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!