“That’s not fair!” Growing up with a younger sister sometimes meant that I said “that’s not fair” a good bit. There were times when she got to do things much earlier than I had gotten to do them, or she got her way when I really wanted mine.
Flame: Joshua and the Walls of Jericho
September 13, 2023 by Leave a Comment
The walls of Jericho were closed to God’s people. No one could get in or get out. The walls were tall so no one could climb them, either!
Crossroads: God Always Finds a Way
September 11, 2023 by Leave a Comment
Looking back and seeing God’s fingerprints in your life is a lot easier than seeing them in the moment. There are times in my life when things seemed impossible. When I was upset and hurting in the 6th grade when our church fell apart, it seemed impossible that I would ever be happy again.
Crossroads: Following God
September 4, 2023 by Leave a Comment
I loved to talk when I was a kid. I talked all the time. And at school, there are times when you’re supposed to be quiet. But sometimes I couldn’t help myself and I talked to the people around me. And of course, I got in trouble. I got I’s (needs Improvement) and sometimes U’s (for Unsatisfactory) on my report card for talking.
Crossroads: Paying Attention
August 28, 2023 by Leave a Comment
Moses could’ve easily walked on by. After all, a burning bush probably wasn’t that unusual. But when Moses looked at it, he noticed something. The bush was burning but it wasn’t burning up. So he went over and the Lord spoke to him. Moses was paying attention.
Crossroads: God’s Love Is Eternal
August 21, 2023 by Leave a Comment
David’s psalm is a great reminder that God’s love never fails. God never quits on us. God sees and knows everything about us and still loves us. And when people hear what God has to say, they will sing about the glory of God. Their response will be one full of thanks.
Crossroads: Standing Up for Others
August 7, 2023 by Leave a Comment
Joseph was the favorite son and it seems like he liked to tell on his brothers. So Joseph was a tattletale and the favorite, and his brothers hated him for it. They hated him so much that they plotted to kill him. But Reuben knew how much Joseph meant to his father, and so he stood up for him. Kind of.
Crossroads: Don’t Give Up
July 31, 2023 by Leave a Comment
I love learning different languages. I took French for seven years in high school and college and I absolutely loved it. I knew what I was doing and I was good at it.
Crossroads: What Do You Want?
July 24, 2023 by Leave a Comment
As a child, I wanted to be a singer. I wanted to be famous. I can carry a tune, but I’m not a great singer. But I loved to write songs. A lot of the songs I wrote were about God. I loved to dress up and sing my songs. As I grew up, I stopped writing songs and started grading papers.
Crossroads: The Love of God
June 26, 2023 by
When I was a child, I loved singing the hymn, “I Love to Tell the Story.” I loved telling people about God and this hymn reflects that. As an adult, it is sometimes harder to tell others about God. I am more worried about what they will think of me or how they will react than I was when I was a child.
Crossroads: Our Bighearted God
June 19, 2023 by
When I was in preschool, I had a teacher named Miss June. I loved Miss June. She had a really big heart. She was very sweet. But the thing I loved most about her was that she kept me company when everyone else was taking a nap. I had to do a breathing treatment for my asthma every day after lunch.
Live the Stories: Noah’s Ark
June 14, 2023 by
Remind the children of how Adam and Eve made a mistake in last week’s story. That mistake caused the world to be an unhappy place where people didn’t treat God or each other the right way. Begin by asking the children if they know what an ark is. They may respond by stating that an ark is a boat or something that Noah built.
Crossroads: We Are Called
June 12, 2023 by
When I was in eighth grade, I had a friend who knew about Jesus, but she didn’t have a relationship with him. Even so, she was open to talking about Jesus.
Flame: Pentecost Flames Salad Spinner Art and Prayer Ideas
June 6, 2023 by
I found a cheap salad spinner ($4 in IKEA!) and was finally able to try out some spinner art! It’s brilliant: quick, clean (because the spinner sits in its own bowl) and each piece is unique! The process of making the art really lends itself to Pentecost themes so here’s an idea to help celebrate the occasion.
Crossroads: Sharing Jesus with Others
June 5, 2023 by
As a young teenager, I remember telling one of my best friends about Jesus while we were at a slumber party. She was having a hard time and she was crying. Her parents argued a lot and she was worried about what was going to happen.
Crossroads: Pentecost
May 29, 2023 by
For as long as I can remember, I have loved the French language. And as soon as I got to high school, I started taking French. Because I went to a private, Catholic school, one of the first things I learned was the Lord’s Prayer in French.
Flame: Pentecost Painting
May 24, 2023 by
I know it’s a bit early for Pentecost, but I like to be ahead of the game and there are so many stories where flames are useful! This is a really great idea for all ages.
Crossroads: Ascension, A New Chapter
May 22, 2023 by
New chapters are exciting, but also a bit scary. Moving to college was an important step for me, and it was part of being able to do things on my own. The disciples face a new chapter of their own that begins in the book of Acts.
Crossroads: Be
May 15, 2023 by
It is difficult for me to slow down, relax, and just spend time with God. In fact, I usually measure the success of my days based on how productive I was and the amount of work I got done. Sitting and just “being” doesn’t seem like a great way to find success.
Crossroads: God Is Our Fortress
May 8, 2023 by
There have been many times in my life when it seemed like a storm was raging around me. Sometimes it was because there were actual storms happening that came with tornadoes. In those times, I prayed for God to protect me and keep me safe. I prayed for God to calm my fears and remind me that God is always there with me.
Crossroads: The Shepherd
May 1, 2023 by
“Don’t talk to strangers.” It’s what my mother told me all the time growing up, and I’m sure it’s what you tell your own children. Strangers aren’t safe because you don’t know them.
Crossroads: Recognizing Jesus
April 24, 2023 by
Jesus tends to break into our lives in unexpected ways. Maybe for you, it’s the bully of the school doing something nice for someone else. Maybe it’s the popular kid sitting with an outcast at lunch. However it is, Jesus usually works through surprising people.
Crossroads: Don’t Be Afraid
April 17, 2023 by
The disciples were afraid. Jesus had been arrested and killed because of who he was. And the disciples were afraid that they, too, would be arrested and killed because they followed Jesus. So they hid, locking the doors and hoping people would forget about them.
Flame: Oil and Paper Suncatchers
April 4, 2023 by
This is an activity that can be done by children of all ages and is a great illustration of Christ’s light shining through us. Gather the necessary materials and wait for a sunny day.
Crossroads: Celebrate the Lord!
April 3, 2023 by
I loved to make up songs as a child. Most of my songs were songs of praise to God. They were celebrating what God was doing in my life. Sometimes, it’s easy to celebrate what God is doing.
Crossroads: My Shepherd
March 27, 2023 by
Most of the time, I associate this Psalm with funerals. I don’t like to read this Psalm because it brings to mind sadness and pain. And yet, this Psalm is all about peace.
Crossroads: Awestruck
March 20, 2023 by
Have you ever been awestruck by something? Perhaps a sight that took your breath away? For me, those times come most often when I am standing on top of a mountain, gazing out into the distance at the creation God has formed. Depending on the season, creation is either lush and green, or alive with color, or waiting in the darkness to spring back to life.
Crossroads: My Hope Is in the Lord
March 13, 2023 by
I am a worrier by nature. When things go wrong, I get anxious. Even when things have the possibility of going wrong, I get anxious.
Flame: Esther’s Strengthened Heart
March 7, 2023 by
Esther showed great love for her people and for her uncle Mordecai, but she also showed that she had a great deal of courage in her heart. Ask the children to think about times when they have needed to show love to others or needed to be brave so they could help others.
Crossroads: Guilty
March 6, 2023 by
When I was in the first grade, I couldn’t seem to keep my mouth shut. I wanted to tell everyone everything all of the time. So being asked to be quiet wasn’t easy for me. One day we had a fire drill at school and our teacher instructed us to walk quietly outside. Honestly, I tried.
Crossroads: Anger and Words
February 13, 2023 by
“Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me.” How many times did we say this to someone growing up? How many times have you heard it before? When I said this as a kid, it was because someone had said something hurtful and mean to me, and I said it to cover up the fact that those words did hurt.
Crossroads: This Little Light of Mine
February 6, 2023 by
When we accept Jesus, we become a light for God. Our lives change because of Jesus. When we listen to God, we are kinder to others and we show them how much God loves them. In this way, we are a light. It’s kind of like we’re all walking around with candles.
Flame: Memory Verses with Duplo Blocks
February 1, 2023 by
As part of our lesson looking at endurance (a link to athletes preparing for the Olympics), we used Duplo blocks and labels to put together the memory verse we were looking at.
Crossroads: Fishers of People
January 23, 2023 by
Going fishing takes patience. You have to wait awhile (sometimes a very long while) before the fish start biting. First you put something on your hook that you hope the fish will want to eat. Then you plop that hook into the water and you wait. Sometimes you may move it around some, but you have to wait for the fish.
Crossroads: God Hears Us
January 16, 2023 by
I had a tough year when I was in the sixth grade. One of the hardest parts, though, was not having any close friends at school. I prayed and I prayed for God to help me. And God heard my prayers.
Crossroads: The Lighthouse to the Nations
January 9, 2023 by
My mother loves lighthouses. She loves to collect them and she loves to visit them. So when I was growing up, every time we went to the beach, we tried to find a lighthouse.
Finding the Child for Ourselves
December 22, 2022 by
My nephew Connor was born nearly a month early. My husband and I had just visited the weekend before to help my brother and sister-in-law assemble the crib, wash onesies, and set up the changing station.
Pass the Parcel Nativity Story
December 20, 2022 by
I wanted a simple, interactive way of telling the Nativity story, as my Sunday group can be a bit lively, so I decided that we would use some of our leftover Christmas cards.
Crossroads: Count Your Blessings
November 28, 2022 by
This is the time of year when we stuff our faces with turkey, dumplings (my grandmother makes the best!), mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, and a lot more dessert than we need.
Crossroads: Music
November 21, 2022 by
The election is this week, and for the past several months, life has felt out of control…. And in the midst of all of this name calling, mudslinging, and other awfulness, the world is at war.
Crossroads: Stand Strong
November 14, 2022 by
Sometimes bad things happen in our lives. A loved one dies. Someone gets really sick. You have to move and leave your friends behind. Parents sometimes divorce.
Crossroads: Remembering the Saints
November 7, 2022 by
On All Saints’ Day, we remember the important people in our faith. We remember people like Abraham and Moses. We remember David. We remember Peter and the disciples. We remember Paul.
Crossroads: You’re Not Perfect
October 31, 2022 by
As a first grader, I was a pretty big talker. I loved to talk to everyone about everything. And one day we had a fire drill at school. You were not supposed to talk during the fire drill, but I did.
Crossroads: The Lord Watches Over You
October 24, 2022 by
It’s almost Halloween, and this time of year tends to be a bit scarier than normal. People decorate their houses to look scarier, scary movies come on TV, and some people wear scary costumes on Halloween.
Crossroads: Easy vs. Difficult
October 17, 2022 by
There have been many times that I have put off doing something because I either thought it was going to take a while or I thought it would be hard to do. For example, I tend to put off washing pots and pans after I cook because I think it’s going to take forever.
Crossroads: I Know Whom I Have Believed
October 10, 2022 by
When we ask Jesus to be our friend forever, when we tell God that we know that Jesus died for us and that we want to follow God, we are committing our lives to God. We are saying that God knows better than we do and that we will listen to God and follow what God tells us to do. We will act like Christ by following God.
Crossroads: The Lord is Faithful
October 3, 2022 by
When I was a kid, my stepdad promised he would take us to Europe. Years went by and eventually he and my mom got a divorce. And in that whole time, he never took us to Europe. He didn’t keep his promise. He meant well when he promised to take us, but he couldn’t make it happen.
Crossroads: Pray for Everyone
September 26, 2022 by
When I was a kid, I wanted to pray for everyone. Every night as we said prayers at bedtime, I always added “God bless the whole world.” Every time we had prayer request time at GAs, one of my requests was for “the whole world.” Looking back, I realize that it may have been a little silly.