St. Francis of Assisi enjoyed a very rich easy life growing up because of his father's wealth and the permissiveness of the times. He did poorly in school and was very rebellious. His rollercoaster life led him through extravagant times of chasing idols all the way to living on the streets.

In St. Francis' younger years he made a few mistakes.  Some say he sinned.  The Greek word for sin is hamartia.  But did you know that the word is derived from the  Greek     ἁμαρτία, from ἁμαρτάνειν hamartánein, which means "to miss the mark" or "to err."  It is so comforting to know that if we "miss the mark" we are still welcomed to make amends and join Jesus.  We are still loved and accepted.

St. Francis went on to do great things.  He ended up rebuilding a church and creating a religious order.  He was able to rebuild a healthier personal life as well and his love for creation blossomed.  His contemplative prayers helped him to share compassion with those of two and four legs!

His prayer is a comfort to many.  He just asks, "Lord make me an instrument of PEACE."
 
Our Sunday School lesson this week includes videos, crafts, games and snacks.  We have bird feeders to share compassion with the animals of the air; palm-frond animals to create; exercises incorporating animal sounds; and animal sandwiches for lunch fun!  We also share St. Francis’ wonderful prayer:

… Where there is hatred, let me sow love ❤❤❤…

John 4:13-15 ESV
Jesus said to the women at the well, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”
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Revelation 21:6 ESV
And he said to me, “… To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.
 
The Samaritan women at the well had a complicated life story.  First, Samaritan’s were--a mixed race people, who had intermarried with the Assyrians centuries before. They were not liked by the Jews because of this cultural mixing and because they had their own version of the Bible and their own temple on Mount Gerizim.
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Additionally the Samaritan woman was faced with prejudice from her own community. She came to draw water at the hottest part of the day, instead of the usual morning or evening times, because she was shunned and rejected by the other women of the area for her immorality. Jesus knew her history but still offered her grace and ministered to her.
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Jesus showed that his mission was to all people when he reached out to the Samaritan women, not just the Jews.  The Samaritan woman was amazed that grace could be offered to her and shared this great news so others could experience His compassionate heart.
 
Not feeling accepted is a deep concept and it is very complicated.  We are marginalized  because of our accent, academic skills, financial status, skin color, personality, and countless other attributes.  Jesus continually provides us stories about his grace, this unconditional love, which he has freely given to us.    He has graciously presented us the living water.  The water is for us to ingest and then extravagantly extend it to our friends, neighbors, community and the world. These waters are not only to be shared but devoured so we too can grow in peace, wisdom and compassion.  When we consume these waters our heart will have a greater ability to reflect grace to others as well as to ourselves.
 
We would like to share this story and water experiments and STEM activities with our Sunday School children during this warm July weekend.  Some of these activities include: constructing a bicycle carwash, creating a water bomb, building a waterwheel, erecting a backyard water wall, and assembling a water bottle sun catcher.

​We have dozens of ways to help your children make the 4th SPARKLE!  We have crafts & activities to help them celebrate.  They can create stars on your lawn using baking flour, cover frozen bananas in red, white & blue frosting, design a patriotic Solo cup wreath, build a charcuterie board using, strawberries, yogurt pretzels and blue berries and blow patriotic snake bubbles!

We have lawn games incorporating dice, ladders, wind, catapults, marshmallow shooters, golf, water and chalk!

We also have random acts of kindness ideas that they can offer their neighbors!  What a grand way to celebrate our military HEROES!
Our Military service members are servant leaders as they protect our freedom.  Think about how you can be a servant leader in your neighborhood. In the same way that Jesus was being a servant as he washed the disciples feet, consider how you can go among the community and find ways to do kind gesture for others.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

- give a water bottle to a homeless person
- stick-up for your friend or sibling in a disagreement
- make cookies for a neighbor
- send your grandparents a letter
- donate clothes to a shelter
- offer a stranger your smile
- pick-up garbage in a park
- offer to pick citrus for a neighbor
- THANK a military hero!

​Walking by faith isn’t easy, especially if it means walking on water! In today’s Bible story, Jesus had just finished feeding more than five thousand people. As the crowd began to disperse, Jesus instructed his disciples to go on ahead to the other side of the lake. The disciples followed Jesus’ instructions. The Bible says that Jesus went up on a mountain to pray. Evening came, and soon the disciples found themselves fighting a mighty headwind. By morning, they were far from land, but then something totally surprising happened—the disciples saw the figure of a man coming toward them, walking on the lake. “It’s a ghost!” someone exclaimed. Then Jesus made himself known: “Be encouraged! It’s me. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s really you,” Peter said, “let me walk out to you on the lake.” Jesus invited Peter to come. Peter took a few steps onto the surface of the water, but when he looked at the wind and waves, he began to sink. He called out to Jesus, “Save me!” Jesus reached out and grabbed him and said, “You of weak faith! Why did you doubt?” It is easy to read Jesus’ words as a stern rebuke. Perhaps they were, but maybe not. Reread Jesus’ words and imagine those words being given with a smile and a wink. Even a little faith is better than none.

Jesus said that we could move mountains with faith the size of a mustard seed. It’s not the amount of faith we have that makes the difference. Rather, it’s who we put our faith in. People put their faith in lots of things every day. We place our faith in how much money we have in the bank. We place our faith in how our interpersonal relationships are going. We place our faith in vehicles to get us from point A to point B each day. There’s nothing wrong with putting faith in these things, but sometimes we fail to examine where we are placing our faith. Peter was challenged to examine where he put his faith. In that moment, he chose to place his faith in Jesus. Because he did, it allowed him to do the impossible: to walk on water. We may not see large-scale miracles occur often, but in little ways every day, we can see how faith in Jesus gives us protection against all the things that make us afraid. Faith shields our hearts. Like the disciples, we can hear Jesus say, “Be encouraged! It’s me. Don’t be afraid.” (story courtesy of Cokesbury Knights of North Castle VBS)
 
During this week’s Sunday School lesson you can construct boats, float boats, build rivers, create tornados, stir Dory juice, illustrate oceans, mix Jell-O seas, and turn fruit and frozen water into popsicles.  We invite you to check out our webpage for all of these “craftivities” and more!  Be encourage by the thought that God is with you when you need to step out of your boat.

​Many prefer to call the Parable of the Prodigal son,  the "parable of the Loving Father."  This is why... 

​Let's meet Jacob.    Jacob is the youngest son of a wealthy farmer.  He boldly chooses to ask his father for his inheritance.  The father agrees to give him the money and then Jacob takes off for the big city. 
 
Jacob excessively enjoys the “big city” and the temptations it offers.  He ends up making quite a few bad choices.  So many bad choices that he ends up broke and homeless.  When he reaches the point of envying the food that the pigs on the farm are eating, he finally comes to his senses:

Luke 15:17-21 The Message (MSG)
17-20  “That brought him to his senses. He said, ‘All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. I’m going back to my father. I’ll say to him, Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand.’ He got right up and went home to his father.
20-21  “When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. The son started his speech: ‘Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son ever again.’
 
What a relief for Jacob!  After all he had done he was still welcomed into his father’s loving arms.
 
When Jesus told parables the goal was to communicate a new paradigm with his audience.  This time the new way of thinking was, if you are truly saddened of your mistakes, you will be extravagantly welcomed with God’s arms wide open.  Isn’t that what our earthly father does for us?  He is excited when we learn new lessons.  He is happy when he sees growth.  He loves us “just because.” We aren’t born with all the knowledge; it is acquired.  When we look to both our heavenly Father and our earthly father we know we will find love and extravagant compassion on our journey.
 
What is really sweet about this parable is that Jacob knew in his heart that his father would accept him.  He returned fully aware of all the mistakes he made and he still thought that there was a chance that he would be welcomed by his father.  I pray you all have a loving relationship with your earthly father and never forget that your heavenly Father is ALWAYS there for you, too.  Whenever. Where ever. No matter what.  You are loved. That’s what HIS GRACE is all about!
 
This week’s Sunday School lesson is in honor of our father’s extravagant compassion!  We have simple photo layouts for you to recreate for your dad or grand-dad!  You can make a wallet and fill it with chore coupons for him to cash in on. Mix up some warm chocolate chip cookies.  Create Father’s Day cards, and posters.  We even have super hero candy bar card that you can craft for the hero in your life!

Our Bible lesson this week is about fruit. We’re not talking about just apples and oranges. It is about a different kind of fruit, “the fruit of the Spirit.” We’re talking about the way we act when we put our faith in Jesus. The Bible tells us that when we do that, the Holy Spirit fills us with God's love and produces some good fruit in our life.

If you see an apple tree, what do you expect to find on that tree? Apples! Well, when you see someone who is filled with the Holy Spirit, you expect to see what the Bible calls the fruit of the Spirit. According to the apostle Paul, he shared with the Galatians that, there are nine different kinds’ fruits: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Oh my, that is some good fruit, isn't it?

These fruits are all things that help us to get along together and to share God’s love! Just as some of us like different fruits, each of us might be better at one of these than another. If you are a good hugger, you are showing love, or if you are good at sharing your toys then you are good at generosity. Are we all going to be really good at all nine of these things? No, but we can try to learn a skill?  And if we notice when our friends are good at not fighting or including new friends, can we tell them that we are proud of them? Just as it takes lots of fruit to make a yummy salad it takes all of us to share God’s love to everyone we meet to help everyone feel included, respected and loved.
 
This week we read Paul’s letter to the Galatian’s about fruit of the Spirit.    We invite you to learn about the fruits that you excel at!  Ask your grown-ups what spiritual fruits they love about you!  Ask your grown-ups what spiritual fruits you could practice.  Our Fruit of the Spirit lesson page offers, guides to the nine fruits, games, fruit crafts, read aloud books, songs to help you memorize the fruits and fruit infused water recipes for our Arizona heat!  So sit back, read a book, listen to a song, and enjoy a large refreshing, strawberry, cucumber infused glass of H20!

The Good Samaritan had a crash course in compassion.  He studied the condition of Pharisee (who was beat up, robbed and left to die on a desolate road) and acted quickly.  He bandaged the wounded man.  Carried that man into town and then gave his own money to  the innkeeper to take care of him until he was healed. Maybe he did it because the spirit moved him. Maybe because he was paying it forward. Maybe because someone once extended compassion to him. The important part is that he     s t e p p e d      o u t    of his comfort zone and used his resources.  

It is comforting when someone shows us compassion.  Compassion is more than merely recognizing that someone is carrying a heavy burden, and then sympathizing with them—it is actually doing something to lighten their load. The Good Samaritan was willing to cross political, racial, cultural and social barriers and risk prejudices and the fear of the unknown because he saw someone with a need and he used his resources to meet that need.
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This week our Sunday School lesson is about the Good Samaritan.  We are providing online children’s books and YouTube videos about compassion on the lesson page.  Our children have seen a lot of unsettling things in the media this past week.  These resources may help the grown-ups  initiate a dialog with their child about what they have witnessed. The greatest gifts we can give to our children are time and unconditional love.  We have rainbow and donut Kindness crafts, candy and ice experiments and kindness cootie catchers for you to share with your kiddos.  Thank you for sharing His GRACE!

​When the day of Pentecost came, the apostles were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest above each of their heads.  The apostles went outside to see if others were having the same experience.  It was the week of the Jewish Festival of Shavuot. All of foreigners and locals congregating in the city of Jerusalem for this festival were speaking in their home language but miraculously they could understand each other.  They all became filled with the Holy Spirit.
 
This was an amazing turning point for those apostles.  Up to this moment they were hiding and living in fear that they would be killed because they were followers of Jesus.  Now in one afternoon a scant flame was placed above their head and they knew this mystery was real.  Their hearts were filled and so was their need to share this story with the world.
 
Remember that afternoon a couple of months ago when they said we were to “shelter in place.”  No school. No work. No playground. No church.  BUT did we manage to recreate a new version of school, work, play and church?  Was a flame placed above us (maybe behind us)?  Has your home life and the church life emerged from the flames to the internet?  Were we ever meant to be in a building?  Have we learned to be creative?  Is this our encouragement and affirmation to take it to the chat boxes, Skype, Google Classroom and ZOOM?
 
To some, this internet maybe a new language but together we are managing to conquer it.  What a resilient people we are!  Bless you and your family for hanging in there.  Creating a new way to do home, work, school and church.  We’re proud of your accomplishments!  It’s amazing what a little flame can do!
 
Our Sunday School lesson this week is about Pentecost.  We have flaming experiments (literally), fiery snacks, videos that will ignite learning, and red-hot crafts for your family.  What a great way to experience the holy spirit with your children, grandchildren and the greater community!  We’re praying for you and we know you’ve got this!

​Did you know that the bible has seven prophetesses?  According to Jewish tradition, Deborah, was one of "seven prophetesses" in the scriptures, with Sarah, Miriam, Hannah, Abigail and Esther. Historians say that Deborah was a judge for 40 years.  She helped lead a victory over the Canaanites. Her story can be found in the Book of Judges. Deborah gave her judgements under a palm tree and Psalms 92:7 says that “good people will flourish like a palm tree. Not like grass, as the wicked, which is weak and tender, and soon cut down; but like palm trees, that are firm and strong.”  Deborah, too, was a strong leader.
 
Have you ever read about the “Deborah Anointing?”  It offers blessings for females that although they may have been trapped in tradition and locked into captivity by cultural and gender prejudices, God is there to support them in breaking the cycle! God’s desire is for them to break through these barriers.  In biblical times, and today, God calls women to a purpose greater than themselves.

What a special and amazing message and gift to our girls!
 
This week’s Sunday School lesson is about Deborah.  We have many crafts and activities for the children.  One of the crafts teaches you how to make palm trees from all of our COVID paper towel tubes!  Another is to make a succulent planter from a date palm pod! Check out our KIDS website for more videos, crafts, snacks (date smoothies/date bars/bacon wrapped dates) and activities.

Jeremiah was one of the younger prophets.  He was hesitant to preach to the public because he began his ministry at the age of 17.  He was known as the “weeping prophet” because he pleaded with the Babylonians to not worship false gods and to be proactive about social justice issues.  Historians say that he wrote Lamentations.  One of the verses from his writings begins with “For I know the plans I have for you…”  This is a wonderful verse for our graduates!  Knowing that God has an amazing plan for us is pretty exciting!  But as we graduate, wouldn’t we love to have the cliff-notes!  Who wouldn’t want to have a glimpse of how our own story is going to unfold ahead of time.  We do know that if we hold on to faith and walk by His word, things will work out.  But these “plans” do not guarantee that the road won’t have bumps.
 
In another verse, Jeremiah visits the potter and we are reminded of a verse from the book of Isaiah that talks about clay.  “He is the potter and we are the clay.”  I am not sure if being clay is a good thing.  Clay is pretty ridged.  It isn’t as malleable as say playdough.  It takes some strength and patience to reshape the clay.  Shaping it is a long and hard process.  Sometimes the clay doesn’t have enough water and changing its shape is almost impossible.  It’s as if the clay is saying, “Enough, I’m tired of this process of being reshaped and remolded!”

Do you ever feel like that?  Trials come to reshape us (like this pandemic).  We resist, shift and then little by little begin to take on a new shape, sometimes with a smile and other times with sigh.  Our faith gets stretched and tested. But in all the stretching, pulling and shaping we can let ourselves be changed into a vessel that can be used for His glory.  We know that our journey will lead us to some “Y’s” in the road but we also know that the path will be “hope-filled” if we walk it with Christ!

This week’s Sunday School lesson is about the prophet Jeremiah. We have videos, crafts, snacks and games for you to share with your family. Some of the lessons suggest that you use clay but we have salt dough alternatives (simple ingredients in your home and much easier to mold)!