How to be a Light this Halloween
Halloween is the perfect opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus with the children who come to our doorstep! We've pulled a few favorite Bible verses that we will be passing out to our neighbors with Halloween candy. We hope you will join us! Click here to download the verses as a PDF
Halloween Candy Bible Verses
IF you are handing out candy for Halloween, AmazingGrace.Life wants to encourage you to use the opportunity to be the LIGHT of Jesus!
Choose a Bible verse below to attach to the individual pieces of candy you hand out.
Dum Dums
If someone makes you feel like a Dum Dum, just remember this: Jesus loves YOU! To Jesus, you are NO Dum Dum! (Read John 3:16 in the Bible.)
Reeses Pieces
When life seems to fall to “Pieces,” turn to Jesus. He loves you and will help you. (Read Hebrews 13:6 in
the Bible.)
Smarties
“Smarties” know that Jesus loves them and has a plan for their lives! Be a Smartie! (Read Jeremiah 29:11 in the Bible.)
Whoppers
If you have a “Whopper” of a decision to make, be sure to pray about it. (Read Proverbs 3:5-6 in the Bible.)
OR
If you’ve made a “Whopper” of a mistake in life, God will forgive you. Just ask Him. (Read Psalm 51:3 in the Bible.)
Crunch Bar
Whenever you are in a “Crunch,” call out to Jesus. He will help you. (Read Jeremiah 33:3 in the Bible.)
Life Savers
Jesus is the True “Life Saver.” (Read John 10:10 in the Bible.)
M & M’s
God’s plan for your life is that you grow up to be “Mighty” & “Marvelous.” He will help you. (Read Isaiah 55:8-9 in the Bible.)
Almond Joy
Jesus will put real “Joy” into your life. (Read Psalm 51:12 in the Bible.)
A Heart for the Hungry
I remember it like it was yesterday. I woke up at 5 o’clock in the morning with hunger pains. I wasn’t sure why. So I went into the kitchen and made my favorite meal. After I ate, I went back to my bedroom and I sat on the side of my bed. I remember sitting there looking at Buddy, my springer spaniel, both of us wondering why we were up at 5 am.
All the sudden I felt the Lord calling me to consider the kids in Dallas who can’t get up in the middle of the night and address their hunger pains. The Lord told me, ‘you need to help feed the kids.’
It was so clear, and so prominent. It was impossible to ignore.
Eventually, I finally fell back asleep. I woke up the next morning to a phone call from my longtime friend Lilly. We hadn’t spoken to in several months. Years before, we fed the homeless together through an organization in Dallas called Hunger Busters.
As we were catching up, he lord nudged me, so I said, ‘what’s going on with Hunger Buster’s these days?’ She told me how they had turned their efforts to feeding the hungry kids of Dallas. She explained that Hunger Busters sponsors 8-10 schools each year, daily supplying dinners to for the kids. Without Hunger Busters, the kids at these schools don’t eat dinner.
All of the sudden I started to cry. Just hours before I had this moment from the Lord, then Lilly called out of the blue and told me about feeding hungry kids in Dallas. It was a sign.
That was seven years ago. Since that time, my mom and I have had the opportunity to feed thousands of kids each year by supporting local schools in Dallas.
Hunger Busters Volunteers
It’s hard to believe that there are people in the city of Dallas that don’t have dinner at night. After years of investigating, I’ve found there are several different organizations that do the work that Hunger Buster’s does on different levels. Several of the organizations I support are Feed 3, Sharing Life, The North Texas Food Bank, and The Soup Mobile. I am passionate about being involved in these organizations, rolling up my sleeves, and feeding the homeless and the kids.
Seven years ago I had this call, seven years ago I felt the Lord impress this on me, and I’ve been feeding the kids ever since.
Great Bibles for Kids
Thankfully in this day and age, it's easy to find Bibles for our young children. The question we often ask ourselves is what type of Biblical stories our children actually want to engage in. Below we've listed 5 Biblical books that we know your children will love.
From ChristianBook.com: Every story whispers his name. A Bible like no other, The Jesus Storybook Bible invites children to join in the greatest of all adventures, to discover for themselves that Jesus is at the center of God's great story of salvation--and at the center of their own story too!
The Jesus Storybook Bible tells the story beneath all the stories in the Bible. At the center of all is a baby, the child upon whom everything will depend. From Noah, to Moses, to the great King David---every story points to him. He is the missing piece to the puzzle---the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together. From the Old Testament through the New Testament, as the story unfolds, children will pick up the clues and piece together the puzzle.
The Jesus Storybook Bible makes an excellent gift at Christmas, when we all remember that he is the puzzle piece that makes all the other pieces in our lives fit.
The perfect introduction to timeless stories from the old and new testaments the Lift-the-Flap Biblecombines breathtaking illustrations with delightful text. With flaps to open on every page (and surprises to find underneath), children join in the thrill of discovery as they take part in each of the stories from the Old and New Testaments. Through the pages of this stunning Bible, the greatest story ever told is traced and the wonderful news that God loves us is brought home to the heart of every child.
Perfect for taking to church or using at home, young children will love this beautifully illustrated first Bible. A Child's First Bible is a collection of 125 of the most familiar Bible passages, from both the Old and New Testaments. Beginning with the story of Creation and ending with Revelation, the text is retold in simple words by well-known author and translator Kenneth N. Taylor. With its charming illustrations and clear, inspiring text, A Child's First Bible is a must for every child's bookshelf. FEATURES All the great characters and stories of the Bible are included in this beautiful treasury Clear, easy-to-read text is appropriate for young readers, and also fun to read aloud to the pre- school child. Simple questions at the end of each Bible passage are designed to highlight important biblical truths.
A gentle look at Jesus' birth, childhood, teachings, crucifixion, and resurrection. Written in a simple, warm style that will captivate and inspire, and colorfully illustrated with seven new pages of artwork, it's a perfect introduction to Jesus for very young children.
This child-focused collection of Bible stories is perfect for first readers. Simple, engaging text retells classic Bible stories, and questions are included to encourage interaction with the content. The perfect inspirational gift for christenings or holidays, this title is sure to remain a treasure in any children's library.
Sharing Jesus with Children
Growing up in a Christian, home I always heard “Jesus loves you, Elizabeth.” And “Love Jesus and love others, Elizabeth.” These truths are burned into my memory. Now as a young adult, the opportunity to impact children like my family did for me has become my reality. I have the chance to tell children, “you are loved, important, worthy, and redeemed.” But, how can I do that in a way that a 1 year old, or a 5 year old, or a 10 year old will really understand? And how in the world can I get through to the teenagers? Children need to hear from childhood to adolescence that there is a SAVIOR desperately seeking THEM. Think of the pain that could be prevented if a child, at a young age, understood the meaning of “Jesus loves YOU!” So how do I go about that?
I have the privilege of taking care of a 15 month old baby girl two days each week and helping with her older sisters who are 6 and 7 years old. After I finish with that sweet family, I drive straight to the middle school to pick up my 11 and 13 year old friends - occasionally getting their 15 year old sister from the high school, too. My Tuesdays and Thursdays are packed with conversations about stuffed animals, baby dolls, little bugs found outside and how beautiful tutus always have sparkles on them. Moving into those afternoons, the talks shift to cross country, ice skating, gymnastics and the football game on Friday. These days are delightfully exhausting and have such potential to bless little lives forever. I get the chance to talk to six little humans about the wonderful love Jesus has for each of them. So thinking practically, I have to have a game plan.
Starting with how I share Jesus with the baby.
“Baby, do you know Jesus loves you?”
This is a simple question you can whisper over a child as you rock them to sleep. Let the sweet child hear the name of Jesus as often as possible so that when they get a little older they will already have a small exposure to His glorious name.
Sing songs at bedtime, naptime, or at any point of the day - when chaos arises and crying cannot stop and all you can do is rock and sing to that small little screamer.
Songs like Jesus Loves Me, Silent Night, Jesus loves the Little Children, This Little Light of Mine or anything else can really help you connect with the child on a more meaningful level. Even hymns or the latest worship song that you love are a great way to expose a baby to the sweet truths of Jesus. This also brings YOU back to the calming love of the Father. Let times of chaos be calmed with a simple song. Refocus on what really matters, and allow both you and the baby to hear beautiful truth in a song.
Pray.
Pray with the baby before bedtime. Pray with the baby when she cannot calm down. Pray with the baby before meals. Let prayer direct the day’s transitions. This will make a difference as the child grows. From infancy, they will know that prayer guides each day.
Moving into the ways we can share Jesus with little children.
When driving in the car, try asking pointed, purposeful questions.
Recently, I had the coolest conversation with the 6 year old I watch. She told me she really wanted snow. I told her to ask Jesus. She did NOT understand why. Then, I got to explain to her that she can ask Jesus ANYTHING. Her eyes got big and she did not understand. How could little Ruby talk to Jesus? Well, I told her that Jesus WANTS her to talk to Him. He loves when she prays and asks for things. Jesus will sometimes say Yes and sometimes say No, but she should always talk to Him. This conversation all happened in the drive to school one morning.
When you have your little ones in the car, they are stuck. They might squirm and get the back of your seat dirty with their muddy little feet that can’t help but kick the back of your chair, but they are strapped in and not moving anywhere. So, try and ask them questions. Ask them things like: Do you know what Jesus thinks about you? Do you like to pray? Why did you help your teacher in class today? Why does being good matter? Why does getting in trouble at school matter? Allow these questions to guide your conversation, and then tell them about Jesus in your answers.
When disciplining, explain to the child that Obedience, Respect, and Kindness are what Jesus wants.
When you have to tell a child “no, don’t do that”, or send them to their room, or make them apologize, always explain why. Being naughty is not bad because mommy thinks it is. Being naughty is bad because it means you are doing something Jesus does not want. Tell the child that our purpose in life is to seek Jesus. Obedience and respect are all goals that will help us be like Jesus and know Him.
Pray.
Back to prayer. Prayer should guide all our days. So do not let that change, even though the child gets older. Every meal, before bed, or even if the child has a question or a desire - stop and pray. Let them move towards their middle school years with a habit of conversation with Jesus.
Children’s Bibles
Children’s Bibles are a great tool to use with your little ones. Give them their first bible as a present. Have them look at the pictures when they need to settle down. Read a story to them every day or every night before bed. If they have a question or there is something that they need an example for, go to this book. Let the bible be your explanation to some of their questions, and let it be a tool you use to help guide conversation. Do you hear, “I am scared,” or, “I am angry,” or “I can’t do that”? Pause, brainstorm, and then read them a story that relates. Or if they ask, “Why do I need to share?” or, “Why do I have to be nice to my brother?” look to their Bible stories to read about Joseph or Joshua.
Introduce Quiet Time
Now that the child is a little older, give them the opportunity to spend time quietly with Jesus every day. It may only be five minutes, but have them spend five minutes by themselves with a bible or just quietly praying. Perhaps, have them color a sheet that displays a bible story. Teach them that they need quiet time with Jesus daily.
Veggie Tales
This is a great way to have your children learn about Jesus, and it gives you a chance to get things done while they are distracted. Veggie tales is a silly children’s movie series that explains various bible stories and talks about Jesus. It is a wonderful way to have a calm 45 minutes and teach your children about Jesus.
Now, to the challenge: Teenagers.
Discipline with Jesus at the center.
There really is not a huge difference between them and younger children. If you have to ground a teen, or take away their phone, or perform any act of discipline, point them back to love. At this age it feels like the world is coming to an end on a daily basis. Everything is big and dramatic and scary. “What if someone thinks I am weird?” “What if my friends see my parents and think I am weird because my parents are?” “What if I don’t have XYZ and then no one wants to be my friend?” These are just a few thoughts that just about every teenager has. So when they mess up, it is CRUCIAL to explain that they are LOVED. Parents or any discipline may seem like the enemy, which makes it crucial that whenever discipline is necessary to ensure that the teen knows they are LOVED, FORGIVEN and REDEEMED. Tell them that punishment is necessary to help guide them from harm in the future. Tell them that you LOVE them and that mistakes are a part of life. Tell them that discipline is a tool the Lord has given you to help protect them and raise them to honor Jesus. BE CAREFUL. Grace is the key to discipline because without it legalism will DESTROY your voice, and then your child will not listen to you or think you know anything. Discipline is NECESSARY. Punishment is painful but good. Discipline your children, but do it with GRACE. They are NOT the enemy. They are sneaky, and they lie, and they have words like daggers, but it is a result of sin - not who they are.
Pray.
Continue to pray with your children. They are older now, but showing them that prayer should guide their lives is even more crucial now! Pray with them over meals, pray over them on the drive to school, tell them when you are praying for them. Let prayer be a common and daily conversation topic. At this point there is not a whole lot you can do, but if your child knows to pray they will escape teen years with less scrapes than without it.
Teaching children about Jesus is so challenging and so rewarding. I hope that some of these tools will help you feel equipped. YOU ARE! If you can only take one thing away from this, my biggest tool I could offer would be: Tell your children EVERY DAY “Love Jesus.” If they Love Jesus everything is going to work out. His Will be done.
3 Crafty Ways to Teach Your Kids About Jesus
When talking with parents of younger children, we often get asked the question- how do we teach our young children about God? We know the idea of our heavenly Father may be difficult for a 2-year-old to comprehend, so we've pulled three different crafts that show children what it means to be a follower of Christ. If you have any ideas that you want to share, please email us at info@amazinggrace.life. We'd love to hear from you!
Craft #1: Searching Our Hearts
God looks at our hearts. “God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
Since God looks at our hearts, shouldn’t we be more concerned with our souls than our bodies? This is what we want our kids to learn. “Look deep into my heart, God, and find out everything I am thinking. Don’t let me follow evil ways, but lead me in the way that time has proven true.” Psalm 139:23-24
Craft #2: Jesus Calms the storm
This Jesus calms the storm craft is meant to equip you to teach children about the Bible story of Jesus calming the storm found in Mark 4:35-41. If you are new here, I want to briefly get you up to date. My church asked me to create all the craft ideas for AWANA Cubbies. If you are unfamiliar with AWANA, it is a great children’s program developed to teach children about God. The Cubbies portion is focused on preschool age. That said, this craft can been used for kids of all ages. It can be used in the Cubbies program, Sunday School, or other venues meant to educate children about Jesus.
Craft #3: He is Risen!
"He has risen!" Mathew 28:6. Here is a simple craft to do with your kids to help them remember the reason we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus."