Scripture and ...

  Faith, a foundational aspect of the Christian walk, serves as the bedrock upon which our relationship with God and Jesus is built. It is the unwavering trust in the promises of the Almighty, the assurance of things hoped for, and the conviction of things unseen (Hebrews 11:1-2). In a world fraught with trials and uncertainties, nurturing and strengthening our faith in God becomes not only a pursuit but a lifeline, leading us closer to a stronger relationship with God and the eternal treasures of heaven. To aid in this endeavor, use this downloadable Bible study focused on unraveling the truths and treasures of faith through God's Word. In this downloadable Bible study , we study the topic of faith rooted in the timeless truths of Scripture and illuminated by the word of God. Through a selection of Bible verses, we explore different topics about faith as it pertains to our relationship with God and Jesus, its manifestation in the lives of believers, and its transformative power i

  If your children enjoyed my previous Easter basket scavenger hunt, here is our latest version. Two years ago, we used Bible verses about the story of Jesus' death on the cross. Last year, we used Bible verses about the story of Jesus' resurrection. This year, I use ideas from the story of Jesus' resurrection without actually using Bible verses. Now, let's celebrate the joyous occasion of His resurrection with a new set of clues.  Here's how to get started:  Download and print this PDF.   Cut out each clue.  Place the first clue in an egg, ready to be handed to your eager little hunters. Alternatively, you can leave it on the bottom step for a fun surprise as they come downstairs. Place the second clue inside an egg and hide it at the location written on the bottom of the second clue (a hamper). Continue the hunt by placing each subsequent clue inside eggs and hiding them at the location indicated in the bottom right corner of the clue. Finally, hide your children

  In my college classes on education, I remember my professor constantly pushing that students needed a framework on which they could hang their knowledge. If they only shoved information in their brains without any organization or connection, it wouldn't be retained or understood. Think of a pile of facts about someone's ancestors compared to an illustration of their family tree. The visual framework is much easier to understand and helps them retain information about their ancestors. Instead, we need to provide students with a framework, so that they see how it connects to other information and can see the big picture. This educational philosophy has always stuck with me. As I saw my children learn about the Bible at church, camp, and home, it dawned on me that they are learning many Bible stories but don't really have a framework on which to hang this knowledge. They knew about Samson but didn't know what judges were or why Israel had them. They knew about Daniel but

I was teaching my own kids the Books of the Bible but saw a need for some resources. There are some decent flashcards, but I was looking for something that coordinated colors and symbols across flashcards, signs, and other processing activities. As a Sunday School teacher and parent, I recognized the need for engaging resources to teach the Books of the Bible to children and teens. In response, I created a set of coordinated flashcards, signs, and worksheets.   Flashcards The great things about flashcards are all of the ways that you can use them. Obviously, they can put the cards in order, but that is just the start. One thing that teachers do to help students is to "chunk" information into smaller groups so that students only have to process that smaller amount of information. So you can pull out only one section of the Bible. For example, pull out the OT History books) which is easy since the cards are color-coded by section so all the OT History cards are turquoise. Then,

I am a bit of a Christmas Music connoisseur. I have multiple Christmas playlists on my smartphone, but my general Christmas playlist has over 400 songs and is nearly 24 hours long. I grew up listening to Bing Crosby and Perry Como croon Christmas carols on vinyl and loving Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant's newer Christmas songs. I thought I would share with you what I thought was the best modern version of each Christmas carol.  Which are your favorites? Or do you think another artist has topped any of these versions? The First Noel - TobyMac with Owl City O Come, O Come Emmanuel - Matt Maher O Holy Night - Point of Grace O Little Town of Bethlehem - Natalie Grant What Child is This? - Jason Bare Angels We Have Heard on High - Sanctus Real  or Chris Tomlin Silent Night - Big Daddy Weave It Came Upon a Midnight Clear - Kutless Joy to the World - Avalon Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - Building 429 God Rest You Merry Gentleman - MercyMe  or Pentatonix We Three Kings - Tenth Avenue North