For last Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Emily featured portions of a conversation she had with Paula Johnson for Disability Awareness Sunday. Many people requested to hear the full interview … here it is! Thank you, Paula, for sharing your story.
"The Power of Prayer - Lucy's Story" by Lonnie Brooks
“And this is the boldness we have in God, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” - 1 John 5:14
The power of prayer is a great mystery of faith. At times prayer can feel like a void, a great blackness into which we drop our greatest fears, desires, heartbreak, and love… hoping beyond hope that God will hear us and respond. And at other times, prayer can feel like the only answer to a life full of puzzles… something so great and so awesome that it must be of God, that the trials we face — whether physical, spiritual, or emotional — could not have been overcome were it not for the saving grace of our God working in and through our lives. But it’s at that intersection, the confluence of mystery and certainty, that the gift of prayer most surely becomes known. In our searching, in our asking, in the boldness of our begging to God, the power of prayer reveals God’s healing grace when we expect it least. Here to share that story with you today is Lonnie Brooks:
Lonnie Brooks shares a story about his sister Lucy
Family Devotional Mark 2:3-11
For families with little ones (preschool age), this could be a 3-5 minute talk! It doesn’t have to be much. For older children, you can opt in for more of these options to extend your study time together. I recommend doing this with (especially little) children over a meal – whichever meal is the least chaotic in your home (for my family right now, that’s lunch), or saving the questions for while you’re on a walk or playing outside together. Have fun!
1. Read the scripture together: Mark 2:3-11. The important thing is that you’re reading scripture together! If you’re looking for different ways to engage your children while reading, here are some fun ways to read scripture as a family
Every Reader takes a verse
Ask each child to pick two words they don’t understand to talk about after you read it. (For longer scriptures and younger children, you may need to split up the reading in order to do this.)
Draw a picture of what you read
Act it out as a family (And please send documentation of this to children.sjumc@gmail.com because we could all use a laugh right now!)
Sing it!
Use Legos or dolls to tell the story
2. Tell your kids that our Bible story is about Jesus healing a man who was paralyzed. The man’s friends lowered him into the house Jesus was in, teaching, from the roof. The houses at that time were easily climbed on top of. Jesus could have been mad at the interruption, but he welcomed the man and his friends.
3. Discussion Questions (as always, pick and choose which questions you’d like to discuss!):
Can you think of a time you were there for a friend when they needed you?
How are you the same and different from some of your friends and family members?
Do you remember the story about the weeds, and how we can enjoy dandelions? In what ways do our differences make us beautiful?
What do you think about interrupting Jesus to ask for help? How did Jesus respond?
4. Close in Prayer: Dear God, thank you for Jesus. Jesus who heals, and who welcomes interruptions that are driven by love. Thank you for faithful friends who love us. Help us to be one to those around us! In Jesus’s Name, Amen.
~ Erynne DeVore, director of Children’s Ministry
Family Devotional Matthew 14:13-21
For families with little ones (preschool age), this could be a 3-5 minute talk! It doesn’t have to be much. For older children, you can opt in for more of these options to extend your study time together. I recommend doing this with (especially little) children over a meal – whichever meal is the least chaotic in your home (for my family right now, that’s lunch), or saving the questions for while you’re on a walk or playing outside together. Have fun!
1. Read the scripture together: Matthew 14:13-21. The important thing is that you’re reading scripture together! If you’re looking for different ways to engage your children while reading, here are some fun ways to read scripture as a family
Every Reader takes a verse
Ask each child to pick two words they don’t understand to talk about after you read it. (For longer scriptures and younger children, you may need to split up the reading in order to do this.)
Draw a picture of what you read
Act it out as a family (And please send documentation of this to children.sjumc@gmail.com because we could all use a laugh right now!)
Sing it!
Use Legos or dolls to tell the story
2. Tell your kids that our scripture is sometimes called “the loaves and the fishes.” Jesus wanted to teach and feed a hungry, huge crowd, but only had 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish to feed them. Somehow, miraculously, he manages to feed every single person with such little food.
3. Discussion Questions (as always, pick and choose which questions you’d like to discuss!):
How do you think Jesus feed 5,000 people with very little food?
Think about a time you saw someone else be generous – generous with sharing their toys, donating their money, with volunteering their time.
How did you feel when you saw that person be generous? Did you feel inspired to be generous yourself?
Do you think God is capable of anything, even miracles like this?
Think of something sad or scary in your life right now, and then think of what Jesus did with the loaves and the fishes. Know that God is with you, and can make good out of bad. Ask for help – from your parents, from your church, from your friends – and know that God can perform miracles! Sometimes we get to help make those miracles happen when we are generous like Jesus, and follow Jesus.
4. Close in Prayer: Dear God, thank you for this beautiful story of Jesus’s love and generosity. This story reminds us that with You, miracles are possible! This story reminds us that when we see someone follow Jesus, we can be INSPIRED to follow Jesus, too! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
~ Erynne DeVore, director of Children's Ministry
Family Devotional Matthew 13:31-33; 44-52
mustard seed
For families with little ones (preschool age), this could be a 3-5 minute talk! It doesn’t have to be much. For older children, you can opt in for more of these options to extend your study time together. I recommend doing this with (especially little) children over a meal – whichever meal is the least chaotic in your home (for my family right now, that’s lunch), or saving the questions for while you’re on a walk or playing outside together. Have fun!
1. Read the scripture together: Matthew 13: 31-33; 44-52. The important thing is that you’re reading scripture together! If you’re looking for different ways to engage your children while reading, here are some fun ways to read scripture as a family
Every Reader takes a verse
Ask each child to pick two words they don’t understand to talk about after you read it. (For longer scriptures and younger children, you may need to split up the reading in order to do this.)
Draw a picture of what you read
Act it out as a family (And please send documentation of this to children.sjumc@gmail.com because we could all use a laugh right now!)
Sing it!
Use Legos or dolls to tell the story
2. Tell your kids that our scripture is full of parables today. Parables are examples, stories, or metaphors Jesus used to teach us more about God. If you have younger children, you might want to stop in between parables to discuss or pick just one or two.
3. Discussion Questions (as always, pick and choose which questions you’d like to discuss!):
What do you think of when you hear “Kingdom of Heaven”?
Do you think we can have the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth? What does it mean for us as Jesus followers to build the Kingdom of Heaven? Is that hard or easy work?
Of the parables we just read, which one is your favorite? What do you like about it?
4. Close in Prayer: God, thank you for our story teller, Jesus! We love learning about You in new and different ways. Help us to build Your Kingdom on Earth! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
~ Erynne DeVore, director of Children’s Ministry