Heartprints
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Powerful Love, Life Changing Love
In John 17:26 Jesus prays, “I made known your name to them, and I will continue to make it known, so that the love you have loved me with may be in them, and I may be in them.” What an amazing prayer He prayed for us in this priestly prayer. To those who have believed in Jesus, He has made known His name to us. Yet He promises the Father that He will continue to make it known. And, why will He do that? So that the very love that the Father loves the only begotten Son with might be in us and that He might be in us.…
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Teaching Kids to Focus on Strengths, Not Weaknesses
We’d all like to be good at everything—I know I would. But the truth is, we all don’t have the same gifting and talents, and unfortunately, we tend to compare our weaknesses to other people’s strengths. And with our current online promotion, social media culture, one can begin to feel bad about themselves because, “I just don’t feel good enough” at a very young age. When our youngest child was six years old, my husband and I put him on a T-ball team. Our whole family played softball, and we thought for sure he’d love it too. My husband, Mike, and I were the coaches. Excitement was in the air…
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God The Tester
Sunday School Chronicles Me: So, Jesus has fasted for 40 days and 40 nights in preparation for the pre battle royale with Satan. Satan comes out all big and bad ready to tempt Jesus. What does it mean to tempt? Student 1: It’s when someone tries to convince you to do something you’re not supposed to do. Me: I like that. What does it mean to test? Student 2: When your parent leaves the cookie jar out and tells you not to eat a cookie before dinner. Me: You’re close! Why do you get tests at school? Student 1: Because they want to see how we’re doing. Me: Exactly! God…
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Memorial Day, A Powerful Teaching Moment
Memorial Day is coming! How many homes and Sunday school classes will make the most of this teaching moment? History is full of memorials. This is a cultural teaching moment opportunity to train our children in the importance of remembering. If we don’t intentionally plan to remember, we won’t. If we don’t preserve what we remember, we forget the most important details, the meaning of the event, the lessons learned, the victories won. The Bible is full of memorials. From Jacob to the calling of Moses in Exodus, to set His people free and continuing throughout the Bible, God sets up memorials. In Genesis 31:45 we see Jacob setting up…
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Pointing Children To Their Strengths
Today our guest poster is Lucille Williams, who has written a children’s book: “Turtle Finds His Talent” is a wonderful addition to your children’s library. Pointing Children To Their Strengths by Lucille Williams When I was in elementary school I can remember feeling extreme panic when the teacher asked the class to read out loud. We would start at one end of the classroom, and as it got closer to my turn, panic would set in. I had trouble reading as a kid, and I’d stop at “small” words as I saw “big” words coming up. During the pause, I’d try to figure out the “big” word. All this to…
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You Can’t Lose His Love
Sunday School Chronicles Me: Is there anything you can do to make your parents not love you?Kids: (without hesitation) No.Me: Ok cool. Do you think there are people out there who think their parents would stop loving them?Kid 1: Yeah. I think there’s people out there who think that.Me: Can you do anything that would make God not love you anymore?Kids: (zero hesitation) No!Me: Exactly! There is absolutely nothing you can do to separate you from God’s love. Nothing. But there are people who don’t believe this. Some people belive that since they have sucky parents, then God must suck, too. Good or bad, people think God is just like…
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Living the Resurrection Life
How does one get past the tendency to just celebrate the date and instead, learn how to live a life of resurrection celebration?
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Are you trying to hide from God?
Judges 6-7 Why is it that we think we must be the strongest, bravest, and wisest for God to use us? We are not all heroes like David, the shepherd who took down Goliath. Some of us are like Gideon, who, when afraid, hid in the wine press! King Solomon understood that some of us are more like Gideon than David, Joshua, or even like Caleb. Yes, King Solomon understood this clearly. Listen to his counsel: Ecc 9:11 Again, I observed this on the earth: The race is not always won by the swiftest, the battle is not always won by the strongest; prosperity does not always belong to those…
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Spiderman with a Heart for God
Sunday School Chronicles Me: Any of y’all got older siblings? Kids: *multiple hands fly up* Yes! Me: Do they ever treat you like your voice doesn’t matter? Kids: Ugh!!!! Yeah! Me: I get it! I’m the baby too and it sucks. I’m sorry to tell you this. You will always be the baby. Let me tell y’all about the most powerful baby out there. King David was the baby just like you. But let’s start with his pre-king days. Saul is the current king. He’s trash. “Sin” is his first, middle, and last name. He sins for fun, when he’s hungry, and sins before bed. So God is like, “First…
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God is looking and listening
Children are our precious resources to raise to lead and be a light in the darkness of this world. As teachers and parents, we are tasked with raising them to honor God, and it is even more evident now how Satan is busier than ever! He is reaching into the hearts of our children. He is infiltrating our families, our schools, and our media. Whether a parent or a teacher, we are called to be careful how we walk, not as unwise but as wise. [Eph 5:15] As Paul wrote to the Ephesians, he commanded them to “be imitators of God.” [Eph 5:1] That is the task before us. How…
