Dear Parents, This week's Bible story, Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives when His disciples came to Him with a question. The disciples had been puzzled when Jesus told them that the temple would be destroyed. (Matt. 24:2) They asked, “What is the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matt. 24:3). Matthew 24 records Jesus’ response. He told of persecution and tribulation. The chapter ends with a parable about faithful service to Jesus. The parable of the faithful servant serves as a warning to believers, urging them to be prepared for Jesus’ return. Jesus described what the day will be like when He returns. He begins ...

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Dear Parents, This week in New Life Kids, kids will learn about the parable of the wedding feast. Jesus’ parable of the wedding feast is more than a simple story about a king’s rude guests. The parable reveals the King (God the Father) who seeks to honor His Son (Jesus) with a banquet. Though many people are invited to the kingdom of heaven, few will choose to come. When Jesus told this parable, He had been teaching for three years. Many people who heard Jesus opposed Him, including the religious leaders. It was to this audience that Jesus told such a shocking story in which the attitudes and actions of the people who rejected the king’s ...

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Dear Parents, We are finishing our 5 week series on "Jesus is Powerful". This week's Bible story, Jesus received word that His friend Lazarus was sick. Lazarus was the brother of Mary and Martha. They lived in the town of Bethany, about two miles away from Jerusalem. Mary and Martha sent a message to Jesus, likely expecting Him to come right away. Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. (John 11:5) Yet He stayed where He was, and Lazarus died. Why would Jesus do such a thing? Jesus said that Lazarus’ sickness was “for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (John 11:4). He said that He was glad He wasn’t ...

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Dear Parents, This week our students will learn about how Jesus displayed His power over evil. In the midst of His public ministry, the Jewish religious leaders began plotting to kill Jesus. (See Mark 3:6.) So one day, Jesus went to a land on the east side of the Sea of Galilee, where Gentiles lived. In that land was a man who needed help. (Note: The Gospel of Matthew describes two men.) An evil spirit was inside the man, and he suffered greatly. The people had tried to control the man by tying him up with chains, but the man broke free. So he lived alone in the tombs, crying out day and night. When Jesus stepped ashore, the man ran to Him and ...

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Dear Parents, This week's Bible story takes us to the outskirts of Jericho where a man named Bartimaeus sat by the side of the road begging. You see, Bartimaeus was blind. As Jesus traveled from Jericho, He passed Bartimaeus. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was passing by, he cried out to Him, using a messianic title: “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Socially, Bartimaeus would have been considered unimportant—certainly not important enough for the attention of someone as popular as Jesus. Perhaps Bartimaeus was used to being ignored by passersby, but Jesus stopped and reached out to him. Jesus said to Bartimaeus, “What do you want Me ...

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Dear Parents, We have been studying the life of Jesus Christ with our students this semester. Over the next five weeks, kids will discover that Jesus is powerful. This week our students will be learning about one of Jesus' miracles that was recorded in all four books of the Gospels. Miracles pointed to who Jesus was and lets pray that our students will encounter Jesus as they meet Him this week. Jesus’ disciples had been working hard, teaching people and healing them. Jesus called them to go away with Him to a place where they could rest. By now, Jesus’ popularity was so great that finding a place to be alone was difficult. When Jesus and ...

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Dear Parents, We have been studying the life of Jesus Christ with our students this semester. Over the next five weeks, kids will discover that Jesus is powerful. In today’s Bible story, Jesus showed His remarkable power over creation. After a long day of teaching, Jesus and His disciples got into a boat to cross over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. When their short sailing trip was interrupted by a violent storm, the disciples found themselves in danger with nowhere to turn, except to the One who created all things. The Sea of Galilee is actually a freshwater lake in northern Israel. It sits nearly 700 feet below sea level and is ...

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