Newsletter Issue #3  --  January 31, 2019  

Preparation: Copy a picture* and then cut it into "puzzle" pieces so that each child in class will have a piece of the picture. (You might also print a copy of the same picture, but do not cut it up.)

Distribute one picture piece to each child. Ask them to describe their piece. Tell them it is part of a bigger picture. Ask them to imagine what the completed picture looks like. Allow them to compare their pieces, but not fit them together just yet.

Today's Be-Attitude is, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted" Matthew 5:4 (NIV). The Bible also tells us that ". . . all things work together for good to them that love God. . . " Romans 8:28 (KJV). 

Discussion: How do you suppose these two Scriptures make sense in our lives? How can good possibly come from sad events--mourning--in our lives? (Receive answers.)

Read with expression, John 11:1-45, from a child-friendly Bible.

Discussion: Mary and Martha didn't have the full picture of what Jesus was doing. Like the puzzle pieces you are holding that are part of a bigger picture, the sisters only saw a small part of a bigger story--their brother was dead! Why didn't Jesus come to help them? They thought, if . . . Continue reading It's a Puzzle--Blessed are those who mourn.