Tag: Jesus
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Mustard Seeds and Matryoshka Dolls
Teaching Jesus’ parables to three and four year olds is challenging. Pre-schoolers struggle understanding abstract concepts. The figurative nature of the parables will largely pass them by because they usually think in more literal terms. This morning the class I was teaching tackled the Parable of the Mustard Seed. Jesus told a story about a…
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The Puzzling Attraction of Puzzles
Disorder and exposed edges cause us to be tense and unsettled. We fervently scan for those straight edges to establish a boundary and begin to sort things out. We aren’t satisfied until everything is in its proper place and the picture is complete. It is no wonder we say we “work” puzzles. The process doesn’t…
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What Bothers Jesus?
What bothers Jesus? His earliest disciples thought they knew. “Some people brought their children to Jesus so that he could bless them by placing his hands on them. But his disciples told the people to stop bothering him. When Jesus saw this, he became angry and said, “Let the children come to me! Don’t try…
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‘Tis the Season to Teach Infants and Toddlers
The first breath Jesus took on this earth was as a fragile newborn infant. The One who would save the world had to have his nappies/diapers changed. He learned to feed himself, crawl and walk. He experienced the human senses of taste, touch, hearing, sight and smell. “My Friend Jesus” is a series of lessons…
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Keep it Simple: Stick Figures
There is something unassuming about a simple stick figure. It is not a great work of art. It does not have moving parts nor is it usually animated. Yet, at a camp last week some student teachers used stick figures to illustrate a Bible story for kids. The kids were enthralled. Why was that? Kids…