4th & 5th Grade January 11, 2014

January 11, 2014

Dear Families,

We have been looking at Jesus last important words to His disciples. The disciples are confused, troubled and sad by what Jesus is saying. He has told them that He is leaving them. They have given up everything to follow this great teacher and future king. They had expected an important role in Jesus future kingdom. They had not expected that He would leave them. Jesus seeks to comfort them by telling them where He is going and He promises to send a special helper to guide them in their life.

In John 14:6 Jesus says, “I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Jesus makes it clear that if a person wants to be with God, they must follow Jesus. If a person wants to know truth about God, they must get to know Jesus and if a person wants to experience life forever with God they must believe in Jesus.

In John 14:16 Jesus says, I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever.”

Jesus clearly tell the disciples that they will not be left alone, but will have a Helper from God who will be their partner and assistance them as they live their life and continue to give the message of Jesus to the world.

These promises are for us today as well. Take some time this week to talk with your children about where Jesus is (with His Father and our Father in Heaven preparing a place for us), and if they know how to follow Him there someday (John 14:6) Ask them if they would rather have Jesus here on earth with them, like the disciples did, or if they would prefer His Holy Spirit living within them? (There is no right answer). Talk with them about how the Holy Spirit can help them today?
Things are building to the climax of John's Gospel with the trial, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Thank you for faithfully each week reviewing these lessons with your children to reinforce the great truths in God's word.

Nancy and Severn

4th & 5th Grade December 29, 2013

December 29, 2013

Dear Families,


We are coming to the end of our study in John's Gospel. Our recent lessons have focused on how Jesus strengthened the belief of His closest friends before His death, resurrection and departure from earth.

Today we looked at the following verses and what they tell us about the kind of friend Jesus is. Jesus loved us before we even knew that we could have a friendship with Him (John 3:16). He saw that the world was full of evil that separated people from God and there was no way for people to fix the problem (Romans 6:23). But God/Jesus wants to be our friend so much that He went to great lengths to fix our sin problem. His Son, Jesus, came in the flesh to show us what God is like (Matt 20:28), to fix our broken friendship and to be our constant companion and friend through our life on earth. (I Thess 5:10, Romans 8:39)

Pick one, two, or all of them to discuss with your child this week.

Next Sunday, January 5, 2014, we have a very special guest coming. Pastor Tom will share with our 4^th and 5^th graders what Jesus left for us so that we can be reminded of that friendship. Pastor Tom will explain the meaning and symbols of Jesus Last Supper with his closest friends, the disciples. You children will not want to miss this opportunity.

Happy New Year to all our wonderful Kids Zone families. We continue to pray for deep spiritual growth for us as teachers, you as parents and for each child.

Nancy and Severn

4th & 5th Grade December 21, 2013

Dear Families,

This week the class will be looking at John 13:1-17.  This portion of scripture highlights wonderfully why Jesus came into the world, to help us rather than himself.  In the passage, Jesus washes the feet of his disciples prior to the Passover feast.  Jesus was their master but he acted as their servant!  Jesus is the ultimate authority yet chose to humble himself and serve as the lowest.  After being paraded into Jerusalem as a king, Jesus serves instead of rules.  Instead of ruling he chose to die with and as a criminal for us.

We will be asking the children why Jesus did this, what it says about how he saves us and how do we try to follow his example of service.

The memory verse for this week is taken from Matthew 20:28, "the Son of Man (Jesus) came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many."  

We know that everyone is incredibly busy this week.  Hopefully you are all busy with blessed times!  We know the holidays can be a frustrating season even in the middle of celebration.  With family, work, food, gifts, decorations, travel and a million other things we hope time can still be found to talk with your children about why this week is so special.  This holiday is our remembrance that our king humbly came to serve and die for us.

We wish you all a blessed and merry Christmas!

Nancy and Severn

4th & 5th Grade December 14, 2013

December 14, 2013

Dear Families,

One of the great themes of John's Gospel is light and darkness. In today's lesson Jesus is telling His closest friends that the hour of His death and glorification is coming very soon (John 12:23). He tells them, in John 12:35-36, their time of opportunity is limited. He is the light of the world, but His public ministry is almost over. The darkness of night was coming in which evil powers would hold sway over people. The man who walks in the dark means an unbeliever who stumbles through life without knowing what life is all about and where he is headed. The disciples and anyone present had the privilege to trust in the Light (Jesus) and become sons of Light (His disciples).

There is a strong applications in this lesson for all of us. Jesus is still the Light of the world and each of us, adults and children, have the privilege, opportunity and choice to know and obey the Light we are given in God's word - the Bible, or to ignore the light we are given and instead walk in darkness. During this Christmas season, as we think about the birth of God's Son, Jesus, the Light of the Word, coming into the very dark and evil world of the first century, take time to discuss as a family what that means to you.
How does light (God's word) help us avoid danger? What does God's light reveal is in our heart? Are we drawn to His light for warmth and welcome or is it too bright? What is about darkness that we enjoy? Do we prefer to hid our sin in darkness rather than expose it to light? What dangers await for us in the dark? The choice is ours now, but there will come a day, when Jesus returns for His followers, that our opportunity to become Sons of Light will be gone.

Use the beautiful Christmas lights that decorate our homes as reminders that Jesus came at the Light of the World and wants to give light to our life.

Merry Christmas to our wonderful Kids Zone families
Nancy and Severn

4th & 5th Grade December 7, 2013

Dear Kids Zone Families,

We have been going over the I AM statements in John and seeing how Jesus proved them to be true through his miracles.  Jesus showed that he was the bread of life when he multiplied the loaves and fishes.  He illustrated that he was the light of the world when he gave a blind man sight.  This week we will look at one way in which Jesus proves he is the life and resurrection.  Jesus states that he came to give us life in the memory verse for the week:

John 10:10  "A thief comes to steal and kill and destroy; I came to give life, life in all its fullness."

The very chapter after Jesus says this, he demonstrates it is to be true in the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead.

This week, please find a few minutes to help your child with the memory verse, John 10:10.  We would absolutely love it if you could talk to your children about why you trust Jesus came to give us life!

Thank you for letting us partner with you in teaching your children about God's Word.  We hope you are all staying warm!

-Nancy and Severn