Strong and Courageous

Strong and Courageous

di Elizabeth Rocha

Storie per bambini Cristianità

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Episode 78: Bethlehem: The Little Town With A Big Miracle

Welcome back to Day 5 of our Advent journey! Today we’re talking about a tiny town… a town most people didn’t care about… a town God chose on purpose. Bethlehem. Micah 5:2 says, “Though you are small… out of you will come the One who will be ruler over Israel.” Isn’t it just like God to choose the place no one expects? Bethlehem wasn’t fancy. It wasn’t big. It wasn’t important. But on Christmas night, that little town became the center of the world. The Savior — the King — the Messiah… was born not in a palace, but in a stable. Not surrounded by gold, but by animals. Not announced to kings first, but to shepherds. Here’s what that tells us: You don’t have to be big to be used by God. You don’t have to be famous to matter to Him. If God can use Bethlehem, He can use YOU.

Episode 77: A Sign God Is With Us

Welcome to Day 4 of our Christmas Advent Countdown! Today we’re jumping into a prophecy from Isaiah — a message spoken 700 years before Christmas morning. Isaiah 7:14 says, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they will call Him Immanuel.” And Immanuel means… God with us. That’s what Christmas is all about. Not just lights… or gifts… or music… Christmas is the moment God stepped out of heaven and came close to us. Imagine waiting CENTURIES for a promise. Imagine generations passing the story down… “One day, He’s coming.” And then suddenly — a baby’s cry in Bethlehem breaks the silence. God kept His promise. God came to us. God became “Immanuel.” So today, when you see a nativity scene or hear a Christmas song, remember: You are not alone. God came to be with you — and He still is.

Episode 76: The Promise To David

Hey friends! Welcome to Day 3 of our Christmas countdown! Today we’re talking about King David — and how Christmas connects to him too. God promised David that one day, a King from his family line would come. Not just any king… but a forever King. A King who would never lose His throne. That King is Jesus — the baby who would be born in Bethlehem, wrapped in cloths, and laid in a manger. And here’s what I love: At Christmas, Jesus didn’t arrive with a crown or a throne or royal robes. He came quietly, humbly, as a baby… but still the most powerful King the world has ever known. When you see a star on a Christmas tree… When you hear a Christmas carol about a newborn King… When you see a nativity scene… Let it remind you: This baby is the forever King who came to save us. And He didn’t come to be distant. He came to be close. He came to bring peace, joy, and hope that lasts forever.

Episode 75: The Promise To Abraham

Hey everyone, welcome back to Day 2 of our Advent countdown! Yesterday we talked about the very first promise of a Savior. Today, the story moves forward — and God chooses someone new. His name? Abraham. Now Abraham wasn’t perfect, he wasn’t famous, and he definitely wasn’t expecting God to pick him. But God said, “Abraham, I’m going to make you into a great nation, and through you, the whole world will be blessed.” And that blessing… is Jesus. From Abraham’s family line came the Savior who would bring hope, peace, forgiveness, and life to the whole world. Here’s what this teaches us: God loves to use ordinary people to bring extraordinary blessings. You may feel small… but God sees big things in you. You may feel overlooked… but God never overlooks you. Just like He used Abraham, He can use YOU to bless the world. So today ask yourself: “How can I bring Jesus’ love to someone else?” God, thank You for choosing Abraham and thank You for choosing us. Help us be a blessing to the people around us today. Amen.

Episode 74: The Promise Begins

Hey Strong & Courageous family! Welcome to Day 1 of our 14-day Advent journey — a countdown all the way to the birth of Jesus! Today we’re going all the way back… like allllll the way back… to the beginning. Adam and Eve, the garden, the moment sin entered the world. Everything changed that day — things got broken, people were separated from God, and darkness stepped in. But here’s the beautiful part: God didn’t wait. He didn’t panic. He didn’t give up. Right in the middle of the mess, God made a promise. Genesis 3:15 is the very first hint — the first prophecy — that one day, God would send Someone to defeat evil forever. Someone who would crush the serpent’s head. Someone who would rescue us. And that Someone… is Jesus. From the very beginning, God had a plan. A plan to save. A plan to restore. A plan to bring us back to Him. So today, as we start this Advent journey, remember this: God is never surprised by your struggles. He already has a plan to bring hope. If He had a plan back then… He has a plan for you right now.

Episode 73: Rejoice Always

📖 Philippians 4:4 — “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Joy doesn’t always come naturally. Sometimes it’s something we have to choose. When Paul wrote this verse — “Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again, rejoice!” — he wasn’t sitting on a beach or celebrating a big victory. He was actually in prison. He had been beaten, chained, and abandoned by people he trusted. Yet in the middle of all that, Paul chose to tell himself, “Rejoice.” He didn’t wait for everything to be perfect. He decided that even in pain, even in uncertainty, he would still find joy — not because of his situation, but because of his Savior. And that’s what real joy is. It’s not pretending everything’s okay. It’s knowing that even when life is hard, God is still good. It’s saying, “I may not understand this right now, but I trust the One who holds my tomorrow.” Sometimes you have to remind your own heart to rejoice. You have to speak it before you feel it. Because joy isn’t based on what’s happening around you — it’s rooted in the One who never changes.

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Episode 72: Give Thanks In The Middle Of The Storm

Hey friends! Welcome back to Strong and Courageous! Have you ever faced something that felt too big for you? Maybe it was a hard test at school, a fight with a friend, or something scary happening in your family. Sometimes we face situations that make us think, “I don’t know what to do!” That’s exactly how a man named King Jehoshaphat felt when his enemies surrounded him. But instead of panicking… he started praising. King Jehoshaphat was the ruler of Judah. One day, messengers came running to him with terrible news: “King! A huge army is coming to attack us! There are too many to count!” The king could’ve freaked out — but he didn’t. He called everyone together and prayed out loud: “God, we don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on You.” And you know what? God answered. Through one of the prophets, God said, “Don’t be afraid. The battle isn’t yours — it’s Mine.” So the next morning, Jehoshaphat got everyone ready — but he didn’t put the biggest soldiers in front. He put the worship team! Imagine that: instead of shields and swords, they marched out with music and praise. They sang, “Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever!” And as they praised, something incredible happened — God confused the enemy armies, and they started fighting each other! By the time Jehoshaphat’s people arrived, the battle was already over. They hadn’t even lifted a sword. God had completely fought for them! Thankfulness isn’t just for after the battle — it’s a weapon you can use in the battle. When life feels hard, don’t just worry — worship. When you don’t know what to do, thank God anyway. Because when you choose praise over panic, you make space for God to move. Remember: the same God who fought for Jehoshaphat fights for you, too.

Episode 71: Bless Others With What You Have

Hey friends! Welcome back to Strong and Courageous! Have you ever shared something small — like half your sandwich, a few dollars, or some of your time — and later realized it made a big difference? Sometimes the little things we do for others open the door for big miracles. That’s exactly what happened to a woman in the Bible who decided to bless someone with what she had. There was a woman who lived in a town called Shunem. She and her husband didn’t have much, but they were kind and generous. One day, a prophet named Elisha came through their town. He often traveled around teaching people about God, and the woman noticed he didn’t have a place to stay. So she invited him in for a meal. Every time he came through town after that, she made sure he had food to eat. Then she had an idea — she told her husband, “Let’s build a little room on the roof for him! We can put in a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp so he has a place to rest.” It wasn’t fancy, but it was what she could offer — and she gave it gladly. Elisha was so touched by her kindness that he prayed for her to be blessed. He told her she would have a baby boy — something she never thought could happen. And just like that, God did a miracle! Years later, that same child became very sick and died — but the story doesn’t end there. The woman didn’t give up. She went straight to Elisha and said, “I know God can fix this.” Elisha prayed over the boy, and God brought him back to life. A double miracle — all because one woman used what she had to bless someone else. When you bless others with what you have, God can do more than you ever imagined. You don’t have to be rich or have everything figured out — just be willing. God can turn small acts of kindness into big miracles.

Episode 70: Be Thankful, Not Jealous

Hey friends! Welcome back to Strong and Courageous! Have you ever seen someone get something you wanted — maybe your friend got a new phone, someone else got picked first, or a classmate got a higher grade — and you felt that little twist inside that says, “Why not me?” That feeling is called jealousy. And if we’re not careful, it can steal the joy and thankfulness right out of our hearts. In the Bible, there were two brothers named Cain and Abel. Both wanted to bring an offering to God. Abel brought his very best — the best parts of the firstborn animals from his flock. But Cain only brought some of his crops — not his best. God was pleased with Abel’s gift, but not with Cain’s, because Abel gave with a thankful heart. When Cain saw that God accepted Abel’s offering and not his, jealousy started to grow inside him. Instead of asking God how he could do better, he got angry. He compared himself to his brother instead of being grateful for what he had. That jealousy grew and grew — until one day, it turned into something terrible. Cain hurt his brother, and his jealousy cost him everything. If Cain had stopped and said, “God, I’m sorry. Help me give You my best next time,” things could have been so different. But jealousy blinded him to what really mattered — his relationship with God and his brother. Jealousy blocks gratitude. When you’re focused on what someone else has, you forget how blessed you already are. Instead of comparing, celebrate. Be thankful for your gifts, your journey, and your blessings — because God made them just for you.

Episode 69: Remember What God Has Done

Hey friends! Welcome back to Strong and Courageous! Have you ever taken a picture to remember something special — like a birthday or a big win? The Israelites didn’t have cameras, but God told them to make a special “photo” of their own — with rocks! After God helped His people cross the Jordan River on dry ground, Joshua told them to take twelve stones from the middle of the river. He said, “Stack them up as a reminder of what God has done.” The people in the Bible didn’t have phones or cameras. But God still wanted them to remember the amazing things He did. So He told them to make a special “photo” of their own… using rocks. The stones were like a giant, real-life reminder: “Hey, don’t forget—God did this. God made a way. God was faithful.” Every time they saw that pile of stones, they could remember: We were stuck. God rescued us. He brought us through. We all need “stones of remembrance” in our lives. Maybe for you, it’s: • A time God answered a prayer. • A moment He gave you peace when you were scared. • A friend He brought into your life. • A time He helped your family when things were hard. Don’t forget the blessings God has already given you. When you start to feel worried or afraid about what’s next, you can “look back” and remember: If God helped me before, He can help me again. The same God who made a way for them… is with you today.

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