Author: Jesse
-
Psalms Memory Verse
Read More: Psalms Memory VerseThis memory verse is related to the previous guest post from my own father, Russell Joyner. Did the Father ever abandon Jesus? This verse seems to suggest, “no.” #mvotwyear
-
Did God the Father Abandon Jesus on the Cross?
Read More: Did God the Father Abandon Jesus on the Cross?“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” guest post by Russell Joyner Why would Jesus say something that sounds so discouraging? In Jewish tradition, in a moment of great distress, one should pray. When all looks hopeless, pray. When you can’t think of what to pray, then recite one of the pre-approved inspired…
-
Activity: A Hunt for the Real Meaning of Easter
Read More: Activity: A Hunt for the Real Meaning of EasterHere’s a simple and fun Easter egg hunt activity that involves all ages. You can use this at home, at church, or any other Easter event. Using plastic Easter eggs, have the adults hide the eggs for the children – the more people you get involved the better, as you’ll see why in the next…
-
Job Memory Verse
Read More: Job Memory VerseNothing can stand in the way of God’s purpose – including the death and resurrection of His Son. #mvotwyear
-
Esther Memory Verse
Read More: Esther Memory VerseWhat if God put us all where we are when we are for the greater purposes of His great plan? #mvotwyear
-
Nehemiah Memory Verse
Read More: Nehemiah Memory VersePart of the collective confession found in Nehemiah 9. He is faithful even when we are not. Lord, make us faithful as you are faithful. #mvotwyear
-
Ezra Memory Verse
Read More: Ezra Memory VerseThis is the three-legged stool of Bible teachers. We must study, observe, and teach. You can’t have two without the missing one. Know, be, do. #mvotwyear
-
2 Chronicles Memory Verse
Read More: 2 Chronicles Memory VerseWe WILL find God. He will allow us to find him. He will reveal himself to us. No matter how long it takes or how tough it seems. He is there. And He will be found by us. #mvotwyear
-
-
-
A Taste of Heaven
Read More: A Taste of HeavenA few miles north of Waco, Texas, just off of Interstate 35, sits a Shell gas station and convenience store that looks like any other gas station except for one thing: the line for the convenience store bakery is almost always fifty people deep. That’s because the bakery, called the Czech Stop, specializes in a…
-
Church not Childcare
Read More: Church not ChildcareI believe the words and titles we use for things convey messages of value. That’s how language works. For example, take “wedding ceremony” versus “wedding celebration.” Both terms tell people that a wedding is happening, but the first phrase sends messages of formality, tradition, and even the sacredness of it. The second phrase sends the…
-
1 Kings Memory Verse
Read More: 1 Kings Memory VerseMicaiah was under pressure to say something good to King Ahab about his chances in battle. All the other prophets were telling Ahab what he wanted to hear (that he was going to be victorious). Micaiah, though, insisted on only telling Ahab what the Lord was saying, regardless of what everyone else was saying. A…
-
2 Samuel Memory Verse
Read More: 2 Samuel Memory VerseThe message of God’s story – in a nutshell. #mvotwyear
-
Billy Graham 1918-2018
Read More: Billy Graham 1918-2018I had the privilege of seeing Billy Graham preach at a packed Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati in the summer of 2002. I had just graduated from college with a Bible degree and was preparing to enter seminary later that Fall. The timing was perfect. As I was training to be a pastor and teacher,…
-
1 Samuel Memory Verse
Read More: 1 Samuel Memory VerseHumans see the things of humans. God sees the things of the Spirit. Lord, give us eyes to see others and the world the way you see it. #mvotwyear
-
Ruth Memory Verse
Read More: Ruth Memory VerseOne of the most beautiful moments in the Bible. A young widow insists on migrating to a foreign land and switching her religious allegiance to that of her mother-in-law’s. The end result was the continuation of the family line that led to Jesus. God had a plan all along….. #mvotwyear
-
Judges Memory Verse
Read More: Judges Memory VerseGideon protested to the Lord that he was the weakest and the least in his family. Yet God (through the angel) calls Gideon a “mighty warrior.” God sees past our size, our rank, and our place in the pecking order of the world. During Lent (which starts tomorrow with Ash Wednesday) we will be doing…
-
Where to find the old Google Flights site
Read More: Where to find the old Google Flights siteUPDATE: The “running man” button on the new Google Flights has been removed. So here is a direct link to the Classic Google Flights that is still working as of June 2018: https://www.google.com/flights/?f=0#search I found the nearly hidden button that takes you to the classic/old Google Flights site! See the image below to see where the…
-
Joshua Memory Verse
Read More: Joshua Memory VerseGod fulfills his promises EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Be blessed with this MVOTW (memory verse of the week) for this week. #mvotwyear
-
Deuteronomy Memory Verse
Read More: Deuteronomy Memory VerseJoin me in memorizing these two verses as our memory verse(s) of the week (MVOTW). This passage is also known as the Hebrew “Shema” (the word for “hear”). A beautiful declaration of the monotheistic God of Israel and the command to love Him with every ounce of our being. Follow along on Instagram @jessejoyner and…
-
Numbers Memory Verse
Read More: Numbers Memory VerseThis is the blessing to Aaron and his sons that God commanded Moses to tell Aaron. One thing I love about this blessing is that following this blessing, God then tells Moses, “so they [Aaron and his sons] will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them” (v. 27). Wow. God shines…
-
Leviticus Memory Verse
Read More: Leviticus Memory VerseThis week’s memory verse of the week (MVOTW) comes from Leviticus, the oft forgotten book of laws and regulations in the Old Testament. We can’t ignore the richness of this book, as God reminds us where we once were and how he has rescued us. He has enabled us to hold our heads high!
-
Exodus Memory Verse
Read More: Exodus Memory VerseHere we are at week 2 of memorizing a verse from each book of the Bible in a year. This week’s verse comes from the Song of Moses and Miriam found in Exodus 15. They are praising God for delivering them from the hands of the Egyptian army after fleeing from them and making it…
-
Genesis Memory Verse – Memorizing one verse from each book of the Bible in a year
Read More: Genesis Memory Verse – Memorizing one verse from each book of the Bible in a yearThere are 66 books in the Bible. There are 52 weeks in a year. That’s pretty close. The difference is 14. So if you can double up on fourteen of the weeks… Then, you can memorize a verse from each book of the Bible in a year. In fact, if you memorize two verses in…
-
Where’s Haggai?: How to Help Kids Navigate the Bible
Read More: Where’s Haggai?: How to Help Kids Navigate the BibleIt’s on page 1,195 of course! So yeah, even most adults need the table of contents if the pastor says, “Turn to the second chapter of Haggai as we look at what this prophet says to Zerubbabel.” And if you work with kids in a church or ministry setting, you know the challenge of trying…
-
First Night Virginia!
Read More: First Night Virginia!I’m happy to announce that I will be returning to perform at First Night Virginia this New Year’s Eve in Charlottesville, VA. The shows will be at 6:30pm, 9pm, and 10:15pm at the First United Methodist Church in Charlottesville, VA on December 31, 2017. I hope to see you all there! Click on the link…
-
One of the easiest games that kids love
Read More: One of the easiest games that kids loveRemember Bozo the Clown’s Grand Prize Game?! If you don’t, then either you’re much younger than me or you had better things to do than watch television as a child. His bucket game was full of pomp and craziness, but the basic idea of it is extremely simple and duplicatable in any setting where you…
-
Stewards of the Story
Read More: Stewards of the StoryLast night, I was working with my seven year-old daughter on a Bible verse that she is trying to memorize. The verse spoke about the “fear of God” and we had a good discussion about the definition of the word “fear” in that context. While that alone is a whole other discussion, the point I…
-
What toy will be the next “fidget spinner”?
Read More: What toy will be the next “fidget spinner”?If you work with kids, then you saw the fidget spinner come and go this past summer. The popularity of this fad toy (which has actually been around for quite some time) peaked sometime in June 2017. But by July and August, it seemed that every child in North America had at least a dozen…
-
-
Books for Christian Ministry with Children
Read More: Books for Christian Ministry with ChildrenI’d like to share some resources that have helped me over the years while working with children and families in church ministry contexts. You’ll notice one book in this list that seems out of place (the Jonestown one). I included that as a narrative about how NOT to lead families and children in ministry. It…
-
Teacher Tip: The Right Question to Ask Yourself
Read More: Teacher Tip: The Right Question to Ask YourselfTeacher Tip: How can I help these kids best learn what I’m teaching? Notice I didn’t say, “How should I teach the content of my topic to these children?” There’s a big difference there. Do you see it? One is teacher-focused. The other is learner-focused. Your work as someone who teaches kids in any capacity…
-
These kids ran away with the circus…
Read More: These kids ran away with the circus…I’m so proud of the first class of students of Camp Carnival RVA! This was the first circus arts camp of its kind ever in the state of Virginia. Every day for two weeks, these kids got to “run away” from home and join a variety of instructors who taught them the ins and outs…
-
Teaching the Good Samaritan Story to a Modern Audience
Read More: Teaching the Good Samaritan Story to a Modern AudienceI’ve had the chance to teach the Good Samaritan story to groups of children and preteens over the past month. I adapted the Bible story from Luke’s Gospel to speak to the kids in their cultural context. In Mississippi, for example, I orchestrated a skit that had a Mississippi State Bulldog fan kneel down and…
-
Fidget Spinner Bible Lesson
Read More: Fidget Spinner Bible LessonSo here’s a way to teach a Bible lesson using a fidget spinner…. What Really Lasts? Bring and show off as many of these fad toys as you can find (show pictures if you don’t have the actual toy): the hula hoop Lincoln Logs the pet rock the Rubix Cube Slinky the slap bracelet Beanie…
-
Fidget Spinner and Water Bottle Flip Trick
Read More: Fidget Spinner and Water Bottle Flip TrickThe fad of 2016 meets the fad of 2017! It took me a while to finally get this combo trick, but the patience paid off….
-
How Not to Lead: The Story of Jim Jones
Read More: How Not to Lead: The Story of Jim JonesI just finished a new book by Jeff Guinn and published by Simon and Schuster (2017) called The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple. Before reading it, I had been aware of the general story of what happened in Guyana in 1978 and how a crazy cult leader somehow led over 900 people…
-
Fun Video from Curt Nelson
Read More: Fun Video from Curt NelsonCurt Nelson has a video that shows kids eating from a bag of M&M’s, not knowing that there are skittles hidden in the bags. The reactions are fun and it makes for a good intro to a Bible lesson about how we should “taste and see that the Lord is good.” Check out the video…
-
Awesome Crowd Game Ideas
Read More: Awesome Crowd Game IdeasI do a lot of large group events. I’m always on the lookout for games that are fun and easy for huge crowds. When people come together in large groups, there is a lot of potential energy that can be tapped in the form of socialization, laughter, competition, and shared human experiences. So here are…
-
Three Surprising Things I’ve Learned from Juggling
Read More: Three Surprising Things I’ve Learned from JugglingJuggling is really old. Did you know that images of jugglers have been discovered on the walls of an ancient Egyptian tomb that is about 4,000 years old? Near the town of modern-day Minya, Egypt, you can visit the Beni Hasan tombs. In tomb number 15, you can see an unmistakable illustration of multiple women juggling…
-
The Idea of Invitation in Worship
Read More: The Idea of Invitation in Worship“Let the little children come to me.” – Jesus of Nazareth This past Sunday was a snow day in our part of the country. Most churches closed due to weather. When my wife, daughter, and I made our way downstairs to make some breakfast together, my wife suggested that we have a family devotional time.…
-
Easy Group Game: Mouthpiece Madness
Read More: Easy Group Game: Mouthpiece MadnessI got this idea from a friend of mine at Camp Orchard Hill, Derek Hodne. I did some searching online and discovered that many other people have taken this game and packaged it into various retail forms, such as Watch Ya Mouth, Speak Out, and Mouthguard Challenge. The game is simple, and you can do…
-
Do you do Santa Claus?
Read More: Do you do Santa Claus?This is a common question I hear parents asking one another at Christmas time. The question comes from different perspectives and experiences that people have had with the story, tradition, and character of that jolly man, Santa. We’ve all heard stories of the proverbial thirteen year-old kid (or older) who finds out from their friends…
-
Big God, Little Kids – free Bible lessons for children’s ministry
Read More: Big God, Little Kids – free Bible lessons for children’s ministryI have written a 13-lesson curriculum called “Big God, Little Kids.” It is a series of lessons built around stories of God doing big things through ordinary kids in the Bible. You are free to use it for any non-profit ministry setting such as Sunday School, Children’s Church, Vacation Bible School, or the like. I…
-
First Night Virginia!
Read More: First Night Virginia!I am happy to announce that I will be performing at First Night Virginia in Charlottesville on New Year’s Eve! My shows will be at 3pm and 5:30pm, respectively. Bring the whole family and tell your friends about it too. There are lots of other activities and entertainers for the whole family. See you there! Here…
-
The Thanksgiving Tree
Read More: The Thanksgiving TreeMy wife and I had a debate a few nights ago over the meaning of the Christmas Tree. What ensued was a discussion about the “why” behind traditions that we often just take for granted. She doesn’t want to do things just because “we’ve always done it that way.” She likes to know the meaning…
-
Hamilton: An American Musical – Chicago Review
Read More: Hamilton: An American Musical – Chicago ReviewLast night, I had the priviledge of seeing Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony-award winning musical Hamilton in it’s Chicago iteration. I have been familiar with the soundtrack for months and I will say that the opportunity to view the show live adds several dimensions to the show that will not let “Hamilfans” down. If you are not…
-
Kahoot: A free and easy platform with lots of fun uses for learning
Read More: Kahoot: A free and easy platform with lots of fun uses for learningI attended a community event a few weeks ago at a local theater. Before the event started, a quiz game was running on the big screen. And anyone could join in and play if they had a personal electronic device and the game code entered into their web browser on the device. The game code…
-
Cutting Down Old Trees
Read More: Cutting Down Old TreesI went on a camping trip with some friends this past weekend at a local state park. We went on a hike through the woods and at one point we came into a clearing where about five acres of large-growth pines and other trees had been bulldozed – on state park property. It was quite…
-
Are the Sciences Better Than the Arts?
Read More: Are the Sciences Better Than the Arts?Mega-bank Wells Fargo recently put out an advertisement for their upcoming “Teen Day.” In it, the wording appears to suggest that the sciences are a higher calling in life than the arts. Many celebrities in the arts took to Twitter to make the case that we should not send a message to teens that makes…
-
His Name Endures Forever: An Object Lesson
Read More: His Name Endures Forever: An Object LessonI’d like to share a worship response object lesson we organized at summer camp last month. It was a little risky because we had about 300 campers and it could have gotten chaotic, but the kids did great and the end result was very moving. First of all, when I say, “worship response,” I’m referring to…
-
Juggling While in Motion
Read More: Juggling While in MotionLast month I successfully juggled while flying down a zip line. I had tried the feat three or four times previously and I always dropped about halfway down the line. This most recent time, though, I made it the whole way (about 100 yards). Here is the video evidence, followed by some thoughts on the…
Search
Popular Posts
-
“Holy Fools”: Exploring the Journey of Calling for Christian Variety Performers
I am happy to announce that my PhD dissertation has been published to ProQuest, an academic database for published research. I have made the dissertation open source, which means anyone anywhere can access the full content free of charge. Here is the full dissertation: https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/holy-fools-exploring-journey-calling-christian/docview/2622316783/se-2 Please share far and wide. I am very much excited…
-
The Easiest Large Group Game Ever
This is probably the easiest large group game ever invented. If you can think of an easier one, please let me know in the comments. Heads or Tails! This game of heads or tails involves EVERYONE in your large group. It is actually better the larger the group gets. There is an elimination factor to…
-
Merry Christmas from the Joyners!
Greetings from our family in Richmond, Virginia! We are thankful for you, our friends and family. We are also thankful to the Lord for His gift of the love to us all this season. This past year has been a roller coaster of experiences and emotions, specifically regarding our spunky little Annie, who is now…
-
Book Release! Incredibly Bad Dad Jokes
I have been writing down my original Dad jokes for several years now, but recently they dramatically increased. While the past five months of my life have been the toughest for me as a Dad (with Annie’s medical crisis), the Dad jokes actually came out in full force during this season. You see, in my…
-
A Children’s Ministry Poem
From the mouths of children come questions galore about heaven and angels and Satan and more. They speak what their hearts say without holding back, so the wonder of God is something they never lack. Oh God, who are you? Who inspires the minds of little ones many, so that they may find this Jesus…