We’re always trying different ways to tell stories in visual ways, so here is what we tried in our scaled-down summer group (3-11 years old). We told the story of Jesus calling Levi (Luke 5:27-32) using colored pieces of paper to represent the characters.
Connections 02.05.2017: Excessive Righteousness
January 29, 2017 by
In my imagination, when Jesus tells his disciples, “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (v. 20), I see them looking at each other with expressions that say, “He’s got to be kidding!” After all, you couldn’t get any more righteous than a scribe or a Pharisee.
Connections 05.15.2016: It’s Hard to Be Humble
May 8, 2016 by
My father, the late great Champ Ruffin, would sometimes say, “You know, it’s hard to be humble when you’re as great as I am.” He was kidding. I think. I noticed he never said it when Mama was around.
Connections 04.10.2016: A Fool for You
April 3, 2016 by
In my reading today, one line that Jesus says stands out to me: “Simon, I have something to say to you” (Lk 7:40). That Pharisee named Simon, who had invited Jesus into his home but showed him little hospitality, watched a woman’s extravagant love for Jesus and muttered to himself.
Flame: The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
June 8, 2015 by
This week I’m going to be talking about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. When I’ve taught this before, I’ve focused on how we come to God in prayer, but this time I’m looking at the idea of grace.
Thrive: Questions – Allison Kentle
September 22, 2014 by
The tension could be cut with a knife, questions flying all over the place. Matthew 21-22 make it pretty clear that Jesus and the religious leaders are not BFFs, for these chapters are filled with questions.
Uniform 05.18.2014: Be Careful What You Do
May 11, 2014 by
In the process of parenting our son, my husband and I often discuss the various methods of discipline that were used in our families growing up. For both of our households, there was always a penalty for using inappropriate language. In my house, my mother would squirt Worcestershire sauce on our tongues.