Taking Salads In A Jar to Friends In Need

Maybe you've been a recipient of a Meal Ministry or maybe you have made a meal to bring to someone going through a rough time. Either way, taking someone a meal is a ministry that has been a standard of Christian hospitality and service. 

Why Take A Meal

Usually, when something major happens in the life of a friend or family member you want to do whatever you can to help. Unfortunately, when you are watching a friend go through a difficult time, you feel helpless. The small things that you actually can do to help feel like nothing important. However, even doing small things like taking someone a meal can just send a message that you noticed their needs and care about them. While making a meal for someone can save them the time and money, it can also let them know that you see them and what they are going through, that you love them and want to do something to help.

Romans 12:10-13 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

1 Peter 4:9-11 Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and  dominion forever and ever. Amen.

When To Take A Meal

• After a couple has their first baby
• Following a surgery or illness
• For a housewarming gift
• An elderly person who is having trouble cooking for themselves
• When a family (without children) is grieving

What To Take For A Meal

Great options for a meal to take include:

• Soups (chicken noodle, chili, beef stew...)
• Lasagna or pasta dishes
• Pot Roast
• Casserole
• Quiche
• Casseroles
• Or check out some ideas on Pinterest

Don't forget to take:

• Food packed in disposable containers, so they don't need to keep track of your dish
• Any directions for preparing the food
• A side dish (bread, vegetables, potatoes, or even a fruit salad)

And consider sending:

• Paper plates so they won't have to do dishes
• A dessert
• The recipe so they can make the meal again if they loved it

What To Consider When Choosing A Meal

Every family has different opinions on foods they like or don't like. Here are some things to consider when you are cooking for another family.

• Food Allergies - not only should you not send a food if the family has a member with an allergy, but you should clean your cooking area well to be sure you don't contaminate the food with traces of that food
• Dietary Restrictions - low fat, gluten-free, dairy-free - some people have food intolerances or other food restrictions based on health issues
• Food Preferences - vegan, vegetarian, dislikes (some of the most common ones are seafood, blue cheese, liver, and broccoli, and olives)
• Children - if the family has children, you may consider making meals that are more kid-friendly like spaghetti instead of a chicken broccoli casserole

A Different Idea

Sometimes you need a different idea. Maybe all of your ideas are taken by others or you need something with different dietary restrictions. So I decided to send some salads in a jar. 

Salads in a Jar are perfect for:

• First-time moms and dads
• Families with children not eating solid foods yet
• Single adults
• Couples without children
• Seniors
• Vegetarians or vegans

How To Make A Salad In A Jar

Salads in a Jar are very easy to make, especially in quantities. I use wide mouth canning jars with plastic storage lids. I line the jars up on the counter and then I layer in the following:

• Salad dressings, sauces, salsa, sour cream... anything wet
• Hard vegetables or fruit (carrots, onions, apples...)
• Soft vegetables or fruit (tomatoes, kiwi...)
• Meats or protein (chicken, beef, shrimp, tofu...)
• Cheese or hardboiled eggs
• Beans, grains (quinoa, couscous, rice...), or pasta
• Nuts or seeds
• Greens

Store any crunchy toppings (croutons, tortilla strips, wonton strips, cheese crisps...) in a separate storage bag or container.

You can use whatever recipe or combination you want. Chicken Caesar salad, steak gorgonzola salad, taco salad, BLT salad, or BBQ southwest salad. The possibilities are endless.

You only need to store the jars upright and they easily last 3-5 days. Then, when you are ready to eat them, shake it and add any crunchy toppings from your separate storage bag or container.

Gifting a Salad In a Jar

When you make a salad jar as a gift or to take as a meal ministry, make one jar for each person in the household. Then, add these tags with a hole punch and a ribbon so that they know how to reuse the jars to make salads for themselves.

I've recently gifted these... twice. They both were well received.

Love in the Bible

The world tells us a lot about what it believes love is. It says that love is a strong emotion that is more important than all else. That it comes and goes as it wants and we can't control it. That it should be easy and pleasant, not hard work. Here are some quotes from the world's view about love:

"The heart wants what it wants. There's no logic to these things. You meet someone and you fall in love and that's that." - Woody Allen

"Some people think that it�s holding on that makes one strong; sometimes it�s letting go." - Herman Hesse

�Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.� � Lucille Ball

This is very different from what love is in the Bible. The Bible displays love as a choice, a decision. It is putting others before yourself. 

Here is a printable with Bible verses about love in the Bible.  Study the verses and highlight or underline what it is saying about love or add some notes. You can contrast them with the world's view of love. Then, you can cut out the verses and put them in piles categorizing them by their main point. That may point out some of the strongest points the Bible is trying to make about love.



Feel free to print this out and use it with your Bible study group, Sunday School class, or small group. Or use it with your children (whether you homeschool or not). Or just study what the Bible says about love on your own. You can share it with others by printing it or by sharing it online, just please share a link to this page rather than a direct link to the printable on Google drive. 

God Controls The Weather Children's Lesson

This is the first of two children's Bible lessons about God's control over the earth.  This first lesson is about weather and the second one is about the seasons. I chose these two topics because there are plenty of Bible verses and stories and plenty of hands-on activities for both. I had broken each lesson into two sections: one for all the kids (as young as three) and one for the older kids (probably 8 and up).

While I created this lesson for a children's Bible class at a Bible conference, it could easily be used for homeschooling either as a whole lesson or just selecting some of the activities or printables with your curriculum. 

God Controls The Weather

Introduction:

To introduce the topic of God being in control of nature, I read Psalm 104 and had them draw what I read. I had a large tablet (like an easel pad). Here are some of their drawings. 

Water Cycle Video:
We watched a video to introduce the water cycle. I used "The Great Aqua Adventure" by Crash Course Kids. You could use a different video about the water cycle.

Water Cycle In A Bag:
I found this awesome experiment that lets kids see the water cycle with their own eyes. All you have to do is pour some water in a bag and tape it to a window that gets lots of sunlight. Then you can just sit back and watch the water cycle.

Rain In A Jar:

I just included this activity because it looked like fun and illustrated to the younger ones how clouds can get "full" and start raining. The best part is they get to use pipettes or eye droppers - and kids love pipettes. All you need is jars or cups of water, shaving cream, pipettes or eye droppers, and food coloring.

Weather In The Bible Activity:

Print out a set of the Weather Icons for each student (or you could give each student one icon) and glue them to popsicle sticks. Then, read the Bible verses from the list on this matching sheet and have the students hold up the icon for each weather when they hear it mentioned or described. Alternatively, you can print on the matching sheet and just have them match, but I usually like to give the students a chance to move around instead of just complete worksheets. The point in most of these verses is that God used weather to accomplish His purposes. 

God Controls The Weather - For Older Students

How Much Does A Cloud Hold:

I found this fun experiment from the National Weather Service that helps kids visualize how much water is in clouds. And they get to use pipettes again! Basically, you count how many drops you can drop onto a cotton ball before it reaches capacity and starts dripping. You can have them hypothesize beforehand how many drops will fit and also see who can get their cotton ball to hold the most. Of course, clouds aren't made of cotton (actually a cloud is formed by water droplets bonding to dust and pollen in the atmosphere), water droplets are much smaller than the drops released from pipettes or eye droppers, and an updraft helps a cloud hold more water, but this activity gives them an idea of just how much water a cloud can hold. 

The Water Cycle In The Bible:

If you are focusing on teaching the vocabulary for the water cycle (evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and runoff) and demonstrate that each of these is discussed in the Bible, this activity will work well for older students. Print out this worksheet. Then, have them cut off the vocabulary words and Bible verses and glue them to the proper location in the picture. 

Discussion:

It's great to see if the students can process the ideas from the lesson, so I ended this lesson with a discussion about the purpose behind the water cycle (in other words, Why did God create water to go through the water cycle?).

1. Who needs water? How do they use it? (plants need water; animals and humans drink it)
2. What does the water cycle do to the water? How does it benefit the water and us? (it purifies it - like distillation - and moves it to different locations; this gives us fresh water and brings water from oceans to inland)
3. What else does the water cycle affect? How else does it change nature? (Runoff causes erosion and sedimentation which causes in geography like deltas at mouths of rivers and canyons exposing new minerals)

Here is a printout of the whole lesson, but feel free to pick and choose from the activities for what best fits your students and your time. You can also check out my pinterest board on this subject.

If you liked this activity, check out my God Controls The Seasons Bible Lesson.

Old Testament Overview Review

When I was in college, I went to some Walk Thru The Bible seminars. They have this awesome program where you can go through the Old or New Testament in one day. It gives a really good overview of the Bible. It inspired me to teach my Sunday School an overview of the Bible, a few books a week. Like Walk Thru The Bible, we focused on keywords for each book and overall themes. 

At the end of the Old Testament, I wanted to review all of the themes of the books, so I made this worksheet that has you match verses with the books of the Bible. I left out 1 and 2 Chronicles because it is difficult to separate it from other books (especially 1 and 2 Kings) and there are two other unused books. 

This is a great way to process the keywords, topics, people, and themes from each book of the Bible. You can do it on your own, with your family, or use it in your Sunday School class or small group. It's great for reviewing after reading the Bible in a year. Better yet, try this before you read the Bible and then again after to see how much you've learned.

Of course, it is a challenge, especially if you haven't reviewed keywords or themes of the books of the Bible (OT39 is a great system if you want to learn the books of the Bible that way). Also, watching videos from The Bible Project will definitely help you get great overviews of entire books of the Bible. 

However, this activity can help you sort out what you do know about the Old Testament and help you learn more. Don't get discouraged if you don't know an answer yet. The importance isn't your final score, but interacting with the ideas and the learning along the way. The keywords for each of the books of the Bible in the final sheet may help and once you've done what you can without help you can try to use that to help. 

Bible Verses About Why Jesus Was Born

All throughout December, you hear Christians talking about the reason for the season.  Most of our society would say the reason for Christmas is to spread love.  Most Christians would say it is to celebrate Jesus' birth.  But why?  Why was Jesus born?  Why did He come to earth?  What was His purpose?

There are actually quite a few Bible verses about why Jesus came:

Matthew 5:17 �Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.�

Matthew 10:34 �Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.�

Mark 1:38 He said to them, �Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for.�

Mark 2:17 And hearing this, Jesus said to them, �It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.�

Mark 10:45 �For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.�

Luke 19:10 �For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.�

John 3:16 �For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.�

John 3:17 �For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.�

John 6:38 �For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.�

John 9:39 And Jesus said, �For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.�

John 12:27 �Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, �Father, save Me from this hour�? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.�

John 18:37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, �So You are a king?� Jesus answered, �You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."

Galatians 4:4-5 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

1 Timothy 1:15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.

Hebrews 2:14-15 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

Hebrews 2:17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

Hebrews 9:26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

Hebrews 10:7 �Then I said, �Behold, I have come (in the scroll of the book it is written of me) to do Your will, O God.��

1 John 3:8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

1 John 4:9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.

1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John 4:14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

You can examine these reasons a little more deeply with the activity.  Print out the activity.  Then, read through the verses and underline the reasons that Jesus came.  Also, look for repeated words or themes.  Then, cut the Bible verses out and put them into piles to categorize them into common reasons.

When you are finished, examine them to see if any appear to be contradictory.  If so, how is the contradiction resolved?  Is there a theme that is repeated most?  Why?

What Bible verses am I missing?

James and Proverbs Comparison Printable

My Sunday School class just finished studying James. Since our previous study was Proverbs, I kept noticing the similarity between the two books.  Apparently, I'm not the first to notice this.  You can easily find lots on the subject.

I looked for verses that covered the same topics and many even said basically the same things.  I created a matching sheet.  As we used the sheet in my Sunday School class, I noticed that there was a better way to use it as a group activity.  So I adapted it so you could use it that way, too.

You can print out the matching sheet or the group activity here.  It would work well as a wrap up for studying James or Proverbs.  Or you can use it on its own.  It would work individually for adults or kids.  You could also use it for homeschooling.

Christmas Quiz - Biblical Fact vs. Myth

In my first year of Bible college, I failed my first "quiz"... on Christmas. I thought I had aced it because I had been in Christmas pageants and knew every Christmas carol.  Unfortunately, people have created Christmas cards, carols, children�s plays, artwork, and other items that make assumptions about the Christmas story. While most of these assumptions are harmless (like how many wise men there actually were), it is important to know what the Bible actually says about Jesus birth.  Other Christmas myths are absolutely totally fictional (I'm sure Jesus cried, no matter what Away In the Manger says) and can affect our theology about Christ's humanity.  Some differences seem a little nit-picky (like the angels speaking to the shepherds and not singing), while other mistakes are glaring (like who is following the star in O Little Town of Bethlehem).

Take this Christmas Quiz to see if you can determine what is actually recorded in the Bible and what is not.

You can take the online quiz here.



Create your own user feedback survey


Or you can print the quiz (and the answer key) out to share with others.

Evangelistic Bible Verses

In a recent Sunday School class on evangelism, we looked at many of the different Bible verses that are used to share the gospel.  Then, in order to have something available at any time, we chose a verse for each topic and wrote part of it on a card that will fit in our wallet.  

We looked at several different methods of sharing the gospel (ABCs, The Roman Road, Wordless Book or bracelet...) and then individually choose which one we like the most and practiced it on each other.  Practicing was great because it helped us to be more comfortable with sharing outside of class.

Evangelistic Bible Verses

The sin problem:

Ecclesiastes 12:14 - For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.

Isaiah 53:6 - All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.

Ezekiel 18:4 - Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die.

Matthew 12:36 - But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.

Luke 12:2 - But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

Romans 3:10-11 -as it is written, �There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God;�

Romans 3:23 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 5:12 - Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned�

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 2:1-3 - And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

Hebrews 9:27 - And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,

Christ�s death for us:

John 3:16 - �For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.�

Romans 5:8 - But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 - Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.  For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

2 Corinthians 5:21- He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

1 Timothy 1:15-16 - It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

1 Peter 3:18 - For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;

You must believe and have faith:

John 3:16 - �For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.�

Acts 16:31 - They said, �Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.�

Romans 4:5 - But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,

Romans 10:9-11,17 - that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, �Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.�

Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

1 Timothy 1:15-16 - It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

You must repent of your sins:

Mark 1:15 - and saying, �The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.�

Acts 20:21 - solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 26:18 - to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.�

2 Corinthians 7:9-10 - I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

Salvation is a free gift:

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Salvation is not earned:

Isaiah 64:6 - For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

Romans 3:20 - because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

Romans 11:6 - But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.

Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Titus 3:5 - He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

James 2:10 - For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.

There�s only one way to be saved:

John 14:6 - Jesus said to him, �I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

John 15:23 - He who hates Me hates My Father also.

Acts 4:12 - �And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.�

Don�t wait to be saved:

2 Corinthians 6:2 - for He says,�At the acceptable time I listened to you, And on the day of salvation I helped you.� Behold, now is �the acceptable time,� behold, now is �the day of salvation��

Romans 9:28 - �for the Lord will execute His word on the earth, thoroughly and quickly.�

Romans 13:11 - Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.

2 Peter 3:10 - But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

The Lord wants all people to be saved:

2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

1 Timothy 2:3-4 - This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Feel free to print and use these for Bible studies, Sunday School classes, or for your personal use.  If you share them online, please include a link back to this page.  Thanks!

Bible Study Bookmarks

Free Printable Bookmark with Bible Study Suggestions

Have you ever felt overwhelmed when you read the Bible?  With so much to look for, you don't know where to start.  If you want a bookmark that can remind you how to find helpful observations from Scripture, here is a free printable.

The concepts are based on the book Living By The Book by Howard G. Hendricks and William D. Hendricks.  That book is great for understanding how to explore God's Word.  It gives pointers on the different types of observations you can make, the methods of properly interpreting the message, and how to apply it to your theology and life.

I've used a much plainer version of this in my Bible and for my Sunday School students in the past. However, I redesigned it so that it would be easier to scan it and quickly remember the ideas you learned.

This bookmark can be used on its own, but it is best used as a review of Living By The Book by Howard G. Hendricks and William D. Hendricks.

Click here to print the bookmark.  They are in a pdf and download three to a page and should be printed double sided on card stock. I also recommend using a guillotine paper cutter if you have one available.

Bible Memory Verse Signature Bingo

Do you have a group that has been working on memorizing Bible verses (like a quiz team or a Bible memory challenge)?  Are you looking for a fun and different way to review their verses?  Try this Bible Memory Verse Signature Bingo.

Print out enough copies of the BINGO cards for each person to have one.  Then, everyone can walk around and ask others to say a verse from one of the books of the Bible listed.  Then, the person that said the verse writes the chapter and verse reference in that block along with their signature.

Feel free to create your own sheet using the books of the Bible that your group has memorized from. Here is an editable version.