Read Time: 5 min 19 sec | Reading Level: 7th Grade

Two pilots were killed and 41 people injured late Sunday in a crash on LaGuardia Airport’s runway.

Just before midnight, an Air Canada Express jet was landing from Montreal, carrying 72 passengers and four crew. The plane crashed into a fire truck crossing the runway. Air traffic control had cleared the truck to cross the plane’s path in order to respond to a report of an odor on a nearby plane. Recordings reveal the air traffic controller realizing the mistake and shouting for the truck to stop seconds before the crash.

A flight attendant was ejected over 300 feet from the plane. She was still strapped to her jump seat (which is specifically designed to withstand crashes) and suffered only a fractured leg. Everyone on the truck survived.

After the crash, LaGuardia closed for 14 hours, cancelling over 600 flights. Officials recovered both black boxes—the devices that record flight data and cockpit audio—and launched a full investigation.

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Death highlights the urgency of our mission to share the gospel and love others. We sometimes feel invincible, but God could call us home at any moment.

“He himself gives everyone life and breath and all things… Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man he has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”  
Acts 17:25, 30-31 (CSB) (read full passage)

What gospel lesson can be taught through this story?
Tragic accidents are proof that the world is broken.

Ever since sin entered the world, all of creation has been put under a curse (Romans 8:20-22). Things that should not happen—like disease, decay, and deadly airline accidents—are now part of everyday life. This is the result of our sin.

The great news is that God came down to fix what we broke. He overcame our sin, and He has prepared a place for us where things like this accident never happen (John 14:2-3; 16:33).

How can I model putting my hope and trust in Christ when discussing this story?
Riding on an airplane puts us in a position of complete dependence. 

Our schedule is set for us, and our journey could be delayed or canceled suddenly; we’re confined to a seat we probably didn’t choose, sitting next to strangers; we can’t maintain the plane’s engine, set its course, or fly it. 

And helplessness is scary, especially when accidents happen. But the weird, upside-down thing about being a Christian is that God says a place of complete dependence on Him (aka trust) is exactly the right place to be. Like little children who implicitly trust good parents, faith ushers us into big peace and overflowing joy (Psalm 131; Matthew 18:1-4).

Gen Z Word of the Week: If you steal my cookie, you’re going to catch these hands.

Family Fun: Read the Triumphal Entry story in Luke 19:28-40 or watch this retelling for kids, then act out the story of Palm Sunday with dolls or stuffed animals.

Whipped Cream on Top: Dogs... or cowboys?

How We’re Bringing Easter to Life for Our Kids
With Resurrection Eggs*

Candy-filled baskets and egg hunts are fun, but what if your Easter traditions were fun and meaningful? 

Resurrection Eggs are a hands-on way to share the “why” behind the true story of Easter in an engaging way that even your littlest ones will love. Each egg has a figurine inside to discuss as a family (kind of like an Easter-themed Advent calendar your kids will return to again and again), plus activities, a recipe book, a neighborhood egg hunt guide, and more!

From the cross to the resurrection, give your kids a tangible way to understand this important truth: our faith matters because the tomb was empty. Get your set on Amazon in time for Easter!

How We’re Raising Our Boys To Be Men of God
With the help of this book*

Raising faithful young men in a world full of messages about masculinity, identity, sexuality, and success that constantly contradict Scripture isn’t simple. If that’s something you’ve noticed, then you’ll love 72 Questions (and Answers) About Life and Becoming the Man God Designed You to Be.

Written by a father/son duo, this book tackles the real issues guys wrestle with every day—porn, dating, purpose, fear, and spiritual dryness—with clear, biblical answers. It’s the mentor you wished you could consult in the hard moments: honest and direct without being a canned sermon.

This guide makes a great gift, discipleship tool, or just something steady to place in your son’s hands. Get one for your boys (or yourself) today!

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