This weekend we helped the children recognize and give thanks for God’s miraculous goodness.

Did you do or get what you were expecting today? Or did something unexpected happen? All of us have expectations. Sometimes our expectations are not met and we are disappointed. Sometimes our expectations are met and we are satisfied. And at other times, our expectations are exceeded and we are delighted, overwhelmed.

This weekend the Bible lesson was about a lame man whose expectation was exceeded. The lame man, who was totally at the mercy of others, had to be carried into the Temple. He also depended on others for alms. So upon the arrival of Peter and John, the lame man did nothing out of the ordinary. He simply asked them for money in hopes that they would meet his expectation: “And [the lame man] fixed his attention on them (Peter and John), expecting to receive something from them” (Acts 3:5). But the lame man’s expectation was exceeded by a long shot. The lame man was healed, which was far better than silver or gold. The man’s response was a dance of praise.

Your children may want to know exactly how Jesus and the early disciples were able to heal people. Do not feel that you must have an answer for all questions. Our purpose in teaching the miracle stories is not to explain how the miracle happened, but to help the children focus on why the miracle happened. The miracle of Jesus and his disciples occurred to show people the healing power of God. Even in our scientific world, there is still room for the mystery of God’s healing power.

Another important aspect of the lesson is that Peter and John simply gave what they had. The lame man asked for money, and Peter responded, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk” (Acts 3:6). In the ancient world, one’s name carried the power and authority of the person. To heal in the name of Jesus was to acknowledge that the healing power came from Jesus and, ultimately, from God.

As you interact with your children this week, you are also offering what you have. The children may not be physically ill, as the lame man, but even though they have lived only a few short years, they have expectations. How can you meet and exceed your children’s expectations? By doing what Peter and John did. Peter and John gave what they had, and so can you. What did these apostles have? They had a connection to God. As you pray for God’s guidance as a parent, God will provide the wisdom and direction you need. Just stay connected to God, and God has a way when you least expect it to do exceedingly, abundantly beyond all you can ask or think.

I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. Psalm 9:1

This weekend the children learned the biblical account of the healing of the ten lepers. We also helped the children recognize the need for giving thanks and we taught them to give thanks for all God’s blessings.

The lesson this weekend was about the one man who gave thanks for Jesus healing him of leprosy. Leprosy is a term for a variety of skin conditions which may or may not be serious. Persons who had leprosy were considered “unclean” because they may have been contagious. Some lepers were required to live away from other people. They often lived in groups outside populated areas where they would beg for money.

On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus encountered a group of ten lepers who asked for mercy. Jesus sent the lepers to the priests because the priests were responsible for monitoring and certifying anyone who suffered from leprosy as “clean” (Leviticus 13:45-46). While on their way, all ten were cured. One man returned to Jesus. With enormous gratitude, the man shouted his thanks and bowed down before Jesus. The man who returned was a Samaritan. That he alone should return is striking since Jews did not associate with Samaritans or expect pious or humanitarian behavior from them. (A similar surprise is found in Jesus’ parable of the good Samaritan—Luke 10:29-37).

The Bible lesson this weekend is as much about gratitude as it is about healing. Have you ever wondered why only one man returned to tell Jesus thank you? Perhaps the other nine were too focused on being back in the mainstream of society again. Maybe they were focused on confirming their healing with the priest. Whatever they were focused on did not leave room for them to return and say, “Thank you, Jesus.” The one who showed gratitude may have been focused on all these things too. And after focusing on them thought, I could not do any of these things, return to society; live a normal, healthy life had it not been for Jesus. Jesus is the source of my healing. And with those thoughts, this former leper was compelled to return and offer gratitude to Jesus.

As a parent you may be dealing with the fact that your child may be dealing with a family member’s serious illness and may be concerned or angry that God has not cured that person. Remind the children that God does not cause people to be sick. Nor does God withhold healing because of anything that person has done. Ask others for help if you are unsure how to answer any questions or if you are unsure of a child’s situation.

This week as you interact with your children, remember your source Jesus. Offer a prayer of gratitude to God for all the blessings that God has given you, and encourage your children to do the same.

“I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds”. Psalm 9:1

This weekend we taught the children the biblical account of the Hebrew people’s escape from Egypt and Miriam’s song of thanks. We also gave the children opportunities to celebrate God’s power and salvation.

This weekend’s lesson tell of the Hebrews’ escape from Egypt. Pharaoh let the people go, and God led them across the desert toward the Red Sea. Egyptian military outposts marked the land of the most direct route, and Moses avoided this for obvious reasons. God protected the Hebrews, providing a cloud by day and a column of fire by night to guide them. When Pharaoh realized that he had let all of his slaves go, he decided to bring them back to Egypt. Pharaoh, who led the pursuit of the Hebrew people from his chariot, was followed by his entire army of horses, chariots, and soldiers. What a sight that must have been!

When the people of Israel saw Pharaoh’s army coming closer and closer to their camp at the Red Sea, they began to complain and say it would have been better to have remained as slaves in Egypt than to die in the desert. Moses reassured the people of God’s power and, doing as God told him, Moses stretched his hand and staff over the sea so that God’s people could escape. Once they had escaped, Moses and Miriam gave thanks to God with songs of praise. Some scholars believe that the verses were first ascribed to Miriam, and that they are among the most ancient examples of Hebrew poetry that we have. This is the same Miriam who watched her baby brother float in a basket and into the arms of Pharaoh’s daughter. Miriam is described as a prophet, which tells us that she held her own place as a leader in the spiritual lives of her people.

It is important for the children to understand that the celebration in the Bible story came from gratitude for what God has done. Celebration follows thanksgiving. As a parent, we encourage you to look for opportunities to model and teach thankfulness with your children. Show appreciation for the things they say and do and, most of all, for them as children of God.

The account of the Hebrew people’s deliverance from Pharaoh is a story of God’s care. God cared for the Hebrew people by providing the pillar of cloud by day. God cared for the Hebrew people by providing the pillar of fire by night. God cared for the Hebrew people by providing a strong east wind that turned the sea into dry ground. So Miriam’s thanks were a celebration of God’s care: “Miriam led them in singing, Sing to God—what a victory!” (Exodus 15:21, THE MESSAGE).

This week as you interact with your children, think about God’s care. How has God’s care manifested itself in your own life? What has God done for you that would cause you to burst into song and celebrate God’s power and salvation? Think on these things and give thanks to God.

I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. Psalm 9:1

This weekend we taught the kids that God is a great big God, who loves us with a great big love, and that we are part of God’s great big world. The children heard the account of Noah and the ways Noah gave thanks. We also taught the children ways to give thanks to God in their lives.

The account of Noah is one of the most popular accounts to be found in the Bible. It is filled with delightful images of animals and boats and rainbows. The background of the story, however, is one of wickedness, destruction, and heartbreak. After leaving the garden of Eden, people continued to grow apart from God. They began to depend more on themselves and less on God. The perfect world that God created was returning to a state of chaos. Instead of merely starting over with creation, God chose the best of creation and set it apart for a special purpose. The rest was to be destroyed. The account of God destroying the world can be frightening for children. Because we want children to know that God is a loving and caring God, this lesson focused on how Noah trusted God to take care of him, his family, and the animals, and then thanked God for this care.

The ark was a kind of houseboat. It was built of cypress wood and had three decks. It was very large, 450 feet long. That is longer than a football field! It was 75 feet wide and 45 feet tall. The Scriptures only mention one door and one window. The rainbow that appeared after the Flood is a sign of the covenant established between God and humankind. Aside from the Creation account, this is the first covenant in the Bible. Unlike later covenants made with Abraham and Israel, this covenant is universal in scope. Noah and his family, along with the animals of the ark, were the remnants of creation that would repopulate the entire world.

Flood stories are found in the literature of many ancient cultures. What makes this story stand out above the others is Noah’s faith and God’s promise to give humankind a second chance. Offering thanks to God was a priority for Noah. When Noah departed the ark after the Flood, perhaps he thought of building a home for his family and establishing himself in his new world. Everyone and everything had been destroyed, so he would have to start all over again. Yet his mind was on worship. Noah built an altar and offered thanks to God.

This week as you interact with your children provide them with opportunities to give thanks to God. You as a parent, think about the ways you give thanks to God. How does giving thanks make you feel? What does giving thanks do for you? Then talk to your children about it.

“I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds”. Psalm 9:1