Devotion Time - Day 24

Hi there! I got a little mixed up in yesterday's post and realised that this one is to occur on Good Friday, not yesterdays one! The devotion time yesterday was to focus more on Jesus time praying in the garden and his arrest, saving the crucifixion part of the story for today! Oh well! I hope it doesn't cause too many problems for families using this. Have fun and Enjoy Celebrating Jesus!


Day 24


Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 19
“The sun stops shining” in The Jesus Story Book Bible p. 302


Treasure Hunt Resources: A hammer and nails and Ingredients for resurrection cookies.


Beginning Activities/ Chat: After the children have found the treasure spend some time revising what we read yesterday and ask the children what they think might be going to happen next. Read the story together and put the stickers in the next section of the sticker book.  The hammer and nails might be useful visual tools for the story. 


The Jesus Storybook bible p. 302 or The Beginner’s Bible p. 450

Questions:                                           

1.        What did the soldiers make Jesus do? (Wear a crown of thorns and carry a big heavy cross and then they made fun of Him)

2.        What did the soldiers do to Jesus up in the hill? (They nailed his hands and feet to the cross and crucified Him)

3.        Had Jesus done anything wrong? (No)

4.        Why did Jesus let the soldiers nail him to the cross? ( Jesus knew that it was all part of God’s perfect plan to rescue us and to forgive us, so that we could be friends with God again)

5.        Where did they take Jesus once he had died? (They put Jesus’ body in a tomb and rolled a big rock in front of it and left a guard outside of it)

After reading the story make some Resurrection Cookies with the kids (recipe here) and talk through the story again.
Or if preferred you could use some of the cross craft ideas from yesterday to make while discussing the story further with your children.


Prayer:
Dear King Jesus, how scary it must have been for you to die like that. Thank you for being prepared to die for us so that all our sins and bad things we do could be forgiven. Please help us to live every day of our lives for you. Keep teaching us from your word, the bible, and help us to grow closer to you each day. Amen.


Memory Verse Activity:
Continue to practice the song/actions.


You could use this Great visual lesson to talk about Jesus and why we needed Him to come and rescue us and why God needed to give His only Son! Maybe you could make the pieces more jigsaw shaped to make it harder, or write the memory verse out on them so that it comes together when the “gap” is bridged by Jesus and His great love for us on the cross!


Written and Compiled by Kate McIntosh, April 2012

Devotion Time - Day 23

Hi there!! Here is the next devotion! I hope and pray it helps your families to turn your eyes and hearts towards Jesus in a new way this Easter. God Bless xo


Day 23


Matthew 26-27, Mark 14-15, Luke 22-23, John 18-19
 “Jesus is arrested and Crucified” p. 446 in The Beginner’s Bible


Treasure Hunt Resources: The Peek-a-bible “The Easter Story” or another children’s Easter story for your collection!, T-Bags and matches


Beginning Activity: Read the treasure hunt book together and talk particularly about the next part of the Easter story – that is Jesus praying in the garden and being arrested.  The next section of the sticker book could be done too.


Beginner’s Bible, p.446-449 or The Jesus Storybook Bible p.294 are also worth reading, going into more depth about this part of the story.
IN THIS TRUE STORY FROM THE BIBLE WE CAN SEE THAT JESUS WAS AFRAID, BUT TRUSTED GOD AND HIS PERFECT PLAN TO USE JESUS AS OUR RESCUER.


Questions:

1.        What did Jesus do in the garden that night? (He spent time praying and talking to God, telling him he was afraid and asking for another way to be the rescuer and then coming to peace with God’s perfect plan in the end)

2.        Who came into the garden later that night? (Judas and the soldiers)

3.        What did they come to do? (arrest Jesus and take Him away)

Ask the children what they think the tea bags might be for? It could be fun to talk through the significance of the Easter story again with the children using T-Bags – see attached instructions.


If you have children who enjoy craft you might like to create something focussing around the cross. Such as:

 A stained glass effect of three crosses on a hill, a light ray cross with oil pastels, a stained glass egg with cross in the middle, a coin cross - "paid in full"
Sorry I couldn't the pictures to come up to show you. There are thousands of other great ideas out there in cyber space too!


Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you so much for having a perfect plan to rescue us through Jesus. Thank you that He died in our place so that we could be forgiven. Please help us to understand just how amazing that is this Easter.  Amen.


Memory Verse Activities:
Continue to practice the song/actions.


Together make a resurrection garden in a pot. Talk about some of the details of the story as you make it and the fact that Jesus had to die for us, to rescue us, and also because of his great love for us. We are more loved by Him than I think we’ll ever be able to imagine! As you finish making the garden decorate a flag to put in the garden or a strip to wrap around the pot, with the memory verse written on it. Make the connection with the children between the Easter story and the love of God for us that he would give His son, just so that we could be friends with Him again and be able to live forever with Him in heaven one day!


Here are the instructions for "The gospel according to a tea bag" as well! It's really quite clever!!


Written and Compiled by Kate McIntosh, April 2012

Devotion Time - Day 22

Hi there! We've been busy having birthday celebrations in this house today for my amazing husband! So I'm sorry to post this so late in the day again. Hopefully tomorrow will be better! Enjoy!


Day 22


Matthew 26:17-29, Mark 14:12-25, Luke 22:7-19, John 13-14
“The last supper” p. 442 in The Beginner’s Bible


Treasure Hunt Resources: Things needed to cook a Passover meal for the family and “The first Easter” puzzle book.


Beginning Activity/Chat: Once the treasure has been found look at all the cooking things needed to make a Passover meal for the family and talk about how in the last few days before Jesus died he had a very important last meal with his special friends, his disciples. At this dinner he told his friends what was going to happen to him and explained why it had to happen, so that they would understand and not be afraid.


Read “The last supper” in The Beginners Bible pg. 442 or The Jesus Storybook Bible pg. 292 to help the kids understand what happened and to give them some understanding of the significance of sharing a family Passover meal.


Cook and share a Passover meal together as a family. While the kids are waiting for it to cook read and do the puzzles in the book from the treasure hunt and put the stickers in the next section of the Easter sticker book.


Questions:

1.        What did Jesus do with his special friends? (He had a meal with them called the Passover meal)

2.        What did Jesus tell his disciples during the dinner? (That he was going to die so we could be rescued and not to be afraid.) The Jesus Storybook has a great and very clear explanation for kids of this!

Prayer:
Thank you Lord Jesus, that you came to earth to die for us so that we could be rescued. Thank you for taking the punishment for all the wrong things we do. Please help us to always trust in you and live our lives praising you. Amen.


Memory Verse Activities:
Continue to practice the song/actions.


If you’d like you could hide pieces of paper with the words/sections of the verse under the plates, inside a bread roll..... and as a family “find” your words and see if you can put them back together in order again as you eat!


Written and Compiled by Kate McIntosh, April 2012.

Devotion Time - Day 21

Hi! So here is the next devotion...a little later in the day than I planned, but here at last! Enjoy!!


Day 21


John 13:3-30
 “Washing the disciples’ feet” p. 437 in The Beginner’s Bible


Treasure Hunt Resources: A bucket of warm water and a washer and “My first story of Easter” by Tim Dowley, or another similar Easter picture book– just to build up an Easter book collection and reinforce the story.


Beginning Activity/Chat: Have a look at the bucket and towels from the treasure hunt and ask the children to have a guess as to what they might be for? Explain that in today’s true story from the bible we are going to see Jesus being a true servant to his friends. Spend some time washing each other`s feet and while doing so talk with the kids about how Jesus does this in the story and why he did it. Discuss how back in those days there were no footpaths or sealed roads and how it was warm where they lived and that they mostly just wore sandals or thong like shoes. As a result the people s feet often got very dirty and dusty and needed washing. It was a servants job to do the washing, so it was a big statement Jesus was making by telling his disciples to sere each other in such a way. Are our feet sometimes smelly? Do you think it might have been a nice job to wash other people’s dirty feet?


IN THIS TRUE STORY FROM THE BIBLE JESUS TEACHES US HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO LOVE AND SERVE EACH OTHER IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
Read “Washing the disciples’ feet” from The Beginner’s Bible, p.437 or pgs 286-291 of The Jesus Storybook Bible


Questions:

1.        What did Jesus do for his disciples in this story? (He washed their feet)

2.        Should Jesus be doing that job? (No)

3.        Why was it strange for Jesus to be washing their feet? (It was only the servants-the people working in the house- job to do that, and important people like Jesus shouldn’t be on their knees doing such a dirty job)

4.        Why did Jesus wash their feet? (To serve his friends and to show them how to love and look after each other, even when it might mean doing something they don’t like to do.)

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, Thank you for teaching and showing us how to love and serve each other. Please help us always to be looking out for our friends and family and ways that we can serve and love them like you would do. Amen.

Memory Verse Activities:

Continue to practice the song/actions.

If you are feeling game you could do some painting and making footprints with paint. You could make a cross with a few footprints going vertical and a single one horizontal. Once they are dry you could get the children to help you remember the memory verse and write it somewhere around their “foot” artwork and frame it for the wall to remind them during Easter of Jesus’ amazing love and sacrifice for us. You could also make many footprints in a row to write the words/sections of the verse on and play games with....

Written and Compiled by Kate McIntosh, April 2012

Devotion Time - Day 20

Hi there! Here is the next days devotion. I have a sneaking suspicion that somewhere along the way my counting was out because really this devotion should be for today, for Palm Sunday. I'm super sorry about that....and here I was thinking I was getting ahead.....oh well. Hopefully it doesn't muck up all your plans too much and you can still  be inspired to think of some creative ideas to do with your kiddos, and next year we'll have it all worked out!


Day 20


Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-40, John 12:12-19
Pages 1 & 2 in “My Very first Easter Story Sticker Book” or “The True King” in The beginner’s Bible p. 427


Treasure Hunt Resources: “My very first Easter Story” sticker book and some palm branches (made out of cardboard if nor real ones on hand!) and some coats.


Beginning Activity/ Chat: After the treasure has been found read pages 1 & 2 from “My very first Easter Story” sticker book. Use the palm branches and coats, have a go at acting out the story. Talk about how exciting it must have been for the people who were there to see Jesus ride into town, knowing that He was their promised Saviour.


If you can get some palm fronds you could also make a palm cross. Instructions here: http://www.kidssundayschool.com/Gradeschool/Crafts/1craft08.php


Questions:

1.        Who rode into Jerusalem? (Jesus)

2.        What did he ride on? (A donkey)

3.        Were the people excited to see Jesus? (Yes!)

4.        What did they do as Jesus rode towards them? (They waved branches and laid their coats on the road)

Prayer:
Thank you Lord God for sending Jesus and for teaching us about Him and all He did in the bible. Please help us to understand and know how much you love us this Easter as we read the Easter story each day and help us to be excited about Jesus being our Saviour too. Amen.


Memory Verse Ideas:
Continue practicing the song/actions.
You could make a palm leaf/palm cross banner with the memory verse words/sections written on each leaf and put them together in the right order. Or have palm leaves cut out of paper that the kids have to match up with pictures of coats that have the memory verse written on them. Or walk across with a toy donkey ....


Written and Compiled by Kate McIntosh, April 2012

Lazarus devotion in our house!

Here are some photos from the devotions about Lazarus! The boys were super excited to make our cave....it's been a while since we last did this! Can you tell?!

"Lazarus in!"

"Lazarus out!"

"Lazarus in!"

E as Lazarus!! They thought this was very funny!

S didn't last as Lazarus for as long before the paper started breaking!

A trail of destruction left after all the fun!

I wonder how this devotion went in your house and if your kids thought it was as much of a blast as ours did?! (& if you are still finding bits of toilet paper all around the house like I am?!)

Devotion Time - Day 19

....and here is another day! Hooray! I trust and pray that you are all enjoying the devotions and that your kids are learning more about Jesus and how precious we are to Him! xo


Day 19


Mark 14, Luke 7, John 12
“Washed with Tears” p. 280 in The Jesus Story Book Bible.


Treasure Hunt/ Resources: Some perfume or other similar beautiful smelling liquid! A bag for each child.


Beginning Activity/Chat: Save the perfume package until later and don’t open it. Discuss with the kids what precious means and what some of their most precious things they own are. Send them off with their bags to find their most precious (or favourite!) possession. When they are back look at them one by one and talk about why they are precious to them. Do they like sharing this with others? How would they feel if they had to give it away and not have it anymore?


Open the other package and look and smell the perfume. Talk about how back in the days when Jesus lived perfume was  expensive and precious to the people who owned it, so precious that they often just looked at it instead of using it.


In today’s true story from the bible we are going to read about a woman who had a precious jar of perfume and what she chose to do with it.


“Washed with Tears” in the Jesus Storybook Bible, p. 280
THIS TRUE STORY FROM THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT JESUS LOVES EVERYONE AND CAME TO FORGIVE US ALL – EVEN THE UNLOVABLE AND SINFUL PEOPLE.


Questions:

1.        Was the woman who came to see Jesus a good or a bad (naughty) person? (She was a bad person who had done a lot of wrong things)

2.        What did the woman do to Jesus? (She washed his feet with her tears and poured expensive perfume over them.)

3.        Did Jesus love and forgive the woman? (Yes! He saw into her heart and knew that she was honestly sorry and forgave her for all the things she’d done wrong.)

4.        Do we need to wash Jesus’ feet to be forgiven? (No we just have to pray and say we are sorry for the things we do that make him sad and ask him to forgive us and he promises that he will.)

Prayer:
Thank you Heavenly Father that you love us so much that you would send Jesus to die for us. Thank you that because he has died for us the wrong things we do that make you sad can be forgiven and we can be friends with you again. Please help us to love and trust you more and more each day. Amen.


Memory Verse Activity:
Continue practicing the song/actions.
You could make an artwork of some kind with the children showing what their precious thing was – or even of a cross – and write under/around it “I am precious to Jesus” and the memory verse could be included on it somewhere too! It could be a good discussion starter as we head into the week before Easter of the connection between what Jesus did for us at Easter, by dying for us and why He did it, because we are precious and incredibly loved by Him.


Written and Comiled by Kate McIntosh, March 2012.