Stories Of The Bible Junior - A Saddleback Kids Podcast

This week we are going to be learning the story of a really helpful person. Even though the Jewish people and the Samaritan people did NOT like each other, only the Samaritan man helped the Jewish man when he needed it. Find out how YOU can be a good neighbor too!

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Noah And The Flood

Hey parents! Use these questions as a guide to talk over this week’s lesson, Noah and the Flood, 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. How was Noah different from the people around him?
   Noah was the only man on Earth who still walked with God and made the right choices. All of the other people were evil and were doing things God says are wrong.
3. What were God’s instructions to Noah? Why might that have seemed strange?
   God told Noah to build a boat and put two of each animal on it. It was strange because God warned of a flood, but it had never even rained like that before! Noah had to have faith and trust God’s plan.
4. What did God promise Noah? How did he show this promise?
   God promised he would never flood the Earth again, and he put a rainbow in the sky to show his promise.
5. What are some of God’s plans for me?
   To love him forever, to love other people, and to be a part of his family.
6. Think about this part of our Bible verse: “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.” What does it mean that God directs your path?
   It means he tells us what is best and the right way to live. He does that by speaking to us through the Bible, through his helper the Holy Spirit, by talking to us through other Christians, or by talking to him in prayer.

Parent Devotional - Step Up Week 3

Hey parents! We have something just for you to enjoy this week’s Bible story for yourself. 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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Step Up Week 3: EL Coloring page and Activity Sheet

Each week we have new activity sheets and coloring pages to help your child remember the Bible story and learn more about how they can step up in faith.

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Navigating Parenthood: Step Up - Week 3

Hey parents! Saddleback Parents has great training, tips, and tools to help you win. Check out part 3 of this Two Minute Tip series all about how we can help our kids hold onto faith.

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Today's Bible Story Comes Genesis 6-8 (from Bible Gateway)

6 Then the people began to multiply on the earth, and daughters were born to them. 2 The sons of God saw the beautiful women[a] and took any they wanted as their wives. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not put up with[b] humans for such a long time, for they are only mortal flesh. In the future, their normal lifespan will be no more than 120 years.”

4 In those days, and for some time after, giant Nephilites lived on the earth, for whenever the sons of God had intercourse with women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes and famous warriors of ancient times.

5 The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. 6 So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart. 7 And the Lord said, “I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing—all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them.” 8 But Noah found favor with the Lord.

The Story of Noah

9 This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God. 10 Noah was the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11 Now God saw that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence. 12 God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt. 13 So God said to Noah, “I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth!

14 “Build a large boat[c] from cypress wood[d] and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior. 15 Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high.[e] 16 Leave an 18-inch opening[f] below the roof all the way around the boat. Put the door on the side, and build three decks inside the boat—lower, middle, and upper.

17 “Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die. 18 But I will confirm my covenant with you. So enter the boat—you and your wife and your sons and their wives. 19 Bring a pair of every kind of animal—a male and a female—into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood. 20 Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive. 21 And be sure to take on board enough food for your family and for all the animals.”

22 So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.

The Flood Covers the Earth

7 When everything was ready, the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I can see that you alone are righteous. 2 Take with you seven pairs—male and female—of each animal I have approved for eating and for sacrifice,[g] and take one pair of each of the others. 3 Also take seven pairs of every kind of bird. There must be a male and a female in each pair to ensure that all life will survive on the earth after the flood. 4 Seven days from now I will make the rains pour down on the earth. And it will rain for forty days and forty nights, until I have wiped from the earth all the living things I have created.”

5 So Noah did everything as the Lord commanded him.

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Talk It Over

The Parable Of The Lost Sheep

Hey parents! Use these questions as a guide to talk over this week’s lesson about The Parable of the Lost Sheep with your child after they’ve listened to the episode!

1. Who was today's Bible story about?
   Jesus.
2. A man had 100 sheep. What sound does a sheep make?
   Baa.
3. Uh-oh. What happened when he lost one of his sheep?
   He looked and looked all around to find it. Let’s play peek-a-boo! You can pretend to be the sheep and I’ll cover my eyes then find you. Ready? Peek-a-boo sheep!
4. How did the man feel when he finally found the lost sheep?
   He was happy! He asked everyone to come celebrate. Let’s jump and clap our hands and celebrate, too.
5. Take some time to pray with your toddler. Encourage your toddler to sit with you and fold their hands, saying something like:
   God, thank you for loving us. Thank you for making us. Thank you for wanting to be our friend. Thank you that you will take care of us. We love you! Amen!

Parent Encouragement - The Parable of the Lost Sheep

Hey parents! Here's something for you to be encouraged by and get ideas to bring this Bible story into your everyday conversation with your child at home!

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Craft – I-Spy Bag

In this craft, your toddler will make an I-Spy bag filled with hidden items from the Bible story. As they look for the items in their bag, they will be reminded that the shepherd looked for the sheep. He loved the sheep, and God loves us!

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Activity – Balloon Sheep

In this activity, your toddler will have fun as they find all of the sheep like the shepherd found his lost sheep in our Bible story. The shepherd loved his sheep, and God loves us!

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Coloring Page - The Parable of the Lost Sheep

We have a variety of coloring pages to help your child remember familiar faces from this month’s lesson!

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Navigating Parenthood: Step Up - Week 2

Hey parents! Saddleback Parents has great training, tips, and tools to help you win. Check out part 2 of this Two Minute Tip series all about how we can help our kids hold onto faith.

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What does it mean to be a good neighbor? Find out in today's episode! Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan, let's find out what that even means!

Creation

Hey parents! Use these questions as a guide to talk over this week’s lesson about Creation with your child after they’ve watched the video service!

1. What is something God made?
   Encourage your child to point to something God made, Say, “Yes, God made [name the item]. God made everything!
2. God made trees. What color are trees?
   Green
3. God made the ocean. What is something that lives in the ocean?
4. God made all the animals! Let’s fly like a bird *motion flying,* then swim like a fish *motion swimming,* and then crawl like an alligator *motion crawling.*
5. God made everyone, including you and me! God made your eyes. Can you blink your eyes? God made your nose. Can you point to your nose? God even made your toes! Can you wiggle your toes?
6. Take some time to pray with your toddler. Encourage them to sit with you and fold their hands, saying something like:
   “God, thank you for making the sun, the moon, the ocean, the animals and for making [child’s name.] You are our big and strong God! We love you! Amen.”

Activities and Resources

Parent Encouragement - Creation

Hey Parents! Here's something for you to be encouraged by and get ideas to bring this Bible story into your everyday conversation with your child at home!

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Toddler Craft – Adam Mask

This week, your child will make their own Adam mask from the Bible story called Creation. This will help remind them that God made Adam and God made them!

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Toddler Activity – Talk Like Adam

This week’s activity brings the craft to life as your toddler plays with and remembers one of the main characters from the Bible story – Adam. They will practice saying and doing things with their Adam mask to remember that God made Adam and God made them, too!

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Navigating Parenthood - Creation Week 1

Hey parents! Saddleback Parents has great training, tips, and tools to help you win. Check out this blog post all about the importance of community. We all need a place to belong, and so do our kids!

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Christmas

Hey parents! Use these questions as a guide to talk over this week’s lesson about Christmas with your child after they’ve watched the video service!

1. Who was the baby in today's Bible story?
   Jesus. Christmas is all about Jesus!
2. Jesus was born in a barn. What kind of animals do you think were in the barn with baby Jesus?
   What sounds do those animals make? Have fun making barnyard sounds with your toddler.
3. An angel told the shepherds that Jesus was born. Were the shepherds happy or sad when they heard this good news?
   They were very happy and excited! Show me your happy face.
4. What did the wise men see in the sky that helped them find Jesus?
   A star!
5. Take some time to pray with your toddler. Encourage your toddler to sit with you and fold their hands, saying something like:
   Dear God, thank you for loving me, making me, and for sending Jesus to be my friend. Thank you that we can celebrate Jesus’ birthday on Christmas! Happy birthday Jesus! Amen.

Activities and Resources

Toddler Coloring Page

We have a variety of coloring pages to help your child remember familiar faces from this month’s lesson!

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Toddler Craft – Peek-A-Boo Baby Jesus

In this craft, your toddler will make a barn from the nativity story and play Peek-A-Boo with baby Jesus! This will remind them of the Christmas story and that Jesus came to be their friend.

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Toddler Activity – I-Spy Christmas

Have fun searching for different pictures from the Christmas story with your toddler in this week’s I-Spy Christmas activity! As they find the items hidden around the room, remind them that God wants to be their friend.

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Parent Encouragement - Christmas

Hey Parents! Here's something for you to be encouraged by and get ideas to bring this Bible story into your everyday conversation with your child at home!

Download

Navigating Parenthood 

Hey parents! Saddleback Parents has great training, tips, and tools to help you win. Check out this blog post, Having Fun and Making Memories Along the Way. Christmas is a great time to start some family traditions and make memories with your kids!

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“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?

“The Lord,” David added, “who rescued me from the power of both lions and bears, will rescue me from the power of this Philistine.” 1 Samuel 17:37

Read: 1 Samuel 17:32-51a

When you learn to ride a bike or swim for the first time, it can be so scary! But practice makes perfect and it gets easier the more you do it, right? This is because you can look back and remember that you’ve done this before and things turned out okay. When you remember that things went well, it gives you confidence to try again.

David was just a young boy, probably small and skinny rather than big and strong, but even as a kid God had been protecting David and preparing him to rule as king.

As a young shepherd in the field, David had to go to extreme measures to protect his flock. When lions or bears came to attack the sheep, David used the supernatural strength God gave him to protect the sheep and fight them off. By remembering this, David had the confidence to face the Philistine army and take down the giant, Goliath.

The best way to experience the peace and confidence of David is to reflect back on the ways God has already provided for us, protected us, and loved us. When you face a challenge like David, think back to the ways God has gotten you through challenges in the past. He is always looking out for you, so you can be confident in His plan for your life!

Questions to think about:

1. What is a challenge you faced recently?
2. How did God provide for you, protect you, or show His love for you during this challenge?
3. How will you remember this in the future?

Jesus is more powerful than any storm

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.