Beyond Plastic Eggs

Lisa Edwards • Apr 07, 2022

If your kids are anything like mine, it is probably not that hard to get them excited about Easter. We get to run around the yard on a treasure hunt to find tons of tiny, colorful plastic eggs that are filled with CANDY?? Yes please! The anticipation of the impending mad dash seems to sometimes rival that of Christmas morning.


But what if we could get them excited about an even better prize, a treasure that is stored up for them in Heaven, that lasts forever? 


Here are a few resources that have been a blessing to our family as we have tried to direct our children’s focus to Jesus during the Easter season, and all year long.



Family Movie Nights


One of our family’s favorite things to do together is to have Family Movie Nights. Throw in some popcorn and big, comfy blankets and you’ve got a family activity that kids of all ages will be excited about! 


If you’re looking for an option to make Family Movie Night more Easter-focused in the coming weeks, check out “What’s In the Bible?” with Buck Denver. As I watch this show with my kids, I find that not only is it wonderfully entertaining, but I also learn so much about Scripture right alongside them. Made by the creator of VeggieTales, Phil Vischer, “What’s In the Bible?” is an awesome resource for helping kids (and adults!) to develop a deeper understanding of how the whole of Scripture works together to point to Jesus and the gospel message. The entire series is currently available to stream on RightNow Media, and I would highly encourage you to make a plan to watch the whole thing with your family from start to finish. To fulfill the purposes of a Passion Week movie night, however, skip right to Vol. 10, which focuses on the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and is a phenomenal way to help explain the significance of both Good Friday and Easter.




Easter Calendar


If your kids love doing Advent calendars at Christmastime, then check out this Easter version designed to countdown 15 days until Easter morning (starting one week before Palm Sunday). Not only does this include the calendar, but it also comes with a family devotion that is designed to take children through the Bible, from Creation to Revelation, asking questions that help them learn how to read the Bible for themselves. The devotion is filled with questions that are easily accessible for young children, but act as jumping off points for deeper discussions with older kids, as well as extra, more thought-provoking points to dive into with teens. These short, 10-minute devotionals are a great way to either introduce or reinforce the habit of carving out family time in the Word every day; try opening it around the dinner table or before bedtime. Let it act as a sweet resolution to your day, to be reminded of the truth of God’s Word amongst the comfort and love of your family.




Books


I always appreciate books that my littlest ones can take to bed with them without fear of finding ripped pages the next day, which is why I have a particular fondness for board books. One of my favorites to send my kids to bed with is “The Gospel”. One in a series of minimalistic board books aimed at young children, this book breaks down the good news of Jesus into a simple presentation, one word at a time. It provides a gentle, yet deep and accurate approach to the truth of the Gospel and presents it in a way that even very young children can begin to understand. If you’re not sure how to start talking to your preschoolers about the deep truths of the Gospel, this is an excellent tool to help you get the conversations started.




Easter Sunday is the celebration of the greatest victory, the greatest gift, the greatest treasure the world has ever known! It’s easy enough for us to get distracted by the temporal things of this world, let alone our children, and to forget the good news that we are celebrating. How much more satisfying is it when we look to Christ who holds our salvation in His nail-pierced hands, hands that are extended out towards us! That is our cause for celebration on Easter Sunday, and all year long. May these resources be a blessing to your family as you remember and celebrate the end of death and the beginning of new life this Easter.



This article was originally published in our Spring 2022 2:42 Connection.

Jesus is Much More Better

15 May, 2024
Notes from Lance Shumake's sermon on Sunday, May 12, 2024. Sermon text: Romans 5:12-21 Adam ruined it for everyone —sin came into the world through Adam —death came into the world through sin —death spread to all men because all sinned “God has always dealt with mankind through a head and representative. The whole story of the human race can be summed up in terms of what has happened because of Adam, and what has happened and will yet happen because of Christ.” —Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Jesus is the true and better Adam “Cranfield explains, ‘That one single misdeed should be answered by judgment, this is perfectly understandable: that the accumulated sins and guilt of all the ages should be answered by God’s free gift, this is the miracle of miracles, utterly beyond human comprehension.’ The final word from God could have been “Condemned, on the basis of many trespasses.” Instead, it is “Justified, through the gift of Jesus’ righteousness.” That is why Paul declares that the gift is “much more” or “much better” than the result of Adam’s trespass.” —Daniel M. Doriani, Romans Through Jesus grace abounds and grace reigns Discipleship Questions: What are some reasons we might not like the idea that we all sinned when Adam sinned? What can help us embrace the idea that we all sinned when Adam sinned? How does that idea set us up for the good news about Jesus and what He accomplished? How does the truth from this passage build our assurance of our salvation? In what ways is what Jesus did much more powerful and better than what Adam brought us? How have you experienced the reign of grace in your life despite the reign of sin and death in the world? How can we experience the reign of grace through Jesus in everyday life?

No Fear of Judgment

08 May, 2024
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, May 5, 2024. Sermon text: Romans 5:6-11 God has already done the work needed to save us He took the initiative “God has addressed the cause of the offense… Although he is the offended party, God has removed the offense. God has extended “the olive branch.” -Jay Smith He justified us He reconciled us Reconciliation is an objective event that God accomplished by removing the barrier of sin that separated himself from humanity. This result is independent of humanity’s response although it formed the basis for an individual’s subjective appropriation.” Jay Smith Appropriate: “To set apart for or assign to a particular recipient.” Christians need not fear judgment day 2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. Discipleship Questions: How does it change your outlook on life to know that you have peace with God? In what ways have you experienced the greatness of access to God’s grace? How does future certainty bring us lasting hope? Describe a time when you experienced joy in the midst of suffering. How has God used suffering to grow your faith and mature you? What are some ways you have experienced God’s love being poured into your heart?

The Joy of Justification

29 Apr, 2024
Notes from Lance Shumake's sermon on Sunday, April 28, 2024. Sermon text: Romans 5:1-5 We find joy in the blessings brought by justification —peace with God —access to God’s grace Hebrews 4:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. —hope of the glory of God “Christian hope is not uncertain, like our ordinary everyday hopes about the weather or our health; it is a joyful and confident expectation which rests on the promises of God, as we saw in the case of Abraham. And the object of our hope is the glory of God (2), namely his radiant splendor which will in the end be fully displayed. —John R. W. Stott, The Message of Romans We can even find joy in our sufferings “Various kinds of sufferings will come to us, but we can rejoice in them when we recognize that they serve a purpose: to develop our Christian character. In verses 3b–4 Paul shows how a godly response to suffering can initiate a series of virtues, culminating, strikingly, in hope. Note, however, that Paul is not saying that we should rejoice because of suffering. Evil things are still just that—evil—and we never should be happy about them. But by looking beyond the suffering to its divinely intended end, we still can rejoice in the midst of them.” —Douglas J. Moo, Encountering the Book of Romans —suffering produces endurance “ We know this, especially from the experience of God’s people in every generation. Suffering produces perseverance ( hypomonē , endurance). We could not learn endurance without suffering, because without suffering there would be nothing to endure.” —John R. W. Stott, The Message of Romans —endurance builds character —character gives us confident hope Discipleship Questions: How does it change your outlook on life to know that you have peace with God? In what ways have you experienced the greatness of access to God’s grace? How does future certainty bring us lasting hope? Describe a time when you experienced joy in the midst of suffering. How has God used suffering to grow your faith and mature you? What are some ways you have experienced God’s love being poured into your heart?
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