The only story we seem to get in the Bible describing the childhood life of Jesus is an interesting one. It would seem that Mary and Joseph “lost” their son, but Jesus was right where He knew He should be. In this passage, we note how Jesus knew that He was God’s Son, although He … Read more
Who was and is Jesus? That might seem like a simple and straight forward Gospel question, but it’s an important one to address frequently with kids. This message focuses on the story of Jesus in the temple as a 12-year-old boy. The story reminds us that Jesus was aware of His identity as the Son … Read more
Praise God! Craft Ideas for Elizabeth, Mary, and the Magnificat How do we express praise? There are a lot of ways to show enthusiasm: we can jump for joy, sing and dance, giggle with glee, and more! The story of Mary’s visitation to Elizabeth reminds us that there are many methods of glorifying God, and … Read more
How do we praise the Lord? Sometimes, we forget the meaning or importance of glorifying God. We think of songs or prayers, but true praise can occur in a variety of ways, and should come from a place of genuine enthusiasm and gratitude. As Christians, our natural reaction to salvation should be to rejoice with … Read more
“Praise God!” There are many ways that we can glorify God in all that we do and with all of who we are. Children should be encouraged that worship is more than just songs in church. Our Heavenly Father blesses us with various gifts, and we can use all of them to love and serve … Read more
“They shall now we are Christians by our love”… It’s one thing to attend church and call ourselves Christians. Truly following Christ, though, means living as He did and demonstrating to others what it means to honor and serve God. John the Baptist (and Jesus!) emphasized that genuine Christians live out their faith in action … Read more
How can we demonstrate our faith? As Christians, it’s important to live out who we say we are through love and service to others. When we genuinely share and care for those around us, it shows the fruit of the Holy Spirit at work within us. Saying we love the Lord doesn’t mean much if … Read more
As Christians, it’s essential to live in a way that shows others who we are. We want to not only call ourselves Christians, but act like it by demonstrating love and sharing with others. John the Baptist admonished people to share their faith authentically, and the same message speaks to us. While we are saved … Read more
As the Advent season progresses, we look to the example of John the Baptist, who prepared the hearts and minds of people and proclaimed the coming of the Messiah. John called people to repent and turn from their sins. He pointed to and announced Christ. In the same way, we should tell others about Jesus, … Read more
This message reminds students of the importance of giving Jesus the priority in our hearts. It can be easy, especially during the holidays, to get busy with preparations of various kinds. The most important thing we can prepare for is Jesus! How do we do that, and why should we? Preparing our hearts means that … Read more