“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: 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: Our Wisdom vs. God’s Wisdom
September 19, 2022 by
There are many instances in my childhood where logic got me into trouble. It usually began with me saying “I told you so” and you can guess that it didn’t end well.
Strangers: A Meditation for Teachers
September 14, 2022 by
They walk, run, tumble, and drag into your room on the first day of school—complete strangers. At the beginning of the year they all seem to look alike.
Crossroads: The Lord Has Done Great Things
April 11, 2022 by
“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” There are many times I can name when God has done great things for me. When I was in the sixth grade and I didn’t have any friends, God sent me a friend named Jessica.
Crossroads: How Big Is God’s Love?
January 17, 2022 by
I can remember saying “I love you this much!” as a child, with my arms open wide. I’m sure you’ve seen children do this before: they open their arms as wide as they can and say “I love you this much!” Or they give you a bear hug and squeeze and say the same thing.
Crossroads: King of Glory
July 19, 2021 by
The LORD Almighty is the King of glory. The earth is the LORD’s and everything in it. Praise the LORD! Sometimes we forget that everything is God’s and that God created everyone.
Crossroads: Our Guide
July 12, 2021 by
We recently finished Everest VBS. As the leader of Base Camp Sing and Play as well as Summit Celebration, I was known as a Sherpa. A Sherpa is an expert guide on Mount Everest whose job it is to guide climbers safely up and back down Everest.
Live the Stories: Jesus Gives Peter Instructions
June 29, 2021 by
Remind the children that many of the disciples who followed Jesus were fishermen before they left their jobs to learn from him. When Jesus died, they returned to their jobs of catching fish.
Crossroads: I Doubt It
April 12, 2021 by
When I was a child, we always played a game called “I doubt it” when we went on vacation. It was a card game and the point was to be the person who got rid of all of their cards first.
Crossroads: How Should We Live?
March 22, 2021 by
I loved going to church as a child. I loved Sunday school, VBS, choir, worship, and everything else I went to. I wanted to be there every time the doors were open. In fact, there was one Sunday morning that I woke up late and ran into the living room to ask my mom why she hadn’t woken me up for church.
Crossroads: Why Do We Have Rules?
March 8, 2021 by
When I was in first grade, we had a fire drill. Our teacher told us we needed to be quiet as we walked outside. Well, when I was in first grade, I had a hard time being quiet. I talked all the time. And so, I wasn’t quiet during the fire drill.
Flame: Strength in Christ Yarn Craft
August 1, 2020 by
This craft is very messy, requires some patience and is very effective for exploring the idea of Jesus giving us the strength we need (e.g when looking at verses such as Philippians 4:13).
Crossroads: Praise the Lord!
August 13, 2018 by
Have you ever sung a song as loud as you could? Have you ever sung a song at the top of your lungs to the radio? When you sing a song like that, you let go of everything else. Your only focus is that song. And it makes you feel great.
Crossroads: Don’t Give Up
August 7, 2017 by
I love learning different languages. I took French for 7 years in high school and college and I absolutely loved it. I knew what I was doing and I was good at it. When I got to seminary, though, I had to take a semester each of Hebrew and Greek. I loved Hebrew and I was good at it.
Crossroads: Everlasting
November 14, 2016 by
Isaiah reminds us that God is our strength. When it’s hard for us to keep going, God is there, holding us up. Maybe you’re having a tough time at school. Maybe there’s a bully who keeps picking on you and you don’t know what to do anymore.
Flame: Doubting Thomas, Recognizing Jesus
April 14, 2015 by
This Sunday we’re telling the story of Thomas. A lot of the time when we cover this story with children, we focus of the idea of faith and being able to believe even though we don’t see.
Crossroads: Dependability
September 28, 2014 by
When things get super busy, I tend to feel stressed and overwhelmed. This was especially true in college, when it sometimes seemed as if there weren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done.
Crossroads: Burying the Hatchet – Philemon
September 15, 2014 by
Many years ago when I was in elementary school, my family and I visited the Native American reservation in Cherokee, N.C. I remember many things about that trip, but there was one story I heard on that visit that has always been my strongest memory.
Crossroads: The Danger of Selfishness
July 7, 2014 by
One day in Sunday school, our teacher told us the following story. He said many years ago there was a family that consisted of a father, a mother, and two brothers. One day the parents brought the brothers into the family room, sat them down on the couch, and showed them two gifts on the coffee table.
Crossroads: Recognizing and Remembering
June 23, 2014 by
My father lives in the same small town where I grew up as a child. Though I moved away more than 25 years ago, I enjoy going back to this community to visit a few times each year. When we go back for these visits, I often see people around town who our family has known for many years.