February Week 1, 2023 Learning Together
Welcome again to Learning Together! This is February’s first lesson, and it is all about the story “The Friend of Little Children” found on pages 256-263 in The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. (If you would like to have your own copy of this book, please ask for one or order your own online.) You and your whole family are invited to listen and read and create and pray around this story. Children: First, please listen to the story read aloud to you. You may wish to follow along in your own book, making sure to carefully look at the pictures. You could invite your family members to listen and look with you. The story begins with some of Jesus’ friends arguing with each other about which one of them was the most important helper to Jesus. While they argued, Jesus had some children visit Him along with their parents. The friends stopped arguing with themselves in order to shoo these people away, but Jesus spoke up and told His friends to NEVER send children away but to bring them to Him. He told them that He loves all people, but especially children, because children can love him back so freely, so trustingly. This makes you an important part of God’s kingdom! Adults: The Biblical references to this story are Matthew 18, 19; Mark 10; Luke 18. Back in Jesus’ day, children often were seen as a nuisance. They were tolerated, but not welcome. Jesus’ words concerning children were extremely important and contrasted with practices of pagans of the day. It was common practice in both Greece and Rome to abandon unwanted children by the road to let them die. Later, early Christians were known for taking in these orphans. Jesus flipped this way of thinking on its head. In the Bible, Jesus spoke out against those who pushed children to the sidelines while drawing them near to Himself. So when Jesus says ‘come to God like a little child’, that's exactly what we want to do! There is no virtue in being childish, but we should never outgrow our childlikeness. As His child, God wants us to recognize our need for His care and protection. Adults, in order to have a more childlike approach to life, need to consider these four lessons we can learn from children:
Next week there will be one more lesson posted about this month’s story, then our Sunday School will meet on fourth Sunday February 26 at 11:00 after church services; there will be a story discussion and a fun craft. All are welcome! Until next week, Margo Greer
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January Week 3, 2023 Learning Together
Hello once more! Here is the last of our three January’s lessons about “The Captain of the Storm” story, which can be found on pages 236-243 in The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. Children: When we last left Jesus’ helpers, they were soaking wet and shaking with fear. They all believed that their boats were sinking, that they were going to die in the terrible storm, and they were all pleading for Jesus to save their lives. Jesus is awoken, and, realizing the situation, says, “Peace! Be still” without any fear or worry in His words. The storm obeyed, and all was quiet again. The helpers’ fear of dying was replaced with total amazement and awe. They found it almost impossible to believe that Jesus had calmed the storm with two words, but they had witnessed it with their own eyes and ears. They knew he had worked miracles with people, but they had not realized that Jesus could do THIS! Jesus is the Son of God, creator of the universe. There is no place and no thing over which He is not Lord. Whatever our fears, we can count on him to calm the storms in our lives. When we are worried, we can call out to Jesus in prayer and know that he hears us just as he heard the disciples’ cries for help. “Do not be afraid. Believe that I will take care of you!” ~This week’s children’s prayer: Help us to remember that you are Creator of the universe and that nothing is too big or too hard for you. Amen Adults: The Biblical reference to this story is Matthew 8 and Mark 4. We have the benefit of knowing how the story of Jesus calming the storm ends, but imagine the disciples’ amazement when the raging waves instantly became quiet. Even today, with our advanced technology, we don’t have any control over the weather and can’t always forecast it very accurately. In Jesus’ day, controlling the weather was known strictly as the domain of God. In the instant the storm ceased, the disciples began to realize more fully who Jesus was. He had demonstrated his power in healing people and casting out demons. Now they were amazed and afraid to find He had power over nature, as well. He had never before done anything of this magnitude. They turned to each other and asked, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” The disciples came to learn that no matter how bad a situation seemed, the first thing they needed to do was turn to Jesus. By calming the Sea of Galilee, Jesus demonstrated to His disciples that He was no ordinary man. Jesus was, indeed, God’s Son, and He is truly like no other. ~This week’s adult prayer: God Loves Me Whenever I am troubled and lost in deep despair, I bundle all my troubles up and go to God in prayer, I tell Him I am heartsick and lost and lonely too, That I am deeply burdened and don't know what to do. But I know He stilled the tempest and calmed the angry sea, And I humbly ask if in His love He'll do the same for me. Then I just keep quiet and think only thoughts of peace, And if I abide in stillness my restless murmurings cease. ~ Helen Steiner Rice Sunday School will gather for discussion of this story and a related craft this coming Sunday, January 22 at 11:00 a.m. Remember to bring any of your own artwork or writing or comments or questions if you would like to share. See you soon! Have a safe week, Margo Greer January Week 2, 2023 Learning Together
Welcome back to Learning Together’s site for January’s Week 2 lesson. Our story discussion of “Captain of the Storm” found on pages 236-243 of The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Weber continues. Children: To refresh your memory, please reread the story or re-listen to the taped story found above. Think about responding with artwork or writing a poem. As you know, Jesus and His friends had been very busy traveling and sharing God’s Word with many other people, and Jesus was very tired when he and the rest set off in their fishing boats. The friends were experienced sailors and tried to control the storm situation by doing what they had been taught - lowering their sails, throwing out their anchors, and bailing out the water. Close your eyes and imagine the shrieking wind and the huge waves and how afraid the friends became as the storm continued to rage on and the boats became closer and closer to sinking! They thought they were goners until Jesus, with two words calmed that angry sea. Adults: The Biblical reference for this story is Mark 4 and Matthew 8. What an exciting and amazing day that must have been for the disciples—first to be caught in that terrible storm and then to see Jesus take control of the weather and change it with only his words! They were pretty shocked about what Jesus had done, as we would have been. He didn’t get up and start screaming “We’re all gonna die!” like most of us would have. He wasn’t even worried. He simply got up and said, “Quiet. Be still.” and the angry sea had been calmed. What an epiphany for them! ~This week’s prayer: Almighty God, I thank you calming my heart and giving me peace. Amen Keep in mind that Sunday School will meet to discuss this story and work a related craft on January 22, 2023, at 11:00 right after the church service. All are welcome! Have a good week! Margo Greer Happy New Year to you and your family and welcome to the very first Sunday School lesson of 2023.
Once again, you all are invited to listen and read and create and pray around one particular story. This month, our story is “The Captain of the Storm” and is found on pages 236-243 of The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. Children: Please begin by listening to our story being read aloud to you in this Learning Together email. Your whole family could listen together. Because pictures bring stories to life, I hope you are able to follow along in your own book. (Just ask to have your own copy of the book!) Bad weather storms – Are you afraid of them? If you are, I understand why! Storms can be scary, and we know they will happen in everyone’s lives. Some storms are worse and can be more frightening than others, like the one in our story. This one took place on a big lake, which is the worst place to be in a storm, called the Sea of Galilee, and Jesus and His friends were on boats in the middle of this big lake, and a huge storm came up, and they all thought they would die. Of course, Jesus, the great Rescuer, had other plans! Adults: The Biblical reference to this story is from Mark 4 and Matthew 8. Jesus’ suggestion to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee sounds to us like a simple procedure. However, several factors made such a journey difficult. First, few inhabitants of the west side of Galilee ever ventured to the east side. That side was inhabited mostly by non-Jews who worshipped a variety of gods, which naturally made God-fearing Jews uncomfortable. Second, the boats Jesus’ disciples used were small fishing boats. They were not intended for traversing the middle of the lake, which was 14 miles long by 8 miles wide. And finally, the geography surrounding the lake made it susceptible to sudden storms that could turn a calm lake into a violent sea. Note that Jesus and his followers weren’t all in one boat, though that is a common perception. Many lives were at stake when a furious storm arose. However, many of the disciples were experienced fishermen and expert sailors. So one might expect that they would handle things on their own. The fact that they turned to Jesus for help likely meant that they were at the end of their means—they had tried everything they knew to combat the storm and had failed. At the point of pure desperation, they woke Jesus with screams of terror. ~This week’s prayer: I must ask God to calm my storms and trust that He will in His time. Amen. Sunday School will meet for story discussion and a craft this month on January 22, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. after the church service. Hope to see you then! Until next time, Margo Greer Hello to you! Welcome back to Learning Together for December Week 2’s lesson. The three wise men are the subject of our story “The King of kings” and can be found on pages 192-199 in The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Weber.
Children: As I promised last week, let’s learn some interesting facts about the three gifts that were given to Jesus by the wise men. Gold, like today, was highly valued in Jesus’s time. Other things that were valued were silver, livestock, servants, and gemstones, but gold was the most precious of all. Frankincense is a kind of resin gum that is burned for its aroma. It is like a modern-day house freshener, but only rich people could afford to make their homes smell better. In ancient times, churches often used it when worshipping God. Nowadays we would call it incense. Myrrh is an expensive, fragrant spice derived from the sap of a tree native to the Near East. Like frankincense, it can be used as incense, but in the ancient world it also was used as a perfume, anointing oil, and even a medicine. Myrrh was a key ingredient in the mix of spices that were used to prepare bodies for burial. Do you remember from the first lesson that Joseph, Mary, and little Jesus moved to Egypt to be safe from King Herod? Well, it is thought quite likely that the family sold the three gifts in order to have money to escape! Adults: The message of the wise men is an important one. The wise men, traveling from the East, came to give worship and give royal gifts. This is one reason why we give gifts as Christmas, but more importantly because Jesus gave of Himself so freely. He is the greatest gift of all! Gold – the Kingship of Jesus. The magi’s gifts were not simply a demonstration of wealth – they conveyed deeper meaning. The gold represents Jesus’ kingship. As Daniel 7:13-14 explains, Jesus’ kingship transcends all earthly rulers – the Magi recognized that, and they came to worship him. Frankincense – the Deity of Jesus. The frankincense represents Jesus’ deity. In the Old Testament, frankincense was traditionally burned in the temple as an offering to God (Leviticus 2:2). By bringing this gift, the magi affirmed Jesus was no ordinary man; he is both fully man and fully God. As Colossians 2:9-10 says, “For in him dwells the whole fullness of the deity bodily, and you share in this fullness in him, who is the head of every principality and power.” Myrrh – the Death of Jesus. Commonly used to embalm bodies, the gift of myrrh foreshadows Jesus’ death. We learn in John 19:38-40 that Nicodemus brought myrrh at the time of Jesus’ burial, and after this, Joseph of Arimathea, secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. And Pilate permitted it. So he came and took his body. Nicodemus, the one who had first come to him at night, also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about one hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom. ~This week’s prayer: I pray that I let Christ be my guiding star, as the three wise men did so long ago. Amen There will be no Lesson 3 this month. On December 18th, there will be a brief Sunday School gathering right after the church service at 11:00 a.m. There will be no Sunday School following the December 25th church service. Merry Christmas! Margo Greer Holiday greetings to you! Like every month before, you and your family are invited to listen and read and create and pray around one particular story. This December, our story is “The King of all kings” and can be found on pages 192-199 of The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones.
Children: Our lesson begins with listening to the story read out loud to you in this Learning Together email. Following along in your own book is a good idea because the pictures add so much to the story. Maybe there are people in your family who would like to join you! The three men who all saw the same star were not kings, but they looked and acted like kings. They were very smart and knew such a star meant that Jesus had been born, so they hurried to pack and set out on the journey to find the baby. They traveled with many servants to make this 500 mile quest. It is hard to figure out exactly how long their big journey took, but a good guess would be close to a couple of years! By the time they arrived in Bethlehem, Jesus was almost two years old and living in a tiny, simple house with his parents. Once they arrive near Bethlehem, King Herod wasn’t happy to hear what the Wise Men had to say, which was that some new king had been born nearby. Herod believed he himself was the only king, and he planned to kill Jesus, but soon after the wise men visited, Jesus moved with his parents to a safe place in another country. As you think about this story of the three wise men, you may have questions to ask or thoughts to share, and Pastor Mary will respond to all your posts! Maybe you wish to draw art work of part of the story. When we gather briefly on December 18th for Sunday School at 11:00 a.m., bring any of your art work with you! Adults: Your Biblical reference to this story is the Book of Matthew, Chapter 2. The wise men were probably Persian members of the order of priests, philosophers, and astrologers called magi that had existed east of the Euphrates River since ancient times. They performed public religious rites, mediated between God and men, interpreted doctrine, and educated the royal family. They were also very skillful astronomers. A star was in their line of specialty. Later tellings of the story identified the magi by name and identified their lands of origin: Melchior hailed from Persia, Gaspar (also called "Caspar" or "Jaspar") from India, and Balthazar from Arabia. Note: We often hear about three wise men. The Bible does not say the number but does mention three gifts specifically. Although Herod the Great had some positive qualities like courage and executive ability, he was excessively jealous and inhumanly cruel. If Herod thought anyone might threaten his throne, he would not hesitate to eliminate them. Herod was aware, as all Jews were, that God had promised a Messiah to save his people. Herod called his priests and religious leaders together to ask them where the long-expected Messiah would be born. They quoted Micah 5:2, informing Herod that Bethlehem was the place. After this meeting, King Herod called another meeting. This time it was a secret meeting and only with the magi. He asked questions to try to determine the age of this child king. With the pretence of wanting to worship, he sent the wise men to find the child and then report back to him. The wise men travelled by night to the very house where Jesus’ family lived. Many depictions of the magi’s visit show them presenting gifts to a baby Jesus in a stable while the shepherds were visiting, but many months had passed since Jesus’ birth. Joseph and Mary now lived with their young son in a house in Bethlehem. The Bible lists three expensive gifts, which will be discussed in more detail in next week’s lesson. God knew it was unsafe for Jesus in Bethlehem, so he sent him and his parents to Egypt. Not realizing Jesus was gone, Herod ordered the killing of all Jewish boys under the age of two in the vicinity of Bethlehem. He wrongly thought he had solved the problem of another potential king. God had other plans. ~This week’s prayer: Like the three wise men, I pray that I will find Jesus in my life. Amen Until next week, Margo Greer Welcome to the last of November’s lessons about the story of Jonah. Look on pages 160-169 of The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones to find “God’s Messenger.”
Children: The big question asked at the end of Lesson 2 is the big question that I again ask to begin Lesson 3 … What did Jonah do for three days while in the fish? The big answer, of course, is that he PRAYED! (You knew that, didn’t you!) Jonah spent his time praising God, telling God that he was sorry he had chosen to disobey, and thanking God that He will save Jonah from this mess. And that is just what God did when He made the fish spit out Jonah onto dry land. When asked a second time by God, Jonah said YES to going to Nineveh to spread His word! Thankfully the people of Nineveh said YES to Jonah’s preaching and were saved from disaster! Jonah knew that God loved him, as He does you, and that God would forgive him, as He will you. Being sorry for the things we do wrong is called repenting, and God accepting our apologies when we repent is called forgiving. The acts of repenting and forgiving saved Jonah from being fish food! Adults: The Biblical reference to Jonah’s story is the book of Jonah in the Old Testament. The main lesson that Christians can learn from the story of Jonah is that you can't outrun God. God is an all-powerful but also a forgiving God - even of people or communities who are wicked and sinful. Amazingly, Jonah’s prayer shines like a bright light in a dark place—the deep, swampy belly of the fish. The runaway prophet accepts the Lord’s discipline (2:3-6), anticipates the Almighty lifting him out of the pit (2:6), remembers the Lord’s holy temple (2:7), denounces idols (2:8), gives thanks, (2:9), promises to pay his vows (2:9), and acknowledges the Lord’s salvation by saying, “Salvation belongs to the Lord” (2:9). In other words, “Lord, only you can save me from this mess!” This is the prayer of a repentant man who is looking up to heaven from the bottom of the ocean. Chapter two ends by stirring our imagination with what happened to him next, “And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto the dry land.” (2:10). Chapter 3 picks up with these familiar words, “Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.’ So Jonah got up from the sandy beach and went directly to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord (3:1-3). The same call from God came to the same prophet, telling him to go to the same people with the same message. Fortunately, the God of the Bible is all about second chances. Jonah delivered eight words laced with fire-breathing judgment, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” (3:4) Surprisingly, the Bible says in the next verse, “And the people of Nineveh believed God” (3:5). The Ninevites wasted no time by sitting around and discussing the prophet’s message; instead, they acted upon it immediately. They called a fast and wore sackcloth. Even the king took off his robe, put on sackcloth, and sat in ashes. Then, the king issued a royal proclamation, urging man and beast to do the same and “call out mightily to God” (3:8). When God saw how the Ninevites responded, He relented of the disaster. The book of Jonah is truly the greatest fish story ever told. From it, we learn that God’s call is irrevocable, God’s presence is inescapable, and God’s grace is everlasting. ~This week’s prayer: Thank you, dear Lord, for giving me second chances. Amen To put on your calendar: Our 4th Sunday of the month get-together for discussing Jonah’s story and doing a craft will take place on November 27, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. right after the church service. Bring any questions, thoughts, comments, or art work with you. All adults and children are welcome! Hope to see you soon! Margo Greer November Week 2, 2022 Learning Together
Hello! Hello and welcome to Learning Together’s November Week 2 lesson. Today we continue talking about the story of Jonah in “God’s Messenger” on pages 160-169 in The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Weber. Children: You may wish to again listen to the oral reader reading this month’s story. Maybe you will want to reread the story out of the book or take turns reading it with someone in your family. Remember that Pastor Mary would love to hear your comments, thoughts, and reactions to this lesson. Please feel free to comment! Picking up where we left off, the big question for Jonah at this point in his life is how much convincing will it take for him to do what God has asked? Sometimes when people do not want to do something they know they should, something happens that helps them to change their minds. What do your parents say or do when you decide not to clean your room? Well, God decided to help Jonah change his mind by creating a bad storm. And sending the big fish. And letting Jonah sit in the big fish for 3 days. I believe that would convince anyone. Can you imagine what Jonah did while spending 72 hours in the total darkness and in total stinkiness of a fish’s stomach? What do you think you would do? Any picture you could draw of this scene would be amazing! Adults: The Biblical reference for this story is the Book of Jonah in the Old Testament. Nearly one-fourth of this Book is a prayer Jonah voiced from inside the fish. Jonah cried out from the depths of his despair, and he did so by rejoicing that God heard his prayer. “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry. You hurled me into the depths, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me” (2:2-3). We need to give Jonah credit for praying, but too many of us pray only when we find ourselves in trouble like the runaway prophet. Jonah knew God’s word well enough to fill his prayer with words from Scripture. From memory, he recites phrases from Psalm 18:6, 31:22, and 42:7, demonstrating the power of holding God’s word deeply in our hearts so that we can retrieve it at the right time (Psalm 119:11). ~This week’s prayer: Dear Lord, I want to hold your words in my heart. Amen Have a safe and happy week! Margo November Week 1, 2022 Learning Together
Hello to you and your family! As usual, you are invited to listen and read and create and pray around one particular story, and this month the story is “God’s Messenger” found on pages 160-169 in The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. Children: Please start this lesson by listening to the story read aloud to you in this Learning Together email. If you like, follow along in your own book, making sure to check out the pictures. Any family member is welcome to join you! So, let me ask you this … Do you always do what you’re told to do? When your parents ask you to clean your room, do you do it right away with a smile? Sometimes we don’t like to do what we are told to do. God told Jonah to go where he did not want to go, to do something he did not want to do. Jonah was a prophet. A prophet is a person sent by God to deliver a message to a person or to group of people. We know from the Bible that Jonah was a man who listened and obeyed when God spoke to him… well, most of the time. This story is about one time that Jonah listened but chose NOT to obey God. God had a plan for Jonah to go to a certain city to deliver His message to the people there, and He understood that Jonah needed to be convinced to do as he was asked. He arranged for a meeting between Jonah and a large fish, and after the two had met, Jonah decided that following God’s plan was the best decision after all. Would cleaning your room when first asked be easier than trying to get out of it? If you have questions or comments, please post them on this blog. Pastor Mary will respond. You may want to draw a picture of Jonah and what happened to him. Adults: The biblical reference for this story is the book of Jonah. This book begins with Jonah receiving specific instructions from the Lord. “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it, for their evil has come up before me’” (1:1-2). Jonah is the only Hebrew prophet in the Old Testament sent by God to a Gentile nation. This event reminds us that God has a missionary’s heart and a plan for the Gentiles. Jonah is the Old Testament book that reminds us “God so loved the world,” including the Gentiles. Nineveh was the capital city of the Assyrian empire, which had a reputation for strength and brutality, though at Jonah’s time they had not reached the zenith of their power. Still, God calling Jonah to Nineveh was like him telling us to pack our bags, move to Afghanistan, and preach the gospel to the Taliban. No wonder Jonah ran away. The wickedness of the Assyrians was well-known. Jonah fled to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. Tarshish was west, and Nineveh was northeast, nearly in the exact opposite direction. Jonah ran from God’s call and from God’s presence, but God planned a perfect storm for the purpose of intercepting the runaway prophet, who was now sleeping in the hull of the ship. It must have been a storm-of-the-century because it frightened the seasoned sailors on board the ship. God also appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah after the seasoned sailors tossed him overboard in a superstitious attempt to satisfy Jonah’s god and quell the storm (1:4-16). ~This week’s prayer: I pray that I will gladly accept God’s plan for me. Enjoy your week! Margo Greer October Week 3, 2022 Learning Together
This is the third and last of October’s online lessons based on the story of Joseph in “The Forgiving Prince” on pages 76-83 of The Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. Children: Joseph’s dreams and his coat of many colors caused major problems in our story. It is a fact that everyone will encounter problems in life. Some of our problems will involve disagreements with other people, like our family members or our friends. We know that God would want us to forgive those who do us wrong. We are all God's children, whether we know it or not. Jesus teaches us to love others, and that can be difficult at times because we are all imperfect. Even if we cannot always love everyone else, we need to show respect for their eternal worth and value in God’s eyes. Adults: Our discussion of spiritual lessons from the life of Joseph continues from last week’s posting. Lesson 4 – In hard times, always watch for how God shows up. Although Joseph ended up in Egypt because of unfortunate family issues, God never left him alone in this country of strangers. The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered. God also showed up when the baker and wine bearer’s dreams were correctly interpreted by Joseph. This was another confirmation for Joseph that God had not left him alone. When there is a calling on your life, God is not in the business of allowing you to flounder. He will always be there. Orchestrating the pieces. Guiding you. Lesson 5 - Integrity and obedience beat lies, all the time. One of the most powerful life principles from the life of Joseph has to do with integrity. When Joseph worked in Potiphar’s house, there was nothing that was out of bounds for him, except the wife. Although he tried to avoid her at all costs, she would not leave him alone. But his integrity was driven by his sound commitment and obedience to God. Never be tempted to cut corners or use shady link-ups. If his plans for you are sure, then they are perfect. God does not lie nor does he default on his promises. ~This week’s prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for always being faithful! Amen. This coming Sunday, October 23, will be our Fourth Sunday Gathering right after church (11:00 a.m.) to discuss “The Forgiving Prince” and have a fun craft. Bring any questions, comments, thoughts, or art work with you. See you then! Enjoy God’s fall colors, Margo Greer |
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