Paul and Silas. Adn had them beaten publicly. After beating them they threw them into jail, telling the jail keeper to put them under heavy guard so they could not escape. He did just that—he threw them into the maximum-security cell and clamped leg irons on them. Instead of complaining or crying, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to Jesus! The other prisoners couldn't believe their ears. (cf. Acts 16:23-25)

Questions for the Family:

Q: When is it difficult to be joyful?

Q: How do you think people would react if they saw that you were joyful, even when things are not going your way?

Q: When you are in a tough situation, what is something that you can do to make sure that you have a joyful attitude?

*This week the 3-5 year olds learned about a man who didn’t share big. How many times did his neighbor have to ask before the man shared his bread? Sharing big means sharing before you’re even asked.

Sunday, June 19th- Galatian's Race

2011-06-22T10:47:00.000-05:00

John was one of the friends of Jesus called the disciples. He was one of the original disciples. As John traveled with Jesus, he saw how much Jesus loved everyone. Because of this love, John spent his whole life telling people about Jesus.

When John was an old man, he wrote letters to help encourage and teach Christians around the world. John’s letters became books in our Bible. In one of the books called 1John, he tells us specifically about Jesus’ love and how we can show that kind of love toward others.

Listen to what John wrote in chapter 3, “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.” (cf. 1 John 3:16-20)

Questions for the family:

Q: What are some ways that we can show people we love them?

Q: When was a time that you showed someone that you loved them?

Q: Why does God want us to be loving towards other people?

*Today our 3-5 year olds learned about the ten lepers who Jesus healed. How many remembered to say “thank you”? Only one. Do you want to be like the nine who forgot to say “thank you” or the one who remembered? When we remember to say “thank you,” that is big!

Sunday, June 12th- Under Pressure

2011-06-15T14:53:00.000-05:00

One night Jesus was praying when he was arrested. Jesus was wrongfully accused of doing some things that he didn’t do. After he went through the trial, they sentenced Jesus to death on a cross.

The Roman soldiers whipped and beat Jesus and then they made him carry his own cross all the way to the place that they were going to kill him. Jesus became so weak and tired on the way that they made a man by the name of Simon, carry Jesus’ cross for him.

Finally, they reached their destination and they nailed Jesus to the cross. Jesus cried out to God. One person ran and got a sponge and filled it with Wine vinegar and offered it to Jesus as a comfort to his pain.

After Jesus cried out again, he died!

Questions:

Q: Why does God give us strength to face peer pressure?

Q: When was a time that you faced peer pressure but God gave you the strength to do the right thing?

*Today in our story we learned about a man who was a big helper. He saw someone who needed help, and he reached out his hands and helped. That is helping big!

Sunday, June 5th- Under Pressure

2011-06-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

Moses was born an Israelite, but he grew up in the Egyptian Pharaoh’s palace. The Israelites were slaves to the Pharaoh and Moses couldn’t take the wickedness any longer, so he left Egypt.

Years later, he was herding sheep in the wilderness when he came across a burning bush. Then something strange happened… He heard God’s voice coming from the bush. God told Moses to go back to Egypt to free the Israelites from Egyptian slavery.

Moses was afraid to go back because he was afraid that nobody would listen to him. He felt the pressure and was afraid of what the Israelites would think of him for leaving.

Nonetheless, he went back to Egypt with his brother Aaron to free the Hebrew slaves. (cf. Exodus 3 & 4)

Questions:

Q: What is something that kids your age could get pressured into doing?

Q: Why do you think it’s so hard to do the right thing when we feel pressure from our friends to do things we shouldn’t?

Q: Why does God want us to make wise choices when it comes to peer pressure?

*This week our 3 - 5 year olds learned about two sisters, Mary and Martha. When Jesus came to visit their house Martha was busy getting ready, but what did Mary do? She was a big listener to Jesus. Big listeners stop, look, and listen.

Sunday, May 29th- Under Pressure

2011-06-01T13:25:00.000-05:00

One day Jesus was standing by the Sea of Galilee. The people crowded around Him and listened to the word of God. Jesus saw two boats at the edge of the water and he got into the boat that belonged to Simon. Jesus asked him to go out a little ways from shore so he could teach the people.

When He finished speaking, He turned to Simon and told him to go out into deep water. Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."

When they had done so, they caught a large number of fish. There were so many that their nets began to break. So they had their friends in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees because he was so amazed!

He and everyone with him were amazed at the number of fish they had caught. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid. From now on you will catch people."

So they pulled their boats up on shore. Then they left everything and followed Him. (cf. Luke 5:1-11)

Memory Verse: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.” Romans 12:2

Questions:

Q: When is a time that you have ever felt discouraged?

Q: Do you think God wants us to have confidence when we face peer pressure? Why?

Q: In what ways, can we show our confidence comes from God?

Sunday, May 22nd- Under Pressure

2011-06-01T13:13:00.000-05:00

Jesus was in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights. While he was there the devil came and tempted him.

Knowing that Jesus was hungry, he tempted Jesus with food. He picked up some stones and told Jesus to turn them into bread. But Jesus answered, "It is written, 'Man doesn't live only on bread. He also lives on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”

Then the devil told Jesus to stand on the highest point of the temple. Then he told Jesus, that if he was the Son of God, he could jump off the temple and angels would come and rescue him. But Jesus told Satan not to put him to the test.

Finally, the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain. He showed him all the kingdoms of the world. "If you bow down and worship me," he said, "I will give you all of this." Jesus said to him, "Get away from me, Satan! It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God. He is the only one you should serve.’”

Then the devil left Jesus. Angels came and took care of Him. (cf. Matthew 4:1-11)

Questions:

Q: Do you feel safer when you are by yourself, or when you are with others? Why do you think that is?

Q: Do you think it was hard for Jesus to be alone in the desert? Why or why not?

Q: Whose power did Jesus use to fend off the devil? How did he do that?

*Today our 3-5 year olds learned about a woman who didn’t have many reasons to smile. She shared a cup of water with Jesus and He shared God’s love with her. He helped her know about God’s love, just by sharing His time with her.

Sunday, May 15th- Under Pressure

2011-05-15T06:34:00.000-05:00

Ahab was the king of Israel and he had this plan to go to war against the king of Aram because they had taken a piece of his land that wasn’t being occupied. So Ahab went to Jehoshaphat, who was also a king, and asked him if he would partner with him in this battle.

Jehoshaphat said yes, but under one condition, you must ask the Lord for advice. So Ahab gathered 400 prophets together, but none of these prophets actually heard from God. Ahab asked them if he should go to war, and they all answered yes and told him that the Lord would hand the land over to him.

But, Jehoshaphat insisted that they hear from a prophet of the Lord, so after much debate, Ahab calls in a guy by the name of Micaiah. However, the messenger that went to get Micaiah told him that he shouldn’t tell the king what he hears from God… he should just tell him what he wants to hear.

At first, Micaiah actually mocks the king, but then he tells Ahab what he saw in his vision. He told Ahab that if he went into battle he would die.

This made the other prophets mad and one of them actually walked up to Micaiah and slapped him across the face. After this Ahab had Micaiah arrested and thrown in prison because he didn’t tell the king what he wanted to hear. (cf. 1 Kings 22:1-28)

Questions for the Family:
Q: Do you think that was a hard thing for Micaiah to do in today’s Bible story? Why or why not?

Q: Have you ever told a lie and been caught? What happened? Did you get in trouble? Was telling a lie worth it in the end?

Q: Tell me about a time when it was really hard to be honest with someone, but you did it anyway.

*This week our 3-5 year olds learned about a lady who shared bravely. She shared bravely even though she was scared that she wouldn’t have enough bread for her family. God provided everything she needed!

Sunday, May 8th- Under Pressure

2011-05-08T00:00:00.001-05:00

The people of Israel were still in the desert waiting to get to the Promised Land. The Lord asked Moses to select a group of men to check out the land of Canaan. Forty days later the men came back to Moses and Aaron to report on their findings. They showed the whole community of Israel the fruit of the land.

The land was beautiful, but ten of the spies were really scared of the giants that lived in the land… Not Joshua and Caleb. They showed bravery and encouraged the Israelites to take over the land of Canaan just as God had promised they would do. The Israelite community was upset by the negative report of the other ten spies that they were scared and they became angry with Aaron and Moses.

Then Moses and Aaron fell with their faces to the ground. They did it in front of the whole community of Israel who were gathered there.

Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes out of frustration. They spoke to the whole community of Israel and told them that God would be with them and that they would defeat the giants of the land.

But the people of Israel were still not convinced.

Memory Verse: "Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is." Romans 12:2

*This week our 3-5 year olds learned about a woman who shared her last two coins at church. God loves it when we share with a happy heart, no matter if it is a little or a lot.

Sunday, May 1st- Under Pressure

2011-05-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

The Lord saw how bad the people of earth had become and it made him really sad! However, there was one man that the Lord was pleased with… his name was Noah.
The Lord told Noah that he was going to destroy the earth by a flood, so he needed to build a large boat that could hold, himself, his family, and two of every creature on the earth. On top of that, they would need enough food to last them for the entire flood.
Noah probably felt a little silly leaving his home and his friends to build a giant boat to protect him from something the earth had NEVER seen before. It took courage to do what Noah did and the cool thing is that the Bible says Noah did everything exactly as God commanded him.

Memory Verse: "Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is." Romans 12:2

*This week our 3-5 year olds learned about a group of people who were good at sharing. They shared everything they had. If they had extra food or money, they shared it with a friend who didn‘t have any food or money. If a friend needed a house to sleep in, they would share their house. God wants us to share what we have.

Sunday, April 24th- The Miracle of Easter

2011-04-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

After Jesus was arrested he was taken to see the Pharisees and they questioned him and made up lies about him so they could come up with an excuse to kill Jesus.

The next day, Jesus appeared before the Roman governor, Pilate. Pilate questioned Jesus for a while and he realized that a riot was beginning to develop because the Pharisees had persuaded the crowd to chime in on having Jesus killed. Pilate ordered that Jesus be whipped and turned him over to the Roman soldiers to crucify him.

Jesus was led to the place where he would be killed, and the Roman soldiers nailed him to a cross and left him till he died. After that, he was taken down from the cross and he was buried. Three days later, there was an earthquake and an angel came and moved the stone away from the door of the tomb and sat on it.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, and some other women had decided to get up and go visit the tomb where he was placed. When they had reached the tomb the stone had been moved! There was an angel sitting on the stone. The women were afraid, but the angel said to them, "Don't be afraid. I know that you have come to see Jesus. He is not here; He has risen just as He said. Come inside and see the place where He was."

The women went inside the tomb and found it empty. The angel spoke to the women one more time: "Go quickly and tell the other disciples that Jesus has risen from the dead; and he is going into Galilee where you will see him." The women hurried away from the tomb, afraid, but excited and went to tell his friends. Suddenly Jesus met them. He said, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my friends to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

When the women found Peter and the other disciples, and tried to tell them that Jesus was alive, no one believed them. Peter and John ran all the way to the tomb to find out for themselves.

When they got there they saw the cloths that had been wrapped around Jesus, but the body was not there. So Peter and the disciples headed to Galilee like Mary said to see if he was there. When they arrived they saw Jesus. He really was alive. He came back to see them again just like He said He would!

Happy Easter from Great Lakes Kids!

2011-04-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

It was the last week of Jesus’ life and he was having a last meal with his disciples during a festival called “Passover.” Jesus was troubled during this last supper because He knew one of His disciples would betray Him. Jesus knew the one who would betray Him would be Judas. So, Jesus told Judas to go and do what he must do.

After supper, Jesus took the disciples out to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. Jesus told them to stay at a spot so He could go off to pray by Himself. Even though Jesus was God, His body was human and He knew what was going to happen to Him. Jesus knelt on the ground and prayed to His Father.

When Jesus returned, he found the disciples sleeping. He told them all to get up because the time had come and the people were there to arrest Him. Jesus was still speaking when Judas walked up to Him. Judas was with a large crowd armed with clubs and swords. And Jesus was arrested!

Memory Verse: "He is not here; he has risen!" Luke 24:6a

ASK:
Q: When was a time that you had a friend turn their back on you? How did it make you feel?

Q: Why do you think Jesus would go through all that hurt and pain?

Q: What example did Jesus set for us when he was going through a tough time?

Q: How can we change our attitudes this week to be more like Jesus?

*This week our 3-5 year olds learned that Jesus found a quiet spot to talk to God. He went to a spot away from His friends. Can you think of a special spot where you can talk to God?

Sunday, April 10th- Basic Training

2011-04-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

Jesus sometimes taught by using stories so that people would be able to get a word picture of what He wanted them to learn. One day He sat on the side of a hill and taught this to the crowd that were gathered to listen to Him: "Everyone who hears these things I say and obeys them is like a wise man. The wise man built his house on rock. It rained hard and the water rose. The winds blew and hit that house. But the house did not fall because the house was built on rock. But the person who hears the things I teach and does not obey them is like a foolish man. The foolish man built his house on sand. It rained hard, the water rose and the winds blew and hit that house. And the house fell with a big crash." When Jesus finished saying these things, the people were amazed at His teaching.

Memory Verse: "...train yourselves to be Godly. Physical training is good, but training for Godliness is much better." 1 Timothy 4:7b-8a

ASK:
Q: What was the “Rock” that Jesus was talking about in today’s Bible story?
A: Jesus was talking about the Bible. He said anyone who hears what he says and DOES it, is like a man who built his house on the rock.

Q: Why do you think its important that we know what the Bible says?
A: So that we can share God's story with other people.

Q: Think about your day… when is the best time for you to take some time to sit down and read the Bible?

*This week, our 3-5 year olds learned that Hannah prayed for a little baby. When God answered Hannah’s prayers, she said “thank you” to him. We can talk to God and tell him “thank you” too.

Sunday, April 3rd- Basic Training

2011-04-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

One time Jesus went out to the desert and he ate nothing for 40 days and nights. He did this so that he would no distractions and so that he could focus fully on God. After this, He was very hungry.

The devil came and tempted Jesus three different times and tried to get Jesus off track, but Jesus never gave in! Every time Satan tempted him, Jesus quoted scripture from the Bible. Finally, the devil left Jesus and some angels came to Jesus and helped Him.

Later, Jesus was teaching a group of people about what it means to fast. He told them that they should not make it obvious that they are fasting. Some people like to tell others and brag about fasting, but Jesus says that fasting should be between us, and God.

Memory Verse: "...train yourselves to be Godly. Physical training is good, but training for Godliness is much better." 1 Timothy 4:7b-8a

ASK:
Q: What does it mean to fast?
A: Fasting means to give up something in order to focus more on God. You can give something up for long OR short periods of time.

Q: Who came to tempt Jesus while he was fasting in the desert? What did the devil try to get Jesus to do?
A: The devil came to tempt Jesus and tried to get him off track by tempting him and taking his attention away from God, but Jesus never gave in.

Q: What does Jesus say about how we should fast?
A: He says that we shouldn’t do it to show off or make a big deal out of it, but we should keep it between us, and God.

*This week our 3-5 year olds learned that Daniel talked to God three times a day. No matter how many times we talk to God each day, He is always listening.

Sunday, March 27th- Basic Training

2011-03-30T15:07:00.000-05:00

Jesus was having dinner with His disciples and decided to teach them about what it means to serve others. Jesus got up from the table, he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples. This was a really humble act—usually the lowest servant of the house would do this, not the guest of honor!

When Jesus got to Peter, Peter didn’t want Jesus to wash his feet. Jesus said, "If I don't wash you, you can't be part of what I'm doing." "Master!" said Peter. "Not only my feet, then. Wash my hands! Wash my head!" Jesus said, "If you've had a bath in the morning, you only need your feet washed now and you're clean from head to toe. He took His robe, put it back on and went back to His place at the table. Then Jesus said, "Do you understand what I have done to you?

So if I washed your feet, you must now wash each other's feet. I've laid down a pattern for you. What I've done, you should do too. I'm only pointing out the obvious. (cf. John 13:1-17)

Memory Verse: “…train yourself to be Godly. Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better…” 1 Timothy 4:7b-8a

ASK:
Q: Why do you think the disciples were caught off-guard when Jesus wanted to wash their feet as an act of service?

Q: When was a time that you were surprised by someone doing something kind for you?

Q: Why do you think God wants us to serve others?

*This week our 3-5 year olds learned that after Jesus died on the cross, his body was laid in a tomb. He wasn’t alive anymore. When Mary went to the tomb three days later the tomb was empty. Jesus was alive again!

Sunday, March 20th- Basic Training

2011-03-20T00:00:00.002-05:00

One day Jesus was traveling through a place called Samaria. This was a big deal was because Jews and Samaritans didn’t really get along. Tired from his trip, He sat down by a well. A Samaritan woman came to the same well and Jesus asked her for a drink of water. She was shocked and surprised because Jesus was talking to her and she questioned Jesus.

Jesus told her, “Whoever drinks from this well will get thirsty again, but the kind of water that I can give, Living Water, will be like a well inside you and you will never thirst again.” What Jesus was saying is that when he is a part of our lives he fills us up in a way that food and water can’t. Jesus and the woman continued to talk and she asked him where the proper place was to worship God.

Jesus responded by saying, “It’s not where you go to worship that matters. It’s who you are and the way you live that really counts to God.” After talking with Jesus for a little while longer, she believed that he was God and she went back and told the village all about him. They believed her, came to see Jesus, and many people believed in him that day. (cf. John 4:1-30 for full story)

Memory Verse: "…train yourself to be godly. Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better…” 1 Timothy 4:7b-8a

ASK:
Q: What kind of things do you think about when you think of worship?

Q: Do you think worship is more than singing songs to God? Why or Why not?

Q: What are some other ways that we can worship God?

*This week our 3-5 year olds learned about how Jesus came into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. The people welcomed Jesus by shouting “Hosanna” and waving their palm branches.

Sunday, March 13th- Basic Training

2011-03-13T00:00:00.001-06:00

One time Jesus was teaching some people about giving and he said that we should not give so that we get all the credit for it.

Jesus wanted us to know how to give so He said this: “When you do good things, don't do them in front of people to get the credit for it. If you do that, you will not be rewarded by God in heaven.”

When some people give to the poor they make so much noise before they give, just so people will see them doing it. They want to receive the honor, not God

So when you give to the poor, give very secretly. Don't let anyone know what you are doing. Your giving should be done in secret. God can see what is done in secret and He will reward you.”

Memory Verse: "…train yourself to be godly. Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better…” 1 Timothy 4:7b-8a

ASK:

Q: Has anyone ever given you or your family something you needed without taking credit? What happened?

Q: Why do you think God wants us to be giving?
o Because it honors Him—it helps us remember that everything we have is from Him

Q: Why do you think God wants us to give in secret?

Q: Do you think it would be hard to do something for someone and not take the credit? Why?

*This week our 3 - 5 year olds learned Jonah was in the tummy of the big fish. Jonah talked to God from inside the big fish and God listened to him. We can talk to God from anywhere because He is with us everywhere we go.

Sunday, March 6th- Basic Training

2011-03-06T00:00:00.001-06:00

Jesus was teaching one day and He told all of those listening how they should pray. He said, “When you pray, don’t be a hypocrite. They love to stand on the street corners and pray loudly. They want people to see them pray. When you pray, you should not be loud, just to be seen by everyone. Then pray to your Father who cannot be seen. Your Father can see what is done in secret and He will reward you.

When you pray, don't be like those people who don't know God. They think that God will hear them because of the many words they use. Don't be like them. Your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him.

So when you pray, you should pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, we pray that your name will always be kept holy. We pray that your kingdom will come. We pray that what you want will be done, here on earth as it is in heaven. Give us the food we need for each day. Forgive the sins we have done, just as we have forgiven those who did wrong to us. Do not cause us to be tested; but save us from the devil.’” (cf. Matthew 6:5-13 for full story)

Memory Verse: "…train yourself to be godly. Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better…” 1 Timothy 4:7b-8a

ASK:

Q: Have you ever prayed for something and God answered it? What was it?

Q: What are some things that you can talk about with God?

Q: How do you think God can speak to you?

*This week our 3-5 year olds learned that David was a shepherd who took care of sheep. While David took care of the sheep he talked to God and God always listened.

Sunday, February 27th- Basic Training

2011-02-27T00:00:00.002-06:00

When Jesus started teaching, He began to tell everyone, "Change your hearts and lives, because the kingdom of heaven is near." One day, Jesus was walking by Lake Galilee. He saw two brothers, Simon (called Peter) and Simon's brother Andrew. The brothers were fishermen and they were fishing in the lake with a net. Jesus said, "Come follow me. I will make you fishermen for men." At once Simon and Andrew left their nets and followed Him.

Jesus continued walking by Lake Galilee. He saw two other brothers, James and John, who were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets to catch fish. Jesus told them to come with Him. At once they left the boat and their father and they followed Jesus. Jesus went everywhere in Galilee. He taught in the temples and preached the Good News about the kingdom of heaven. And He healed all the people's diseases and sicknesses. The news about Jesus spread all over Syria and soon people brought all the sick to Him. These sick people were suffering from different kinds of diseases and pain. Jesus healed all of them. Many people saw this and followed Him. (cf. Matthew 4:17-25 for full story.)

Memory Verse: "…train yourself to be godly. Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better…” 1 Timothy 4:7b-8a

ASK:

Q: What do you think it looks like to follow Jesus?

Q: Why is it important that we ask Jesus to be the boss of our lives?

*This week our 3-5 year olds learned that Jesus wants us to love everyone, even those people who aren’t kind. Sometimes it's tough but when we love those people, God’s love shines through us.

Sunday, February 20th- The Life of Joey

2011-02-20T00:00:00.002-06:00

After Joseph’s brothers had left, he had played a little trick on them. He put a silver cup in Benjamin’s sack and sent his servant to accuse them of stealing it.

So, they came back to the house and Joseph was still there. He began to question as to why they stole the cup, and they recounted for Joseph all the things their father, Jacob, had told them and how he didn’t want them to take Benjamin because he would be so sad if he lost TWO of his sons.

Joseph couldn’t take anymore and he asked all of his servants to leave the room. Then Joseph asked all his brothers to come closer and he told them about all the things they did to him. He revealed who he was to them… that he truly was their long-lost brother.

He told them that he would take care of them for the remainder of the famine. He told them to go home and get their father, and bring him to live in the Land where Joseph lived.

Joseph’s brothers did this and Pharaoh gave them all land to live on and Joseph gave them food to eat. (cf. Genesis 44:1-34 for full story)

MEMORY VERSE: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Genesis 50:20

ASK:

Q: In what ways do you think it was difficult for Joseph to forgive his brothers?

Q: When have you had a hard time forgiving someone? Who was it? What did they do? Did you forgive them in the end?

*This week our 3 – 5 year olds learned about Jesus and some little children. Did Jesus like being with the children? Yes! God made each of them unique and special just the way He made you.

Sunday, February 13th- The Life of Joey

2011-02-14T10:28:00.000-06:00

The famine was still going strong and Jacob's family had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, so Jacob told the brothers to go back to buy more grain.

The only problem was that Joseph had strongly warned them not to come back unless they brought their little brother, Benjamin. After Reuben explained this to their father, Jacob instructed them to take Benjamin and some gifts and go back to Egypt.

So the brothers took their brother, the gifts and twice-as-much money as they had taken the first time. They hurried down to Egypt and stood before Joseph. When Joseph saw Benjamin with them. Joseph told the servant in charge, to invite the men into his house and to prepare a meal for them.

As the meal was being prepared the brothers were still scared because they didn’t know what was going to happen. At this point, they still didn’t recognize that their own brother, Joseph, was the governor of Egypt.

Event though Joseph’s brothers treated him so poorly in the past, he still chose to be generous because he knew that’s how God would want him to act. (cf. Genesis 43:1-34 for full story)

MEMORY VERSE: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Genesis 50:20

ASK:

Q: What are some things you can give generously?
o Time, money, possessions, etc.

Q: Why do you think Joseph was so generous with his brothers?

Q: What is one way that we can be generous this week?

Sunday, February 6th- The Life of Joey

2011-02-06T00:00:00.065-06:00

After the 7 years of plenty people had nothing to eat and cried to Pharaoh for food and he told them to go see Joseph and they could buy the grain that had been stored up during the 7 years of plenty.

Joseph's father heard that there was grain in Egypt and he sent his sons, except Benjamin, his youngest, to go buy some grain. They had no idea that Joseph was alive, let alone the governor of Egypt. You could imagine how surprised Joseph was when his brothers showed up and bowed before him begging him for some grain... BUT his own brothers didn't even recognize him!

Joseph had a choice... would he get revenge on his brothers for treating him so poorly or would he be peaceful and give them what they wanted? Joseph told them that if they brought their youngest brother back to him, that he would give them grain for their families. So, he kept one brother in jail and he gave the others some grain to take back as they traveled to go get Benjamin and bring him back. Jacob did not want to let Benjamin go, but Reuben promised that he would return Benjamin safely! (cf. Genesis 41:46-57 for full story)

MEMORY VERSE: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Genensis 50:20

ASK:

Why do you think Joseph chose peace over revenge against his brothers?
When do you feel most peaceful?
Who do you know that exhibits peacefulness often?
How can we choose peace over revenge in our lives this week?

Sunday, January 30th- The Life of Joey

2011-01-31T10:27:00.002-06:00

Well, it has 2 years since Joseph was put in prison and it seems that the cupbearer has forgotten all about him. One day, Pharaoh had some weird dreams and he called all his magicians and wise men to tell him what his dreams meant and nobody could interpret it.

As the cupbearer heard Pharaoh explaining his dreams, he remembered about Joseph and he immediately told Pharaoh about him. So, he called for Joseph and Joseph came and explained what Pharaoh's dreams meant.

Joseph told him that Egypt would have 7 years of bountiful harvest and there would be a lot of food, but that would be followed by 7 years of famine and no crops. He told Pharaoh that he should choose a man that is wise to oversee the land of Egypt so they could store up enough crops during the bountiful years and survive the 7 years of famine.

The Pharaoh agreed and put Joseph as 2nd in command in the land of Egypt. The only other man that was above Joseph was Pharaoh himself. God blessed Joseph's patience... he went from being prisoner to governor in just one day! (cf. Genesis 41:1-45 for full story)

Memory Verse: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Genesis 50:20

Ask:

Have you ever had to be patient for something that you wanted? How long did you have to wait?
What kinds of things do you have to be patient with every week? How does waiting make you feel?
Why do you think God wants us to be patient?

Sunday, January 23rd- The Life of Joey

2011-01-25T11:13:00.001-06:00

This week in Great Lakes Kids we talked about perseverance and how God doesn't want us to give up even when things are tough.

Joseph wound up in prison because of some lies that were told about him. But, even in prison, Joseph was such a hard worker that he was put in charge taking care of the needs of other prisoners.

One night a cupbearer and a baker who worked for the king of Egypt were thrown into the prison and they both had a strange dream that nobody could interpret. So, Joseph gave it a try and he told the cupbearer that he would be released from prison and his position with the king would be restored. But the news for the baker wasn't as good! He would be released from prison and something very bad would happen to him.

Sure enough, everything that Joseph had said about their dreams came true. Before he left, Joseph asked the cupbearer not to forget about him, but once his position with the king was restored he forgot all about Joseph. I guess Joseph had to persevere a little longer! (cf. Genesis 39:24- 40:23 for full story)

Memory Verse: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 (NIV)

ASK:

Tell me about a time where you gave up on something? Were you sad? Angry? Why did you give up?
What kind of things make you feel like giving up?
Can you think of a tough time that you went through, but your persevered through it and chose to have a good attitude?

Sunday, January 16th- The Life of Joey

2011-01-16T19:30:00.000-06:00

What do you think it means to be faithful to something? Being faithful to something means that you are going to do something NO MATTER WHAT!

We have to be faithful to many things like:

our promises
things that our parents ask us to do
chores
homework

Joseph proved to his master Potiphar that he could be trusted to be faithful with all the work he was given. Whether it was a little task or being in charge of the entire household, Joseph was faithful and did his best at everything.

When Potiphar’s wife wanted Joseph to be unfaithful to his master Potiphar, Joseph refused. Joseph was given the responsibility to treat everything in Potiphar’s house with respect and he was determined to stick to that responsibility faithfully. Even when Potiphar’s wife told lies about Joseph, he continued to make the right choices and be faithful. (cf. Genesis 39:1-23 for full story)

Memory Verse: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 (NIV)

Ask:

1. What are some responsibilities that you guys have at home? At school? At your friends house?

2. What happens if you do not stay faithful to your responsibilities?

o You can get in trouble

3. What responsibilities are the most difficult to be faithful with?

4. Why do you think God wants us to remain faithful to our responsibilities?

o Because it honors him and those that we make promises to

Sunday, January 9th- The Life of Joey

2011-01-13T08:59:00.001-06:00

Let’s be honest, telling the truth is tough sometimes! In lesson 2, we discovered how “life is not fair, but God wants me to be truthful.”

After Joseph’s brothers had sold him into slavery they spun the biggest web of lies to hide what they had done from their father. Jacob, Joseph’s father, was so upset because he thought that his son was dead.

Meanwhile, the traders who had bought Joseph had taken him to Egypt where he was sold to a man named Potiphar (pot-a-fur), an officer to the king of Egypt and captain of the palace guard. (cf. Genesis 37:18-36 for full story)

Memory Verse: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 (NIV)

Say: Today, we talked about how sometimes life is not fair, but God wants us to be truthful!

ASK:

1. Can you remember a time when you told a lie? What happened? Did you get in trouble?

2. Why is it important that we tell the truth?

o It can hurt others, it is one of the Ten Commandments, people won’t believe us in the future, etc.

3. What are some reasons that you might tell a lie?

o Various answers, to get out of trouble, to make yourself look cool

4. What is one action step we can do this week to make sure we are truthful?

Sunday, January 2nd- The Life of Joey

2011-01-12T17:07:00.000-06:00

Today we started a series about the life of Joseph found in Genesis. In week 1 we focused on how "life is not fair, but God wants me to be content." Content means to be pleased or satisfied with what you have.

Joseph received a beautiful coat from his father that made his brothers very jealous... as a matter of fact, Joseph’s brothers became so jealous of him that the Bible says they hated him and their jealousy lead to some really poor choices that involved selling their own brother into slavery! (cf. Genesis 37:1-17 for full story)

Memory Verse:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 (NIV)

Say:

Today’s lesson talked about being content. Remember that being content means to be pleased or satisfied with what you have.

Ask:

1. Describe a time where you were not content with what you had.

o Various answers. 

2. Why do you think jealousy can harm us?

o Various answers such as: it causes us to focus on what we don’t have rather than what we have, it is against God’s rules (10 Commandments), etc. 

3. What are some things you can think about or do when you feel jealous of what others have?

o Various answers such as: pray, list all of the things I am grateful for, list all of the things I have wanted and have gotten, give something away or share with another person, etc.  

4. What is one action step we can do this week to make sure we are content with what we have?

The Marriage of Church and Family!

2010-12-20T16:12:00.001-06:00

Hey Parents!

Wrap your mind around this:

the average church has only 40 hours in a given year to influence a child
the average parent has 3,000

What your kids learned at church on Sunday
Memory verse
Questions to help facilitate discussion at home

Thanks and I'll keep you posted!

Pastor Matt