WELCOME TO MARTINI’S SUNDAY SCHOOL BOX LINKS PAGE!
The easy way to make use of Martini’s Sunday School Box.
Parents, enjoy looking over and sharing with your child or youth.
Please be discerning: The linked selection ONLY, not the organization presenting it, is approved by Pastor Robertson. Just click the link, and YouTube will help you learn, sing, and enjoy!
Welcome to Sundays, January 24 – February 14!
Be sure ALWAYS to check your box for extras: Food items representing a day (e.g., Valentine hearts or Epiphany gold or Fishers of Men goldfish, or more), or crafts or handouts for your class! We hope you like the Martini Sunday School Box!
We have one more Martini S.S. Box, then BACK to
“IN PERSON, outdoors, and weather permitting:”
Our final Martini Sunday School Box will be delivered for February 21 – March 28. On EASTER SUNDAY, we’ll have an EASTER SUNDAY EASTER EGG HUNT for children, and a Children’s Talk in Church! Then, on Sunday, April 11, we will begin OUTDOOR SUNDAY SCHOOL (weather permitting; no Sunday School if bad weather). Now, the lessons:
Lesson for Sunday, January 24, 2021
First start your opening: Remember it’s still the Epiphany season, and you’re letting Jesus’ light shine!
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen
What are God’s holy Ten Commandments?
(here recite the 10 Commandments)
Because Epiphany is about Jesus, we also recite the Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed’s meaning:
What is the meaning to the Second Article?
I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.
Let’s remember that every day is a gift from God. Last week we learned the Bible verse, Psalm 90:12 –
“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”
So, since every day is a gift from God, let’s let God we know our whole day will be all about Him!:
Jesus in the Morning https://youtu.be/1EFNi_DB-Po , or search YouTube for “Jesus in the Morning” and pick the video associated with Concordia Publishing House
Ooh, ooh, Look in your Martini Sunday School Box! There are some Goldfish! We’re about to read a Bible verse about fishing! Read Mark 1:14-20. (If you’re using the paper version, look it up. If you’re using the website page, click on the link if you want to take the short cut.)
v.14 John the Baptist was put in jail because he preached that the king had sinned (and the king HAD sinned, and John the Baptist should have preached about it!). We pray we may always live in a country where we can preach God’s Word without fear of being put in jail.
v.15 Jesus preached, “repent and believe the Gospel.” To repent means to make a u-turn: If you are doing the wrong thing, stop that, and do the opposite – the right thing! But while repentance sounds like something we do, it actually requires a changed heart and mind. Only the Holy Spirit can change our hearts, and then our minds. So even though Jesus said “Repent!,” it was to warn the people they had sins they needed to stop. And the Holy Spirit worked repentence in them, and He does that with you, too!
Gospel is another word for saying, “Good message,” or the “Good News.” It’s always Good News that Jesus is here – and He came to forgive our sins and make us right with God.
vv.16-20 Jesus picked people to be His followers. Today He picked Andrew, and Simon (we know him usually as “Peter.” Then He picked James and John. That’s two sets of brothers.
They got excited, and they followed Jesus.
Jesus picked you, whichever happened first: Belief, or Baptism. They go together; In Jesus’ words about believers, you don’t have one without having the other. As soon as people in the Bible believed, they were baptized (check your Bible!). And the people who were baptized first, then spoke their belief, were taught from the time they were baptized. But…
…either way, Jesus picked you if you are a believing, baptized person.
What did He pick you for?
Playing on a baseball team Worshiping Him? Making fun of people? Eating pizza?
Studying His Word? Taking the dog for a walk? Telling others about Him?
Yelling at people? Helping people in need? Starring in your own show?
Which of these things, above did He pick you to do?
Which of these things should you repent of?
Which of these things can you do to His glory, even if it’s not mentioned in the Bible?
At your Baptism, two names were said: Your name, and God’s Name.
God took your name to His heart, and will always love you as His forgiven child.
And He gave you His Name, and welcomed you to His family, the Church.
And He also called you to serve Him as well as believe in Him.
He called you to do something He called Andrew, Peter, James and John: Follow Him.
The word, “Disciple,” means “Follower.”
One of the things He called you to do was to go fishing!
Sure, you can go with a net, or with a hook and line, but in this case, Jesus sends you with the Gospel.
You have a good message, and you share it by telling others that
He loves them, He cares for their needs, He hears prayers, He calls us to worship Him
And, as you do this (maybe you invite your friends to church) – you don’t just “say” these things, you “show” these things by your words and actions. In other words, you let your Epiphany light shine. Now click here for the song, “Fishers of Men.” https://youtu.be/UKYespl69ZA
or go to YouTube and search Bible Action Songs 1: I Will Make You Fishers Of Men
Then close with a prayer asking Jesus to help you be one who is a “fisher of men” – that is, you bring people to Jesus.
Let’s close with the Lord’s Prayer.
Lesson for Sunday, January 31, 2021
First start your opening: Remember it’s still the Epiphany season, and you’re letting Jesus’ light shine!
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen
What are God’s holy Ten Commandments?
(here recite the 10 Commandments)
Because Epiphany is about Jesus, we also recite the Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed’s meaning:
What is the meaning to the Second Article?
I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.
Let’s remember that every day is a gift from God. Last week we learned the Bible verse, Psalm 90:12 –
“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” So, since every day is a gift from God, let’s let God we know our whole day will be all about Him!, one more (and last) time:
Jesus in the Morning https://youtu.be/1EFNi_DB-Po , or search YouTube for “Jesus in the Morning” and pick the video associated with Concordia Publishing House
Ooh, ooh, Look in your Martini Sunday School Box! Maybe you see some gold coins! Maybe you see some gold nuggets! Remember, these are the Sundays after Epiphany. What were the three gifts the Wise Men, or Magi, brought? (let’s hear it!) And what did they represent? Jesus would be a
Pr__________, a Pr________, and a King! The gift of Gold reminds us He is King of Creation, and King of us. Kings and gold go together.
Now read Mark 1:29-39. (If you’re using the paper version, look it up. If you’re using the website page, click on the link if you want to take the short cut.)
The Bible deals with everything. It’s God’s Word, God’s Book, and He wants us to have His teaching and truth about all of life. So when we see Jesus as Son of God, on earth, we find that Jesus deals with everything, and teaches us things as He does.
What was Jesus dealing with in Mark 1:21-28?
That’s right! He cast out an unclean spirit, also known as a demon.
But don’t get scared! Jesus is stronger than anything, and He is watching over you. So remember that He loves you and wants you to know some things so that you will know He’s got this, He’s going to take care of YOU! Strong, and with His love.
(You don’t have to look up the verses in these paragraphs unless you want to see where the Bible says these things:) An Unclean Spirit, or a Demon, was once an angel. A good angel.
Once, long ago, And Archangel named Lucifer led 1/3 of the angels in rebellion against God in heaven, and there was a war in heaven. (Isaiah 14:4-7; Revelation 12: [3-6] 7-9)
This happened long ago, at or before the beginning of the world!
And, God always wins against evil, so Satan lost. “Satan” was the new name of that Archangel named Lucifer. Once a good angel. But when he sinned against God, God cast him out of heaven. And also cast out his angel-followers who had gone bad.
So, here’s what we have, so far: A good archangel named Lucifer rebelled against God, was cast out of heaven and is now called Satan, or the Devil (Luke 10:18).
The good angels who followed him also took part in rebelling against God, and were cast out of heaven with him, and they are called Demons, unclean spirits.
They were cast out of heaven to be in hell, and they also are on earth until Judgment day (2 Peter 2:4). On the last day, God will consign them to a place He has prepared for them, Hell, with eternal fire and punishment (Matthew 25:41). Unbelievers who follow the devil’s ways will also go there.
On the last day, those who follow Jesus, who believe and are baptized, will be welcomed to heaven, where we will be with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, with the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, with all of the angels, and all believers in Jesus! (also found in Matthew 25).
Now here’s the deal: Jesus is stronger than any superhero or any weightlifter, smarter than any scientist or computer wizzard, and has more power than a nuclear explosion. (A nuclear explosion can harm, but Jesus can bring people back to life, and give them life in heaven hereafter.)
And that’s the message of our Sunday School lesson:
Jesus is stronger than anything or anyone! In the Bible He made people well, calmed storms, fed crowds with one small lunch, and cast out demons, to name a few.
But the biggest thing was when He went to war with the Devil.
The devil was thrown out of heaven and was tormenting God’s people. So Jesus came among the human race, and took on the devil and all his demons. For a while, it looked as if the devil would win the battle: Soldiers arrested Jesus. Bullied Him, tortured Him, made fun of Him, whipped Him, and even church leaders and church people lied about Him. Finally, they nailed Him to a cross. He died.
That really looked like the Devil had won! But, as He promised, He rose from the dead, came out of the grave, and stood again on the earth, risen, for all His followers to see!
Jesus could have just come down from the cross and stopped all of this. But He stuck with it, and laid down His life as a payment for our sins, and paid to forgive everyone everything they had done.
Now when we pray to Him, He has forgiveness for our sins, and it makes the devil mad! Jesus, in power, and even in death, proved He was stronger than the devil when He rose again. So we can always rely on Him, pray to Him, and know He will accomplish what is needed, even when we don’t understand. Here’s a song, “My God is so Big,” to sing. Then close with the Lord’s Prayer.
Youtube: search My GOD is so Big and so Strong So Mighty, connected with Jabez Paul
or enter or click https://youtu.be/C986eLNNiOo
Let’s close with the Lord’s Prayer.
Lesson for Sunday, February 7, 2021
First start your opening: Remember it’s still the Epiphany season, and you’re letting Jesus’ light shine!
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen
What are God’s holy Ten Commandments?
(here recite the 10 Commandments)
Because Epiphany is about Jesus, we also recite the Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed’s meaning:
What is the meaning to the Second Article?
I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.
Let’s remember that every day is a gift from God. We learned the Bible verse, Psalm 90:12 –
“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” And let your Epiphany light shine!
Today, let’s read Mark 1:29-34
Today Jesus is shown as the HEALER.
Today Jesus is shown as COMPASSIONATE!
Let’s start teaching with verses 32-34.
v. 33 The whole city of Capernaum was at the door bringing people to be healed by Jesus.
v. 34 He healed many. Most believed. A few didn’t. But Jesus was up to the task.
We read that He healed various diseases. In other words, He could go to a hospital and heal anyone, no matter what they were suffering from.
Now, Jesus still heals today where and when He pleases. Remember this: He did this to show the kingdom of God had come. Yet His greatest healing would be to take sinners and make them clean and forgiven. To take people lost in the devil’s ways and make them “found!”
In short, the healings of Jesus show us He is COMPASSIONATE, and he is UP TO THE TASK!
Let’s sing Jesus Loves Me.
If you’d been living then, He’d have been glad to take care of you, too!
YouTube search “Jesus Loves Me Little Sheep,” or click or type in https://youtu.be/KtBblrQhxb0
Here are the words to “Jesus Loves Me:
…This I know, for the Bible tells me so; Little Ones to Him belong; we are weak but He is strong”
…He who died, Heaven’s gate to open wide; He will wash away my sin; Let His little child come in”
…He will stay close beside me all the way; He’s prepared a home for me, And some day His face I’ll see.”
Jesus’ greatest COMPASSION: He Died on the Cross for you!
Here’s what Isaiah says in chapter 53:4-6 about “healed.”
4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Take a look at verse 5 as part of verses 4-6: Here is what the Bible calls the greatest healing:
FORGIVENESS OF SINS
verses 4-6 are about our spiritual selves:
v. 4: our griefs, our sorrows v. 5: our transgressions, our iniquities v. 6: gone astray, went our own way
By his stripes (that means His being whipped and nailed to the Cross, we are healed. Of a cold? A broken leg? A lung or heart condition? All of these are important, but, in these verses they are not mentioned. Only our greatest sickness, SIN, and what Jesus did about it.
4 We had griefs and sorrows, He became a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.
5 We had transgressions, iniquities; He took our punishment, and was pierced and crushed for them
6 We went astray, we did our own things, went our own way. God laid it all on Him.
So, if Jesus decides to heal us of our bodily illnesses, it’s only to show He will heal our spiritual sickness
Jesus loves you that much.
What if you were healed of a broken leg? Wouldn’t you want to run, jump, and play ball?
So if you’re healed of sin, wouldn’t you want to do great, kind, good things to people, and for God?
Make a list of three things you’ll do to show compassion to others this week. At the end of the week, see if you’ve done them, and think of what other events God gave you to have you show more of it!
Let’s close with the Lord’s Prayer.
Lesson for Sunday, February 14, 2021
First start your opening: Remember it’s still the Epiphany season, and you’re letting Jesus’ light shine!
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen
What are God’s holy Ten Commandments?
(here recite the 10 Commandments)
Because Epiphany is about Jesus, we also recite the Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed’s meaning:
What is the meaning to the Second Article?
I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.
Let’s remember that every day is a gift from God. We learned the Bible verse, Psalm 90:12 –
“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” And let your Epiphany light shine!
Today, let’s read Mark 9:1-13 This is the Transfiguration of our Lord.
Transfigure = “Trans” means “across.” Figure means “shape” or “form.”
So Jesus’ shape, or form, changed. He went across from simple earthly form to showing heavenly glory.
We have this painting in our reredos (pronounced RARE-uh-doss). That’s the actual name of the piece of furniture that goes up the wall behind our altar. Some people think it sounds too unusual. But if you say it with confidence, you realize you’ve just learned a new word, and the proper name of something at church.
Sometimes people refer to the painting as our Triptych (pronounced TRIP-tik). It comes from
the prefix Tri – which means “three” (like a Triangle has three angles, or a Tricycle has three wheels)
and, the word Ptych which sounds a little like, and also means, “Picture.”
so, a Triptych is actually Three Pictures which, taken together, make One complete picture!
The Transfiguration happened in the Bible, and you’ve just read Mark 9:2-13.
You’ll notice that this IS NOT our painting. Ours is 1) a copy from this, and 2) only the upper part.
Later in Mark 9, verses 14-29, you’ll discover what they find when they come down from the mountain on the plain. That’s what the rest of the painting is about.
However, there’s something about this painting – it’s in the part which we have in our Reredos – that is painted, but it isn’t recorded in the Bible. Don’t let this upset you. It’s because there was so much heavenly glory at the Transfiguration, the artist, Raphael, tried to show it in a special way. There’s even a term for what he does, because many artists to it when something is greater than mere paint and canvas. We call it “artistic license.” Look at Mark 9:2-13 again. Remember, it’s something found in the part that we have in our reredos. Read carefully, look carefully, and you’ll figure it out. If you don’t notice, we’ll tell you about it somewhere near the end.
Here are many things thatt the Transfiguration teaches us:
– Jesus is Lord and God. God spoke this in Mark 9:7 What does God want us to know?
– Jesus shone with heavenly glory. So had Moses, once, coming down from Mt. Sinai, but not like this. It was just Moses’ face, but it was all of Jesus. That means “Someone greater than Moses is here.”
– Elijah had a great miracle on a mountain, Mt. Carmel. God sent fire from heaven on His altar. But now someone greater than Elijah is here.” It is God’s beloved Son, God in the flesh, Jesus Christ, the Lord.
– (This one’s for older students:) After we die, we’ll live, AND God has purposes for us. Since Moses and Elijah had been dead for centuries, we see that they are alive and well, and fulfil this assignment from God to help Peter, James, and John to know that Jesus is the one they should listen to, even though they were raised all their lives to believe that Moses and Elijah were among the greatest people ever. We, too, after we die, will live, and carry out any purposes God has for us!
– Which one is Moses? Which is Elijah? (Hint: One of them is holding something…) Ask me sometime
– Which is Peter (looking oldest), which is James? Which is John (looking youngest)?
– The Transfiguration teaches us to believe in God’s Supernatural Power! God does what God pleases. He rules the world, and He rules our believing hearts with His love. If you’re a Christian, you believe not only in nature (the “natural” world), but you believe in God and His works which are Super-natural!
– The Transfiguration shows us that there are times Jesus wants us to come apart from everything else and just be with Him. The Bible is clear: This is why Jesus invented “Church.” This is why, from the time of Creation, God created a day of worship, and of resting in Him, listening to Him (v.7).
– The Transfiguration teaches that God is too great for us to take in. Look at the disciples. They’re trying to figure it out, and they can’t. Look at Mark 9:6. The glory of God, shown on one mountain top, is enough to terrify us. Not because God is being unkind, but because He’s all that and more! So we also learn that God really DID humble himself to come down to our level. Sort of like you becoming an amoeba to save other one-cell creatures. That’s how humble Jesus was all the time on earth!!
– The Transfiguration teaches that God knows what will happen, and is carrying out His plans. In vv. 9-10, we see that God, Christ, is preparing them to be strong once He dies on the cross by showing his hidden power. On the cross it will look as if God lost, but His hidden power will continue as He descends to hel in victory, and rises from the dead in triumph! (By the way, the Artistic License Raphael used was to place Jesus in the air, off the ground. The Bible says nothing about this, but I’m sure you’ll agree that it does make this spectacular miracle more glorious-looking than having him standing on the ground. From the Bible, we believe Jesus could achieve that level of spectacular without leaving the ground or the Bible would tell us “He left the ground.” But paint and canvas can only carry so much Divine Glory, so Raphael used the device called “Artistic License.” So there. Now you’re an Art scholar as well as a Sunday School student.) Tell Pastor if you find other teachings in the Mark 9 account of the Transfiguration!
And it’s time to close with the Lord’s Prayer. I’d suggest going back a couple weeks and singing “My God is so Big!”
