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Jesus Was Tempted (Matthew 4; Luke 4)Unit 19, Session 4 Dear families, We’ve all felt some degree of hunger at one time or another. We may have had a long day at work with no time for lunch and come home hungry. We may have had a hard workout and found ourselves craving a largeContinue reading “July 2 & 9”

Unit 19, Session 3Jesus Was Baptized (Matthew 3; Mark 1) Dear families, What gives you hope? It seems like a simple question, and most of us who regularly attend church likely know the “right” answer to the question. However, it’s the most important question for every person who has ever lived because your answer willContinue reading “June 25”

 Jesus Was Dedicated (Matthew 2; Luke 2) Unit 19, Session 2 Dear families, As the narrative of Jesus’ early days on earth unfolded, several unique people are introduced who teach us lessons about our own journey. We find the wise men who sought Jesus with persistence, Herod whose power was threatened by this newborn King, andContinue reading “June 18”

Unit 19, Session 1Jesus Was Born (Matthew 1; Luke 2; John 1) Dear families, How many times have you read or heard the narrative of Jesus’ birth? When interacting with a familiar Bible story, it is easy to simply skim over it and assume we understand all there is to know about it. Rather thanContinue reading “June 11”

Unit Description: Jesus, the long-promised Messiah, had finally arrived, but in a rather unexpected way. From the start, though, every detail of Jesus’ life was to reveal and advance His mission of being the sacrifice for the sins of the world.  Preschool Big Picture Question: What did Jesus do to save us? Jesus died on the crossContinue reading “Unit 19:  Preparing for Ministry”

Unit 18, Session 5 We Should Be Sorry for Sin (Romans 8) Dear families, Coming face-to-face with sin in our lives often leads to one of two responses: It may lead to feelings of guilt and shame that cause us to either run and hide or to simply stop trying and give ourselves over toContinue reading “June 4”

The People Promised to Be Faithful (Nehemiah 9–10) Dear families, What comes to mind when you think about confession? Do you think of sadness? Weeping and guilt? Shame and failure? What about worship? When was the last time you came before God in true confession? What led to your admission of failure before a holyContinue reading “May 21”

Ezra Read the Law (Ezra 7–10; Nehemiah 8) Dear families, Find 1 John 1:9 in your Bible and read it slowly two or three times. Many Christians are familiar with these words; perhaps you have them memorized. We agree that God wants us to confess our sins to Him. We believe that God is faithfulContinue reading “May 14”

Nehemiah Rebuilt the Walls (Nehemiah 1–7) Dear families, Recall the last time you were faced with devastating news or found yourself filled with angst, worry, or fear. How did you respond? Anger and bitterness are common reactions to bad news. We may feel tempted to isolate ourselves from others. Grief is complex, and responses varyContinue reading “May 7”

Esther Saved Her People (Esther) Dear families, You may never have said it aloud before, but there is a good chance that you have thought it: “If I just had ________ [fill in the blank with your greatest desire], then following Jesus would be so much easier.” What is your greatest desire? For some itContinue reading “April 30”