(upbeat music) Welcome to the seed pod for beginners. I'm Miss Ashley and I'm so glad you are here with me today as we sing and learn about God through nature and the Bible. Heavenly Father, please bless all the boys and girls who've joined us today. Help us to learn so much more about you and come close to Jesus. We pray in Jesus' name, amen. Jesus loves the little ones like me, is a fun action song. You can give yourself a big hug when we sing. Jesus loves and point to yourself when we sing. Me, me, me, me. ♪ Jesus loves the little ones like me, me, me ♪ ♪ Jesus loves the little ones like me, me, me ♪ ♪ Jesus loves the little ones like me, me, me ♪ ♪ Jesus loves the little ones like me, me, me ♪ ♪ Jesus loves the little ones like me, me, me, me, me ♪ ♪ Jesus loves the little ones like me, me, me, me ♪ ♪ Little ones like me, sense upon his name ♪ ♪ Jesus loves the little ones like me, me, me, me, me ♪ Can you get a stuffed animal, a doggy or a kitty to pet in our next song? Jesus gives us good gifts like animals because he loves us. If you don't have a pet, do you enjoy seeing them or petting them when you do see them? I often stop with my family to pet a nice doggy through the fence when we go on our walk. Let's sing, "I am so happy." ♪ Oh, I am so happy ♪ ♪ As happy as can be ♪ ♪ For I have a puppy door ♪ ♪ That Jesus stayed for me ♪ ♪ Oh, I am so happy ♪ ♪ As happy as can be ♪ ♪ For I have a jitty key ♪ ♪ That Jesus stayed for me ♪ (gentle piano music) - It's time to review our Bible story from this week. I want you to help me out by saying the answers out loud after I ask the questions. Can you do that? Question one, why did a group of mommies and children go look for Jesus? - You can see them up, right? - That's right. Question two, did the disciples welcome them over or try to send them away? - They tried to send them away. - Yeah, that wasn't very nice, was it? - He wanted them to come. - Question three, does Jesus have time for children and you? - Yeah. - Jesus loves the little children. (gentle piano music) Our lesson today is schools of fish. Romans 12, 18. - This piece of beef with all men. - In our Bible story this week, a group of mommies and daddies went to see Jesus. The mommies and children liked being together in a group. Do you like being together with a group of other kids? - Yeah. - What do you like to do? - Play. The best thing to play is to play with cars. - Oh, that's fun. - In the animal world, some kinds of animals like being together too. Have you ever heard of a school of fish? - No. - That's what we call a group of fish that swim together, a school of fish. - To see. - In the ocean, many fish like swimming together in schools. The fish are safer when they swim in a big group. Why do you think fish are safer swimming together rather than swimming all by themselves? - Well, they're safer because it's much easier for little fish to keep from being gobbled up by a bigger fish when they're in the school. Schools also make it easier for fish to stay warm, find a mate and hunt for food. If little fish meet a big bully, it's better for them if they are in a school, a big group of fish. Even big bullies don't like facing hundreds of angry fish. When fish are schooling, they all swim in the same direction. They stay close to each other, but they're careful not to bump into each other. Even when the whole school darts or changes directions quite quickly, they still go the same direction. I went to an aquarium before the Monterey Bay Aquarium and you can see through the glass and watch the fish. Hundreds, probably thousands of fish swimming together and you'll see them swim to the left and then suddenly they all go up before they all change directions and they go down, but they swim side by side. If they work together, it's really, really neat to watch them. What would happen if the fish swim in any direction they wanted to when they were in a big group? And bump. Yes, they would bump into each other. Would you want to be bumped by someone else? No. No, of course not. It's not nice being bumped by others. Jesus wants us children to work together too. He wants us to be close to each other, to be friends without causing trouble for each other. The next time you think about wanting to bother someone, maybe your brother or sister, what can you remember about the fish? Is it better to swim side by side or to do whatever you want? Um, side by side. It's better to swim side by side and work together. Let's be like the fish. Let's live peaceably, kindly, with each other. (upbeat music) It's memory verse time. So our memory verse this week is Matthew 19, 14. Let the little children come to me. Now let's learn it in a scripture song. ♪ Let the little children come to me ♪ ♪ Come to me ♪ ♪ Come to me ♪ ♪ Let the little children come to me ♪ ♪ As you 19, 14 ♪ ♪ Let the little children come to me ♪ ♪ Come to me ♪ ♪ Come to me ♪ ♪ Let the little children come to me ♪ ♪ As you 19, 14 ♪ - I'm so glad you joined us today to learn about the fish, to learn how to work side by side and work together. You can keep listening to this podcast about Jesus and the children and the fish and then at the start of the next week, we'll have a new story about Zacchaeus climbing the tree. Let's have a prayer. Heavenly Father, thank you so much that we can learn from the fish, how to swim side by side, how not to bump into each other, to play nicely together, help us to honor you in all we do, and thank you for loving us. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Our closing song today is Jesus loves the little children. I bet you know this one. ♪ Jesus loves the little children ♪ ♪ All the children of the world ♪ ♪ Red and yellow, black and white ♪ ♪ They are precious in the side ♪ ♪ Jesus loves the little children of the world ♪ (upbeat music) The Bible study material used in today's devotional podcast was used with permission from my Bible first. If you'd like your own copy, go to MyBibleFirst.org. To download today's coloring picture and for more programs like these, check out the description box below and visit our website, startingwithjesus.com. (upbeat music)
