Narrative lectionary art and coloring page for Easter 7 of Year 2 – 1 Corinthians passage.
Paid subscribers and donors can copy and download various sizes. See menu for details.
Easter 7B – Psalm 1 and John 17
Bulletin art and coloring pages for Psalm 1 and John 17 – the Easter 7B readings.
Paid subscribers and donors can click and download for use.
Sunday Shorts: Asking God
John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. (NIV)
This is one of those Bible verses that is mistakenly used by people who believe in the Prosperity Gospel. They focus on the second part of the verse where Jesus states that ‘whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.’ They think it means that to get anything they want, they just have to ask for it, using Christ’s name as their guarantor, so God will be compelled to give them whatever they desire. But that is not based on faith, it’s actually a form of magic which is called an enchantment. God becomes the Great Genie in the Sky who grants people their wishes, so long as they use the right words.
This mistake occurs because people forget about the first part of the verse where Jesus states that He chose and appointed people to follow Him for one purpose – to bear fruit; in other words, to expand God’s Kingdom and make faith prosperous, not the person, nor their individual desires. It’s what God wants that is important, not what we want. Christ’s name is honored by being associated with the bearing of fruit and is not trivialized or taken in vain by trying to coerce God into doing what we want. We align ourselves to God’s purpose – the sharing of His love through the life, work, and ministry of His Son – instead of maligning God by expecting Him to give us everything we desire.
So next time when we’re praying about something that matters to us, let’s be careful about what we ask for, by personally pondering whether or not we are attempting to manipulate God to our will, rather than consolidate ourselves to God’s will.
Point to ponder: When I pray in Jesus’ Name, am I asking for things that will bear fruit for God’s Kingdom or just myself?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we come to You very often with our needs, wishes, desires, and dreams. We pray for things that we want and forget to ask You what it is that You want for us. Help us to reconsider how we pray and what we ask of You, in order to make our requests more fruitful for God’s Kingdom. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.
John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Thank You, Subscribers :)
Thank you for your subscriptions and for continuing to support this ministry.
Over the years, I’ve created thousands of drawings which hundreds of churches are using all over the world. I am constantly humbled by your support. I’m also delighted to receive emails with images of your church bulletins or colored drawings that your Church Kids have completed. Please keep sending them to me – they make me feel connected to your important ministries. Just send me an email to stushie57@outlook.com.
I’ve kept the subscription to $25 US dollars per annum, so that it doesn’t impact your church budgets. I like to think that for less than 50 cents per week, you’re adding quality to your ministries.
The paid subscription is really a yearlong license to use my work for any purposes that will help your church. This includes worship bulletins, newsletters, coloring pages for children, marketing and on your websites, including social media.
I’ve also been able to support several missions with your contributions, which is a wonderful way to bless others.
May God continue to bless your work in the church and communities you serve.
John Stuart aka Stushie
New Devotions Book: The Light of Love
My latest book of devotions has just been published. This time, I’ve uploaded it as an ebook for Kindle and also as a paperback edition. Some of you were asking for this option. Both editions are available at the following links now, in the US and internationally.Book link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW1BJGHS
Here’s a description of the book which is called ‘The Light of Love.’
The Gospel of John has always fascinated me because it is so unlike the other writings of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Jesus has more personal encounters and conversations in the Gospel and this shows us each individual in the stories was highly valued and respected by Christ. This is what first attracted me to Jesus – His personal touch and deep interest in the lives and circumstances of the people He met.
The Gospel has twenty-one chapters and can be easily read over six weeks by reading approximately half of each chapter on a daily basis. I’ve written two devotions for each chapter with a point to ponder and a short prayer at the end. A daily plan is also included at the beginning of the book and the day’s readings are given in each devotion. I’ve inserted some of my artwork to separate each weekly section of the readings and devotions.
The book can be read individually or as family devotions each day. However you use this book, I hope and pray that it brings you closer to the Lord.
Narrative Lectionary art – Year 2 Easter 6
Narrative Lectionary art – Year 2 Easter 6 1 Corinthians 13 art and coloring page.
Paid subscribers and donors can copy and download various sizes.
Ascension Art and coloring pages
Ascension art and coloring pages for churches.
Paid subscribers and donors can copy and download various sizes for use.
Easter 6B art – Gospel, Acts, and Psalm
Bulletin art and coloring pages for Easter 6B – John 15:9-17, Acts 10:44-48, and Psalm 98:1-9
Subscribers and donors can copy and download for use, as per current instructions.
Acts 10:44-48 suggested art
Psalm 98 art
Sunday Shorts: Abide in Me
John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.
I like the word ‘abide’. In this verse it has a very peaceful meaning attached to it because it refers to remaining with Jesus and stopping everything else just to be with Him for a while. We all get so busy in this post-covid age and overload our schedules that we often miss out on our sleep and constantly wake up tired. Our hyper-activity is relentless at times and the pressure to accomplish six impossible things before breakfast is causing us a lot of stress. We all have hopes and dreams, ambitions and goals that we want to pursue but if we get obsessed by them, we’ll end up being possessed by them, and this is not what God wants for our lives.
To abide in Jesus is to let go of everything that drives us and let Him lead us. It means stepping back from who we think we need to be, to become what God wants us to be. In the end, whatever we accomplish, build, or achieve will mean nothing in eternity, but the fruit of faith that we bear by abiding with Christ – that will delight God and bring us everlasting joy. This is what Jesus means when He says that ‘apart from me you can do nothing.’
Today is Sunday. God set it apart so that we can abide with Him and His Son. It’s not just a sacred day with religious obligations, it’s also a trysting place, a thin space when everything in heaven and on earth is meant to stop and abide in God’s presence. It’s a day to step back from the busyness of life and let God embrace us peacefully and lovingly, in order to reset our lives and recharge our spirits.
Point to ponder: Am I willing to abide in Christ today?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to let go of our relentless activities and driven ambitions in order to experience a sacred piece of eternity in our finite world. Allow us to abide in and with you, so that we may renew our faith and reconnect our souls with God. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.
John Stuart is a retired Scottish presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Pentecost art and coloring pages
Over the years, I’ve created a lot of Pentecost art and coloring pages.
Paid subscribers and donors can copy and download various sizes for use.
Stushie Art 