When I was younger, I played a board game with my sister called Operation. It’s fun—but hard! There are tiny game pieces, such as a wishbone, a broken heart and a butterfly, and they are all stuck inside a patient named Sam. You play the doctor. Using a little tool, you must perform an operation on Sam, pulling all the game pieces out carefully without the buzzer going off.
It’s fun to play as a doctor, but reallife doctors must be very skilled to help heal real patients. I’ll stick to board games!
There are plenty of stories in the Bible about people who were healed, not by a doctor but by the power of God. In this issue of Just for Kids, you’ll read about a man who could not walk. With God, he was healed. He could walk and jump again! Some people didn’t understand why. It wasn’t an operation—it was a miracle. Read this week’s story to find out what happened next.
Your friend, Abby
Did You Know?
The Salvation Army has its own hospital in Toronto called the Toronto Grace Health Centre where they take care of sick patients and people in need.
Internationally, The Salvation Army has 172 hospitals and clinics in 37 different countries! They also provide training to nurses.
Find the words from the Bible story.
Then write the first nine remaining letters on the blanks to read the hidden message.
Lord helps me. I will not be afraid. What can mere human beings do to me?”
Peter and John at the Temple Acts
One day, Peter and John walked together to the temple. Outside, they saw a man who was unable to walk. The man begged them for money, but instead, Peter said to him: “I do not have silver or gold, but I have something else. In the name of Jesus Christ, walk.”
3:1-4:21
Peter helped the man stand. His feet and ankles were healed. Then, the man went with them into the temple courtyards, walking, jumping and praising God. The people in the temple saw him and were amazed. “In the name of Jesus, this man has been made strong,” said Peter.
Peter and John were so excited about God’s power, they told everyone to believe in Him and turn to God to wipe away their sins.
But this made the religious leaders of the temple angry. They arrested Peter and John and put them in jail. The next day, the rulers and elders of Jerusalem had Peter and John brought to them, and they questioned how they healed the man. “It is by the name of Jesus Christ, whom you crucified and God raised from the dead, that this man is healed,” Peter told them.
The rulers saw the courage of Peter and John, and they knew that everyone had seen the healed man. Many people praised God because of this. “What can we do?” asked the rulers. “Everybody in Jerusalem knows this miracle is true.” So, the rulers let Peter and John go.
Why is the sky blue? How do birds fly? Why does the moon appear at night and the sun appear in the daytime? What happened to all the dinosaurs?
I bet you think of new questions about the world every day. I know I do! At school, we learn the answers to a lot of our questions about earth, space, animals, science and how it all works. But what do we do when we have questions about God?
In this week’s issue of Just for Kids, you’ll meet an Ethiopian man. One day, he was reading the Bible, but he didn’t understand it. So, he asked Philip, one of Jesus’ followers, to explain it to him.
If you have questions about God, don’t be discouraged. Having questions is normal! Church is a great place to ask questions. Talk to your corps officer or youth leader and they can help you.
Your friend, Abby
Which flowers grow on faces?
What goes up when the rain comes down? Tulips (two-lips)
An umbrella
What did the big flower say to the little one?
“You’re bud!”reallygrowing,
Match each dinosaur to its shadow.
Find 5 Differences
APhilip Meets a Man from Ethiopia
n angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, one of Jesus’ followers. “Go south to the desert road,” he said. “It’s the road that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So Philip went.
On his way he met an Ethiopian official. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship God. On his way home, he was sitting in his chariot. He was reading the Book of Isaiah. Isaiah was one of God’s messengers. His book is part of the Old Testament.
The Holy Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot.” Philip went over and heard the man reading from Isaiah.
“Do you understand what you’re reading?” Philip asked.
“How can I?” the man said. “I need someone to explain it to me.” So he invited Philip to sit with him. He read Isaiah with Philip and Philip told him the good news about Jesus.
As they travelled along the road, they came to some water. The official said, “Can you baptize me?” So Philip and the official went down to the water and Philip baptized him. Then the official went on his way full of joy.
Got Questions?
Did you know that God is OK with your questions? In fact, He welcomes them. Why? Because asking questions is a great way to get to know someone. Be like the Ethiopian man from this week’s Bible story: Don’t be afraid to ask questions about God. Fill in the blanks below. Then ask your corps officer or youth leader to help you learn more.
One thing I love about God:
One
thing I don’t understand about
God:
One
thing I wish I knew
about God: Adapted from Orange 252 God
Did You Know?
Butterflies don’t taste with their mouths like humans. They taste with their feet! They have special taste sensors in their feet that help them locate food. They don’t eat like humans either. Instead of chewing, they have a straw-like tongue that helps them slurp up liquid food such as nectar.
Source: CBC Kids
Hi kids!
Did you know that a butterfly doesn’t start off as a butterfly? Every butterfly begins as a tiny egg that hatches into a caterpillar. The caterpillar grows until it is time to build a hardened shell around its body, called a chrysalis. While the caterpillar sleeps inside the chrysalis, its body changes. Finally, it breaks free as a beautiful butterfly. When people choose to become Christians, they become a new person, too. They become more like Jesus. In this issue of Just for Kids, you will read about Paul, a man who disliked Christianity until he met Jesus. Paul chose to believe in Him and it transformed his life.
Your friend, Abby
Match each butterfly to its correct shadow.
ISSUE20
Butterfly Bible Verse
Match the symbols to the words of 2 Corinthians 5:17.
Paul Becomes a Believer
Before he was a follower of Jesus, the Apostle Paul did not like Christians. He wanted them to stop telling others about Jesus. He tried to have them put in prison or even sentenced to death.
One day, as Paul was walking into a city called Damascus, a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground. He heard a voice speak to him. “Why are you opposing Me?” the voice said.
“Who are You, Lord?” Paul asked.
“I am Jesus,” He replied. “I am the one you are opposing. Now get up and go into the city. There you will be told what you must do.”
When Paul stood up and opened his eyes, he could not see. He was blind for three days, and he did not eat or drink anything. Instead, he prayed. Once Paul chose to believe in Jesus, he could see again. Then he no longer disliked Christians. He became a missionary and told many people about Jesus .
20-05/16/26
Just for Kids is a Ready to Explore resource, published weekly by The Salvation Army, Canada and Bermuda, 2 Overlea Blvd, Toronto, ON, M4H 1P4. Phone: (416) 422-6153; fax: (416) 422-6217; email: justforkids@salvationarmy.ca. Lyndon Buckingham, General; Commissioner Lee Graves, territorial commander; Geoff Moulton, editor-in-chief; Abbigail Oliver, editor; Rivonny Luchas, designer. International Headquarters, 101 Queen Victoria Street, London, England, EC4P 4EP. Subscription for one year, Canada $12 (includes GST/HST); USA $15; foreign $17. Agreement No 40064794. All Scripture references from the Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, unless otherwise stated. Illustrations: stock.Adobe.com and gettyimages.ca unless otherwise stated. ISSN 2368- 626X
What does this mean?
People who are “in Christ” are people who believe in God. They follow Him and love Him. By following God, they are forgiven of any past sin and are given a chance to be made new and beautiful, like caterpillars turned into butterflies.
Hi kids!
I have a funny story to tell you. One summer, while boating on a small lake with my family, the boat ran out of gas and the engine stopped!
At first, we were worried. We were stuck with no way to get back to the dock. Two family members had to swim to a nearby cottage and with the help of a friendly neighbour, we were up and running again! Our boat made it safely home.
In the Bible, there is a story about the Apostle Paul who was not so lucky. He was travelling around, spreading the good news about Jesus, when the boat he was on sank! Read this week’s story to find out what happened next.
Your friend, Abby
When it’s on sail
When is the best time to buy a pirate ship? What church do pirates attend?
The Salvation ARRRRmy
Find 5 Differences
T he Apostle Paul, who once hated Christians, had been arrested for being a Christian. He was put on a ship to Rome so he could be tried in court. It was late fall. Paul tried to warn the captain that it might be stormy at sea. But the captain didn’t listen. Sure enough, once they set sail, a strong wind blew up. It carried them far out to sea where they were tossed and blown for two weeks.
Hi kids!
Last summer, my friends and I made a bird house. We got some wood, popsicle sticks, cardboard and other supplies, and after a couple hours of building, we had a carefully designed home. It was spacious with two levels, a container inside to fill with yummy seeds and a perch made to look like a picnic table.
We hung it on the branch of a tree in my backyard, sprinkled bird seeds to attract potential residents and waited to see if the birds would come.
Sure enough, one by one, visitors began to arrive. We saw sparrows, chickadees, cardinals and even a blue jay. Our crafty creation was the perfect place for a bird to call home.
In the Bible, God promises that we will have a home with Him one day—in heaven! Like my friends and me creating a special place for our backyard birds, God has made a special place for us to live in heaven. It will be perfect and beautiful, and we will feel right at home there.
Keep reading this issue of Just for Kids to learn more about heaven.
Your friend, Abby
A New Heaven
IRevelation 21
n Revelation 21:3-5, which is from the very last book of the Bible, the author of the book, John, has a vision about what happens in heaven. He recalls hearing a loud voice coming from a throne in heaven.
“Look! God will now live with the people. They will be His people,” the voice said. “God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death. And there will be no more sadness. There will be no more crying or pain. Things are no longer the way they used to be.”
Then, the voice in heaven said: “I am making everything new. You can trust these words. They are true.”
Heavenly Home
Draw a picture of what you think heaven looks like.
What kind of bird works at a construction site? Why do hummingbirds hum? A crane
