Category: Bible

Why Does Thomas Get all the Blame for Doubting?

May 9, 2013

As I was preparing for a teaching lesson for this Sunday, I looked at the “Doubting Thomas” passage. Jesus appears to his disciples after he rose from the dead. In John’s account (John 20:24-29), Thomas missed the first post-resurrection appearance of Jesus. When they told Thomas that Jesus was alive, he wanted hard evidence. The…
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The Wordless Book

April 16, 2013

I have created a Power Point presentation that follows a version of The Wordless Book, sometimes known as the Colors of Salvation, or the Salvation Colors. This presentation is technically not “wordless” because I put the Scripture references in there. But that’s all. Each color is shown by a colored circle, then the corresponding Scripture…
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How to Kick Off Easter Week

March 25, 2013

Despite the current weather conditions around here (SNOW, SNOW, SNOW), it is actually Easter week. I can’t remember the last time there was snow on Palm Sunday in Virginia (or any other state I’ve lived in for that matter). While snow may be a unique way to kick off Easter week, I found a more…
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What They Didn’t Teach Me in Sunday School about Jonah

March 12, 2013

You know the story of Jonah and the Whale – the story that is widely taught to children around the world about the guy who gets swallowed by a sea monster. I thought I knew it too. But in preparation for teaching it to the Milan Free Methodist (Michigan) Winterblast kids last Friday night, I…
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The Best Family Ministry Event

February 26, 2013

In my opinion, the best family ministry event a church can host surprisingly doesn’t include the whole family. But in a way, it does. I’m talking about the Father/Daughter Banquet. Some churches call it the Daddy/Daughter Dance or some other similar title. My own church in Richmond, VA has been doing this for 3 years…
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Children and Animals in Eternity

February 20, 2013

I am intrigued with the fascination that children have with animals. Is it because many domestic animals are more approachable and manageable (size-wise) for children? Is it because the animals are fuzzy and furry? Are there a variety of factors? Regardless, I think we all have a little kid in us when we interact with…
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The Impossible Paper Cut

February 19, 2013

I asked a group of elementary schoolers if they thought I could cut a hole in a regular 8.5″x11″ piece of computer paper large enough to fit 6 kids through it at the same time. We were able to do it with no problem! Are you also skeptical? Here’s how you do it…… Step 1:…
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The Uncle Charlie Only144 Sale

February 7, 2013

Buy over $1500 of Uncle Charlie’s music and other resources for only $97. The first one hundred buyers get a free “Live Show” DVD of my juggling act. Click on the image to get to the sale.
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Five Things You Should Know About Haiti

February 5, 2013

Haiti is on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola (shared with the Dominican Republic) in between the islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico. I had the chance to visit two weekends ago and perform my juggling show six times in three days for children at various events (a school, some orphanages, and a church). My hosts…
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This Is Why I Love My Job

January 14, 2013

Every so often I hear feedback from people who see my show. And over the years, I’ve heard the good, the bad, and the ugly. It’s amazing, though, just how powerful some stories can be in inspiring you to continue doing the job/ministry/vocation you do. This is one of those letters….. I recently got this…
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When Children Grieve: From Bethlehem to Newtown

December 21, 2012

On a mild autumn morning twelve years ago, I found myself in front of a primary school class full of grieving children. I was their entertainment for the day – a juggler from halfway across the world, doing whatever I could to bring a little joy to their lives. The children were Palestinian kids from…
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The Problem with Santa

December 7, 2012

I have a problem with Santa. I’m not hostile towards the jolly fellow. He’s actually a really nice guy. But I still have a really big problem with him. Santa is a legalist. He makes a list. He checks it twice. He finds out who is naughty or nice. And then he rewards the good…
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My Take: Dumb Ways to Die

November 29, 2012

This catchy and artsy music video will either make you laugh or make you a little creeped out, depending on your sense of humor. I thought it was hilarious, especially the character who “sold both kidneys on the internet.” Would you believe that this is a public service announcement from the rail Metro in Melbourne,…
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How to Save Three Dollars

November 20, 2012

So you want to learn how to juggle but you don’t quite have the budget to go out and buy $5 balls, $7 rings, and $30 clubs. I have the answer for you. You could just use anything currently lying around the house, like balled-up socks, tomatoes, or kittens. But if you use socks, you…
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The Most Misunderstood Concept about God

November 13, 2012

Grace. I often ask groups of children when I teach them, “Will you go to heaven if you’re a good kid?” And I usually get the same resounding “yes!” from the crowd. Many adults in the Church would answer the same way. This is a big problem in the Church today, and it starts in…
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Why It Helps for Children’s Church to Be Fun

November 4, 2012

Let me be clear: The message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ does not need a circus of pizazz to penetrate the heart of a child (or anyone for that matter). The love and grace of Jesus stands fine on its own to regenerate the hearts of children. But it sure does help to present…
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Captivating the Attention of Children

November 1, 2012

Anyone can captivate the attention of a child – or a group of children. All it takes is a smile and a little energy in your face. And those things come from a sincere heart to connect with the child/children. It helps to be able to perform some astonishing feat like a magic trick or…
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Every Child is a Winner by McCaslin and Biehl

October 30, 2012

Caz McCaslin runs Upward Sports, a global youth sports organization that promotes Biblical values, equal play time, and ultimately, the person and work of Jesus Christ. He wrote what he considers a “parent playbook” called Every Child is a Winner (Broadman and Holman: Nashville, 2002). My family and I got to visit the main headquarters…
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Faith Like a Child

October 25, 2012

My wife, Sarah, broke her pinky toe last week. Then she gouged the underside of her other foot on a broken piece of wood flooring (we have an old house – and I’m fixing the problem area today). So she’s limping around, ever-so-courageously, chasing our toddler and living normal life. Our toddler, Kezzie, has clearly…
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Shamgar: The Relief Pitcher of the Bible

October 9, 2012

I just read an article over at ESPN about the relief pitchers for the Baltimore Orioles, who did a fantastic job putting down the Yankees last night in the playoffs. Brian Matusz spoke about how being a bullpen pitcher can be a “thankless job.” Yet they are some of the most key players of a…
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Breakfast with Jesus

October 3, 2012

We can be pretty sure that Jesus wasn’t a vegetarian because he called his disciples over for a fish breakfast in one of his post-resurrection appearances. This was the original church fish fry. It doesn’t say that Jesus partook of the fish, but the meal was definitely his idea – so break out the tilapia!…
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The Engage Children’s Ministry Conference

October 1, 2012

I was just invited to teach a workshop at The Engage Conference up in Pennsylvania in November. If you work in Children’s Ministry in any capacity (pastor, leader, volunteer, etc.), please see if you can make this great one-day conference. Its only twenty bucks! Click Here for all the info.
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Fall Festival Ideas

September 27, 2012

If you’re a Children’s Pastor or leader of a community program for families, you’re probably somewhere on the spectrum of planning for your annual Fall Festival. If you haven’t started planning for one, its still not too late, but you only have about a month left, depending on when you hold it. Before I list…
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Including the Children

September 13, 2012

The battle of Jericho has been immortalized in the Judeo-Christian conscience as the epic moment when “the walls came tumblin’ down.” So why don’t we remember the dramatic battle after Jericho? It is known as the battle of Ai. Ai was a city further into the Promised Land from Jericho. Joshua tried sending a small force…
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God and Money

September 12, 2012

When I was in college, I remember having a cloud of worry parked over my psyche every single day because I knew that I was taking out a LOT of money for school and I was going to have to pay it back. And it was during college that I decided my life theme verse…
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