Normal Goes A Long Way

We've reached the end of Old Testament section in The Story. We’ve seen the cycle of the story- God’s people sin, receive judgment, cry out, God saves them, and they fall back into their old patterns of sin again. Now that they've been rescued from slavery, it might seem like we'll know what happens next- God's people fall back into idolatry. But they don't. Gods people never fall back into the ha...

Today we will learn about Esther and the amazing story of how she became a queen and helped save God’s people. Parents, want to keep talking? Here are some ideas: Ask: Who was Esther (Esther was a Jewish girl who was made a queen) What hard things might you have to do? Who can help you? (ages 2-5) What do you think Esther made for the big dinner with King Xerxes and Haman? What would you have made...

Over the past few months, we've seen God come to the aid of His people over and over again. Whether through dreams or prophets, God guides the Hebrew people in times of war and times of peace. Perhaps you find it hard to relate to stories of people whom our God is constantly revealing Himself to. If so, Esther's story might be one you can identify with. And what a story it is! It's got palace intr...

Today we learned about when God’s people got to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. Parents, want to extend the discussion with your kids? Here are some discussion questions: For your kiddos ages 2-4, say: What did God’s people build? Who did God’s people promise to follow? Who do you follow? (Play follow the leader!) For your kiddos ages 5-9, say: God’s people pitched in their gold and si...

We've come to a pivotal point in "The Story." The Hebrew people have been released from the Babylonian exile and given a chance to return to their homeland and rebuild the destroyed temple in Jerusalem. Finally, the people are turning back to the God who never left them! But despite the backing of a king, the project is slow going. Both internal and external obstacles stall the rebuilding, though...

Today we will hear the incredible story of Daniel and the lion's den. Life can be scary at times, but God will always take care of us. Parents, want to keep talking? Here are some ideas: Ask: Who protected Daniel? (God sent an angel to protect Daniel). Who prayed to God? (Daniel) What can you pray about? (ages 2-4) Daniel followed God’s rules instead of the king’s and got in trouble. Have you ever...

Daniel's a guy who's got everything going for him. He's a winner in life, enjoying championship status in sports, intellectual pursuits, and the Judah Hot Dog League. All this success attracts the attention of the conquering Babylonians, and Daniel is sent into the service of their king...and gods. It's here that he really shines. With courage and an unwavering faith in the one true God, Daniel st...

Today we learned about Jeremiah, a young man who was called to share God’s message with the people. Parents, want to keep discussing today’s story? Here are some ideas: For your kiddos ages 2-4, say: God knows everything about us! He has big plans for you! What color are your eyes? God knows! He made them! How many hairs are on your head? God knows! He made you special! What job do you want to hav...

As we read through these stories of the Hebrew people ignoring God, turning to pagan idols, and worshiping a false god like Baal, it's easy to spot where these ancient people went astray. We would never worship a shiny baby cow. We wouldn't ignore a prophet with a good track record of rightly speaking God's Word. We will always follow great advice. I hope that last one is true. Scripture has some...

Today we will learn about the prophet Isaiah. God's people were not good at listening, but Isaiah faithfully reminded the people of God's love and forgiveness. Parents, want to keep talking? Here are some ideas: Isaiah gave people good messages. Create some good messages to send to friends and family in the mail. (ages 2-4) Israel and Judah followed other Gods and ignored the one true God. The sin...

Israel is a mess. We already know that, but it's going from bad to worse. Israel is divided and the northern region (also called Israel) has fallen. Southern Judah has a faithful king who puts God first, but trouble persists, and God's chosen people are in a battle for survival. In his message, Ryan Pfendler examines three themes: Identity in God: Like Israel, we are called to find our identity in...

Today we learned about prophets. They shared God’s messages and got to show off God’s power!   Parents, keep talking about this story at home by using some of these discussion starters: *(ages 2-4) How do we hear from God? We read the Bible, we learn from parents and teachers and pastors. God is so powerful! God can do anything! *(ages 5-9) Have you ever prayed for God to do something amazing...

"The Story" continues with the story of Elijah from 1 Kings 18. The prophet Elijah stood boldly against the prophets of Baal, demonstrating unwavering faith in God amidst overwhelming opposition. The Dangers of Compromise: Pastor Jim reminded us of the dangers of compromising our values, drawing parallels between King Solomon's alliances and our modern-day temptations to forsake our principles for...

Listen in as we learn about a time when God's people got in a big fight and split in two. Parents, want to keep talking? Here are some ideas: *This week's story was about good kings and bad kings. What did the bad kings do? (They didn't follow God and they didn't learn from their mistakes). What did the good kings do? (They learned from their mistakes and followed God). What mistakes have you made...

Wow, those Israelites sure know how to ruin a good thing! Their 100+ year streak of relative stability under the kings they asked for ends in (spoiler alert) a kingdom torn in two. How did things get so bad? Well, we learned last week about Solomon's gradual slide into idol worship. His reign as king that started out with so much promise ended in catastrophe for Israel when he turned on the one tr...

Today we heard about King Solomon. He became the wisest king in history, because He asked God to bless him with wisdom! Keep talking about this story at home by using some of these discussion starters: *(ages 2-4) What is a good choice? What is a poor choice? Who can help you make good choices? Pray: Dear God, please help me make good choices! *(ages 5-9) Being wise means being able to tell right...

How awesome would it be for God to grant you anything you wanted, and then give you EVEN MORE than what you asked for?  That's just the situation King Solomon finds himself in. King David has died and his son inherits the throne of a nation with the slogan "no worries" minted on their coins (figuratively speaking). It's good to be king...and good to be this king's subject. Their land is peace...

Today we will learn about a time when David made a big mistake. God demonstrated extraordinary love to David and he shares that extraordinary love with us today. Parents, want to keep talking? Here are some ideas: *When necessary this week, stop and pray with your child asking God to forgive your child when he or she has done something wrong. In appropriate ways, show your child that you also need...

When was the last time you committed adultery and arranged the killing of your mistress's spouse to conceal the affair?  I imagine the answer is "never." After reading David's story, you might be feeling pretty good about the severity of your sins. After all, you've never murdered a guy so he doesn't find out you're having a baby with his wife. Your sins are bad, but at least they're not that...

Today learned about a shepherd boy named David. God used him to do an amazing thing – defeat Goliath! Parents, keep the conversation going this week with your family! Here are some ideas: *(ages 2-4) Talk about Goliath’s enormous size! Find something that is 9 feet tall, or use a measuring tape to show how big he was. Ask, “Who was David?” “Who was Goliath?” “What did God do for David?” *(ages 5-9...

It's like David vs. Goliath. You've likely heard this metaphor used any time an underdog goes up against something (or someone) they have little chance of defeating. It's an archetype of victory against all odds. It's also a story about trusting God to see you through your battles. That part gets left out of the cultural narrative, but we're going to explore it in this week’s episode when we meet...

Today we will learn about Hannah, her son Samuel, and the power of prayer. Parents, want to keep talking? Here are some ideas: *With your child, make a simple poster about things to pray for by gluing pictures onto a piece of construction paper. In the middle, write, "God hears me when I pray." When your child wants to pray, he or she can look at the poster and pick a few things to talk to God abo...

Has there ever been a time in your life when you knew what God wanted you to do, but you did the opposite? Taking His law as a suggestion (instead of, well, law ), you went ahead and did it your way. Obedience isn't our strong suit.   God can certainly work through us when we do what is contrary to His will for our lives. But imagine how much sweeter the relationship with your Savior would be...

Today we will hear about Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz. Parents, keep talking with your kids using these prompts: *Ages 2-4: Ruth worked hard to pick up grain in the field. Have a challenge to see how fast you can pick up your toys! (or, how many sticks/rocks/leaves can you pick up in one minute) Ask, “who takes care of you?” *Ages 5-9: God took care of Ruth and Naomi even when they were going through har...

As we continue our journey through “The Story”, Pastor Jim Mueller shared insights from the Book of Ruth, highlighting the remarkable story of Ruth and Naomi and what their faith and resilience can teach us today. Ruth's unwavering faith and loyalty shows us how faith can guide us through life's darkest moments, transforming bitterness into hope. Ruth's declaration, "Your people will be my people...