Wonder with the Word

By a quiet cliffside, Jesus turns to his friends and asks a question no one had quite asked before: not what other people think of him, but what they believe in their own hearts, and when Simon answers, Jesus gives him a brand new name that will last forever. This episode invites young listeners to wonder what they believe about Jesus in their own hearts, and to imagine the new name God might have for them too. (Matthew 16:13-20)

A mother won't take no for an answer as she kneels before Jesus, begging him to heal her sick daughter. This episode invites listeners to wonder what it feels like to keep asking for what you need, and to trust that you are truly seen. (Matthew 15:21-28)

When a fierce storm rocks their little boat in the middle of the night, Jesus' friends see something impossible walking toward them across the water. This episode invites listeners to wonder what it feels like to be afraid, and what it means to reach out for help when we start to sink. (Matthew 14:22-33)

When a great crowd follows Jesus into the countryside, evening comes and there seems to be almost nothing to eat. Jesus takes a small gift of five loaves and two fish, gives thanks, and it becomes enough for everyone, with baskets of food left over. Based on Matthew 14:13–21, this episode invites children to wonder about hunger, sharing, and trusting in God's abundant care.

Lydia invites children to imagine finding something so wonderful and precious that they would give up everything else just to keep it, exploring Jesus's parables of the hidden treasure and the fine pearl from Matthew 13:44–52. Together we wonder what it feels like to discover something so good it changes everything.

Jesus tells three stories about the kingdom of heaven: a field where wheat and weeds grow up side by side, a tiny mustard seed that becomes big enough for birds to nest in, and a little yeast that quietly works through a whole batch of dough. In this episode, we wonder together about patient growth, hidden goodness, and the small ways God is at work all around us. (Matthew 13:24-43)

Jesus tells a story about a farmer who scatters seeds everywhere — even in places where they don't seem likely to grow. In this episode, based on Matthew 13:1-23, children are invited to imagine themselves as different kinds of soil and wonder what helps something good take root and grow inside them.

In this episode, Lydia guides young listeners into one of Jesus' most tender invitations: "Come to me, all you that are weary, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:25–30). Together, we use our imaginations to wonder about what it means to carry something heavy — and what it feels like when Jesus offers to walk alongside us and share the load.

In this episode, Lydia guides children through a tender and surprising teaching from Matthew 10:40–42, where Jesus tells his disciples that welcoming others — even giving a single cup of cold water to someone in need — is a way of welcoming him. Using guided imagination and open wondering questions, children are invited to discover that no act of kindness, however small, is ever overlooked.

In Matthew 10:26–33, Jesus speaks words of deep comfort to his friends, telling them not to be afraid because God knows and cares for every sparrow — and cares even more for them. Lydia guides children into the tender heart of this passage, anchoring in the image of numbered hairs and a falling sparrow, as an invitation to rest in the knowledge that they are completely and always known. A gentle episode for any child who has ever felt invisible or small.