Elementary

God made us to live out our lives alongside others, and it’s always worth the effort to keep our relationships healthy and God honoring.

Being a Christian isn’t always easy. Having a strong faith in God is essential. My hope is that as we grow in our faith, we can be sure of the hope that we have in Jesus.

There are times when we all feel like we’ve messed up so badly that things are broken beyond repair, but God’s story is a story of redemption.

Eternal life is available in Jesus alone. He offers it to everyone who would trust in Him. Have you trusted in Him?

The Bible is an amazing book. It tells us about our incredible God who created us for relationship with Him.

Wisdom comes from God. It doesn’t discriminate according to age or size. It’s available to everyone who asks for it – including your children and including you!

Our words make a huge difference! Kindness is far more likely to bring about peace than hostility. That’s what we’re learning from the book of Proverbs this weekend!

Where do you need wisdom right now? What decisions or conversations are before you? You have a God that is ready and willing to give you all of the insight and understanding that you need.

This is such an important weekend. We can’t wait to tell your children about the incredible grace of God and the life He offers through Jesus. We will see you Sunday!

The victory Jesus offers over death is available to everyone He chooses to accept it. If you have received His grace, I hope you celebrate this weekend!

Following Jesus isn’t always easy. It often means suffering. But when we think about what Jesus endured for it puts things in perspective, doesn’t it? He asks for so much less than He went through.

Hi Journey Kids parents! Last week we looked at the first two parables in a three-part series. In the first parable, a shepherd leaves 99 sheep in search of one.…

My possessions bring me a momentary sense of comfort and security. But it’s just that. Momentary. I want to treasure what will last into eternity – the God who loved me enough to die in my place. How about you?

Jesus wants us to show compassion to everyone – because that’s what He did. Who can you show compassion to this week?

It’s a lot easier to criticize the people around us than it is to confront our own faults and failures. But that’s exactly what Jesus calls us to do.

Jesus calls ordinary people like us to follow Him.

Sometimes saying unpopular things is the most loving thing we can do.

We can’t expect to grow in wisdom if we aren’t spending time with God. Take time this week to listen to God speak through His Word and to come to Him in prayer.

Did you know Jesus fulfilled more than three hundred Old Testament prophecies just in His first coming?

What is the best gift you received as a kid? Do you remember how you felt when you realized what it was? Did the joy and excitement make you want to dance, jump up and down, or maybe even cry?

Jesus shouldn’t have come as a surprise. God had been promising to send a Savior for ages. He gave glimpses of what He intended to do through dozens of men and women over centuries.

Israel wanted a king. They wanted to be like all of the other nations. God warned them that a king would be a terrible idea – but they insisted. It went horribly wrong.

Have you ever noticed that some people struggle to ask for or even accept help? Or how others seem to ask all the time with little appreciation for the help they receive?

God had a plan and a purpose for Samuel. He called him to lead and to serve. You may not hear the voice of God the same way Samuel did– but He is calling you, too. He has a plan and a purpose for you.

As we prepare for Thanksgiving this week, one thing I am looking forward to is the food! I love a good Thanksgiving meal; the turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, and don’t forget the pie!

Do you have an attitude of gratitude or do you take for granted the things you have? Often, it can be easier to only focus on what we don’t have and not even consider the blessings we do have.

We so often do what the people of Israel did – trust in our own desires and judgments rather than in God’s word. But God’s way is perfect. Obeying Him is for our own good.

Family is not always blood related. Naomi taught us that in the Book of Ruth.

In the beginning God created everything. He created a space for us. In instructing Israel to construct the Tabernacle, He called them to create a space for Him.

When you get through something big or have a major accomplishment, do you celebrate? What do you celebrate?

Hi Journey Kids parents! The people of Israel were enslaved to the Egyptians for centuries. They cried out to God and He rescued them in the most incredible way. He…

Over the last couple of weeks, we have been learning how God helps us do big things. When God is calling us to go somewhere or do something big, He will always equip us in our journey.

Have you ever felt God was leading you do something but when it got hard you quit? You may have even thought, “God must not be in this; it’s too hard. If God wanted me to do this, it would be easy.” Often that is our fear talking.

Sin deserves death. But, praise God, He has provided a substitute. Jesus, on the cross, sacrificed His life for ours.

The people of Israel were slaved in Egypt for 400 years. They cried out to God and begged Him to rescue them. God heard their cry and chose a man named Moses to lead them out of their bondage.

I don’t know about you, but there are many times I find myself asking the question, “Do I have to adult today?”. When I have big decisions to make or big projects at hand, I would much rather sit in a blanket fort all day eating ice cream watching Hallmark movies.

God promises to never leave us or forsake us. He promises to be with us always. So, no matter what He asks us to do, we can be confident that He is there through it all.

Each of us is made to do big things. It’s true! God made you, me, everyone to do big things. But how do we know what we should do?

In today's society, it can be tough being a Christian. Having your beliefs and morals questioned. Having to defend your decisions while being careful not to offend others.

Moses’ parents hid him as long as they could, but it became too dangerous – for them and their son. So, they put Moses in a basket, set him in the Nile, and entrusted him entirely to God. God protected Moses and, as we’ll see in the weeks to come, had big plans for this little baby.

What does it take to be courageous? Some believe that those who are courageous have somehow learned to conquer their fears. The truth is, they have not conquered them but have made the choice to move forward despite their fears.

Forgiveness is hard. It means giving up our right to get even. It means giving up the right to take vengeance. But when we remember all that God has forgiven us, we can forgive others.

Jacob and Esau had a complicated relationship from the womb. Theirs was a constant back and forth. Esau experienced a lot of seemingly unfairness – but it was all a part of God’s plan for him and for Jacob.

As parents, your kids ask you all sorts of questions. Sometimes 20 questions in one sitting. Our kids’ minds are a brilliant and growing muscle and one way they exercise this muscle is by asking questions.

God asked a lot of hard things of Abraham. First, He asked Abraham to leave everything he knew and follow Him. Then God asked him to sacrifice Isaac – Abraham’s only son.

How often do you tell God that you trust Him but then do the opposite of what you know you should do? It is fairly simple to say the words but so much harder walk it out; to find that courage to do what we know we should do.

As parents, life can get challenging. Not only challenging with the difficulties we can see but also the unknowns that lie ahead.

God called Abraham to leave everything he knew and follow Him. God promised to give Abraham a son – but Abraham had to wait twenty-five years for God to keep His promise. Waiting on God can be really hard, but God always keeps His promises.

Life is full of choices. Some are easy and some are really difficult. Some difficult decisions of no great impact but, in the moment, are a struggle.

Hi Journey Kids parents! The world was in shambles. Everyone had turned against God. All that is except for one man. Noah. God determined to redeem the world through Noah…

I don’t know about you, but I find myself always needing something. “I NEED an iced latte.” “I NEED 5 minutes of solace to myself.”

God wants the best we have to offer. When we come to Him with a posture any less we open ourselves up to sin. And sin wants to take us. It wants to consume us. That’s what we’re talking about this week.

Have you ever had something in your life that needed to be “moved” and then, all of a sudden, it all just worked out? Or it worked out even better than you ever could have hoped?

When God created the world, He declared it to be “very good.” But we chose to rebel against Him. Praise God that He didn’t give up on us!

Have you ever allowed yourself to just sit and be in awe of God’s power? I’m in awe of all His creation and the beauty you can see if we all would just slow down enough to look.

The opening chapters of Genesis are some of the most beautiful in the entire Bible. God speaks everything into existence out of nothing. But the crown of His creation is humanity – men and women created in His image to represent and reflect Him to all the world.

Let’s be honest. When we get hurt, our natural reaction is not to go make peace with the person who hurt us, right? Our natural response is anger or even revenge. But Jesus calls us to be peacemakers – and He tells us exactly how to respond when we get hurt.

Have you ever been cooking and used the wrong measuring spoon to add the salt? You just added a tablespoon when it only needed a teaspoon. If you are lucky, you catch it before mixing it all in so you can try to pull some of it out.

It’s so easy to let our anger get out of control. And when that happens, we can’t help but leave brokenness in our wake. What if instead of being quick to get angry we were quick to bring peace?

How do you prepare to deal with a difficult situation? Do you wear a certain color or outfit that makes you feel prepared for battle? But what about those times you are caught unawares?

Throughout the Old Testament, the people of God turned away from Him over and over again. Because of their disobedience, God allowed them to experience the consequences of their choices. They were captured by foreign armies and taken into exile. They finally returned to their homeland many years later. God commissioned a man named Ezra to call Israel back to proper worship by reading God’s instructions to the people. They listened for six hours and when Ezra finished, they were overjoyed at what they had heard. What a good God to have stayed faithful to His people! What a good God to give them His law!

Is it easier to trust God when everything is going well? Why do we struggle to trust Him in the storm? Do you think, maybe, it could be that we just need to change our perspective?

We can trust that God is always with us. Even in the fires of life, God is in the fire with each of us.

Elisha was causing major problems for the evil King Aram. Aram set trap after trap for the Israelites, but Elisha was a prophet of God. God told Elisha where the traps had been set which allowed the Israelites to avoid them. Aram was livid and sent his entire army to capture Elisha. Elisha’s servant was terrified, but not Elisha. Elisha prayed God would open his servant’s eyes to see what he could see. And God did. The servant could finally see that they were surrounded by an army of God’s angels – protecting them from their enemy.

Have you ever run until your muscles are cramping and it feels like your lungs are about to burst? That is how Jesus wants us to run after Him. But imagine trying to run with a hundred-pound backpack full of bricks. That’s what it’s like to run after Jesus while we’re weighed down by sin. That’s why He calls us to throw off our sin so we’re free to really run after Him.

Do you trust God with everything? Big and small, joy and sorrow, friend and adversary? What are you actually willing to let go of and give to God?

Have you ever felt like you were under attack? Well, you are. The Bible tells us that there is an enemy who opposes God and His people. But we are not without defense. God has given us His armor. He’s given us the belt of truth, the armor of righteousness, the boots of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Holy Spirit. Isn’t that amazing? God has provided protection against the schemes of our enemy – we just need to put it on.

God can use the most unlikely of people to do the most amazing things. God can use you to do things you never thought possible and will most likely do so in ways you could never imagine.

God is love. Love originated with Him. Our culture has often attempted to hijack love and define it according to societal whims. But God Himself defined it for us. He told us what love looks like – through His dealings with His people, through His Son, and then through one of His servants – a man named Paul. Paul spent the better part of one of his letters telling us exactly what love is.

God’s plans often look different from how we imagine. Sometimes, God asks us to do things that, to us, make absolutely no sense at all.

Can you imagine what the church would be like if we were all gifted the same way? Think about it. What if everyone was gifted to teach but no one was gifted to cook dinner for the family facing a cancer diagnosis? What if everyone was gifted to lead but no one was gifted musically? The reality is the church needs every gift to serve fully – the way Jesus wants His church to serve. If you are a follower of Jesus, you have been given a gift or ability that enables you to serve. And if your children follow Jesus, so have they!

So, what makes it so difficult for kids to trust? Why do they think they know better? But, if we are honest, don’t we all do that?

The Bible is filled with stories about God’s love for His people. This past year we’ve been through a lot of those stories. We’ve learned about Elijah and Elisha, Jonah and Daniel, Esther and Nehemiah, Nicodemus and Zacchaeus, Paul and Timothy. We’ve looked at the Christmas story and the Easter story. Each one shows us more and more about the incredible love of God. But the story is far from over. It continues on to this day – through the lives of the men, women, and children who follow Jesus.

There have been times in my life when I knew God was leading me to do something. Unfortunately, I did not understand how He expected me to accomplish it. Have you ever felt that way? How are we to proceed when the task seems so insurmountable and our resources are limited? The truth is we cannot, but God can!

Has your child, or someone else’s, ever said something so profound that you could only stare on in amazement? The best part, they weren’t even trying to be profound.

Everyone has weaknesses, but we tend to downplay those weaknesses and boast about our strengths. The Bible, however, tells us that God actually works most powerfully through our weaknesses – not our strengths. That’s because when we are strong, we tend to rely on ourselves; but when we are weak, we must rely on Him. And His strength is infinitely greater than ours! Paul experienced this firsthand when he was shipwrecked and totally helpless. This weekend we’re exploring how God’s power was on display when Paul was at his weakest.

“You can do that when you’re older.” How often did you hear that growing up? All the time, right? Children often feel there’s more they CAN’T do than they CAN do. But age has never stopped God. He can and does do big things through young people. This weekend we’re looking at one such young man – Timothy – and the encouragement he received from Paul to set an example for others in the way he lived.

Why is it that doing the right thing can sometimes be so hard? If it is God’s will, shouldn’t it be easy? Shouldn’t all the pieces just fall into place?

There are times in our lives when we look around and have to wonder, “how in the world did I end up here!?!” Sometimes that is a good thing, but often it is a place we never wanted to be.

Stephen was a faithful follower of Jesus. But the religious leaders didn’t like Jesus and so they arrested Stephen. They tried to get Stephen to turn away from Jesus by threatening to kill him. But Stephen refused. And, so, they stoned him. Stephen became the first Christian martyr – but certainly not the last. How did he do it? How did Stephen stand up for his faith in Jesus in the face of certain death? That’s what we’re exploring this weekend!

Have you ever had one of those days where you knew what you should do but instead you did what you knew you should not do? Or instead of it being just for a day, was it a week, a month… longer?

One of the earliest followers of Jesus was a man named Joseph. Only nobody called him that. He was always building others up, so his friends nicknamed him Barnabas – which means “son of encouragement.” Isn’t that a great nickname to have? When others were in need, Barnabas gave generously. When others were struggling, Barnabas jumped in to help. When others were feeling discourages, Barnabas was ready with an encouraging word. The church needed – and still needs – men and women like Barnabas!

Think of a time when something exciting happened for you. Who was the first person you wanted to tell? Was it so exciting that you felt almost compelled to tell everyone you met, even perfect strangers?

Jesus promised to be with us always – to the very end of time. But He ascended into Heaven. He’s no longer physically present on earth. Even though that sounds like bad news, Jesus said it’s actually really good news because He would send His Holy Spirit to comfort us, to guide us, and to gift us for the purpose of His mission. And He sent His Holy Spirit at Pentecost. This weekend we’re diving into that incredible story and what it means for our lives today.

As you look at your church, are they doing good works? Do you like being a part of a church that helps the community and provides multiple resources? Do you realize, as a follower of Jesus, that you are the church?

Peter swore he would NEVER deny knowing Jesus – even if it cost him his life. But when Jesus was arrested, Peter began to fear that he, too, would be arrested. So, he denied knowing Jesus – just as Jesus predicted he would. Jesus was crucified that day and Peter must have wondered if he’d ever have a chance to repent. But he did! After Jesus was raised from the dead, he and Peter had breakfast on the shore of the Sea of Galilee and Jesus totally forgave Peter and gave him an important role in building His church.

Think of your best friend. What makes them your best friend? For me, it is our relationship; the ability to pick up where we left off no matter how long it has been since we last saw each other. It is also because I know I can count on them. If ever I need them, they’re right there for me just as I am there for them.

Jesus came for a purpose. He was on a mission. And that mission was to rescue us from our sin. That’s what we celebrated last weekend! But He invites us to accept His forgiveness – He doesn’t force us. The good news is that taking Him up on His incredible offer is as simple as ABC.

It’s finally here! It’s finally Easter! We couldn’t be more excited to celebrate. The story of Easter is the story of God stepping down from His throne to become one of us. It’s the story of Him living the perfect, sinless life that we weren’t able to live. It’s the story of Him dying – in our place – on the cross. It’s the story of Him rising from the dead to conquer sin and death and to offer us new life. Easter is good, good news!

Easter is an amazing time to celebrate. But what is it that we are celebrating? Easter is not all about eggs and bunnies and spring. While those are pictures of what the true story represents, new life or even rebirth, they are just pictures and can distract us from the real reason we should celebrate Easter.

What is the last thing you helped celebrate? A new baby, a wedding, a promotion, or even a birthday? Celebrations are a time when we can come together over joyful events.

We are so glad that you are joining us this week and are excited about lives being changed by Jesus through the investment of time spent reviewing this content with your family. We appreciate the impact you are making when you share this content! This week Pastor Jeremy shares how we can dare to live differently for Jesus.

This month we have been looking at how we can love like Jesus. John 13:34-35 pulls everything we have looked at into a simple yet great command, to love others as Jesus loved us so they can know Jesus.

Jesus and his friends were walking along, and Jesus told his friends He was going to get arrested and killed, but that He would then rise from the dead. That’s a pretty serious statement! The disciples then started to get into an argument. They were arguing about which one of them was the best…Probably because they wanted to be the boss when Jesus was gone. Say what????

This week, we have another story shared by Pastor Jeremy. I hope this encourages you and inspires you as you prepare your hearts to deliver this content to your family!

How have you helped someone lately? Or better yet, how have you not helped someone lately? You know, those times you see that someone could use help, but you did not have time, or you were not in the mood?

For this week’s lesson, Pastor Jeremy has a story to share with you.

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, it is like He turns on a big Jesus light in each of us. Understanding that we are loved no matter what, is the first step.

Jesus has us burst into new ways of living is the Big Idea we shared with the kids today. We talked about how the disciples left their boats and followed Jesus immediately. In that moment their lives burst differently, but when we look at the scripture, we can guess that between John the Baptist and Jesus preaching in Galilee the disciples were primed and ready for something new.

One of the best things we can teach our kids is that, no matter what, we will always love them. My biggest fear as a child was disappointing my parents. I know they never would have stopped loving me, but my child-mind was not so sure.

Hope is such a weird thing. It’s amazingly powerful, and can drive people to incredible feats and accomplishments, but we seldom notice the hope we have until we really need it. The people of Israel once had to wait 400 years to hear from God, a lot of them had HOPE He was going to do something awesome, but we can have even more HOPE because HE did what He said He was going to do.

Are you good at asking for help? Most of us struggle with this. We either feel like it makes us look weak, or like we are inconveniencing people, or we think people should know that we need help and just help. Do any of these sound like you?

When we think about all the things we must get done, what are some things that always get pushed to the bottom? You know, those things that are important, but we take for granted that we can do them any time, so they always seem to get bumped. But then a week goes by and nothing. Then a month… a year.

As Jesus was preparing to leave Jericho, a man named Bartimaeus called out to him. Bartimaeus was blind, but he knew who Jesus was because he yelled “Son of David, have mercy on me!” When Jesus asked the blind man what he wanted, he responded “Rabbi, I want to be able to see.” Jesus told the man that his faith had healed him, and he was suddenly able to see! How awesome is that?

As we kick off a new month, we want everyone to know that Jesus loves them. Jesus does not just love a few people; He does not only love people with brown hair; He does not love just the ones that live in a certain area. Jesus loves everyone. Young, old, big, or small – Jesus loves all of us.

When a storm comes whipping through Galilee the last place you’d want to be is on the sea. But that’s exactly where Jesus’ disciples found themselves one night. The wind was so strong that it tossed their little boat this way and that. The rain pounded so hard that the disciples began to fear for their lives.

Zacchaeus was not the most popular guy. In fact, he was pretty much hated. He was, after all, a Jewish man who collected taxes for Rome. He was seen as a traitor and admitted to being a thief. He was not the kind of person anyone would expect Jesus to notice. But Jesus did.

All month we have looked at true stories from the Bible that show just a glimpse of how amazing Jesus is. These stories help us see that there is no end to what Jesus can do. This week is no different as we look at the story of Jesus healing a blind man.

Think of a time you were trying to accomplish something but nothing was working right. In that moment, did you turn to God or did you give up?

Jesus and his disciples often stayed at the home of his friends, Martha and Mary, as they traveled. During one visit, Martha was busy preparing a meal for her guests. Mary, on the other hand, opted to sit at Jesus’ feet, listening as he taught His disciples. Martha began to grumble to Jesus that Mary was slacking off. But Jesus stopped her. He reminded Martha that doing things for Jesus wasn’t the same as being with Him. And Mary had made the right choice

Have you ever felt like a boat in the middle of a horrific storm? As if you are being tossed in every direction and you don’t which way you are going? We are living in a time where we can often feel just like that; out of control and unable to get our bearings.

When you’ve been blind since birth, there’s not a lot of hope of ever being able to see. That is, of course, unless you happen to encounter Jesus. In our story this week, that’s exactly what happened. Jesus miraculously healed a man born blind. Now, you’d think this would turn the Pharisees – who were skeptical of Jesus – into believers! But no such luck. They questioned the man who’d been healed over and over again until he finally said, “I don’t know how He did it! But I know this. I was blind, but now I can see.”

Why is prayer often a last resort? Why do we think, “well, that was the least I could do,” when we pray for someone? The first and greatest thing we can do for someone is pray.

Jesus was at the home of a Pharisee named Simon. While they were eating dinner, a woman with a not-so-great reputation burst into the room and ran to Jesus. She knelt before Him, kissed his feet, and poured oil on them. Simon couldn’t believe Jesus would allow such a woman to touch Him. But Jesus came to her defense. He told a parable that showed them that her gratitude was in response to all that she’d been forgiven.

Have you ever been amazed at something your child said? Sometimes it makes you want to shake your head or even hide under a rock, but, other times, it amazes you to hear something so profound come from someone so young.

Jesus wasn’t too popular with the Pharisees. Jesus obeyed the law of God, but He refused to follow the rules and regulations the Pharisees had made. But there was one Pharisee who was curious about Jesus. He thought that maybe – just maybe – Jesus was who He claimed to be. So, one night, under the cover of darkness, he snuck out to meet with Jesus.

I don’t know about you, but I love to travel for special events. Since I live far from my family, I only get to see them during special events. Traveling to see them is a big deal but we try to go as often as we can because they are worth it; they’re special to me. How far would you travel to see someone, or something, that is important to you?

I hope you had an incredible Christmas! But just because Christmas is over doesn’t mean the celebration is over! See, sometime after Jesus was born, he was visited by a band of wise men from the east. They followed a star that led them to Bethlehem. They offered him gold, frankincense, and myrrh – gifts fit for a king! They recognized that this little boy was worthy of their worship.

Have you ever received the best news ever and you could not wait to tell everyone about it? You would work it into every conversation because you were so excited?

Merry Christmas! We’ve been looking forward to this day all year long! Can you believe it’s here? Mary and Joseph couldn’t either. See, the Jewish people had been looking forward to the day when God would finally send His Rescuer. But can you imagine Mary’s shock when she found out that she would be Jesus’ mother? And Joseph’s shock when he found out his soon-to-be wife was pregnant with God’s Son? It would have been hard to believe! Can you imagine the shepherd’s shock when a chorus of angels appeared to announce that the Rescuer had been born? They had been looking forward to this day for hundreds of years – and it was finally here.

Birthdays are the best. They give us an opportunity to celebrate the people we love. It let’s us tell them how thankful we are that they were born. Similarly, Christmas is like a huge birthday party.

Christmas is coming! But how do we know it’s coming? It may seem like a silly question but think about it. We know because, probably when we were little, someone told us about Christmas. They may not have told us the whole story or why it matters, but we at least heard about it. Well, in the first century, nobody knew Jesus was coming! They needed someone to tell them! That’s why God sent John. He came to proclaim the good news that Jesus was coming and encouraged everyone to prepare their hearts for His arrival.

The true story of Christmas is not about a jolly man in a red suit. While that figure represents a spirit of generosity and giving, the true story of Christmas is about something so much bigger.

Zechariah and Elizabeth prayed God would bless them with a child for decades. But as the years passed by their hope began to run dry. They were far too old. It would take a miracle.

The city of Jerusalem had been destroyed years earlier. The Jewish people were living as exiles in the land of Persia. Nehemiah, a cupbearer in the court of King Cyprus, dreamt of returning to the land and rebuilding the city wall of Jerusalem. Well, God made a way for it to happen. But rebuilding the wall proved to be no simple task. It was a massive wall that required a lot of time, resources, and laborers. To make matters worse, Nehemiah was constantly dealing with people who opposed his mission. He could not possibly have done it alone. He needed help.

All month we’ve looked at things we can thank God for. Often, we are thankful for what we have but forget to say thank you to the Creator of every good and perfect gift.

Think about all the people in your community. The people that help do the things we can’t do or don’t want to do. Sure we may pay some of them, but what if there was no one there to do that job. What’s easy for one person is extremely difficult for someone else. That’s how God made us, to work together.

Haman had it in for the Jews. He’d been looking for a way to destroy them ever since one Jewish man named Mordecai refused to bow down before him. Haman was a high official in the court of the Persian king Xerxes. What Haman didn’t know was that Xerxes’ queen – Esther – was of Jewish descent!

This week, we are learning about Daniel and the Lion's Den. Darius – the king of Babylon – decreed that everyone in the kingdom should bow down only to him. Daniel, though, refused to bow before anyone but God. When he heard the decree, he went instead to his room and prayed. Daniel’s enemies were outside listening – hoping to catch him disobeying the king’s orders. When they heard him praying, they reported him to Darius, who had him thrown into a den of lions.

In life, we go through many battles. We can trust that God is with us in those battles, but God also gives us people to help. Often, those people are our family.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego face a lot of challenges to their faith in the land of Babylon. They were employed by a pagan king named Nebuchadnezzar who didn’t care one bit about their devotion to God. He demanded that everyone in the kingdom bow down before a statue of him on threat of being thrown into a fiery furnace if they refused. It would have been easy for the three Jews to compromise their faithfulness to God – but they did not.

Being grateful, even for the little things, doesn’t always come easy. We sometimes take for granted the good things we have; we just expect that they’ll always be there. And it’s not that we’re ungrateful (most the time), we just don’t stop to think about what life would be like without them.

It’s fall and Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. This is a great time of year to refocus and remember all those things we have to be thankful for. James 1:17 tells us, “Every good gift and perfect gift comes from above. . .”

Daniel and his friends were captive in Babylon and serving as royal advisers to King Nebuchadnezzar. The king had a terrible dream one night and he wanted his advisers to tell him what it meant. There was only one problem – he couldn’t remember the dream! His advisers were stumped, but God gave Daniel insight.

There was a lot to be sad about in Jeremiah’s day. The people of Israel had turned against God and were about to experience the consequences of their rebellion. Jeremiah – God’s prophet – had over and over again tried to get through to the people. He tried to convince them to turn from their sin and back to God, but they wouldn’t listen. The weight of Jeremiah’s heartbreak would have been crushing, but God drew near to strengthen and comfort him.

All month we’ve been looking at how God’s got it. We’ve seen how God’s always with us even in the fire, that God will always take care of us even when we don’t know where the current will take us, and God hears us and gives us what we need even when we’re wandering and don’t know where to look. God has made those promises to us.

God called Jonah to go to the people of Nineveh and declare that God’s judgment was coming if they didn’t repent and turn to Him. But Jonah’s pride got the better of him. He didn’t want Nineveh to repent because he knew God would be gracious to them – and Jonah hated the people of Nineveh. So, he ran but God intervened.

Have you ever wondered, “Does God even hear me?” But then, in the midst of that bad day, someone says or does something that just turns it all around. Or you were worried about something and you hear exactly what you need to hear through a sermon, a friend, or even the radio.

It’s one thing to “know” God is always with us (Joshua 1:9); to “know” He promises to never leave nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6); to “know” that He never gives us more than we can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13). But even “knowing” all His promises, do we act like we trust Him?

Do you know what is awesome about the Christian life? God promises that when we put our faith in Him, He’ll wash us clean of our sin. It’s absolutely amazing! We get a glimpse of just how incredible that promise is in the story of a prophet named Elisha and his encounter with a man named Naaman.

There is only one God and He deserves our complete and total allegiance. Yet, we so often put anything and everything ahead of Him. This isn’t a new problem, though. It’s been happening almost since the dawn of time. But, over and over again, God has proven to be the one true God – like He did when his prophet, Elijah, faced off with the prophets of a false god named Baal.

What rain do you have coming down on you? You know, what is that difficult thing you’re dealing with that makes everything feel dark and maybe even hopeless.

Forgiveness is one of the most difficult things we’ll ever have to do. We don’t want those that hurt us to “get off easy.” In fact, have you ever thought to yourself, “they need to suffer for what they did?” But who really suffers when we refuse to forgive someone?

Unity is a big deal to God. Division among His people absolutely breaks His heart. Yet, His people have often been divided because our sin drives us to pride, anger and jealousy. Perhaps the clearest example of this in the entire Bible is when the entire nation of Israel divided after the death of Solomon. This week, we’re digging into that story to find out just what went wrong and what God wants us to learn from it.

Isn’t it amazing that God has always wanted to live among His people? He did it in the Garden of Eden and in the Tabernacle and, this week, we’re diving into the incredible story of His commission to King Solomon to build a Temple.

What do you tell yourself when things get hard? “When things get tough, the tough get going,” or some such phrase to motivate yourself? I don’t know about you, but for me, that just doesn’t cut it. This may energize me for a bit, but ultimately, things continue to spiral because my focus is still on the problem, on myself, on what “I” need to do to fix it.

Have you ever thought that life should be easy because you’re a Christian? Now that you believe in Jesus life should be full of rainbows and butterflies; that life should now be smooth sailing; that you should get your cake and eat it too? Those are nice thoughts but that’s not what the Bible tells us.

The Israelites had every reason to be afraid when they were attacked by an alliance of five armies. But their leader, Joshua, encouraged them not to be afraid.

This month we’re kicking off a new theme of Ice Cream Sundae as we see how God has a plan for each of us. You may be asking what an ice cream sundae has to do with God’s plans for us.

God promises to help those who call upon Him. Rahab didn’t exactly ask God for help, but she did demonstrate her faith in God by asking two of God’s people for help when the nation of Israel was preparing to conquer her hometown of Jericho.

How can your gifts and talents be used for the kingdom of God? Do you even know what your gifts and talents are? God has blessed each of us with gifts and talents that we can use to help others.

Did you know one of the most frequent commands in the entire Bible is to remember what God has done?

Think of someone you care about, someone that means a lot to you. Don’t you want to talk to them all the time? To share something exciting that happened, something upsetting, or just because. Do want to hear from them about all the same stuff? When you love someone, when they are important to you, you want to share life with them.

This weekend we’re going to hear how God healed His people of deadly snake venom by lifting up a bronze snake. It’s a bizarre story, right? But this bizarre story gives an incredible picture of how God healed us of sin by lifting up His Son.

God made us and we are important to Him. Take a moment to truly soak that in. God didn’t just make us and then forget about us; we ARE important to Him.

This weekend we’re going to be learning one of the most important lessons ever—it’s a lesson about the magnitude of God’s love and forgiveness.

Last week we began our look at how God made us wonderfully in His image. If He did in fact make us wonderfully (Psalm 139:14 – it’s in the Bible so you know it must be true), what does that mean?

This weekend, we’re looking at the Book of Exodus. When we read the Book of Exodus, there’s one thing we see over and over—God’s power!

I’m so excited about today’s lesson. For the next 5 weeks, we’ll be diving into the first 5 books of the Bible. And where better to start than in the beginning with the Book of Genesis.

Say this out loud: “I am wonderfully made in God’s image!” Do you believe that? As we grow up, we tend to forget the wonder that actually went into making us. But each and every one of us, YOU, are wonderfully made in God’s image.

We all have a place that is special to us. That place that brings back memories, that makes us smile, where we can be ourselves, or just gives us a sense of peace. Jesus is preparing a place that surpasses all of that for each and everyone of us that believe and follow Him.

It’s amazing how much practical wisdom the Book of James holds. If you haven’t read it before, or even if it’s been awhile, give it a read—it’s only 5 chapters. During this week’s family worship lesson, we’ll be looking at the last chapter of James and learning about the importance of praying for each other.

Question: what does a spark and your tongue have in common?

What is truth? In an age where it is becoming increasingly normal to lie in order to get what you want, how can children know what to believe?

Sharing God with people can be tough. There are so many stories in the Bible to choose from that it can seem overwhelming. But there is one basic story that can show the true awesomeness of our God - God made everything.

The Bible says in James 2:1, “My brothers and sisters, you are believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. So treat everyone the same.” (NIRV) It’s such a simple command, but our sin makes it so hard to follow.

Have you ever said or done something and then immediately knew you had messed up. We often wish we can take back our words or actions that hurt the people we love. We can’t take them away but God still loves us.

Sometimes it’s hard enough to get kids to listen, but it’s a whole other challenge to get them to do what you say. Listen and do what is right—that’s the challenge this week’s family lesson tackles. Don’t be mistaken, though. It’s not just a challenge for kids—it’s for every one of us.

Life would be boring without all our differences but it can be hard talking to people who don’t talk like us, look like us, or believe the same way we do. Jesus didn’t say go tell people exactly like us about Him but to teach all nations. So who can we share Jesus with? Everyone!

This has been a time of trouble for a lot of us, but how many of us can say it’s also been a time of joy? Believe it or not, that’s what the Bible says it should be. During this week’s family worship experience, we’ll discover why the Book of James tells us we should be joyful in the middle of our troubles.

I spy someone who believes in Jesus when I look at the life of Paul. But Paul didn’t always believe. Paul was against Jesus and everyone that believed in Him; he didn’t believe in the new law Jesus gave to loves others as Jesus loved. Then Paul actually met Jesus and his life was never the same.

In the Book of John, Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) But what exactly does He mean by that? The answer is of eternal importance and it’s what we’ll be exploring during this week’s family worship.

Even though Easter was just a few months back, it’s an important event for us to recap as we continue to ask, “Who can believe in Jesus?” Our I Spy theme is looking for (or spying) things in the Bible that help kids answer, “I can believe in Jesus.”

This weekend, during family worship, we’ll be answering the all-important question of “Who is Jesus?” Specifically, we’ll be exploring the idea that Jesus is the Light of the World.

For the second week, we’ll be answering the all-important question of “Who is Jesus?” You’ve probably heard before that Jesus is the “Good Shepherd,” but what exactly does that mean for us? That’s what we’ll be talking about this week during our family lesson.

This is our last week to focus on God’s love for us. We’ve seen that God created us, God has a plan for us, God loves us no matter what, and God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to be our friend forever. Just in case that hasn’t made it abundantly clear to our kiddos that God thinks they are pretty special, we’re going to focus on just that with the story of the lost coin.

“Who is Jesus?” It’s so important that our kids know the answer to that question beyond a surface level. For that reason, we’ll be answering that question over the next 4 weeks during our family lessons. In the Book of John, Jesus uses 7 different “I am” statements that give us a look at who He really is. This week, we’ll be looking at one of those statements—“I am the true vine.”

As we near the end of May (one more week after this) we continue to look at God’s unending and unfailing love for us. He created us, He has a plan for us, and He will love us no matter what.

A lot of kids (and grown-ups) think of the Bible as a collection of individual stories, but it’s more than that. The Bible is actually one big story about God’s love and redemption of people.

This week we focus on how God loves us no matter what. This is a foundational concept that even some adults struggle with. We forget that we do not have…

Hi Journey Kids parents! People love a good story! And if you’re a follower of Jesus, then YOU have a good story to tell. During this week’s family lesson, we’re…

We’re all in need of good news right now! Fortunately, as followers of Jesus, we have the best news ever—the news of Christ’s power over sin and death. This is the news the world needs to hear and God has chosen us as the people to deliver it. But are you ready? That’s what we’re going to talk about in today’s family lesson.

We started May with how much God loves us because He created us. This week we’ll see that God loves us so much that He has a plan for each of us. Keep working on the memory verse so the kids know NOTHING can separate us from God’s love. When we ask kids, “Who loves you,” we want them to be able to say, “God loves me!”

We have a great message for your family this weekend. As followers of Jesus, we are recipients of the best news ever. We’re going to hear the story of Paul’s great escape and learn from his example how we can share the good news of Jesus with the world around us.