June 3, "The Problem with Purity, Part 2"
Lesson 57: Being Pure in Heart
C.J. befriends Saint Merrion, a member of "The Big White Church." When she decides not to return to her strange church to spend every day of her life telling others about Jesus, C.J. helps Saint Merrion realize she has a lot to learn about the world she hopes to witness to. Together they discover that the purity of our heart is more important to God than just appearing to be godly on the outside.
"A symbol of distraction"
David Carl writes, "The church building is a symbol of a place dedicated to worship and service to God. What a great symbol that is! However it is common for Christians to become so involved with their buildings and traditions that we exclude people who don't comply. We can easily show as much devotion to our symbols as we do to our God—and when we do that we are in serious trouble." Discover how something meant to remind us of God sometimes can distract us from Him in this week's Director's Notes.
June 10, "The Truth about Truth"
Lesson 58: Learning to Love Truth
Staci makes a new friend who helps her understand that "truth speaks even when we don't want it to." That mysterious saying leads Staci to a discovery of how important it is to love the things God loves. Meanwhile C.J. has to face the truth himself when his new buddy reveals a dishonest streak!
"The truth about truth"
It has been said that the crisis of our times is not that there are a growing number of people who refuse to believe in certain truths. It is that there are a growing number of people who deny that truth even exists. As we raise children to understand the truths of God's Word, how do we protect them from worldviews that are built on shaky foundations or people who would say all truth is subjective? In this week's Director's Notes, David Carl explains the spectrum of truth and how to avoid the extremes when teaching children the "truth about truth."
June 17, "A Cage Called Freedom"
Lesson 63: Our Choices Decide Our Character
It's the first day of summer, and C.J. and Ned are dreaming of sailing on the high seas! But when Captain Gus shows them what it really takes to be a sailor, they discover their ideas are all wet. Meanwhile, Paw Paw Chuck helps a drifter learn that real freedom means being anchored to something.
“Existentialism for third-graders”
David Carl writes, "'Question authority,' 'That may be fine for you but I make up my own rules,' 'No one tells me what to do!' These are just some of the catch phrases that will come out of the mouth of an existentialist. These kinds of ideas permeate our advertising, our music, our favorite movies, and the attitudes of our favorite sports heroes and movie stars. We are so surrounded by existentialism, we don't even recognize it—it's just the way things are. Well, it's not the way it's supposed to be!" In this week's Director's Notes, read about the perils of existentialism and what God expects us to do about it.
June 24, "Goliath"
Lesson 28: We Are New Creatures in Christ
Handyman, teacher, mentor, and friend—Paw Paw Chuck is all of these things to the kids in the club. But will all that change when they find out who Paw Paw Chuck used to be?
"Revealing your past"
David Carl writes, "I must be real with my kids. Once they reach a certain level of maturity, it is no longer good for them to hold an idealized image of me. If my kids believe that I have never felt what they feel, never feared what they fear, or have never failed as they will surely fail, a deep and wide crevasse will form between our hearts. . . . Instead, they desperately need me to provide wise and practical advice earned from my life experiences." Discover why it is essential to tell your kids the truth about your past in this week's Director's Notes.