​Well, we have reached the third and final March online Learning Together lesson. As always, you and your entire family are invited to read and listen and create and pray around our selected story.
    Our chosen story is called “The Singer” and can be found on pages 228-235 in the book The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. A free copy of this book is available to you at our church, Resurrection Lutheran Church, in New Berlin, or you can order a copy for yourself online.
     Below you will find a Children section, an Adult section, and a wrap-up section for Children and Adults together.
     Whether a child or an adult, if you have comments or questions, please use this blog to submit them to Pastor Matt, who welcomes discussion!
Children
     To begin, if you have your own book, please read the story “The Singer” again for review. You could also read the story out loud to a younger sister or brother, or maybe your mom or dad would listen to you read. If you do not have a book, listen again to our video above.
     The Lord has made all His creations and a bounty of flowers are part of that. If we look closer at our flowers, for example sunflowers, you will find some amazing miracles about them as programmed by God to thrive on their own.
     Did you know that God has built His sunflowers to ...
* have thousands of different types of sunflowers?
* range in color from yellow to white, orange, purple, brown, black and red?
* follow the sun during the day, which is important because, without enough light, they cannot produce seeds. Overnight, they return to facing east.
* slow their internal clocks after they bloom so they will no longer have to turn toward the sun? They remain facing east.
* absorb radioactive material from the soil? This makes them good plants to use in areas affected by radiation leaks.
     Sunflowers, like all flowers, find food and ways to protect themselves on their own because God has created them to know how to get the things they need to live and flourish.  From the Bible, we know that God loves US more than the flowers, or anything else for that matter, and doesn’t want His children, His dear lambs, to sit and worry. If He takes care of the sunflowers, which He does, He will take care of us.
Adults
     The Biblical reference is Matthew 5-7.
     The Sermon on the Mount could be the most well-known teaching of Jesus. It’s packed with valuable wisdom that has stood the test of time and informs our lives as followers of Jesus today just as much as it did back when it was given.  Below is the last four of ten interesting facts about this sermon of Jesus. (See the rest of the facts in the past two March lessons.)
It challenged the norms of who was “righteous” - The religious leaders of Jesus’ time heavily emphasized external behaviors as a marker for how faithful someone was. These leaders, the Pharisees, upheld strict rules from the Law of Moses – and were all too quick to point out when someone else failed to meet those standards. 
     Jesus turned these standards upside-down. In Matthew 5:17-20, Jesus makes a bold statement: that he came to “accomplish the law of Moses.” He reveals that he’s come to make a new way for people to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, one that doesn’t require a perfect track record.  
     What does that mean? In John 14:6, Jesus puts it simply: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” Through Jesus – his sacrifice on the cross, which is what he knew would someday “accomplish the law of Moses” – our eternity in heaven can be secured. All we need to do is trust Jesus and invite him to change our lives. 
Jesus sat while he was teaching - In Jewish tradition, teachers often sat down when they were teaching. Jesus probably did the same thing when he delivered the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5:1 says, “When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the mountainside and sat down.” Sitting to teach was also a symbol of authority in Jewish culture. 
It ends with a call to action - The Sermon on the Mount isn’t just some good advice—it’s a call to action. Jesus wrapped up his sermon with a powerful story of two builders, one who built his house on the rock (a symbol of living out Jesus’ teachings) and another on sand (ignoring his teachings). “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.” Matthew 7:24 
     The Sermon on the Mount is one of the key teachings of Jesus that gives us a glimpse into his heart for his people. These teachings stand the test of time and offer us insights into how we can better live out our faith today. 
Children and Adults
     This Sunday, March 23, 2025 is the fourth Sunday of the month, and that means our Sunday School will be meeting from 11 am – 12pm at our church right after service. We will start with a treat, followed by oral reading and discussing of our story, move on to assemble a fun craft, and end with a prayer. All ages are welcome!
~This Week’s Prayer~
Dear Lord, I am thankful for all Your
creations that so enrich my life. Amen
 
Have a safe week,
Margo Greer