Preview Videos for the Month of May

In May, your Reign Forest child will be learning how important is it to make right choices and do what is right.

FL Preview : Do What's Right (May 2012) from Orange on Vimeo.

The Land of Promise kids will be learning all about RESPONSIBILITY: showing that you can be trusted with what has been given to you.

Preview: Great Expectations (May 2012) from Orange on Vimeo.

What We Learned - April 29th

This Sunday, April 29th, your Reign Forest child (ages 2-5) learned that Jesus wants to be with us forever! (John 14:1-4)  He told his friends, the disciples, that He had to go away, but that He was getting a place ready for them so they could come and live with Him forever.  He's getting a place ready for us, too, so we can live with Him forever!

To help reinforce this lesson at home, read John 14:1-4 to your child, and imagine with them what those mansions Jesus is working on must look like.  Then you can draw a picture of those mansions together, or you could try to build a mansion out of blocks or Legos or whatever you have on hand.

Our Bible verse for this month is Proverbs 17:17 "A friend loves at all times."  Your child should be able to recite this verse to you since we've been working on memorizing it all month. 


Your Land of Promise child (kindergarten through fifth grade) learned that no matter what happens, she needs to spread the good news about what God has done for her.  (Acts 4:1-21, I Peter 3:15)  After Jesus went back to heaven, Peter and John - two of his disciples - healed a man who could not walk.  The man began telling everyone what had happened, and Peter and John got into trouble with the authorities. - the same people who had killed Jesus earlier.  Peter and John were told never to talk about Jesus again.  But they didn't obey.  They kept right on telling everyone all about how great and wonderful God is!

To help your child internalize this lesson, at Meal Time enjoy an interactive role play with your child.  Pretend to be a person they met at school who has some questions about church and God, and play out a possible conversation with that person.  Help your child come up with some great hope and joy to share with the person.  Then, switch roles with your child.  Let your child pretend to be someone you met at work or someone you met at a store who has questions for you about life or God. 

Our memory verse for the month is John 16:33b "In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world."

April 15th - What We Learned

This Sunday, April 15th, your Reign Forest child (ages 2-5) learned how important it is to spend time with Jesus and listen to Him. (Luke 10:38-42)  When Jesus went to visit His friends Mary and Martha, Martha worked all through His visit and stayed very busy, but Mary sat with Jesus and listened to everything He said.  Jesus said that Mary had made the best choice.

Our memory verse for this month is Proverbs 17:17 "A friend loves at all times."  And your child is learning that Jesus wants to be her friend forever!

To help your child realize how active God is in her daily life, cuddle up with your child and pray with her. “Dear God, thank You for giving us our good friend, Jesus. He’s the best friend ever! Thank You for all the ways He shows us love every day. We love You, God. Amen.”  Spend the rest of the week pointing out His active love in her life.  When you see the sunshine, exclaim, "Look how much God loves us!  He gave us sunshine to enjoy!"  When you see rain (or snow), exclaim, "Look how much God loves us!  He gave us rain (or snow) to water our plants!"  When I was in sixth grade, I had a Sunday School teacher who encouraged us to be "Blessing Detectives."  Try it!  It's a lot of fun!  :-)

Your Land of Promise child (kindergarten through fifth grade) learned to remember that no matter what happens, God always has a bigger picture. (Luke 24:13-35, Romans 15:4)  Two friends were walking on the Road to Emmaus.  They had been friends of Jesus, and they were so sad after His death.  They just couldn't figure it out - if Jesus had been the Messiah like they had believed He was, He couldn't possibly have died.  But...He did die.  It just didn't make any sense.  They were discussing these things when another man came up behind them and started walking with them.  The three of them continued their journey while talking it all over, and the man with them reminded them of certain Scriptures that said Jesus would be put to death, AND after three days, He would rise again!  Hmm, the men saw a glimmer of hope.  Could there be a bigger picture than what they could currently see, after all?  After a while, the three men stopped to eat supper together.  Suddenly, the two friends looked at the third man and realized Who He was!  Jesus!  Alive!  God DID have a bigger picture!

Our memory verse for this month is John 16:33b “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

To encourage your child to have hope in his present circumstances, during Meal Time ask each other, "What is something in your life that seems hard right now?"  Then every day this week, take time to pray with each other, and ask God to help you have hope.

April 8th - What We Learned

This Sunday, April 8th, your Reign Forest child (ages 2-5) reenacted the Last Supper that Jesus had with His disciples and learned about how Jesus came back from the dead (Matthew 26:20-30; 28:1-7). The class ate bits of a piece of bread and drank grape juice just like Jesus did with His friends before He left them. But Jesus is our Friend forever, so He did not stay dead! He came back to life!

Our memory verse for the month of April is "A friend loves at all times." Proverbs 17:17

As you drive around this week, talk to your child about how Jesus is a good friend and He loves us ALL the time, even when your child is disobedient or unkind! Practice this month’s memory verse together: “A friend loves at all times,” Proverbs 17:17. Maybe surprise your child by driving to their favorite park once they’ve memorized the verse.

Your Land of Promise child (kindergarten through fifth grade) learned that whatever happens, God is stronger than ANYTHING -- even death! (John 20:1-18) In today's lesson, a fake news anchor interviews Mary Magdalene and John and Peter after Jesus rises from the dead.

After the silliness of the story, the teacher explained to the class, “When Jesus died on the cross, He made it possible for our sins to be forgiven and for us to have a friendship with God -- the way God wanted it from the beginning of time. Sins are the wrong things we do. Talking back to your parents, lying to a friend, and even eating a cookie before dinner when it’s against the rules -- these are all sins. Each time we sin, we grow further and further from God. God doesn’t want that. He doesn’t want there to be anything between you and Him.

“So, in order to erase these sin -- the sins of the whole world -- God did something amazing. He sent Jesus, His own Son, to pay for all of our sins when He died on the cross. When you or I believe in our hearts that Jesus is who He said He was, and we put all our trust in what He did for us on the cross, then we receive the gift of eternal life -- heaven, with God, forever!

Photo credited to www.brokenbelievers.com

“That’s a decision you need to make yourself -- to trust Jesus to forgive you for all of your sins. When you believe that Jesus died on the cross to take away your sins, and He rose again, then you have the HOPE of eternal life. The Bible says, ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ Easter: the BEST news the world has ever known, the BEST news that anyone will ever hear. Easter means one thing: Jesus is alive!

“That’s the true meaning of Easter. You might think it was the final piece of the puzzle, but you’d be wrong. This was just the beginning of something new and HUGE that God was doing. Proof that Jesus is who He said He was and that whatever happens, God is stronger!"

The best way to follow this lesson up at home is to ask God to give your child a soft heart towards Him and a complete understanding of what God has done for her. Then take time this week to ask your child if her sins have been forgiven? Have they been paid for?

We will be praying with you as you pray for your child.

April 1st - What We Learned

No foolin', here's what your Reign Forest child (ages 2-5) learned on Sunday, April 1st:  ANYONE can praise Jesus, because He wants to everyone's Friend forever! (Matthew 21:1-16)  The children waved palm branches and cheered loudly for Jesus, acting out the scene as He rode into Jerusalem on His donkey.

We also began learning a new Bible verse for the month of April - "A friend loves at all times." Proverbs 17:17.

To help your child remember this lesson at home, go outside and have a praise parade with your child. Grab a small leaf or branch from a tree or bush, and do like the people did when Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a donkey. They waved their branches in the air and shouted “Hosanna!” Cheer for Jesus as you march around your yard. Shout out, “Hosanna! Yay Jesus!”

Your Land of Promise child (kindergarten through fifth grade) learned that when bad things happen in life, it is important to remember God's promises (John 14:1-14, 18-19, 27-29).  The children reviewed Jesus' miracles from the disciples point of view.  They watched as Jesus did the impossible: feeding 5,000 people with very little food, healing a blind man, raising Lazarus from the dead.  So when they saw Jesus die on the cross, they needed to remember His promises that He would come back to life, that God could make something good come out of this something bad just like they had seen Him do over and over in the past.

Our new Bible verse for the month of April is "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33b, NIV

To help your child digest this lesson into their life, have a discussion at your dinner table this week.  Ask them what things they can remember that seemed very bad at the time, but God made something good come out of it.  Then share a few times like that that you can remember.  Help your child see, this is not just something their teachers at church are saying, it is something that you and they have proof of in real life.  It is truth!

April's New Preview Videos!

What will your children be learning at church during the month of April?  Check out these preview videos below to find out!

After watching this video, I treasured the fact that the entire Easter story is being boiled down to one completely amazing truth:  Jesus wants to be our Forever Friend!  Think about it.  Why else would God have gone to such great lengths to rescue us from our own sin?  This is what your Reign Forest child will be learning this month.



FL Preview : A Friend Forever (Apri 2012) from Orange on Vimeo.


In the Land of Promise, your child will be learning all about HOPE and what the bigger picture might look like to God when life just doesn't make sense to us.  Oh my goodness, I cannot tell you how stoked I am about this month of lessons!  THIS is the reality that has been missing from many children's church teachings.  We pump our kids full of the miracles God does and tell them how all-powerful He is, but we often neglect to teach that sometimes life doesn't turn out "right" to our minds and that God doesn't always swoop in to be The Hero in our little worlds.  That "where's God now?" feeling sets in and can easily derail disillusioned young people who begin to think "Either He's not all-powerful, like I'd been taught, or He's not all good like I've been taught."  This video is something that everyone needs to watch, not just parents of kids at our church.  This truth can change the hearts of all people everywhere.



Preview: Puzzled (April 2012) from Orange on Vimeo.

March 25th - What We Learned

This Sunday, March 25th, your Reign Forest child (ages 2-5) learned that Jesus wants us to tell EVERYONE that He loves them! (Matthew 4:18-22, 28:16-20; John 1:35-45)  Jesus picked 12 friends called disciples to help Him spread the good news that Jesus loves EVERYONE!  We can also help spread the good news to the people around us.

Our memory verse for this month is John 15:12  "Love each other as I have loved you."

Encourage your child to spread the good news to others you come in contact with.  Some of your children were able to make hearts at church with the words "Jesus loves EVERYONE" on them.  Other children did not get to do that at church.  Regardless, your child can decorate a heart at home, and you can write a Bible verse or the words "Jesus loves YOU" on the heart.  Then your child can hand the hearts out to people who need to know that God loves them.  Together with your child, ask God to lead the two of you to the right person - maybe a stranger at the grocery store, maybe an uncle or aunt, or maybe a next door neighbor - and ask God to soften that person's heart towards Him as a result of your child's action.


Your Land of Promise child (kindergarten through fifth grade) learned that it is important to be IN THE HABIT of standing for what is right. (Daniel 6)  Daniel had spent his entire life choosing to do right no matter what the people around him were doing.  Even his enemies knew that he could be counted on not to waver from the right course of action, and they decided to use that against him.  They tricked the king (who was Daniel's friend) into passing a law that said it was wrong to pray to anyone besides the king.  If anyone prayed to someone besides the king, that person would be thrown into a den of lions.  Daniel's enemies knew ahead of time what Daniel would choose to do.  They knew he would choose to die rather than disobey God, and they were right.  When Daniel heard about the new law, what do you think he did?  Immediately, right away, he went to his room and prayed to God about the new law.  He didn't even stop to think about it or put off praying as long as he could.  No, he prayed right away, because he was in the habit of talking to God about everything that happened, and because he was in the habit of doing right even if it would cost him his life.

Daniel was caught praying by his enemies who already knew what to expect from him, and he was thrown into the lion's den, but God rescued him!  God shut the lion's mouths.  The next morning, the king pulled Daniel out and threw the enemies into the den instead.

Our memory verse for this month is 2 Thessalonians 3:13 - Never tire of doing what is right.

How can you help your child begin a foundation now so that at the end of his life, he can look back and say, "I formed the habit of choosing what was right"?  Developing a deep relationship with God is the key, and spending time with God every day develops that relationship.  This week, help your child focus on spending time with God every day.  Depending on your child's age, he may or may not be able to read a portion of Scripture himself, but he can certainly pray himself.  Take time before bed each night to read from the Bible to your child or encourage him to read it himself before bed each night or when he gets up in the morning (assuming you aren't late for the bus!)  Then, practice praying together as a family whenever you are in the car this week.  Let everyone in the family take a turn talking to God and deepening that relationship.

And don't forget to pray for your child during your own prayer times with God as well as during your together prayer times.

March 18th - What We Learned

This Sunday, March 18th, your Reign Forest child (ages 2-5) learned that just like Jesus loves everyone, we should also show our love for everyone (Luke 10:25-37).  Jesus told the story of how the Good Samaritan showed his love by helping a man lying by the side of the road who had been beaten.  The man lying there was actually the Samaritan's enemy. 

Our memory verse for this month is John 15:12  "Love each other as I have loved you."

During PLAY TIME, talk with your child about ways to show love to others.  For example: show Mommy you love her by helping her put the spoons on the table.  Show Grandpa you love him by making a card for him.  Show your brother you love him by sharing your special treat with him.  See what ideas your child can come up with on his own, and help him put his ideas into action.

Your Land of Promise child (kindergarten through fifth grade) learned how important it is to tell the truth and to stand for what is right even when it is not popular to do so (Daniel 5).  Daniel was a grown man, and a new king, Belshazzar, was now in charge in Babylon, where Daniel had been kidnapped to many years ago.  King Belshazzar was in the middle of a party with all of the officials of his kingdom when a giant hand appeared and wrote on the wall in a foreign language.  Daniel was called in to interpret, and the king offered him several rewards if he would tell the crowd what the words meant.  Daniel looked at the words and knew the king could get very angry at Daniel and possibly even kill him if Daniel told the truth about the meaning, but he still chose to do right.  He told the truth - that the words spelled out the end of Belshazzar's reign - even when he could have made up a more pleasant meaning and no one but God would have known what Daniel had done.  That night, King Belshazzar was murdered, and a new king took over the land.

Our memory verse for this month is 2 Thessalonians 3:13 "Never tire of doing what is right."

 To help your child remember to do right even if it's not popular, put a note in her lunch box each day, or send her a text message a few times this week with these simple words:  "STAND for what is right."     "Don't blend in!"     "Are you ROOTED?"    "I dare you to be like Daniel!"

March 11th - What We Learned

This Sunday, March 11th, your Reign Forest child (ages 2-5) learned that Jesus loves EVERYONE, even people who do bad things, even people whom no one else likes. (Luke 19:1-8)    A man named Zacchaeus used to steal other people's money, and the people he stole from didn't like him because of it.  When they saw him coming down the street, they would move away from him.  If he said hi to them, they would not talk to him.  They were very mad.  One day, Jesus came into the town where Zacchaeus lived.  Zac was very sad and lonely, and he wanted to see Jesus very badly.  He had heard about how wonderful Jesus was.  But the crowds around Jesus were so big and so tall, and Zac was very short.  Whenever he asked the people in front of him to move so that he could see, they ignored him.  Zac knew if he didn't hurry, Jesus would leave before he would get a chance to see him, so he climbed a tree.  From up there, he could see everything, even Jesus.

Jesus saw him, too.  He walked over to the tree, and he looked up into the branches.  "Zacchaeus, come on down from there.  I'm coming over to your house for supper today!"  Can you imagine how Zacchaeus must have felt?  How did Jesus know his name?  And why would Jesus want to be friends with him?  No one wanted to be friends with him!  He scrambled down from that tree as fast as his short legs could climb.

At Zacchaeus' house, Jesus had a long talk with him.  He told him all about how God wanted to forgive him for all the bad stealing he had done.  Zacchaeus did a lot of listening.  Oh, how badly he wanted a clean heart and a guilt-free life!  "YES!"  He told Jesus, "I want to be forgiven and made new again!"  Jesus wiped all of Zacchaeus' sins away, simply because Zacchaeus asked Him to.

Zacchaeus was so happy!  He wanted to make things right with everyone in his town!  He decided to pay everyone back four times more than he had ever stolen from them!  When Jesus becomes your Forever Friend, He makes a BIG difference in your life.

Our memory verse for March is John 15:12 - Love each other as I have loved you.

To reinforce this lesson during CAR TIME, as you drive down the road, call out the people you see and ask your child if Jesus loves them.  Some examples would be, “Does Jesus love the man in the red car?  Does Jesus love the woman in the blue dress?  Does Jesus love the little girl who’s crying?  Does Jesus love the man who bagged our groceries?”  Prompt your child each time to say, “Yes! Jesus loves everyone!”  As you get out of the car, tell your child to look in the review mirror.  Ask her, “Does Jesus love (name of child)?”  Yes! Jesus loves everyone!

Your Land of Promise child (kindergarten through fifth grade) learned that when you stand for what is right, others can see God. (Daniel 3)  Three young men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, had a decision to make:  they could bow down in front of a statue of the king, or they could burn to death in a furnace.  They chose to burn to death.  I absolutely LOVE the statement they made when given a second chance to bow before the statue, "King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.  If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.  But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

They wouldn't even pretend to.

The king, of course, was infuriated and ordered that the furnace temperature be raised seven times hotter.  The guards who tossed the three tied men into the furnace were killed from the radiating heat, but when King Neb looked into the furnace to see the remains of the three, he saw four men walking around in the blaze completely unharmed, and he thought the fourth guy looked like a god.  When the three men came out of the furnace there was not a mark on them; they didn't even smell like fire.  The king was amazed!  He said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way."

These three guys chose to stand firm, and their choice revealed GOD to many, many people.

Our memory verse for March is 2 Thessalonians 3:13 - Never tire of doing what is right.

Choosing to stand is a scary thing, but sometimes practicing ahead can make it easier.  Role play with your child various situations and talk your way through them together.  "What would you say if someone at school said this to you...?"  "How would you act if a teacher said this...?"  "What would you do if you saw someone take something that didn't belong to him?"  "What would you say if your friend said God is not real?"  Be creative in your scenarios and give your child a chance to turn the tables on you, asking questions like "What would you do if your boss asked you to...?"

March Preview Videos are Here!

In this three minute video Amber explains March's theme for our Reign Forest children - Jesus Loves EVERYONE. It is pretty convicting when she says that the best way our children learn is by watching us love EVERYONE around us including "...that woman who we don't know, but who we think we know by the way she talks..."

FL Preview : Everyone (March 2012) from Orange on Vimeo.

Reggie unpacks the Land of Promise theme for the month of March - Rooted Conviction - in this seven minute video. He explains that conviction not rooted in Scripture and not fueled by the Spirit of Christ can be dangerous and awful (suicide bombers are full of conviction, for example, so are abortion clinic bombers). We want our children to learn the type of conviction that is not simply "standing for something," and not even "standing for the right thing," but "standing for the right thing in the right way." It is well worth your time to watch this video!

Preview: Rooted (March 2012) from Orange on Vimeo.

March 4th - What We Learned

This Sunday, March 4th, your Reign Forest child (ages 2-5) learned that God loves EVERYONE!  Jesus showed us this by spending time with a lady whom nobody liked.  (John 4:1-26)  This lady was a Samaritan so the Jews hated her, but her own people, the Samaritans, hated her too.  She had done a lot of wrong things, and she was outcast in her town.  No one would talk with her.  None of the other people wanted to be friends with her.

One day, the lady came to get water from the well, and she saw Jesus sitting there.  She knew He wouldn't talk with her - she could see that He was a Jew.  But He did talk to her!  He asked her for a drink!  She was so surprised that she asked Him why He would talk with her.  They began a conversation, and Jesus showed her that He even knew about all of the bad things she had done and was still doing.  He knew, and He still loved her!  The lady couldn't believe it.

She ran back into the village and shouted to everyone, "Come see this man who knows all about me and still loves me!"  All the people in the village came out to the well, and Jesus loved all of them, too!

We began learning a new verse this month - John 15:12 "Love each other as I have loved you."  Ask your child what that means.  Who should we love?  How should we love them?

To help this lesson sink in at home, plan a special play date with a couple of your child’s friends. Talk with your child before the play date about how Jesus loves all her friends and He wants her to love them too. Brainstorm ways she can show love to her friends before they arrive. Some ideas? Set out a special snack. Give them a hug when they walk in. Allow them to play with a favorite toy. Make a special gift to give them. Once you have a plan, put it into action and help your child make it happen. Talk with your child about all the ways she showed love after her friends leave. Pray together and thank God for helping you love everyone.

Your Land of Promise child (kindergarten through fifth grade) has started a new virtue for the month of March - Conviction: standing for what is right, even when others don't.  This Sunday, your child learned that Daniel and his three friends choose to eat only what God had said was right to eat, even when everyone around them was eating the wrong things. (Daniel 1)  Daniel and his friends were young boys when they were kidnapped and taken to another country named Babylon.  In Babylon, they were going to become servants for the king, and they were given certain food to eat.  All of the other boys who were kidnapped obeyed the bad king and ate the food they were served, but Daniel and his three friends knew that this was food that God did not want them to eat.  They very nicely asked if they could have only vegetables to eat and only water to drink.  No desserts, no fried chicken, no steaks, no hamburgers...only vegetables.  No chocolate milk, no soda pop, no lemonade...only water.  The man in charge let them eat and drink that way for ten days.  After ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and stronger than all the other boys who had eaten the other food, so the man in charge let them continue eating only vegetables and drinking only water for the rest of their years in the palace.

Our new memory verse for March is “Never tire of doing what is right.” 2 Thessalonians 3:13, NIV

To help this lesson sink in at home, during MEAL or DRIVE TIME tell your child about a time when you had to show conviction all by yourself, or tell about a time when you have seen someone else stand up for the right thing.  Ask your child to tell about a time when they have had to do what was right while others around them were doing wrong.  In what ways can they show conviction this week at home or at church or at school?

Eight Tips For Talking To Your Kids About The Sermon

While scrolling down my Facebook homepage today, I noticed a link posted by a friend of mine to this website.  What a great article!  I thought you all might benefit from reading it, too, so I'm copying and pasting for you.

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They sit there next to you and their feet don’t even hit the floor. You’re thinking, “What, if anything of this guy’s sermon is sinking into my kid’s head?” And with that little thought you’ve already decided not to engage your child about the sermon. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Let me introduce you to the most important rule when talking to your kids about the sermon: They retain more than you think they do. The second most important rule is like it: They understand more than you think they do.

In the interest of these two truths I’m writing this brief guide on how to talk to your kids about a sermon. I’m writing it both as a preacher and as a parent of four boys under the age of 8. I’ve failed, succeeded, and failed some more at talking to my kids about Jesus. Hopefully the tips you find below will help you as they’ve helped me.

At the heart of the gospel is Jesus introducing us to his loving Father. In worship we get to make a similar introduction—we get to introduce our kids to Jesus. Don’t miss that opportunity.

1. Remember the outline. It doesn’t matter if you keep written notes or not. Remember the gist of what is being taught. If your pastor preaches for 40 minutes, then try to make a mental note of what you’ve covered at the 20 minute point. Don’t be discouraged if you can’t get every point. Get as many of the big ones as you can.

2. Know the one, main point. Every passage and every sermon—no matter what your pastor says—has a main point. Grab it when you see it go by and don’t let go. And as a word of caution, every preacher has a bad day. Sometimes the structure of the sermon looks like a piece of abstract art. If so, do the best you can. But don’t let the guy close in prayer without having a main point in your head.

3. How is Jesus the hero? Now that you have an outline and main point, make sure you have Jesus too. How was Jesus the hero of the sermon? Kids are incorrigibly self-centered—and so are a few adults. Make sure you have a ton to say about Jesus, no matter what the passage or where the preacher went with it. Without an emphasis on Jesus your little saints will grow up thinking that the Bible is all about them.

4. Engage your kids with open ended questions. You know the outline and you can keep to the main point. You know you’re going to talk a ton about Jesus. Now engage your kids with any kind of question you can think of… except ones that can be answered, “yes” or “no”. Here are some examples:

In the story questions: “What would have thought if you were an Israelite soldier and saw big ol’ Goliath walking up to little David?”

Emotions questions: “If you were blind, how would you feel if Jesus put his hands on your eyes and fixed them so they could see?”

Leading questions: “The rich young ruler was wrong because he thought he could earn God’s favor. Why is it silly to think we can earn God’s favor by doing enough good things?”

Action questions: “What would you have done if Jesus had made a hurricane turn into a cool breeze right in front of you?”

Application questions: “If Jesus has forgiven you, do you think you can forgive Tommy when he wings a Tonka truck at your head?”

Use your imagination questions: You know your kids best. Make up some questions.

5. Make sure the gospel is clear. Jesus died for sinners. It’s very simple and can get very complex. But no matter the passage, don’t you dare teach your kids moralism. Tell them that Jesus has done everything necessary for them to know that God is overjoyed with them. When you tell them to do something, feel something, or think something, show them how those things are motivated by God’s love and not by fear, guilt, or pride.

6. Be the first to pray and confess. Talking to your kids about the sermon is as much letting them watch you learn from the sermon as it is teaching them about the sermon. If the preacher is helping your congregation diagnose sin, show your kids how it affected you. You could say, “You know, sometimes, daddy struggles with being angry. And it’s then that I realize I really need Jesus.” And when it comes time to pray, let them pray after you. Model for them what it looks like for a Christian to talk to God.

7. Chase rabbit trails. Your kids will lead you down them. Go with them. You’ll find out a ton about how they think. And you may just enjoy the unexpected stroll off the beaten path.

8. Remember the first two rules. After all this, it may be you feel like it was a complete waste of time. It’s at that point you must remember the first two rules:

They retain more than you think they do.They understand more than you think they do.

And I promise you this, they will remember these times with you. They will forget a ton. But they won’t forget Sunday afternoons with daddy and mommy talking about Jesus.

By: Joe Holland

February 26th - What We Learned

This Sunday, February 26th, your Reign Forest child (ages 2-5) learned that they can talk to God ANYTIME, ANYWHERE! (Matthew 6:5-13)  They don't have to use special words like "Bless our bodies..." or "God is great, God is good..." or "Now I lay me down to sleep..." or "Our Father Who is in Heaven..."  They can simply talk to Him.

Your child learned how NOT to pray - you don't have to use special words or a special voice, and it's very important that you don't pretend to pray to God while you are really just hoping other people will hear and think you are extra special.

Your child also learned how TO pray - just talk in your normal voice the way you talk to someone you love very much.  You can tell God thank you for things He has given you or done for you.  You can talk to Him about whatever you are thinking, things you are happy about, things you are sad about, things you are scared about.  You can ask Him for things, and you will know that He always answers - sometimes He says "Yes," sometimes He says "No," and sometimes He says "Wait."  But He always gives you the answer that is BEST for you because HE LOVES YOU VERY MUCH.

Our memory verse for this month is  
Matthew 22:37
Jesus replied,         (point to your mouth)
'Love                      (hug yourself)
the Lord your God (point upwards)
with all your heart (place your hand over your heart)
and with all your soul (form an "O" with your hand on your chest)
and with all your mind. (point to your head)

Your child in Land of Promise (kindergarten through fifth grade) learned that we can even show HONOR to God by worshiping Him like King David did as the Ark of the Covenant made it's way back to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:12b-22a).  David was so excited that he honored God by dancing in the street in front of the Ark.  He didn't care who saw him.  He didn't care if anybody saw him.  He was just so glad that he couldn't hold it in.  In fact, his wife was so embarrassed about his ridiculous dancing that she told him later he wasn't acting like a king!

I can remember quite a few times when I have held back words of praise simply because others who did not love God might be offended by them or might roll their eyes and say, "There she goes again."  Holding back dishonors my Lord.  It prevents glory that He should have been given.  He is valuable to me, and I need to communicate that to Him!

Our memory verse for the month is Romans 12:10 - Be devoted to one another in love.  Honor one another above yourselves.  We honor God above ourselves when we consider praising Him to be more important than retaining the high regard of others.

At home, you can model Honoring God for your children by taking the opportunity during DRIVE TIME or during MEAL TIME to honor God yourself for the good things He did for you during the day instead of ranting about how you have been mistreated at work or making fun of someone you encountered in the day who didn't do as you would have done.  The old saying, "More is caught than taught," refers to the fact that children learn more by what they see acted out in your life than by what they hear you say to them about how to act.  You are the most powerful influence on your child's behavior, so honor God consistently yourself with your own words and actions!

February 19th - What We Learned

This Sunday, February 19th, your Reign Forest child (ages 2-5) learned that the second greatest commandment is to love others, and that the only way to love others is to allow Jesus to be in charge in your heart just like Saul in our story did.  (Matthew 22:34-40, Acts 9:1-30)  When God met up with Saul, who enjoyed being mean to people, Saul chose to let God be in charge of his heart, and he began loving people instead of being mean to them.  Another man named Ananias also had a choice to make: to love Saul even though Saul was mean to everyone.  When Ananias chose to love, God helped him teach Saul all about God and how to love others.

Our memory verse for this month is  
Matthew 22:37
Jesus replied,         (point to your mouth)
'Love                      (hug yourself)
the Lord your God (point upwards)
with all your heart (place your hand over your heart)
and with all your soul (form an "O" with your hand on your chest)
and with all your mind. (point to your head)

To help your child remember to love others at home, encourage her to start giving high fives to the people around her.  High fives are a way of saying things like "Way to go!"  "You're special!"  "Great job!"  "You're my friend!"  When she gives someone a high five, that person will know that she loves them, and she will be obeying God's command to love other people.


Your Land of Promise child (kindergarten through fifth grade) learned how important it is to honor those in authority through the story of Absalom's rebellion against his father King David (2 Samuel 15:1-16a, 18:5-7, 15, 31-33).  Absalom was one of King David's sons.  He was very handsome and had very long hair that he refused to cut.  He viewed his father as being a weak king, and he was sure that he could do a better job.  He began sitting at the gates of the city and intercepting people as they brought their grievances to King David for judgement.  Absalom would listen sympathetically to one side of the story, and tell the person privately that he was on their side.  "But unfortunately, I'm not the king, so..."  Then he would listen to the other side of the story and tell that person privately that he was on their side.  "But unfortunately, I'm not the king..."  Eventually, enough citizens wanted Absalom to be their king, so Absalom set up his castle in another city and declared himself king while his dad was still reigning.  King David realized he had to fight his own son to protect the people of Israel.  He gave orders to his men to stop Absalom but not to hurt him.

After one of the battles, Absalom galloped off into the forest to evade King David's soldiers, and his long hair got stuck in some branches.  His mule ran off, leaving him dangling in the tree.  The soldiers caught up with him and killed him in spite of their king's orders.  When King David heard the news he sobbed.  There is no happy ending for relationships lacking honor.

In class, the children were asked to think of someone over them who it was easy to honor and someone it is hard for them to honor.  They prayed together, asking God to help them show honor this week to the harder to honor person.

Our memory verse for the month is Romans 12:10 "Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves."

During DRIVE TIME one day, brainstorm with your child ways that he can show honor to those in authority over him.  Some ideas could be

• Smiling at the person instead of rolling his eyes
• Saying "Yes Sir" or "Yes Ma'am" and obeying right away (or specifying when he will be able to obey) instead of ignoring the person speaking to him
• Offering to help the person in some way
• Apologizing for past dishonor shown and promising to begin honoring the way God instructs
• Writing a list of things that are valuable about that person
• Stopping himself from saying things about that person in a way that he would not want that person to overhear
  

February 12th - What We Learned

This Sunday, February 12th, your Reign Forest child (ages 2-5) learned that the greatest commandment is to love God with all our hearts (Matthew 22:34-40).  To illustrate this concept, the class compared objects like baseball bats and balls to hats and coats, and they had to decide which set was more important.  Bats and balls are fun to play with, but hats and coats are more important because they keep us warm.  Cookies are great to eat, but vegetables are more important because they keep us healthy.  Just like those things, being nice to someone is very good, but loving God with all your heart is more important because when we love Him, He helps guide our hearts into all the other good things we can do for Him and others.

Our memory verse for this month is Matthew 22:37
Jesus replied, (point to your mouth)
'Love (hug yourself)
the Lord your God (point upwards)
with all your heart (place your hand over your heart)
and with all your soul (form an "O" with your hand on your chest)
and with all your mind. (point to your head)

To reinforce this lesson at home, at random intervals during the day when you are with your child, smile up at Heaven, open your arms wide as though you want to give God a hug, and proclaim, "I love you, God!"  Don't just pretend, really say it out loud to God.  Let your child copy your words and actions if he or she chooses. 


Your Land of Promise child (kindergarten through fifth grade) learned that we should honor others more than ourselves (I Samuel 18:1-4 & 5-9).  Prince Jonathan illustrated this concept perfectly when he cheered for his friend David's success instead of becoming jealous the way King Saul did.  Jonathan honored his friend David.

Your child learned that she shouldn't only honor adults or those in authority.  She can honor her friends, too.  Honor is defined as letting someone know that you see how valuable they really are.  She can honor her friends by cheering when they win a contest that she wanted to win, or by playing whatever game together that her friend wants to play instead of insisting on playing what she wants to play.  We as adults can honor our spouses, friends or co-workers in the same ways: by cheering and being genuinely happy when we hear that a friend gets to enjoy a sunny vacation in the middle of winter; by congratulating our co-worker who just won employee of the month - again; and by happily letting our spouse pick his or her favorite restaurant or TV show two times in a row (or even three times *gasp*).

Our memory verse for this month is "Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves." Romans 12:10

At church, the concept of honoring someone else was illustrated by a karate visual of bowing to your Sensai.  To keep the concept of honoring others fresh in your child's heart, begin playfully bowing karate-style to each other whenever you leave each other and see each other again - possibly even every time you enter or leave a room that the other person is in.  This could produce lots of laughter, and laughter is a great way to embed any lesson deeply!

February 5th - What We Learned

This Sunday, your Reign Forest child (ages 2-5) learned that Jesus showed His love for God by doing what God wanted Him to do (Luke 2:41-50). When His family left Jerusalem to return home after a feast, Jesus stayed behind at the temple to teach just like God wanted Him to do.

In class, we discussed ways that children can show God they love Him, and these are some of the answers they came up with: by helping other people, by singing or praying when they are in bed, by cleaning their rooms without being told, by obeying their parents right away. The four and five year old children were challenged to go home and clean their bedrooms as a surprise without being told. Then, when their parents ask, "Why did you do this?" they can tell them it was to show God how much they love Him.

Our memory verse for the month with hand motions goes like this:

Matthew 22:37 (cup hands around mouth)
Jesus said, (point to lips) 
"Love (hug yourself) 
the Lord your God (point upwards)
with all your heart (place your palm over your heart)
and with all your soul. (make an O with you hand and place it over your heart)
Love Him with all your mind. (point to your head)
Matthew 22:37 (cup hands around mouth)

To keep this lesson fresh in his mind, help your child point out each heart he sees this week. Whenever he finds one, say together "Love the Lord your God with all your heart!" You can continue to say the entire verse each time, if you wish.

Your Land of Promise child (kindergarten through fifth grade) traveled this Sunday with the prophet Samuel to the house of Jesse in search of the next king. (I Samuel 16:1-13) They found out that God doesn't see as the world sees; He looks inside at people's hearts. Samuel was shocked to find out that God chose David, a young boy from the fields, to be king rather than his handsome and seemingly prepared older brothers. Bottom Line: Honor those who are overlooked.

Our memory verse for the month is Romans 12:10 "Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves."

To help this lesson stick, encourage your child to look around whenever he enters a room. Ask him to find one person who seems to be alone or left out and find a way to honor that person. It could be by smiling at her, or inviting her to participate in the activities going on. It could be drawing a picture or making a Lego creation for her. Simply by being aware, you can honor those who are being overlooked.

Watch The February Preview Videos!

It's February!  And you guessed it, time for a focus change in our lessons. 

This month, the Reign Forest children (ages 2-5) will be learning all about God's greatest commandment:  "Love the Lord your God with all your heart."  They're not just learning what the commandment is; they will be learning all month HOW to love God with all their hearts bases on the example that Jesus gave us while He lived out that commandment during His life on earth.

In this two minute video, Kendra explains in more detail the importance of teaching our children now how to become people who passionately love God.


FL Preview : L.O.V.E (February 2012) from Orange on Vimeo.


Your children in Land of Promise (kindergarten through fifth graders) have also switched gears from Self-Control, last month's virtue, to Honoring Others, this month's virtue.  This month, Honor is being defined as "Letting someone know you see how valuable they really are."  People are not valuable because we value them but rather because God values them.  His opinion of a person matters, and our opinions need to match His in order to be accurate.

In this five minute video, Reggie walks us through the month's lessons and expands on how the concept of Honor has far-reaching affects.  I highly recommend that you watch it!

Preview: The Ultimate Challenge (February 2012) from Orange on Vimeo.

January 22nd - What We Learned

This Sunday, January 22nd, your Reign Forest child (ages 2-5) learned that Jesus can even walk on water! Mark 6:45-51 tells us that some of Jesus' friends got caught in a storm while they were fishing on the sea. In the middle of the storm, they looked out and saw what appeared to be a man walking on top of the water out to their boat. They panicked, thinking they must be seeing a ghost - because it is obviously impossible for people to walk on water. But as the memory verse for this month says, "And Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man, it's impossible. But with God, NOTHING is impossible!'" Matthew 19:26 Jesus climbed into their boat, and the storm stopped.

Plan to read this short story found in Mark 6:45-51 at home to your child at BED TIME or MEAL TIME. Then it can be reinforced during bath time or play time. Help your child pick a variety of objects to test out in the bath water. Be sure to choose some items that will sink and some that will float. Have him guess what each one will do, and then try it out to see what it does. Get a little silly, and let him try to walk on water himself.  Talk about how amazing it was that Jesus could do this.

(Side note: You could also discuss with your older kids the fact that Peter was able to walk on water with God's help. He could not do it alone, but God helped him do something that is impossible for people to do. God still helps us today do things that are impossible as Philippians 4:13 reminds us.)

Your child in Land of Promise (kindergarten through fifth grade) learned that too much of a good thing can be very bad. (Proverbs 25:16) They were given examples of playing video games too much, or eating too much food, or watching too much TV. It is important to KNOW WHEN TO STOP.

To help your child internalize the trait of Self-Control, discuss with her during MEAL TIME or DRIVE TIME the following questions.

• What is something that controls you? 
• How can you tell when something is controlling you? 
• What are the clues that something is controlling you? 
• Proverbs 25:16 says, “If you find honey, eat just enough. If you eat too much of it, you will throw up.” (NIrV)   Can you think of somebody in your life who’s is good at “eating just enough,” meaning they know when to stop and make healthy choices?

January 8th - What We Learned

This Sunday, January 8th, your Reign Forest child learned that Jesus can control all the fish in the sea (Luke 5:1-11).  "One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret (the Sea of Galilee), the people were crowding around Him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat.

When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, 'Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.'

Simon answered, 'Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because You say so, I will let down the nets.'

When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, 'Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!'  For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, 'Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.'  So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed Him."

Our Bible memory verse for the month is
Matthew 19:26 (Cup your hands around your mouth as you practice the verse with your child)
And Jesus looked at them and said, (make binoculars with your fingers around your eyes)
"With man, this is impossible, (say this dejectedly and hang your head and arms down)
but with God, (point up)
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!" (raise your arms excitedly to the sky)

Your child will completely enjoy acting the Bible lesson out in the bathtub with all their bath toys.  Give them a wash cloth or a small hand towel to use as a net, and take all the toys out of the tub.  They can "fish" with their "net" in the empty tub for a long time and pretend to get tired of it.  Then you can be Jesus who tells them to try again.  When they dip their "net" into the "sea" again in obedience, dump as many bath toys as you can find into the tub all at once.  Their little "net" will not be able to catch the multitudes of "fish" that are suddenly swimming in the sea.  Then the two of you can shout the Bible memory verse together!

Your kindergarten through fifth grade children in Land of Promise learned they should be slow to anger as Proverbs 16:32 instructs us.  The lesson centered around a video game controller.  Every game controller comes with a pause button, and the kids learned that God has also given each person the ability to PAUSE and control their attitude and anger before they choose the wrong actions.  Bottom Line: Pause before you lose your temper.

To illustrate this lesson at home, at the start of your MEAL TIME, read Proverbs 16:32 "It is better to be patient than to fight. It is better to control your temper than to take a city" and also read your child's memory verse for the month - James 1:19 "My dear brothers and sisters, pay attention to what I say. Everyone should be quick to listen. But they should be slow to speak. They should be slow to get angry."  Then fill a cup mostly full of ice and pour a drink over the ice.  Let the cup sit in the middle of the table during the meal. 

Periodically check on the ice to see if it has melted yet.  If possible, leave the icy cup on the table until bed time, or take it home from the restaurant with you and continue checking on the progress of the melting ice.  Comment on how slowly the ice is melting.  Discuss with your child how "being slow to anger" as Proverbs 16:32 and James 1:19 instruct can be like how slowly the ice is melting.  Tell him that when he begins feeling ANGRY about something, that he should picture the s-l-o-w-l-y melting ice, and remember that God has given us the power to PAUSE, THINK, AND CONTROL OURSELVES.

January 1st - What We Learned

On New Year's Day, your 2-5 year old child learned that Jesus can do ANYTHING, even things impossible for people to do! John 2:1-11 tells us that Jesus was at a wedding party when the hosts ran out of wine. Not a problem for Jesus, he simply turned the nearby water into wine.

The huh?  Whaaa?

What?  You mean that's not normal?

In class, the kids were particularly impressed when their teachers poured regular, clear water into see-through plastic cups and the water "miraculously" turned deep purple and smelled wonderful. (Before class, a few grains of powdered grape Kool-Aid had been placed in the bottom of each cup.) The children were told that it wasn't a real miracle like the one that Jesus did, and they were shown how the trick was done. Still, the initial shock of the magic trick helped instill real wonder in their hearts about what Jesus had done so long ago, and about what He is still able to do in their lives.

They then learned the new Bible verse for the month - Matthew 19:26 "And Jesus looked at them and said, "With man, this is impossible, but with God NOTHING is impossible!"

Your children brought home a paper jar and some scraps of blue and purple construction paper. They excitedly made the craft in class and practiced telling the story to each other using those props. If your child is old enough, encourage him to tell the story to you at home using the visual aid, and read the Scripture passage to him at MEAL TIME or BED TIME this week to reinforce the lesson. If your child is younger, you can use the craft and tell the story to your child.

The kindergarten through fifth grade children had their first lesson on Self-Control this past Sunday. They learned that according to Proverbs 25:28 a person without self-control is like a city without walls - he lacks protection and is a danger to himself. This concept was illustrated by a silly story about a man named Sir William and his horse, Hector. Sir William went looking for treasure, but his lack of self-control during this treasure hunt caused him to harm himself.
Your child began learning a new verse for the month of January. "My dear brothers and sisters, pay attention to what I say. Everyone should be quick to listen. But they should be slow to speak. They should be slow to get angry." James 1:19, NIrV

To help your child keep the concept of self-control in mind throughout the week, you can play a game during DRIVE TIME called "Game Off, Game On." In this game, you name a scenario. If the scenario describes a situation where someone is exercising self-control, your child should call out "GAME ON!"  If you describe a situation where the person did not exercise self-control, your child should call out "GAME OFF!" 

Remember, self-control is defined as choosing to do what you SHOULD do, not what you WANT to do.

Here are some suggested scenarios from the folks at Orange to get you started:

• You walk into the kitchen and see a GIANT plate filled with your favorite cookies. You’re tempted to eat ALL the cookies, but you eat only one. --GAME ON!
• A classmate calls you a name. You get SO angry that you kick your classmate in the leg. --GAME OFF!
• Your favorite TV show is on all weekend. You watch it from the time you get up to the time you go to bed. --GAME OFF! 
• Your brother grabs the Wii remote from you just as you’re about to beat your game for the first time. You want to slap him, but you don’t. --GAME ON! 
• Your teacher brings donuts to class. After everyone has eaten one, there are six left. You gobble them all up when no one is looking. --GAME OFF!
• Your sister breaks your favorite toy. You yell and scream in her face. GAME OFF!
• You’re playing your favorite game. You want to play for hours, but you turn it off after thirty minutes instead and go outside to play. --GAME ON!
• Your friend apologizes to you for something he did. You want to stay mad, but instead you say, “It’s okay. I forgive you.” --GAME ON!

Have fun!