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2 March 2025

Bible readings for today

  • Isaiah 55:10-13 
  • Psalm 92:1-4,12-15
  • 1 Corinthians 15:51-58
  • Luke 6:39-49

Liturgical colour: GREEN

Collect

E te Wairua Tapu,
tukua mai ki a mātou e mahi nei mō tāu Hāhi
ki te whakatika i ngā mea kino,
ki te whakakaha i tērā e mau tonu ana,
ki te whai hoki i a koe
ahakoa ki hea, mā hea rānei, māu hoki mātou e arahi.
E īnoi ana mātou i roto i a te Karaiti tō mātou Ariki.
Āmine.

Holy Spirit,
grant us who serve your Church to mend what is spoiled,
to strengthen what is sound,
and to follow you wherever and however you may lead.
This we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

The Season of Lent

Lent begins this coming Wednesday (Ash Wednesday).

Lent is a season in the Church calendar that last for forty days (not counting Sundays). It starts on Ash Wednesday and runs through to the Saturday before Easter Sunday. It is a time when Christians reflect and prepare for the celebrations of Easter. It is a time for turning away from the things that lead us away from God, and turning towards our Creator.  

Questions

  • What Season in the church year starts with Ash Wednesday?
  • Why do we have Lent?
  • Why doesn’t the forty days of Lent include Sundays?
  • What might you give up or do during Lent to prepare for Easter?

General Lent Resources

Help families celebrate Lent

Intergenerational Lent 

Church Services (Intergen)

Pancake Day!

Have you ever celebrated Pancake Day? Did you know there was a Pancake Day? What a great excuse to eat all the pancakes you want! Also known as Shrove Tuesday, this was traditionally a chance for one big last party before Lent started. Why not encourage your church or households to throw a pancake party and invite some friends who don't know Jesus yet. 

Special Days in Lent

Art in Lent

If you want to mark Advent in a simple rich way, how about creating a space where your kids can spend some time with Jesus-related art. 

Try these questions or make up your own:
  • What do you see? 
  • What part of the bible / God's story is this painting about?
  • What might this show us about God? About people? About our world?
  • What do you think is important in this picture?
  • Does anything in this picture have more than one meaning?
  • I wonder what God might be saying to you through this picture today?
John August Swanson, The Great Catch

Lent Media

So much Lent Media on our Strandz page! See here.

Need more ideas?

Check out loads more Lent and Easter ideas on the Strandz website.

Jesus' parables (Luke 6:39-49)

The gospel readings today cover several key teachings from Jesus, including the 'speck in your neighbours eye', the parable of the fruitful tree, and the parable of the wise and foolish builders. 

Leaders Input

Gospel Conversations 2025: ​We continue on with the challenging, brilliant words of Jesus in the "Sermon on the plain." Jesus pulls no punches as he outlines a way of life that digs deep into who we are, at our core, and how that life flows out in our interactions with others.
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​Visio Lectio
A beautiful image from the Visio Lectio project, created by the Anglican Diocese of Auckland. © Sarah West. All Rights reserved, shared with permission.
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Videos from the Bible Project

Blind hypocrites (Luke 6:39-42)

The verses in Luke 6 that talk about taking the plank out of your own eye before taking the speck out of another’s are also found in Matthew 7:1-5.

Kids Talks

Don't Judge! (Ministry to Children)

Bible Project Video - This video offers some context on what Jesus means in Matthew 7:3-5 when he says to take the plank out of your own eye before taking the speck out of another’s.​

Games/Activities

Shoe enough! (childrensministry.com)

Blindfold guide
You will need: blindfolds for half your group, a simple obstacle course.
Set up an obstacle course. Get your group to pair up and tell them one person is each pair is going to be guided around the obstacle by the other person. Get out the blindfolds. Ask all the "guides" to step forward. Then pretend with great drama you are going to blindfold the GUIDES, and not those being guided. After the hilarity subsides talk about - would you trust someone who was blindfolded to lead you around? Why? Why not? In real life what are some of the things that can 'blind us' to doing things Jesus way? 

Media

A tree and its fruit (Luke 6:43-45)

Kids Talk

Good and Bad Fruit (Ministry to Children)
Good Fruit (SermonWriter) - very simple talk on bearing good fruit

Games / Activites

Reflective Colouring (Flame Creative)
Playdough/drawing Mats (Picklebums) - great for preschoolers

Media

Wise and Foolish Builders (Luke 6:46-49)

The Parable of the Wise and the Foolish Builders, is a parable of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount. The parable illustrates the importance of building one's life on obedience to the teachings and example of Jesus.

Kids Talks

House on the rock full lesson plan (Sparkhouse)
The parable of the wise and foolish builder (Christchurch London)
Two Bible Skits on the passage (Ministry to Children)
Wise Builder Object Lesson Talk (Kids Sunday School Place)
Parable of the Wise & Foolish Builder (Ministry to Children)
Build on the Rock Lesson plan including activities (Collective Church)
​Building your life on the solid rock of Jesus (Ministry to Children)

Activities

Media
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Bible Explore
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