Kids Ministry Coffee Break 96: We're taking a small break from this effort to launch a new project we hope you find useful: Bible Verse of the Day Podcast (found everywhere you find this one)

https://anchor.fm/10-bible-verses

We thank you for your continued support. Check out our new podcast and let us know what you think about all of it.

https://kids-bible-lessons.org/

I pray you have been reflecting upon the passage from John. This is the first of seven “I am” statements from Jesus from our fourth Gospel. Time and again our fourth Gospel we call John reminds us about the “signs” of Jesus. Not miracles…but signs. Miracles are some act or circumstances that operate outside of what is normally possible. Jesus is the bread of life Sunday School lesson. It exists not for itself, but for the thing it points to. Jesus does eight signs in John. Jesus gives seven “I am” statements which point to his identity. The sign isn’t about the sign itself, but something about Jesus that it points to. So often Jesus has to go ahead and tell us what it is…BUT, by the end of the writing, you come across the 8th sign and it isn’t even labeled as a sign. We’re supposed to just see it. Anyway, our passage is the first saying after one of the signs of Jesus—the feeding of the 5,000 (the only miracle/sign found in all 4 Gospels) People follow Jesus seeking more bread, but it’s really about more than the bread even for them. They want to know WHO and WHAT he is. They are hoping he is the great promised anointed king. Our word for this is Messiah which is translated Christ in Greek. Jesus IS a king, but not the kind of king they are looking for. They are so sure of what they are looking for that they miss seeing it when it stands in front of them because they had different expectations which blind them from seeing the real deal in Jesus. But Jesus spells it out anyway. I am the bread of life — that which comes from God to give life to the world. Whoever comes to Jesus will no longer be hungry, but don’t come to him seeking bread. Jesus is so funny. I am the bread, but not the bread you seek, but…actually…the bread you do seek just not in the way you are seeking or expecting it. ________________ Why do you follow Jesus, friend? Why do you minister? What do you hope to gain from it all? It’s okay to gain from it. You hopefully gain a paycheck. You gain satisfaction and fulfillment. You gain the contentment and joy of living a life in service for Jesus. Keep going though: what else do you gain? I learn SO much from ministry. I have a deep and seemingly unquenchable desire to learn and grow and discover what this whole life is about. It’s not about one particular result or thing. The whole process is a part of what it offers. These people following Jesus are so focused on their own stuff that they miss what is right in front of them. The truth is, they’ll need to follow him for a while before they start to understand what and who he really is. They will need to follow him for a while before they are able to let go of their own preconceived notions and expectations. It’s only after a while that we start to catch a glimpse of something beyond our wildest imaginations. I think that’s why we get a lifetime of faith—because it takes a while. If those people hadn’t been so blinded and in such a hurry that day, they might have been able to actually hear what Jesus said. They might have been able to actually understand enough to follow and see what came next.  . May we slow down and look enough to begin to understand…to follow…and be eager to see just what happens next in this beautiful life of faith and service to Jesus Christ. Message brought to you by Rev. Joseph Sanford of Sanford Curriculum (Student ministry resources available on The Sunday School Store written by he and Lauren Sanford). Music by The Muse Maker

John 6:25-35 REFLECTION - "I am the bread of life" Kids Ministry Coffee Break 95: Jesus is what we seek, but also not what we think we are seeking; He's so much more. Be open to being led to/by Him.

John 6:25-35 READING Kids Ministry Coffee Break 94: Jesus tells the people he is "the bread of life" and that this bread is not like other bread, it will not cease to offer sustenance.

When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us, then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” Then Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Message brought to you by Rev. Joseph Sanford of Sanford Curriculum (Student ministry resources available on The Sunday School Store written by he and Lauren Sanford).

Music by The Muse Maker

Luke 21:5-19 REFLECTION "All Will Be Thrown Down" Kids Ministry Coffee Break 93: All things are temporary, but we get caught up treating our traditions as eternal. Let's revisit why we do what we do.

Message brought to you by Rev. Joseph Sanford of Sanford Curriculum (Student ministry resources available on The Sunday School Store written by he and Lauren Sanford).

Music by The Muse Maker

https://www.reddit.com/r/10bibleverses/

Luke 21:5-19 READING Kids Ministry Coffee Break 92: Jesus foretells of the destruction of the Temple along with the difficult days ahead for people who follow in his way of peace and justice for God.

When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”

They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray, for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them.

“When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified, for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes and in various places famines and plagues, and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.

“But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance, for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and siblings, by relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.

Message brought to you by Rev. Joseph Sanford of Sanford Curriculum (Student ministry resources available on The Sunday School Store written by he and Lauren Sanford). https://10bibleverses.com/?s=luke

Music by The Muse Maker

Genesis 31:22-31 REFLECTION (part 2) - "We Are Israel" Kids Ministry Coffee Break 91: We are the people who 'struggle with God,' and this is a good thing! Struggling means we are growing.

Message brought to you by Rev. Joseph Sanford of Sanford Curriculum (Student ministry resources available on The Sunday School Store written by he and Lauren Sanford).

https://youthgroupministry.com/

Music by The Muse Maker

https://www.reddit.com/r/10bibleverses/

Genesis 31 REFLECTION "What is your name?" Kids Ministry Coffee Break 90: We are made to be who we are, but we spend so much time trying to be something/someone else. Let's be ourselves & engage God.

Jacob wrestles God: what a story!

I often jokingly refer to Jacob as my spirit animal due to this exact story.

He wrestles a man…who turns out to be God.

He beats God in a wrestling match.

The sun is about to rise meaning Jacob is about to gaze fully upon God’s face which is a threat to Jacob—he could die.

God demands to be let go…but Jacob will not until he is blessed.

Jacob DEMANDS blessing from God…and gets it.

That’s not the part I identify with, but it’s a great part in the story.

The part I identify with is when God asks, “What is your name?”

This isn’t the first time Jacob’s identity has been requested of him. At the beginning of his story he is standing before his dad, Isaac, trying to steal his brother’s blessing—Esau was the firstborn and so the birthright belonged to him even though Jacob was his twin.

Isaac can’t see and asks who is standing before him.

“It’s Esau,” Jacob says.

Jacob means “swindler” or, literally, “Heal-grabber”

He swindles his brother’s birthright from his father with a lie.

He then flees and spends years outside of the land away from all he’s ever known.

But then it’s time to come back.

He arrives across the border to his homeland and sends all of his belongings and family across first as a sign of peace to his brother.

He’s alone…and he wrestles God…and he is asked again, “What is your name?”

Jacob, for the first time in the story, doesn’t try to swindle.

He says, “Jacob.”

He then gets a new name, Israel, and receives a blessing.

He also gets a limp, because an encounter with God will always change things in your life.

God had made the divine presence known when Jacob had initially set out on the run.

He saw the stairway at Bethel and knew God was in that place.

But he didn’t engage this God in any way.

He left.

It’s as if God was waiting for him to engage.

It’s as if God was waiting for him to stop trying to swindle or be someone who he is not.

At Peniel Jacob is finally ready to be who he is…and he gives his name.

It’s then that God blesses him and the promise given to Jacob’s grandfather long ago can now proceed.

God needed Jacob to be who he was to then be able to engage God and walk the path prepared for him.

___________

There are many days, especially as a minister, where we are so busy trying to be someone else that we forget to be who we are.

You may see another minister or leader and try to emulate them.

You try to achieve what they have done…

you try to mirror their actions…

become what they are…

And, so often, God is there waiting for us to give up this kind of pursuit…because we were made to be who we are…not someone else.

We can only truly engage God in the path of our lives and journey of our faith when we’re ready to stop trying to be anyone else but who God made us to be.

So…my friends… “What’s your name?”

Are you ready to be free of all the “stuff” you have accumulated to show your success and status?

Are you ready to engage God?

Are you ready to be you?

Because God made you YOU…and called YOU to be in ministry for Jesus Christ.

Trust God’s leading.

Trust you are everything you need to be for the calling God has for you today.

And be blessed, my friends!

Message brought to you by Rev. Joseph Sanford of Sanford Curriculum (Student ministry resources available on The Sunday School Store written by he and Lauren Sanford).

Music by The Muse Maker

https://10bibleverses.com/?s=genesis

Genesis 31:22-31 READING Kids Ministry Coffee Break 89: We read the story of Jacob wrestling with God. Where is the Spirit leading you through hearing and reflecting upon this passage?

The same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then the man said, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, yet my life is preserved.” The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.

Message brought to you by Rev. Joseph Sanford of Sanford Curriculum (Student ministry resources available on The Sunday School Store written by he and Lauren Sanford).

Music by The Muse Maker

Genesis 37:2b-8 REFLECTION - "What kind of dream is this?" Kids Ministry Coffee Break 88: We can learn a great deal from Joseph; in this particular passage, it's to be more tactful with people.

Oh, Joseph… The last stories of Genesis feature Joseph and the process by which Israel ended up in Egypt to prepare the main scene and the main story of the Hebrew Scriptures—the Exodus In the story of Joseph we have a slew of events with a myriad of emotions and decisions that we can uplift as an example of both great and terrible decisions. Today’s is not a great decision. Joseph has a dream — now…the first dream makes it clear that Joseph thinks more highly of himself. If we just jump into this story for what it features and presents without questioning it or comparing it to our own theology…then we take dreams as a way God communicates and reveals things to us. God’s dream for Joseph is him standing over his brothers. This doesn’t sit well with the brothers—go figure! So then Joseph has another dream which is only going to aggravate his brothers further…and HE TELLS THEM! It’s no wonder they hated Joseph. It’s no wonder their anger was stoked to the point where they did some terrible things to him  Yes! And God gives us vision about what the ministry can do or become. God might even give you a grand vision of the fruit…whether it’s more students participating or their faith discovering a new level of understanding or commitment…or maybe that the people of your church will start to take the ministry you do and the students for whom you do it more seriously. Good dreams, for sure. God gives us grand visions. The Holy Spirit stirs our hearts to be passionate and take wonderful risks for our faith and programming. Jesus leads us through the Spirit as well as our Scripture and Word. Sometimes…many times, if we’re honest, we come to learn things that others around us may not understand. I mean, if you are investing so much time and energy into learning and growing in your faith…or in getting an education about ministry, the church, and the Bible…then you are going to know some stuff. You’ll also realize that other people—adults, leaders, colleagues, etc.—don’t know some stuff that maybe they really should know, right? It happens. There are times that we realize what we’re seeing or hearing is just not right. So…the temptation is to just blurt it out and let people know where they’re getting it wrong. Does this ever go well? If you present a vision for the ministry that you KNOW is the right step, but people don’t quite get what you’re trying to do or say…or they get it but don’t agree for whatever reason…we have a choice. We can just assert ourselves and speak the truth with no tact… or we can exercise tact and speak the truth gently in ways people can start to buy-in and understand. Or maybe we present our idea very invitational-ly rather than, “This is how it needs to be done” kind of way. What if Joseph had been a bit wiser and more mature with his presentation of his dreams? What if his goal was to involve his brothers in God’s plan in a way that didn’t make him look like an arrogant jerk? This is a great story with some great lessons. When we have a dream for the Kingdom which involves our ministry, ask yourself from the perspective of others, “What kind of dream is this?” Is it a dream that is an invitation? Is it a dream that is a demand? Is it YOUR dream…or will you find a way to make it OUR dream? God gave us brains for a reason. Jesus instructed us to be shrewd and innocent all at once. Let’s learn from Joseph about how NOT to do it… and let’s continue to reflect and pray for the days ahead and all of the beautiful dreams that God is going to bring to fruition in and through your work as a minister for Jesus Christ. Message brought to you by Rev. Joseph Sanford of Sanford Curriculum (Student ministry resources available on The Sunday School Store. https://youthgroupministry.com/youth-group-lessons/

Genesis 37:2b-8 READING Kids Ministry Coffee Break 87: We turn to the story of Joseph to learn and grow through the story of his decisions, emotions, and adventures.

Joseph, being seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers; he was a helper to the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives, and Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children because he was the son of his old age, and he made him an ornamented robe., But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.

Once Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. He said to them, “Listen to this dream that I dreamed. There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright; then your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Are you indeed to have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more because of his dreams and his words.

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