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For years, I have searched for ways to make the days leading up to Easter more real, intentional, and meaningful for my children. Easter is fun and joyful, much like Christmas, but Jesus’ betrayal, suffering, and death are a completely different story.
As much as my boys enjoy reading and hearing a good story, they are also very visual and hands-on learners. They still talk about Bible lessons we did years ago involving action figures and slime. Their minds remember the moments that stimulated their senses – touch, smell, sight, sound, taste.
Last year, the difficult topic of the crucifixion became a family exploration as we dove into Amanda White’s A Sense of the Resurrection: An Easter Experience for Families. Many of you know Amanda as the author of Truth in the Tinsel, a fabulous Advent experience for families with children of all ages. I am so grateful she also tackled the death and resurrection so we could have a guide for sharing with our boys.
A Sense of the Resurrection is all about creating memorable experiences based on Scripture using the five senses. It’s about moving from feeling to understanding to believing in our Savior and His great sacrifice for all of us. The ebook contains 12 activities which will lead your family through Jesus’ anointing, the Last Supper, Peter’s denial, the cross, the empty tomb and more. Through it all, your home will be transformed into a memorial to Jesus’ death and resurrection.
This is truly an ebook any family can use, whether you consider yourself crafty or not. Each activity involves a simple “craft,” but you could also choose to simply print out the banner flags included in the ebook and have your child decorate them each day as you read and discuss the Scripture.
Washing the feet has become one of my favorite family Lent traditions. Amanda provides the Scripture and discussion questions to make this a really meaningful moment for even your smallest kiddos. I find myself referring back to this activity throughout the year as we all learn to serve one another better.
If it was important enough for Jesus to serve His followers before He died on the cross, we know it is a critical lesson to teach our children. There is no better way than letting them experience exactly what the disciples did that day.
One more reason I really love A Sense of the Resurrection is each activity creates something special to have up in your home throughout Lent. These aren’t lessons that are here today and gone tomorrow. The fragrances will linger, the banners will proclaim the truths about Jesus, and the opportunity to discuss life and death and salvation will be right in front of you as the season moves toward Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
This activity devotional will not take up hours of your day or money you don’t have, but it will provide valuable direction for sharing the most difficult AND most amazing part of the Gospel with your kids. We pray you’ll love doing A Sense of the Resurrection with your children as much as we have!
We are thrilled to have a discount on A Sense of the Resurrection just for you today! Use code MOB at checkout to get 20% off your order through Easter, 04/05/15!
What are your favorite ways to help your children understand the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus?
