Hey there boys and girls. 
We begin another week of no school and having to stay at home. Hands up if you are ready to go back to school?? 😊 In some way a ‘new normal’ is beginning again for some people on Monday. Maybe your Mum or Dad is able to go back to work or you are able to go to the park now if you live close by. You can thank God for this and for less people getting sick.
We have gone through many promises in the Bible from God and I hope that you have learnt something new and have been encouraged through the crafts, learning the memory verses and spending time thinking about them with your family. I encourage you to continually look the verses up in your bible to remind yourself weekly of His promises and continue to pray that you would believe and trust in them.
Last week we went through ways of encouraging others through being thoughtful and kind to others but also through forgiving others. Were you an encourager like Barnabas over the last week? When I thought more about this, the phrase ‘being a light’ came to my mind and how you can be a light in people’s lives.
How would you describe the word light? To me the words bright, sparkly and golden come to mind. The light also helps to lead and guide us in the dark. In the bible we can read about how Jesus is the light of the world and how you too can be a light to your friends and family. Let us explore this together and see what this means and what we can learn from it.
Memory Verse Monday
Have you ever heard of fireflies or glow worms before? You wouldn’t find 
them in Ireland and they are very different to our normal flies. This insect is very different as they are able to produce light from their body. Fireflies can change the brightness of their light which shines from their body and sometimes they do not light them up at all. This is why it can be hard to catch them. In some countries, fireflies are used for light. Men who travel in the dark, gather the fireflies into a lantern and place them on their boots to light up their path.
In some ways you are like a firefly. If you are a Christian, Jesus Christ has called you to be a shining light to those who you see each day. The verse states this when it says “let your light shine before others”. When the bible mentions your light, the verse does not mean that you need to carry an actual light on your back every day to show people that you love Jesus and follow Him. It is through what you say and what you do that you can shine your light to others.
Last week there was a great list of examples to show kindness and love to others, which are great ways of shining your light. Can you remember what some of them were? You can make a card for an elderly neighbour, draw a picture for someone who isn’t well at the minute or bake some cupcakes for your bin man or post man/ woman as a way to say thank you. Through these acts of kindness, you could also add a bible verse to the card or drawing so that they know God loves them. By doing these various things you are showing people your good works/ deeds, like the verse says “that they may see your good deeds”.
Lastly the verse mentions “and glorify your Father in heaven”. To glorify means to praise and worship. You can do this through singing and praying to God who is your Father in heaven if you are a Christian.
What is the opposite of light? – It is darkness. If you are not a Christian you cannot let your light shine because you are living in darkness. Darkness in the bible refers to sin. We are going to learn more in our Thought for Thursday of how Jesus came into the world to be the light of the world. He came to heal people, to show kindness, to tell people about His heavenly Father but most importantly to die on the cross for your sin. God does not want you to live in darkness or in your sinful ways. He wants you to ask for forgiveness of your sin so that you can live in the light and one day live with Him in heaven.
Prayer and Thank You Tuesday
This week we can be so thankful that some people can go back to work and for some of us we can meet some of our family members again for a short time. You can continue to pray that everyone very soon will be able to go back to work, school and meet all our family and friends again. God knows all of your needs and cares for you very much, trust this week that God can make this happen, just like you have learnt over the past number of weeks. God can make the impossible, possible !
From our theme this week of being a shining light, maybe you need to ask God to help you with this. Maybe you struggle being a light to your family or friends who do not follow God. Ask God today to give you the courage and ways of shining your light and not to shy away from this.
Some other suggestions:
- Some families may find it hard to buy food and pay bills because they cannot work. The foodbanks in church and Hope have been able to provide food for these families and have been able to give them some hope and light to the situation that they find themselves in. You can pray today that these families have enough food each week and that the people working in the food banks can shine their light for God by showing God’s love to these families that they meet each week
Wouldn’t it be great to see new families in church when we go back because they saw God’s light shining through the people working in the foodbanks!!
- From this you can thank God for every meal you get each day and even for the privilege of having extra ingredients in the cupboards to bake or to have a treat
- Continue to pray for those who are sick in hospital or at home because of the virus
Did you remember about your prayer jar last week? Have any of your prayer requests been answered yet? I pray that you have been encouraged through this. Maybe you haven’t seen any of your prayers being answered yet but don’t be discouraged, continue to pray and trust that God will answer them.
Worship Wednesday 
Here are a few songs for you and your family to sing along to;
Shine – ‘Shine from the inside out so the world will see You live in me’. This boys and girls could be a prayer which you could pray to God this week that you will want to live a life where you shine for everyone to see. The song also mentions how God knows you and loves you and how He fills you with the Holy Spirit so that you can shine. This is a great reminder that you are not alone.
My Lighthouse. Boys and girls, I love this song and the reminder it gives me when I am going through a difficult time that God is my lighthouse and that He will guide me and keep me safe.
Big it up for Jesus. This is a song that’s reminds us of how much God loves you, how He has set you free but also a reminder that God wants you to live a life that shares His love.
I hope you have fun with these lovely songs by doing the actions and singing to the best that you can throughout the week.
Thought for Thursday
We learn in the book of John Ch 9 v 1-7 where Jesus says that He is the light of the world. Why not look it up and read it out loud.
9 As He went along, He saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of Him who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 After saying this, He spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” He told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So, the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
What an amazing lesson to learn from the bible about who the light of the world is. This man in the bible who was blind from birth did not know what light looked like. This man may have longed for this day where he would be healed from his blindness. Jesus showed great love and kindness to this man. He didn’t know him nor the man didn’t ask for His help either. Jesus knew his need and provided because He cared for him.
Jesus’ disciples thought that this man was blind because of his sin or his parents’ sin but Jesus replied saying this man was blind so that God’s work could be seen by the world. This reflects on our memory verse for this week “that they may see your good deeds”. God wanted people to see how Jesus was the light of the world by healing this man and making him see again.
How did Jesus do this? By simply spitting on the ground and making mud, then placing this mud on the man’s eyes. He sent him then to the Pool of Siloam to wash it off. After the man did this what happened? Yes, the man could see again. How amazing!
I am sure this man was so thankful to Jesus for making him see again but also thankful that he could see where he was walking, to see people’s faces and everything around him. He may for the first time be able to work and live a better life than what he may have been living.
This man’s life surely did change for the better and that was because Jesus was the light in the darkness. He showed kindness and love towards this man. In verse 25 of this chapter he said “I was blind, and now I can see!” Yes, there was a physical change to this man but also a spiritual change where he no longer was living in darkness of his own sin but in light.
As a Christian you can say the same thing. Once you were living in sin, in darkness. However, from asking Jesus to forgive you of your sin you now live in light. Jesus who is the light of the world has led you out of darkness of your sin and into the light of His life.
Fun Friday
It’s the weekend and so it’s time for some fun. Are you feeling creative today? Have a look below and have a go. I know you will do a great job
Option 1
Why not make a sun like the below and write ways of how you can shine your light. You can stick it up in your bedroom or on the fridge as a reminder.
Option 2
Another craft idea is to make a lantern and if you have any battery tea lights in the house, place one in the lantern and light it up tonight. If your brother or sister makes one too why not go outside in the dark and see how the light can help guide you around the house.
Option 3
Choose one of the below colouring sheets and use the brightest colours you have!
We’d love to see your craft pictures at info@monaghanelim.com or on Facebook.
Stop and Sit Saturday
Something a bit different this week, we are going to try a bit of sword drill. Get your brothers and sisters to join in so that you can compete against each other and your Mum or Dad to call the verses out. Remember hold your bible by the spine and do not search for the verse until the word ‘CHARGE’ is said. There is a specific theme so keep an ear out for what it is.
John Ch 8 v 12 Psalm Ch27 v 1
Psalm Ch 119 v 105 1 Peter Ch 2 v 9
Matthew Ch 4 v 16 Revelation Ch 21 v 23
1 John Ch 1 v 5
Special Day Sunday
The whole Sunday School team are missing you very much and missing the special time we usually have of praising God together, learning more from God’s word together and just being able to chat to you in our classes. We are continuing to pray for you and that we will be back together very soon.
Don’t forget to say your memory verse to your parents today to get yourself a sweet 😊
Have a great Sunday with your family.
