Home Connect, April 10, 2011

Date: Sunday, April 10, 2011
Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead

Link:

http://www.antelope-ebooks.com/RELIGIOUS/Jesus/Jesus39.html

Link:

http://www.ainglkiss.com/stories/laz.htm/

Link:

http://www.kids-corner.info/myintouch/youth/k_lazarus_36944943.html

Click on these links to read the story of Lazarus. You may find that the third link is especially kid-friendly and appropriate for younger family members. Consider having different members of the family take turns reading the various story versions aloud. Then talk about some of the following topics that relate to the story:

When Jesus told Martha that Lazarus would be resurrected, she thought he was talking about “the last days.” Martha wasn’t completely wrong in her assumption, but she didn’t quite have the “big picture.” Although Jesus did raise Lazarus from the dead that day, he also explained to Martha that he was the resurrection.

ASK • What did Jesus mean by that?
• How does Jesus work miracles in our lives today?
• Can you think of ways that Jesus gives Christians hope? As a family, make a list of these.

http://teachersupport.group.com/faithweaver/homeconnect/spring-2011/week-6-(april-10,-2011)

Home Connect, April 3, 2011

Date: Sunday, April 3, 2011
Jesus Tells About the Good Samaritan

Link:

http://wordofloveforyou.com/Fish1.htm

Link:

http://www.lifeofchrist.com/

Hear how Jesus miraculously fed five thousand at the Christian Online Bookstore. Then go to the Life of Christ website where you will find articles, maps, charts, and studies about the life of Christ. As you browse both websites, look for examples of Jesus showing that he loves and cares for people. Discuss these questions as a family:

• How has Jesus shown that he cares for people?
• In what ways has Jesus shown his love for you?
• How did the good Samaritan show that he loved the injured man?

Link:

http://www.nick.com/all_nick/everything_nick/public_bighelp.jhtml

Just like the good Samaritan, we can show the love of Jesus through our actions. Go to the Nickelodeon website to discover different ways that kids and their families are helping communities through Nickelodeon’s Big Help project.

Brainstorm ideas for helping someone in your neighborhood. You could pick up trash at a local park, visit a church member whose yard needs work, invite a family to your house for a meal, or donate toys to a family shelter. There are many ideas to choose from! Once you’ve completed your family project, get back together and discuss what each family member will most remember about showing the love of Jesus through actions.

http://teachersupport.group.com/faithweaver/homeconnect/spring-2011/week-5-(april-3,-2011)

Home Connect, March, 27, 2011

Date: Sunday, March 27, 2011
Jesus Talks With the Samaritan Woman

Link:

http://www.ec.gc.ca/water/en/manage/poll/e_life.htm

Link:

http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/water.html

Link:

http://www.cyberparent.com/nutrition/waterclean.htm

Check out these Web sites that explain how water is an essential part of life. How long do you think you could last without a drink of water? Can you find research to support your answer?

Just as we cannot survive without physical water, life is futile without the living water that only Jesus can give. How long do you think you could last without Jesus? Explain.

Discuss the gift of living water. How do you think it changed the Samaritan woman’s life? How might it change yours?

Group Publishing: http://teachersupport.group.com/faithweaver/homeconnect/spring-2011/week-4-(march-27,-2011)

Home Connect, March 20, 2011

Date: Sunday, March 20, 2011
Jesus Explains Eternal Life to Nicodemus

Link:

http://www.shaohannahshope.org/

Read about some of the organizations at this site that assist with adoptions. Think about what it might be like to be adopted or to adopt a child. Then discuss how adoption is like being accepted into the family of God.

Link:

http://www.monroe.lib.in.us/childrens/blastoff.html

Have some fun with these “spacey” web sites. For many years, the thought of traveling in space was a mystery and a dream. Then people figured out how to do it, and a man actually stepped out on the moon! But before he could do that, he had to believe that it could happen. Why does the key to eternal life seem like a mystery to so many people? What’s the solution to the mystery of eternal life?

Read John 3:1-17. How did Jesus explain eternal life to Nicodemus?

Consider this question as a family: Who is the giver of life, not just life on this earth, but eternal life in heaven? Softly repeat the name of Jesus several times as a family; then spend a few moments in silent prayer.

Group Publishing:http://teachersupport.group.com/faithweaver/homeconnect/spring-2011/week-3-(march-20,-2011)

Home Connect, March 13, 2011

Date: Sunday, March 13, 2011
Jesus Feeds Thousands

Link:

http://wvi.org/wvi/wviweb.nsf

This is the home page of World Vision, an international relief organization. Your family can sponsor a needy child overseas.

Link:

http://www.churchworldservice.org/site/PageServer?pagename=homepage

This is the home page of Church World Service, another agency that works to provide relief in poverty areas.  CWS has sponsored CROP Walks for decades to raise money to help others in need.

Link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6XSjwOyoi4

YouTube has many offerings when you search “Jesus Feeds 5000,” such as the animated clip in this link.

Other than the miracle of The Resurrection, this passage, usually called “The Feeding of the 5,000″ or “The Miracle of the Five Loaves and Two Fish,” is the only miracle present in all four Gospel (Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:31-44, Luke 9:10-17 and John 6:5-15).

Use the links above and your own creativity as a family to find ways to offer your own “five loaves and two fish” to Jesus. God can use us in amazing ways if we are willing to give God our time, talents, and resources. Consult also with your pastor to find out what your own denomination is doing to help relieve hunger in the world.

Group Publishing: http://teachersupport.group.com/faithweaver/homeconnect/spring-2011/week-2-(march-13,-2011)

Home Connect, March 6, 2011

Date: Sunday, March 6, 2011
Jesus Teaches His Disciples How to Pray

Link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYcszYW6ceE&feature=related

This link shows the famous call to a Christian radio station by a distraught ranching boy who shares what it means to pray after the death of his calf.

Link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR4PQ30VkBk&feature=related

This link shows a 2-year-old singing “The Lord’s Prayer.” She is cute and your family will enjoy the video.

Link:

http://www.lords-prayer-words.com/

This link has The Lord’s Prayer in many languages.

Use the links above with your family to start discussions about the purpose and practice of prayer, with a special emphasis on The Lord’s Prayer.

In family devotions or prayer time, talk about one line of The Lord’s Prayer per evening for the next week or two.  What did Jesus mean in each line?  How does that line “translate” into our time and our family?

Group Publishing: http://teachersupport.group.com/faithweaver/homeconnect/spring-2011/week-1-(march-6,-2011)

Home Connect, February 27, 2011

Date: Sunday, February 27, 2011
Jesus Blesses the Children

Link:

http://www.amazing-kids.org/gallery.html#top

Link:

http://www.amazing-kids.org/writers.html#top

Jesus reminded us that children are special; they faithfully see what others don’t. Explore the world through children’s eyes at the Amazing Kids web sites. Click on the first URL to discover art done by children. Scroll down to find individual artists. Then go to the writers’ site. There you will find amazing contributions by young authors. Discuss how you might have drawn or written about the same subjects addressed by some of these children.

Answer the following questions as a family:

• How do you think God feels about children?
• Do you think God sees children in a different way than he sees adults? Explain.
• Does God bless children today? How do you know?

Close in prayer, thanking God for loving children so much that he blesses them.

Group Publishing: http://teachersupport.group.com/faithweaver/homeconnect/winter-2010-2011/week-13-(february-27,-2011)

Home Connect, February 20, 2011

Date: Sunday, February 20, 2011

Zacchaeus Climbs a Tree to See Jesus

Link:

http://www.perrya.com/articles/001.htm

Read this article about accepting people for sweet rewards. What do you think the “sweet” rewards actually are?

Link:

http://halife.com/halife/halife02.html

After you have read the short story on this site, ask yourself what things about your appearance or personality you wish you could change. What things can’t be changed? Can you accept them? How do you think Jesus feels about those things?

Allow each family member time to give an answer to the following questions:

Why did Jesus give his time to Zacchaeus? What about Zacchaeus was Jesus willing to accept?

Why was Jesus willing to die for Zacchaeus? Why was he willing to die for you? Explain what being accepted by Jesus means to you.

Read Luke 19:1-10.

Group Publishing: http://teachersupport.group.com/faithweaver/homeconnect/winter-2010-2011/week-12-(february-20,-2011)

Home Connect, February 13, 2011

Date: Sunday, February 13, 2011
Jesus Walks on Water

Link:

http://www.todayinhistory.com

Look up events that happened on today’s date in history. Identify specific events that reflect faith. For example, did the scientist need faith to believe an invention would work? Did the driver of the fire truck have faith that the engine would turn over when he put in the key to start it? Did a country need to have faith in its leaders? Talk about how faith can affect our choices. Then discuss what it means to have faith in Jesus.

Link:

http://my.homewithgod.com/heavenlymidis/hymns.html

Click on this URL to find a list of hymns you can sing. Find one or two that are specifically about faith. Lyrics are provided for some of the hymns. For others, you might want to grab the family hymnbook, just to have the words handy. Think about the words as you sing. How do the hymn writers express their faith? Do you think their words sum up what it takes to have faith in Jesus in today’s world? Why or why not?

Read Matthew 14:22-27. Then discuss the following questions as a family:

What was the reaction of the disciples when they first saw Jesus walking on the water? Why do you think they were afraid? What did Jesus tell them?

In response to the disciples’ fear, Jesus reminded them who he was. Think of times when you have been afraid. How can remembering who Jesus is help you to have faith in him?

Group Publishing: http://teachersupport.group.com/faithweaver/homeconnect/winter-2010-2011/week-11-(february-13,-2011)

Home Connect, February 6, 2011

Date: Sunday, February 6, 2011
Jesus Teaches That We Are to Be Salt and Light

Link:

http://42explore.com/salt.htm

Check out this lesson on salt. What does salt do? What do you think Jesus meant when he asked Christians to be salt? How do you act like salt? Discuss this as a family and enjoy each person’s idea on this subject.

Link:

http://www.42explore.com/light.htm

This lesson is filled with facts about light. Give it a good read and then try answering a few questions: What did you learn about light? Can you name at least three things? How does physical light compare with spiritual light? Ask each person in the family to share how he or she can be the light of Christ.

Ask a member of the family to read Matthew 5:13-16 aloud. Then join hands and pray. Privately commit to being salt and light throughout the following week.

Group Publishing: http://teachersupport.group.com/faithweaver/homeconnect/winter-2010-2011/week-10-(february-6,-2011)