F
aith amily un
Memory Verse:
M a tthe w 28: 20 “I am w it h y o u a lw a y s. ”
Work w it h yo ur little o ne( s ) to m e m o ri z e Ma tthew 28:2 0 t h i s m o n t h . E n c o u r a g e t h e m t o begin r eco gnizing ho w Go d i s m o re p o w e rf ul t h a n o u r f e a r s a n d h o w H e is w it h us always. A s Oc to b e r ro l l s aro und , w i tc he s , g h o s t s , a n d s k e l e t o n s d a n gle from tr ees a nd dec o rate l aw ns thro ugho ut the c o m m u n i t y . “ Bo o !” sh o ut s H allo ween. Seco nd o nl y to C hri s tm as i n o ur c u l t u r e , H a l l o w e e n i s w i d e l y c e leb rat ed with festive parti e s , c o s tum e s , and s p o o k y s t o r i e s . W h e t h e r y o u r f a mily em br aces these fes ti vi ti e s o r c ho o s e s to o p t o u t , i t i s g o o d t o r e m e m b e r t h a t Jesu s do es no t hide be hi nd H i s thro ne o n H al l o w e e n . T h e h y p e s u r r o u n d i n g t h is holiday can be a gr ea t o p p o rtuni ty f o r yo u to s p ea k t h e t r u t h o f Je s u s ’ s p ower over fea r to yo ur c hi l d re n.
Read aloud: I t’ s okay t o get a little spo o k e d . Eve n I d o s o m e ti m e s ! Ou r t i m i d g h o s t s a r e f u n a n d silly, but we might se e o r he ar thi ngs that are no t s o s i l l y a n d c a n m a k e u s a f r aid . A lo t o f things ar o und us c an c aus e us to b e af r a i d , b u t Je s u s t e l l s u s t h a t w e don’t h a ve to stay scare d b e c aus e H e has ri s e n f ro m t h e g r a v e a n d i s w i t h u s alw ay s.
a n d r a n t o t e ll H is d isci pl e s . S udde nl y, Je s us me t the m. “Gr e e ti ng s , ” He s a i d. Th e y c a me t o H im, h u g g e d Hi s fe e t, a nd w or s hi pe d Hi m. The n, Je s us s a i d to t h e m, “ D O N O T B E A F R AID . Go a nd te l l my br othe r s to g o to Ga l i l e e ; the r e the y w ill s e e me . ” N e x t , J es us tol d a l l of Hi s di s ci pl e s to g o out a nd te l l e v e r yone w h a t t h e y h a d s e e n and tha t Je s us ha d r i s e n fr om the de a d. He tol d the m not t o b e A FRA I D b e c a u s e He w oul d be w i th the m for e v e r a nd e v e r ” ( s tor y fr om M a t t h e w 2 8 : 1 -2 0 ) .
Did You Hear? W h a t m a d e M a r y M a g da lene a nd t he ot her Ma ry a f ra id? Do you remember? ( Th e y w e r e f r ig h t e n e d by the a ng e l a nd di dn’ t know w he r e Je s us ’ body w a s ! ) W h y d i d t h e a n g e l t e l l t hem not t o be a fra id? ( B e c a u s e J e s u s h a d r i s e n! ) W h a t d i d t h e a n g e l t e ll t hem t o do next ? ( Ru n t o t e ll t h e o t h e r s .) W h o d i d t h e y m e e t o n t heir wa y?
Do y ou wa nt to hea r a s to ry f ro m the B i b l e ab o ut J e s u s ’ f r i e n d s b e c o m i n g afraid ? Let’s see wha t J e s us d o e s to c o m f o rt H i s f ri e n d s . K e e p a g o o d list en in g ea r fo r ev er y ti m e yo u he ar the w o rd “ a f r a id ” i n t h e s t o r y .
( J e s u s !) W h a t d i d Je s u s t e l l t h em? ( N o t b e a f r a id b e c a u s e He w oul d a l w a ys be w i th the m.)
“A f t er Je sus’s d eath, Mary Ma gda l ene a nd the other M a r y w e n t t o lo o k a t t h e t omb wh e re He lay.
T h i s s t o r y h a p p e n e d a long, long t ime a go, but guess wha t ?! J esus is st ill a live t o d a y , a n d H i s s p i r i t i s wit h us when we a re a fra id.
A l l of a su d d en, there wa s a v i ol ent ea rthqua k e, a nd t h e g r o u n d s h o o k. A n an g el o f t he Lord c ame d ow n f rom hea v en a nd rol l ed b a c k t h e s t o n e c o v e r in g t he t o mb and sat on it. Hi s a ppea ra nce w a s l i k e l i gh t n in g , a n d h is c lo t h e s we re wh i t e as snow.
D o y o u r e m e m b e r y o u r memory verse, Ma tthe w 2 8 :2 0? Let ’s sing t his f un song t o g e t h e r t o h e l p u s t o remember it (sing t o t he t une of “ T he I t sy B it sy Spider” )
T he gu ards were so AFR AI D of hi m tha t they s hook a n d b e c a me f r o z e n wi th f e ar.
M y G o d is w it h me a lw a ys . He ’ s w i th me e v e r y da y. M y G o d is w it h me a lw a ys . He ca s ts my fe a r s a w a y. M y G o d is w it h me a lw a ys . Hi s pr omi s e s do s a y. M y G o d is w it h me a lw a ys . He ’ s w i th me e v e r y da y.
T he an ge l s aid to the wo m en, “ DO NO T B E AF R AI D , f o r I kn o w t h a t y o u a r e l oo k i n g fo r Jesus, who ha s di ed. He i s not here; He h a s r is e n , ju s t a s H e s a id t hat He would . Com e and s ee the pl a ce w here He l a y . Th e n g o q u ic kly a n d t e l l His disc ip les: ‘H e has ri s en f rom the dea d a nd i s g o in g a h e a d o f y o u in t o G a l il ee. T here you will se e Hi m . ’ Now I ha v e tol d you . ” S o, t h e wo men hur ried a w a y f rom the tom b, AF R AI D y e t f ille d w it h jo y ,
L e t ’ s p r a y t o g e t h e r t o tha nk Je s us for Hi s pr omi s e .
D e a r Je s u s , t h a n k y ou f or giving us t his st ory a nd t ea ching us a bout Your p r o m i s e t o c a s t o u r fea rs a wa y. We love You! I n J esus’s na me w e p r a y . A m en