There are two things that Prince of Peace has been doing for awhile now in terms of biblical education. First, the Board of Education is giving age appropriate Sunday School material from Concordia Publishing House (CPH) to the parents of children, encouraging them to use this with their children throughout the week. If, for some reason, any parent is missing this material, please let me or the Board of Education know.

            Second, every week we send to the whole church email list a memory verse for that week. It's easy to disregard emails, especially if we receive a lot! I usually get around 100 emails a day at my personal email address. The vast majority of it is junk. But, I hope that you are challenged weekly to try to memorize the verse, and as that email says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly...” (Colossians 3:16).

            For this Messenger Article I want to introduce the parents and grandparents of our congregation to a Bible produced for elementary/middle school aged children. It's called “The Growing in Faith Bible,” from CPH.

            Our congregation doesn't have a lot of young children, but we do have grandparents with grandchildren who may or may not be going to other churches. This may be a wonderful gift to give! Parents are the main teachers of their children. And the children are given them by God to be brought up in the faith of Jesus Christ.

            Here are a couple of items “The Growing in Faith Bible” include:

*         Parent Connections: Callouts for mom and dad that can help them teach you new

things with your Bible

*   Bible Narratives: 125 of the most important stories and themes in your Bible

*   Christ Connections: Ties from the Old Testament to Jesus and the New Testament

            In June, there will be some take-home sheets to be found in the church narthex pamphlet rack. (Also, we will attach a PDF of this sheet to the email version of this “Messenger.”) These sheets will give more details about “The Growing in Faith Bible.” With that sheet there are also “25 Bible Memory Verses from Jesus.”I'd like to do a little “test” here to see how you, Dear Readers, do at filling in the blanks from some of these verses

Matthew 5:43-44“You have heard that it was said,‘You shall love your neighbor and ____ ____ _______.’44But I say to you,your enemies and ___ __ ____ ___ _________ ___,”

Mark 16:16Whoever believes ___ __ _______ will be saved, but____ ___ _______will be _________.

Luke 18:16-17But Jesus called them to him, saying,“Let the children ____ __ __, andnot hinder them,to such _______ ___ _______ __ ___. 17Truly, I say to you, whoever does notthe _______ __ ___ like a _____ shall not enter it.”

John 3:16“ForGod __ _____ ___ _____, that he gave his only Son, that whoever ________ __ ___ should notbut ___ _______ ____.

John 8:36So if the Son ____ ___ ____, you will __ ____ indeed.

How'd you do? Hopefully, they weren't too hard, but all memory work has to start sometime. How about Summertime? What stays with you the longest is what you carry in your mind. And since it is God's Word that is in our mind, it lives in us, and grows in us, and strengthens faith and cultivates good works. What a gift it is to our children to introduce them to Jesus, their Savior's Words!

            Finally, a reminder for the adults of our congregation that Bible study happens most Sundays after the Divine Service. Come! Our study of Revelation is nearing its conclusion—which means it may take us through Summer! We'll be starting chapter 17 on June 1!

            And, if you’re absent from Prince of Peace for a vacation, I encourage you to attend a LCMS congregation that is near to where you are going. On my vacation at the beginning of May I went to a LCMS church. Only the pastors there knew I was a pastor. It was nice to sit in the congregation, to hear the great music and singing, a fine sermon from someone else, and eat and drink our Savior's Body and Blood. I received the gifts of our Lord in Word and Sacrament, and was thankful and rejoiced that God gives us so many opportunities to be filled by Him!

Enjoy the beginning of Summer, in-with-and-under the Blessings of your Lord!

Pastor Engler

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