​February Week 1, 2025 Learning Together
     Hello again to you and your family! Today we are beginning a new Bible story for the new month. As always, you and your entire family are invited to read and listen and create and pray around this story.
     Besides this first lesson, there will be two more online lessons this month, one per week, and Sunday School will meet on Sunday, February 23, 2025. More information about that will be given at the end of this lesson.
     February’s story is “A Little Servant Girl and the Proud General” and can be found on pages 136-143 of The Jesus Storybook Bible written by Sally Lloyd-Jones. A free copy of this book is available for you at church, or you can order one online.
     Below, you will find a Children section, an Adult section, and a wrap-up section for Children and Adults together.
Children
     Please locate a comfortable spot, settle in, and listen to the oral read recording of this story found at the beginning of this lesson. Close your eyes as you listen and imagine the scenes as they take place, or you could draw your own pictures as the story is read to you.
     You have met our main character – Naaman. He was very rich, a high-ranking army man, and very famous for winning a big battle that helped save his country. He was very, very proud of himself and thought he knew best about everything.
     He was also a very sick man. His illness was called leprosy. Today it is called Hansen’s Disease.
     In the time of the Bible, leprosy was a chronic (doesn’t ever go away) and incurable (can’t be healed) skin disease that was considered a punishment from God for sinning. People with leprosy were treated as outcasts, meaning they could not be allowed to live with their families and be in their neighborhoods. It seems a very mean way to treat sick people, but everyone knew this disease could spread, and there was no cure. It was best not to take any chances and best to avoid a pandemic.
     Today, modern medicine and science have taught doctors that leprosy is caused by a certain type of germ called bacteria. Medicines called antibiotics kill bacteria and can cure this disease now!
     By the way, it is curious to know that skin doctors have noticed that today’s patients with leprosy have one of these risk factors:

• Lived in a country where leprosy is more common, such as India, Brazil, China, Indonesia, or parts of Africa
• Handled an armadillo
• Spent time outdoors in an area where armadillos live

     If you have any comments or questions, please submit them on this blog and Pastor Matt will respond to you.
Adults
 The Biblical reference is 2 Kings 5.
     Naaman was the commander of the whole army of the country of Aram (now called Syria). He was very rich. He had many servants. Even his wife had a servant girl. She was a little girl from the country of Israel. She had been captured from her home and brought to the country of Aram to be a slave in Naaman’s house. Naaman and his family did not believe in God, but the little girl did. Even though she was far away from her parents and Israel, she remembered what her parents had taught her when she was very little. She remembered Elisha, the prophet, and all the good things he did for God.
     Even though Naaman was a commander of the army and very rich, he had a very big problem. He had a terrible disease called leprosy. Leprosy starts out as white spots on the skin. Then, the white spots start becoming sorer. If the leprosy spots were on a person’s hands, then their hands could become so sore with leprosy that they could fall off. The spots would spread all over your body, and finally, you would die. It was a horrible thing to have leprosy because no medicine could make it better.
     No one wanted to be around someone with leprosy because they might get leprosy, too. Naaman had to stay away from everyone. He could not be a soldier anymore, and he could not be with his family. Everyone was really bummed about Naaman, especially Naaman.
     To be continued next week.
     As with the children, if you have any comments or questions, please submit them on this blog. Pastor Matt welcomes the discussion.
 
Children and Adults
     Sunday School will meet at our church on February 23, 2025, at 11am-12pm after services. During our gathering, we will enjoy a treat, oral read and discuss the story, assemble a craft, and end with a prayer. All ages are invited to attend and participate. Put it on your calendar.
~This Week’s Prayer~
Sweet Jesus, give me strength to avoid being too proud and bossy.
 
Have a blessed week,
Margo Greer

Hello to you once more! Welcome back for the second and final lesson of January. As in other months, you and your entire family are invited to read and listen and create and pray around our selected story.
     This month our story is “The Good Shepherd,” and it is found on pages 130-135 of The Jesus Storybook Bible written by Sally Lloyd-Jones.
     There follows a children’s section, an adult section, weekly prayer, and a wrap up.
Children
     Settle into a comfy spot and listen to the videotape above, or read the story yourself, or maybe oral read it aloud to a family member.
     In last week’s lesson we talked about the 23rd Psalm written by King David, who wrote almost half of all the psalms. This week our subject will be who wrote the rest.
     The book of Psalms is found in the Old Testament of the Bible, which means all the psalms were written before Jesus was born.
     Out of the 150 psalms in the Bible, 73 were written by King David. The others were written by various authors who lived at the time such as -

• Moses: One of the most important prophets wrote Psalm 90.
• Solomon: The son of King David wrote Psalms 72 and 127.
• Asaph: A singer and a musician who served in the temple during the time of King David and who wrote 12 psalms
• Heman: A minister of music in the temple during King David’s reign who wrote Psalm 88
• Ethan the Ezrahite: A boy at King David’s court well known for his wisdom. He wrote Psalm 89.
• The three faithful sons of Korah: Korah was a rebel who rose up against Moses. His sons wrote 11 psalms.

     About half of the psalms are anonymous, meaning there is no known author. Some of these anonymous psalms may have been written by David.  
     The book of Psalms was likely organized by a high priest named Ezra.  He may have also added titles to psalms with known authors.
     Please direct any questions or comments on this blog to Pastor Matt Short, our new pastor.
     Look below the Adult section for the weekly prayer and send-off.
Adults
     Biblical references are Psalm 51, 2 Samuel, and paraphrased Psalm 23.
     Psalm 23 is thought to be the most uplifting psalm, but Psalm 88 is often considered the saddest psalm in the Bible. It expresses a deep sense of despair, fear, and hopelessness. The psalm is about feeling crushed by life's challenges and struggling with the idea that God allows people to suffer. 
    What specifically makes Psalm 88 so sad? It is full of verses that express despair; it is about a cry to a silent and absent God; it ends with darkness and no obvious note of hope.
     Heman the Ezrahite wrote it. He was ill, depressed and felt worse at the end of the psalm than at the beginning. The writer prays, but God does not seem to listen. God seems only to send more trouble to him. He cannot see how things may get better.
     If we sometimes feel the same way, it is good to use this psalm to speak to God. It helps us to speak aloud what we feel. We need to remember to seek the Lord while we are in pain.
     It behooves us to remember Jesus also experienced anguish of the soul.
     Again, our new pastor, Pastor Matt, will entertain any comments or questions about this lesson.
For Children and Adults
     Next Sunday, January 19, 2025, our Sunday School will gather to enjoy a treat, oral read and discuss the story, do a fun craft, and end with a prayer. All are invited to attend. Hope to see you!
 
~ This Week’s Prayer ~
Dear Lord, I am blessed to know that I can
talk to You whenever I want and however I feel.
 
Brrr - Stay warm!
Margo Greer

​   Happy New Year to you and your whole family! Along with this new year greeting comes the very first Learning Together lesson of 2025. As before, you and your entire family are invited to read and listen and create and pray around one particular bible story.

   The book we are using is called The Jesus Storybook Bible and is written by Sally Lloyd-Jones. This book can be ordered online or a free copy can be found at our church. January’s story is called “The Good Shepherd” and is found on pages 130-135.
Children - We are continuing our study of King David. This time you will learn about special songs he wrote called psalms, which are poems put to music. Please curl up in a comfy spot, close your eyes, and listen to the poem being orally read to you. Imagine pictures in your head as you listen.

Yes, King David was a poet and harp player and loved to sing to his people of Israel about God and all of His blessings on them. King David knew that God would always love them like a shepherd loves his sheep.

Yes, King David was a poet and harp player and loved to sing to his people of Israel about God and all of His blessings on them. King David knew that God would always love them like a shepherd loves his sheep.
     Out of 150 psalms that are found in the book of Psalms in the bible, 73 were written by David. The 23rd psalm, which is THE most well-known psalm throughout the world, is also written by David and is called “The Song of the Shepherd.”  
Adults – Taken from Psalm 51, 2 Samuel 7, and paraphrased Psalm 23.
     David's kingship began over the tribe of Judah in 1000 BC and expanded to the whole of Israel in 993 BC. Many scholars believe that David wrote Psalm 23 toward the end of his reign because of its calm and nostalgic tone.  
     Psalm 23 is a poetic expression of deep trust in God, beautifully depicting Him as a shepherd who lovingly cares for his sheep, providing them with rest, nourishment, guidance, protection even in the darkest valleys, and ultimately leading them to a place of abundance and peace; essentially conveying that no matter what challenges life throws, God is always present, providing comfort and security throughout one's journey. 
     Key elements of the imagery are:
"The Lord is my shepherd": This opening line establishes God as the ultimate provider and protector, like a shepherd caring for his flock. 
"Green pastures": Represents a place of rest and plentiful provision, symbolizing spiritual nourishment and contentment. 
 "Still waters": A picture of tranquility and serenity, signifying a sense of peace amidst life's turmoil. 
 "Valley of the shadow of death": Represents difficult times or moments of fear, but the reassurance that even in darkness, God is present. 
 "Rod and staff": Tools used by a shepherd to guide and protect his sheep, signifying God's guidance and strength. 
 "Table before me": Represents God's abundant provision and blessings, a feast laid out for his faithful. 
 "Oil on my head": A symbol of joy and anointing, signifying God's favor and blessing. 
     What does Psalm 23 mean for us today? It demonstrates God's wonderful care and provision, fulfilled for us in Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd. As God was David's shepherd in the Old Testament, He is ours today through Jesus Christ.
For Children and Adults
This Week’s Prayer –
                 Heavenly Father, thank you for being my shepherd who provides for me, leads me, and comforts me.
There will be only 2 (rather than three) Learning Together lessons this month, and Sunday School will gather on 1/19/25 at 11am for story reading, discussion, and a fun craft. Mark the date on your calendar!
Have a safe week,
Margo Greer

A hearty hello to all of you! Thanks for joining me on our blog for the second and last lesson for this month.
      Each lesson I write has one section for children and one for adults.
     There are two important events I want to share. Sunday School will gather at church on December 15 and our Christmas program will be on December 22. More details can be found at the end of this document.
     Our selected story is “The Young Hero and The Horrible Giant” found on pages 122-129 of The Jesus Storybook Bible written by Sally Lloyd-Jones.
Children  Please oral read the story yourself and check out the pictures for additional information.
     We left our discussion last week about David and Goliath when King Saul accepted David’s offer to take on Goliath one-on-one in battle! This does appear to be a silly offer by David, and a crazy one for King Saul to hear, but David had two great reasons to feel confident. He shared both with King Saul, and the king agreed.
     Reason #1 -> In the Bible, David said to King Saul, “I have been keeping my father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.  I have killed both the lion and the bear; this Philistine will be like one of them.” David was confident he could deliver a life-ending blow with a rock and his sling.

​December Week 1, 2024 Learning Together
     Happy December to you all! Welcome to our Learning Together blog based on The Jesus Storybook Bible written by Sally Lloyd-Jones, which is available free at our church or can be purchased online.
     Each lesson I write has sections for both children and adults.
     This month will have only Week 1 and Week 2 lessons posted (rather than the usual three), Sunday School will meet in person at church on December 15 at 11 am-12 pm, and our church’s Christmas program will be celebrated on Sunday, December 22 at 10 am. You and your family are invited to attend any or all of these events!
     Our new story, a continuation of our discussion about King David, is titled “The Young Hero and The Horrible Giant” and can be found on pages 122-129. My lessons created for this story will allow you to think and read and imagine and create.
Children - Please find a comfortable place to listen to our story being orally read to you at the beginning of this blog. As you listen, imagine pictures in your head as the story unfolds. You may want to draw your own pictures.
     If you recall from last month’s lesson, David, son of Jesse and the youngest and weakest of seven brothers, was chosen by God to be the future King of Israel.
     But before he became king, a big fight started between Israel and their enemy called the Philistines. This fight was close to Jesse’s home, and some of David’s brothers fought in it. One of David’s jobs was to take these brothers food each day.
     On one of these food trips, David first saw the giant of a man who was the Philistine’s secret weapon – a soldier called Goliath! All of Israel’s soldiers were totally freaked out about fighting this enormous, mean man who wore impressive armor and for weeks shouted bad things at them about making them slaves and “eating” them for lunch.
     But David was NOT afraid of Goliath and volunteered to fight him. He believed God would help him defeat this enemy of his people. Saul, the present-day king, allowed David to try.
     Our story will continue next week.
     Skip the next section for adults and scroll to the bottom to read the weekly prayer and the reminders of upcoming events.
Adults - Taken from 1 Samuel 17, New International Version.
Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Sokoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Sokoh and Azekah. 2 Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. 3 The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them.
4 A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span (a cubit is roughly 18 inches long, and a span is about 9 inches long). 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels (a shekel is a unit of weight, around 9.6 or 9.8 grams); 6 on his legs he wore bronze greaves (a greave is a type of defensive armor that extends from the foot to the knee.) and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. 7 His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him.
8 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” 10 Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.” 11 On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.
12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul’s time he was very old. 13 Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah. 14 David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul, 15 but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.
16 For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.
17 Now Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah (a Hebrew unit of dry measure that is roughly equivalent to a bushel, or about 35 liters) of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. 18 Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance from them. 19 They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.”
20 Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. 21 Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. 22 David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and asked his brothers how they were. 23 As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. 24 Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear.
25 Now the Israelites had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his family from taxes in Israel.”
26 David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
27 They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him.”
28 When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.”
29 “Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?” 30 He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before. 31 What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him.
32 David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”
33 Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”
34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”
Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”
     Next week will be part two of this biblical reference.
For Children and Adults  
~This Week’s Prayer~
Dear God, please help me to believe in you as David did.
     Allow me to remind you of our December’s up-coming events: Our last online lesson next week, Sunday School gathering on December 15, and Christmas program on December 22.
 
Wear your mittens,
Margo Greer
 

     Hello and welcome to you! This is the last of the three online November Learning Together lessons with sections for both children and adults.
     We are today wrapping up our discussion of the story “The Teeny, Weenie … True King” found on pages 116-121 of The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones.
     Children: Please re-read the story anyway you wish, silently or out loud, alone or with a family member.
      


Now this particular lesson is actually going to be about David, the great king of Israel, but it took my first two lessons to explain Samuel (a high priest and judge) and Jesse (a man with many sons, including David) in order to understand David’s story.                                                                               
     

Back in Jesus’ time, most kings were chosen to be kings because they were the tallest and strongest men in the neighborhood. David, though, was the opposite. He was short and not very strong compared to his six older brothers.
     But God knew David’s heartfelt, innermost thoughts, and He knew David had a heart full of love, just as God himself does. That is why God spoke quietly to Samuel that He had chosen David to be the next King of Israel.
     When David grew up, he DID become Israel’s king for many years and was known as a wise and Godly ruler. He is one of the most important people in the entire Bible! Keep in mind also that King David was part of Jesus’ family tree!
     Our next two stories in December and January will also be about King David, one about David as a soldier and the other about David as a poet who wrote special poems about praising God called psalms.
     Skip the next section for adults, read the prayer of the week below, and check out the information about Sunday School this coming weekend.    
     Comments and questions are always welcome by Pastor Steve on this blog.
     Adults:  Biblical reference for this story is 1 Samuel 16.
     Apart from a few Jewish sources written over a thousand years later, all that is known of David comes from biblical literature, the historicity of which has been extensively challenged, and there is little detail about David that is concrete and undisputed.
     Having said that, the story of King David in the Bible is about a shepherd boy who became king of Israel, expanded Israel’s territories, and left the country more prosperous and peaceful than he found it.
     Highlights from his life are as follow:
         ~The prophet Samuel anointed David as the future king of Israel.
         ~ David defeated the giant Goliath with a slingshot and a stone.
         ~ David fled into exile after Saul, the first king, became jealous 
            of David’s popularity and plotted to kill him.
         ~ David led a group of outlaws and refugees in the desert,
            protecting the local population from bandits.
         ~ After Saul and his son, Jonathon, were killed in battle, David
            became king as the true successor to Saul.
         ~ David built his palace in the City of David and moved the Holy
            Ark to Jerusalem.
         ~ David expanded Israel’s territories and defeated its enemies.
         ~ David gathered building materials and drew blueprints for the
            temple for his son, Solomon.
      In medieval Western Europe and Eastern Christendom, David was considered a modern ruler and a symbol of divinely ordained monarchy.
     We will continue looking into King David’s life in the next two months.
     Comments and questions are always welcome by Pastor Steve on this blog.
 For Children and Adults:
~This Week’s Prayer: I pray that I will be like King David, who never lost faith in the Lord.
     Sunday School will gather this coming Sunday, November 24, at 11 am-12 pm right after church service. There will be a snack, an oral read and story discussion, and a follow-up craft. All are invited!
Happy Thanksgiving,
Margo Greer

Fall greetings to you! Today is the second lesson of three about the story of “The Teeny, Weenie … True King” on pages 116-121 of The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. Get ready to think and learn and read and pray!
 
Children: To start, please read our story out loud this time. Maybe you will choose to read it out loud for yourself, or to a
brother or sister, or maybe a parent. Remember to check out the pictures. Jesse had seven sons (and two daughters):
Eliab was his firstborn son;
Abinadab was born second,
Shimeag third,
Nethanel fourth,
Raddai fifth,
Ozem sixth, and
David was seventh.
 
We do not know if Jesse’s sons knew why they were being interviewed by Samuel, but it’s quite possible they would have known Samuel to be a very important man, and that the interviews must be very important, too. Samuel did not have to make this enormous decision. God, who sees into all our hearts, spoke His choice to Samuel, and that choice was David, the youngest and smallest of the sons. David, who wasn’t even included in the first round of interviews, who was the weakling of the family, was judged by God to be the perfect person to be the second king of Israel. Samuel anointed David right away. To be anointed means you got the job. To anoint someone means you 1)wet your right thumb with blessed oil, 2) draw a cross in the middle of the person’s forehead with your thumb, and as you do that, 3) use the person’s name and say “I anoint you with oil in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.)
 
It must be remembered the other brothers were not chosen because they were bad people in any way, but that David was the best one of all seven brothers to be the kind of King God wanted. Send any of your questions or comments to Pastor Steve using this blog, and he will respond.
 
Adults: Biblical references for this story are 1 Samuel 16 and Matthew 1. Who exactly was Jesse in the Bible and what do we know about him? Jesse was the father of King David ( Ruth 4:17 ). He was the grandson of Ruth and Boaz . You remember Ruth whose husband and son died. She told her mother-in-law Naomi she would continue to follow her. Naomi’s people would be her people and Naomi’s God would be her God ( Ruth 1:16 ). We know from further study in the Bible that Jesse is a part of the lineage of Jesus. Jesse takes center stage in the Bible as God prepares to anoint a new
king of Israel to replace Saul. We look to 1 Samuel 16 for the details. God told Samuel that He was sending him to the house of Jesse, the Bethlehemite. There, among the sons of Jesse, he would find the new king of Israel. God had instructed Samuel to fill his horn with oil in anticipation. Samuel had questions as to how he would anoint a new king without facing
the wrath of Saul. God told him to take a heifer, a young cow, to sacrifice to the Lord. God then instructed him to invite Jesse to the sacrifice. God told Samuel that He would show him what to do and who to anoint as the next king.
 
When Samuel went to Bethlehem, as God had instructed, Samuel invited Jesse and his sons to the sacrifice. Samuel had no idea of who God might anoint. He figured it might be the oldest son Eliab. “But the Lord said  unto Samuel,   Look  not on his countenance,  or on the height  of his stature;  because I have refused  him: for the Lord seeth not as man  seeth ; for man   looketh  on the outward appearance, but the Lord  looketh  on the heart. ”
 
The Bible says in Isaiah 11:1 that a rod would spring forth out of the stem of Jesse and a Branch (with a capital B due to its importance), shall grow out of its roots. This Branch is significant because it is a precursor to the Son of God. Turn to Matthew 1 to read the lineage of the fourteen generations prior to Jesus Christ. The beginning names of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are very familiar to us, as are the names of Jesse, and at the end, the names of Joseph and Mary. As with the children, please send any of your questions or comments to Pastor Steve using this blog, and he will respond.
 
~This Week’s Prayer: Blessed God, we are grateful that You have plan a for each of us. Amen
 
One more online lesson will follow next week and Sunday School will gather on November 24, 2024, at 11 am-12 pm right after service. We will enjoy a snack, oral read and discuss “The True Teeny Weenie … True King,” and assemble a follow-up craft. Hope to see you then.
 
Remember to say your prayers,
Margo Greer

​     Yes, it is now November and time for three new Learning Together lessons and a scheduled Sunday School gathering in late November. I am very happy to have you with me and am looking forward to sharing the new lessons.
     You and your family are invited to think, learn, read, and pray around our selected story, which is entitled “The Teeny, Weenie …True King.” It can be found in The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones on pages 116-121. There are free copies of this book to be found at our church, Resurrection Lutheran Church in New Berlin, or it can be bought online.
     Please feel free to share your comments or questions with Pastor Steve on this blog; he will gladly respond.
     Children: As with every first lesson, I begin by asking you to find a comfortable space and listen to the oral reading of the story provided for you at the beginning of this online lesson.
     Before we discuss the “real teeny, weenie … King David,” I need to share with you the life of Samuel, who is speaking to us at the start of our story.
     Samuel was a prophet and judge who lived before the time of kings in the country of Israel. He was responsible for anointing the first two kings of Israel, Saul and David. The name Samuel means "God has heard". Two books of the Old Testament are named after him, 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel.
     Hannah, Samuel’s mom, was so happy when she realized she was going to have a baby that she promised the Lord that if she did give birth to a son, the boy should be raised by the priest Eli in the church at Shiloh as a life-long follower of God.  So, at the age of three or four, he started living and training in the Shioh church, and his mother came to see him often.     
     Samuel was about twelve when he first heard God’s voice talking to him while he was sleeping, but, not understanding it was God, Samuel thought it was the priest Eli who was calling his name. The first three times the Lord called Samuel, the boy went to Eli to ask what he wanted Samuel to do.  At first the priest was confused, because he had not called out Samuel’s name, but on the third time, he finally understood what was happening. He instructed Samuel to respond to the Lord if He called again. Then, "The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, Samuel! Samuel!' Samuel said, ’Speak, for your servant is listening.’ God gave Samuel a message to relay to Eli - Eli’s two sons were not honest and trustworthy people and should not be the next rulers of Israel. 

​      The following day, Samuel told Eli everything God had said to him, even though the message was bad news for Eli and his family. Eli wasn’t happy but accepted God’s word. From then on, Samuel’s reputation as a prophet spread throughout Israel, and God continued to reveal His Word to His people through Samuel.
     Samuel lived and died about 1000 years before Jesus was born, so he never met Jesus, but he truly and totally believed in God, and early on, demonstrated that God spoke to him on a regular basis.  
     Adults: Biblical references for this story are 1 Samuel 16.
     Samuel lived at the end of the period of the judges and ushered in the period of kingship. He was Israel’s last judge (1 Sam 7:6, 15‑17) and first prophet (3:20; Acts 3:24; 13:20). He functioned as a priest (1 Sam 2:18) and was a great man of faith (Hebrews 11:32). Samuel was born in response to his mother Hannah’s prayers. Samuel’s parents traveled annually from Ramah to the Shiloh sanctuary (1 Sam 1:3). While at the sanctuary, Hannah, who was infertile, prayed for a son and promised him to God for full-time service (1:9‑11). God answered the prayer, and Samuel was born (1:19‑20). When Samuel was weaned, about the age of four, Hannah took him to serve in the church at Shiloh with Eli, the high priest.

​     Samuel whole-heartedly served the Lord. Soon it became clear that God spoke more intimately with Samuel than with Eli. God spoke to Samuel (3:1‑18) to warn Eli of the coming disaster when the Philistines defeated Israel, killed Eli’s sons, and took the Ark of the Covenant (chapt 4–6). Later, under Samuel’s leadership, the people repented of their sin of idolatry and succeeded in winning an important battle against the Philistines (7:3‑17).
     But as Samuel grew older, it became obvious he suffered from the same weakness as Eli before him. Samuel’s sons were evil (8:1‑3), and the people did not want them to assume leadership over the nation. So the people saw the need for a king who could lead them in battle against their enemies (8:4‑5).
     The transition from the era of the judges to kingship was turbulent. As priest, Samuel prayed for the people; as prophet, he reproved Saul for impatience and disobedience (13:5‑14; 15:20‑23). When God rejected Saul as king, Samuel anointed David as God’s chosen one (16:1‑13) and protected David from Saul (19:18‑24).
     Through prayer and perseverance, Samuel was a faithful leader (Jeremiah 15:1; Acts 13:20; Hebrews 11:32) who cherished his people’s well-being and courageously rebuked kings and elders. He led Israel from tribal disunity to national solidarity and established the monarchy. He wrote The Record of Samuel the Seer (1 Chronicles 29:29) and defined ideal kingship (1 Sam 10:25).
     When he died, he was mourned by all of Israel. He was buried in Ramah, his hometown (25:1).
~This week’s prayer: I pray I will be ready like Samuel, when God calls my name. Amen.
     Two more weekly lessons will follow this month’s story of Samuel and King David. Sunday School will meet from 11am to 12pm on November 24 right after church services. All ages are invited to attend to read and discuss the story and enjoy a craft.
Until next week,
Margo Greer

     Today’s Learning Together lesson is the third and final lesson of this October.  Our selected story is “Treasure Hunt” found on pages 250-255 of The Jesus by Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones.
     Children: I would like you to reread our story in any way you prefer. Maybe you would like to draw your own illustrations, too. (Please bring them to share if you wish at the next Sunday School gathering.)
     As you know, Jesus taught using stories, or parables, to the crowds that surrounded Him. Why did He choose this way to share His beliefs? There are three reasons why Jesus chose this particular teaching style.
     First of all, parables were easy to understand for many people.  Jesus’ teachings were at times hard to explain because they were difficult ideas, but Jesus kept it simple by being able to relate to everyday people in their everyday lives. When people listened to Jesus, everyone understood what the parable meant to them. You and I all understood the man who found the treasure and how much he wanted it for himself, right?
     Secondly, parables are easy to remember. It’s not enough that Jesus’ words would be easy to grasp; they needed to be easily remembered. A parable gives the listener a hook to hold onto and an easy method to share the same lesson with others, as Jesus wanted.
     Lastly, Jesus’s parables always had a beginning, followed by a challenge or problem, and then ended with a solution. It would be a short, sweet, and to the point lesson that connected easily to His listeners’ daily lives, like bread baking and farming, or finding a life-changing treasure.
     Those three reasons also make Jesus’ teachings so easy to grasp and share today for US!
     Adults: The Biblical reference for this story is Matthew 13.
 
     Our topic today continues about Jesus’ parables, but this time we move from Matthew to the gospels of Mark, Luke, and John. 
 
        The Parables found in Mark

1. The Parable of the Growing Seed
2. The Parable of the Returning Owner

The Parables found in Luke
3.The Parable of the Moneylender
4. The Parable of the Rich Fool
5. The Parable of the Watchful Servants
6. The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Servants
7. The Parable of the Unfruitful Fig Tree
8. The Parable of the Master and the Servant
9. The Parable of the Good Samaritan    
1​0. The Parable of the Friend Seeking Bread
11. The Parable of the Place of Honor
12. The Parable of the Great Banquet
13. The Parable about Counting the Cost
14. The Parable of the Lost Sheep
15. The Parable of the Lost Coin
16. The Parable of the Prodigal Son
             17. The Parable of the Shrewd Manager
             18. The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus
             19. The Parable of the Persistent Widow
             20. The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
     There are no parables in the Gospel of John, but there are stories that are considered allegories, which are not parables. Allegories are more complex than parables and can take the form of a book, poem, or even a movie.
This Week’s Prayer: Thank you, Jesus for making each parable you taught easy to understand. Amen
     Next Sunday, October 27, 2024, our Sunday School will gather right after church services at 11 am-12 pm for a snack, an oral read and story discussion, and a follow-up craft. All are welcome to attend!
Enjoy the summer weather,
Margo Greer