Current Volunteers
At Reality Kids we love Jesus, love kids, and are excited to partner with parents! Here, Jesus is the Hero of every story, and we strive to cultivate a Gospel-centered ecosystem where kids can encounter, explore, and enjoy life with Jesus.
Ralston Transition Meeting Recording
Upcoming Lessons
Leader Bible Study | Jesus Raised Lazarus (John 11-12)
The account of Jesus’ raising Lazarus from the dead is a foundational passage in the New Testament. Not only was a dead man brought back to life, this passage in John 11 also contains the shortest verse in the Bible and a glimpse into the humanity of Jesus. John 11:35 says, “Jesus wept.”
In this historical account of the death of Jesus’ dear friend, Jesus is questioned three times for not arriving sooner. The primary reason He is questioned can be found in the words of both Mary and Martha: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.” (John 11:21,32)
Mary, Martha, and others around them had seen and heard of the miraculous things that Jesus was doing. They had only seen Him miraculously prevent death. Their framework for how Jesus worked was limited to their experience with Him.
Martha showed a glimmer of hope in John 11:22 when she said, “Yet even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” However, she still seemed to limit what Jesus could do to her previous experience.
It can be easy to put God inside of a box, to limit what we believe He can do to what we’ve seen Him do before. Yet Jesus’ delay served a greater purpose: to give Him the opportunity to perform an even greater miracle—and thus display God’s glory.
Today, we often struggle to pray with confidence that God could heal physical ailments or save those that seem most unlikely to repent. In our minds, we limit what God can do to what we have seen or
can explain.
What if we prayed with the confidence that God is a wonder worker, doing more than we could ever ask or imagine? What if we believed that God isn’t bound by our opinions or perspectives? What if we demonstrated our confidence in a God who is beyond our full comprehension, but is always within our reach? Not only would this type of faith change us, but it would also greatly impact those around us.
PEOPLE TO KNOW
Lazarus: Lazarus (a shortened form of Eleazer) of Bethany was a personal friend of Jesus and the brother of Mary and Martha.
Preschool
Lesson Plans
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Elementary
Lesson Plans
Resources
Leader Bible Study | The World is Against God (Ephesians 6)
Each year, numerous local churches fill backpacks for children in their communities who have limited access to school supplies. They may schedule a Saturday morning to pack hundreds of backpacks full of pencils, paper, notebooks, scissors, erasers, and more to ensure that children are well-equipped
for school.
Imagine if they filled the backpacks with candy, toys, tools, and dirt. Imagine that instead of paper and pencils, kids received empty soda cans and grass seed. Sure, those children may be ready to swing by the recycling center and start a landscaping project, but they would not be ready for what was in front of them.
In Ephesians 6, at the conclusion of Paul’s letter to his friends in Ephesus, Paul reminded the Ephesians of the tools they needed to remain faithful in the combative culture they were living in.
The tools Paul described are not a hammer and nails. In fact, the tools that Paul exhorts them to use are metaphors for the spiritual characteristics and disciplines that are essential to guarding against the spiritual attacks of the devil and actively combating the lies of the evil one.
Paul reminded the Christians at Ephesus to put on truth, righteousness, readiness to take the gospel, faith, salvation, and the Word of God. We can pursue and hold tightly to these distinctive characteristics of those whose hope is in the gospel of Jesus Christ; and in so doing, we’ll be equipped to stand firm in the faith.
Why are these things so essential? As Paul says in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.” Paul says you’re not fighting a physical battle, but a spiritual one. Be sure you are equipped with the right tools for the task at hand.
In the same way, the kids in our communities need pencils and paper to be equipped for school, we need these spiritual characteristics and disciplines to grow and be equipped for the spiritual battle that we are facing each day. Be sure you gather the right supplies; it will make all the difference.
DOCTRINE TO KNOW
The World Opposed to God: An active and evil spiritual force operates under Satan’s control. Christians are called to overcome this world of spiritual evil by faith in Jesus.
Preschool
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Elementary
Lesson Plans
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Leader Bible Study | People Welcomed Jesus as King (Matthew 21; Mark 11; Luke 19; John 12)
In all four Gospel accounts of the triumphal entry, we uncover the truth that Jesus reigns as the sovereign King over everything. From the need for a processional donkey to the praises spilling from children’s mouths, He continued to fulfill the Old Testament requirements for the coming Messiah—the One promised since the beginning.
Why were the crowds so welcoming to Jesus and His disciples on this day? What led them to sing so loudly, to make way for His arrival so exuberantly? Many had heard the news of this prophet from Nazareth. Some had even witnessed His miraculous healing power for themselves. Yet they all looked on with the hope that He would do even more for them now as their long-awaited King.
Those they encountered while entering Jerusalem were excited to see what Christ would do next, especially regarding the Roman rule they faced. They knew of Scripture’s promises and wanted more than anything for Jesus to be their answered prayer. They were more than elated to celebrate Him as the object of their kingly anticipation but failed to recognize Him as Someone greater—their Messiah and Lord.
Amid their jubilant festivities and merrymaking, they missed Christ’s purpose in heading toward their city. It was not for the sake of sitting on an earthly throne, but to stake His claim as sovereign Ruler of the universe. He was not interested in merely delivering them from Pontius Pilate, but rather from life and eternity spent
without God.
As you prepare to teach kids about Jesus’ triumphal entry, reflect on the full picture of the gospel’s good news: We do not have to wonder who Christ would turn out to be, nor shall we simply compartmentalize His reign to only one area of our lives. We already know of His death, resurrection, and ultimate victory over sin. We have even more reasons to welcome and worship Him than those in this story!
Teach the kids in your group that Jesus made His way into Jerusalem to make a way for us to be with the Father for all eternity. May we never take for granted His sovereignty not just as King, but as Lord of all.
TERMS TO KNOW
Hosanna: Hosanna is a Hebrew or Aramaic word that is best translated as a prayer: “Save now,” or “Save, we beseech Thee.”
Preschool
Lesson Plans
Resources
Elementary
Lesson Plans
Resources
Team Training
Thank you for serving with Reality Kids! Before serving on our team, we require that all volunteers be trained. Please listen to the trainings below so that you know what is expected of you as a Reality Kids volunteer. The first three trainings are required for all Reality Kids volunteers. Once you've listened to those, please select the age group you will be serving with for age specific training sessions.