Burton, Jesse 3

Scripture: John 20:24-29 (CSB) – “But Thomas (called ‘Twin’), one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were telling him, ‘We’ve seen the Lord!’ But he said to them, ‘If I don’t see the mark of the nails in his hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe.’ A week later his disciples were indoors again, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, JJesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Don’t be faithless, but believe.’ Thomas responded to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.’” (Please read the full text in your Bible)

Message: One of the most important lessons Jesus taught his disciples was to have faith in Him and God. It was easy to believe in Jesus when He was on Earth, living and working with the disciples. After Jesus died and rose, it became harder for some people, like Thomas, to believe in the power of God. When Jesus shows Thomas that He is still with them, Thomas believes again. Jesus tells us to believe, even when we cannot see; this is a true sign of faith. Sometimes believing can be difficult because we can’t see God face to face in the way we can see other human beings. In those times of doubt, we need to remember what Jesus told Thomas. Having faith means believing in God, even when you can’t see Him; just because we can’t see God, doesn’t mean we aren’t able to see Him in other ways.

Family Activity: As a family, come up with a list of different ways that you are able to see God in your lives. Then discuss ways in which you can help others believe when they might find it difficult to have faith.

Prayer: Dear God, thank You for sending Your Son to live among us, to teach us, and to die for our sins. Help keep our faith strong, even when we can’t see You. You are always there for us. We love You so much. In Your name we pray. Amen.

Jessie Burton

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Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30 (ESV) - "For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away..... 'For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.''"

Message: Lent is often viewed as a time to give something up, mirroring the food, safety and comfort Jesus gave up when He went into the desert. It's meant to serve as a time of fasting. A time to refocus and realign ourselves on God. But how often does Lent simply turn into another failed New Year's resolution? Just a time for us to give up junk food and bad habits.

In the Scripture above, Jesus tells a parable about a wealthy man who gives talents, or money to his servants. When he returns he is pleased with the two who used their talents and is furious with the one who buried and wasted his talent. This story not only talks about money but can very literally translate to our gifts, talents and abilities.

Instead of giving something up this Lent, consider your talents and what it is that you bring to the kingdom of God. What can you do with your talents to help build up the church around you and further the kingdom of God? Instead of giving something up, consider you talents, and take on a practice of using a talent of yours to bring people closer to the kingdom of God on a daily basis.

Prayer: Dear God, we ask that You grant us the wisdom and the peace to know our talents. We ask that You guide us in when and where to use them so that we might bring the kingdom of Heaven slightly closer to earth. Amen.

Jessie Burton

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Scripture: Matthew 2:9-12 (CSB) - "After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was - the star they had seen at its rising. It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy." (Please read the whole text from your Bible.)

Message: A very important part of the Christmas story is the three Wise Men. These Wise Men were called by God to go and find baby Jesus, to pay homage to Him. King Herod asked them to return and tell him of the news. The Wise Men followed a star to get to Bethlehem where baby Jesus was. This star was very important because it helped them find their way, and once they found Jesus, they were able to worship Him and give Him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Although these might not seem like great gifts for a baby, it meant that they respected baby Jesus and they knew He was the Son of God! Even though the Wise Men gave physical gifts that someone could hold, they gave Jesus something even more incredible. They showed him LOVE! Something we need to remember this Christmas season is that not everything is about giving, or getting physical gifts. You can give gifts in different ways, like helping your parents out around the house, taking the dog for a walk, giving your sibling a hug just because, and even just smiling at someone on the street.

Family Activity: Now you have a chance to show your respect and appreciation for each other by making gifts! Each family member is provided with a brown paper bag and decorate the outside of the bag. Then each person prepares one (or multiple) note(s) saying why they appreciate and love the person to whom the note is addressed. Each note is then placed in the bag to whom the note is addressed. Next each person can create a star to represent the idea that others can always find their way to you and to Jesus. Here are some examples of how to make different types of amazing stars!

Prayer: Dear God, thank You so much for sending Your Son, Jesus, to join us on earth. We ask that you help us remember that we can always find our way to You. Remind us that gifts we give other people don't always have to be something we can hold, but something we can do to show our love to them, even in the simplest ways. We love You very much! It's in Your name we pray. Amen!

Jessie Burton

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