Being Grateful

Being Grateful

Play: Have your children talk about the nicest thing someone has done for them this week (for example, a friend dug through the trash to help find a lost toy).

 Relay: When someone does something nice and unexpected, it makes us feel grateful.  We appreciate what they did because we know it took time, energy, and resources.  Many times after someone does something for us, we want to do something nice for them.  The Bible says that we love because God first loved us (1 John 4:19).  This means that because we experienced God’s love first, we want to show His love to others because we are thankful. 

Obey:

How can you show God’s love to others?

What does it mean to be grateful?

What sometimes keeps us from showing God how grateful we are for His love?

Pray: Ask God to help show you ways to show love through His example of His love for you.

Obeying Your Parents

Obeying your Parents

Play:  Play a game of “Mother/Father May I.”  After the game, have your children talk about what was easy and what was hard about the game.  If you don’t know how to play, a quick search on Google will give you the rules.  J

Relay:  When we were playing Mother May I, obedience was the key to winning the game.  The Bible teaches about the importance of children obeying their parents.  In Colossians 3:20, Paul tells children to obey their parents in EVERYTHING.  The reason he gives these instructions is because when we obey our parents, it pleases God.

Obey:

What does it mean to obey?

Why do you think we are to obey our parents in everything?

What areas do you have a hard time obeying your parents?

Pray: Ask God to help you obey your parents every day.

Scripture of the Day: Colossians 3:20

Always Rejoice

Always Rejoice!

Play:  Take a deck of cards and deal them out to everyone in your family.  Have everyone flip a card over at the same time.  The person with the highest card “wins.”  The winner is then to give a “shout out” to God and praise him for something he has done.  You can continue as many rounds as you would like.

Relay:  Did it feel good to win?  When you won, you shouted praise to God.  But God does not want us to only rejoice in Him when things go well; He wants us to rejoice in Him ALL the time (Philippians 4:4).  Sometimes you might not feel like rejoicing (when you are sick, you didn’t make a team, you had a bad day at school, etc.), but you can always find a reason to rejoice.  Jesus died and rose again!  That is the best reason of all!

Obey:

What does it mean to rejoice?

Why might you not sometimes feel like rejoicing?

Why does God want us to rejoice all the time?

Pray:  Ask God to help you rejoice in Him all day every day.

Scripture of the Day: Philippians 4:4

Gentleness to All

Gentleness to All

Play:  Have your family play a game of dodge ball with cotton balls. 

Relay:  Think about the game of dodge ball.  The purpose of the game is to hit as many people as you can with a kickball.  The game is aggressive and powerful.  Now, think about how it was playing dodge ball with cotton balls.  It gave the game a difference feel didn’t it?  The Bible tells us that our gentleness should be evident to all.  This means, that no one should have to look for us to be kind, patient, or nice.  Instead, it should be one of the first things people see in us!

Obey:

Would one of the first words people use to describe you be gentle?  Why or why not?

How can we display gentleness to all?

Why is important to be gentle with others

Scripture of the Day:  Philippians 4:5

Wisdom Under Pressure

Topic: Wisdom under Pressure

Play: Give your children a “pop quiz” using spelling words, current events, math facts, etc.  Make sure you ask the questions at a fast pace, providing an environment of intensity.

Relay: Did you feel a little bit of pressure or tongue tied trying to answer all the questions?  Sometimes as Christians, we will be questioned about our faith.  We might worry about how to answer those questions when pressure is on us.  However, Jesus tells us not to worry about what to say because He will give us the words as well as the wisdom to respond so that our enemies will not be able to oppose us (Luke 21:15). Therefore, we should trust that God will be with us when people ask us about our faith.

Obey:

What are some ways people might place pressure on our faith?

How can you remember not to worry?

Pray: Thank God for giving us wisdom in times of pressure.

Making Wise Choices

On the Go Devotions: Making Wise Choices

Play: Give the following list to your children and have them decide whether the action is wise or not.  Feel free to also include ideas of your own.

Staying up late watching television
Doing your homework on time
Cramming for a test
Hanging out with kids who are popular but troublemakers
Sleeping in ten more minutes

Relay: We make decisions daily from the morning to night.  God desires that we act wisely.  He does this because He loves us and wants the best for us.  When we make wise choices, we honor Him.  If we do not know what the right decision is, we are to ask for wisdom (James 1:5).

Obey:

How often do you ask God for His help in making wise decisions?

How can God help us make wise decisions?

Pray: Thank God for giving us wisdom and ask Him to give you wisdom in decisions you are facing at this moment.

Scripture of the Day: James 1:5

The Bible as Our Guide

 Play: Take your children on a driving adventure.  Tell them you are going to a place they have not been, but they need to give you directions.  Then have them look at a map or look up directions to find the right way.  You can also use Google earth to do this activity.

Relay: We know how to get to places by having the right directions. If we have good directions, we will get where we need to go.  If we have bad directions, we can easily get lost. The Bible is a guide to help show us how we are to live (Psalm 119:105). If we follow what the Bible says, we will stay on the path that God wants for us.

Obey:  

What are some ways the Bible helps us find our way in life?

How can you use the Bible to help you in life?

How important is it to read the Bible consistently?  Why?

Pray: Ask God to help you always look to the Bible for direction.

Scripture of the Day: Psalm 119:105

Love Does Not Boast

Love Does Not Boast

Play: Have your child/children make up one scenario where they are excited about an accomplishment and one scenario where they are bragging about that accomplishment.

Relay:  There is a difference between being happy about something and bragging about it.  First Corinthians 13:4 says that love does not boast.  Boasting happens when you continue to talk about yourself and everything that you have accomplished. The word picture is of someone heaping praise on himself.   If we are so concerned about the great things that happen to us, we do not think about other people.  It is hard to love others when we don’t think about them.

Obey:

What does it mean to boast?

 How do you think someone feels when you brag to them about something?

What do you think about when you think of someone heaping praise on himself? 

How can boasting take away from us giving glory to God?

Pray: Ask God to always help you think of others.

Scripture of the Day: 1 Corinthians 13:4

Love is not Jealous

Love is Not Jealous

Play: Give your children the following scenarios and ask them how they would respond.

1.  You took their sibling/friend to Disney World without them.
2. One of their friends was better at their favorite sport than they are.
3. One of their friends was invited to a birthday party and they were not.

Relay:  When other people get something or get to do something that we don’t get to do, it is sometimes easy for us to feel jealous.  Being jealous of someone means that you dislike what one person has more than you are happy for them.  First Corinthians 13:4 says that love does not envy.  This means that when we love someone, we do not want what someone else wants.  Instead, we are happy about the opportunities God has given them. 

Obey:

What does it mean to be jealous?

 What is something that sometimes makes you jealous?

How can we focus more on being happy for someone instead of focusing on what we didn’t get?

Pray: Thank God for everything He has given you and ask Him to help you not to be jealous.

Scripture of the Day: 1 Corinthians 13:4

God's love protects

Theme: God’s Love…protects

Play: Give your child a small object and ask them to keep and protect the coin.  Then try various tactics to distract them and see if they drop the coin.

Relay: Sometimes it is easy for us to get distracted from protecting and keeping something given to us, especially if it does not mean much to us.  However, God never gets distracted or tired of protecting us.  He loves us and will always protect us (First Corinthians 13:7).  His love will cover us in all circumstances, just as your hands covered the object. Even when we sin, His love covers us.

Obey:

 How does it make you feel knowing that God will protect you, no matter what?

What area of your life do you need to trust God more?

 How can you show love to others by protecting others?

Pray: Thank God for His protection and ask Him to help you walk in confidence.

Scripture of the Day: 1 Corinthians 13:7