Easter Service
Need somewhere to go this Easter Sunday? Come check out Faith Bible Chapel (where I go). They do an amazing Easter drama/message every year.
If you already attend somewhere regularly, consider going to one of the many service times offered on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. It's a great family time to really see the Easter story in action to prepare your heart for Sunday.
Hill of Calvary Class-Part 2
STATION #1
Did you know that Jesus was called the “ROCK?”
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2
Why do you think they called him the ROCK?
STATION #2
Did you know that Jesus liked to make mud pies? He did and his mud pies healed and performed miracles.
After saying this, Jesus spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. Mark 6:6-7
“The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.” Mark 6:11
STATION #3
Did you know that our faith is like a tiny seed? Jesus told a story to people about how we can grow a big faith with just a little seed of belief and trust.
Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.” Mark 4:30-32
We are planting some tiny seeds here...and in just days we will see the grass begin to grow. Isn't that amazing?
STATION #4
When you think of sin, do you think of something clean or dirty? This dirt is kind of like our sin. Because we had sin, we couldn't be with God. But when Jesus died on the cross, our sin was forgiven and we were wash cleaned.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and the cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
...But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:11
After the washing the station, they were encouraged to walk through the "temple" curtain, which was torn from top to bottom when Jesus died on the cross.
"With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." Mark 15:37-38
This means we now have direct contact with God. We can be with God again because he forgave our sins. Part the curtain and walk thru!
STATION 5
This is the Resurrection Cinema. Each kid got a ticket and popcorn and got to watch a short movie....
Did you know the story of Jesus didn't start at his crucifixion? Where did the story begin?
It began in the garden of Eden. You see when Adam and Eve sinned, what happened?
That's right they were separated from God because they disobeyed and sinned. Do you ever disobey? Well, God and sin do not go together. Because of their sin they had to leave the garden, but God had a plan to help us get back to him?
What do you think it was? That's right....the Plan, the Savior, our Hero was Jesus. Let's watch about when Jesus first came to earth.
These are the little ticket takers.
STATION 6
Why are we making three crosses instead of just one? Who was on the other two crosses?
Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Matt. 27:38
What was the difference between these men and Jesus? The men were evil and had really done something wrong and sinned. But Jesus was pure and sinless. He died on the cross for OUR sins.
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:40-43
STATION 7:
What is sin?
He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Romans 4:25
What are some sins in your life? Discuss. Write words on the rocks.
So who did Jesus die for? You! Me! But he didn't just die! He rose from the dead, conquering our sin and death itself.
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21
LAST STOP:
Can you tell me the answer to my riddle?
Me: He is risen!
Child: He is risen, INDEED!
A sweet peep on a stick to remind you of how sweet our salvation is in Jesus.
Hill of Calvary Class-Part 1
The Easter Workshop/Hill of Calvary class was a SO much fun on Saturday. We had a great turnout (50-60 bodies in my backyard) and beautiful weather (there was supposed to have been gusts of wind, but the Lord quieted the day and it was just a gentle breeze and sunshine).
I had so many wonderful people volunteer to work at each of the stations. Here's Jackie and Jenae chalking out the road to Calvary with events of the Easter story. The kids rode around the driveway.
Everyone got donuts and hot chocolate to start.
Then, we opened the day with the telling of the Easter story.
Then everyone grouped-up and began to make their way through the station....see Hill of Calvary class part 2 in the next post....
Hosanna! Palm Sunday
Today is the first day of Holy Week. Palm Sunday is the day we remember how Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey and the people welcomed him shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!" Waiving palm branches and laying them at the feet of the donkey they welcomed him.
Can I just say how much I love Sunday church on Palm Sunday? I love how they hand out fresh palms to everyone who comes in the door and watching them waive in above heads as worship our king. Today I learned a little more about the significance of Christ's entry on a donkey.
Religious law required that ritual, a clean, unused animal must be used in order for the act to be considered sacred. This is why Jesus asked his disciples to bring him a colt that had never been ridden. Jesus' ride into Jerusalem was a sacred event.
It also fulfilled the prophecy foretold in Zechariah 9:9:
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
The second thing I learned today was that it customary for a king to be introduced by riding through town on a new mule. We see this in the story of King David announcing Solomon as the new king. Jesus was professing himself to be THE king by riding through the streets on the colt.
Pretty interesting, huh? Feel free to share any other insights you may have about Palm Sunday in the comments section. Also, you may enjoy reading this post from a past Palm Sunday.
Special thanks out to Regan for sending me these charming photos of her donkeys. Her family raises Mammoth Jack Livestock (translation: really big donkeys).
Countdown to Easter
Pump up some excitement for Easter with a countdown.
Use pretty spring colored scrapbook paper to make a paper chain.
Find a chalkboard and start counting down the days.
Grow a Hill of Calvary
Make your own Hill of Calvary for Easter. This grass garden features the hill where Jesus was hung on the cross and a small tomb where he was buried and rose again. It makes a very symbolic centerpiece for your Easter table and it an incredible teaching tool for your little sprout.
Note: It's best to start your Hill of Calvary at least 2 weeks before Easter.
Supplies:
- Potting Soil or Jiffy Mix--I do suggest picking up a bag of this. Wal-Mart carries it and it is super cheap. It is used to start seeds and has a good "mulchy" consistency that holds moisture well.
- Gravel
- A few small rocks
- 10 inch terra cotta dish
- 4 inch terra cotta pot
- 4 inch terra cotta dish
- Wheatberries for the grass--make sure they are organic and untreated. I got this big bag for under 2 bucks at Vitamin Cottage.
- A good spray bottle
- Sticks (for crosses)
- Hot glue gun
- Raffia and purple ribbon (optional)
Step 1: Lay the 4 inch pot on its side in the 10 inch dish. Use smallish rocks to hold the pot in place.
Step 2: Pour in a small layer of gravel for drainage.
Step 3: Make mud! The best way to apply the soil/dirt is by first making mud in a separate container. (Sorry this isn't great picture..I was in the midst of experimenting.) Just put your soil and water in a bucket of some sort and mix it up. Your kids will love the mud pie batter.
Step 4: Take handfuls of the mud and pack it all around the pot and in the dish. You will want to create a nice rounded hill.
Step 5: Spread a thick layer of seed over the ENTIRE soil area. You may have to kind of push it into the soil a bit on the steep sides. This is very important: Don't be stingy with the seed. If you want nice, dense grass, the seed needs to completely cover the surface of the soil. (Don't just sprinkle it.)
Step 6: Cover seed with a very thin layer of your mud mixture.
Step 7: Bring your dish garden inside and put it in warm sunlight. I put mine on a metal TV tray next to our sliding door. Having it up off the ground is a good idea when you have little tots running around. Remember, the terra cotta is porous so it's going to leak some moisture. Don't just set it on your coffee table! Put a tray, plate, etc. underneath it.
Step 8: WATER! For the first 3-4 days you will need to spray and water your hill three times per day. So if you are heading out for the weekend, wait to do this project until you get home. Before the seeds take root, the soil will run off pretty easily...(think erosion) so at first you will mainly need to rely on using a spray bottle to irrigate...
Once the grass takes root and matures, you'll be able to slowly drizzle water on it, without losing your hill. Now that my hill is fully mature, I stick it in the sink, turn the water on VERY low and then use my little sprayer hose to water.
Also note that when the seed first starts to grow, it will actually "push up" some of the soil as seen here. Check out the crack above. Just drizzle water, spray and gently press the soil back down. You don't want it to dry out and just fall off.
Step 9: Watch it grow! Within 2 days you will probably see small white roots shooting out.
Step 10: Make three crosses out of collected sticks. I used hot glue to hold them in place and then wrapped raffia around to secure it and hide glue. Note that the grass will grow faster and higher than you think. Make your crosses a little bit "jumbo" sized because they will need to be nestled down in the grass and yet, you still want to be able to see them.
Other Tips:
- The grass will be fully mature by day 7...and from then on out, you will be amazed at how fast it shoots up. Get out our scissors and give it a mow.
- If you are using wheatberries...guess what?! You can make some juice. It's just like the wheat grass you buy at the health food store. I haven't tried this yet, so let me know if you do and you like it!
Where is Jesus?
He has risen! He has risen, INDEED!
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Lessons from the Hill of Calvary:
As you work on creating the project, watering, etc. talk about the Easter story with your child. This is whole Mustard Seed thing in action--planting God's truth--while you are literally planting.
Anne and I had a particularly good conversation as we made the crosses. She wondered why there were three crosses instead of just one for Jesus. We got to talk about how there where two other men who died on the hill with Jesus, but they had actually done some bad things. Jesus was pure and did nothing wrong. He died on the cross for OUR sins.
"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21
Other questions followed:
Anne: "Why he didn't just get down? I would have helped him get down."
Me: "Well, he did it just for us. He knew what we couldn't be with him because of OUR sin, so he died on the cross for OUR sin."
Good, profound truth happens when you are crafting/gardening sometimes.
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Other teaching ideas:
- On Good Friday, wrap up a clothespin in white cloth and lay it in the tomb (Jesus).
- On the Eve of Easter, remove the clothespin, leave the cloth and leave the tomb open for your child to discover first thing on Sunday morning.
- If your kids are older, have each member of your family take a rock and write a personal struggle or sin on the stone with a permanent pen. Put the rocks in the tomb on Good Friday--the day Jesus died for our sins. On the Eve of Easter, remove the stones and throw them away. Leave the tomb open for the family to discover on Sunday morning.
- The path to the cross was paved by my sins. Put these rocks in the tomb...to once again die...with Christ. "He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." Romans 4:25
- On Easter Jesus not only rose from the grave, conquering death, but he conquered our sin--FOREVER. Our sin is dead.
- "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21
The Story of the Easter Robin
We love this wonderful book. Oh my! I love robins, but now I love them even more!
The book tells the legend of why the robin's breast is red...
I love this part... "I know this man, thought the robin. All earth's creatures, except humans, recognized Jesus--the Creator-God come to earth."
"The thorn gave way. And as it came out a drop of Jesus' blood fell onto the robin's breast, staining it red from that day to this."
Then, of course we need to make some robin nests. See the full tutorial here (shredded wheat, coconut and chocoate).
These would be very cute at each place setting on your Easter table.
Hee-Haw!
Sew a little donkey for Palm Sunday. Use this free pattern by Myra Masuda.
Make some bunnies
Are you handy with a needle and thread? Make some of your own little bunnies using Wee Wonderful's free bunny pattern.
