Sunday School Craft - House Built on the Rock vs. House Built on the Sand

This one is straight-forward. I found this picture in a Google search and added Matthew 7:24, 26 to the top.

You need: Cardstock, cotton balls, glue sticks, crayons, and glitter pens/ jewel stickers (optional)

Glue the cotton balls onto the clouds. Use the glitter pens and jewel stickers to make the rain. The kids can color the houses. And you're done! Easy!

Template:

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Embroidered T-Shirt. . .My Identity

We talk a lot about our identity at my church.

Today's sermon was about how we tend to forget who we are and how we need to remind ourselves constantly that we have been called to be sons and daughters of God.

That made me think back to a devotional I heard in college where the devotion leader read us Colossians 3:1-4 

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."

She then showed us a little piece of paper that said "my life" on it and then folded it up. She pulled out another slightly larger piece of paper that said "Christ" on it and wrapped that around the first piece. Then, she pulled out a bigger piece of paper that had "God" written on it and folded that around the first two. She told us, "You need to remember that you aren't just covered once, but God has you hidden in Christ." 

I've sat through hundreds of devotionals, but I've never forgotten that one. It's only really started to make sense to me since all this talk about identity.

My identity is in God, but more than that, it's hidden in Christ. My life is hidden so that the enemy can't find it, and Christ and I are both in God so the enemy can't even come close to it. That means that I don't have to live for the things of this world that will eventually fall apart and/or be forgotten. I am dead to this world and am alive in Christ who is eternal. I need to remember who I am and who I have been set apart to be. My life is hidden with Christ in God, and I have the promise that when Christ comes back, I will appear with Him in glory.

In the meantime, I thought about this embroidery as an interesting illustration of this whole concept.

(I wish it were a little bigger, but my machine only does 4"x4".)

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Sunday School Craft - Easter: Resurrection Sunday - Empty Tomb with Angel

This is a good one for Easter.

Like most of my crafts, I compiled it from several Pinterest and Google sources.

You need: paper plates, cardstock, scissors, brad fasteners, glue, crayons, a hole punch, and a stapler.

First, cut the plates in half.

In half of the "halves" cut a little tomb entry. (I used the curvature of the plate as a guide.)

Then, punch holes in the plate and one of the "stones" so that they match up.

Then, staple a "tomb entry" half and a regular half plate together.

Then, fasten a stone to the tomb entry with a brad fastener.

Then, glue the bottom part of an angel like the example below.

Sorry it's sideways. But stick the angel on as though he is sitting on top of the stone when the tomb is closed.

This is what it looks like when the tomb is closed. Scroll back to the top to see when the tomb is open. (I colored the inside yellow for effect, but you can have your kids color all the pieces before you put it together for them.)

The templates:

Sunday School Craft - Coin in Fish's Mouth

 Today, we are going to make this "Coin in Fish's Mouth" craft. Who's excited?

I found this little fishy on a Google search for "fish coloring page." I added the verse Matthew 17:27.

You need: cardstock, (scrap paper--optional), crayons, glue, silver coins, (and tissue paper--optional)

So, basically, what you do is print out the fish picture (last picture in this post), and then cut a slit along the bottom lip of the fish with an Exact-o-Knife. (Do this part before-hand if your children are too young to use a knife...which, I'm guessing they probably will be.)

Then, with a blank piece of cardstock (or a piece of scrap paper, like I have below), glue the way I have below: One line of glue down the left-hand side; one line of glue along the bottom, and then quite a bit of glue on the top and right-hand side. If you can't see, click on the picture to make it bigger.

Then, stick the picture on top and press the two sheets together.

You can either have the kids color them with crayons, or you can cut pieces of tissue paper and glue those on like scales. Then, slip a coin into your fish's mouth. The plastic coins we had on-hand from a prior craft, but you could also use those chocolate coins that are wrapped in tin foil. The verse does specifically say "silver coin," and most of those chocolate ones are wrapped in gold paper. If you are a stickler like me, I would unwrap each one, turn the foil inside out, and re-wrap them!

...But that's just me!

Have fun!

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Sunday School Craft - Jesus Walks on Water

For this craft you will need: cardstock, crayons, scissors, cello bags (or any clear/lightly tinted plastic), and a stapler.

This is what I did. I had cello loot bags. You may use whatever you have as long as it's clear-ish. Tinted cello tissue paper or even plastic wrap might work.

First, I cut the words off the bags.

Then, I opened the bag out.

Then, I slid the disciple boat picture into the crease.

Then, I folded up the plastic. (Notice that the plastic only goes up to about the top of the boat.)

Then, I stapled the plastic in place on both sides.

Then, I cut out a Jesus figure and put him into the plastic.

And there you have it. And you can make him walk on the water to the disciples!

Ta-da!

Here are the templates I made by modifying a Pinterest coloring page and adding a verse in the cloud.

I was able to fit four Jesus-es onto this page to save paper.

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Sunday School Craft - Jesus Carpenter Hammer

So, I make the lesson plans for all the little kids at church that are under four years old. They are split into two main rooms and usually their books coincide with the DVDs that we have, but this week, half of them are learning about Jesus being raised by a carpenter and the other half is learning about Jesus being left in the temple as a twelve-year-old. I decided to combine both lessons with this craft: A hammer (denoting the carpentry aspect...which...yes, I realize that Joseph was probably more of a mason than a modern day woodworking carpenter, but...it's gonna be okay. They can learn the more historically accurate aspects of Jesus' life when they get older.) with Luke 2:49 on the handle. Luke 2:49 is the verse where Jesus says, "Why were your looking for me? Didn't you realize I'd be here doing my Father's business?" 

For this craft, I just found a graphic of a hammer, turned it vertically, mirror reflected it and added a verse to the handle. 

For this craft you will need:

Cardstock, tongue depressors (optional), glue, and crayons.

Just cut around the hammers, glue a tongue depressor in the middle, and then glue the other side of the hamer on top. Color before or after. Done!

So...it's definitely irony that will be lost on the little ones, but hopefully someone will make the connection that Jesus had an earthly father and a Heavenly Father, and while carpentry is one father's business, things of God are the other Father's. Maybe it's too deep, but...it's what we're going with, people! If I wanted to get really deep, I could incorporate three nails...yeah...no. Feel free to use it if you need it!

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Jesus Messiah - A Christmas Song to the Tune of "Ave Maria" by Bach

I made this video as a digital Christmas card on Facebook and forgot to put it here as well. 

Better late than never, and the theme is always relevant: God's Love story (aka. the Bible) is about the person of Jesus Christ.

Arrangement used by benevolent permission from GIA Music.

Background track used with benevolent permission by ChoirParts.

Lyrics and Vocals by Jessica Jones.