Hey-O Stories Of The Bible - Saddleback Kids

Who is the most stylish guy in the Bible's Hall of Faith? Joseph?! Find out what made Joseph so special (hint: it isn't actually his cool coat).

“And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28, NLT)

Genesis 37 

The same question gets asked in a variety of forms: Where is God when it hurts? Why do bad things happen to good people? How can a good and loving God allow suffering?

Joseph could have asked these same questions; maybe he did. Mistreated and abused by his brothers, and eventually sold into slavery by them, Joseph could have easily chosen to believe that this was all evidence that God didn’t love him or wasn’t “on his side.” Isn’t that the same place our minds are often tempted to go when we face difficulties or troubles? “God must not care about me. If He did, these things wouldn’t be happening to me.” This seems to be especially true if our troubles come about because of other people’s meanness or sin, while we were simply trying to live our lives following God.

Joseph was living a life of obedience even as a young boy. He wasn’t perfect, as evidenced by his somewhat boastful interactions with his brothers, where he relayed his dreams of ruling over them. But he definitely didn’t deserve to be thrown in a pit and then sold as a slave by his own family members! Can you imagine how he must have felt when his brothers ripped off his colorful robe? This robe represented the special bond he had with his father and his brothers, in their jealousy, destroyed it.

Have you ever seen something you treasured be ripped apart before your eyes? Maybe it was a tangible object like Joseph’s robe, or maybe it was a long-treasured dream that you saw crumble. In those moments, it’s easy to ask, “Where are you, God? Don’t you see me?”

One thing we can learn from Joseph’s life is that God never leaves us. Even when we can’t see Him or feel Him, He is there and He is working on our behalf. Joseph must have wondered what God was up to as he was being led off to Egypt as a slave, but he didn’t waiver in his trust and obedience to God.

Questions to think about:

1. How does it feel to be mistreated when you have done nothing wrong?
2. What do you learn from Joseph’s life that can help you respond to people who mistreat you or are jealous of you?
3. Do you ever struggle with envy like Joseph’s brothers did? If so, what are some healthy ways you can deal with it?

Have your parents ever told you to do something that you didn't want to do? Of course, everyone has been there. But what did you do? God told Jonah to do something that he didn't want to do, so he ran away!

Jesus And The Wise Men

Hey parents! Use these questions as a guide to talk over this week’s lesson, Jesus and the Wise Men, with your child after they’ve watched the video service!

1. What was your favorite part of the video we just watched? Do you have any questions about what you saw?
2. What did the wise men follow to find Jesus?
   A star! God put a star in the sky so the wise men could know where to go to worship Jesus.
3. How did King Herod feel when he heard about the new king’s birth?
   He was angry! He wanted to be the only king, so he tricked the wise men and tried to find out where Jesus was so he could go kill him.
4. What does it mean to worship? How did the wise men worship Jesus?
   Worship is anything we say, do, or think that brings praise and thanks to God. The wise men bowed and brought Jesus gifts to show they worshiped him as the one true King.
5. What are some ways you can worship Jesus this Christmas?
   You can sing Christmas songs about Jesus and the first Christmas to worship and praise him. You can help your family get the house ready for Christmas. As you do, you can think about why Christmas is important and say thank you to God for sending Jesus at Christmas. You can read the Christmas story and think about why it is so important, and you can bring an offering to church to worship Jesus with a gift like the wise men did. An offering is money you choose to give to Jesus by giving to the church.

Parent Devotional

Hey parents! We have something just for you to enjoy this Bible story for yourself. We encourage you to read over this devotion sometime this week as a way for you to reflect on the Bible story your child saw from Church at Home. We love you!

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Elementary Coloring Page and Activity Sheet - Christmas 

Each week we have new activity sheets and coloring pages to help your child remember the week’s Christmas lesson.

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Navigating Parenthood - Christmas 

Hey parents! Saddleback Parents has great training, tips, and tools to help you win. Check out this Two-Minute Tip all about the importance of celebrating the big and small things as you strive to bring fun into your home this season!

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So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit. Ephesians 2:19-22

Matthew 4:18-20; 16:13-19; Acts 10:34; 15:7-11

Peter began his story in the Bible as just a plain fisherman who was invited by Jesus to follow Him. When Jesus came into his life, he became a new person and everything changed for him. While he never became a perfect person, he was always the Peter that Jesus had loved from the start. Peter was called the rock that Jesus built His church on because Peter recognized who Jesus was. Although he was untrained and started out from quite an ordinary existence, people were amazed at how boldly he spoke. Even after the ascension of Jesus to heaven, it was recognized by the people hearing Peter that he must have been with Jesus from the way he spoke and carried himself. How incredible the change must have been for people who did not know him to see Jesus at work in his life? Peter was transformed and given new purpose and meaning because he now belonged to the family of God. Since he had been accepted by God, he knew that God showed no favoritism and went on to fight so that everyone would be accepted into God’s family just like he had been.

Belonging to the family of God means that we are part of a new life with God. He gives us a new reason to live, helps us become more like Jesus and gives us brothers and sisters to be in community with through it all. The life of Peter shows us how Jesus looks for real people, calls out to us, invites us into His family and believes in us even if we fail over and over again. He was full of heart and passion and God knew it. God sought Peter out exactly for who he was, not for what he had done or failed to do.

Peter was the first great voice of the gospel both during and after Pentecost. He goes on to show us how to invite others into the family of God by extending the invitation to everyone. He was called by God to minister to the people that nobody else would go to and offered them the chance to know Jesus. He fought on behalf of Gentile believers to the Jerusalem church that did not know what to do with them. He pressed on so the new believers would be granted respect and an equal place at God’s table and it was because of this fight that helped people see God’s love was truly available to everyone. What a life changing moment in the course of history that helped made it possible for all to enter into God’s family! Remember, some people want to feel they belong before they believe so allow your family to grow and you will see God shine through it.

Questions to think about:

1. Is there anyone who could use you as an advocate so they might be included in the great things God is doing?
2. Part of being in the family of God is realizing that we are all in it together. What Christian relationships exist in your life that would benefit from viewing them as family members instead of outsiders? How does this change your interactions with them?
3. Think about the people in your life. Who among them may struggle with feelings of loneliness or a lack of a caring and supportive community? These are the people you can invite into the family of God. Think of some ways to do this that focus more on loving them than trying to make them believers.

Jesus Calms the Storm

“When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Silence! Be still!’ Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm.” (Mark 4:39)

Mark 4:35-41

Jesus told us in scripture that we will face many trials in this life (John 16:33). This is a fact of life – not an “if,” but a “when.” Maybe you have not experienced trials yet or maybe you have been through more than your fair share of struggle. Whatever the case may be, God can handle it.

Jesus demonstrates His power to the disciples by effortlessly calming a raging storm after suggesting He and the disciples cross the lake in a boat. Soon after setting off on their journey, a storm, described as “fierce,” comes upon them. The boat began to fill with water and, understandably so, the disciples began to panic. They looked around for Jesus, but could not find Him. Eventually, they found Him sleeping peacefully in the back of the boat. He was unfazed by the storm because He was not afraid. The disciples began yelling, “Don’t you care that we are going to drown?” Jesus woke up and using only His voice, instructed the waves and wind to be still. Immediately, the storm subsided.

Once the storm had ended, Jesus turned to His disciples and asked, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” In the midst of a raging storm, Jesus felt peace because He knew He was stronger than the storm. He would not let it bring down the ship. Yet, the disciples let fear consume them when they faced the storm, not believing that Jesus could save them.

When trials or “storms” enter our lives, it is easy to let our fear lead us. Let this miracle be a testament to the power of Christ in our lives. By calming the dangerous storm, He showed us that He can calm any type of storm we are facing. When something scary happens, we do not have to be afraid because Jesus has proved that He is more powerful than anything we will face, including nature.

Questions to think about:

1. What storm are you facing?
2. What stands in the way of you handing over your fear to Christ?
3. Is there a time in your life when Jesus has calmed a storm you faced? Trust that He can do it again.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Genesis 1:28

Genesis 1-2

Have you ever house-sat before? Usually it includes a long list of responsibilities like checking the mail, watering the plants, rolling trashcans in and out and caring for animals while the owner is away. It is a big undertaking, but it proves how much the owners trust you if you are asked to take care of their home and everything in it while they leave. In the same way, when God created the Earth, He asked humans to take care of it. Talk about a big responsibility!

It only took God six days to create the Earth and everything in it: light, darkness, sky, land, seas, sun, moon, stars, plants, animals and finally man and woman. When He brought humans into this world, God told them that He had created this place for them! What an awesome gift! However, it was Adam and Eve’s responsibility to care for it and be good stewards of what He had entrusted them with.

This may seem like a big job for us to continue fulfilling this today, but since humans were created in the image of God, we have been given characteristics of God that naturally make us want to care for the things He cares for. When we become followers of Christ, we begin to take on many of His qualities and desires. One of these being the desire to care for the Earth. We do this in both big and small ways by throwing away our trash, not wasting food, being gentle and loving toward animals and even something as simple as watering the plants!

God put a lot of thought and care into this beautiful world He created for us and the least we can do is put the same thought and care into appreciating and maintaining it.

Questions to think about:

1. What does it mean to be created in God’s image?
2. What is something God created that makes you feel His presence and appreciate His power?
3. What is one way you can do your part to be a good steward of God’s creation?

John 6:5-13 New International Version

5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

“God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.” Exodus 2:24-25

Exodus 1-2

We all want to know how our lives are going to turn out. We want to know where to go to school, what career we’re supposed to pursue, who we’re supposed to marry, how many kids we should have… the list goes on and on. The thought of the future can be overwhelming and terrifying, because it is unknown and out of our control. This causes lots of anxiety in us because we like control. Not only do we like it, but we crave it. It makes us feel powerful and safe.

We feel like if we only knew what we were supposed to do, if we only knew what God wanted for us, we would be less anxious and more ready and willing to trust that He really does have our best interest at heart. Trusting God is already hard enough, so why does He seem to be so silent on the big life decisions we have to make? 

In Exodus 1-2 Moses’ future was at risk from the very beginning of his life. From being born an Israelite and put into a basket to save his life from Pharaoh to growing up in an Egyptian household, Moses’ life was largely unknown and out of his control; but God protected him because He had great plans for him. At the same time that Moses was growing up in scary and uncomfortable circumstances, God was working within Moses to raise Him to rescue the Israelites from their slavery. 

To the Israelites in slavery, it probably felt like God wasn’t listening to them. Nothing about their circumstances changed to show that God was even listening to their cries, and they were less in control of their future than they had ever been before, but God was in control and working for their good so that they could be freed. The same is true about our lives and current circumstances. Our futures may seem out of our hands and far from God, but the God that protected Moses and had a great future in store for him is the same God that can be trusted with our future as well. 

Questions to think about:

1. When you think about your future, do you tend to feel more anxious or at peace?
2. How do you typically respond when things in your life feel out of control?
3. Where in your life can you choose to let go and trust God more?

This story is based on Luke 7:36-50

Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman

36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat.[a] 37 When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. 38 Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.

39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!”

40 Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.”

“Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied.

41 Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver[b] to one and 50 pieces to the other. 42 But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”

43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.”

“That’s right,” Jesus said. 44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.

47 “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” 48 Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”

49 The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?”

50 And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”