Loving God as a Family
We Worship a Perfect God
Read: Exodus 33:15-23; Psalm 99
Questions for discussion:
What did Moses see on the mountain?
How did Moses learn that God is perfect when they met on the mountain?
What is one reason we worship God?
David was worshipping God, because He is perfect. Can you think of any other ways that
God displays how perfect he is?
How does it make you feel to know that God is perfect?
As a family work to finish this sentence, “Being perfect is like…” Talk about how your answer is like or unlike God. Nothing we can come up with is quite right, because only God is perfect. God is the definition of perfection.
Key Thought: It is hard to imagine what perfection looks like, just like it is difficult to imagine what God looks like. Moses got to see a glimpse of God, and one day in heaven, we will get to see God’s face. Until then we can only imagine, and we can worship our perfect God.
Pray as a family, and thank God for being perfect. Give Him praise in your prayer time for how awesome He is.
Activities:
Preschool:
Have your child draw a star or a crown on a piece of paper. Cut it out and color it. Tape it somewhere that your child will see it everyday. Then, everyday when they see it,
help them remember that God, our King, is perfect.
Choose a worship song that your child loves. Make up actions to it and then sing the song with the actions as an act of worship to God. Share the song and actions with the rest of the family.
Lower Elementary:
Help your child make a construction paper crown that is fit for a King. Then, hang it in their
bedroom. Encourage them to use the crown as a daily reminder to thank God, our King, for being perfect.
Help your child bake a batch of cookies. After they have cooled, let the family help inspect all of the cookies to see if any of them are perfectly round. Thank God for always being perfect. Then, enjoy the cookies as a family.
Upper Elementary:
Write a song, poem, or paragraph worshipping God because he is perfect.
Stand opposite a family member. Have one person pose in different positions while the
person opposite tries to mimic the movements. Discuss how well you mimicked the poses. Just as you couldn't perfectly mimic each other, no one can mimic God because He is perfect. Because God is perfect we worship Him!
Gather as a family and pick out a couple of favorite worship songs to sing. Play them on a
CD or on a favorite instrument or just sing them without music. Discuss how God is worthy of our praise because He is perfect.
Teens:
Read over Psalms 99 again, this time think of how the author is specifically pointing out
ways that God has proven Himself to be perfect in the eyes of the author. Now you try
writing a song, poem or paragraph that praises God for the ways that He has proven His perfection to you specifically. Think about things you see, circumstances in your life and times when God has been revealed to you.
Fill in the blank in this sentence on a piece of paper, “If I had _________ right now, it would
perfect.” Where there any other ways you could have completed this sentence? If so,
write them down too. Now, next to this sentence, explain why you finished the sentence
the way that you did. Reflect on how your explanation of why you finished the sentence
the way you did might be applied to how God is perfect. Perhaps you finished your
sentence the way you did because it is something that you need, something that would
complete what you are doing right now, something that you or missing or just something
that would make your life better. All of these things can be said about our perfect God.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Loving God as a Family Lesson Two
Loving God as a Family
God Made Everything
Note to Parents: Before reading Job 38 explain that Job was going through a very hard time and had many questions for God. Job was not sure that God was powerful enough to help him through his difficult situation. Job 38-39 was God’s response to Job.
Read Job 38 (you could also read Job 39 and Genesis 1) Younger families may prefer to read Matthew 6:25-34
Questions for discussion:
What is one thing God mentioned about His creation to Job?
Why did God tell Job about creating the world as a response to Job’s concerns?
Are there situations in our lives where we hesitate to trust God’s power to help us?
What is one thing in creation that you are thankful for?
How can we show our thankfulness for what God has created?
Take some time to discuss any difficult situations that you as a whole, or any individuals,
are facing.
As a family, spend some time outside together. You could take a walk, drive up to Garvin Heights look out, go out boating or on a bike ride. At some point along the way, stop and take a few minutes to look at the display of God’s creation around you. Discuss what you see and how awesome God must be to have created all of these things.
Key Thought: God has displayed His awesome power through the creation that we see every day. Since He is the powerful Creator and King over all of creation, we can know that He is more than able to help us in every difficult situation that we face.
Pray and thank God for the display of His power through creation and that He cares about ALL of our concerns. Thank Him for helping us through every difficult situation and spend time praying for any difficulties that were shared.
Activities
Preschool:
Sing this song to the tune of “Did You ever See a Lassie?”
“Oh, who can make a star shine, a star shine, a star shine?
Oh, who can made a star shine?
Oh, only God can!
God is the creator, creator, creator!
God is the creator of everything!”
Substitute other things that God has made,
and continue to sing this song.
Help your child create a collage of different things that God has created. Cut pictures out of
magazines, print them off the Internet, pick leaves and flowers out of the yard or collect objects that can be glued to a piece of paper. Include a picture of your child or your family. After the collage is complete, pray and thank God for creating all of these things.
Help your child pray over a meal today and thank God for creating food for us to eat.
Lower Elementary:
For a family project, choose a way to take care of God’s creation, which could include people. You could pick up litter at a local park, pull weeds in a flower bed, take care of an animal, take trash to the recycling center, visit a nursing home or donate books to the children’s hospital.
Help your child create a poster reminding them to be thankful for all of God’s creation. On a large sheet of paper or poster board, write “We are Thankful God Made Everything.” Then collect pictures and objects that are samples of the things you are grateful God made. Glue these things onto the poster. When finished, have the whole family sign the poster and display it somewhere that you will see it often and be reminded of God’s power.
Upper Elementary:
Help your child gather cool things that God created and place them in a special box. As you place each item in the box, thank God for making the object.
Organize an outdoor workday for your family in the back yard or in a local park. Pick up trash, take care of any plants, rake leaves or grass and any other activities that need to be done. When you are finished talk about the things God created that you especially like.
Help your child plant a flower from a seed or bulb. Spend time everyday taking care of the plant and thanking God for His creation.
Teens:
Find time to be alone surrounded by God’s creation. Spend some time being silent in your
surroundings then read and think about Matthew 6:25-34. Take a minute to thank God for His creation, revelation, and desire to help you in every situation.
Ask a parent or older sibling to tell you about a time that they trusted God to help them through a difficult situation in their lives, possibly even when they were your age. Pray together for God to help you through any thing you might currently be facing.
God Made Everything
Note to Parents: Before reading Job 38 explain that Job was going through a very hard time and had many questions for God. Job was not sure that God was powerful enough to help him through his difficult situation. Job 38-39 was God’s response to Job.
Read Job 38 (you could also read Job 39 and Genesis 1) Younger families may prefer to read Matthew 6:25-34
Questions for discussion:
What is one thing God mentioned about His creation to Job?
Why did God tell Job about creating the world as a response to Job’s concerns?
Are there situations in our lives where we hesitate to trust God’s power to help us?
What is one thing in creation that you are thankful for?
How can we show our thankfulness for what God has created?
Take some time to discuss any difficult situations that you as a whole, or any individuals,
are facing.
As a family, spend some time outside together. You could take a walk, drive up to Garvin Heights look out, go out boating or on a bike ride. At some point along the way, stop and take a few minutes to look at the display of God’s creation around you. Discuss what you see and how awesome God must be to have created all of these things.
Key Thought: God has displayed His awesome power through the creation that we see every day. Since He is the powerful Creator and King over all of creation, we can know that He is more than able to help us in every difficult situation that we face.
Pray and thank God for the display of His power through creation and that He cares about ALL of our concerns. Thank Him for helping us through every difficult situation and spend time praying for any difficulties that were shared.
Activities
Preschool:
Sing this song to the tune of “Did You ever See a Lassie?”
“Oh, who can make a star shine, a star shine, a star shine?
Oh, who can made a star shine?
Oh, only God can!
God is the creator, creator, creator!
God is the creator of everything!”
Substitute other things that God has made,
and continue to sing this song.
Help your child create a collage of different things that God has created. Cut pictures out of
magazines, print them off the Internet, pick leaves and flowers out of the yard or collect objects that can be glued to a piece of paper. Include a picture of your child or your family. After the collage is complete, pray and thank God for creating all of these things.
Help your child pray over a meal today and thank God for creating food for us to eat.
Lower Elementary:
For a family project, choose a way to take care of God’s creation, which could include people. You could pick up litter at a local park, pull weeds in a flower bed, take care of an animal, take trash to the recycling center, visit a nursing home or donate books to the children’s hospital.
Help your child create a poster reminding them to be thankful for all of God’s creation. On a large sheet of paper or poster board, write “We are Thankful God Made Everything.” Then collect pictures and objects that are samples of the things you are grateful God made. Glue these things onto the poster. When finished, have the whole family sign the poster and display it somewhere that you will see it often and be reminded of God’s power.
Upper Elementary:
Help your child gather cool things that God created and place them in a special box. As you place each item in the box, thank God for making the object.
Organize an outdoor workday for your family in the back yard or in a local park. Pick up trash, take care of any plants, rake leaves or grass and any other activities that need to be done. When you are finished talk about the things God created that you especially like.
Help your child plant a flower from a seed or bulb. Spend time everyday taking care of the plant and thanking God for His creation.
Teens:
Find time to be alone surrounded by God’s creation. Spend some time being silent in your
surroundings then read and think about Matthew 6:25-34. Take a minute to thank God for His creation, revelation, and desire to help you in every situation.
Ask a parent or older sibling to tell you about a time that they trusted God to help them through a difficult situation in their lives, possibly even when they were your age. Pray together for God to help you through any thing you might currently be facing.
Loving God as a Family Lesson Three
Loving God as a Family
God Has a Plan for Each of Us
Read: Genesis 24:1-51; Psalm 139:13-16
Questions for discussion:
Why did Abraham believe that his servant would find a wife for Isaac?
How did Abraham show that he trusted God’s plan?
How do we know that we can trust God’s plan for us?
What do you want to be or do in the future (or when you grow up)?
What plans does God have for you? What about for us as a family?
Does God have specific plans relating to every detail of our lives?
How can you show God that you trust his plan for you?
As a family think of something you would like to do, make or build. Come up with a well thought-out written plan for how you will accomplish what you are setting out to do (It could be simple like preparing a meal or anything from having another family over to dinner to building a tree house). Follow your plans and then discuss how having a plan helped. What would have been different if you had not had a plan? What if every person was following a different set of plans? How is this similar to the plans that God has for our lives?
Key Thought: Abraham trusted that God had a wonderful plan for his son Isaac to find a wife. He trusted that if he followed God’s plan that God would accomplish His goal in the right way and at the right time. God has great plans for us, too. God is in control of everything and we can trust that His plans for us are perfect!
Pray and thank God for the plan that he has for all of our lives and that you would all seek his will for your lives daily.
Activities
Preschool:
Using masking tape if indoors, or sidewalk chalk if outdoors, create a path for your child
to follow to get from one place to another. Place a treat at the end of the path and help your child find the treat by following the path. As you are sharing the treat, talk about what it is like to follow the plans and the path that God has for our lives.
Help you child tell the other members of the family that they are glad God planned for them to be in a family together.
Lower Elementary:
Play a game with your family being sure to follow the rules that come with the game.
Talk with your family about how the rules to a game are like a plan for playing the game. If you trust the rules, you can play the game right, just like if you trust God’s plan for you, you can live life right!
Help your child write “We trust God’s plan for us” on 5 to 10 Sticky notes. Decorate the notes with stickers, stamps or small drawings. Then, place the notes around the house in prominent places as reminders to always trust what God has planned for us.
Upper Elementary:
Help your child find the North Star in the night sky. (hint: If you can find the Big Dipper than you can find the North Star.) Explain how people have used the North Star for centuries to figure out what direction they are walking in. Discuss how, in the same way that people can trust that the North Star always shows which way is north, we can always trust that God’s plan for us is showing us the right way to go.
Cut out a star, and write on it the name of a friend who does not know Jesus as their savior. Tape it somewhere that you will see it regularly. Every time you see it, pray that God would give you an opportunity to share with that person that God has a plan for them.
Help your child mark out a path from room to room in the house, or outside. The path could be
marked with stickers, taped out on the floor with masking tape, drawn with sidewalk chalk, or just about anything. Let you child lead the rest of the family through the planned path that they have made. At the end, discuss how God has a great plan for your lives and how you can follow them.
Teens:
Write “God has a plan for me” on an index card and tape it somewhere that you will see everyday. When you see it thank God for the plan that he has for you.
Think about where you would like to be in a year, 5 years and even 10 years. Think about what you would like to be doing and what you would like to have and so on. Share some of these plans and ideas with your family and then pray together that you would submit your plans to God’s will for your life. Pray that His plans would be your plans.
God Has a Plan for Each of Us
Read: Genesis 24:1-51; Psalm 139:13-16
Questions for discussion:
Why did Abraham believe that his servant would find a wife for Isaac?
How did Abraham show that he trusted God’s plan?
How do we know that we can trust God’s plan for us?
What do you want to be or do in the future (or when you grow up)?
What plans does God have for you? What about for us as a family?
Does God have specific plans relating to every detail of our lives?
How can you show God that you trust his plan for you?
As a family think of something you would like to do, make or build. Come up with a well thought-out written plan for how you will accomplish what you are setting out to do (It could be simple like preparing a meal or anything from having another family over to dinner to building a tree house). Follow your plans and then discuss how having a plan helped. What would have been different if you had not had a plan? What if every person was following a different set of plans? How is this similar to the plans that God has for our lives?
Key Thought: Abraham trusted that God had a wonderful plan for his son Isaac to find a wife. He trusted that if he followed God’s plan that God would accomplish His goal in the right way and at the right time. God has great plans for us, too. God is in control of everything and we can trust that His plans for us are perfect!
Pray and thank God for the plan that he has for all of our lives and that you would all seek his will for your lives daily.
Activities
Preschool:
Using masking tape if indoors, or sidewalk chalk if outdoors, create a path for your child
to follow to get from one place to another. Place a treat at the end of the path and help your child find the treat by following the path. As you are sharing the treat, talk about what it is like to follow the plans and the path that God has for our lives.
Help you child tell the other members of the family that they are glad God planned for them to be in a family together.
Lower Elementary:
Play a game with your family being sure to follow the rules that come with the game.
Talk with your family about how the rules to a game are like a plan for playing the game. If you trust the rules, you can play the game right, just like if you trust God’s plan for you, you can live life right!
Help your child write “We trust God’s plan for us” on 5 to 10 Sticky notes. Decorate the notes with stickers, stamps or small drawings. Then, place the notes around the house in prominent places as reminders to always trust what God has planned for us.
Upper Elementary:
Help your child find the North Star in the night sky. (hint: If you can find the Big Dipper than you can find the North Star.) Explain how people have used the North Star for centuries to figure out what direction they are walking in. Discuss how, in the same way that people can trust that the North Star always shows which way is north, we can always trust that God’s plan for us is showing us the right way to go.
Cut out a star, and write on it the name of a friend who does not know Jesus as their savior. Tape it somewhere that you will see it regularly. Every time you see it, pray that God would give you an opportunity to share with that person that God has a plan for them.
Help your child mark out a path from room to room in the house, or outside. The path could be
marked with stickers, taped out on the floor with masking tape, drawn with sidewalk chalk, or just about anything. Let you child lead the rest of the family through the planned path that they have made. At the end, discuss how God has a great plan for your lives and how you can follow them.
Teens:
Write “God has a plan for me” on an index card and tape it somewhere that you will see everyday. When you see it thank God for the plan that he has for you.
Think about where you would like to be in a year, 5 years and even 10 years. Think about what you would like to be doing and what you would like to have and so on. Share some of these plans and ideas with your family and then pray together that you would submit your plans to God’s will for your life. Pray that His plans would be your plans.
Loving God as a Family Lesson Four
Loving God as a Family
God is Our Protector
Read: Daniel 6:1-23
Questions for Discussion:
Why was Daniel sent to the lions’ den?
How did Daniel survive in the lions’ den?
How did the king react when he heard that Daniel was safe?
How can you rely on God to protect you like Daniel?
How does God protect you?
As a family take a car ride around town. As you drive, discuss the safety features of the car (bumpers, lights, windshield wipers, airbags, seat belts and so on). Talk about the different things that the car is protecting you from (invisible things like wind, natural element, other drivers and the like). Compare all of the things that our car has to protect us from things that we never even think about to the way that God is constantly protecting us from things that we see, and things that we don’t. End your car ride with a treat, stop for ice-cream, candy, play together at the park or a visit to a friend.
Key Thought: Like Daniel, we face scary situations in which we need God’s help and protection. God helped Daniel when lions surrounded him, and God will help us, too. How awesome and powerful God is! We can rely on God because God is greater than anything we face.
Pray and thank God for his constant protection from difficult situations to all of the things he spares us from that we don’t even know about. Even take time to thank him specifically for things that he has brought your family safely through over the recent months or years.
Activities
Preschool:
Open an umbrella and invite your child to sit with you under it. Pretend together that you are in the middle of a rainstorm by making rain and thunder sound effects. Talk with your child about how an umbrella protects a person from getting wet in a rain storm. Explain that we can trust God to protect us from things that we face too.
Let your child play with a baby doll for a little while, then talk about things that you do to protect a baby. You might even show pictures of them as a baby and talk about the ways you protected them. Explain that just like babies, we need protection from things in the world and that we can trust God to protect us, just like babies rely on their parents.
Lower Elementary:
Help your child create a prayer den by covering two or three chairs with a blanket or sheet. Fill the “den” with stuffed animals that can be a reminder of the lions. Then invite members of the family into the prayer den. Together read Psalm 91:14-15 and pray that God would help you trust him for protection.
Have your child draw a picture that shows a situation in which they would need to trust God to
protect them. Then have them share the picture to the family. You could also challenge them to show the picture to a friend and explain to the friend that they trust God for his protection.
Upper Elementary:
Surf the Internet for fun facts and pictures of lions with your child. Let your child share what they found out about lions before reading the Bible story as a family, to help everyone better understand the harm that God rescued Daniel from. Have your child think of scary things in their life, and then pray and thank God for protecting them from these things.
Have your child spend an afternoon looking after a preschooler or toddler. Working together, make a list of all of the ways that they helped to keep the younger child safe. Compare the list to the ways that God protects them every day.
Teens:
Make a list of house rules. Then, highlight or mark all of the rules on your list that exist to keep you or your family members safe. Compare those rules that your parents have established to the ways that God keeps you safe. Pray and thank God for his protection in your life everyday and that you would trust him.
Using a camera or a camera phone, walk around your house and take pictures of every thing in your house that is designed to keep you or your family safe (you could also make an old-fashion list if you would like). Share the pictures that you took with your family and talk about how they are similar to the ways that God keeps your family safe.
God is Our Protector
Read: Daniel 6:1-23
Questions for Discussion:
Why was Daniel sent to the lions’ den?
How did Daniel survive in the lions’ den?
How did the king react when he heard that Daniel was safe?
How can you rely on God to protect you like Daniel?
How does God protect you?
As a family take a car ride around town. As you drive, discuss the safety features of the car (bumpers, lights, windshield wipers, airbags, seat belts and so on). Talk about the different things that the car is protecting you from (invisible things like wind, natural element, other drivers and the like). Compare all of the things that our car has to protect us from things that we never even think about to the way that God is constantly protecting us from things that we see, and things that we don’t. End your car ride with a treat, stop for ice-cream, candy, play together at the park or a visit to a friend.
Key Thought: Like Daniel, we face scary situations in which we need God’s help and protection. God helped Daniel when lions surrounded him, and God will help us, too. How awesome and powerful God is! We can rely on God because God is greater than anything we face.
Pray and thank God for his constant protection from difficult situations to all of the things he spares us from that we don’t even know about. Even take time to thank him specifically for things that he has brought your family safely through over the recent months or years.
Activities
Preschool:
Open an umbrella and invite your child to sit with you under it. Pretend together that you are in the middle of a rainstorm by making rain and thunder sound effects. Talk with your child about how an umbrella protects a person from getting wet in a rain storm. Explain that we can trust God to protect us from things that we face too.
Let your child play with a baby doll for a little while, then talk about things that you do to protect a baby. You might even show pictures of them as a baby and talk about the ways you protected them. Explain that just like babies, we need protection from things in the world and that we can trust God to protect us, just like babies rely on their parents.
Lower Elementary:
Help your child create a prayer den by covering two or three chairs with a blanket or sheet. Fill the “den” with stuffed animals that can be a reminder of the lions. Then invite members of the family into the prayer den. Together read Psalm 91:14-15 and pray that God would help you trust him for protection.
Have your child draw a picture that shows a situation in which they would need to trust God to
protect them. Then have them share the picture to the family. You could also challenge them to show the picture to a friend and explain to the friend that they trust God for his protection.
Upper Elementary:
Surf the Internet for fun facts and pictures of lions with your child. Let your child share what they found out about lions before reading the Bible story as a family, to help everyone better understand the harm that God rescued Daniel from. Have your child think of scary things in their life, and then pray and thank God for protecting them from these things.
Have your child spend an afternoon looking after a preschooler or toddler. Working together, make a list of all of the ways that they helped to keep the younger child safe. Compare the list to the ways that God protects them every day.
Teens:
Make a list of house rules. Then, highlight or mark all of the rules on your list that exist to keep you or your family members safe. Compare those rules that your parents have established to the ways that God keeps you safe. Pray and thank God for his protection in your life everyday and that you would trust him.
Using a camera or a camera phone, walk around your house and take pictures of every thing in your house that is designed to keep you or your family safe (you could also make an old-fashion list if you would like). Share the pictures that you took with your family and talk about how they are similar to the ways that God keeps your family safe.
Loving God as a Family Lesson Five
Loving God as a Family
God is Our Strength
Read: 1 Samuel 17:1-50; Philippians 4:13
Questions for Discussion:
Why did David fight Goliath?
What did other people think when David said he would fight?
Why was David so courageous?
What things are hard for you to do?
How can we be like David and rely on God for strength?
As a family gather five round smooth stones for each member in the family. Take a few minutes and have each member of the family write in permanent marker on each one of the stones one thing that they need God’s strength to help them to face. Help younger children with this portion of the activity.
Key thought: Have you ever faced a problem that seemed too big for you? Just like David, we have all faced something that seems too big to go against. David trusted God to help him. God helped David be strong, and we can ask God for strength like that too!
Pray as a family for God to grant each person strength as they face these things. Then, place the stones around the house as reminders that God grants us strength for all of these things.
Activities
Preschool:
Tell your child the story of The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper. If you don’t know the story, check it out from the library. Replace the words, “I think I can, I think I can” with “Rely on God, rely on God.” Remind your child that they can rely on God for strength.
Using sidewalk chalk, trace around your child as they lay on the pavement with their arms bent as though they were flexing. Using another color of chalk, outline them again, this time drawing exaggerated muscles in their arms. As you color the outline in with your child, explain that, although other people may see them as small, with God they have strength beyond what their physical bodies contain. With God they can be strong, like the second outline, even if other people only see the way the first outline looks. Remind them that we can rely on God’s strength.
Lower Elementary:
Read the story of David and Goliath. Then lead your family in a reenactment of the story. Assign someone to be all of the main characters depending on the number of people in your family. After you act out the story, discuss what it means to rely on God for our strength.
Let your child play in the sprinkler or paddling pool until considerably wet. Then have them quickly lay down on their back on the pavement and get back up again. Show them how they can use sidewalk chalk to quickly trace around the wet print that they left on the sidewalk before it dries. Let the child cool off in the water again and make a second wet print on the sidewalk next to the first. This time, as they trace their outline encourage them to use their imagination to draw a stronger looking outline. This may mean taller, thicker, with more muscles or anything else they can think of. Then label the first outline “Without God’s strength” and the second outline, “With God’s strength in me.” Then talk about how with God’s strength we can do things that others might think are impossible for us.
Upper Elementary:
Give family members two canned goods items (1 liter water bottles filled, light weights stones or even books could also work). Challenge each person to hold the cans, one in each hand, up with their arms straight out from their bodies for a minute. At the end of the minute discuss why they were able, or unable to do this. Then do it again, only this time form pairs, one to hold the cans up, and the other person to help them hold their arms up with a boost under the biceps. See how long they are able to hold the cans up this way. Discuss how it was different with another person helping and supporting you. In the same way, we may not have the strength to do something on our own, but with God’s strength we can do anything.
Organize a family movie night to watch “The Incredibles.” After the movie, discuss how the main characters all had strengths that other people could not always see just by looking at them. Discuss how God can give each of us strength to face difficult situations. And how, when we are relying on God’s strength, others might not be able to see how strong we are just by looking at us.
Teens:
Organize a Family Feats of Mini Strength Tournament. Compete in a variety of competitions like the following: Mini tug-o-war: Get a rope about 3 feet long and make markings with tape on the table for tug-o-war. The catch is that participants may only use one hand to pull the rope and may only grip the rope using their thumb and index finger. Mini Javelin Toss: Use a straw and two fingers to recreate the life sized event. Mini Shot-put: Use a marble and flip it with your thumb. Mini Hockey: Use a smooth table top and push a checker disc as the puck around using only straws in your mouths. Thumb wrestling: enough said. Relay race: move a coin on the top of your hand, from your thumb to your pinkie and back again. Or any activities that you think your family would like. After the awards have been handed out, discuss how we rely on God’s strength.
God is Our Strength
Read: 1 Samuel 17:1-50; Philippians 4:13
Questions for Discussion:
Why did David fight Goliath?
What did other people think when David said he would fight?
Why was David so courageous?
What things are hard for you to do?
How can we be like David and rely on God for strength?
As a family gather five round smooth stones for each member in the family. Take a few minutes and have each member of the family write in permanent marker on each one of the stones one thing that they need God’s strength to help them to face. Help younger children with this portion of the activity.
Key thought: Have you ever faced a problem that seemed too big for you? Just like David, we have all faced something that seems too big to go against. David trusted God to help him. God helped David be strong, and we can ask God for strength like that too!
Pray as a family for God to grant each person strength as they face these things. Then, place the stones around the house as reminders that God grants us strength for all of these things.
Activities
Preschool:
Tell your child the story of The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper. If you don’t know the story, check it out from the library. Replace the words, “I think I can, I think I can” with “Rely on God, rely on God.” Remind your child that they can rely on God for strength.
Using sidewalk chalk, trace around your child as they lay on the pavement with their arms bent as though they were flexing. Using another color of chalk, outline them again, this time drawing exaggerated muscles in their arms. As you color the outline in with your child, explain that, although other people may see them as small, with God they have strength beyond what their physical bodies contain. With God they can be strong, like the second outline, even if other people only see the way the first outline looks. Remind them that we can rely on God’s strength.
Lower Elementary:
Read the story of David and Goliath. Then lead your family in a reenactment of the story. Assign someone to be all of the main characters depending on the number of people in your family. After you act out the story, discuss what it means to rely on God for our strength.
Let your child play in the sprinkler or paddling pool until considerably wet. Then have them quickly lay down on their back on the pavement and get back up again. Show them how they can use sidewalk chalk to quickly trace around the wet print that they left on the sidewalk before it dries. Let the child cool off in the water again and make a second wet print on the sidewalk next to the first. This time, as they trace their outline encourage them to use their imagination to draw a stronger looking outline. This may mean taller, thicker, with more muscles or anything else they can think of. Then label the first outline “Without God’s strength” and the second outline, “With God’s strength in me.” Then talk about how with God’s strength we can do things that others might think are impossible for us.
Upper Elementary:
Give family members two canned goods items (1 liter water bottles filled, light weights stones or even books could also work). Challenge each person to hold the cans, one in each hand, up with their arms straight out from their bodies for a minute. At the end of the minute discuss why they were able, or unable to do this. Then do it again, only this time form pairs, one to hold the cans up, and the other person to help them hold their arms up with a boost under the biceps. See how long they are able to hold the cans up this way. Discuss how it was different with another person helping and supporting you. In the same way, we may not have the strength to do something on our own, but with God’s strength we can do anything.
Organize a family movie night to watch “The Incredibles.” After the movie, discuss how the main characters all had strengths that other people could not always see just by looking at them. Discuss how God can give each of us strength to face difficult situations. And how, when we are relying on God’s strength, others might not be able to see how strong we are just by looking at us.
Teens:
Organize a Family Feats of Mini Strength Tournament. Compete in a variety of competitions like the following: Mini tug-o-war: Get a rope about 3 feet long and make markings with tape on the table for tug-o-war. The catch is that participants may only use one hand to pull the rope and may only grip the rope using their thumb and index finger. Mini Javelin Toss: Use a straw and two fingers to recreate the life sized event. Mini Shot-put: Use a marble and flip it with your thumb. Mini Hockey: Use a smooth table top and push a checker disc as the puck around using only straws in your mouths. Thumb wrestling: enough said. Relay race: move a coin on the top of your hand, from your thumb to your pinkie and back again. Or any activities that you think your family would like. After the awards have been handed out, discuss how we rely on God’s strength.
Loving God as a Family Lesson Six
Loving God as a Family
The Holy Spirit is God at Work In Us
Read: Acts 2:1-12
Questions for Discussion:
What happened to the believers on the Day of Pentecost?
What surprised you most about what the Holy Spirit did through the disciples?
How can you be sure that the Holy Spirit is working inside of you as promised?
What changes is the Holy Spirit making in your life?
What are some ways that you can share the Holy Spirit’s work in you with others?
As a family make a list of characteristics that describe the kind of person you would like to be. Pray that God’s Holy Spirit will help each of you to grow in these ways.
Key Thoughts: The disciples had a very important job to do, and the Holy Spirit helped them in amazing ways to share the good news about Jesus with everyone. In the same way, we may face challenges, too, as you try to live for God. But you can be sure that the Holy Spirit will be at work in you.
Pray and thank God for working in all your lives. Specifically pray for any challenges that were shared by family members.
Activities
Preschool:
Make a bag of microwave popcorn with your child. Let them watch and
listen as the bag gets bigger and the popcorn begins to pop. As you enjoy the tasty snack, talk with your child about how the popcorn popping inside the bag is like the Holy Spirit working inside of us.
Place several beads or uncooked beans inside a plastic egg, and close the egg. Sing some songs together and use the home made maraca to make music. Talk with your child about how, with out the beads in it, the maraca would not make any noise, but with the beads in it, it makes a beautiful noise. The beads are like the Holy Spirit in us, although you can’t see them, you know that they are there. In the same way, you can’t see the Holy Spirit, but you know that the Holy Spirit is there working in us.
Lower Elementary:
Help your child create a puppet out of a sock or a paper bag. Have your child put their hand in the puppet to bring it to life. After playing with the puppet, discuss how, in the same way, God’s Holy Spirit is working inside of all of us to make good things come to life.
Help your child make cupcakes or muffins. Turn on the oven light while they are baking and watch together as the heat causes the ingredients in the treat to grow and expand. Remember together that God’s Holy Spirit is a special ingredient at work in you causing you to grow and change.
Upper Elementary:
Help you child make a paper fan, and watch how things move in the breeze it creates. Talk about people can watch how the Holy Spirit moves in you by noticing the ways God helps you make good choices.
Make a batch of chocolate chip cookies with your child, leaving chocolate chips out of some of the cookies. Offer the cookies to friends and family on a plate that has both cookies with and without chocolate chips on it. Have your child pay attention to which cookies people prefer. Probably most people like the ones with the chocolate chips best. Remember that the Holy Spirit is the best thing that we could ever add to our lives. Everyone will like the good things that they see the good things that the Holy Spirit is doing in us.
Teens:
Clean up your room, or help your mom by cleaning up the house today. Throw out any old junk that is not needed anymore and take out the trash. As you work, think of how the Holy Spirit helps to clean up your life. Pray that God would continue this work in your life.
The Holy Spirit is God at Work In Us
Read: Acts 2:1-12
Questions for Discussion:
What happened to the believers on the Day of Pentecost?
What surprised you most about what the Holy Spirit did through the disciples?
How can you be sure that the Holy Spirit is working inside of you as promised?
What changes is the Holy Spirit making in your life?
What are some ways that you can share the Holy Spirit’s work in you with others?
As a family make a list of characteristics that describe the kind of person you would like to be. Pray that God’s Holy Spirit will help each of you to grow in these ways.
Key Thoughts: The disciples had a very important job to do, and the Holy Spirit helped them in amazing ways to share the good news about Jesus with everyone. In the same way, we may face challenges, too, as you try to live for God. But you can be sure that the Holy Spirit will be at work in you.
Pray and thank God for working in all your lives. Specifically pray for any challenges that were shared by family members.
Activities
Preschool:
Make a bag of microwave popcorn with your child. Let them watch and
listen as the bag gets bigger and the popcorn begins to pop. As you enjoy the tasty snack, talk with your child about how the popcorn popping inside the bag is like the Holy Spirit working inside of us.
Place several beads or uncooked beans inside a plastic egg, and close the egg. Sing some songs together and use the home made maraca to make music. Talk with your child about how, with out the beads in it, the maraca would not make any noise, but with the beads in it, it makes a beautiful noise. The beads are like the Holy Spirit in us, although you can’t see them, you know that they are there. In the same way, you can’t see the Holy Spirit, but you know that the Holy Spirit is there working in us.
Lower Elementary:
Help your child create a puppet out of a sock or a paper bag. Have your child put their hand in the puppet to bring it to life. After playing with the puppet, discuss how, in the same way, God’s Holy Spirit is working inside of all of us to make good things come to life.
Help your child make cupcakes or muffins. Turn on the oven light while they are baking and watch together as the heat causes the ingredients in the treat to grow and expand. Remember together that God’s Holy Spirit is a special ingredient at work in you causing you to grow and change.
Upper Elementary:
Help you child make a paper fan, and watch how things move in the breeze it creates. Talk about people can watch how the Holy Spirit moves in you by noticing the ways God helps you make good choices.
Make a batch of chocolate chip cookies with your child, leaving chocolate chips out of some of the cookies. Offer the cookies to friends and family on a plate that has both cookies with and without chocolate chips on it. Have your child pay attention to which cookies people prefer. Probably most people like the ones with the chocolate chips best. Remember that the Holy Spirit is the best thing that we could ever add to our lives. Everyone will like the good things that they see the good things that the Holy Spirit is doing in us.
Teens:
Clean up your room, or help your mom by cleaning up the house today. Throw out any old junk that is not needed anymore and take out the trash. As you work, think of how the Holy Spirit helps to clean up your life. Pray that God would continue this work in your life.
Loving God as a Family Lesson Seven
Loving God as a Family
Because We Love God, We Turn Away From Sin
Read: Luke 19:1-10
Questions for Discussion
Describe Zacchaeus’ life before he met Jesus?
(Was he rich or poor, do you think he was generally happy and so on?)
How did Zacchaeus change when he met Jesus?
What caused the changes in Zacchaeus’ life?
What does it mean to turn away from sin?
How can Jesus help you turn away from sin this week?
What are some sins that we need help turning away from?
As a family using an etch-a-sketch take turns drawing a simple shape. Discuss how using the knobs to draw can make it difficult to get the exact shape that you would like every single time, especially if you want to draw a circle. Although mistakes are likely on an etch-a-sketch, the good news is that it is easy to start over. All you have to do is turn it upside down and shake it a bit and then you have a clean slate! Option: you can look at pictures of some incredible etch-a-sketch art online (try http://www.gvetchedintime.com/set.html) talk about how much time these artists spend creating the etch-a-sketch art, and yet it could all be erased with a shake. Discuss how we can do the same thing, spending a great deal of time creating a life that looks the way we want it to look to others, yet can easily be undone when things shake us up. Our lives must be built of the clean slate that Jesus gives us when we get saved and then be shaped by him according to his plan.
Key Thought: When Zacchaeus met Jesus, he turned away from his sin of stealing from people by giving his money to the poor. Life is not easy, and while trying to follow God we may find our selves making mistakes, but God loved us so much that he gave his only Son that we can be saved from our sin, and because we love God, we can, with Jesus’ help, turn away from our sin As we grow and mature in Christ, our lives conform to the image of Christ, and we make fewer mistakes. That is the key to a successful Christian life: Not controlling our lives so that we don’t sin, but allowing ourselves to be controlled by God so that he directs our lives in the plan that he has for us.
Pray together and thank God for the sacrifice he made of his only son so that we can be forgiven, and for his great love for us that spurred on that gift. Also, pray that, in the days to follow, Jesus would not only help us turn from sin, but also conform us to his image through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Because We Love God, We Turn Away From Sin
Read: Luke 19:1-10
Questions for Discussion
Describe Zacchaeus’ life before he met Jesus?
(Was he rich or poor, do you think he was generally happy and so on?)
How did Zacchaeus change when he met Jesus?
What caused the changes in Zacchaeus’ life?
What does it mean to turn away from sin?
How can Jesus help you turn away from sin this week?
What are some sins that we need help turning away from?
As a family using an etch-a-sketch take turns drawing a simple shape. Discuss how using the knobs to draw can make it difficult to get the exact shape that you would like every single time, especially if you want to draw a circle. Although mistakes are likely on an etch-a-sketch, the good news is that it is easy to start over. All you have to do is turn it upside down and shake it a bit and then you have a clean slate! Option: you can look at pictures of some incredible etch-a-sketch art online (try http://www.gvetchedintime.com/set.html) talk about how much time these artists spend creating the etch-a-sketch art, and yet it could all be erased with a shake. Discuss how we can do the same thing, spending a great deal of time creating a life that looks the way we want it to look to others, yet can easily be undone when things shake us up. Our lives must be built of the clean slate that Jesus gives us when we get saved and then be shaped by him according to his plan.
Key Thought: When Zacchaeus met Jesus, he turned away from his sin of stealing from people by giving his money to the poor. Life is not easy, and while trying to follow God we may find our selves making mistakes, but God loved us so much that he gave his only Son that we can be saved from our sin, and because we love God, we can, with Jesus’ help, turn away from our sin As we grow and mature in Christ, our lives conform to the image of Christ, and we make fewer mistakes. That is the key to a successful Christian life: Not controlling our lives so that we don’t sin, but allowing ourselves to be controlled by God so that he directs our lives in the plan that he has for us.
Pray together and thank God for the sacrifice he made of his only son so that we can be forgiven, and for his great love for us that spurred on that gift. Also, pray that, in the days to follow, Jesus would not only help us turn from sin, but also conform us to his image through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Activities
Preschool:
Teach your child this song to remind them that Jesus helps us turn away from sin. Encourage your child to spin every time you sing the word “turn.” This song can be sung to the melody of “I've Got the Joy, Joy, Joy.”
“Jesus helps turn, turn, turn, turn me from sin (what?)
Turn me from sin (what?)
Turn me from sin.
Jesus helps turn, turn, turn, turn, turn me from sin (what?)
Turn me from sin today.”
Collect 4 large lemons, ½ cup of sugar, 2 ½ cups of cold water, a pitcher and a spoon. Ask your child to taste a bite of unsweetened lemon, and talk about the sour taste. Squeeze the juice from the other lemons to make ¾ cup of lemon juice. Combine the lemon juice, sugar and cold water in the large pitcher. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Drink the lemonade with your child and talk about how the sugar turned the sour lemon sweet and about how this is like when Jesus turns us from our sin.
Lower Elementary:
Help your child decorate a pair of plastic sunglasses with small stickers or paint. Make sure to leave the lenses clear enough to see out of! After the paint has dried, take a walk on in the sunshine letting your child wear the glasses. Talk about how Jesus helps us turn away from our sin, just as our sunglasses help turn the sun away from our eyes.
Collect three small bowls of water colored with food coloring (one yellow, one red, and one blue), an eyedropper, a paper towel, and newspapers. Lay the newspaper over the surface of the table to protect it. Let your child drop different colors of food colored water on the paper towel using the eyedropper. Notice how the color changes when two drops run into each other. Let the paper towel dry, and think about how Jesus changes us and turns us away from sin, just like the food coloring changed and turned a different color when the spots overlapped.
Upper Elementary:
Collect three bowls, syrup, grass, dirt, and soap. Set up the three bowls near the kitchen sink, the first bowl with syrup in it, the second with grass in it, and the third with dirt. Let your child dip their hand into the first bowl and coat their hand with syrup. Then let them dip their hand into the second and third bowls sticking grass and dirt to the syrup. As they do, explain that the grass and dirt are like sin, that dirties our life. Then use soap to wash their hand in the sink. Discuss how Jesus makes us clean from our sin, just like the soap did for our hands. Let them share this project with others in the family later.
Show your child how to carefully carve a bar of soap with a dull butter knife. Let them carve a bar of soap into the shape of a cross. Smooth the edges with a bit of water. Encourage your child to use the bar of soap every time they bath until it runs out. Remember, every tie they use it, that while they are getting themselves clean, Jesus cleans up their heart by helping them turn away from sin.
Teens:
Try playing this game with your family, add friends if you would like. Sit in a circle and count, each person saying the next number from the person who went before them. Every time the number seven is used in any form (as in seven, seventeen, twenty-seven) say the word “buzz” instead of the number. Do the same for any multiples of seven (such as fourteen, twenty one, twenty eight). Try to keep the counting going quickly, it is a game of speed. After you are finished, discuss why it was difficult to substitute a new word for all of the numbers. This game is difficult because it deviates from what is normal for us. We are accustomed to using the number seven, and to replace it with the word “buzz” feels awkward. It requires extra concentration and is against what is natural for us. Some times our Christian walk can feel the same way. We have to develop new habits and standards that go against the natural and sinful man. At first these can take a considerable amount of concentration, but as we grow in Christ and allow him to turn us away from sin we will be changed into his image.
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