Here is the devotion page for the Seventh Sunday after Epiphany (Click on the words!)
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Tag Archives: Epiphany
Weekly Devotion Page for January 31, 2016
Here is the devotion page for the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany, January 31, 2016. (Click on the words!)
Just click on the picture to download the PDF file!
Did you miss a week? Go to the Weekly Devotion page to download past weeks!
Weekly Devotion Page for January 24, 2016
Here is the devotion page for the Third Sunday after Epiphany, January 24, 2016. (Click on the words!)
Just click on the picture to download the PDF file!
Did you miss a week? Go to the Weekly Devotion page to download past weeks!
Weekly Devotion Page for January 17, 2016
Here is the devotion page for the Second Sunday after Epiphany, January 17, 2016. (Click on the words!)
Just click on the picture to download the PDF file!
Did you miss a week? Go to the Weekly Devotion page to download past weeks!
Weekly Devotion Page for February 8, 2015
Here is the devotion page for The Fifth Sunday After Epiphany, February 8, 2015.
Just click on the picture to download the PDF file!
Did you miss a week? Go to the Weekly Devotion page to download past weeks!
Children’s Sermon and Worship Station – Mark 1:21-28, February 1, 2015
Preparation: print your favorite Bible verse, or a congregational memory verse on pieces of paper to hand out to the children.
Gather the children with you. Ask them, “what is the
word of God?” Take answers. The Bible is the word of God and one of
the messages it teaches us is the about God’s love and how we live out
God’s love. We also believe that Jesus is the word of God and that the
Holy Spirit keeps showing us God and God’s word as well.
In the Bible we can read about the many ways God has
shared love with us. Today we heard that God sends prophets or talks
through others to us and that Jesus is teaching in the synagogue.
Words from the Bible can help us to listen for God and hear God in our
every day lives as well. I have for each of you a verse written down
here on sheets of paper. Take the verse and read it or have your
parents read it to you many times this week. You can also write it
down in your own writing or a draw a picture of what it means to you.
Or if you have a favorite verse or ask your parents about a favorite
verse, write that down too or teach it to a friend. (if you use the
worship station you can tie this in at this time, see below)
Jesus, word of God speak to me through your word in the
Bible and through your love. Amen
You are given the word of God in love +
Have a large sheet of paper and Bibles on a table.
Ask people to write down a verse they know, remember, or that is
important to them. They can write the whole verse or just the
scripture reference. For the children, give them verses to write down
or have them ask their parents to share a verse. If you use memory
verses in your setting you can have the list of memory verses out for
reference as well. During this next week take the verses and put them
into wordle.net and create a wordle of the verses people wrote down.
Post this on your website, facebook, etc and/or have it printed out
for the next few Sundays.
Children’s Sermon Seventh Sunday After Epiphany, Year A, Matthew 5:38-48, February 23, 2014
Prepare: Find a picture of Baljeet and Buford from “Phineas and Ferb” (and if you have not watched any “Phineas and Ferb” go watch some!)
As the children gather have your picture of Buford and Baljeet out for them to look at. Some of them will probably know these two characters, so ask them to describe their relationship.
Yeah, Baljeet and Buford! Buford is a bully and Baljeet is his usual target, right? Buford picks on him all the time. So, I imagine that Baljeet is always plotting a way to get back at Buford, right? Baljeet is smart and has a good reason to find some way to embarrass or hurt Buford. He probably has secret plans and is building a Doofenshmirtz-style ‘Inator (if this doesn’t make sense – go watch the show!), like an anti-bullyinator.
That’s not true though, is it? Baljeet and Buford actually care about each other. Buford protects Baljeet, and Baljeet stands up for Buford when people say mean things about him. They have even saved each other’s lives several times! Isn’t that a little strange? Buford is a bully! Why would Baljeet stand up for him?
I think that Baljeet and Buford have gotten to know each other, and understand how the other person feels. They know what really hurts the other person, and they know how to help each other feel better. This is something that is easy in a cartoon, but how well can we do that?
Alright, this next part is just in your head, don’t say anything out loud! I want you to just think about someone that you might call an enemy. This is probably someone who is hard for you to love, right? What do you think would happen if you acted with love around them? I don’t mean that you should try to give them a hug right away or anything, but what if you treated them like a friend? What if you got to know them and let them get to know you? It’s harder to really not like someone when work hard to understand them better. You might never be good friends, like Baljeet and Buford, but maybe you can find ways to be more caring.
Let’s listen to what Jesus has to say about this, too. (Either read the Gospel text here – or re-read Matthew 5:42-48 if it has already been read).
God of love and kindness, give us the courage to act with love even when we want to be mean and cruel to others. Help us to love everyone we meet with the same love that you give to us. Amen
May God’s Word shine a light into your life today and always.
~GB
Permission to use for nonprofit. When printing give credit to Faith Formation Journeys. Intellectual property rights apply.
Weekly Devotions for February 23, 2014
Here is the devotion page for the Seventh Sunday After Epiphany, February 23, 2014
Note – Clicking on the picture will download the insert to your computer or device in PDF format
Did you miss a week? Go to the Weekly Devotion page to download past weeks!
Weekly Household Devotions for February 16, 2014
Here is the devotion page for the Sixth Sunday After Epiphany, February 16, 2014
Note – Clicking on the picture will download the insert to your computer or device in PDF format
Did you miss a week? Go to the Weekly Devotion page to download past weeks!
Children’s Sermon Epiphany 5A Matthew 5:13-20
Preparation: you will need salt and a candle
Gather the children with you. Ask, “Did you notice anything in the gospel reading today?” (or if they have not heard it, summarize for them) Take answers. “I noticed that Jesus was talking to us about how to be in the world and he used two things that I think are pretty common…. salt and light.”
Read or summarize how Jesus uses salt and light to give examples of how we are to be in the world. Show them the salt and say, “So, what is it about salt that it does that makes it special? Well nothing really, salt is just being salt, being what it was made to me. How about this candle? (light the candle) what is it doing to be special in the world? Right, it’s shining light–it’s just doing what it was made to do too. Jesus is saying the same thing to us–that being who we are, and being in the world as God made us is giving light and life and saltiness to the world. God claims us as children and says that everything we are is precious to God and we can use our gifts and our love and our hearts to show the world what God is like. That God is love and opens this gift to everyone.”
You can also teach the song “If I were a Butterfly” by Brian Howard
For time you can even just teach one verse and the chorus.
Holy God, thank you for making us your children and help us to show your love. Amen
You are a precious child of God made to light up the world with Jesus’ love +