Regular Service Schedule
Sunday Morning Service 10a.m.
Nursery - Newborn-3 years old
Sunday School- Pre-K4-5th Grade

Kings Kids (Special Needs Ministry)
The 1st & 3rd Sunday Morning of every Month

Sunday Evening Service 6:30 p.m.
Nursery - Newborn -3 years old
Calvary Kids Club - Pre K4-5th Grade

Welcome to Calvary Chapel Naples Children's Ministry

Easter Schedule for Children's Ministry

Good Friday Service-Friday, April 10, 2009 6 pm
Nursery-Newborn - 3 years old
Children's Ministry - 4yrs - 5th Grade

Easter Sunday Service 10:00am
Nursery - Newborn - 3 years old
Sunday School- 4yrs - 5th Grade
Kings Kids- Special Needs Ministry

Please join us for our Easter Brunch following Service. We will also be having an Easter Egg hunt for children 10 and under.

Regular Service Schedule

Sunday Morning Service 10a.m.
Nursery - Newborn-3 years old
Sunday School- Pre-K4-5th Grade

Kings Kids (Special Needs Ministry)
The 1st Sunday Morning of every Month

Sunday Evening Service 6:30 p.m.
Nursery - Newborn -3 years old
Calvary Kids Club - Pre K4-5th Grade

CHILDREN’S DEVOTIONS FOR THE WEEK OF: 9/28-10/4/08
LESSON TITLE: Through the Roof
THEME: We walk by faith, not by sight.
SCRIPTURE: Mark 2:1-12

Dear Parents…
Welcome to Bible Time for Kids! Bible Time for Kids is a series of daily devotions for children and their families. Our purpose is to supplement our Sunday morning curriculum and give you an opportunity to encourage your children to develop a daily devotional life. We hope you and your family will be blessed as you study God’s Word together.

This week in Children’s Church we learned about the four friends who lowered the paralytic man through the roof to be healed by Jesus. The theme was “we walk by faith, not by sight.” It’s exciting to know that God sent His son to die on the cross to forgive us of our sins. By trusting and putting our faith in Christ our life will be filled with peace. Great News!!!

Sin is like a sickness in our life. Just like the paralyzed man we can have our sickness (sin), healed or forgiven by putting our trust in Christ and asking Him to forgive us. Our faith will be tested at times but through Him we can get through anything.

The section of scripture that we studied was Mark 2:1-12. The following five devotions are based on either the scripture and/or the theme for Sunday’s lesson. As a starting point it would be good for you to review these verses with your children.

These devotions are designed to help you reinforce Sunday’s lesson throughout the week with your children, provide some more ideas for the application of God’s Word in your children’s lives and provide a tool to help in family devotions.

Obviously children at various age levels will respond to the devotional in different ways. You may want to add your own ideas to these to make them more age appropriate.
May the Lord bless you as you study His Word together!

Day One
Faith to Believe
Text: Hebrews 11:1 -“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Also read Mark 2:3-5

The word had spread through Capernaum about a great man by the name of Jesus who was a miracle-working Teacher. The crowds were very large as they gathered to hear and see the works of Jesus Christ. Jesus knew these people were there to see Him heal the sick and cast out demons. He only wished that they were there to hear His message of the Gospel. But He knew that many were there only to see what was going on and didn’t have a real interest in His message. But there were 4 friends of a man who had a lot of faith in Jesus. These 4 men and their friend are the ones that we are learning about this week as we see how that they walked by faith, not by sight.

The 4 men took their friend to be healed by Jesus. The man who was to be healed was a paralytic, which means he could not move his arms or legs. These men arrived to find an enormous crowd of people trying to get to Jesus. There was no way they could get through the crowd to bring their friend to be healed. Just think how easy it would have been to turn away from the crowd and say, “Well, there is no sense in trying to get to Jesus today! Maybe we can come back tomorrow.” But these four men had the faith to believe that Jesus could and would meet their friend’s need.

These men worked together and dared to do something different and trusted that Jesus would heal their friend. The four men decided to lower their friend through the roof to get him to Jesus so He could heal him; and Jesus did. In Mark 2:5 the Bible says, “Jesus saw their faith.” To have faith in Jesus means to have and to put your trust in Him and He will take care of you no matter what your condition is. Do we look at our problems and feel defeated or do we look at our problems in light of Jesus and what He can do?

• Do you trust in Jesus when problems come into your life?
• Have you or someone you know been miraculously healed?
• What pleases God? Read Hebrews 11:5-6

Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Faith: Trusting in God. Knowing that He can do all things that seem impossible to us.

Day Two
Walking on Water
Text: Philippians 4:13 -“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Also read Matthew 14:28-33

Jimmy was outside during recess playing with his friends Tommy and Michael. Tommy and Michael wanted to do something that was against school rules. They wanted to leave the campus and go across the street to the grocery store to buy some candy. Jimmy knew this was a wrong choice. Jimmy told Tommy and Michael to wait until after school to buy the candy. But the boys didn’t like that idea. Jimmy was able to stand strong in his faith in Jesus and he chose not to go with Tommy and Michael. What could have happened to Jimmy if he chose to go with the other boys? Let’s look at what happened to Peter when he took his eyes off of the Lord?

As you read about Peter in Matthew 14:28-33 you learn that he took a step of faith and boldly stepped out of the boat and onto the water. Peter actually walked on water because he had trust in Jesus. But once the wind increased Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and focused on the wind. What happened? Peter began to sink…. But you notice Peter called out to Jesus before he sank: “Lord, save me!” Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Peter did begin to sink but he knew that Jesus could save him. When you are faced with difficult times such as peer pressure (friends trying to get you to do what you know that you shouldn’t) do you call out to the Lord or do you sink? Being a Christian can be difficult at times. Especially when you try to do what is right when your friends want to do what’s wrong. By keeping your eyes on Jesus you too can show others your faith and that gives God the glory!

• Have you ever been in a situation where your friends tried to pressure you into something? How did you handle it?
• Who are the only two people in the Bible to walk on water?
• Why did Peter take his eyes off of Jesus?

Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Trial: When God allows temptations, hardships, or our relationship with other people to test our faith.

Day Three
Faith is Trusting in a Great Big God!
Text: Hebrews 6:6 - “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Also read Genesis 22:1-19

Mr. Johnson and his family lived in a beautiful two-story home with a nice pool and spa. They were able to do a lot of extra things like go to the movies, go on weekend getaways, and do a lot of fun things. The Johnson family had their own restaurant business and it was quite successful. They enjoyed working in the restaurant business and the family loved helping out at the restaurant. They were very happy with their lives and wouldn’t change it for anything.

One day God spoke to Mr. Johnson’s heart and told him He had a plan for him to go to a different country to do missionary work. Mr. Johnson was a faithful servant and loved the Lord very much. He was excited to be called to become a missionary. But the kids didn’t want to leave their friends and comfort in the United States to go to Peru at first. God’s plan didn’t excite them very much, but they knew it was in God’s hands and they trusted in Him. The living conditions in Peru were pretty rough. They would have to sell everything before leaving for Peru. The Johnson’s did as God had planned for them and they received rewards greater than anything material they could have received here. After a few years serving in Peru, all the kids can look back on their experience with great joy and would not trade it for anything.

When our faith in God shows that He is first in every area of our life we please Him. As you read Genesis 22:1-19, think about how important Isaac was to Abraham. Abraham had faith and trusted in God. He wanted to please God rather than please himself. Sometimes in our relationship with the Lord, He might have a plan for us which means that we may have to give up something else in order to do it. But, He never has us do anything that He does not bless us over and over for our obedience. When we experience these times we grow as Christians.

• After reading Genesis 22:1-19, Do you think your faith is strong like Abraham’s?
• Would you leave something you love doing for the Lord?

Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Abide: To rest or dwell in God’s will. Obedience

Day Four
Forgiven or Healed?
Text: Mark 2:5-“When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” Also read Isaiah 1:16-20

When the roof opened up the 4 men lowered their friend down to where Jesus was. They were very bold to go upon a house and open the roof while Jesus was inside. They knew that Jesus would help their friend if they could just get him to Jesus; so they did something that no one else would probably dare to do. Just think, there were probably people who were turned away because of the crowds and they missed the opportunity of being healed and forgiven of their sins.
It is interesting that when Jesus saw the man who needed healing that He said, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” Jesus went to the most important issue first. We can learn from this story that sin can paralyze us just like the man who was a paralytic. Jesus is the only one who can forgive us from our sins. He is truly God, and since He is God He has the power to forgive sin. This man was not only healed because of his faith in Jesus, but he was saved and forgiven by believing in Jesus.

We will be forgiven of our sins if we would just come to Jesus and ask Him to forgive us and trust in Him. Then we will no longer be paralyzed in our lives by sin. God has promised us that when we come to Him and repent He would forgive our iniquity and our sins will be remembered no more (Jeremiah 31:34). This man walked away a brand new person in body and in spirit. Jesus knows exactly what we need. If you have never trusted in Him for your salvation our prayer is that you would ask Him into your heart today. God is full of grace and mercy and would love for you to come to Him.

• Have you ever asked Jesus to come into your life?
• Are there friends or family members you have who you would like to pray for to receive Jesus? The man in our story would have never made it to Jesus if his friends had not helped him.
• When others see you, do they see Jesus at work in your life?

Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Forgiven: Pardoned, released or let go of. Free from the penalty of sin.

Day Five
Which Is Easier?
Text: Mark 2:9 - “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk?” Also read Mark 2:6-12

Jesus looked around the room and saw the religious leaders sitting there watching to see if He could heal someone, but more important to them if He would break one of their rules that they added to the Bible. These religious leaders were known as Scribes and Pharisees and they supervised the religious life in the nation that Jesus was teaching in. They came to make fun of Jesus and try to put him to a test. Instead they should have come with an open heart that was seeking truth. They were jealous of Jesus and wanted to find a way to make Jesus look bad in front of the people. Jesus was so popular that the religious leaders could not ignore Him.

When Jesus looked into the hearts of these leaders He saw emptiness and a mean spirit. They accused Jesus of blasphemy. After all, only God can forgive sins; and Jesus just told the paralytic that his sins were forgiven! Jesus was claiming to be God! Jesus proved to be God by reading the scribes hearts and telling them what they were thinking.

Jesus gave them something to think about. Which one is easier for Jesus; to heal the man or to tell him he is forgiven? It’s easier to say; “Your sins are forgiven!” After all, that is what the man truly needed. His body could get sick again and he would even die. But what he really needed was eternal life. So to back up His words Jesus healed the man and told him to pick up his bed and to walk home. What was going through the minds of the Scribes and Pharisees? Could they heal this man and forgive his sins? NO WAY! Jesus confirmed Himself as being the “Son of God.” He said in another place, “I and My Father are one.” (John 10:30).

• Sin is like sickness and forgiveness is like having your health restored.
• Why do you suppose that the Scribes and Pharisees didn’t like Jesus?

Kid’s Prayer Time
There is a lot that we can be thankful for. This week when you pray
you can thank God for sending His son to pay the price for your sins. We can come to Him to repent and He will restore our life. Jesus is truly the Son of God and by us trusting in Him He will lead our paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5,6)

First and Second Grade
“Immediately he arose, took up the bed and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God.”

Third Grade and Above
“Immediately he arose, took up the bed and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God.”
Mark 2:12a

CHILDREN’S DEVOTIONS FOR THE WEEK OF: 9/21-27/08
LESSON TITLE: The Fishers of Men
THEME: We should follow Jesus and live for Him.
SCRIPTURE: Luke 5:1-11; 6:6-11

Dear Parents…
Welcome to Bible Time for Kids! Bible Time for Kids is a series of daily devotions for children and their families. Our purpose is to supplement our Sunday morning curriculum and give you an opportunity to encourage your children to develop a daily devotional life. We hope you and your family will be blessed as you study God’s Word together.

This week in Children’s Church we learned about the time that Jesus called His disciples. When He called them, He told them that He was going to make them “fishers of men.” He taught them for 3 years and when He empowered them with the Holy Spirit this band of disciples changed the world. The Lord also wants us to be “fishers of men.”

When Jesus called the disciples, they were willing to forsake all and follow Him. The Lord wants us to have the same kind of heart in following Him. Would we be willing to go or do anything that He asked us to? Would we be willing to give up anything for the sake of the gospel? It is really a matter of where our heart is. Let’s look at some more things this week about what it means to be a “fisher of men.”

The section of scripture that we studied was Luke 5:1-11 and 6:12-16. The following five devotions are based on either the scripture and/or the theme for Sunday’s lesson. As a starting point it would be good for you to review these verses with your children.

These devotions are designed to help you reinforce Sunday’s lesson throughout the week with your children, provide some more ideas for the application of God’s Word in your children’s lives and provide a tool to help in family devotions.

Obviously children at various age levels will respond to the devotional in different ways. You may want to add your own ideas to these to make them more age appropriate.
May the Lord bless you as you study His Word together!

Day One
God Calls a Third Grader (part 1)
Text: Matthew 28:19 -“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” Also read Matthew 28:18-20 By the time I was eight years old I definitely knew what a missionary was. My parents were (and still are) planting churches in the Appalachian Mountains. My dad, being a pastor, always invited missionaries to stay in our home. Mother read missionary stories to me and I’d get down on my knees and pray for missions! My parents taught me that a person doesn’t start being a missionary when he goes “across the sea”; a missionary is anyone who tells others of Jesus.
Then God impressed on my young heart that He wanted me to commit my life to Him as a missionary, “But God, I’m too young to decide to be a missionary,” I argued. “What if I want to marry someone someday who isn’t going to be a missionary?”

In the third grade I struggled so much with God’s calling that I couldn’t concentrate on my math problems. Finally, I said, “OK, Lord, I’ll be a missionary!” And that was that! The rest of my life was spent preparing for the foreign mission field.

I could tell, as could others, that God was working in areas of my life, such as self-centeredness and selfishness. My Sunday school teacher noticed a positive behavior change one day as she passed out cookies during a children’s meeting. More children had attended than were anticipated and there weren’t enough refreshments. When the teacher started to give me a cookie, I politely volunteered, “No thank you.” After class she personally thanked me for being willing to give up my cookie. Continued on Day Two… (Taken from “God Calls a Third Grader” by Sandra Bowyer in Evangelizing Today’s Child Magazine)

• Have you ever felt like God might be calling you to mission work?
• What country is the most interesting to you?
• What kind of missionary work could you do right now?

Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Missionary: One sent forth to preach the gospel of Jesus in areas and to people who have not heard the gospel.

Day Two
God Calls a Third Grader (part 2)
Text: Luke 24:47 -“and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” Also read Luke 24:44-47

…Continued from Day One. My summers were dedicated to reaching children with the gospel in a Christian camp. In high school God gave me a different tract each week to pass out. Through the tracts one of my friends accepted the Lord. One teacher even asked me, “What is it you believe that makes you different?”

As a teen I conducted a Bible study on the book of James. When I came to the part about patience, I prayed, “Lord, give me patience!” He chose to answer the prayer through my home economics class. I was having difficulty learning to put in an invisible zipper. Every time I thought I had the skill mastered, my teacher would say, “No, that isn’t good enough. Take it out and do it again.” About the seventh time, the teacher suddenly looked into my eyes and a change came over her face. She tenderly replied, “I’ve never had a student like you before.” The Lord was teaching me patience.

After graduation I visited a missionary aunt and uncle in Ecuador, then enrolled in Bible College. The Lord chose to bless me with a wonderful Christian husband, Kenneth. We, along with our two sons, have served as missionaries in the remote mountains of Mexico with UFM International for over 14 years. Yes, decisions made as a child changed my whole life!

What is God calling you to do for Him? God is still calling “Fishers of Men” today. Let’s listen for His call to follow Him. Jesus wants us to take His gospel into all nations. Maybe He can use you and me! Maybe He can use us right now to share His love with our friends and family.
(Taken from “God Calls a Third Grader” by Sandra Bowyer in Evangelizing Today’s Child Magazine)

• Have you ever met a missionary? What were they like?
• Can you think of some missionaries to pray for together as a family?

Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Evangelist: A person who tells others about Jesus and helps them to believe in Him.

Day Three
Beautiful Feet
Text: Romans 10:15 -“And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!’” Also read Romans 10:8-17

If you are a Christian, think back to the time that you asked Jesus into your heart. It was such a wonderful time as you asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior. But how did you know that you were supposed to ask Him into your heart. How did you know that you were to admit that you were a sinner and that you needed to have Jesus come into your life? Someone had to tell you about Jesus, and tell you about believing in Him in order to be saved. Someone had to tell you the “good news” or gospel of Jesus Christ so that you could become a Christian.

In our reading today, Paul says that those who would preach the gospel or tell others about Jesus have beautiful feet. It was a wonderful thing that they came bringing the good news of Jesus. In the book of Ephesians, Paul talked about having our feet covered with the preparation of the gospel. What this means is that we should be prepared to always share the good news of Jesus wherever our feet take us. The Lord wants to use us to further His kingdom. As we go and tell others about Jesus, they will also believe in Jesus, just like we did when we listened to the person who faithfully told us about Jesus.

The disciples learned this as they became “fishers of men.” The Lord used them greatly to share with others the good news. In Acts chapter 2 we see where Peter preached 1 time and over 3,000 people believed in Jesus. This is how the Lord desires to get His word out. He uses people like Peter and people like us who are willing to tell others about Him.

• Who first told you about Jesus?
• How can you have beautiful feet?
• Why is it important to tell others about Jesus?

Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Preach: To proclaim or speak forth a truth.


Day Four
Ambassadors
Text: 2 Corinthians 5:20 -“Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.”
Also read 2 Corinthians 5:18-21

The Williams family was visiting the museum one day in San Francisco. When they arrived at Golden Gate Park they noticed a large crowd of people gathered in front of the museum. There were television cameras and a lot of people in nice suits. As they approached the museum entrance they asked someone standing nearby what was happening. “The Russian ambassador has come to visit San Francisco today,” they said nicely. “What’s an ambassador?” Joel quickly asked his dad. “Well it is someone who represents another country. The Russian ambassador comes here to help us to understand his country. We also send an ambassador to Russia so that they can better understand us,” Dad explained.

“Maybe I can be an ambassador to Africa and see all of the neat things over there,” Joel said. “That is very possible, Joel,” Dad replied, “In a very real way though all of us who are Christians are already ambassadors.” “Really?” Joel said. Dad chuckled and said, “Really Joel, we are ambassadors for the kingdom of God. We have a relationship with the king and He wants us to help others to understand what His kingdom is all about. So He sends us out as ambassadors for Him.

When we tell others about Jesus, or just live our lives according to His word, we are showing the world what it means to live in God’s kingdom. As ambassadors we have a duty to help others to understand God’s kingdom.” “Wow, Ambassador Joel! I like that,” Joel said, “I’m going to look for the next chance to tell someone about God’s kingdom.”

• Have you ever heard of an ambassador before? How would you describe what they do?
• What does it mean to you that you are an ambassador for God’s kingdom?
• What things can you think of that would help you to be a good ambassador?

Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Ambassador: Someone who represents a country or kingdom.
Kingdom of God: God’s spiritual kingdom, where He rules.

Day Five
The Rich Young Ruler
Text: Luke 18:22 -“So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, ‘You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’” Also read Luke 18:18-27

In Luke 5 when Jesus called the disciples we are told that they laid down their nets and forsook everything in order to follow Jesus. When we commit our lives to Jesus we need to be willing to also make Him the Lord of our lives. This means that we would follow Him no matter what.

There should be nothing more important in our lives than living for Jesus. In our hearts, we can ask ourselves the question, “Am I willing to lay down everything so that I can follow Jesus?” We can only answer this question for ourselves. But it is the most important question in our life if we want to be a disciple of Jesus.

In our Bible reading today we see a man who had everything. He was very rich and very powerful. He was also very young. He had his whole life ahead of him. He came to Jesus one day and asked Him what it would take to have eternal life. He was a very good man and lived by all of the laws. But Jesus was able to look into his heart.

Jesus told him that there was only one thing that he lacked. He needed to sell everything that he had and follow Jesus. This made the man very sad, because he was very rich. Being rich is not a bad thing, but in his heart, his riches were the most important thing to him. Jesus knew that for the young ruler to follow Jesus, he would have to be willing to put Jesus before everything else in his heart. What is the most important thing in our hearts? Are we willing to set those things aside for the sake of following Jesus?

• Why did the rich young ruler go away sad after talking to Jesus?
• What does it mean to you to forsake all and follow Jesus?
• Have you asked Jesus to be the Lord of your life?

Kid’s Prayer Time
This week we learned about being “fishers of men” and following Jesus. As you pray, ask the Lord to help you to be a fisher of men and to share your belief in Jesus with others. Also, ask Him to help you to learn more and more what it means to totally follow Him.

First and Second Grade
“Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ They immediately left their nets, and followed Him.”

Third Grade and Above
“Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ They immediately left their nets, and followed Him.”

Matthew 4:19-20

CHILDREN’S DEVOTIONS FOR THE WEEK OF: 9/14-9/19/08
LESSON TITLE: Jesus and Nicodemus
THEME: We all need a new, spiritual birth.
SCRIPTURE: John 3:1-21

Dear Parents…
Welcome to Bible Time for Kids! Bible Time for Kids is a series of daily devotions for children and their families. Our purpose is to supplement our Sunday morning curriculum and give you an opportunity to encourage your children to develop a daily devotional life. We hope you and your family will be blessed as you study God’s Word together.

This week in Children’s Church we learned about Jesus and Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a leader among the Jews and came to Jesus during the night to ask Him some questions. How Jesus answered gives us one of the clearest statements of salvation in the whole Bible. Jesus clearly said that we “must be born again.”

We learned on Sunday how that we all need a new, spiritual birth. Only the Lord can make all things brand new. If we only trust in Jesus we can receive this new birth. Enjoy this week as you continue to look at our wonderful salvation and new birth found in Jesus.

The section of scripture that we studied was John 3:1-21. The following five devotions are based on either the scripture and/or the theme for Sunday’s lesson. As a starting point it would be good for you to review these verses with your children.

These devotions are designed to help you reinforce Sunday’s lesson throughout the week with your children, provide some more ideas for the application of God’s Word in your children’s lives and provide a tool to help in family devotions.

Obviously children at various age levels will respond to the devotional in different ways. You may want to add your own ideas to these to make them more age appropriate.

May the Lord bless you as you study His Word together!

Day One
Twister
Text: John 3:8 -“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Also read John 3:1-8

I can remember as a kid growing up, we would have these miniature tornadoes that would spin down onto the playground during recess. It was just wind moving around very fast causing kind of a whirlwind, but they would pick up a lot of dust and dirt. They would also pickup plastic sandwich bags, paper sacks, napkins and other assorted litter and twirl them all up into the air.

After lifting up the trash it would fling off a few items at a time from the core, releasing them to drift back down to earth. If you were in a good spot you could watch the twister move, zigzagging all across the playground. It moved left or right, as the wind would shift it. It was as if you could see the wind. Only what you were really seeing was the dirt and trash. You would really only see the effects of the wind.

Jesus told Nicodemus that the Spirit of God is like the wind. We can not see Him, but we can see the effects of His power in our lives. Just like we could see the twister in the playground because of the things that it twirled around, we can see the Spirit’s work in our life when He saves us and makes a change in our hearts and lives. Other people sitting in a good spot to see us can also see God at work in our lives. So the Spirit of God will blow like the wind into the heart of anyone who will receive Jesus as Savior. The Spirit of God can not be seen but He is at work drawing people toward Jesus (John 6:44).

So the next time you see a tornado on television or a whirlwind on your playground, think about how the Spirit of God is moving all over the world to reach the hearts of men and women, boys and girls. We might not actually see the Spirit of God, but we can see what He does for those who accept Jesus into their lives. Nicodemus learned that he could experience God’s Spirit in His life by believing in the very One he was speaking with. Did you know that you could do the same when you believe in Jesus?

• Have you ever seen a real tornado? What was that like?
• How is the wind like the Holy Spirit?
• How can the Holy Spirit be seen in your life?

Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Wind: One of the symbols for the Holy Spirit.


Day Two
Born Twice
Text: John 3:4 -“Nicodemus said to Him, ‘how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’” Also read John 3:1-8

Have you ever heard someone say, “If you are born once you will die twice, but if you are born twice you will die only once?” You kind of have to think about that question for a little bit. What does it mean? Well, everyone is born into this world as a brand new baby. Also everyone will die someday, one birth and one death. But the Bible says that those who die without knowing Jesus they will spend all of eternity separated from Him. This is called the “second death (Revelation 21:8).”

So someone who dies without Jesus will have one birth and two deaths. None of us want to have that happen. God has provided a way so that it doesn’t have to happen to any one. How? By being born again! If we are born a second time then we won’t have to die twice, in fact we will have eternal life and live forever.

When Nicodemus met with Jesus he didn’t understand how someone could be born twice. But Jesus explains to Nicodemus that there are two kinds of births. The first is our physical birth. That is when you were a brand new baby. The second birth is a new spiritual birth.

How can someone be born spiritually? This happens when someone accepts Jesus into their heart. When we accept God’s love and sacrifice for us and we ask him to forgive us of our sins, then the Spirit of God gives a new birth to our spirit. We become alive inside. The Holy Spirit lives in us to be a comfort, a guide and the power source we need to live for God the rest of our lives. This is what it means to be born of the Spirit. The Lord has made it so easy to come to Him through Jesus that no one should ever have to experience that “second death.” We need to accept God’s salvation and be born again into eternal life.

• Why do you think we need a new birth to be right with God?
• Have you been born again?

Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Born Again: Receiving Jesus as our savior by trusting in Him. Our spirit is made alive through the Holy Spirit.

Day Three
Snake on a Stick
Text: John 3:14 -“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” Also read Numbers 21:4-9

Do you like snakes? How would you feel about finding a few of them in your path as you are hiking in the mountains? Most people do not like snakes. A snake usually isn’t the favorite choice for a stuffed animal to cuddle with at bedtime. Nor is it the most popular choice for a family pet. It’s as if there is a curse on snakes. Have these slithering reptiles just gotten a “bad rap” or should I say “dissed” or better yet “hissed”? Well there is a reason why this may be.

In the first book of the Bible, Genesis there is a story about a snake. It is the story about Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It is a true story about how the serpent deceived Eve. The snake was really Satan in disguise. The story is about how all of mankind became trapped in sin. Because of this, sin will always be associated with Satan, who is described as a serpent. This is probably why people still today think of snakes as evil. God put a curse on snakes that they would slither on their stomachs on the ground.

In John 3:14 we see that Jesus said that His death on the cross would be like the time that a snake was lifted up in the wilderness. What was He talking about? This is talking about another story in the Bible. The story is about a time when Moses was commanded by God to put a brass serpent on a pole for the sick people to look at and be healed. Poisonous snakes were biting the people as judgment for their sin. God provided a way for them to be healed. If they would look at the snake on the pole they would live but if they did not they would die. None would live if bitten, unless they looked at the snake.

This is all a picture of what Jesus did on the cross. Jesus became a curse for us by dying on the cross (Galatians 3:13). He took the sin, which curses all mankind with separation from God, and died in our place. So when we look to Jesus’ death on the cross, it is just like the people bitten by the snakes looking to the snake on the pole to save them. Jesus, who took the curse of our sin, will save everyone who looks to Him for salvation.

• What do you think about snakes?
• When we realize we’ve been “bitten by a poisonous snake” (a sinner) what should we do?

Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Lifted Up: Jesus dying on the cross for our sins.

Day Four
He Loves Me…He Loves Me Not…
Text: John 3:16 -“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Also read Romans 5:8

Picking the dandelion from the grass, the young girl began to pull the petals out one by one and with the first said, “He loves me.” Then she would pull another and say, “He loves me not.” Then another, “He loves me.” Then another, “He loves me not.” Then another, “He loves me.” Then still another, “He loves me not.” Until she pulled the last petal, which ended in a shout with “He loves me!”

Have you ever heard of this game? The funny thing is that no matter how many petals that were on the flower or even if she said, “He loves me,’” after each time she pulled out a petal, it wouldn’t change the young man’s heart for the girl. But a lot of people feel as though they are playing the same game in wondering if God loves them or not. They just don’t know for sure if He really loves them. Or worse, they may think that maybe He doesn’t even care if they exist at all. Have you ever wondered if God loves you?

God wants you to be very sure of His love for you. He does not want one person in the entire world to ever have to wonder if He loves them. In order to make sure everyone would know His love He gave us His word. The Bible is the truth about God’s love for us. John 3:16 (see above), probably the most famous verse in the Bible, declares God’s love for us. God’s son is Jesus, and Jesus is a living example of God’s word. John 1:1 says that Jesus was the word and the word was God and verse 14 says that the word became flesh and came to live as a man. This was so that we would see God’s love in Jesus and through His death we might have everlasting life. So God tells us through the Bible and through Jesus that He loves us. We can be sure that He loves us because the Bible tells us so.

Do you know the song “Jesus Loves Me”? Part of it goes like this, “Yes, Jesus loves me, Yes, Jesus loves me, Yes Jesus loves me...The Bible tells me so!”

• Do you know for sure that God loves you?
• How does John 3:16 help you to understand God’s love for you?

Kid’s Bible Activity
As a family spend the next few minutes worshipping the Lord. You can sing “Jesus Loves Me” together or maybe “Lord I Lift Your Name on High.”

Day Five
Bats of the Bible
Text: John 3:19 -“And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” Also read John 3:19-21
Have you ever studied bats in school? One of the interesting things about bats is that they sleep all day, usually in a cave or dark place, and will only come out at night. That is when they look for food and do all of the other things that bats do. But one thing is for sure! Bats hate the light!

They will always return to their cave, or resting place before the sun comes up the next day. They can’t stand to be in the light. It is interesting also that there are some people described in the Bible who are a lot like bats. Let’s look them up and see what the Bible says.

The bats of the Bible are described in John 3:19-21. These verses say that light (Jesus) has come into the world, but there are people who love darkness instead of Jesus, because they practice or do evil things. People who make a habit out of doing evil are people who really hate the light (Jesus). They will not come to the light (Jesus) because they are afraid the light will expose their evil deeds. Sounds a lot like a bat! When the light comes you can find them hiding out somewhere in a dark place. God would have them come to Him and turn away from doing evil things, but unfortunately some people love what they are doing more that the light of Jesus. They reject Jesus, the life and light of the world.

When we follow Jesus and obey the commands of the Bible, we show people we love the light. Obeying God and living “Christ-like” are great examples to others that we love the light, we want nothing to do with darkness. What a wonderful life we can have in the light! Do you need to come into the light of God today? Are you willing to make Jesus your Lord and Savior? Come into His wonderful light today; don’t hang out in the darkness any longer.

• Have you ever seen a real bat?
• Why do most people who do evil want to do it in the darkness?
• Why is it so important to come into the light of Jesus?

Kid’s Prayer Time
This week we learned a lot about Jesus and His wonderful new birth that He offers each one of us. Let’s pray this week and thank Him for such a great salvation.

Memory Verse…
First and Second Grade
“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

Third Grade and Above “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

John 3:16

CHILDREN’S DEVOTIONS FOR THE WEEK OF: 9/7-9/13/08
LESSON TITLE: The Cleansing of the Temple
THEME: Jesus is worthy to be the Lord of our lives.
SCRIPTURE: John 2:13-22

Dear Parents…
Welcome to Bible Time for Kids! Bible Time for Kids is a series of daily devotions for children and their families. Our purpose is to supplement our Sunday morning curriculum and give you an opportunity to encourage your children to develop a daily devotional life. We hope you and your family will be blessed as you study God’s Word together.

This week in Children’s Church we learned about the time that Jesus cleansed the temple. The religious leaders in Jesus’ time were taking advantage of the people. They were actually stealing money from God’s people by charging them too much money for the things needed for them to worship at the temple. This made the people feel very bad about coming to the temple to worship God.

This upset Jesus very much. We are told that Jesus had a zeal for the house of the Lord. It wasn’t right for the leaders to steal from the people. Jesus took a whip and started to overturn the tables in the market area. Jesus was showing how important it is to not do anything that would keep people from knowing the Lord.

The section of scripture that we studied was John 2:13-22. The following five devotions are based on either the scripture and/or the theme for Sunday’s lesson. As a starting point it would be good for you to review these verses with your children.

These devotions are designed to help you reinforce Sunday’s lesson throughout the week with your children, provide some more ideas for the application of God’s Word in your children’s lives and provide a tool to help in family devotions.

Obviously children at various age levels will respond to the devotional in different ways. You may want to add your own ideas to these to make them more age appropriate.
May the Lord bless you as you study His Word together!

Day One
Behaving in God’s House
Text: 1 Timothy 3:14,15 - “These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” Also read John 2:13-16

Have you ever had a time when you just didn’t feel like behaving in Children’s Church? Maybe some of your friends were kind of acting up or making some jokes and it just looked like a lot of fun. Have you ever thought about why it is so important to behave when it is time to listen in church? We get to have a lot of fun and do all kinds of fun things, but there is a time when we need to get serious about learning God’s word.

The moneychangers in our story this week sure didn’t know how to behave in God’s house. They were taking advantage of the people who came to worship God, even stealing money from them. It got so bad that it wasn’t a very happy time when people came to the Temple to worship God. God wants His house to be a place of worship, a place where people can come and get to know Him, not a place where they would have their money stolen from them.

The church is God’s house today. Maybe joking or not listening to our teachers is not as serious as stealing from people, but it is still just as important to the Lord that people who come to church get to hear about Jesus and His love for them. It is important to obey and listen in church so that we won’t get in the way of others who need to hear the Bible story as much as we do. Maybe there is someone in your class who has never asked Jesus into their heart. Let’s look for ways to help others to get to know God better, not be a distraction. It is important for us to respect the things of the Lord.

• Why do you suppose it is important to the Lord how we act in His house?
• How were the moneychangers acting in God’s house?
• How do you think the Lord would want you to act in His house?

Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Moneychanger: People who would “trade” money from regular money to temple money so that they could purchase things for worship. They were known for robbing the people of money. Jesus drove them out.

Day Two
“Be Angry and Sin Not”
Text: Ephesians 4:26 - “Be angry, and do not sin:” do not let the sun go down on your wrath, Also read Ephesians 4:26-32

“I’m never going to speak to Katie again!” Joel boldly declared, “This is the final straw! I’m so mad I could just…just…” “Just forgive her?” Joel’s mom interrupted. “Well, that’s not quite what I had in mind,” Joel said. “She lost some pieces to my Monopoly game and not only that, she tore the corner of the box! Can you believe that? And I just got this game! What do you mean forgive her? Didn’t Jesus get mad one time and throw everyone out of the Temple? Well, I’d like to throw Katie out of my room!” “Before you do that,” mom replied, “let’s look at what really happened in the Temple that day.”

“Jesus definitely got angry that day, but it was a “right” anger. He had a good reason to be angry because the religious leaders at that time were turning God’s house into a place where thieves hung out, stealing from all of God’s people. Jesus had a ‘zeal’ or excitement about the things of God. He could not stand to see the religious leaders stealing from people who really loved God and wanted to worship Him.. He saw this terrible thing happening and took action to correct it. His anger was in no way a selfish anger, but was to help others.”

“Jesus still loved all of the people, and desired to forgive them. He even asked the Father to forgive those who put Him on the cross because He said they didn’t understand what they were doing. What love He has for us. What Jesus would have us to do is to forgive others as He has forgiven us. Ephesians 4:32 says, ‘And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.’”

Katie went up to Joel and said, “please forgive me for losing some of your game pieces. I’ll keep on looking real hard to try to find them.” “I forgive you,” Joel said, “I’ll help you to look for them.” “Doesn’t it feel better to make things right?” mom asked Joel. “It sure does!” Joel quickly responded.

• Tell about a time when you were angry. How did you handle it?
• Can you think of an example of what “right” anger would be?
• How does “right” anger compare with “selfish” anger?

Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Anger: Getting really mad about something.

Day Three
Raising Up the Temple
Text: John 2:19 -“Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’” Also read John 2:18-22

The religious leaders became pretty mad at Jesus when He cleared out the temple. This meant that their way of stealing money from the people was going to stop for a while. They wanted a sign from Jesus to prove He had the right to drive them out of the temple. In other words, what made Him the boss? Now, Jesus had already done a miracle at the wedding feast in Cana. That was where he turned water into wine. No doubt the religious leaders had already heard about this. But they still demanded a sign from Jesus.

Jesus gave them an amazing response. He told them that if they destroy this temple, then in three days Jesus would raise it up again. They did not understand what Jesus was saying to them. They thought that He was talking about the temple building, which took 46 years to build. They said there was no way that the temple could be rebuilt in three days. But that wasn’t the temple that Jesus was talking about. He was talking about the temple of His body. His statement never really made any sense to anyone, even His disciples didn’t understand until He had risen from the dead.

This was actually a prophecy that Jesus gave about His death and resurrection. That prophecy was the sign He gave them that He was God come in the flesh. He knew that one day His temple (body) would be destroyed, He would die on a cross. He also knew that three days later He would rise again from the dead. This would forever be a sign that Jesus is the Son of God and has every right in the world to come in and clear out the moneychangers. Jesus gave sign after sign to the religious leaders of His time. But they were blind and didn’t want to change. Even the sign of Him returning from the dead wouldn’t be enough for them to believe. It is sad that their hearts were so hard towards Jesus. Have you opened your heart up to Him?

• What was the sign that Jesus gave to the religious leaders?
• What temple was Jesus referring to?
• How did Jesus fulfill this promise of raising up the temple in three days?

Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Sign: Something used to show or prove something. Usually refers to a miracle in the Bible.

Day Four
We Are His Temple
Text: 1 Corinthians 6:19 -“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”
Also read 1 Corinthians 6:19,20

If you were to go to Jerusalem today you could go to the very place where the temple once stood. You can go to the same exact spot where the Israelites worshipped the Lord. You won’t see the temple though since it has long since been destroyed. In that old temple there was a place called the Holy of Holies, which was a special place inside the temple. Inside you would find the Ark of the Covenant. God had Moses build the Ark of the Covenant as a symbol of God’s presence with His special people, Israel. When Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem he put the Ark into the Temple in order to represent God’s presence with His people.

When Jesus came things changed in how God “dwells” or lives with His people. Instead of dwelling in a temple made with hands, God now dwells in each one of us who believe in Jesus. Your body is called the temple of the Holy Spirit, because He is living inside of you. God’s very presence lives inside of our hearts! What a wonderful thing! He helps us to live for Him and to choose to do what is right. He helps us to become more like Jesus.

But sometimes we have things in our hearts that need to be “cleared out” like the moneychangers we read about in John 2:13-22. Maybe it is a bad attitude towards someone else, or maybe we are refusing to forgive someone. Well, Jesus will sometimes need to come and clear all of that out of our temple. Sometimes it may not always be fun while He is doing it, but anything He ever does is always for our good. All of our lives we will continually need to have Jesus work in us to become more like Him. What a blessing it is that He is willing to do that for us. Praise the Lord!

• What city was the temple in during Jesus’ time?
• When God dwells with His people today, where does He live?
• What does the Lord do in our temples?

Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Temple: God’s dwelling place, a place of worship. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Day Five
A Living Sacrifice
Text: Romans 12:1 -“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” Also read Romans 12:1,2

We’ve learned a lot about temples this week. We learned about the temple where Jesus drove out the moneychangers, and we learned that our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit. Romans 12:1 tells us that we do not belong to ourselves anymore. When we believe in Jesus, we belong to the Lord, and need to present ourselves to the Lord to serve Him. God has a purpose and plan for our lives and He wants to use us for His glory. We can bring the Lord glory in our temple.

We get to have the opportunity to present ourselves to the Lord to serve Him. What do you suppose that the Lord would have you to do? Don’t think that you are too young to be used by the Lord. There are a lot of examples in the Bible where God used some very young people to do some very great things. Just continue to follow Him and He will show you what His plan is for your life.

Have you ever thought much about what you want to do when you grow up? You can start asking now what Jesus would like for you to do with your life. There is no telling how many other people you can share the love of Jesus with whenever your life is submitted to the Lord. Whatever you choose to do in your life, make sure to include the Lord in your plans and He will help you to accomplish exactly what He has for you. And you will have a very “blessed” life.

• According to Romans 12:1 what should we present our bodies as?
• Do you know what plans the Lord has for you as you grow in Him?
• Why is it so important to include the Lord in our plans?

Kid’s Prayer Time
This week as you pray, thank the Lord that He has given you eternal life. That He chooses to dwell in our temples and helps to clear things out from time to time in our hearts. Ask Him to help you to know what His plans are for your life and to help you to present yourself to Him to do all that He asks.

First and Second Grade
“Then His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.’”

Third Grade and Above
“Then His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.’”

CHILDREN’S DEVOTIONS FOR THE WEEK OF: 8/31-9/6/2008
LESSON TITLE: Jesus Turns Water into Wine
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 4:1-11

THEME: Jesus is the joy of our salvation.

Dear Parents…
Welcome to Bible Time for Kids! Bible Time for Kids is a series of daily devotions for children and their families. Our purpose is to supplement our Sunday morning curriculum and give you an opportunity to encourage your children to develop a daily devotional life. We hope you and your family will be blessed as you study God’s Word together.

This week in Children’s Church we learned about Jesus turning water into wine. The theme was “Jesus is the joy of our salvation.” It’s exciting to know that God’s gift of salvation can bring us eternal joy. We can find joy in the Lord when we meet with Him each and every day. Great News!!!

Acknowledging Him in everything we do prepares our heart for a wonderful relationship with Him. There will be many times when we will not understand why or how Jesus is working within us. But like Mary, Jesus’ mother, in our story this week we must trust and obey in Him for all things. Jesus is the joy of our salvation.

The section of scripture that we studied was John 2:1-12. The following five devotions are based on either the scripture and/or the theme for Sunday’s lesson. As a starting point it would be good for you to review these verses with your children.

These devotions are designed to help you reinforce Sunday’s lesson throughout the week with your children, provide some more ideas for the application of God’s Word in your children’s lives and provide a tool to help in family devotions.

Obviously children at various age levels will respond to the devotional in different ways. You may want to add your own ideas to these to make them more age appropriate.

May the Lord bless you as you study His Word together!


Day One
God is into Doing Miracles!
Text: John 2:23 -“Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.” Also read John 20:30-31

“It was amazing! Our dog, Spot, was running after a car and was struck by the rear wheels. Spot tumbled a couple of times and got up and ran over to the side. We all ran over to see if he was OK. He was not hurt at all! It’s got to be a miracle!”

Maybe at some time in your life you have had an experience like this. Times when you have seen something really awesome happen and you knew it was a miracle. Miracles are those events that seem to not have a natural explanation. Like when Jesus made the water into wine for the wedding in Cana. That just doesn’t happen apart from God getting involved. Whether something is big or small in our lives, “miracles” can happen all of the time. God is still very much doing miracles today. Let’s look at miracles in the Bible and see what they are like.

We see in the Bible that miracles were performed for specific purposes. God is an almighty God and He performs these miracles for reasons known to Him, not for showing off or because we want Him to. Miracles demonstrate God’s power. When we read about the miracles performed in the Bible we see God’s power demonstrated in a lot of people’s lives. When we look at Jesus’ miracles we see that He renewed people’s lives-----restoring sight, making the lame walk, even restoring life to the dead!

What awesome proof that Jesus is truly the Son of God. When the disciples saw these miracles happening all around them their belief in Him grew stronger. When Jesus was here, the miracles that He did were proof of who He claimed to be. The Bible also calls these acts mighty works, signs, and wonders. God is still doing miracles today. He is changing people’s lives every day. Has He changed your life?

• What is your favorite miracle that Jesus performed?
• Do you know anyone who has had a miracle performed in their life?
• Can you think of 3 other miracles that Jesus performed in the Bible?

Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Miracle: An unusual happening that cannot be explained by nature or science; something only God can do.


Day Two
A Different Plan
Text: John 2:5 -“His mother said to the servants, ‘Whatever He says to you, do it.’ Also read John 2:1-11, Proverbs 3:5-6

Mary was Jesus’ mother and she submitted to His ways of doing things. Mary did not understand everything about Jesus but she knew that He was more than her human son; He was the Son of God. Mary did not know if Jesus was going to perform a miracle but she did know that He was capable of many things and she put her trust in Him. She told the servants to do whatever Jesus was to ask of them. Mary was aware that a problem existed; there was no more wine at the wedding party. Instead of trying to solve the problem on her own, she submitted to Jesus and allowed Him to deal with it as He sees best.

When you have a problem do you try to deal with it on your own? Or do you bring your problem to Jesus so that He can deal with it as He sees best? When we bring our problems to Jesus, we may think we know how He should take care of them. But He may have a completely different plan for us. Like Mary we should submit and allow Him to deal with the problem as He sees best.

When you read Proverbs 3:5-6 you will see that we should not only bring our problems to Jesus, but we should acknowledge Him in everything, not just the things that trouble us. We need to turn every area of our life over to Him. Make Him a vital part of everything you do; then he will guide you because you will be working to accomplish His purposes. Remember your plan might not be His plan for your life.

• What are some ways that you can acknowledge Jesus in your life?
• Are you living your life according to your plan or His plan?
• Read Proverbs 3:5-6. If you acknowledge Christ in ALL things, where will He lead you?

Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Acknowledge: to make note of, or to give credit where it is due.
Plan: a goal that is being worked towards.
Submit: to give in to the authority, control, or choice of another.


Day Three
He is Joyous!
Text: John 15:11 -“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” Also read Psalm 16:11

There are a lot of things that can happen in our lives that give us great joy. Things like a new baby, a wedding, an exciting vacation, family reunion or a new friend. Joy makes our hearts feel good, even when we have problems in our lives. And others will see the joy in our hearts and wonder what it is that makes us full of joy. Jesus has experienced joy and sorrow. He knows what it is like to be joyous. And it is through Him that we can receive joy in our lives.

Joy is more than just a happy feeling though. Happiness can change depending on what is going on around us. Maybe I’m not so happy because my big brother is picking on me. But joy goes beyond that. It is peace and contentment even when things may not be going so well around me. A good way to remember what joy really is, is to remember that true joy is Jesus Overflowing in You. Remember the joy you experience from this world will eventually fail, but the joy He supplies will last forever. Be sure to invite Jesus to share in your joy and be obedient to His word.

In order to start your day out to be a joyous one, begin each morning with a conversation with the Lord. How can you have a conversation? Pray! Give your life to Him each day and ask Him to lead you in His paths. Next, read your Bible and devotion. By reading God’s word you grow in your relationship with Him. Don’t just read your Bible and then put it away but let the words sink into your heart and mind. Think about all that you have to be thankful for and ask the Holy Spirit to enrich your life with God’s truth. Don’t forget to stay in fellowship with other Christians. It is important to encourage others and to be encouraged by others. If you stay in contact with the Lord, He will continually be the joy of your life.

• Describe a joyous time in your life?
• Read Job 38:7; Matthew 2:10; Matthew 28:8; and Luke 24:52. Who was the cause of all that joy?
• Jesus Overflowing in You. Take the first bold letter from each word to make a new word.

Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Joyfulness: Deep inner gladness and delight that I may have even when things are not going well because Jesus is in my heart.


Day Four
Rejoice!
Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:16 - “Rejoice always.” Also read Acts 16:16-31

Mr. Wilson had been in the hospital for about 2 weeks now. Mrs. Wilson has been under a lot of stress because of her husband’s illness. There were a lot of things that Mrs. Wilson had to take care of. The family had their own business and Mrs. Wilson had to take care of their 3 children. The children helped her every night but the work continued to pile up causing Mrs. Wilson to worry. One day the youngest of the Wilson children walked into the room and shouted, “Mom, my jeans are dirty and my socks haven’t been washed yet, and…” Mrs. Wilson couldn’t handle it anymore. She broke down and began crying, while her children stood and watched.

Her middle son remembered the story about when Paul and Silas were in prison and began to sing Hymns. “Mom, can we just sing a hymn and praise the Lord?” “Sure we can,” Mrs. Wilson replied. The whole family began to sing a hymn and the pressure just seemed to lift. Even in the midst of difficult things, Mrs. Wilson learned that she can still rejoice in the Lord.

After reading Acts 16:16-31 you will see how that the Apostle Paul knew firsthand that problems in life can wear a person down, both physically and spiritually. But Paul knew the secret of finding joy in the middle of suffering. Where did Paul find joy? Read Philippians 4:4 and see where Paul finds joy.

Paul and Silas could have broken down and started crying or could have tried to break out of jail, but they had faith in Jesus and they rejoiced even when things looked bad. There is no dungeon deep enough, no night black enough, to block out the light of God’s love. What did Paul and Silas do? They began singing hymns of praise to God! What a great way to forget about the problems around you and to focus your attention on God! Let’s remember to praise the Lord even when times are difficult.

• How do you focus your attention on God when things around you are bad?
• Do you have a favorite hymn you sing when you want to praise the Lord?
• How can you be joyful in all circumstances?

Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Rejoice: Voicing glad or happy feelings; expressing joy or great delight


Day Five
Everlasting Joy
Text: Psalm 119:111 -“Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, for they are the rejoicing of my heart.” Also read John 15:9-11

In just a few minutes John will be standing on a stage competing for the finals in his school Spelling Bee. John has done well throughout the contest and now he has made it to the final round and is one of only two students who are left. Mary gets the first word and she attempts to spell it, she misses it by one letter. John is excited, he knows the word! John has been working so hard for this competition. At last, it’s his turn, he spells the word correctly and John is crowned the new spelling bee champion for Templeton Elementary School. John and his family are radiating with excitement.

When John woke up the next morning he noticed that he wasn’t as excited as he was when he won the Spelling Bee. He was so happy when he won. He was still happy about his winning, but the excitement had kind of worn off. John would be back into his same old routine today. He wondered if anyone would remember how well he had done the day before. Happiness can come and go, but only the joy that the Lord gives remains.

Joy comes in many shapes and sizes, but the joy Jesus spoke of is a constant supply, a steady flow, and not just a series of surprises. Jesus went through some difficult times that tested his joy, but the Bible says that Jesus was anointed “with the oil of joy” (Hebrews 1:9). He experienced joy in every circumstance of His life. We can experience joy by obeying God’s commands. When we are disobedient and rebellious there is no room for joy in our heart. We use up all of our energy being angry! Remember that the person who obeys God can be confident and happy, rewarded with joy.

• Does your joy last all day long or does it depend on whether or not things are going the way you want them to?
• Find John 15:9-11. Can you discover two reasons why Jesus was a “joy-full” person?
• How can you be a “joy-full” person?

Kid’s Prayer Time
There is a lot that we can be thankful for. This week when you pray you can thank the Lord for His death on the cross. We have a gift of salvation given to us just by asking. Jesus is the joy of our salvation.

Memory Verse
First and Second Grade
“This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and showed His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.”

Third Grade and Above
“This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.”

John 2:11

CHILDREN’S DEVOTIONS FOR THE WEEK OF: 8/24-8/30/2008
LESSON TITLE: Jesus is Tempted
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 4:1-11

THEME: God’s Word in our heart keeps us from sinning.


Dear Parents…
Welcome to Bible Time for Kids! Bible Time for Kids is a series of daily devotions for children and their families. Our purpose is to supplement our Sunday morning curriculum and give you an opportunity to encourage your children to develop a daily devotional life. We hope you and your family will be blessed as you study God’s Word together.

This week in Children’s Church we learned about the time when Jesus was tempted by Satan. We learned how that Jesus had to go through temptations just like we do sometimes. Satan wants us to turn away from God and do things that are wrong. He is a liar and only wants to destroy us. But we also learned that Jesus has defeated the enemy and helps us to resist him when he tries to tempt us to sin.

Our theme was: God’s word in our hearts keeps us from sinning. When Jesus resisted the temptation of Satan, He used God’s word all three times. If Jesus used God’s word how much more should we turn to God’s word to help us when we are tempted. We will see more this week in our devotions about how we need to look to God’s word for help in times of temptation.

The section of scripture that we studied was Matthew 4:1-11. The following five devotions are based on either the scripture and/or the theme for Sunday’s lesson. As a starting point it would be good for you to review these verses with your children.

These devotions are designed to help you reinforce Sunday’s lesson throughout the week with your children, provide some more ideas for the application of God’s Word in your children’s lives and provide a tool to help in family devotions.

Obviously children at various age levels will respond to the devotional in different ways. You may want to add your own ideas to these to make them more age appropriate.

May the Lord bless you as you study His Word together!


Day One
The Big Liar
Text: Genesis 3:4 -“And the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.” Also read Genesis 3:1-5

Has anyone ever lied to you before? It really makes you feel bad when you find out that you have been lied to. You have probably heard of the story of Adam and Eve and how that Satan had tempted Eve to sin by speaking through a serpent. Satan tempted Eve by telling her a lie. Satan is a liar, and he will do anything he can to keep us from serving the Lord—even, tell us lies. There are three things that Satan used to tempt Eve to sin. We can learn from them so that we can fight our enemy, Satan when he tries to lie to us.

The first thing that our enemy will try to do when he tempts us is to question God’s word. When the serpent came to Eve he said, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’” Satan will try to get us to question God’s word. He’ll ask, “Did God really mean what He said in the Bible?” Watch out when you hear this. Stick to God’s word and you won’t ever get into trouble.

The next thing he does when he tempts us is to tell us that if we sin, it won’t hurt us. That’s what he told Eve, but it turned out to be a complete lie. Because of her sin she became separated from God. The third thing that he will try to do is to get us to believe that disobeying God would be a good thing. He might tell us that we are missing out on something if we do not give in to sin. He convinced Eve to sin with his lies and he would like to convince us to sin also.


The next time that you are tempted to do something wrong, don’t listen to Satan’s lies. Listen to the truth of God’s word. God loves us very much and if we will just resist the enemy the Bible says that he will run away from us. God’s word is truth, walk in the truth! (Continued on Day Two…)

• Tell about a time that you were tempted to do something wrong. What did you do?
• What should you do if the enemy tells you that God’s word is not true?
• Can knowing more of God’s word help us to defeat the enemy?

Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Tempt: To try to make a person want to sin.


Day Two
Looking Out For the Big Three!
Text: Genesis 3:6 -“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” Also read 1 John 2:15-17

(Continued from Day One) When it comes to temptation, Satan’s lies aren’t the only thing that we need to watch out for. 1 John 2:15-17 gives us a strong warning that we need to watch out for our flesh, our eyes and the pride of life. Sometimes we might sin because we don’t feel like doing what is right. Maybe one day you don’t “feel” like doing your chores so you are tempted not to do them even though you know that you are supposed to. This is your flesh.

Sometimes you may see something that you want very badly but you know that you aren’t supposed to. An example is when you are told that you can’t have a cookie, you see them setting out, no one is looking so you are tempted to take one. This is the desire of the eyes. Other times you may be tempted to be mean to your little brother or sister because you are older and you know a lot more than they do. This is the pride of life. We are told that we need to be careful and watch out for these three things. They can be dangerous.

We see in Genesis 3:6 that these three things are what got Eve into trouble when she disobeyed God. First of all, she knew that the fruit was “good to eat” (desire of the flesh), then it was “pleasant to her eyes” (desire of the eyes) and then she saw that it was “desirable to make one wise” (pride of life - she wanted to be like God). So she took of the fruit and sinned.

We can learn from Eve’s mistake. Our flesh, eyes and pride may always try to tempt us to sin, but as we grow in the Lord and follow him more and more every day He will give us strength to say no to temptation. He will help us to do our chores when we don’t feel like it, or not take any cookies that we aren’t supposed to and even be nice to our little brother or sister when we don’t feel like it. Pray and ask the Lord to protect you from the Big Three things that can lead you into temptation.

• What can we learn from Eve’s sin in the garden?

Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Flesh: The bad part of human nature; evil desires.
Lust of the Flesh/Eyes: A craving or desire for what a person feels or sees.


Day Three
Jesus Understands
Text: Hebrews 4:15 -“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Also read Hebrews 2:18

Have you ever known someone who got really sick? Maybe they had to stay in bed and couldn’t play with their friends or go outside. How did you feel for that person? You probably “sympathized” with them. Sympathy means that you feel bad for someone else because they are hurting in some way. The Bible says that Jesus can sympathize with our weaknesses. Even though Jesus was God, He came to this Earth as a man. Because He was a man, He knows what it is like to be a man. He knows all of the areas that we are weak in and how we might make mistakes or fail. He also knows what it is like to be tempted.

As Christians we will still have temptations to sin or to do things wrong. When Jesus was here He knew exactly what that was like. Three different times Satan came to Jesus and tried to get Him to sin. Because Jesus went through this, He can understand when we pray and ask Him to help us when we are tempted. Jesus never gave in to Satan or his tricks. He fought back whenever he was tempted by telling Satan the word of God. Through God’s word Satan was defeated, and he will be defeated in our lives by knowing and living by God’s word.

Jesus loves us very much and knows everything we are going through. We can pray to Him for help whenever we are being tempted. He promises to help us. We can trust in the Lord because He always has our best at heart. We shouldn’t be discouraged when we are tempted. We know that Jesus understands exactly what we are going through and will help us.

• Think about a time when you “sympathized” for someone else. Maybe a family member or friend. Describe what that was like.
• Based on Jesus’ example what are some ways that you can combat temptation?
• How does it help you to know that Jesus understands your weaknesses?

Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Sympathize: Being able to understand what someone else is going through.


Day Four
More Than I Can Take!
Text: James 4:7 -“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Also read 1 Corinthians 10:13

Jared always struggled with his spelling. On examination day he was stumped by many difficult words. Softly the tempter whispered, "Look at Jane's paper; she's an honor student and always gets them right!" Jared heeded the suggestion and copied several answers. The teacher noticed his actions and was greatly surprised, for she had always thought of him as an honest boy. When it came time to collect the completed work, she observed that Jared was struggling inside. After bowing his head for a moment, he suddenly tore up his paper. Although at first he had given in to temptation, he finally decided to take a zero rather than be dishonest. Calling Jared to her desk, the teacher said, "I was watching you, Jared, and I want you to know that I'm very proud of you for what you did just now. Today you really passed a much greater test than your spelling test!"

Sometimes temptation can be very strong. But if we trust in the Lord, He will deliver us out of temptation. The Bible says that God will not allow us to be tempted more than what He knows that we can handle. It also says that with every temptation He will also provide a way of escape. Isn’t it great to know that God loves us so much that He helps us to obey Him and gives us the strength to say no to temptation?

The next time you are tempted remember that it is a lie if you believe that you “have to give in.” God has given you a way of escape if you will only go to Him and ask Him to help you. If we will resist the Devil, then the Bible promises that he will run away from us! Like Jared, remember that it is always better to do what is right and say no to temptation.

• What was the “greater test” that Jared’s teacher told him that he passed?
• What are some ways that you can combat temptation?
• How does it help you to know that Jesus understands your weaknesses?

Kid’s Bible Challenge
The next time that you are tempted to do anything that goes against God’s Word, stop, pray and ask Him to deliver you. See what happens when you put your trust in the Lord.


Day Five
Memory Madness!
Text: Psalm 119:11 -“Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” Also read Psalm 119:9-16

“What’s the memory verse?! I have to find out! It’s almost time for Bible Club to start!” Joel was frantic. He knew that it was almost time for Calvary Kids’ Bible Club and he hadn’t worked on his memory verse all week long. Now he was going to have to memorize it quickly so that he would not lose any points. “What’s all of the commotion in here?” Mom asked. “I have to find my workbook, which has my memory verse for Kids’ Club.” Joel was looking under his pillow and in his toy box. “What did I do with that workbook?” Joel asked out loud.

Mom left the room and returned a few moments later with the workbook in hand. “Is this what you were looking for?” Joel’s eyes lit up and he shouted “Yes! Where did you find it?” “Well, it was right where you left it last Wednesday night, the back seat of our car,” Mom said. “Oh yeah,” Joel responded. “I remember now, I forgot to bring it in.”

Mom sat down next to Joel as his breathing started to return to normal and he started to calm down. “Why do you suppose that we memorize scripture each week?” “To get a patch!” Joel quickly replied. “Well, it’s not just to get a patch. Memorizing the word helps us not to sin. It’s how Jesus fought temptation when He was tempted by the Devil in the wilderness. Memorizing Bible verses is very important so that we can make the right choices whenever the enemy wants us to do wrong.” “Thanks Mom,” Joel said, “next week I’ll remember to start earlier and work on the verse all week.” “What if we learn it together?” Mom said. “Sounds great!” replied Joel.

• Why do we memorize Bible verses?
• What should Joel have done differently?
• What are some ways that you work to memorize Bible verses?


Kid’s Prayer Time
This week as you pray, ask the Lord to help you overcome temptation. Remember that the Lord will not allow us to be tempted more than we can handle, and He will help us to escape. Ask the Lord to help you to always see that way of escape.


Memory Verse
First and Second Grade
“Our High Priest is able to understand our weaknesses because He was tempted as we are, but did not sin.”

Third Grade and Above
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

Hebrews 4:15

CHILDREN’S DEVOTIONS FOR THE WEEK OF: 8/17-8/23/2008
LESSON TITLE: John Baptizes Jesus
SCRIPTURE: Mark 1:1-11

THEME: Jesus is the Son of God.


Dear Parents…
Welcome to Bible Time for Kids! Bible Time for Kids is a series of daily devotions for children and their families. Our purpose is to supplement our Sunday morning curriculum and give you an opportunity to encourage your children to develop a daily devotional life. We hope you and your family will be blessed as you study God’s Word together.

This week in Children’s Church we learned about John the Baptist baptizing Jesus. This was when Jesus began his public ministry. He began by being baptized in order to “fulfill all righteousness.” Jesus never had any sin, but He is our example. He was baptized in order to demonstrate to us that it is the right thing to do.

He also showed us a picture of what baptism is. It pictures His death, burial and resurrection from the dead. It also pictures newness of life. We also see in this story the theme of our Sunday lesson which is “Jesus is the Son of God.” After Jesus was baptized the Father spoke from heaven declaring that Jesus is His Son. Over the next five days we will continue to look at these great truths and others. Get ready for a fun week of learning God’s word.

The section of scripture that we studied was Mark 1:1-11. The following five devotions are based on either the scripture and/or the theme for Sunday’s lesson. As a starting point it would be good for you to review these verses with your children.

These devotions are designed to help you reinforce Sunday’s lesson throughout the week with your children, provide some more ideas for the application of God’s Word in your children’s lives and provide a tool to help in family devotions.

Obviously children at various age levels will respond to the devotional in different ways. You may want to add your own ideas to these to make them more age appropriate.

May the Lord bless you as you study His Word together!


Day One
The Voice, The Son and The Dove
Text: Mark 1:10,11 -“And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, ‘You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’” Also read 2 Corinthians 13:14

When you are baptized the pastor will baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This is called the Trinity. There is only one God, but He reveals Himself in three different ways (or persons) – the Father, the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit. At Jesus’ baptism, we see all three persons of the Trinity together. Sometimes, looking at pictures, helps us to understand what something is. Let’s look at a couple of pictures to see if we can perhaps understand the Trinity a little bit better.

First, think of a big, gooey, juicy, apple or berry pie. Now let’s take and cut the pie into three equal pieces. Now from the outside of the pie we can clearly see 3 pieces. But if we were to peel off the crust we would see that the gooey, juicy insides were still all mixed together as one. This is kind of like God. On the outside we can see Him in three different persons. But there is still only one God. Of course no picture is perfect, but they help us to understand things about the Lord.

OK, let’s try one more. Think with me if you will about water. Water can come in three different forms yet each form is still water. The first would be ice. Ice is frozen water. The second is liquid, or just regular water. The last is steam. If you boiled a pot of water you would eventually see steam come out of the spout of the kettle. All three are equally water, but in three different forms.

We can never fully understand the Trinity, but the Bible clearly teaches it. At Jesus’ baptism we see all three persons in the Trinity come together. Jesus is being baptized, the Father speaks from heaven and the Spirit descends upon Jesus as a dove. God loves us and He sent His Son to die for us and He gave us His Spirit to help us to live for Him. Thank You Lord!

• As a family, look up and discuss the following verses on the Trinity: Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Peter 1:2.

Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Trinity: The teaching in the Bible that God reveals Himself in three persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.


Day Two
Baptized With the Holy Spirit
Text: Mark 1:8 -“I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Also read Acts 2:1-4

The story in Mark chapter one tells us of John baptizing Jesus in the river Jordan. John baptized people in water. When John baptized people they were showing their friends and family that they were repenting of their sins and turning to God. When we are baptized in water we are also showing our friends and family that we have turned away from our sins and are asking Jesus to be the Lord of our lives.

John the Baptist said that when Jesus came that He would baptize people with the Holy Spirit. What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit? Well let’s take a look at the story of the disciples given to us in the Bible (Acts 2:1-4). Jesus’ followers were praying and waiting on the power of God that Jesus promised would come upon them so that they could be witnesses of Jesus to the world. While they were praying the Holy Spirit came upon them. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and received power to be witnesses for Jesus.

So what happens when I am baptized with the Holy Spirit? Well let’s use an example. Say there is an empty glass on a table and a large pitcher of water next to it. The glass represents your life and the pitcher of water represents the Holy Spirit. If I were to take the pitcher and pour the water into the glass until is was full, then we could say that is what it is like to be filled with the Holy Spirit. When we become Christians the Holy Spirit enters “into” our hearts. Now let’s say I take the pitcher and pour more water into the glass until it overflows and pours all over the table. This is what happens when we are baptized with the Holy Spirit. We are filled up to overflowing. The Holy Spirit comes “upon” us and we overflow with the Holy Spirit. He gives us the power to live for Him and to be a witness for Him. Others come into contact with Him instead of us! The Bible says that we can just ask Jesus to give us His Holy Spirit and He will do it (Luke 11:11-13).

• What happened when Peter preached after being baptized with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:41)?
• Have you asked for the Holy Spirit to come upon you to help you to be a witness for Jesus?


Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Baptism with the Holy Spirit: When the Holy Spirit comes “upon” us to empower us for service and to live for Jesus.


Day Three
Why Do We Do What We Do?
Text: Mark 1:10 -“And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.” Also read 2 Kings 5:1-17

Have you ever been to a water baptism service? Or have you have been baptized yourself at some time? What did you see at the baptism? There were people going into the water to be dipped into the water and brought back out by a pastor. There are a lot of places where people can be baptized. John the Baptist baptized in the Jordan River. Pastor Chuck Smith has baptized thousands in the Pacific Ocean. Pastor Damian baptizes people in swimming pools. Some churches may have their own tanks in the church building they worship in. But wherever people are baptized, the common thing for all of them is water. Another common part of baptism is being immersed or dunked under the water. But why do we use water? And why are we dunked? Why do we do what we do?

The Bible often refers to the Holy Spirit as being like water. As we use water to wash our bodies on the outside the Holy Spirit washes us on the inside. Water represents a cleansing. When we are baptized we look at the water as an example of God washing our sins away.

In the Old Testament (2 Kings 5:1-17), there was a commander in the army of Syria that had leprosy. Leprosy is a physical picture of sin. He was told that if He went and washed in the Jordan seven times that God would heal him. He did and God healed his leprosy. Baptism in water is like Namaan washing in the Jordan. It is an outside picture of what God has done for us on the inside through accepting Jesus into our hearts.

The reason why we see people get immersed under water and brought back up is another picture on the outside of what God has done on the inside. The picture is that of being dead in sin and being resurrected into new life. When we go under the water it represents Jesus’ death on the cross and when we come up it represents His resurrection from the dead. If you have asked Jesus into your heart and have never been baptized, pray and ask the Lord about being baptized when the next opportunity comes.

• What does the water in baptism picture?
• What does going under and coming back up out of the water picture?

Kid’s Bible Dictionary
Baptism: To be immersed in water to show others that the Lord has come into your heart and has given you new life.


Day Four
One Sunday Night
Text: Acts 8:36 -“Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, ‘See here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?’” Also read Acts 8:26-39

One Sunday night, many years ago I put on a white robe, and stood in line with a few other people whom I can’t remember. I stood waiting for my name to be called. When I was asked to come forward, I stepped down into a large tank of water. The water was comfortably warm so I had no problem with it lapping up against my chest. When I went into the water, Pastor Ken greeted me. Pastor Ken asked me a few questions about being a Christian. After answering the questions I closed my eyes and put my hand over my nose. Then Pastor Ken leaned my body backward until my whole body went under the water. Then he brought me back up into the standing position. As I came out of the water I could hear the clapping of hands for a brief celebration. I had just been baptized in water.

Water baptism is usually one of the first things we learn about when we become a Christian. It was the first thing that the Ethiopian Eunuch did after he received Jesus. He wanted to find some water and get baptized as soon as possible to show his new faith in Jesus.

People have been gathering together for water baptism for two thousand years. John the Baptist began baptizing people during the time of Jesus. In fact, John baptized Jesus. There have been thousands or maybe even millions of people who have been baptized in water over the years. Who are all of these people? And what do they all have in common? Well all of the people who have been baptized were Christians (followers of Jesus). A person gets baptized to make a public stand for Jesus. Water baptism is an example on the outside of what has happened to us as Christians on the inside.

• What was the first thing the Ethiopian Eunuch wanted to do after being saved?
• What is the next thing we should do after getting saved?

Kid’s Bible Challenge
If you have been saved, and have not been baptized in water, pray and see if this is what the Lord would have you to do.


Day Five
Bird Dog for Jesus
Text: John 1:7 -“This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.” Also read Matthew 5:16

My father and I used to go bird hunting. We went to a club that has a lot of land where you could hunt for the birds. We had a whole season to hunt, but could only get 36 birds. Well we hunted and hunted until the season was almost over but we had only found four birds. We looked and looked but could not find those birds anywhere. We looked in the grass and they would hide from us. We would walk right by them without finding them. Finally we decided if we were ever going to get the rest of our birds we needed someone who could point us to the birds. The last day we hunted we hired a man who had some trained bird dogs. His name was Easy Pickens and his two dogs could smell the birds. They would sniff their way to the birds and when they found them in the grass they would stop and point their nose at the birds. Well we got the rest of our birds in one day. Those dogs pointed to every bird that was hidden from our view.

John the Baptist was like a bird dog. He came out of the wilderness where he ate locusts and wild honey. He wore a coat of camel skin. He preached to people to repent of their sins. And he pointed the way to Jesus. John 1:7 says about John that he came for a witness, to bear witness to the light, that all through Him might believe. John was a pointer to Jesus. Jesus is the light of the world and John pointed to Him as the Savior of the world.

Jesus tells us to be pointers for him. We are not supposed to hide the truth about Jesus but be a pointer to Jesus, the Light of the world. Jesus is a light in our life and it is to shine out into a dark world of lost people. We don’t want to point to ourselves or to anyone else. We should only point to Jesus. We need to be more like a good bird dog for Jesus.

• Have you ever seen a bird dog?
• How was John the Baptist like a bird dog?
• How can we point others to Jesus?

Kid’s Prayer Time
If you have never been water baptized, first make sure that you have asked Jesus to come into your heart, then pray and ask the Lord to show you about being water baptized. God Bless You!



Memory Verse
First and Second Grade
“Then a voice came from heaven, ‘You are My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.’”

Third Grade and Above
“Then a voice came from heaven, ‘You are My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.’”

Mark 1:11