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)

Home Connect, January 30, 2011

Date: Sunday, January 30, 2011
Jesus Gives the Beatitudes

Link:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/history

Browse through some of the issues of Christian History magazine to find examples of people who have shown attitudes that please God. What specific attitudes do you find that would make God happy today? How can we learn more about how to live in a way that pleases God?

Link:

http://www.tracysbooknook.com/childrens_books/christian/jabez_for_little_ones.html

Click on this site to read the review of the book, The Prayer of Jabez for Little Ones. Ask a family member to read the verse on the screen aloud. What can you learn about an attitude that pleases God from these lines?

Take a few moments to consider these questions:
• What have you learned about attitudes from these web sites? Which attitudes please God? Explain your answers.
• How can attitudes affect the things that you do for others? Can good things be done for wrong reasons? Explain. What can you do to develop good attitudes that please God? Talk about this as a family.

Group Publishing: http://teachersupport.group.com/faithweaver/homeconnect/winter-2010-2011/week-9-(january-30,-2011)

Home Connect, January 23, 2011

Date: Sunday, January 23, 2011
News About Jesus Spreads

Link:

http://www.marsbrightideas.com/index.shtml

You can help spread the news about Jesus. Click on the Christmas package at the top of the home page to find a yummy recipe. Then, as a family project, make some treats and give them away to your friends and neighbors. Invite the gift recipients to come to church with you.

Link:

http://www.christiannewstoday.com/

Check out the articles at this Christian news site. What are people doing to spread the news of Christ? Why do people come to Jesus?

Link:

http://www.ccmmagazine.com/

Read about Christian musicians and how they are spreading the news about Jesus. How do you think God uses music to bring people to Jesus? What can you do to help people find the good news about Jesus?

Group Publisher: http://teachersupport.group.com/faithweaver/homeconnect/winter-2010-2011/week-8-(january-23,-2011)

Home Connect, January 16, 2011

Date: Sunday, January 16, 2011
Peter and Andrew Meet Jesus

Link:

http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/04/9.16.04/photo-JGSM_potluck.html

Look at the picture at this Cornell Chronicle site. The caption says that they will “meet, greet, and eat.” Talk about what it is like meeting someone for the first time. Is it exciting? Scary? Both? How do you think Peter and Andrew felt when they first met Jesus?

Link:

http://www.billygraham.org/SH_StepsToPeace.asp

Read the list of “Steps to Peace with God” at the Billy Graham site to learn what happens when we get to know God. If you have never taken the steps to get to know Jesus, consider doing so. You can click on the audio icon and pray with Billy Graham. Check out the rest of this web site for more information on how Jesus can change our lives as we get to know him.

Group Publisher: http://teachersupport.group.com/faithweaver/homeconnect/winter-2010-2011/week-7-(january-16,-2011):

Home Connect, January 9, 2011

Date: Sunday, January 9, 2011
Jesus Is Baptized

Link:

http://www.historychannel.com/

Search for “Jesus” at the History Channel site. Then read the description that is provided. What is said about Jesus as a person of history? Do any of the articles discuss who Jesus is today? How have you experienced the person Jesus? Do you know him as a person of history or as the risen Christ who is alive and living through you every day?

Link:

http://www.unitedmedia.com/comics/ripleys/index.html

Ripley’s Believe It or Not is known for reporting the unusual. Take a moment to read the cartoons at this site. If you’d like to see more, use the calendar at the bottom of the screen to pick some others. Then talk about how the amazing things depicted in the cartoons compare to the marvelous things Jesus does. No comparison, right?

Spend a few moments in prayer, thanking God for his son, Jesus.

Group Publishing: http://teachersupport.group.com/faithweaver/homeconnect/winter-2010-2011/week-6-(january-9,-2011)

Home Connect, January 2, 2011

HAPPY NEW YEARS!

Date: Sunday, January 2, 2011

Joseph Takes His Family to Safety in Egypt

Link:

http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/familyguide/main.asp

Enjoy browsing through these television listings and ratings that have been assembled especially with family viewing in mind. Talk about how this web site can guide you in planning your TV time for the next few days. Then talk about the tools God has given us to guide us in all aspects of our lives.

Link:

http://bible.crosswalk.com

God guides us through his Word. Using the search engine at this site, look for Bible verses that address God’s guidance. Let family members take turns reading the verses that you find.

Read Matthew 2:13-23. How did God guide Joseph? In what ways does God guide his children today? Can you share a personal experience when God guided you?

Group Publishing: http://teachersupport.group.com/faithweaver/homeconnect/winter-2010-2011/week-5-(january-2,-2011)

Home Connect, December 26, 2010

Date: Sunday, December 26, 2010
Foreign Visitors Worship Jesus

Link:

http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/dictionaryhome.aspx

Go to this dictionary site to look up the gifts that the foreign visitors brought to the baby Jesus: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. One by one, place the words in the Find Box and see what definitions a search yields. Then discuss the following questions as a family:

• Why do you think the visitors brought gifts to Jesus?
• Do you think it mattered to Mary and Joseph that the visitors were from a foreign land? Why or why not?
• What do you have to offer Jesus in worship?

b>Link: 

http://directory.crosswalk.com

Use this site’s directory to learn about denominations, ministry organizations, and mission trips. Try clicking on “Ministries.” Go to some of the web sites listed and look at the variety of people who worship Jesus. What kinds of differences do you see? What do the people have in common? Who can worship Jesus?

Group Publishing: http://teachersupport.group.com/faithweaver/homeconnect/winter-2010-2011/week-4-(december-26,-2010)

Home Connect, December 12, 2010

Date: Sunday, December 12, 2010
An Angel Appears to Joseph

Link:

http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/_angel.html

Browse this page of angel craft ideas. Do you find anything that interests you? Make one of the crafts as a family project. As you work, discuss the following questions:

• What do you think it was like for Joseph when the angel appeared to him? Do you think he was frightened? Why or why not?
• What were God’s plans for Joseph? What do you think made Joseph decide to trust God?
• Why should we trust God’s plans?

Link:

http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/Byrnes-S2000/Hansen/postalr.html

Click on this link to read a short lesson on the postal service. Look at the picture of the postal worker. Would you trust news that is delivered by a postal worker like the one pictured at this site? How would it be different from plans that were delivered by an angel? Which would you trust more? Why?

As a family, make a list of ways God shows us his plans for our lives. Post it in a prominent place in your home, perhaps on the refrigerator. Set a time to get back together to discuss how God guided you through the week when you trusted his plans.

Group Publisher: http://teachersupport.group.com/faithweaver/homeconnect/winter-2010-2011/week-2-(december-12,-2010)