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
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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 October Week 1, 2022 Learning Together
Welcome once more to Learning Together! This is October’s first lesson, and it is about the story “The Forgiving Prince” found in The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones on pages 76-83. You and your family are invited to listen and read and create and pray around this story. Children: Listen to the story read aloud for you. You and your family may wish to follow along in your own book, making sure to carefully look at the pictures. As you discovered, Joseph had 11 brothers, most of them older. Do you have any brothers or sisters (called siblings)? If your answer is yes, do you always get along with them? How do you solve the problems that happen with them? What do you think about the Joseph solution that his 11 brothers came up with?! (No, you may NOT sell your brother(s) or sister(s) into slavery.) As you listen and read and think about Joseph, you may have questions to ask or thoughts to share. Please post these on this blog, and Pastor Mary will be happy to respond. Adults: Joseph’s story is recorded in the first book of the Old Testament – Genesis. The account begins in Genesis 37, takes a break, then picks up in Genesis 39 and continues to the end of the Book of Genesis. The following is a summary of this interesting story: Joseph’s father Jacob, through his two wives and his two concubines, had 12 biological sons. These twelve sons formed the basis for the twelve tribes of Israel and are listed here in the order from oldest to youngest: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin. He also had at least one daughter, Dinah. Jacob was a twin brother to Esau. Joseph, grandson of Abraham and Sarah, was the eleventh child born to Jacob and Rachel. His father favored him very much because Rachel was the wife he really loved. Moreover, Joseph’s birth came in Jacob’s old age. Joseph was a spoiled child. If you are familiar with the story of Joseph’s coat of many colors, this coat was a sign of Jacob’s favoritism. It earned the anger and wrath of his brothers. To make matters worse, Joseph had two dreams that made not only his brothers mad but his parents uncomfortable. The conclusion of these dreams was that he would rule over his parents and siblings. It was these dreams that really pushed his brothers over the edge. One day when his father sent Joseph to go check on his brothers in the fields, they tossed him in a hole and later sold him as a slave to some passing Ishmaelite traders. Joseph was only 17 years old at the time. The eleven brothers covered their tracks by ripping off Joseph’s coat of many colors, killing an animal, and plastering its blood all over the coat. Jacob was heartbroken, and we learn later in the story that he never recovered from ‘losing’ his favorite son. Meanwhile, Joseph ended up as a slave in Egypt. He did so well that he was put in charge of Potiphar’s house. Potiphar was an official for the Pharaoh. Unfortunately, Joseph’s excellent work but more so his handsome, attractive appearance earned the attention of Potiphar’s wife. She tried to seduce him but he refused. His commitment to God was very strong. She wickedly cried rape, and that was the end of Joseph’s career in Potiphar’s house. His next stint was in an Egyptian prison. There he distinguished himself with excellent work and was made leader. While doing his work, he met two of the Pharaoh’s officials who had dreams they could not understand. Joseph interpreted the dreams for them. His interpretations were spot on and the events of their lives unfolded just as Joseph has explained. Years later, the Pharaoh had a dream he found confusing and troubling. Joseph was remembered by the cupbearer who had been in prison and had had his dream interpreted. Joseph was summoned by the Pharaoh and sure enough, by God’s power, Joseph was able to interpret the dream. The dream meant that a famine was coming. Not only did Joseph have the interpretation of the dream, but he also had a solution. Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt. When the famine started, his brothers had to travel to Egypt to buy food. At first, they did not recognize Joseph. Through a series of schemes and plots, Joseph tested them to see if they had changed. He eventually revealed his identity, forgave his brothers, and his entire family moved to Egypt. ~This week’s prayer: I pray God will give me a heart of forgiveness for family and friends who hurt me deeply. Faithfully, Margo Greer October Week 2, 2022 Learning Together Hello, Everyone! I hope you are ready for October’s second lesson, because here it is! We are continuing to discuss the story “The Forgiving Prince” found on pages 76-83 of The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. Children: Please re-read the story aloud to an adult, older brother or sister, or to yourself. The illustrations offer much information. Think about the many bad things that happened to Joseph in this bible story. He was sold into slavery, beaten, and several times thrown into jail, but he never stopped believing that God would come to his rescue, which He did of course! When things are not going well, we need to trust God to help us through our troubles, which He will of course! God has our backs, always. Adults: Many spiritual lessons are to be learned from the life of Joseph. Spiritual Lesson 1 – God’s dreams for you can make others uncomfortable. God often has plans for us that we ourselves do not desire, and it can produce some unfavorable backlash. As far as we know, Joseph did not have a hankering for leadership. When he had his dreams, there is no evidence that he knew what they meant. In fact, it was his father who rebuked him for what it might mean – that at some point in the future, Joseph would rule over his father and brothers. Joseph did not have this dream for himself. Yet, his brothers were angry and jealous. When they called him “Joseph the dreamer,” it was by no means a compliment. It did not help that Joseph was the favorite child, and there was a good chance that his father was going to give him a significant share of the inheritance although he was not the eldest son. You can’t help what God has in store for you. Spiritual Lesson 2 – Nothing stops God’s plans. Although Joseph’s brothers tried to destroy God’s plan for his life by selling him into slavery, their actions only served to cause God’s plans to fall right into place. People’s jealousy or actual attempts to stand in your way will never ever make a difference to what God has in store. In fact, those things can only delay God’s plan, but not deny them. God has your back. Spiritual Lesson 3 – Sometimes generational curses are at work in your life. The third lesson from the life of Joseph has to do with forces that had nothing to do with Joseph himself. Joseph’s brothers tried to get rid of him because they felt that they would secure their share of the inheritance. Their schemes and lies are quite like what their father, Jacob, did. Back when Jacob was a young man, he and his mother schemed so that he would get the blessing which belonged to his brother Esau. And just like that, the same behavior presented itself in his sons. Joseph fell victim to a generational curse of deception. It’s a good thing that God is merciful. Joseph’s story turned out to glorify Him. ~This week’s prayer: I can trust that nothing stops God’s plans. Enjoy your week! Margo Greer Hello, everyone! This is September’s Week 2 lesson of “Son of Laughter” which is found on pages 56-61 of your copy of The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones.
Children: To review, please read the story out loud to an adult or out loud by yourself and check out all the pictures. If you were asked to count all the stars in the sky, like God asked Abraham, what would be your first reaction? My guess is that you would say “Impossible!” And it would be! Even more impossible was that God promised Abraham and Sarah that He would make their family really big with more people than stars in the sky! In order to have a family, they would have to have a baby. At their age? Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90 years old. They had already been waiting for a baby for FORTY years! What is the longest that you have waited for something that you really, really wanted? If you have questions or comments about this story, please hit Chat and share with Pastor Mary. She will respond! Adults: This story of “Son of Laughter” is biblically referenced in Genesis 12-21. Abraham is traditionally considered to be the first Jew and the first to have made a covenant with God. Because Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all recognize Abraham as their first prophet, those three religions are also called the Abrahamic religions. He is the traditional founder of the Jewish nation, spiritual ancestor of Christians, and a major Islamic prophet. Side thought - What would you do if you were 90 years old, and God told you that you were going to have a son? Laughter would not be my first response. This week’s prayer: I can trust God no matter what, but I must remember to be patient, Amen. Goodbye for now! Margo Greer Welcome back to this fall’s first lesson of Learning Together Sunday School after our summer break! Our Sunday School program is setup with three weekly online lessons about a particular Bible story and concludes with meeting after church on the fourth Sunday of the month to discuss that story and do a related craft. As in the past, you and your family are invited to listen and read and create and pray around the selected story of the month. September’s story is “Son of Laughter” and is found on pages 56-61 of your copy of The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. Children: Listen to the story read aloud to you in our Learning Together email. As you listen, you may want to follow along in your own book and look at the pictures. Of course, all members of your family are encouraged to listen and look together! When our story begins, God asks Abraham to count how many stars are in the sky, which is a rather silly question, but then follows that with an amazing promise. What was that promise? After thinking about this story, you may have questions or comments to post on this blog. Pastor Mary will respond to all. Adults: The story of “Son of Laughter” is referenced Biblically in Genesis 12-21. This narrative of Abraham and Sarah revolves around the themes of descendants and land promised by God. Abraham is commanded by God to depart the house of his father, Terah, and move to the land formerly given to Canaan but which God now promises to Abraham and his offspring. God tells Abraham to depart his homeland for a land that He would show him, ensuring to "make of him a great nation, bless him, make his name great, bless those who blessed him, and curse "him" that curses him." Obeying God's call, Abraham brought his wife Sarah, his nephew Lot, and the wealth that they had acquired, and traveled to Canaan. ~This week’s prayer: Dear Lord, help me trust You even when I cannot understand what You are doing. Amen. Have a safe and fun week, everyone! Margo Greer May Week 1 Hello everyone! Welcome to May’s Learning Together! Like always, you are invited to listen and read and create and pray around one particular story. May’s story is called “A New Way to See” and is found on pages 334-341 of your copy of The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. Children: Listen to the story read aloud to you in our Learning Together email. As you listen, you may want to follow along in your own book and look at the pictures. Of course, all members of your family are encouraged to listen and look together! When we meet Saul, he was a wicked man because, although he TRULY believed in God, he did NOT believe that Jesus was the Rescuer, and he did NOT believe that Jesus was raised from the dead. He was very angry with the people who DID believe those things, so he took a job which put him in charge of arresting and even killing Jesus’s helpers (also called Christian people)! He sure did need a new way to see!! After thinking about the story, you may want to ask questions or make comments and post them to this blog. Pastor Mary will respond to all. Adults: The story of Saul is referenced Biblical in Acts 6-9, 12-28, Colossians 2, Romans 8, and Ephesians 2. Transformation … It’s fascinating, whether we are watching tadpoles and caterpillars or seeds and plants. What an amazing miracle that God can do such wonderful things … and that He can transform our lives, as well! In Saul, we will take a look at a character in the Bible whose life was radically changed. Through Paul’s conversion and work, we see that anyone can be changed and used to serve God. How did Paul’s work affect the Church? Well, up to this point, the only people in the Church were Jewish people. In Acts, Peter shows God’s hand in the conversion of Gentiles. Paul went on to become perhaps the most influential and important figure of the church spread and the new faith. Gentile conversions brought change and the Church experienced great growth. ~This week’s prayer: We humbly ask God to help us to trust Him when change happens in our lives. This month of May will be our Sunday School’s last Learning Together set of lessons and fourth Sunday gatherings before summer’s break. September will see our return! Enjoy your week, Margo Greer April Week 3
Hi to all of you! Welcome to this third and final online lesson for April’s story called “God’s Wonderful Surprise”, found on pages 310-317 in The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. The Biblical references are Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 2, and John 20. Children: Today we are going to talk about something that, for some people, is very hard to believe, and that is that Jesus died on a cross yet became alive again after three days. Even his Helpers had trouble believing it! This transformation is called a Resurrection, which means a return to life. God gave rebirth to Jesus His son after Jesus had died, and we know that God has promised to do the same for us. It was the most WONDERFUL SURPRISE that God, in his love, could do for us, His children! Jesus lives after being dead, and so will we! Adults: What difference does the Resurrection make in our lives today? Does an event that happened close to 2000 years ago affect us? For Christians, the answer is yes, it does make a difference. The Resurrection teaches us that despair is never an option, that sin can be overcome, that renewal is available, and that the grave is not our final destination. The truth is we can have confidence that the Resurrection actually happened, and furthermore, we can have confidence that there are little resurrections happening all around us every day. People who were dead in their sin rise to a new life. Marriages that were dead receive fresh breath because of the power of the Gospel. Again and again, the power of the Gospel changes things. Not just for our eternity, but for our here and now. In that way, it’s Easter every day. Jesus is risen from the grave, and He is risen in us as we surrender to Him daily. This week’s prayer: Dear Lord, I know that You are in control and have the power to change me and change my life. Let me trust in You! Alleluia! Next week, there will be no online Sunday School lesson. Rather, we will meet on the fourth Sunday (in this case 4/24/22), as we do each month, for our in-person gathering after church in our Fellowship Hall. The discussion will of course be about April’s story of God’s wonderful surprise and some fun crafts. Remember to bring any of your art work or journaling. See you then! May the Lord bless and keep you this week, Margo Greer April Week 2
Greetings, Friends! Today’s posting is Week 2 for April’s story of “God’s Wonderful Surprise” found on pages 310-317 in The Jesus Storybook Bible. Biblical references about the Resurrection are found in Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20. Children: Please read the story out loud to an adult or out loud by yourself. It is hard to imagine how very sad Jesus’s friends were that Jesus had been hung from a cross, died, and was laid in a closed tomb. Jesus, The Rescuer himself, was dead. It was not supposed to end like this! TWO LONG days passed filled with much grieving. But, as you have read, early on the third day, a Sunday, everything changed! Three women discovered that the giant stone had been somehow rolled away from the tomb door, Jesus’s body was nowhere to be found, and an angel in radiant white spoke of Jesus being alive again! Then, most amazingly, Mary Magdalene actually saw and talked to Jesus. It was the most unexpected, happiest surprise ever! Jesus WAS alive again! Draw a picture of Mary Magdalene in her joy as she raced into town to tell the other friends. Please bring your art to share at our fourth Sunday gathering. If you were one of Jesus’s helpers, would you believe Mary’s story to be true? Do you think a dead person can be made alive again? Adults: The Resurrection accounts from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are considered mostly the same with a few differences. Examples - Things that are the same: 1. What day of the week it was (The first day.) 2. They came to the tomb early in the morning 3. The purpose of going to the tomb (Look/anoint the body.) 4. Clothes of angels were gleaming white Things that are different: 1. Who was present 2. Whether they felt an earthquake when the stone was rolled away 3. Amount of young men/angels (1 vs. 2) and where they appeared 4. What precisely the angel said (Though not generally.) 5. The precise reaction of the women present ~This week’s prayer: Lord, often our prayers are like Mary’s. Though we ask for one thing, You surprise us with another, but we know that God’s answers are better than ones we could ever imagine for ourselves. Amen. Until next week’s lesson, stay safe! Margo Greer |
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