Leading Kids to Jesus

After eighteen months, my calling and mission has not changed. But God is giving me a new team with which to do it. One week from today, I will start my new role as the Director of Content Development at KidZ at Heart International.

To you, the Facebook followers of Leading Kids to Jesus, this means that you will no longer receive posts and links from me here. The company and its page will disappear by the end of the month.

But I hope you will consider following me and my new friends at KidZ at Heart International, whether here on Facebook or at their website - www.kidzatheart.org

I am SO grateful to all of you who have liked and shared my posts over these past eighteen months, and I pray my words have been a blessing to you and the kids in your life and ministry. And if you would like to read more about my journey into this new position, you can click the link below...

Something New... Eighteen months ago, I launched Leading Kids to Jesus. I did it because I felt called to create materials that would help children get to know Jesus rather than simply know about him. I wanted to show them the wonder of the Word and engage them in listening to it. I wanted to encourage them to creat...

Writing down God's Word helps us remember it. When we do it, the words we write on paper are also written in our hearts and in our minds. And, when we see the words we have written, we remember once again with our eyes.

Here are some ways you can help the kids in your life and ministry embrace these words from Deuteronomy in their daily lives...

Verse Images - Have kids write down a verse and create their own art around it. Then, have them hang it somewhere they will see it repeatedly.

Sticky Notes - Encourage kids to jot down verses on sticky notes and out them on the frame of their bedroom door. Or, write the verses for them, stick them around your ministry classroom door, and have them each grab one to read when they come...or when they leave!

Fridge magnets- Create custom refrigerator magnets with a Bible verse you want kids to focus on for a few weeks. Partner with parents to see that it ends up on the fridge at home where they can see it often. Or, provide plain magnets and have the kids write the verse on simple cards.

A new series of 4Kids Devotions on Praising God begins with this one...check it out!

The Praises of Children Before Jesus died on the cross, he entered the city of Jerusalem riding a donkey. Crowds gathered along the road and cheered for him. Jesus went straight to the Temple, the place where people went to praise God. And as he healed people who were sick, people started cheering for him again. Some of th...

As we care for the kids in our ministries, are we noticing their God-given gifts and inviting children to use their gifts to serve the family of God? Kids don't have to "wait and grow up" to share these gifts with others and serve Him. We can encourage them to be stewards of God's grace to them today! ❤️

"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10

Looking for fresh resources to disciple the kids in your life and ministry but don't have a lot to spend? Right now, you can get 40% off any resource from Leading Kids to Jesus...but only for a few more days!!

www.leadingkidstojesus.org

40% OFF until 7/31 Don't forget...you can try any resource from Leading Kids to Jesus at 40% off through the end of this week!! Coupon Code SUMMER Coupon valid from 7/13/21 to 7/31/21

Get ready to make disciples this fall with resources from Leading Kids to Jesus! And, for one more week, get 40% off everything you'd like to try with the code SUMMER!

www.leadingkidstojesus.org

Coupon expires July 31, 2021

The Jonah Series concludes this week with a look at Jonah's struggle to show mercy...

Mercy Have you ever wanted to see someone get what they deserve? Maybe your sister ruined your art project on purpose. Or maybe a kid in your class at school told a big fat lie about your best friend. When people around us do bad things, we usually want to see them punished for it. But God isn't like that...

Looking for some new discipleship resources as you plan for fall ministry? Leading Kids to Jesus is offering 40% off ALL products now through the end of July so it is easy and affordable to try them out! Just use coupon code SUMMER!

Summer Sale As summer melts away and a new school year approaches, it's a great time to think about ways to bring discipleship to the forefront in your ministry. Leading Kids to Jesus is here to help with resources to help kids grow closer to Jesus and walk with him through their everyday lives. To make it even...

God never runs out of second chances. His generous mercy is something every child should know. Share it with the ones in your life and ministry with this week's 4KidsDevotion from Leading Kids to Jesus!

A Second Chance God told Jonah to go to Nineveh. He didn't want to go, so he ran away. God followed him and saved him from drowning. And then, Jonah finally went to Nineveh, just like God wanted. You see, God wanted to give the people of Nineveh a second chance. He wanted to remind them that they were doing lots of...

The story of Jonah is worth a good, long look. Help the kids in your life and ministry see the story of the whole Bible reflected in this one, short book with the Jonah series from Leading Kids to Jesus.

The Fish Jonah spent three days and three nights inside a big fish. The smell would have been awful. He would have been surrounded by all kinds of disgusting things. But Jonah was grateful to be inside that fish. When Jonah was there, he prayed this prayer... I cried out to the LORD in my great trouble, and....

This week, we begin a new series of 4Kids Devotions based on the book of Jonah. Check out this first installment and share it with the kids in your life and ministry!

What God Can Do God wants us to obey him. But, he doesn't really need us to obey. He can do what he wants to do with or without our help. Sometimes, he even uses our disobedience to do something amazing. How do I know this? Well, that's what happened with Jonah. God called Jonah to go to Nineveh... But Jonah got up...

Here is the final installment in the Following Jesus series. Read and share it with the kids in your life and ministry!

Follow the Leader The Bible tells us about some people who wanted to follow Jesus, but they couldn't quite bring themselves to do it. For some, the problem was the uncertainty. After all, Jesus tells us that "Foxes have dens to life in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head." Luke...

Rhythms are naturally different for most families in the summer, so it is a great time to try something new in your ministry. Leading Kids to Jesus is here to help with free online devotions you can try as well as print and digital devotionals you can use over several weeks. Introduce your kids to everyday discipleship this summer with resources from Leading Kids to Jesus!

http://www.leadingkidstojesus.org

What kind of people did Jesus call to follow him? Every kind! Read more about it in this week's 4Kids Devotion from Leading Kids to Jesus!

Every Kind Jesus called different kinds of people to follow him. His disciples might seem similar because they were all young, Jewish men. But they came from different backgrounds and had different kinds of jobs. Peter and Andrew were fishermen, which means they did not have a lot of money. But Matthew was a t...

This week's 4Kids Devotion continues a series on answering the call of Jesus to follow him and be his disciples. Check it out...and don't forget to like and share the link!

All You Need When you get ready to do something, you find the things you need to do it. If you are going to go hiking, you put on your shoes and fill up a water bottle. If you are going to go swimming, you put on a swimsuit and grab a towel. And if you are going to go on vacation, you pack a suitcase with all ki...

Jesus needed more workers to build his Kingdom, and he knew the best way to get them. Find out in this week's 4Kids Devotion!

More Workers The bigger the job, the more people you need to do it. If you are building a playhouse, you probably need two or three people. If you are building a regular house, you need more. And if you are building a whole neighborhood, you need even more. When Jesus came to earth, he was building something, to...

Thanks to Luz Figueroa for reaching out and inviting me to share three articles on everyday discipleship in Entreninos magazine! The first one, READ, is available now in Issue 32. You can download and read the complete issue from their website!

https://entreninos.com/?fbclid=IwAR3m15LxDuUObR6Q0ev_Qj8hqXIBw11xR9w6-aB88szez7gIHeilOMlG0KE

This week's 4Kids Devotion unpacks the way Jesus called his first disciples. Check it out and share it with the kids in your life and ministry!

Simple, Not Easy People often use the words simple and easy as though they mean the same thing. But really, they are different. Simple means not complicated. Easy means not requiring much effort or sacrifice. When Jesus called his first disciples, his instructions were simple... One day as Jesus was walking along th...

We are often told to believe in ourselves. But God tells us to believe in Him. Share this message about how God works through our weaknesses with the kids in your life and ministry!

Weakness What is your weakness? Is math really hard for you? Do you miss most of the baskets you shoot? Do you struggle to make new friends? Everyone has weaknesses. That might seem like a bad thing. But God has given you weaknesses so that the people around you can see his strength. What does that mean? Wel...

Leading Kids to Jesus has expanded its digital product offerings! ALL printed devotionals are now also available as digital downloads! AND, song sheets from the Follow Music Collection are also available as individual downloads!

Digital Devotionals for a single user are just $2.99! Song Sheet Downloads are just $.99!

Printed Devotionals are also now just $6.99! And for the rest of this month (or until stock runs out), you will also receive a FREE bonus gift with ANY purchase of a printed resource!

Shop today!

http://www.leadingkidstojesus.org

This week's 4Kids Devotion wraps up the series on the Faith of a Child with a look at a young boy who gave a small gift to the right person. Share this devotion or the entire series with the kids in your life and ministry!

The Generosity of a Child The Bible tells us about a time when Jesus fed people...LOTS of people. He did it with two fish and five loaves of bread. But how did Jesus get those two fish and five loaves of bread? The Gospel of John tells us: they belonged to a young boy in the crowd. Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people comin...

The Bible does not tell us her name, but it does tell us the story of a young girl with the kind of faith needed to love and forgive her enemy. Share this 4Kids Devotion with the kids in your life and ministry so they can know how God can use the forgiveness of a child!

The Forgiveness of a Child It isn't easy to love and forgive someone who has hurt you. But faith makes it possible. And we see this in the story of a young girl in the Bible who loved and forgave someone who hurt her. At one point in the history of God's people, the nation of Aram invaded the nation of Israel. During the inva...

Are you looking for something beyond a craft to do with kids this Mother's Day? If so, you can download a FREE devotion for the occasion from Leading Kids to Jesus! Based on Matthew 1:1-17, the devotion shares the stories of the five women Matthew mentions in his genealogy of Jesus: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary. It also includes a way for them to respond creatively to these stories and encourages them to learn the stories of their own mothers and grandmothers so they can see God at work in their lives, too. Download your copy today...it's FREE!

http://www.leadingkidstojesus.org

This week's 4Kids Devotion looks at how David shows us the humility of a child. Check it out!

The Humility of a Child Many people have heard the story of David and Goliath. Maybe you have heard it, too. Maybe you have heard about a young boy named David who took down a mighty giant named Goliath with just a sling and a stone. But the truth is, David needed much more than a sling and a stone that day. He needed God....

Scripture tells us the God created us in his image...he created us to be like him. And since he is the creator, it makes sense that we are creative. Open-ended creative activities encourage kids to express their thoughts and ideas in their own voices. So let them pray in their own words. Let them draw or paint after reading scripture. Let them write a song, a poem, or a story that grows out of their faith. Let them share their creativity with the one who gave it to them.

This week's 4Kids Devotion continues to look at the faith of children in scripture through the story of Samuel and his willingness to serve God. Read it and share it with the kids in your life and ministry!

The Willingness of a Child In the Bible, we can read about a boy named Samuel who was sleeping when he heard someone calling his name. So, he went to a man named Eli who was in charge of him. (Eli was kind of like an uncle and a teacher to Eli at this point in his life...) Eli had not called him, so he told Samuel to go back....

If you are a parent like me, you probably spend a fair amount of time in the car with your kids. This can be a great opportunity for discipleship. You can fill their minds (and yours!) with things that are excellent and worthy of praise by choosing music and radio stations that speak truth and remind us of God's presence. All it takes is a little intentionality.

This week, we continue to look at the faith of children in the Bible through the story of Miriam...

The Boldness of a Child Have you ever asked for something that seemed impossible? Have you ever had the courage to talk to someone instead of just walking away? Have you ever done something brave? Miriam did all these things. When she was still a child, she watched her mother put her little brother Moses into a basket and....

This week, I am starting a new series of 4Kids devotions focused on how children in the Bible show their faith. This week, we look at Isaac's amazing trust in God.

How can you share this with kids in your ministry?

You can share it to your ministry page or parent group...
You can read it with kids you see in your ministry this week...
You can even send a link to download the WIX app for Leading Kids to Jesus so older kids can read them on their own!

The Trust of a Child Isaac was the son of Abraham. Abraham had waited...and waited...and waited for Isaac to be born. So when Isaac finally arrived, Abraham was VERY happy. But God was not done with the story. A few years later, when Isaac was bigger but still a kid, God asked Abraham to do something really strange and....

Let us run like the women from the tomb today, filled with joy and excitement to share the good news that Jesus is alive! Hallelujah!

INCM recently shared data it has collected regarding the concerns and needs of children's pastors as they continue to navigate their ministries in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among their findings is a need for adaptable resources...

"When it comes to resources, leadings are looking for adaptable options that account for social distancing in person, and can translate to an online environment. There is a growing desire and expectation for resources to be transferable from an online environment to a physical environment." INCM, Quarterly Learnings, Spring 2021

Friends in ministry, I see this need. I saw it a year ago when the pandemic began. It was among the reasons I started Leading Kids to Jesus.

If you feel ill-equipped with your current resources, if you feel worn down from too much adapting, or if you simply want to try something different...

Check out Leading Kids to Jesus. I have digital devotions that are free and ready to share online or in person. I have printed devotions and downloadable discipleship guides you can send to families to use and home and discuss online, share with kids meeting in person, or BOTH! I have music you can use anytime, anywhere. And, I have ideas for how to use these resources no matter what your ministry looks like right now.

Visit http://www.leadingkidstojesus.org today and please reach out to me with any questions you might have. I am here to resource you, and I would love to help!

Leading Kids to Jesus / Everyday Discipleship Leading Kids to Jesus provides devotions, music, and related resources for Everyday Discipleship.

Share this with the kids in your life and ministry this Holy Week and encourage them to believe!

Believe! If you read the Easter story in each of the Gospels, you will find different reactions to the empty tomb. Mary Magdalene is scared and confused at first. Then, she is overwhelmed with joy. Peter, showing his usual enthusiasm, runs right into the tomb. John (who is "the other disciple" described in t...

Did you know that Matthew, Mark, and Luke all tell us that the curtain of the temple was torn in two when Jesus died? As we approach Holy Week, take time to share the significance of this detail in the Easter story with the kids in your life and ministry!

The Curtain A long time ago, a man named Solomon built a temple where people could worship God. Solomon's temple was big and beautiful, but what made it truly special was that it included the Most Holy Place - a place just for God. And to divide this Most Holy Place from the rest of the temple, Solomon used a c...

This week's 4Kids Devotion is all about faith. I hope you will share it with the kids in your life and ministry this week!

And if you are looking for specific ways to use these devotions and other resources from Leading Kids to Jesus in your ministry, please join me tomorrow, Tuesday 3/16 at 12:00 pm EDT right here on Facebook! Please like and share with anyone who might be interested!

Faith The Gospel of Luke tells us about two other men who were crucified with Jesus... One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, "So you're the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself - and us, too, while you're at it!" But the other criminal protested, "Don't you fear God even when you have....

This week's 4Kids Devotion looks at how Jesus submitted to those who were not in authority over them...and why. Share it with the kids in your life and ministry this week!

Submit Do you know that moment in the story of Easter when Jesus is on the cross and people are making fun of him? The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. "Ha! Look at you now!" they yelled at him. "You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Wel...

The latest devotional from Leading Kids to Jesus will be available soon!

Coming Soon… Jesus: The Shepherd & The Lamb

This month, my 4Kids Devotions will get kids thinking about the pain of the cross and the joy of the resurrection as we continue through Lent and move toward Easter. This week, we look at the importance of trusting God and moving forward when bad things happen. Read and share the devotion and activities with the kids in your life and ministry!

When Bad Things Happen Have you ever dropped something and broke it, and you just want to go back a few seconds and NOT drop it? Or, have you ever hurt yourself, and you wish you could go back and NOT do that trick on your bike? Or, maybe you have had a friend turn against you, and you just want to go back a few days or w...

Wrapping up a month of 4Kids Devotions on love with this...

With All Your Heart When you see a heart, you know it means love. A heart emoji in a text means someone loves the words you have shared. A heart-shaped card means someone loves you and wants to tell you. We all recognize what a heart shape means...but why use a heart? Well, many generations ago, people believed that th...

40 is a significant number that appears throughout scripture. It is the reason Lent lasts for 40 days. So, the Lenten discipleship plan at Leading Kids to Jesus takes kids through seven (another significant number in scripture) passages where we see something happen for 40 days...or 40 years. This week’s reading is from Genesis 7, where it rains for 40 days and 40 nights while Noah is in the Ark. To remember these 40 days of rain, kids can create their own Raindrop Art...a watercolor painting with 40 drops of rain. And then, they can reflect on how God creates all our weather, from the snow many of us are seeing now at the beginning of Lent to the sunshine and rain that await as spring and Easter draw near.

Access the FREE seven week plan anytime!
http://www.leadingkidstojesus.org/lent

The season known as Lent begins this week. In some ways, it is a season much like Advent, when we wait with anticipation for what we know is coming, to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord. But it is also a season when we remember everything that preceded the resurrection, including our own sin and the suffering Jesus faced because of it.

Lent can be a formative time in the spiritual life of a child. It certainly was for me. So, I have created a temporary page on the Leading Kids to Jesus website filled with everyday discipleship ideas for the 40 days of Lent.

The READ passages point kids to the significance of 40 days in scripture.
The MAKE activities encourage kids to respond to these passages.
The TAKE actions equip kids to focus on Jesus through the season.

Take a peek. I hope you will find the ideas worth sharing with the kids in your life and ministry this season. And please share the link with other ministry leaders, parents, and anyone leading kids to Jesus!


https://www.leadingkidstojesus.org/lent

Lent | LeadingKidstoJesus Everyday Discipleship Ideas for Lent!