Jesus My Superhero

Revealing The Real Superhero, One Bible Story At A Time

Our Favorite Craft Supplies and Craft Ideas!

Our Favorite Craft Supplies and Craft Ideas

As parents you’re always looking for ways to help your kids learn. While it would be easy if you could just say something once and they’d understand, it’s not realistic.

If you want children to learn, you need to make it exciting! 

You can turn story time into a big game, do themed snacks during the week, or super fun crafts! If you’re like most of the population and pin your heart away on Pinterest without actually putting the ideas into action, I have some easy craft ideas for you!

Now, when I say easy, I mean it! All you need to do is stock up on some great craft supplies and then you’re set. Here are a few of our favorites.

Our Favorite Craft Supplies

Water Beads 

Water beads are great to make sensory bins. All you need to do is get a small plastic bin, water beads, and a few random toys based on the theme.

(Craft Example) If you want to make a sensory bin for Noah’s Ark all you need is your water beads, plastic animals, a boat, and a few people.

You can change out your sensory bin every few weeks or whenever your kids are up for a new story. All you need is the water beads and anything you have around the house.

Popsicle Sticks

Popsicle sticks are one of the most versatile craft supplies. You can use them as puppets for a story, animals, or even make them into a little pallet by glueing them together.

(Craft Example) If you’re teaching your kids about the Psalms, you can make a harmonica. All you need to do is cut a piece of paper that matches the size of the stick, break a toothpick in half and assemble. The layers should be a popsicle stick, broken popsicle sticks on each end, the paper on top, and cover with your last popsicle stick. Once everything is assembled, take two rubber bands and wrap them around the very edge of both sides to keep everything in place. When your kids blow on the harmonica they will see what a great instrument they just made!

Dry Erase Pockets

These are amazing. They are extremely versatile and easy use. The pockets open up and you can put a coloring page inside, something to trace, or a blank paper so they can doodle.

(Craft Example) Write a bible verse on the bottom of a piece of paper and put it in the pocket. Have your kids trace the verse and draw what it means above.

People

This huge tub of people are great to use for any story. You can bring out a person for every character in the bible story!

(Craft Example) As you’re telling your children about a bible story, have them use the bible to act it out. If it’s too distracting, they can act it out with your afterwards. Having your children act out the story is a great way to see how much they understood.

Poster Board

You should always have poster board on hand! You can use it in so many ways and buying it in bulk like this is always a better deal!

(Craft Example) After you tell your children a story, have them make a poster all about it. They can use magazine cut outs, cut out their own pictures, or draw on the poster board itself. When they’re done, hand it up where everyone can see it! It will serve as a reminder to talk to them about the story throughout the week.

Muffin Tins

I’m sure you already have muffin tins lying around, but these are great because they’re plastic. You can use them for sorting and snacks.

(Craft Example) Use each spot on the muffin tin for one day of creation. Then fill up each day with a snack that represents what God created. Their bellies will love leaning about this bible story!

Do you want more craft ideas? Be sure to follow us on Instagram and see what crafts we’re working on each week!

 

Brittany

Brittany loves children and has always had a passion to teach them about Jesus and get them excited about the Gospel. She has had experience as the children’s director for the last six years. During which, she was responsible for the creation of the curriculum used in the children’s classes, the leadership of ministry volunteers, and the discipleship of parents and children. Brittany will be responsible for everything KIDS on the blog!

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How To Teach Your Children To Study The Bible

How To Teach Your Children To Study The Bible

Often times, kids think about reading the bible and get overwhelmed. They know it’s something they should be doing or deep down want to do, but actually doing it is too much to consider. The bible is full of BIG concepts and can be difficult for kids to understand.

Does that mean we should just skip it until they’re old enough? No.

We should be teaching our kids about the bible from infancy.
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There are age appropriate ways for every child to learn and understand the bible. They may start by being read to and move to doing it on their own.

Learning how to study the bible as a child, will help you as an adult. 

Here are a few simple steps to teach your children to study God’s word.

Set them up in a quiet place.

Children are easily distracted. Knowing this, you need to set them up in an environment conducive for learning and focusing. This can be in a quiet room, at the dinner table, on the couch etc. Make sure they aren’t surrounded by a lot of commotion, toys, tv, or comfy enough they might start to fall asleep.

Give them a small section of verses or one story from a kid’s bible.

Depending on your child’s age, you can give them a small section of verses or you can read to them from a kid’s bible like the Jesus Storybook Bible. The important thing is to read the whole thing straight through without stopping and asking a lot of questions. This helps to start by looking at the story as a whole.

It’s a good idea to start small. If they aren’t ready for a whole story, read a few verses.

Pray

Have your child pray alone or pray with them. Pray that God would help them to understand what He is telling them through the story or verses. Ask Him to point out different things to them as they’re reading.

Read it again

Read it again, making sure you teach them to stop, ask questions, and take notes. This is the time to notice as much as you can about what you’re reading. Writing down what they think about the verses is another tool to help them learn and retain what they’re reading.

This is why kid’s journals are crucial for learning. They have one place to write down their questions, thoughts, and ideas. As they learn more, they can look back to see what God is telling them. It also encourages them to ask big questions and trust God will answer as they study.

Pick up our Kid’s Bible Journal here!

Jesus My Superhero Kid's Journal

Brittany

Brittany loves children and has always had a passion to teach them about Jesus and get them excited about the Gospel. She has had experience as the children’s director for the last six years. During which, she was responsible for the creation of the curriculum used in the children’s classes, the leadership of ministry volunteers, and the discipleship of parents and children. Brittany will be responsible for everything KIDS on the blog!

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Monday Devotional: Ephesians 1

Monday Devotional Ephesians 1
Last week we looked at Ephesians from a 30,000 foot level. As we read through this letter we see that Paul writes with two specific categories in mind. Paul starts Ephesians by laying out Doctrine, specifically the doctrine of salvation. He continues by unpacking duties, namely the duties of Christians within the context of home and church life. This week, we start to really jump into the content of this letter. Something that we should really consider as we study the scriptures is the use of repetition. Watch this weeks video as we unpack an important phrase utilized in Ephesians 1 and why it is important.

 

Next week:

1. Continue to pray before and after each time you read
2. Read Ephesians 2
Monday Devotional Ephesians 1

Joel

Joel loves theology and believes that the way we understand theology plays directly into how we live our lives as parents, husbands, wives, and ministry leaders. Joel has served as a youth pastor, worship pastor, and associate teaching pastor. Joel holds a B.A in Biblical Studies, an M.S in Organizational Psychology, and is currently finishing his Mdiv. Joel also works for Faithlife (makers of Logos Bible Software) and travels the world speaking at Christian conferences. Needless to say, Joel’s contribution to the blog will be theology focused!

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6 Ways To Get Kids To Engage During Church And A FREE Activity Page

6 Ways To Get Kids To Engage During Church

Many of us look at our children during church and think, “Why can’t you guys just sit still!?” Instead of sitting still, they squirm, wiggle, want to get water for the hundredth time, and loudly ask why no one is talking during prayer time. It’s easy to think they’re doing this because you’re a bad parent or your kids are bad kids. When in reality, kids are just squirmy and it’s simply a skill your family needs to work on.

Children’s attention spans vary drastically based on the individual and how old they are. There’s a rule of thumb that states a child’s attention span is their age plus one. For example, a three year old’s attention span is typically around four minutes.

Some of you might hear this and think, “That sounds about right. My kids can sit and engage for that long.” 

Others look at it and think, “You mean that in seconds right…?”

If you fit into the second group and your kids struggle to engage during church, don’t worry. It’s a skill they need to learn and I have 6 ways to help you.

Set Clear Guidelines Before Church

Setting clear expectations and guidelines is crucial for children. Regardless of age, they need to know what you want them to do and how you want them to behave.

On the way to church, talk as a family. Discuss what it should look like when your family goes into church, engages in worship, and/or listens to the message. After you set the stage for them, ask them to repeat it back to you. This helps you to know if they’re actually paying attention or if you’ve given them to many things to think about.

Keep age in mind when giving them your expectations. As younger kids, you need to give simple and clear guidelines. As they get older, you can add a little more.

Attention Fuels Undesired Behavior

When undesired behavior starts up, it’s easy to be embarrassed. You look around and don’t see other children acting this way and typically respond in one of two ways. You either start laughing or yelling.

The laughter isn’t always because it’s actually funny. Often times it’s because you don’t know what else to do. What happens when you laugh? Your kids think it’s actually funny and keep it going.

The other option is yelling. They do something naughty and you start quietly yelling. You know what I mean. The angry face, quiet (because you’re in church and can’t be loud) yell. Well, I hate to tell you, but have you ever heard of negative attention? It’s still attention. Giving attention to these behaviors encourages them to continue.

So what do you do?

As soon as your child starts to engage in inappropriate behavior, you need to remind them of the expectations. If they’re standing, point to the chair. If they’re talking, point to the stage where someone is talking. If they’re being loud, put your finger to your mouth.

If they continue, remove them from the situation. Take them to the lobby and remind them of the expectations. Removing them helps them understand you’re serious as well as make sure they are focusing with limited distractions.

Kids Need Practice

Practice makes perfect. Engaging during church is a skill. It’s the same for adults. We had to learn and are still learning how to have quiet time with God and listen during church. It takes time to learn those things. Kids are no different.

The more you go and the more you practice engaging in church as a family, the better they will become. It might mean you have to experience some rough Sundays before you can see the fruit from your hard work.

Don’t give up. Keep practicing every Sunday and throughout the week. One way you can practice at home is through structured activities. Have your kids sit at the table and work on a puzzle, read a story, color a coloring page, or listen to a story. All of this helps them to sit still for a certain amount of time and engage in an activity.

Start small. Experiment and see how long they can sit naturally. Start with that time. Then add a small amount. As soon as they master the new time, add more the following week.

Encourage Good Behavior

Encouragement is one of the most important parts of this process! Encourage your kids as they start to learn! They are going to be more willing and motivated if they feel you encouraging them and see how proud you are.

If you only focus on what they’re not doing, they’ll give up. Why would they want to keep going if they think they’re doing it all wrong.

Some kids will really struggle with this skill. That’s ok. FIND the successes. Even if it’s small and you’re just putting a positive spin on it. You WILL see the difference as you encourage your kids.

Encouragement breads success. Encourage your kids and they’ll want to try until they get it.
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Consider The WHY Behind The Behavior

There is always a reason behind your child’s behavior. If they’re talking and getting distracted during church, you need to help them focus. Their minds are running in different directions and need something to help them focus on the task at hand.

If they’re squirming in their seats, they might have to much energy they should have ran off before church.

Look at what your children are actually doing and try to find the reason behind it. It’s easy to just see the end result and focus on that, but it won’t change if you don’t focus on the actual root of the problem.

Redirect Their Attention Back To Church

You can do this by adding some sign language to worship songs. This helps them focus on the words to remember the sign and it makes it fun.

You can have them work on an activity sheet during the message. I’ve created an activity sheet just for you and your kids. It will help them to focus on parts of the message. When they go home, have them show you their sheet and ask them about it.

Children's Activity Sheet

Brittany

Brittany loves children and has always had a passion to teach them about Jesus and get them excited about the Gospel. She has had experience as the children’s director for the last six years. During which, she was responsible for the creation of the curriculum used in the children’s classes, the leadership of ministry volunteers, and the discipleship of parents and children. Brittany will be responsible for everything KIDS on the blog!

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Should We Encourage Our Kids To Memorize The Bible?

Should We Encourage Our Kids To Memorize The Bible

Children are little sponges.

They soak up everything. As children, they’re trying to figure out this big world around them. They try to understand it by watching and listening everyone and everything. Whether you are intending for your children to be learning something or not, the truth is they ALWAYS ARE. They will pick up the music on the radio, the lines from a movie you’re watching, the attitude you have towards your wife or husband… They’re always learning. This is the time to be intentional and fill their little minds rock solid truth.
Did you know that the most foundational time for a child’s brain is from birth to three years old? During this time, their brains are developing and hard wiring. Which means… it’s the PERFECT time to teach them bible verses. It may just be words they are memorizing now, but as they grow it will become rock solid truth they use to help them make decisions, face big situations, and understand who God is.

Why Should We Be Encouraging Our Kids To Memorize God’s Truth?

There has always been controversy around memorization. I’ve been one of the parents to think, “Why are you making my kids memorize things they don’t understand.” As my kids get older, I’m seeing the benefits of it!
We have been working on memorizing bible verses and catechisms with our children for a few years now. We’ve talked about what they mean to our kids, but at their ages were only able to grasp a small surface meaning of them. As they grow and continue to keep it locked in their brains, they’re starting to unpack it a little more each day. They start to ask questions and try to figure out what God is saying in the verses.
Out of everything your children could be filling their heads with, the bible should definitely be what you choose. By encouraging your children to memorize you’re encouraging them seek after God, start building their theological foundation, and have foundational truths to stand on during every season of their lives.
Today, I encourage you to start memorizing the bible as a family. Choose one verse a week and go for it. Make it fun for your kids. There are so many ways to help your kids memorize the bible.

3 Ways To Teach Your Kids The Bible

1. Pick up some CD’s for the car.  When you add some music to the verse, you’ll find your whole family singing it around the house!
2. Set up a reward system. Go to the dollar store and pick up some poster board. Create a column for everyone participating and columns next to it for the verses. Every time your kids memorize a verse, put up a sticker. Make a HUGE deal about it and encourage them for working hard. Once they get a set amount or verses or the whole family memorizes their verse, give them something special. You can take them out for ice cream, go to the park, let them choose a prize, etc. Once they start to memorize more frequently you can have them earn something for x amount of verses memorized.
3. Add in sign language! Kids are physical, hands on learners. Teach them their verse by getting them moving. There are so many websites out there that teach sign language and it would be a fun thing to learn as a family!

Bible Verses To Memorize With Your Kids

Here are a few verses to get you all started!

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 5:8 But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Psalm 119:11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
Isaiah 26:3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
Psalm 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Psalm 118:24 This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 145:9 -The LORD is good to all.
Philippians 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Colossians 3:2 – Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Hebrews 13:8 – Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Colossians 3:20 – Children, obey your parents in all things.
Psalm 118:24 – This is the day the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 119:105 – Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Brittany

Brittany loves children and has always had a passion to teach them about Jesus and get them excited about the Gospel. She has had experience as the children’s director for the last six years. During which, she was responsible for the creation of the curriculum used in the children’s classes, the leadership of ministry volunteers, and the discipleship of parents and children. Brittany will be responsible for everything KIDS on the blog!

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Reading The Bible With the Hero in Mind

Reading The Bible With The Hero In Mind

I love sitting on the couch with a hot cup of coffee and diving into a brand new book. It’s not long before my mind is captured by the key elements of the story line including the hero, villain, and almost always an insurmountable problem that must be solved. When it comes to reading the Bible we find ourselves in a somewhat similar position. As we read through the stories of Moses, Ruth, Joseph, David, Esther, and even Samson, we find ourselves captured by the bravery and might of these incredible men and women of God. This is where things can get very dangerous because it can be incredibly easy to stop with the conclusion that we need to be more like them! The danger is that as we read the Bible, we are not meant to read it as if these figures are the hero. Rather, we are meant to see them as a reflection of the greatest hero, Jesus.

How Should We Read The Bible?

It’s easy for us to go through the motions when reading the Bible. One of the most important things we need to keep in mind as we study the scriptures is that Jesus is the point of the story. Every book, chapter, sentence, and word of the Bible leads us to the glorious arrival of Christ, his victory over sin and death, and his promise to return. So when we read the Bible and the various men and women throughout the pages of scripture, we always need to ask the question, “How does this point me to Jesus”? As we ask this question we will find that our understanding of the scriptures begins to come alive and relate to us in a powerful way.

Seeking Christ in Every Scripture Trains Our Mind

The practice of seeing and unpacking how Christ is being exalted and referred to in the scriptures trains our mind to see Christ as both sufficient and satisfying. While there are great principles to learn from figures such as Joseph, we also need to realize that they have their own epic failures. For instance, for all the good that Joseph did for the people of Israel, It’s interesting to see Joseph neglect grace to the Egyptians in the midst of the famine, and rather enslaves them to Pharaoh in order to pay off their debt for the grain that they need to survive. Needless to say, it’s not hard to imagine why the Egyptians grew to hate the Israelites and in turn enslaved them. Jesus on the other hand extends ultimate grace asking God the Father to forgive the people for they do not know what they do as he is hanging and dying on the cross. While Joseph enslaves a group of people that are not his own, Christ forgives and redeems all people. Jesus, is simply better. This training of our mind causes us to see Christ clearly in all of scripture and in turn helps us to grow in our affections for Jesus and be continually drawn into His goodness.

Steps To Seeing Christ In Every Bible Story

Sometimes It can be hard to change something that we have been doing for a long time. Some of us have been reading the Bible the same way for as long as we can remember. The following are some steps you can take to intentionally read the Bible and focus on Christ.

  1. Read the entire story in one sitting

  2. Re-read the story and write down the major points, issues, and questions that you may have

  3. Pray – Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the depth of Christ’s Word to you and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal Christ

  4. Identify areas in the story where there is success and failures

  5. Ask the following question – How Is Jesus better?

  6. Pray – Thank Jesus for his love, sacrifice, and his goodness

 

 

Joel

Joel loves theology and believes that the way we understand theology plays directly into how we live our lives as parents, husbands, wives, and ministry leaders. Joel has served as a youth pastor, worship pastor, and associate teaching pastor. Joel holds a B.A in Biblical Studies, an M.S in Organizational Psychology, and is currently finishing his Mdiv. Joel also works for Faithlife (makers of Logos Bible Software) and travels the world speaking at Christian conferences. Needless to say, Joel’s contribution to the blog will be theology focused!

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