Family Faith Companion

Do helpful words, matter to God?

Posted on August 23, 2015August 29, 2015 by Carol Hulbert

You’ve heard the old rhyme about sticks and stones, and words not wounding?

So not true.

Our words do matter; to others, and to God!

God really cares about the words that we use and how we use them.

How do we know?

Join us for some discussion! Start the conversation in the car on the way home from church, or around the family dinner table, or wherever your family is gathered together. Spread the questions out over several sessions. Ask these questions even if you missed the video showing!

Have some family time discussion…

Do you find it easy or hard, to use kind words with someone you know well? What about with someone you dislike? With someone who is giving you a hard time?
Have you ever heard the expression: “Kill them with kindness” — what do you suppose it means?
Do you feel that there is a difference between acting kindly and true kindness that comes from the heart? How would the two look different?
The Bible has lots to say about how we should use our words. Take turns looking up a verse and talking about what it means to you: Luke 6:45, Proverbs 15:1, Proverbs 15:4, Proverbs 16:24, Psalm 19:14, and Ephesians 4:29.
Several of these verses were from the book of Proverbs. Proverbs is a book full of short instructions on living wisely. Watch this short video about Proverbs. (If reading this in an email, you can watch this video on YouTube.)

The Bible tells us that our words are important to God. Why do you suppose God cares about what we say?
Jesus taught that “A person’s mouth says everything that is in their heart” (Luke 6:45). God listens to what we say; it tells him what is in our innermost selves. God loves us. So of course God would care about us. And, since God loves everyone, he’d care about the effect our words would have on other people.

In class on Sunday we played a version of Chutes and Ladders. If your child didn’t bring home a game board, get two here. (This will download a Word doc to your downloads folder.) Use some coins as game pieces and toss a dice to play a quick round.

Bonus question: Would you attend a dance party on the Wonder-Blimp?

This summer, we hope you’ll join us on our movie adventure and also, continue the learning at home.

Photo credits:
A created word cloud by moi. Shared at flickr under a Creative Commons license.

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My authentic self is flawed. How can God love me?

Posted on August 16, 2015August 15, 2015 by Carol Hulbert

I have often wondered how God could possible love me. When it comes to handling my life – I flub up. Often. I’m flawed!

Yet God still loves me.

One of the greatest things we can teach each other is that God loves us no matter what we do. I need constant reminders. And you?

A love note from God

In our adventures with Clive and Ian’s Wonder-Blimp, today’s query was:

Does God Love Me When I Do Bad Things?

Use the questions below to continue the discussion. Start the conversation in the car on the way home from church, or around the family dinner table, or wherever your family is gathered together. Ask these questions even if you missed today’s video showing!

Have some family time discussion…

Have everyone share one thing that they noticed that the person on their left, did “right” today. (Allow all replies!)
Do we always do the right thing – all the time? What happens when we do something “bad”? (There are usually consequences!)
Do you suppose that there is anything that you can do that will make God love you less?
How can I be assured that God loves me?
God can be pretty hard to understand! We can only say, “Thank You God” for what Jesus did for us – dying for our sins. Jesus’ death and resurrection has brought hope to everyone!
Read in the Bible, the story of Peter disowning Jesus (Luke 22:54-62). Did Jesus stop loving Peter? (No!)
Sometimes we are like Peter. When we do wrong things, it’s like we turn our backs on Jesus. But through Jesus we have been forgiven and brought into right relationship with God.
Bonus Question: Why do you suppose we need speed bumps (AKA: commas) in our sentences? What if every time we saw a comma, we were reminded that God loves us?

This summer, we hope you’ll join us on our movie adventure and also, continue the learning at home.

Photo credits:
Photos from the producer of our video Clive & Ian’s Wonder-Blimp of Knowledge, under a fair use category.

How to hide reassuring words in our heart?

Posted on August 12, 2015April 23, 2019 by Carol Hulbert

Put God’s Word in our heart This week in Sunday’s school, we talked about hiding God’s Word in our heart.

Hide God’s word? What does that mean?

We call the Bible, “God’s Word” so this means we are hiding the Bible in our heart.

(If you’ve got a very literal kid they may wonder how one hides a book inside your body!)

How does God’s Word get into your heart?

It gets there when we know a verse (or verses) “by heart.” In other words, we have it memorized. This is not memory work like you would learn the facts for a test; this is a different sort of learning.

It’s the ability to roll right off of your tongue, a reassuring message from God.

This can be very useful when you’re faced with a challenge such as: Can I do this new task?

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

So what are some ways to “put God’s Word in your heart?”

We used this one on Sunday: Learn the verse using Sign Language. We did this with Psalm 119:105 using signs for Word, Lamp, Feet, Light, and Path.
We also tried this one on Sunday: Say the verse using different accents or enunciations. Try using a British accent, a frog croak, a cowboy voice, a mouse squeak, a cheerleader yell, a Southern accent, opera style, and underwater. What others can you think of?
Use cup-stacking! (We also tried this one on Sunday.) Check out cup-stacking instructions for a 3-6-3 stack. (Refer to the free lesson we used on Sunday for a chart of how to count the cups.)
Also, check out this post and this post, for more learn-it-by-heart ideas.

What ways do you learn up-lifting words?

Photo credits:
Clip art heart in the Public Domain. Altered by moi and offered at Flickr.

Do I stop listening when you stop reading?

Posted on August 9, 2015August 10, 2016 by Carol Hulbert

Buck Denver talks to Clive and Ian in the Wonder-Blimp

Each week this summer we’ve been at the movies.We join Buck Denver as he asks Clive and Ian to investigate big questions about God and about our relationship with God.

The cool thing is… Clive and Ian find the answers using their Wonder-Blimp of Knowledge! Wouldn’t it be fun to have a Wonder-Blimp? Where would you fly your Airship of Intelligence?

You can explore past questions here.

Our question for today was:

How do we show respect to God by listening to him?

Use the questions below to continue the discussion. Start the conversation in the car on the way home from church, or around the family dinner table, or wherever your family is gathered together.

Ask these questions even if you missed the video showing!

Have some family time discussion…

Would you say that you are good at listening? All the time? Sometimes? (Test everyone’s listening skills by playing a game of Telephone!)
Sometimes listening is really hard! Why do you suppose it is important to listen?
How does listening to someone show them respect – how does it say, “You’re important to me?”
What about listening to God – how can we do that?
What things could keep us from listening to God? (Lots of possible answers – getting busy with other activities, placing more emphasis on them than on our relationship to God…)
Reading the Bible counts as “listening” to God. Do we read the Bible? How do you suppose we can make Bible-reading a regular activity? (When we make reading the Bible important to us, it shows our respect for God!)
Do you suppose that listening stops as soon as the reading is finished? Or does listening in this case mean not just hearing, but putting what we’ve learned into action?
We practiced putting a Bible verse “into our hearts.” Review what we did here.
Bonus question: Should Clive and Ian install a tire swing or shag carpeting in the Wonder-Blimp?

This summer, we hope you’ll join us on our movie adventure and also, continue the learning at home.

Photo credits:
Photos from the producer of our video Clive & Ian’s Wonder-Blimp of Knowledge, under a fair use category.

What Should I do When I’m Afraid?

Posted on July 26, 2015July 23, 2015 by Carol Hulbert

Monkey pilots Clive and Ian's Wonder-Blimp

Each week this summer we’ve joined Clive and Ian in their Wonder-Blimp of Knowledge (expertly piloted by Monkey).

We’ve been using the Wonder-Blimp to search for answers to big questions about God, and about our relationship with God.

Our question for today was:

What should I do when I’m afraid?

What a good question! (Surely you’ve experienced fear!) Use these thought-provoking questions to continue the discussion. Start the conversation in the car on the way home from church, or around the family dinner table, or wherever your family is gathered together.

Ask these questions even if you missed the video showing!

Have some family time discussion…

Have everyone share about a time when you felt afraid. (Parents too! Share about something that you used to fear when you were a child.)
What can you do when you are afraid?
How can God help us with our fears?
In a Bible, look up Philippians 4:6 in the New Testament. What does this verse tell us that we can do with our fears?
Give everyone a blob of Play-Doh and have them form whatever they would like to pray about. Place everyone’s objects in the center of the table and use them to pray.
Dr. Schniff reminded us that God is more powerful than whatever it is that you are afraid of, and God is always with us! Can you think of any Bible stories where God showed his power when people were afraid? (Try Mark 4:35-41 or Daniel 6:16-23.)
Bonus question: Do you suppose Monkey ever gets tired of piloting the Wonder-Blimp?

This summer, we hope you’ll join us on our movie adventure and also, continue the learning at home.

Photo credits:
Photos from the producer of our video Clive & Ian’s Wonder-Blimp of Knowledge, under a fair use category.

How to Respect God through Praise?

Posted on July 19, 2015August 10, 2016 by Carol Hulbert

Last week at Vacation Bible Camp we learned that God is powerful! He has the power to comfort, and to heal, and to forgive me! I don’t know about you but knowing that sometimes makes me want to shout for joy!

Base Camp SIng and Play on day 1

Did you know that when you praise God, you are showing him respect? This week at our summer video series we joined Clive and Ian in their Wonder-Blimp of Knowledge. We looked for the answer to a big question:

How Do We Show Respect to God Through Praise?

Use the following provocative questions to jumpstart discussion! Start the conversation in the car on the way home from church, or around the family dinner table, or wherever your family is gathered together.

Ask these questions even if you missed the video showing!

Have some family time discussion…

What are some ways that God is amazing?
When I think about all of those ways God is amazing, I feel like shouting for joy! Brainstorm together a cheer; something that you can spontaneously shout out that will have special meaning for your family. For our family I like: Hulbert’s hurrah El Haggadol ! (El Haggadol is the Hebrew name for God which means “The Great God.” Check out other names for God.)
Sunday school lady helped us to see that when we don’t respect God, that’s like saying, “I don’t think you are important God. I don’t need you in my life.” How does praising God show respect for God?
What is a novel way that I can praise God this coming week?
We watched second video of a mime troupe showing us ways to praise God. Watch the video below. What do you think of their suggestions as ways to praise God? Which ones can you try out? The Bible tells us how to praise God! Look up each of the Bible references to see. (See the list below the video.)

(If reading this in an email, you may need to watch the video at this link.)

Hebrew word	Pronounced	Meaning	Bible reference
TOWDAH	to-DA	to sacrifice	Psalms 50:23
YADAH	yah-DA	to lift your hands	2 Chronicles 20:19-21
BAROUCH	BAR-ou	to bow	Psalms 95:6
SHABACH	Sha-BACH	to shout	Ezra 3:11
ZAMAR	ZAH-mar	to play an instrument	1 Chron. 15:16
HALAL	Ha-LELL	to rave and boast	Psalms 44:8
TEHILLAH	Te-HEAL-a	all of the above!	Psalm 22:3

This summer, we hope you’ll join us on our movie adventure at FUMC. In the meantime… continue the learning at home!

Photo credits:
Photo from VBC is from my archives.
Photos from the producer of our video Clive & Ian’s Wonder-Blimp of Knowledge, under a fair use category.

Is God as powerful as a superhero?

Posted on July 12, 2015August 18, 2016 by Carol Hulbert

This summer we’re off to the movies, searching for answers to big questions about God. Buck Denver had his newscast interrupted today with an important question:

Is God as Powerful as a Superhero?

What a great question! But is God as powerful as a superhero? I don’t know, those Incredibles did some amazing stuff. And Superman, well he’s “more powerful than a locomotive.” Is God as powerful as those champions?

We turned once again to Clive and Ian’s Wonder-Blimp of Knowledge to help us with this query.

Now it’s your turn! Use the discussion questions below. Start the conversation in the car on the way home from church! Continue around the family dinner table, or wherever your family is gathered together.

You can ask these questions even if you missed the video showing on Sunday!
You can also access other sets of big questions.

Have some family time discussion…

The famous Dr. Schniff was consulted. He told us about some strong creatures! A Rhinoceros Beetle can lift an object 850 times it’s own body weight! (Which is like the strongest person being able to lift the steel frame of the Statue of Liberty!) How much can you lift? Try it out at home and calculate the amount compared to your own body weight – practice some math
How does God’s power compare to the Rhinoceros Beetle?
What is different about God compared to say Superman or The Incredibles? (God is real! And he loves us.)
What are some ways that we can know about God’s power? (We can read Bible stories where God’s power was exhibited. For example in this Moses story.)
What are other ways we can experience God’s power? (By paying attention to God’s wonderful creation.)
What evidence of God’s power have you seen recently? Start keeping a list!
Question: Do you suppose ants ever go on vacation?

This summer, we hope you’ll join us on our movie adventure and also, continue the learning at home.

Photo credits:
Rhinoceros Beetle by Geoff Gallice via Flickr, who licensed this photo under a Creative Commons License. Downloaded from Wikimedia Commons; modified by cropping photo.
Other photos from the producer of our video Clive & Ian’s Wonder-Blimp of Knowledge, under a fair use category.

Everest VBC – Day 5

Posted on July 10, 2015July 15, 2015 by Carol Hulbert

It’s day 5, the last day of our Everest quest. All week during Vacation Bible Camp at FUMC, we have been hearing about…

Conquering challenges with God’s mighty power!

Indeed, God has the power to provide, to comfort, to heal, to forgive, and today we learned that…

God has the power to love us forever!

That truth made us want to burst into song! So we did. I think it was “My God is Powerful.”

If reading this in an email, you may need to watch the video at this link.

Trek jumps for joy when she finds out God's love lasts forever At Base Camp Sing & Play we were thrilled to learn that Trek Rockrambler was geared up to finally go up Mount Everest! Trek was so excited she was jumping for joy! But she really got jubilant when she heard that God’s love would never stop. God’s love would still be available to Trek when she got back from her climb! That sure is jumping-for-joy good news.

You can read this good news for yourself in John 14:1-3. This Bible passage tells about a time when Jesus told his disciples a promise, and this promise is for us too! God promises to love us always! Jesus talked about God loving us forever in terms of preparing a special home for us. When Jesus died and came back to life, this shows us that God is more powerful than death. He will be around to love us forever.

Yeddy - Himalayan Brown Bear Today’s Bible Buddy is a Himalayan Brown Bear named Yeddy. These bears spend a lot of time in their cozy cave homes. They hibernate for months and months and months! (Sounds nice!) Teddy reminds us that when we have a close relationship with Jesus, it’s like we are at home in a cozy spot, surrounded by God’s love forever.

The preschoolers went off to Preschool Peak and did the following…

Bible Adventures – We read a story book – Head, Body, Legs: a story from Liberia. The story had a beginning and an end. Jesus told us not to worry about the end. God’s love goes on forever. And Jesus has prepared a special place for everyone, in heaven.
Games – We played with bubbles on the playground! Bubbles have no beginning and no end, but, even the biggest bubble eventually pops. God’s love lasts forever!
KidVid Cinema – We watched a fun video with Clive and Ian and their Wonder-Blimp of Knowledge. We found out that even though forgetful human brains can sometimes cause people to let us down, God always keeps his promise to love us.
Craft & Play – We made “snow” from “snow seeds.” Tiny bits of powder grew and grew! God’s love for you is always growing. We also decorated picture frames for our crew photos.

We grew snow. We also decorated photos of our crews

Meanwhile elementary kids visited the following stations…

Glacier Games – We played “Icy Pass,” which was harder than we thought.
Bible Expeditions – We talked about how hard times can happen to anyone. Sometimes we feel like crying! The Bible tells us that in heaven there will be no tears! We were reminded that Jesus came to earth to show us how to live. If we try to live like Jesus, we can create a “Kingdom of heaven” here on earth.
KidVid Cinema – We watched a fun video with Clive and Ian and their Wonder-Blimp of Knowledge. We found out that even though forgetful human brains can sometimes cause people to let us down, God always keeps his promise to love us.
Imagination Station – We pondered different puzzle stations. There was only one solution to each puzzle. Just like there is only one solution to our lives: Love!

The Grad Group counted the final Liberia donation count (wow! $391.18). They also tallied the boxes of cereal (104 total), and delivered the last load to Bryant Community Center. After that, they had some outdoor group games at Burns Park. A very successful week of service for our Grad Group!

We all gathered for snack at Mountaintop Treats. Our snack was “Pizza Peaks.” At different times during our morning we talked about God Sightings. Around here (at this blog) we also call them blessings. Counting your blessings will cause you to form a God-focused view, and lead to a grateful, happy heart. We’ve been writing down our clues that God is present, passionate, and powerful! Our God Sightings are on display on flags around the church. Look for them and continue the practice at home.

At the end of our morning everyone gathered together again for Summit Celebration. We did a lot of singing, something I’m sure we’ll all miss!

A view from the back of the sanctuary

Continue the learning at home!

Here are a couple of questions to talk about around the family dinner table:

Pass around a Bible. The person holding the Bible gets to be the one who shares their glads and sads. (Or perhaps you call them peaks and pits?) Why do you suppose the “sads” we face are important?
Read John 14:1-3. Jesus talked about loving us forever in terms of preparing a home for us. Sort of like you tidy up your house when you are going to have company; to make your guests feel at-home. Tell about a time when you felt welcomed.
What do you suppose heaven is like? (Jesus didn’t give us many details because he was more interested in making sure that people were comforted by the fact that they could spend eternity with him!)

Enjoy the slideshow below, of pictures from today. Check out all of the VBC posts with slideshows of VBC pictures (scroll down to view each day). I hope to see you on Sunday! (You can read about our awesome way of teaching kids about our powerful God. It’s like a little taste of VBC every week!)

~~ Carol, on behalf of the VBC Team

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Photo credits:
Everest and Bible Buddy images used by permission of Group Publishing.
Rest of photos courtesy of various volunteers at VBC!