In Sunday School we will turn from the Christmas story to a unit of study about the church…how it started, what it is, and what we do as members of the church. Remember, the church is not really the building—it is the people who make up the church. The building is just a convenient place for us to gather, learn, worship, and prepare to serve.

This Sunday we start with the day of Pentecost—the birthday of the church. That’s when God sent the gift that Jesus had promised His disciples, the gift of the Holy Spirit, who would help us remember and do the things Jesus taught us to do.

You will want to join us this week as we learn more about why we join with other believers as part of a church and what we can accomplish as we work and serve together.

See you next year!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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We still worship Jesus today. There are lots of ways we can do this, and we will talk about some of them this Sunday. See how many ways to worship Jesus you can think of before Sunday.

This is also the last day to fill our class coin jar for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. Let’s do our part to reach our church’s goal of $100,000. Remember, all the money goes directly to the mission field, to support our missionaries as they tell people around the world the Good News about Jesus!

See you Sunday—

Tom and Sydney Cook
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Please join us as we have a real celebration of Jesus’ birthday. This is a great time of year to ask a friend to come with you to Sunday School, too!

And don’t forget our opportunity to help our missionaries telling people the good news about Jesus all around the world, as we bring money for our Lottie Moon Christmas Offering jar. Remember, every penny of this offering goes directly to international missions.

See you Sunday—and Merry Christmas!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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Next Sunday we’ll turn to the Angels whom God sent to let Mary and Joseph know that the Great Promise was starting to be fulfilled. The Christmas story is just full of angels…more than any other time in Biblical history. The angels were doing their job of getting people ready for Jesus’ promised birth.

Don’t forget to bring coins to fill our Lottie Moon Christmas Offering jar to support our international missionaries. This is a special time of year for our missionaries, too, as they thank us for our financial support throughout the year. Help us fill our jar as our church seeks to meet its goal of $100,000 for missions.

Join us Sunday—and bring a friend!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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How did God take care of Jonah?

How did God take care of the sailors?

How did God take care of the people of Nineveh?

We’ll have fun with the story of Jonah this Sunday…a great time to invite a friend.

Tom and Sydney Cook
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Daniel was put in the den of hungry lions, for the crime of praying to God (as he had always done three times a day). Because he had been faithful to God, God was faithful to him and sent an angel to close the mouths of the lions. God knows what we need (better than we ourselves know), and He is able to take care of our needs, no matter what. We can fully rely on God’s care for us.

You’re doing a great job bringing in Thanksgiving food bags to share with needy families. So far we have collected over 300 pounds of food. This Sunday is the last time to bring in your decorated bags filled with food to share with others in our area. Last year our church delivered food to 35 families—several who had no other food in the house when our deacons arrived. Thank you for sharing what God has given you, and helping as He cares for others through your generosity.

Tom and Sydney Cook
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Two men in the Bible stand out when we think of wisdom. Solomon, the third king of Israel, was especially known for his wisdom, which he had asked God to give him. Daniel, advisor to at least four different kings during the captivity of Israel, was always very ready to explain that all of his wisdom, from interpreting dreams to reading mysterious writing, came from God.

This Sunday we’ll look at an example of Daniel’s great wisdom. Belteshazzar, king of Babylon, gave a great feast and brought out the golden cups which his ancestor Nebuchadnezzar had looted from the temple of God in Jerusalem. Bad choice! A hand appeared during the feast and wrote mysterious words on the wall, which no one was able to read. No one but Daniel, that is…with God’s help.

We will learn what the words meant and how they came true that very night, as God judged the actions of Belteshazzar.

This would be a great day to invite a friend to Sunday School. Don’t forget your Thanksgiving bags filled with food for needy families!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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The story is about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, three Jewish captives in Babylon who lived a little more than 400 years before Jesus was born, who refused to obey King Nebuchadnezzar’s law that all must worship his 90-foot golden statue. They knew that the right thing to do was to continue to worship the One True God, as they had always done. Even when threatened with death in a fiery furnace, they trusted that their God could save them if He chose. They knew that whatever God did would be for the best.

God did in fact choose to save the Jewish men, and did it so miraculously that the King and his court were amazed when the three men not only survived the furnace, but with no scorching of their clothes and even no smell of smoke on them. Only the ropes which bound them had burned off.

Join us this Sunday as we take a look at some of the things that kids your age might fear, and how we can trust God to help us face our fear with courage.

This would be a great day to bring a friend…and also to continue to bring in food for needy families at Thanksgiving.

Tom and Sydney Cook
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Your answer is probably “from the Bible,” and that is true. But much of what we learn about God from the Bible comes from the stories about what God has done…how He deals with people through His acts in history, in stories about nations and about individuals.

During the month of November we will be learning about God’s power through the stories of how He dealt with Old Testament heroes…who were really just ordinary people who chose to believe and follow God. They loved God and tried, with His help, to follow His ways.

This Sunday we will study one of the best-known stories in the Old Testament—the story of David and Goliath. When David later became king of Israel, he was known as a “man after God’s own heart.” When he faced Goliath, he was still really just a boy—most likely a teenager.

Everyone likes this story because Goliath, the bragging bully of a Philistine soldier, was beaten by a younger and smaller David. But the real meat of the story is why David was willing to fight Goliath when none of the other Israelite soldiers, including King Saul, would take on Goliath’s challenge. David knew that Goliath was insulting not just the Israelite army, but the very God of the Israelites. He knew that God would not stand for this, and would help David as he stood up to Goliath in God’s name. He didn’t just believe that God would help him—he knew that God would give him the victory.

We’ll have fun remembering the story together, measuring out Goliath’s height (nine feet nine inches), and dramatizing the story. You’ll want to join us this Sunday, and also to bring a friend!

Don’t forget our Thanksgiving food drive…bring in your decorated bags filled with staple food to help needy families at Thanksgiving.

Tom and Sydney Cook
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Do you remember our acrostic receipe for JOY?

• J - Jesus First
• O - Others Second
• Y - Yourself Last

The story this week is about a time when Jesus showed His disciples the way to be greatest in His kingdom…by serving others. Jesus Himself washed the feet of each of His disiples—a dirty job that usually the least of the servants would be given. Not only was Jesus doing a service that needed to be done, showing care for His disciples, but He was setting them an example of how they should serve one another.

We will put our study into practice as we start this Sunday our month-long collection of food for needy families at Thanksgiving. Our entire church will be collecting food, but our class will make a contest out of it as we prepare festive Thanksgiving bags to remind us to bring in food and to remind the families who receive it what Thanksgiving is all about. We will have fun each week weighing in our bags and see which team can bring in the most pounds of food. Our deacons will distribute our food with all the rest that is brought, and then will report back on how we have helped needy families have a thankful holiday.

This would really be a great week to bring a friend!

Tom and Sydney Cook

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But it is important for us to forgive others, too. Jesus talked much about forgiving others. When Peter asked Him how many times he should forgive someone, Jesus’ answer was seventy times seven…or, in other words, “who’s counting?” Jesus taught that if we had something against another person, we could not really worship God until we had forgiven that person. He forgave Peter for denying Him. He even asked God to forgive the people who were crucifying Him.

If we have an unforgiving spirit (like wanting to get even, to make the other person suffer), there are two big problems. One is that the unforgiveness gets in the way of our relationship with that person, and we avoid them or are mean to them. The other is that the unforgiveness “eats away” at us as we think about getting even, resulting in all kinds of spiritual, emotional, and even physcial problems.

So Jesus teaches us to forgive others—even if they don’t ask to be forgiven. The story this Sunday is about the man whose friends let him down through the roof of Peter’s house in Capernaum, where Jesus was teaching. They weren’t able to get in through the door for all the people, so they ripped a hole in the thatched roof and lowered their friend, who was unable to walk. Jesus took care of the most important thing first—He forgave the crippled man’s sin. Then, to prove to the scribes and Pharisees that He really was able to forgive sins, He also healed the man’s paralysis and told him to take up his mat and walk.

Jesus will forgive us, but He reminds us that in the same way we need to forgive those who need our forgiveness.

This would be a great Sunday to bring a friend!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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This Sunday we will study a parable Jesus told about a person who cared for someone he didn’t even know. He found a person lying beside the road as he traveled, and stopped to take care of the man who had been robbed and beaten. Jesus said that the man was following God’s command of “love your neighbor as yourself.” To help make His point, Jesus told the story about a Samaritan man who cared for the Jewish man who had been robbed.

When anyone has a need and we can help, we should do whatever we can. That’s what Jesus would do!

Join us Sunday and bring a friend!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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This month we will be learning about how to be like Jesus. It’s not really something that we can do on our own, but God will help us be like Jesus. The Bible says that God is “conforming us to the image of Jesus,” which means He is helping us day by day to be more like Jesus. One of the ways He does this is helping us realize what Jesus did as we read about Jesus’ life in the Bible.

This Sunday we will look at the way Jesus loved people. There are many stories which teach us about Jesus’ love, but we will focus on the time Jesus met the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well in Sychar, Sarmaria. Join us Sunday as we see why it might have been difficult for a Jew to even talk to a Samaritan woman, and this woman in particular had very few if any friends. But Jesus spoke to her and told her about “Living Water” that only He could give to her. Because He was friendly to the woman, almost the whole city of Sychar came out to listen to His teachings.

If we want to be like Jesus, we must love all kinds of people…not just the easy ones to love. And we must show our love by our actions, not just talk about it.

Join us Sunday as we learn more about this important topic. It would be a great time to show love to a friend by inviting him or her to Sunday School!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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When I was ten, our Sunday School group was called “Juniors.” I thought it was great that we had our own special song. It went:

“Out of James 1:22 comes a call for Juniors true, Who will live for Christ the Risen Lord. Listen to this trumpet call Ringing out to one and all: ‘Be ye doers of the Word.’”

The chorus contained the lines

“And not hearers, not hearers only. Be ye doers of the Word.”

Over and over again in the Bible, the importance of actually doing what God commands is emphasized. Jesus said, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” And the great thing is that God’s commands are always what’s best for us. He should know…He created us and He loves us and wants what’s best for us.

This Sunday we’ll review the Ten Commandments that God gave the Jewish people, that are still His commands for us today. Join us as we talk about God’s Top Ten.

And, it would be a great week to bring a friend!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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Sometimes we just don’t have time or opportunity to look up a verse in the Bible. That’s one time it’s important that we know it “by heart.” Also, the more of the Bible we know, the easier it is to know what kinds of decisions God would have us make, to please Him and to make the most out of our lives.

It was right at the start of Jesus’ ministry when He was tempted, or tested, by the devil…with three very different temptations that Jesus answered with three verses from the book of Deuteronomy. That wasn’t the last time He was tempted, but perhaps was the most important.

We can deal with temptation to do or think wrong things in the same way that Jesus did, by reading and memorizing God’s Word, the Bible.

Come this Sunday and have fun with us as we learn how Jesus used the Bible to deal with Satan. And please think about bringing a friend with you.

Tom and Sydney Cook
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After King Josiah died, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon brought his armies to conquer Israel. They burned the temple and the city, and tore down the walls. They took the people of Israel as captives to Babylon.

After some seventy years, the people turned back to God, and He allowed them to return to Jerusalem and the land He had promised to them. Ezra and Nehemiah were important leaders in that return.

The people first built the altar, then the temple, and finally rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. When that was done, it was time to celebrate! All the people gathered at one of the city gates of Jerusalem, the Water Gate, and asked Ezra the priest to read God’s Word. The story this week is what happened when Ezra read the Book of the Law of Moses, and how the people responded.

This would be a great week to bring a friend with you to Sunday School! We’d really love to meet your friends.

Tom and Sydney Cook
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Appropriately, we will start off our year with a unit about the Bible itself. It is a very special book; we will take a look at some of the ways it is special and why it is special.

This Sunday we will begin with the story of King Josiah, who became King of Israel when he was only eight years old! He really wanted to do what God wanted Him to do, so he became very upset when a long-lost part of the Bible was found in cleaning up the temple. He realized that he had not been leading the people to obey God as the book taught. He called the people together, read them the newly found book, and made a promise that he himself would keep the commands of God and lead the people to obey as well.

The Bible is not just a book of stories. It is the way God has chosen to let us know what He is like, in the only way we can really learn about God…as He Himself reveals to us what we should know about God. No man could have written the Bible, since no man is able to understand God. We could know that God is powerful and majestic by learning about His creation, but we could never know how much God loves us and how He wants us to live without the message of the Bible.

We are looking forward to meeting our new pupils. This would be a terrific Sunday to invite a friend to come with you as we begin a brand new year!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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The story of this voyage is one of the most exciting in the Bible. Doctor Luke, who was with Paul on the journey, does a great job with the nautical details. Bad weather, storms at sea, throwing cargo overboard to lighten the ship, sailors attempting to abandon the ship, all with Paul telling the crew and passengers not to worry. Paul knew that God meant for him to arrive at Rome, and he had been promised in a vision that all those on the ship would be saved as well. But the ship itself was lost…wrecked off the coast of the island of Malta, although all the people made it safely to shore.

Paul knew that God would take care of him, and was able to encourage those around him as well because of his faith in God.

This is the last Sunday of our Sunday School year. Our fourth graders will move into the fifth grade class the next Sunday, and we will welcome a brand new class of fourth grade children. We’re looking forward to meeting you and spending a great year together studying the Bible!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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Paul was taken prisoner by the Romans and should have been given a trial by the Roman officials Felix and his successor Festus. But they kept Paul in prison for over two years, while the Jews were still plotting to kill him. Festus brought Paul before King Agrippa for advice on what to do with him.

King Agrippa allowed Paul to speak to the court, and Paul eagerly took the opportunity to tell about how he had met Jesus on the road to Damascus. Over and over again, Paul loved to tell the story of how Jesus had changed his life. Agrippa heard the good news about Jesus, but he chose not to believe it. While Agrippa thought Paul had done nothing wrong, Paul had appealed to Caesar, and Agrippa had no choice but to send Paul to Rome.

Any Roman citizen had the right to appeal to Caesar. Paul knew that it might take years for him to actually see Caesar, and he knew that Caesar’s decision might not be best, but that was his choice.

Just as Paul told Jews, Gentiles, Kings, and everyone else what Jesus had done for him, so can we today—even boys and girls—tell others what Jesus means to us. We each have a story to tell, and our stories will strengthen other Christians and help others understand what Jesus can do for them as well.

We probably won’t have as exciting a story as Paul did, but we all can tell what we were like before meeting Jesus, how we met Jesus, and what Jesus has done for us and meant to us since.

See you Sunday—and bring a friend!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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Paul and Silas healed a young woman who had an evil spirit. Since she was now in her right mind, she was not valuable to her masters, so they were very angry at Paul and Silas. The woman’s owners dragged Paul and Silas before the magistrate and had them stripped, beaten, and thrown into prison. There they were held in chains and stocks.

Around midnight, the other prisoners heard Paul and Silas singing and praising God, even though they were in chains and sore from the beating. An earthquake shook the prison, so that the chains and stocks fell off and the doors opened. The jailer was about to kill himself (before the city officials could do it), but Paul shouted to him not to harm himself, that all the prisoners were still there.

The jailer asked Paul and Silas “What must I do to be saved?” They told him to believe in Jesus — and the jailer and his whole house did just that.

Even when things seem to be going the worst, God is still with us…and promises to give us peace and joy even in the middle of suffering. Joy is a great gift from God, and we will learn more about it and how to find it this Sunday. It would be a great day to bring a friend!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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In Lystra Paul met a young man named Timothy, whose mother and grandmother had taught about the One True God. Paul was impressed with Timothy’s knowledge of scripture and his character, so he asked Timothy to join him on the rest of his missionary journey.

Paul and Silas left Asia and entered Europe for the first time, to what was then Macedonia (now Greece). In Philippi they met a woman named Lydia, who believed the message they told her about Jesus. She invited them to stay at her house while in Philippi.

Paul went on to Athens, where he found the people worshiping many different idols. He gave a great sermon on Mars Hill in Athens, telling the good news about Jesus.

In Corinth, Paul met Aquila and Priscilla, Christians who were tentmakers just like Paul. He stayed with them while he was in Corinth, where he stayed for a year and a half.

We’ll learn about this trip with some games and fun activities…you will want to join us (and, of course, bring a friend).

Tom and Sydney Cook
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We will study the first missionary journey this Sunday, which includes evil magicians, attempts to kill Paul, and Jewish leaders who were very angry at what Paul was preaching (about the resurrection of Jesus). But everywhere Paul and Barnabas went, there were some who believed in Jesus. They started new churches in those places, and the gospel continued to spread.

You will want to join us as we hear the stories of these adventures…and bring a friend!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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The night before Peter was to be executed, the believers in Jerusalem gathered to pray for him. They didn’t know what God could do about it, but they did know that God heard their prayers and that He was able to save Peter from death if He chose to.

This Sunday’s story is about how God answered their prayers. You won’t want to miss it as we look at what a big difference prayer can make in the world and in your life. Come and bring a friend!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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But God had a way to make sure that the other disciples would accept the Gentile Christians. The Jews normally had no dealings with Gentiles, and would not even go into their homes or eat with them. God got Simon Peter’s attention through a dream, and sent him to a Roman Centurion—not a Jew, but a God-fearing Gentile. Peter learned from his dream and this experience that God loves everyone—not just the Jews, but all people.

Join us Sunday as we take a look at some of the people God loves…including you! And your friend!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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Paul loved to tell people how he came to believe in Jesus, for he had started out as a devout Jew who hated the believers and arrested them to be thrown into prison. But he had a special encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, and it changed his life so that he became God’s special missionary to the Gentiles.

This Sunday we’ll take a look at Saul’s experience on the Damascus Road, and talk more about the kinds of changes that happen in a person’s life when she or he put htier faith in Jesus.

You won’t want to miss it…come with a friend!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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This Sunday we will look at the first church, in Jerusalem. When God sent the Holy Spirit as Jesus had promised, Peter preached a sermon on the day of Pentecost that resulted in 3000 people believing in Jesus and following Him. They joined with the disciples and other believers to form the first church, which met together for worship, prayer, teaching, and fellowship. Today our church and other churches still do the same kinds of things.

Join us this Sunday as we begin this new unit…and bring a friend!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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Jesus tells us that in the same way there is great rejoicing in heaven whenever a person turns to faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord.

You won’t want to miss this Sunday…and you will also want to bring a friend.

Tom and Sydney Cook
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The disciples were not sure what to think. They were all afraid, asking what kind of man Jesus was that even the wind and the waves obeyed Him. They still had a lot to learn about their Master!

This week we’ll have fun acting out the storm, complete with waves, wind, rain, and thunder. You will want to join us as we learn about Jesus, the Miracle Worker. Because He is God, He has power over anything that can hurt us…so we know we can trust Him to take care of us.

Come and bring a friend!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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You probably have planted seeds of some sort, and you know how important it is to place the seeds in good soil so they can grow. A farmer can’t pay that much attention to every single seed that he sows, since there are so many of them. Jesus told a story (a parable) about a farmer who sowed his seeds in four different kinds of soil. Each one had a problem, except for the seeds that fell on the good soil. There they took root and grew, giving a crop of 100 times what the farmer had planted.

Jesus explained this parable to his disciples. The seed represents the Word of God, and the different kinds of soil represent the hearts of the people who hear God’s Word. My prayer for each of you is that you will hear, listen, and understand God’s Word, and that you will choose to believe and obey it. Then you, too, can bring forth a wonderful crop of spiritual fruit to glorify God.

Join us Sunday and bring a friend! It’s a great way to celebrate your summer vacation.

Tom and Sydney Cook
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This week’s story is about a public official who came all the way from Capernaum, where he lived, to Cana, where Jesus was at the time, to ask Jesus to heal his sick son, who was close to dying. Jesus simply told him to go home, that his son would live. The official took Jesus at his word and, with no argument, went back home, where he was told that his son had recovered at the exact time his father had spoken to Jesus.

This happened early in Jesus’ ministry, before stories about His healing of so many people had spread through Israel. The Capernaum official simply believed that Jesus would do what He said He would do.

We need to trust God to know what is best for our sick friends, but we should also pray for them when they are sick. Come this Sunday to discuss with us how God heals people even today.

See you there, and…bring a friend!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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There were lots of people who liked what Jesus taught, or liked the fish and bread that He provided, or liked the healing He brought. They even wanted to make Jesus their king! But he had called just twelve to spend time with Him and learn about Him. All of them were from Galilee, except Judas (from Judea). They were from all kinds of backgrounds, from fishermen to tax collectors. But they all were willing to follow Jesus when He called them.

Jesus still calls men and women, boys and girls, today…to follow Him, obey His commands, and to tell others about Him. He has a special assignment for each one of us. Some are to be teachers, some preachers, some mothers and fathers, but we can all learn from Jesus and encourage one another to follow Him more closely.

This Sunday, come learn with us how Jesus called people when He lived in Israel, and how He is calling you today. Bring a friend!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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This week we will look at how Jesus handled temptation, and what we can learn from Him about how to handle it when we are tempted. God will always help us when we really want to choose His way—the way that will please God and is best for ourselves as well.

This would be a great Sunday to invite a friend to come with you!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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John was a special prophet, foretold by the Old Testament prophets as one who would “prepare the way for the Lord.” John’s birth was also announced by the Angel Gabriel, and he was a quite interesting character, dressed in his skin robes and eating his diet of locusts and wild honey in the wilderness of Judea.

But John knew his calling, and He knew his cousin Jesus, whom he called “The Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world.”

We will learn this Sunday about the event that marked the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry, as He entered the waters of the Jordan to be immersed as an example we, too, should follow. Please join us, and bring a friend! It would be great to see you.

Tom and Sydney Cook
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The Bible tells us very little about Jesus’ boyhood, but this Sunday we’ll take a look at what we do know. For instance, Jesus probably helped the rest of the people in Nazareth stomp on grapes when the harvest season came around. Although the Bible doesn’t talk about this, we know that was the common practice in that time and area. And, when He was old enough, He probably took his turn in the watchtowers where the villagers protected their crops from thieves.

The only story that tells us much detail about Jesus as a boy is when He was twelve years old, ready for His Bar Mitzvah, when He would officially become a man. Come join us for this interesting study…and bring a friend along.

Tom and Sydney Cook
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While they were still discussing this, Jesus Himself appeared in the room with them and made it very clear that in fact He had risen from the dead.

But the disciple Thomas was not present. When the others told him that Jesus was alive, he wasn’t able to believe it. Unless he had physical proof, feeling the nailholes in Jesus’ hands and the spear wound in Jesus’ side, Thomas said he would not believe.

About a week later, the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. Jesus appeared once again. What do you think He said to Thomas, and how do you think Thomas reacted?

We’ll find out this Sunday as we finish our unit of study about Jesus’ Resurrection. Make sure you’re there…and bring a friend!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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Our study this Sunday occured on the afternoon of the first Resurrection Sunday, as two of Jesus’s disciples travelled from Jerusalem to the small village of Emmaeus. They were sad because Jesus had died, and were trying to comfort one another. Jesus himself joined them and helped them to know for sure that He was alive again. These disciples were two of the more than 500 who were eye witnesses of Jesus after His death.

Join us this Sunday as we continue to celebrate Jesus’ new life, and His promise of the same kind of new life for those who believe in Him as Lord of their lives. This would be a great week to bring a friend with you!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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Jesus left His glorious home in heaven to be born on this earth as a little baby, to know pain, sorrow, temptation, rejection, and death. He lived a perfect life of service to others—feeding the hungry, healing the sick, raising the dead, teaching the truth of God, and many other things. Then He went willingly to a terrible death on a Roman cross, with his own people shouting “Crucify Him!”

Our memory verse today is perhaps the best loved and most important verse in the whole Bible, John 3:16: “For God loved the world so much that He gave His only true Son, that whoever believes in Him might not die, but have eternal life.”

We will celebrate Resurrection Sunday together as we learn about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. It’s a wonderful story-and it’s all true! This would be an excellent day to bring a friend.

Tom and Sydney Cook

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We will have real palm branches to wave this Sunday as we celebrate Jesus — and we know much more about Him than the people in Jerusalem did that day. Let’s study together the events that led up to Jesus’ giving up His life on the cross for our sins, and then rising from the dead, just as He had promised!

This is really a good time to bring a friend with you to Sunday School. More people come to church in the Easter season than at any other time of year. We’ll make them welcome and make sure they hear about the Easter story.

Tom and Sydney Cook
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The main thing we can learn from Jonah’s ministry today is the importance of obeying God. Jonah tried not to obey God, but it didn’t work! He would up doing what God told him to do anyway. When God calls us to do something, most of the time He doesn’t have a plan B. But in any case it’s terrific being part of what God’s doing in the world, so who would want not to obey God when He gives us an assignment? We never know what adventures we will have as we serve Him.

Thanks for inviting your friends to Sunday School. We had two guests last week, and hope for more now that the weather is improving. The Easter season is a great time to invite your friends to join you as we learn about the greatest story ever told!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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One of the things we can learn from Daniel is that we can always depend on God, no matter how bad things appear. We can remember that God loves us and that He will make everything work for what is best for us (although it might not seem so at the time). Imagine yourself in a cave full of hungry lions…could you depend on God then, as Daniel did?

You’ll want to be with us this Sunday…and don’t forget to invite a friend!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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We actually studied Isaiah last year at Christmas, when we looked at his prophecies about Jesus, the Wonderful Savior. Jeremiah was also known as the Weeping Prophet, because he was really sad to see the people turn from God and be taken to Babylon as captives. He wrote not only the book of Jeremiah, but also the next book of the Bible, Lamentations. A Lament is a really sad song or story.

The main thing we will learn from these two prophets is that God’s Word, the Bible, is really special and unique. He promises that His Word will last forever. Although much of it was written more than 2000 years ago, it still speaks to us today in a very special way…it is the book that God wrote. We should be very thankful that God told us about Himself in the Bible, and we should read it regularly to learn as much about God as we can.

This would be a great week to bring a friend!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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The most important is that we will be learning about the prophet Elisha, who followed in Elijah’s footsteps as the most important prophet in Israel at the time. He was used by God to perform a bunch of interesting miracles, and they all seemed to be aimed at helping people who had all kinds of needs. Sickness, drought, bad water, even death were all conquered by God working through Elisha.

Second is that Sunday is the start of Daylight Saving Time…so remember to set your clocks an hour FORWARD Saturday night. Be sure to go to bed early enough that the one less hour of sleep won’t bother you.

Third is that Sunday is F.R.O.G. Sunday. That stands for “Fully Rely On God” Sunday. Wear something green, be ready to give your best frog imitation, and come ready to learn about how we can really, really depend on God to take care of us, just as He did to the people around Elisha. It’s also a great day to bring a friend.

Tom and Sydney Cook
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During March we will be learning about prophets. We will focus in on six special prophets, and next Sunday we’ll talk about the prophet with perhaps the most exciting story in the Bible—Elijah.

Prophets often were not appreciated by the rulers of Israel because they told the truth even when it wasn’t popular. But it was God’s message, and the prophets “told it like it is.” Elijah was a great example of this. He defied King Ahab and his wife Jezebel, who had brought the worshp of Ba’al to Israel and killed the prophets of the one true God. As a result, God told Elijah to announce that there would be no rain in the land of Israel until God told Elijah to say so.

The showdown finally came at the top of Mount Carmel, where Elijah challenged the prophets of Ba’al (there were 450 of them!) to a kind of duel. Next Sunday we’ll hear the exciting story of what happened, and how God showed that He was the one and only true God. You won’t want to miss it! (And, of course, bring a friend).

Tom and Sydney Cook
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King Solomon came to be king in a land that was peaceful and wealthy, for David had conquered most of the enemies of Israel and had collected much wealth in taxes and tribute. Solomon was very young when he became king, and when God asked him what he would request God to give him, he asked for wisdom to govern God’s chosen people well. God was pleased with this request and gave Solomon not only the wisdom he asked for, but also riches, long life, and fame.

Solomon was known throughout the Biblical world for his wisdom, and wrote many of the proverbs and other “wisdom writings” of the Bible.

Solomon will be the last of the Old Testament kings that we study in detail. Next month we will turn to the prophets…men who spoke God’s truth to the people as well as the kings. God used the prophets to try to turn the people and the nation back to him when they forgot about God’s commands.

Join us Sunday as we learn more about the Bible, the history of how God has worked in the world to bring about his kingdom. It’s a great week to bring a friend!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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This Sunday we’ll take a look at some of the scenes from David’s life, including the battle with Goliath and the joyous time of bringing the Ark of God into Jerusalem. You won’t want to miss the exciting events! And, of course, don’t forget to bring a friend.

Tom and Sydney Cook
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That part was fine…Moses had written that the people would have a king after they occupied the Promised Land. But it was for all the wrong reasons…”So we can be like all the other nations.” The King of Isreal was supposed to be quite different from the kings of other nations. He was to be an example of godly living, and an encouragement to the people to love and follow God.

God gave the people what they wanted and what they deserved in King Saul. He was taller than anyone else, and that was about the extent of his qualifications. His kingship did not last very long, because he chose not to follow God’s commands. He wanted to do things his own way.

Join us Sunday to find out what Saul was doing when Samuel anointed him king, and where Saul was when it was time for his coronation.

Bring a friend with you as we learn together!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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We will look this Sunday at the prayer of Samuel’s mother, Hannah, asking God for a son, and how God answered her prayer. We need to know how and why we should pray today…it’s really important to talk to God, and He really wants us to talk to Him. Prayer doesn’t have to be long or complicated…just a simple “Thank you, God” is a great prayer if we really mean it.

Hope to see each of you Sunday as we learn more about God’s Word, the Bible. Don’t forget to invite a friend!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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God can still use us even when we don’t obey Him, but we will be much more joyful when we do our best to obey God…and let Him help us obey Him.

You’ll enjoy the story of Samson. Join us (with a friend) this Sunday.

Tom and Sydney Cook
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God spoke to Gideon, who was hiding from the Midianites and threshing his grain in secret so they wouldn’t steal it. God gave Gideon the task of gathering an army and defeating the Midianites. Much like Moses, Gideon didn’t think he was the right man for the job, and asked God three times for a sign so Gideon would know for sure that God had called him.

We will learn Sunday about how God made sure that the glory for the battle would go to God alone, for the small force that Gideon wound up with was much, much smaller than the Midianite army. But God was on his side, so Gideon won the victory.

Remember that following God’s commands will result in the very best outcome, every single time. We know that God loves us, that He has the power to protect us, and that we can trust him.

We’d love to see you and a friend on Sunday!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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As a result of their disobedience, God allowed them to be enslaved again, this time by some of the Canaanite rulers. From time to time over the next 400 years, the people turned back to God and prayed to Him to help them. When this happened, God raised up a special leader, called a Judge, who led the people to fight against the Canaanites and then have a time of peace.

One of the Judges was Deborah (the only woman Judge). She helped people with their disputes and decisions. When the Canaanite king Jubal was attacking Israelites, Deborah called on Barak, a fighting man, to gather an army and fight against Jubal and his general Sisera. Jubal had 900 chariots, which served much like tanks in the army today. And Sisera had many more soldiers than Barak had.

But God spoke through Deborah to give Barak the confidence and the plan to defeat Sisera, with God’s help. Come Sunday to find out the battle plan, and how Barak depended on Judge Deborah to carry it out.

You’ll enjoy this story…and your friends will, too. Invite them to join us!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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Moses is dead, and Joshua, his second-in-command, has taken on the leadership of the nation. Joshua knows that he must depend completely on God for direction and strength. The first thing they must accomplish is to cross the Jordan River (at flood stage in the springtime of the year) and take a formidable walled city, Jericho.

What will be his strategy? How can the Israelite army get inside these strong walls? God has a plan…but one which would not seem very likely.

Join us Sunday to act out the plan…and learn how Joshua and the Israelites followed God’s plan to the letter, taking Jericho and beginning to win the land God had promised them.

And don’t forget to bring a friend!

Tom and Sydney Cook
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• Crossing the Red Sea
• The Passover
• Wise Men from the East
• Happy Birthday, Jesus!
• Angels Everywhere!
• Let My People Go!
• Moses Birth and Calling
• Joseph Part 2
• Joseph, Part 1
• Jacob's Name Changed

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