“One of our family’s all-time favorite pets was a dog named Scampy. He was a black-and-tan, rag-eared mutt, part cocker, part Schnauzer, part whatcha-ma-call-it. When he was six months old, he was hit by a car and suffered a broken hind leg, which was put in a splint. Gangrene developed, and the veterinarian recommended euthanasia. My children, however, full of love and affection for Scampy, lobbied for amputation, and their tearful motion, put to a vote in a family council, was carried.

“Ashley–a pre-owned Yorkie from the Humane Society–came into my home with his head hung low. The neighbors were all waiting for me at home to meet the newest member of my family. That was when we learned that this little dog was terrified of men.

Always keep your eyes open for the little task, because it is the little task that is important to Jesus Christ. The future of the Kingdom of God does not depend on the enthusiasm of this or that powerful person; those great ones are necessary, too, but it is equally necessary to have a great number of little people who will do a little thing in the service of Christ.

Jesus was the Master Teacher. Not only was He an excellent communicator, but he also had the ability to ask questions that probed both the heart and the mind. The disciples were challenged to answer His questions with more than superficial, fact-based answers. The questions Jesus asked caused listeners to think and evaluate before responding.

Excerpt from Ronald F. Bridges “Rediscovering Your First Love” (Here’s Life Publishers, Inc.)

A good friend of mine was aggressively pursuing a deeper worship experience with the Lord. His love for God was growing stronger and his desire to draw nearer to Him was sincere. After a couple of months of trying various activities to aid his worship, Rick came to me in frustration, saying that he was unable to feel a genuine sense of worship.

Noted artist Vincent Van Gogh turned away from the faith which had been imparted to him in his Christian home and sank into depression and self-destruction. But later in his life by the grace of God, as he began to embrace that faith again, his life took on new hope, and he gave to that hope color, specifically the color yellow, which evoked for him hope and warmth in then truth of God’s love.

Introduction
Use this activity as an introduction to a study on taking care of your heart.
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” – Proverbs 4:23

Activity

Introduction
Next time you have a lesson on a difficult theological concept, distribute a list of words for which kids are unlikely to know the exact definitions:

Examples
atheism, atonement, beatitude, covenant, eschatology, Eucharist, predestination, gnosticism, grace, justification, meek, propitiation, repentance, sanctification, supplication, transfiguration, etc.

Activity

There was a rich merchant who had 4 wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies. He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best.