Dec 5th- A few of my favorite things...
The Habit:
To Bedford Falls and Back Again
Tuesday, December 5, 2023
The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things
Monday, December 4, 2023
The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things
Dec 4th- A few of my favorite things...
Sunday, December 3, 2023
The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things
Dec 3rd- A few of my favorite things...
The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things
Dec 2nd- A few of my favorite things...
The Habit of Thankfulness: A Few of My Favorite Things
Dec 1st- A few of my favorite things...
Monday, October 2, 2023
Passion Week: Easter Monday
Now find a place to leave it that will surprise them like their pillow, lunchbox, or work bag.
(you've already learned waiting isn't so bad).
Wasn't it fun to give someone a smile
let's take time to remember our journey over the past several days.
In fact, some of Jesus' disciples did the same thing, except instead of just reviewing them among themselves, they had Jesus to talk it over with them.
But the fun twist to this story is that they didn't recognize Jesus. They had heard Jesus had risen from the dead, but they weren't expecting Him. They didn't know what to believe. So Jesus helped them understand.
to once again explain all that had happened.
Then at dinner, as the Traveler took the bread, gave thanks, and broke it---everything suddenly all made sense.
The Traveler with them was Jesus! HE WAS ALIVE!Then Jesus just disappeared right in front of them! They finally understood who this was that had been teaching them and why Scriptures all made sense now: it was because of Jesus. Jesus wanted his disciples to know that God had left a “love note” for them all throughout the Bible that told of His plan and how much He loved mankind---so much in fact that He sent His Son to die for our sins.
This love note was in plain sight all along, but the disciples had missed it! But now, they left their dinner and ran back to Jerusalem to tell Eleven Disciples gathered there that they, too, had seen the Risen Lord. That He had explained all these events that had happened. But they were honest, they said they did not recognize Him. We often don't recognize either because, like the disciples, we're not looking for Him. But how did they finally recognize Him? It was in the breaking of the bread. Jesus said “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)
How do we recognize Him today?
Passion Week: Easter Morning
Activity: with your parent's permission, take a rock, preferably round if you can find one.
On one side, write “Matthew 28:6”. Above that, write “Come” and below that write “See”.
Above that, write “Go” and below that write “Tell”.
Another earthquake, the ground shook, the stone rolled away on its own! The soldiers guarding the tomb fainted! This was NOT what they had expected!
They carried with them their jars of spices to prepare Jesus body properly. They figured maybe they could ask one of the soldiers or the gardener to roll away the stone to make things right. As more light began to fill the sky, the cross overhead began to fade as the sun began to rise.
As they reached the garden they couldn't believe their eyes:
THE STONE WAS ALREADY ROLLED AWAY!
They ran inside the tomb...Jesus' body wasn't there---the tomb was EMPTY! Then two angels appeared to them and asked them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He has risen!”(Luke 24: 5-6) and then they told the women “COME and SEE the place where He lay. Then GO and TELL His disciples.” (Matthew 28:6-7). These women now had a new mission! They were to see for themselves what God had done, and go and tell others the Good News: Jesus was alive, just as He said. The power of sin and death and been broken. Ours sins could be forgiven! Jesus was alive!
And then, just so that no one would doubt,
Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene.
She was the first to see the risen Lord.
They ran back to tell the disciples. Peter and John went to the tomb to see. There was no mistaking it...the tomb was empty! John believed (John 20:8). Peter wasn't so sure.
The rest of disciples did not know what to believe. (Luke 24: 9-12). But later that evening Jesus just appeared in the room with all the disciples except Thomas (Luke 20:19-23).
Now ten of his disciples had seen Him alive! One week later so Thomas wouldn't be left out, He appeared to Thomas too (Luke 20:24-29. Thomas could touch Jesus. He wasn't a ghost.
He was the Risen Lord.
JESUS WAS ALIVE JUST AS HE HAD SAID!
It's not just enough to COME and SEE the empty tomb
and know that Jesus is alive,
Come and See!
Now, Go and Tell!