The Lord Will Provide

This weekend we will be participating in the Tru lesson, The Lord Will Provide, a lesson about Abraham & IsaacAs I sit and think about the story of Abraham & Isaac, I wonder what is would have felt like to have this amazing promise from God that is supposed to be fulfilled through your only child, but then to have God ask you to sacrifice your dream come true for him. Simply put, Abraham believed that God could do the impossible (read this devotion)

I myself tend to be skeptical of my children’s dreams and plans, but God has a plan for them too and sometimes we are asked to “sacrifice” our dreams for them so that God’s plans for them can come to fruition.

Equip From TRU
The Lord always provides. The story of Isaac’s birth shows us this while offering us a picture of God as both mysterious and sovereign as well as loving and attentive.
As we read the account of Abraham and Isaac in Scripture, we can infer that Abraham must have felt extreme heartbreak at the moment of the almost-sacrifice. God required a sacrifice, and He also required Abraham’s obedience. God required Abraham to have faith that He had a plan and that He would provide. And God did provide—He provided a sacrifice to take Isaac’s place. (To read more about Abraham’s faith in the context of the New Testament, read Hebrews 11.)

God also provided the reward for Abraham’s faith—the reaffirmation of His covenant promise. Not only that, but God added more to the promise. For the first time, God previewed the sacrifice that His Son would ultimately make for the sins of mankind.
Mount Moriah

The mountain where Abraham laid his son, Isaac, on the altar was called Mt. Moriah. Many scholars believe that this was the same place where, 2,000 years later, the Father sacrificed His only Son, Jesus.
Abraham’s Tent
People in Abraham’s time were often on the move looking for fresh pasture for their flocks, so they needed their homes to be portable. They lived in large, rectangular tents with a flap dividing the inside of the tent into two sections. Typically, the front section was where the men lived and conducted business. The back section was where the women and children lived.
These tents were woven out of goats’ hair or dark sheep’s wool on large looms and were secured with wooden pegs. The women worked together to move the tents around when the clan needed to travel.

Family Science Experiment from Tru: The Lord Will Provide

Supplies
• yeast (1 Tbsp.)
• sugar (1 tsp.)
• warm water (1 c.)
• spoon
• glass jar (at least 1 c.)
• glass drinking bottle (12–16 oz.)
• small funnel
• balloon

ENGAGE
What was God’s covenant with Abraham? (Allow answers.) Yes. God promised Abraham (whose name was once Abram) that his descendants—or all the people in his family—would be so many that counting them would be like trying to count the stars in the sky. God kept His promise. After many years
of waiting, Sarah gave birth to a son named Isaac. Sometime later, God commanded Abraham to take his son somewhere. (Read Genesis 22:2.) What did God ask Abraham to do? (Allow answers.) Yes.
God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son. After waiting so many years for a child, God was asking him to give up that child. Abraham followed God’s command. And then, just as Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, what happened? (Allow answers. Read Genesis 22:11.) The angel of the Lord called to Abraham and stopped him. And God miraculously provided a ram for Abraham to sacrifice. Today, invite your kids to do an experiment today that does the impossible: makes something appear out of nothing. Invite a child to help you mix one tablespoon of yeast with a teaspoon of sugar and one cup of warm water inside the jar. Then, carefully insert a funnel into a glass bottle and pour the mixture inside. Next, stretch
the opening of the balloon over the neck of the bottle. After a few minutes, different gases inside the bottle will release and cause the balloon to magically inflate.
Note: The balloon will not inflate to its full size.1.

God is faithful

Everyone has ups and downs…and sometimes those ups and downs don’t make very much sense.  Our children often wonder about bad things happen to good people.  Thankfully our God is great and He is good and can handle those questions.

This weekend we are going to hear about God’s faithfulness to us in ALL circumstances through the story of Joseph.  When Joseph went through horrible circumstances God remained faithful to the calling that He had on Joseph’s life and Joseph trusted God.  One of the things that we are going to stress with the kids this weekend is that Joseph had taken the time to know God so it was easier to trust Him when Joseph’s circumstances didn’t make sense.  We can do that too!  We can be in His Word, pray and share stories of God’s faithfulness with one another.  These things will equip us with truth for the day that tough things happen.

I read a great blog this week that you may appreciate as a resource: Why bad things happen to good people.

Family Activity:

Pick up a large and a small stone, and with your child, take turns dropping the objects. Ask your child which stone hits the ground first. (The child may expect the heavier stone to fall faster.) Explain that a force called “gravity” pulls objects to the earth. Gravity is totally dependable, or faithful, to do its job 100 percent of the time.

Ask your child to name other things in nature that are dependable. (Seasons change at the same time each year; tides rise and fall on schedule; stars are arranged in the same patterns in the night sky; the moon goes through the same phases each month.) Then remind him that, like gravity, God’s promises are for sure (Psalm 145:13).

People may not always keep their promises, but God always will. We can depend on God to do what He says He will do.

We are the Body of Christ

We are the body of Christ!  It is an exciting thing to be a part of His church.  There is so much we are able to do together.  We get to:

This weekend we are going to share with the kids that they are an important part of Ridge Point Community Church.  We are all different by God’s design and He has good things that He has planned for us to do!  (Ephesians 2:10)

Prepare your children for the weekend by watching this video as a family:

Follow up with these conversation starters:

1.) What do you think it means that we are a part of the body of Christ?
2.)  What things do you like to do?  What things do you think you are really good at doing?
3.)  Do you think God could use those things to help others?
4.)  Think about our church for a moments.  Who are some of the people who serve here every week that you notice?
5.)  What if the pastor didn’t show up to teach?  Did you know that church wouldn’t work right without you in it either?

God has given us all unique gifts so we can each fill an important role in our church.  Pray with your child thanking him for those gifts and asking God to show both of you what those gifts are…and then go use them!

Moses and the Ten Commandments and Jesus cleanses the Temple

Kindergarten:

Main Point: I Will Obey God’s Rules!
Bible Lesson: Moses and the Ten Commandments
Exodus 19-20, 24:12

House Rules:

Materials Needed:
-Paper
-Markers
– Decorations

1. Make a list of family rules.
2. If you already have rules, simply write them down on paper.
3. Decorate the paper and hang it up where everyone else can see the rules.

Say: These are our house rules. It’s important for you to obey both our house rules and God’s rules. When you obey the rules, things will be better in your life!

1st – 4th Grade:

Bible Story: Jesus cleanses the Temple
(Matthew 21:12-17, Mark 11:15-19)

Main Point:
As a follower of Christ, I will stand up for what is right!

Family Activity: 　

Have a “That’s Not Fair” Art Fair with your family. Have each family member make an art project to show a situation that he or she thinks is unfair. It must be a situation that is unfair for someone else, not for yourself. The art project itself could be anything. It could be a photo-collage, a painting, a sculpture, a movie, or any other type of art project. Have family members help each other come up with ways to stand up for those people and help the situation. For example, if another kid is being made fun of at school, your child could be a friend to the kid being teased, notify the teachers, tell the other kids to stop, and pray for all the people affected.

It is one thing to stand up and say something is not fair when it affects us, but something else to stand up when something is unfair that affects other people. Even if we can’t do anything else, we can always be a friend to people in bad situations and show God’s love to them.

 

Moses and the Burning Bush and John the Baptist

Kindergarten:

Bible Story:
Moses and the Burning Bush (Exodus 3)

Main Point:
God has big plans for me!!

Ask your children to draw a picture of what they would like to be when they grow up.

Write the Main Point “God Has Big Plans For Me!” on the paper.

Hang the drawing up on the fridge.

Say: God has big plans for you now, and when you grow up.

 

First – Fourth Grade:

 Bible Story:
John the Baptist
(Mark 1:7, John 3:22-31, Matthew 11:11)

Family Activity

Play limbo together as a family. As you play, talk about how you have to lower your body under the bar to be good at limbo and you have to lower your attitude about yourself to be humble and help others. Also talk about how you have to bend backward to go under the limbo bar. Talk about the phrase “bend over backward” to help someone. It means that we will do anything we can to help.

When we are humble and serving others as God wants us to, we will bend over backward to help them. Just like getting under the limbo bar was not always easy, serving others can be difficult as well. But if we remain humble, we will be able to put their needs above ours and serve them.

 

Sermon on the Mount and Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead

Kindergarten:

Main Point: God Will Take Care Of Me!

Bible Lesson: Sermon on the Mount – Matthew 6:25-34

Monthly Memory Verse: 1 John 2:24-25

Honor is Giving Just a Little Extra

When was the last time you received a surprise? Don’t just think about the big surprises like a birthday gift, but think of the little ones, like an unexpected thank you or an encouraging word from someone you appreciate. It’s those little surprises in life that give a real lift to our days. Honor does the same thing. It gives more than what’s expected. It adds energy to relationships and the result is delight.Try a little experiment. Several times today, give little unexpected gifts of kindness and watch what happens. Give a small gift here, a patient response there, let someone go in front of you, or encourage someone with a compliment. Watch the smiles and other pleasant responses. Those are all examples of ways to show honor. People are delighted and you feel joy in your heart.In the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5 Jesus made several statements about the value of doing more than what’s expected. In verses 38-39 he says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ (That’s what’s expected.) But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” (That’s doing more than what’s expected.)Jesus talked about the benefits of giving a little extra to others. He talked about going the extra mile, turning the other cheek, doing your acts of righteousness in secret, and blessing your enemies. These are all examples of honor. God loves honor and even rewards those who give it to others. Honor not only benefits others but it changes the giver and makes him or her more enjoyable to be around.

This parenting tip comes from the children’s curriculum, The Kids Honor Club by Dr Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN.

Family Activity:

Find pictures of birds and flowers in magazines

(or take the pictures of them yourself with a camera).

• Make a collage with the pictures.

• Write the Main Point “God Will Take Care Of Me!” on the collage and hang it up.

Say: Jesus told the people He was teaching that God takes care of the birds and flowers. He said that because God takes care of them, we can know that He will take even better care of us. Remember that God will take care of us when you see this collage!

1st – 4th Grade:

Main Point:
As a follower of Christ, I will look to God for comfort!Bible Story: Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11)

Monthy Memory Verse: 1 John 2:24-25Family Activity:Take a tour of comfort through your home. Have each member of the family take the rest of the family to his or her place in the home that is the most comfortable to him or her. For one family member it might be where she works out on the treadmill because she can forget about other worries. For one family member it might be in a big chair with a good book. For another family member it might be taking a nap on the couch. For another it might be sitting in the kitchen eating a favorite snack. Remind your family that when we think about things and activities that give us comfort, we should remember that we can find comfort from God by praying to Him in difficult times. Just like we go to a favorite spot or a favorite activity for comfort, we can go to God for comfort by praying to Him and reading the Bible.

Nicodemus Speaks to Jesus and Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness

 Kindergarten Lesson:

Main Point:

I Will Learn From The Bible!

Bible Lesson:

Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness – Matthew 4:1-11

Bible Verse:

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105 (NLT)

Family Activity:  

• Sit down with your children and ask them to tell you what their favorite Bible Story is.
• Read the stories together and ask each child why that story is his or her favorite.

*If you do not have a children’s Bible, contact your church to get one or purchase one from a local bookstore.

Say: The Main Point for this week is I Will Learn From The Bible! We can learn from the Bible together by reading it each night before bed!

 

1st – 4th Grade Bible Story:

Nicodemus Speaks With Jesus – John 3 and John 19:38-42.

BIBLE VERSE:

“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” Matthew 5:3 (NLT)

It has been said that the rich have an advantage over the poor–they already know that money can’t make them happy. Jesus was saying something similar when He said that God blessed those who were poor in spirit. When Jesus said that, it probably confused the people he was talking to in the same way that it does us. After all, how can any kind of poverty be a good thing? But what Jesus was pointing out was that the poor in spirit know that they need God.

Nicodemus knew that he was missing something. So he came to Jesus. People around us should notice that they are missing something that we have. If we have Jesus in our lives, our spiritual “riches” come from Him. They should notice the encouragement we have when times are difficult, the peace we have when things are unsure, and the strength we have to do the right thing when it needs to be done. When they see Jesus working in our life in these ways, they will come to us just like Nicodemus came to Jesus. When they do, we can tell them that in order to have what we have, they need Jesus. No one has enough physical riches that he or she could fill the needs of the poor by giving them all away, but through Jesus, we have the spiritual riches to bring salvation to anyone who realizes that they need Jesus. That is the greatest blessing that anyone can have.
Family Activity:

Set up to play a game but hide one key element that you can’t do without. Suggestions are: Soccer without the soccer ball, a board game without the board, baseball without the bat, or a card game with most of the cards missing. When you go to play the game, reveal that the needed element for the game is missing and have the entire family look for it. Give clues if needed until the missing element is found. Then tell your family that, just as you needed what was missing to get the most out of the game, we need Jesus to live life to the fullest.

Good Friday and Easter

Bible Verse:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16 (NIV)

This weekend we learned that Jesus is alive! We heard a Bible story from the book of John, chapter 20, and discovered that the true meaning of Easter is the fact that Jesus is alive! We learned that the bad things we do called “sin” can be forgiven because Jesus died to take the punishment for our sin.  We learned that Jesus came to pay the price for our sin and that our sin can be forgiven when we ask Jesus to be our Rescuer and King. In Small Group your children did an experiment with Iodine and water with Oxi-clean to signify Jesus cleansing us.

Family Activity:

 Plant a Seed

Materials
Dixie Cup/ Child
3 bean seeds/ Child
Water
Paper Towels
A seed that has already sprouted

To introduce this activity, say the following:

1. When Jesus died, everyone thought He would stay dead.
2. But Jesus knew that He would come back to life.
3. The Bible tells us that in John 11:25b Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.”
4. Look at this seed. (Hold up one of the seeds.)
5. It doesn’t look like much. In fact, you couldn’t really say that it is alive.
6. But if we bury it in the ground it will come to life and make a brand new plant like this one. (Hold up the fully sprouted plant.)

 During the activity, say the following:
1. Everyone take a cup, three of these seeds, and some paper towels.
2. Put the seed in the cup between the cup and the paper towels so that you will be able to see it when it sprouts and grows.
Give each child a cup and have them write their name on it (or write their name for them) with a marker. Then give each child three seeds. Have them put the seeds in the cup and put the paper towels in the cup. Put the seeds between the side of the cup and the paper towels so that it can be seen. As you help your children do this, ask questions about the Bible story.
3. What did they do with Jesus’ body after he died?
(They buried it, they put it in the Tomb.)
4. Let’s put our seeds down in the cup, just like Jesus’ body was put in the tomb.
5. If you water this seed and keep it where it will get some sun it will grow into a brand new plant.
6. How many days after Jesus died did the women come back to the tomb? (Three, or on the third day.)
7. When they got to the tomb, what did they see? (The stone rolled away, the angel, Jesus was alive.)
8. When they found out that Jesus was alive, what did they do? (They told somebody.)
After the activity, say the following:
1. Jesus told his disciples in John 12:24 “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat isplanted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.”
2. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can have new lives that are free from sin.
3. Take these plants and set them in the windowsil  to remind you that because Jesus lives, your sin can be forgiven.

Summary:

Just like when the seed was buried it was only the beginning of the plant’s life, when Jesus was buried it was only the beginning of our life with Him as our Rescurer and King.

4th grade fun night:

On April 26th, 7-11:00pm Ridge Point 4th graders and their friends are invited to experience a night filled with inflatables, a semi pull, Solid Rock Strength team, ice cream and more!  It is hard to describe what happens when 100 4th graders are gathered into one space and experience community.  We are really looking forward to it!

Cost: Before April 20th, $10 per student.  Online and Early Bird registration ends April 20th.  Registration may be available at the door and will be $12 per student.

Register: The easiest way to register and pay is online here.  (Otherwise you can stop by the office Mon-Thurs 9-4pm or Fri 9-1pm.  Please contact families@ridgepoint.org for a registration form.)

 

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday

The Jews expected Jesus to save them from the Romans. Jesus had even bigger plans! He wanted to save everyone from the death sentence that sin requires and restore relationship between God and mankind.

Today in Ridge Kids your children went through the same stations that are
available in the Centre. We invite you to walk through them and experience the wonder of God.

Over the next week, find some time in the car, in the kitchen, or anytime that you can to remind your children about who God is and the power of Easter.

The Bread of Life:

John 6:35 – “ I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Make spaghetti with breadsticks for dinner one night. Ask your children why you have to eat food. (to nourish our bodies!) Jesus said  he was the bread of life, that doesn’t mean he was actually bread! He wanted people to remember that He is the only one that can make peoples hearts full. He gives us life forever! So when you eat the breadsticks remember that Jesus is the bread of life.

The Light of the World:

John 8:12 – “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

On a post-it note write John 8:12 and stick it by the light switch in your child’s room, buy a new light switch cover and paint the verse on it. Every morning when you turn on the light to wake them up, recite the verse to them. Saying the same things over and over helps you do deep in your children’s hearts.

The Gate:
John 10:9 – “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.”

           While in the car running errands or on the way to school, ask your kids about why you are going to that place. Ask your kids if a sheep was hungry where would you get them food. (a pasture). Jesus is the place where we can go to in order to find help, He wants us to talk with him when we are scared, happy and have questions. He said that if we go to him he will give us what we need, just like sheep goes to a pasture.

The Good Shepherd:

John 10:11- “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

While tucking your children into bed at night read them a story about love, remind them how much you love them. Just like your love for them we need to have that same love for God. God loved us SO much that he gave his one and only Son for our sins! Pray a prayer of blessing over your child before they fall asleep.

The Resurrection and the Life:
John 11:25– 26 – “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”

  Glue two popsicle sticks together to make a cross. Make it magnetized so you can stick it on your fridge as a reminder. Grab some band-aids out of your bathroom and have everyone (including you) read John 11:25-26. After reading think for a couple of minutes about one way you have sinned. Write it on a band-aids on your families cross. Every time you grab something from your fridge, pray for those things.

The Vine:

John 15:5 – “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Sickness has been going around lately here in the Holland/ Zeeland area. Make some dinner for a family friend that is sick and bring it to them. How we act really matters! Children see every little thing that you do! Show them  how to live out love everyday!

Monthly Memory Verse

“For God so loved the world that he
gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him
shall not perish but have eternal life.”

 (John 3:16)

Tell us your story:

Share your experience with others by sharing your story and possibly a picture on our Ridge Kids Facebook page.

Search for: “Ridge Kids Ministry”

Or

 email Megan at meganb@ridgepoint.org

My sword…the Bible

The Holy Bible

Our Bible Verse this week is 2 Timothy 3:16-17. This verse tells us that the Bible is God’s Word and is useful for a lot more than just reading stories.

In our Bible story, Jesus did battle against Satan using Scripture. (Read Matthew 4:1-11) The kids learned that whether they are sad, happy, confused, lonely or angry that God has something to say about it. We learned how to apply verses in a variety of situations and how to look for Scripture that is relevant for them.

Living according to God’s Word

Gather several types of instructional books together

(cookbook, car manual, game instruction, the Bible). Begin by asking your child about the purpose of each book. Share that the Bible is special because it gives us instructions for living. Look up the following verses and ask your child to figure out what instruction God is giving up to us and why.

• Being Kind: Ephesians 4:32
• Stealing: Proverbs 20:17
• Fear: Psalm 28:7
• Love: 1 John 4: 7&8
• Lying: Ephesians 4:25