Lesson 4: The Resurrection Race (John 20:1-10, 19-21)

When was the last time you just ran, full speed, flat out with no regard for how you looked or who was watching? Why were you running? Were you afraid? Excited? Full of joy?

In John's gospel, we find people running back and forth from Jesus' tomb, as they discover His body is missing.  Why do you think they were running? Were they afraid? Excited? Full of joy?  The Bible doesn't tell us what was going on in their heads during this tumultuous event. They didn't know if Jesus' body had been stolen by the soldiers who put Him to death, or if He had indeed risen from the dead.

Among the people running back and forth was Mary Magdelene and the apostle Peter, one of Jesus' disciples. Before Mary Magdelene had been a follower of Jesus, she was a dwelling place for seven demons. Imagine life under the control of seven demons! She lived in fear, pain, chaos, guilt, and shame.  Then, one day, Jesus walked into her life and drove those demons out. In a moment, He showed that He was able to save mankind from the power of the devil. She left her old life behind, followed Jesus, and became one of His most faithful subjects. How would she feel standing outside the empty tomb?  Could it be? Has the One who delivered her from the control of the devil now, Himself, been delivered from death?

Peter, "the rock", was a loyal follower of Jesus, but when Jesus was arrested a few days earlier, Peter three times denied even knowing Him. Peter never had a chance to apologize to Jesus for this sin, or to hear His Words of forgiveness, before Jesus was taken away and crucified.  But now, in the early hours of the morning, Jesus' tomb is empty. Could Peter believe that Jesus really conquered death and the devil, and is now alive again?  Can you believe it?

We don't know what thoughts were going through Mary's and Peter's minds as they raced back and forth from the empty tomb. But we do know what the empty tomb meant for their lives, and what it means for ours:  we are saved! Jesus rose to save us from sin, death, and the power of the devil, and to give us hope of eternal life.

Take Home Point:

Jesus rose from the dead to save us.

Bible Memory Verse:

"The Lord has risen indeed."
                                               Luke 24:34

Fun Fact

• Cheetahs are the fastest land animal, and can run over 200km/h! It has the ability to accelerate from 0 to 103 km/h (64 mph) in three seconds, faster than most super cars. (Wiki Answers)

Flash the Cheetah

Lesson 3: Mighty Mountain Mission (Matthew 5:14-15, John 8:12)

"You are the light of the world," Jesus says to His followers. He does not say, "You will be ...", or "You could be ...", or "You ought to be ...", but you ARE.  To be disciples of Jesus is to be a light for others.  He makes us light and the light has a purpose:  to "shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

In these powerful words of Scripture, Jesus lays out our identity and our calling. Simply put, through Jesus Christ, we are the light of the world.  But we are not a light on our own. We merely reflect the light of Christ's glory since He is the one true Light (John 8:12).

In His death and resurrection, Jesus destroyed the darkness of sin and death, replacing it with the light of hope and promise for anyone who would receive Him in faith. Ordinary people can live extraordinary lives because of the power of God's Word working in and through them.


Take Home Point:

Jesus is the light of life that we share with others.

Bible Memory Verse:

"You are the light of the world ... Let your light shine before others."
                                                                                                                  Matthew 5:14-16


Fun Fact:

• The remote home of the Mountain Gorilla can be difficult to discover. Even though Jesus is the Light of life that we share with others, we sometimes have difficulty sharing it with others.

Bobo the Mountain Gorilla

Lesson 2: Rockin' Red Sea Rescue (Exodus 14:10-29)

After escaping from Pharaoh's rule by God's mighty hand, the Israealites suddenly find themselves as the focus of a heated pursuit. With Pharaoh and his army fast approaching, and the great Red Sea ahead of them, they are quickly running out of real estate. 

Although they are losing hope and have a tentative grasp on their faith in God's ability to help them, they call out to Him in fear and terror. How quickly they'd forgotten all that the Lord had done to free them from Pharaoh's grasp: the ten plagues of Egypt.  If we put ourselves in their sandals, we can understand their dilemma: a huge sea on one side and a charging army on the other. They had no place to go. Fear and despair can often lead us to lose sight of God and loosen our faith in His power.

Fortunately, Moses brings the people God's word to "stand firm" and "see the salvation of the Lord". Moses' strong faith saves the Israelites, as he parts the Red Sea bringing them safely along dry ground to the other shore. When God gives the word again, Moses stretches out his hand and returns the Red Sea to it's place, destroying Pharaoh's army. 

The Israelites found themselves in a hopeless situation where death seemed imminent. But nothing is impossible to God who, in spite their doubts, gives them His promise to rescue them and bring them safely out of harms way. We also live in a world where we are pursued by a powerful enemy: Satan, and because of sin, death is always nearby. But the same God who loved and rescued the Israelites then loves us today and sent His Son, Jesus, to conquer death and the power of the devil. Jesus paid the price for our sins, so we can have eternal life with Him.


Take Home Point:

Jesus rescues us from our enemies -- sin, death, and the devil.

Bible Memory Verse:

"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer."

                                                                                                        Psalm 18:2

Fun Fact:

• Just as the Israelites walked along the ground through the Red Sea, hippos are able to sink in a body of water and run along the bottom.

Humphrey the Hippo

Lesson 1: Big Basket Beginnings (Exodus 2:1-10)

The population of the enslaved Hebrew people continued to grow and grow, and Pharaoh was concerned they would rise up against Egyptian rule. So Pharaoh issued a terrible edict: all newborn male Hebrew children should be killed, to stunt the growth of their population.  At this time, a baby named Moses was born. This story will show how God protected Moses and rescued him from Pharaoh's fateful edict and, in turn, how Moses became the protector and rescuer of all of the oppressed Hebrew people in Egypt. You can find the story in Exodus 2:1-10.

God's hand can be seen throughout young Moses' life:  in his conception and ancestry, in the events of his life, and finally in the emancipation of his people from enslavement. This amazing account of Moses' life is a testament to God's role as the unspoken protector and provider of His people. This message applies not just to Moses' time, but also to us today. As God sent Moses to protect and rescue the Hebrews from Egypt's rule, so He has sent his Son, Jesus, to rescue us, His people, from sin and death. 


Take Home Point:

God takes care of us through Jesus, our Savior.

Bible Memory Verse:

"[Cast] all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you."

1 Peter 5:7



Fun Facts:

• The name "Moses" means "rescued from the water" because he was found in the reeds and taken in by Pharaoh's daughter. How ironic that it is Moses who leads God's people safety through the waters of the Red Sea!
• Just as Moses' mother hid him in the reeds, the Ugandan Kob uses the reeds for cover when sensing danger.

Kiki, the Ugandan Kob

Let's Go WILD for Jesus!

A huge welcome to all the children and volunteers for this year's VBS program! Pack your bags, grab your Bible, and get ready to embark on a Big Jungle Adventure, a Faith Journey with Jesus!  Come with us as we go WILD for Jesus.  We'll study five amazing stories of God's love and how we protects us against all odds.

VBS Theme Verse:

"The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen"

2 Timothy 4:18

We're trying a new format for VBS this year. The program will run over 3 full days, from 8:45am to 3:30pm, with two lessons per day. We'll also be providing a before and after program for working families. We hope that, with this new format, we will be more accessible to these families and will be able to reach more children with our VBS ministry.

Wear Your WILD!

Get your VBS "Big Jungle Adventure" and show that you are WILD about Jesus!  These shirts are available at a cost of only $6, and are available in various sizes and colours.  All proceeds from t-shirt sales will go to support our VBS 2011 mission, Seeds of Hope.  For more information, or to place an order, contact Rebecca at rebecca@lcgstranscona.org.


Seeds of Hope: A CLWR Project

"In every seedling, there is the possibility of a strong tree that bears fruit. In every person, there is potential for a bright future."

As we plant our own seeds in our gardens, flower beds, or fields, we best understand the possibility and potential of every living thing.  As a supporter of CLWR, you share in an incredible legacy of caring. You can make a real difference and a fantastic positive impact around the world.

You are making a real difference by providing:

• clean, safe well water for household use & irrigation
• a voice for women in the community
• access to basic health care
• children with classrooms & trained teachers
• families with business and micro-finance loans
• communities with secure food through agricultural training, implements, livestock, and seeds
• people with the warmth of a quilt stitched by loving hands in churches across Canada
• refugees a new home in Canada
• support to rebuild lives destroyed by natural disasters

Seeds of  Hope is our VBS 2011 mission project. All freewill offerings collected and the proceeds from our VBS t-shirt sales will go to support CLWR in these meaningful projects.