Heartprints
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Let’s Eat!
Growing up in my family, some of the most wonderful and enjoyable times were spent around a dinner table. We’d eat and talk and laugh and just enjoy each other. Here in a couple of weeks, I’ll drive to my hometown and my entire family will gather together and eat, laugh and just enjoy each other again. Side Note: There is a chance that the same old stories that have been told for years, will be told again except even more embellished. I’m just saying! I don’t know if that’s the same thing for you and your family but I think I’ve had some of the most profound and impactful…
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Silent Nights Suffering Nights
From heaven's height to manger low There is no distance the Prince of Peace won't go
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A Plague in Egypt
Sunday School Chronicles. Me: Okay! We’ve spent a good amount of time talking and Moses and the Israelites. Before we hit the Exodus, raise your hands and tell me the plagues. Student 1: Water turning to blood! Me: Yes! Student 2: Frogs! Student 3: Darkness! *we continue to recap* Me: God used these plagues to say, “Nah! What you’re not gonna do is enslave my people AND worship false gods! Let me hit you with these plagues so you’ll know I’m not the one to mess with!”Student 2: How’d God’s spirit know it was lamb’s blood?Student 3: God knows who your ex-boyfriend is! Of course He knows what lamb’s blood…
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Finish Well
Sunday School Chronicles Me: Let’s be real, sin is fun!Student 1: No it’s not!Me: Didn’t you just get your phone taken away?Student 1: Oh yeah!Me: Exactly! I don’t want to hear any perfect Sunday school answers. Guess what? Everybody sins!Student 2: I don’t!Me: And the sins just keep coming! Yes you do! So John the Baptist is in jail for calling out Herod Antipas.Student 3: What’d he do?Me: Just married his sister in law. No big deal.Students: WHAT!?!?!?!Me: Of course it was a big deal! Look, when you’re enjoying sin, you’re not a fan of someone calling you out. Imagine being on your 5th snicker bar and someone tells you…
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What Will Be Your Harvest?
Children are listening. They often believe blindly what they hear. Let’s speak the truth in love even in our daily conversations that they overhear and especially when we speak to them. Words can’t be erased or unheard from the heart. Paul tells us in Galatians 6:7 “Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. For a person will reap what he sows.” What will we harvest from the words we’ve sown this year?
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It’s A Choice!
Recently, I had to ask a volunteer ministry leader to step down from their leader position because they posted online that they did not agree with the vision of the church we serve in. It was not a one time instance and in fact, had been the position of this person for some time. I was not surprised considering every time we met, he questioned the church’s direction on just about everything. He’s on board with a different kind of church and really… that’s ok! The problem I have is that this person CHOSE to go to the church and made the choice to want to be a leader in…
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Left On Read
Sunday School Chronicles Me: Do y’all know what your parents expect of you?Kids: Yeah.Me: They want you to clean your room. Do your chores and stuff. The same goes for God and King Ahab. Ahab knew exactly what God expected of him and did the opposite. God said, “Don’t marry an ungodly chick.” Ahab was like, “Marry that ungodly chick Jezebel. Got it!” God said, “Don’t worship those fake gods.” Ahab said, “I hear you God. But my wife is into it so I’m gonna worship Baal and Asherah. We still good?”Kid 1: What????Me: Yes! So God said, “Ok! No rain for you!” Cut to a long time later. The…
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IT’S NOT A RELIGION! IT’S A RELATIONSHIP!
I have said it before and I will say it again, “The difference between Christianity and all the other religions of the world can be summed up in one word, ‘RELATIONSHIP!’”
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Stay Ready
Sunday School Chronicles Me: Do y’all like chillaxing on Saturday mornings? Kids: Yes! No. I have sports. If I don’t have a game! Me: Let’s say it’s just a regular Saturday with zero responsibilities. You’re in your jammie jams. Kid 1: Jammie jams? Me: You heard me. Jammie jams. You’re Netflixing, Fortnite-ing, napping and any other -ing you can think of. The house is nice and messy. And then boom! Someone rings the bell messing up your vibe! Students: Yeah! That’s so annoying! Me: They didn’t call first or anything! If they would’ve called or texted then you could’ve… Students: Gotten snacks! I could’ve cleaned! Gotten dressed! Me: Exactly! That’s…
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Are you a quitter?
One of the most often traits seen in children is quitting before they finish their final product. Many things happen in a child’s life to cause this to happen. Other children deride their work, an adult causes them to question their work, and on and on and on. When this happens, this is a good time to take out God’s Word to teach them the consequences of quitting. The book of Haggai is a good starting point as he asks the Jews the same question: Are you a quitter? Let’s look at the evidence and then see what God would have us to do. Way back in the times of…