More on the Holy Spirit

This past Sunday, our K-4th graders learned that the Holy Spirit teaches us all things and reminds us of everything Jesus has said! We had a great time of learning, sharing, and discussing.

Our verse for the morning was John 14:26-

But the Advocate,​ the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,​ will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.​




And so we made these hands with the verse written on them, and then tied a string around the index finger, just like people do sometimes when they need to remember something. It was super fun. And during our review game, the kids did a great job of recognizing the real verse from the versions where I switched around the words in crazy combinations!

image from here

The Holy Spirit is Always With Me

This past week, the Elementary aged kids continued to learn about the Holy Spirit. We looked some more at Jesus' dialogue with his disciples in John 14. He tells them

• I'm Going away
• I'm leaving you to do my work
• You can't do it alone, so I'll send my Spirit.

We talked about how the Spirit's Presence means that Jesus is always with us, even though we can't see him. He helps us, he makes us like him, he teaches us to love and live like Jesus.

Picking up on the invisibility theme, we did a pretty cool craft. I remembered being in 2nd grade and drawing on white paper with white crayon - making an invisible picture. We then painted over the page with black watercolor, which made our masterpieces show up! We did this together as a class. I wrote secret messages about the Holy Spirit in white crayon on their white pages that showed up when they painted over them! It was a pretty cool illustration. The note was there all the time, even though we couldn't always see it.


I think the Holy Spirit is the best invisible friend ever.

Preschoolers learn of Lazarus

This past Sunday, our preschoolers heard the story of Lazarus. This is a great lesson for teaching the power of God!

We can learn:

Jesus can do amazing things
Jesus can make sick people well
Jesus can make dead people alive again
Jesus really loves his friends
Jesus is God

Remind your child of these truths this week. Maybe you can reread the story together too!

The children then made Lazarus dolls - little clothespins wrapped in strips of linen. These are a great reminder of the story! Your kids can play with them again and again and remember that Jesus said, "Lazarus, come out!" And he did.

image from here

John 14 - the Promise of a new Friend

This past Sunday, the K-4 kids learned about the gift of the Holy Spirit, promised by Jesus.

We learned that He is our comforter, friend, teacher and helper. Your kids had some good insight! When asked, "what is a counselor?" one bright child answered, "someone who helps you with your problems." Right on! And the Holy Spirit is also an advocate, leave it to a 3rd grader to figure out that that's someone who is on your side and helps you in court. Sometimes I feel as though they just don't need me!

Here is an excerpt from our story, taken from the Jesus Storybook Bible, page 329:

"They had seen Jesus go away, but now he was closer than he had ever been - inside their hearts. And this time nothing could ever separate them. Jesus would always be there. With them. Loving them. Whispering the promise that would get rid of the poison and the terrible lie and the sickness in their hearts. God's wonderful promise to them: 'You are my child. And I love you.'
'Make your home in me, as I make my home in you,' Jesus had said.
Could it be? Heaven was coming into their hearts."

That's pretty good news.

Ask your children this week:

-Who is the Holy Spirit?
-Who promised the Holy Spirit would come?
-What does the Holy Spirit help us to do?
-How does the Holy Spirit comfort us?

This Sunday - we'll explore the person of the Holy Spirit some more.

Blessings!

image from here

Jesus is the Road to God

Sunday we studied John 14:1-11, as did the adults upstairs. Delia led the charge and led the kids through a discussion centered around Jesus as the "way, the truth and the life."

This is a slightly difficult concept for kids... and adults. I was comforted by Eugene Peterson's translation in the Message - that Jesus is the road to God. He is the path we take to find our way home to God the Father. That's where Jesus was going... and someday "God’s dwelling place [will be] among the people, and he will dwell with them." Rev 21.3 TNIV. We will find our home in God too. Just as Jesus was "in the Father" and the Father in Jesus (John 14.11) - we will share this same intimacy. And we can have it now, as we will learn this Sunday, through the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is the way that leads us to learn the truth about God and he is the way that brings the life of God to people. Jesus is the only one who can show us what is true and lead us into God’s life – a life where we act like God.

And we're glad John wrote these things "that you may believe​​ that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God,​ and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20.31)

image from Igor Alecsander on flickr.

Ethan Rocks!

This past Sunday Ethan taught your kids and did an amazing job. We followed up last week's lesson on Loving One Another.

The kids made a list of different ways that they can love people at school, at home, at Mosaic, etc. They had some great ideas!! They listed helping others who are hurt, giving smiles and hugs, making art for Mosaic and for others, sharing toys, learning, listening, and much more.

Then, they chose someone at Mosaic to do something loving FOR. They got to choose the type of creation they wanted to make, or they wrote notes or made coupons good for future blessings.

It was a great morning and I had a great time worshipping with the rest of you upstairs!

image from here

Love One Another

"I give you a new command. Love one another. You must love one another, just as I have loved you. If you love one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples." I John 13:34-35

Yesterday, we learned about loving each other at Mosaic Kids. I used the three items in the photo above to teach them "Love.One.Another." We hid them around the room, went to find them, and then we got to shout, "Love.One.Another" over and over.

But, what does that mean? And what does it mean to love each other like Jesus loved us?

For that, we had a little experience together. I wanted the kids to understand HOW Jesus loves them. So, I told them that if they could memorize all of John 13:34-35 in 2 minutes, we would have a PARTY with cookies, prizes, and balloons. Wow, did that get them excited. So, I wrote the verses on the white board, turned it around and gave them two minutes. But it was too hard. No one could repeat it. We couldn't have the party. You should have seen their faces and heard their pleading!

Instead, I went on to talk about how Jesus served his disciples in John 13 by washing their feet. This was a story the children knew from a previous lesson. We talked about how Jesus washed their feet even though they were stinky. We talked about how Jesus died on the cross for us even though it was hard. And that's how Jesus wants us to love others. We talked about how Jesus loves us even though we aren't perfect. He loves us even though we don't always obey our parents, we don't always get the right answer, and we don't always obey God, either. And that's why, even though we didn't get the right answer during our Bible memory quiz.... we get to have a party anyway!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's how Jesus loves us. He lavishes His grace and kindness upon us, even though we can do nothing to earn or deserve it. He invites us to His party, even though our feet are stinky. And that's how he wants us to love each other. He asks that we love, even when it's difficult, even when people are imperfect, even if they don't smell very nice. And it comes with a promise: when we love like he loves, we will look like him, and people will see it.

May it be so.

Learning to B.L.E.S.S

The Kids at Mosaic have spent the summer learning about our rhythms through the book of John. Let me tell you, it's been awesome!

We started out learning hand motions to the 5 rhythms. Ask your kids if they know them, because it's pretty neat to watch them say the rhythms and be excited by them!

B - First we learned about BEAUTIFY through the story of John 9, where Jesus heals a blind man. We talked about how this act by Jesus brought beauty to this man's life! He allowed him to see the beautiful world and his parent's faces for the first time. By healing his blindness, Jesus made this man's life so much more beautiful. As a response, we spent a few moments LISTENING to God and asking Him to show us someone we could bring beauty to. We then made cards, flowers, and special things to give to those people. This was so cool! The kids heard from God and thought of people who might be lonely or hurting, and then did something special to bring that person joy. Read more about it here.

L - Next, we spent a night learning about LISTENING to God. We looked at John 10 where Jesus says, "My sheep listen to my voice, I know them, and they follow me." Perfect, right? We learned that we listen to God, the Bible, and our parents and teachers also. We also spent a few moments in silence before God! Then, we blindfolded ourselves and stuck cotton balls onto a sheep on the wall, with the guiding voice of a volunteer "shepherd." We learned that this game was much easier with the help of the shepherd than it would have been without!

E - This one might have slipped under the radar. We spent the next week at Broadway Park, EATING together, enjoying each other, playing, and having a great time with our community. Read more about it here. The way we talk about the rhythm of EAT with the kids is that we "eat together and make friends."

S - Next we took on STUDY, with John 11. We read the story of Lazarus and talked about what we can learn about Jesus from this story. That's what the rhythm of study is all about! We learned that Jesus is God, Jesus can heal people, Jesus can make dead people alive again (He gives life to people), Jesus loves his friends, Jesus is sad when his friends are hurting, Jesus can do anything! And then, we split up into our groups and gave each group 2 rolls of toilet paper. They had to turn one of their teammates into a Lazarus - wrapped in grave clothes! This was SO much fun. My only regret is that I didn't bring my camera!

S - Then, just last night we talked about the rhythm of SEND. Jackson H. read to us out of John 12, where Jesus enters Jerusalem. We talked about the story, had a little review of Lazarus, and talked about what Jesus says right after this (teaching context to kids, how crazy is that?) - Jesus goes on to tell His disciples that He must die. We used this to open up the conversation about how God sent Jesus to us, and Jesus has sent us to love and live just as He did. YEAH! That's all 5. We then made some really awesome magnets with the word "B.L.E.S.S" on them so that your family can put them up on the fridge and talk about the rhythms together. Like this one:


So, what's next?

Next week, Delia will be sharing out of John 13, where Jesus and His disciples are in the Upper Room, just before He dies. This story has all 5 rhythms in it! So, the children will be looking for those and will be reviewing what they have learned about Communion. And I will be in Maui! Yeehaw!!

Listen & Beautify

We had a GREAT night last night at Mosaic Kids. We're using John to teach the kids our Mosaic rhythms right now. (read more about the rhythms here.)

We started out learning hand motions to the 5 rhythms a few weeks ago. Ask your kids if they know them, because it's pretty neat to watch them say the rhythms and be excited by them!

So, last night, we read the story of Jesus healing the blind man in John 9. Then, I talked to the kids about how by doing this, Jesus brought beauty to this man's life! He allowed him to see the beautiful world, and grass, and his parent's faces for the first time. By healing his blindness, Jesus made this man's life so much more beautiful.

The Bible is a great way for us all to learn what God is like. In it, we see Jesus, who lives these five rhythms we have adopted at Mosaic. To quote my husband:

From the window of the rhythm of study we learn of the God who beautifies the outcast, listens to the lowly, eats with the sinner and sends the unexpected. The outcome would be that as we become better ‘studiers’ of God and his mission we become better ‘doers’ of that mission.

We did this last night with the children. We read about Jesus beautifying the life of the begging blind man, an outcast in his community. And as a response, we spent a few moments listening to God and asking him to show us a lonely, sad, or hurting person in our life, whose life we could make more beautiful. After listening, we made cards, flowers, notes, and other creations to give away. We talked about how we are to be like Jesus, and with His help we can light up the world (John 9:5), and bring beauty to those around us.

It was so precious to see the children listening to God, loving others and thoughtfully creating something to B.L.E.S.S. another.

If you weren't able to join us last night, this is something you could easily do together as a family. So, those of you who were there, make sure to chat with your kids and to help them deliver their beautiful creations. Those of you who missed us still have a chance to lead your children to love and follow Jesus in this way. A great way to verbalize what it means to "beautify" someone's life is: to do something good or nice that makes someone smile. What a great way to beautify someone's life together!

John 9 Chiastic Structure

This one isn't for the kids...

Johnny had mentioned that he noticed this structure in the passage and thought it was really interesting and proved that John was really going for something with the Pharisees. Then, I found this picture, so I thought I'd share.

More interesting John 9 thoughts here.

Borrowed from here.