Kids in the Word Wednesday: Doubting Thomas

This weeks lesson is on Doubting Thomas.

Lesson is here:  http://www.scribd.com/doc/88921817/Doubting-Thomas1

Coloring sheet is here:  http://sermons4kids.com/doubting_thomas_abda_colorpg.htm


Also found another worksheet for spotting the difference.  It is here:  http://ministry-to-children.com/thomas-sunday-school-worksheet/

The Lesson:

What holiday did we just celebrate?

Review Easter Story

Jesus died on the cross and was buried in the tomb.  Sunday morning some women found His tomb empty.  Mary Magdalene was there and was worried that someone had stolen Jesus’ body.  She stood in front of the tomb crying.  She didn’t understand where Jesus was.  Then she saw 2 angels sitting where Jesus had been placed.  When she turned around, she saw Jesus standing there.  At first she didn’t recognize Him.  Jesus asked her why she was crying.  She said, sir if you carried Him away, tell me where you put Him and I will get Him.  Then Jesus said her name.  She then recognized Him.  She knew it was Jesus!

Jesus was alive.  Mary Magdalene and a few other women, ran and told the disciples.  She said “I have seen the Lord.” 

Do you think they believed her?

Luke 24:11 says “Their words seemed like nonsense.”  What does nonsense mean?  Something that doesn’t make sense.  It didn’t make sense that Jesus could be alive after dying on the cross.

After the women told the disciples, some of them ran off to the tomb and also found it empty, but they didn’t know yet what that meant.  They still had not seen Jesus themselves.

That night all of the disciples except one (Thomas) were locked in a room together.  Jesus appeared to them.  Jesus said “Peace be with you.”  The disciples were overjoyed when they say Jesus. Unfortunately, Thomas had missed seeing Jesus.  The other disciples tried to tell Thomas about Jesus, but he wouldn’t believe what they were telling him.

What does it mean to doubt something? You don’t believe, or you wonder about it, but don’t really believe it could happen.

Thomas couldn’t believe the disciples.  He said, “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

Can you believe that Thomas didn’t believe his friends?  He also must have forgotten Jesus saying that He would live again!

What do you think you would have told Thomas at this point?

Now a week passes by and Jesus appears again to His disciples.  Thomas was there this time.  Jesus shows Thomas His hands and His side.  Jesus said, “Stop doubting and believe.”

Thomas said, “My Lord and my God.”  Thomas finally believed.  He didn’t doubt anymore.  He had seen with his own eyes.

How many of you know that Jesus is alive?

We know that He is alive and is seated at the right hand of God on the throne.  Jesus said, we are blessed if we believe, even though we have not seen Him with our own eyes.  We can believe and not doubt because of the Bible.

Jesus is alive no doubt!!

Game:  I doubt or I believe

Have the children shout out which one they think is correct!

I have a purple cat

Trains fly thru the air

You can make a square watermelon

I once caught a fish 10 feet long

If you plant M&M’s, you will grow a tree

I live in a mailbox

Outside It is raining dogs

Bees make honey

Planes can use their wheels to walk

You can fry an egg on black pavement on a hot day

Cars can talk to you

You can build a house to live in out of toothpicks and glue

My dog can howl

Penguins can bark

You can brush your teeth with sand

If you pedal fast enough you can make your bike fly

I can walk thru walls

I own a unicorn

Pastor Jeff’s car can fly

Jesus is alive

Our sins are forgiven

The craft is a bookmark.  Have the kids color it and maybe put some stickers on it!  You will also need some string and a single hole punch.  It is also included in the download above.

Blessings!

Linked to:

DIY Sign Zephaniah 3:17

Materials:

    Pallet wood enough to measure 29+/-

     2-2x4's ripped down to 1" wide x 28inches long

     black flat spray paint

     wood glue

     1 1/4 inch trim nails

     white semi gloss paint

 First you will lay your cut down 2x4's horizontal each other.  Then you will put the pallet wood on top and nail them down.  Remember to put wood glue down before laying pallet strips.  I only put 1 nail per board and it seems very sturdy.

Ready to be painted!

Spray paint it black:

 I made a poster on my Print Artist program.  Then I cut the words out with an knife.  I am sure there is an easier way, but this works for me.  I am also able to use it again and again!  I laid the stencil pattern (printed onto cardstock paper on my pallets and started painting.

 The sign takes about an hour and a half to make.

I also made this purse out of a pair of 99 cent jean cut offs I found at the thrift store with some scrap material I had.  I am making a bigger one for a friend, so I will try to remember to post how to pictures when I make that one!

Blessings!!

Linking up to Beneath My Heart
                     Skip to my Lou
                     The Prairie Homestead Barn Hop #56
                     Raising Arrows
                     The Better Mom

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Kids in the Word Wednesday: Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

Tonight's lesson takes us into the garden.

All of my notes are here:  http://www.scribd.com/doc/85370134/Jesus-in-the-Garden-of-Gethsemane

While I am doing the lesson, I will have the kids color this page:
     http://www.calvarywilliamsport.com/e16.htm

I am also going to make a puzzle using this picture for the kids to put together:
     

Here is the lesson, but you can download it above.

Review:

                What did Jesus ride into Jerusalem on?

                What did they lay down for Him to ride over?

                And what is the name of the Sunday before Easter?

                Last week we did the Last Supper.  How many disciples did we learn that Jesus had?

                                A disciple is someone who shares the gospel.  Who here is a disciple of Jesus?

During the Passover feast, we learned that Jesus wants us to remember Him.  We are to do

                Communion in remembrance of Him.  What does the broken bread signify?  Grape juice

                Or wine?

                We also learned that one of Jesus’ own disciples gave His location up to the enemies.  Does

 anyone remember what his name was?

The last supper took place on Thursday.  The day before Jesus was crucified. 

                Why was He crucified?

On that night Jesus was in great danger.  Judas had left the Passover feast and had gone to the priests and accepted a bribe of 30 silver coins in return for him leading them the Jesus so that they could arrest Him.

After the supper, Jesus and His disciples walked thru the dark to the Mount of Olives.  At the base of the mountain, there was the Garden of Gethsemane.

                Does anyone know what a garden is?

The garden was a quiet place where people often came to pray and rest.  It was just outside of Jerusalem.  Jesus was very sad.  He asked His disciples to wait there while He went to pray.  He took Peter, John, and James with Him.  He told these three men that His heart was sad. 

                When we are sad, what can we do?

                How many of you pray?

                When do we pray?

                                Bedtime, meals, church

Jesus prayed a lot.  He was always reaching out to His Father.  The Bible tells us that He prayed at all times of the day or night.  He prayed in front of others or even by himself.  The night before He died He prayed 3 times in the garden.  Jesus knew His death was near.  Jesus prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me.” 

Cup, what cup?

Do you think Jesus was speaking about an actual cup?

Jesus was asking if His Father, was willing to take this cup of His impending death away from Him, or if He had to die.

Then Jesus prayed, “yet not my will, but yours be done.”

                What do you think willing means?

                                Let’s see, if I had a pizza here, who would eat it for me?

                                                So you are willing to eat the pizza.

                                Who will go to the library with me?

                                                Most of you would be willing to go to the library.

                If you tell someone you are willing to do something, you follow through with it.  Sort of like a

promise.  It can work the other way also.

                Like, who is willing to scrub the toilets for me?

                                Not many of you are willing to scrub the toilets are you!

                How about the impossible!  Who will die for me?

                                It is hard to tell someone that you would die for them, isn’t it? 

Jesus said, “yet not my will, but yours be done.”  Jesus chose to do God’s will.  He went to the cross willingly.  He chose to lay down His life for so that we would someday live forever in Heaven with God our Father and Jesus.

After He was done praying for the last time, He went back to the rest of the disciples who had fallen asleep.  He woke them.  All of the sudden, torches lit the garden.  Loud shouts of angry soldiers were approaching.  There was Judas.  He came up to Jesus and kissed Him.  That was his signal to the soldiers which one Jesus was.  They took Jesus away without a fight.  He had already knew that they would be coming.  He didn’t run from them.  He knew His sentence was death, and He was going to obey God and wash our sins away. 

Wow!  How many people think they could do that?

What if God told you to do it, do you think you could do it then?

                This is also another instance of how we can put others needs before our own.  Jesus put

                Our needs before His own.  He died on the cross so that we sinners who accept Him,

                Would live forever in Heaven with Jesus and God the Father!  How awesome is that!! 

The craft is a flower.  The page you will need is attached in my notes.

I am going to have the kids go outside and find a rock for them to each have their own prayer rock also!

In lieu of a game, the kids are going to be helping me get the downstairs set up for a funeral and meal that we will be doing at our church on Friday.

Blessings!

Review for the e-book: Finding Joy in Depression

I was very excited to get to read this e-book.  It is by Amanda Pelser who also blogs at ThePelsers.com She was very kind to give me a copy of it to do a review.  It is being released today and it is a very good read. 

                The book takes you on 3 different approaches.  The first is to encourage you to take a faith step and admit and come forward if you are suffering from depression.  We would rather hide from it, which in turn, gets us even more lost.  We are afraid to come forward, afraid of what other people might think.  I know as a Christian woman, I have struggled with coming forward with it for years. I myself have struggled with dysthymia, just like Amanda, since my teen years.   It was refreshing to see another struggling Christian dealing with many of the things I find myself dealing with daily. 

The second approach is helping you to deal with depression.  There are several chapters on how to deal with depression.  Things like getting a good start to your day, which is the key to how your whole day will turn out.  I know for me, if I don’t get into the Bible or at least having pray time in the morning, my whole day seems disorganized.  In chapter 18 she writes, “The real importance of prayer in depression is relationship and attitude.  God is our comfort and that comes in talking and walking with Him.” 

The third approach she takes is how others can be supportive to someone who is suffering from depression and help them find joy.  Just by reading the book, you learn so much about depression and how people live their lives.  By doing this, you learn how to help them achieve joy!

This e-book is a great read.  You will learn so much from it, whether helping you deal with depression, how your body and mind work through it, or just how to be a better friend to someone who may be suffering from depression.  Head on over to her blog and buy it today!  Also, while there, check out her blog.  She has a lot of uplifting Christian ideas and regularly does Christian book studies.

Blessings!!  And may you find joy in everything that you do!!

Weeks 23-24

From week 23 we did space.  Here are a few of our crafts:

 This is our Huble Telescope

 Space ship

 Planets as they rotate the sun.  The planets came from here:

http://www.2teachingmommies.com/2012/02/space-expanded.html

This was our police unit.  We used a lot of unit packs for the week.

Blessings!

Kids in the Word Wednesday: The Last Supper

Tonight lesson will be on the last supper.  The lesson notes can be found here:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/84352954/Last-Supper

While I am going through the lesson, I will be having them color the sheets that will go along with their craft.  The craft I am doing can be found here:  

http://catholicicing.com/2010/03/holy-thursday-last-supper-craft/

I am not a catholic, but some of her things are really cute!

Our pastor will be coming down and doing communion with the kids also.  My son does it weekly with us, but I don't think the other kids get to.  God really put it on my heart to have our pastor do it and he agreed!  The kids should be happy with that, they LOVE our pastor!!

After doing the lesson and the craft I will do the game Remember Relay if we still have time.

           Have the kids sit down in 2 rows a few feet apart.  Whisper a phrase to the 1^st one in each row. 

           Have them whisper it to the person next to them and so on.  The last person who hears the message 

           stands up and repeats what he has heard.  Then you tell them the original phrase and see how far off 

           they are.  The best one that matches wins!  That person now becomes the first person in the row.  

           Play at least one time through.

Enjoy and blessings!!

1,000 gifts-February

76. T-shirt and flip flops in February.
77. Forced naptime!
78. bedtime
79. 100th day of school
80. Disney on Ice tickets
81. no migraine
82.  VIP parking
83. fixing my grandma's record player
84. John Denver and the Beach Boys
85. catching Conner dancing and playing an "Air" guitar to Surfin Safari
86.  Receiving a butchers block for free
87.  Finishing my cabinet
88.  Sanding the top of the butcher's block for an hour and seeing the beautiful wood underneath all the stains
89. Bacon crackling in the skillet
90. ordering garden seeds
91. homemade pizza
92. flannel sheets
93. and old dog finding her puppy years in freshly fallen snow
94. snow dripping off the roof as it melts
95. running water
96. wonderfully nice customer service.
97. crockpots
98. help with shoveling snow
99. grain grinder completely set up
100. grinding 12 cups of flour in under 30 minutes
101. homemade granola
102. good music
103. clean laundry
104. week off school
105. an awesome boss
106. long sleeved t-shirts
107. Art Chrisman being told that he is now free of lung cancer
108. getting garden seeds in the mail
109. a good read
110. snuggling on the couch with Conner and Katie
111. new cabinet hardware in the mail.
112. Brats cooked over an open fire
113. shot of torodol
114. a child's hug
115. We made the list!!! (adoption waiting list)
116. the movie "Courageous"
117. homemade cookies
118. prayer
119. my son's strength
120. finding the bottom in a pile of paperwork
121. fried taters
122. darned socks
123. junk drawer finally organized
124. Conner telling me my lip was broke! ( it was cracked)
125. Brussel sprouts poking through the dirt
126. a momma red bird on the deck watching me
127. lunch date with my little man
128. thick blankets
129. old friends
130. cancelled sales call on an already packed day!
131. tacos
132. not a cloud in the sky
133. Conner's love for art
134. movie time
135. Yellow crocus
136. a child's imagination
137. day old popcorn
138. an extra day this month
139. hot fudge cakes
140. coupons