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Family Devotions, Family Fun

Tongue Twisters

You Will Need: 

FAMILY COMPETITION #1

See who can say “Unique New York” the most times correctly in 10 seconds. Let each family member try.

FAMILY COMPETITION #2

See who can say “Red Leather, Yellow Leather” the most times back to back without making a mistake. Let each family member try a few times

SAY—It might seem impossible to say “Unique New York” or “Red Leather, Yellow Leather,” but it’s not—it just takes practice. 

ASK—Why do you think it’s impossible for a person to be good enough to go to heaven? (Because none of us are perfect like God is perfect. We’ve all made mistakes.)

SAY—Because we’ve all made mistakes, we all need Jesus as our Savior. Since Jesus died to pay the price for all the wrong things we’d ever do, He provides a way for us to be forgiven and go to heaven by giving our lives to Him.

Read Romans 5:8 from your Bible.

PRAY—List prayer requests and thank Jesus for dying to make a way for us to be forgiven and go to heaven.

Family Devotions, Family Fun

Izzy Dizzy Walking Wobble

You Will Need: 

GET STARTED

One at a time have each of your children hold out their arms, put their heads back so they’re looking at the ceiling and stick out their tongues. Tell them to spin around three times (you’ll need to count for them) and then try to walk to you in a straight line. (Be careful to do this in an area where they can fall and stumble without getting hurt.) Then have them spin around seven times…then ten times. 

SAY—Everything gets confusing when you spin around a lot. Sometimes life seems a little confusing when bad things happen, but we can learn a lesson from the Bible about how we can keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Listen and try to figure out what mistake Peter made.

Read Matthew 14:22-33 from your Bible.

ASK—What good things did Peter do? (1) He trusted Jesus enough to get out of the boat, which is more than anyone else did. (2) When he needed help, he called out to Jesus.

ASK—What do you think Peter’s mistake was? (He took his eyes off Jesus and started focusing on the wind and waves.)

SAY—Bad things can happen to good people, but when bad things happen God wants you to keep trusting Him. God will always do what is best for you and, if you’re walking with Him, He will cause all things to work together for your good. So, when life gets confusing, keep your eyes on Jesus.

PRAY—List prayer requests and thank God that you can always trust Him and pray that when hard times come to your kids, that they will always keep their eyes on Jesus.

Fun Stories

Turtle in My Soup

I went to a restaurant,

To get some soup.

Finally it came,

And I took a big scoop,

But in my spoon,

Was something green.

I said, “Is that a turtle,

Or a big, fat bean?”

Then out came four little feet,

And one little head.

“Hello,” it spoke.

“Hello,” I said.

I went to a restaurant,

To eat some Chicken Noodle,

But in my soup bowl,

I found a little poodle.

He was real small,

The size of my thumb,

So I pulled him out,

And fed him a crumb.

I went back to that restaurant,

And ordered the Clam Chowder,

And when it came out,

I had to laugh a little louder.

I couldn’t help,

I had to laugh,

Cause in my bowl,

Was a tiny giraffe.

I ate at that restaurant,

For three years and a day.

Then I opened a zoo,

And made people pay,

To come and see,

All the tiny beasts,

I had pulled from my soup,

During all those feasts.

Trusting God

Finding a turtle in your soup is a pretty bad thing, but in the story the little bad things that kept happening turned out for the good. If you have given your life to Jesus and are walking with Him, you can trust God that He is able to turn any bad thing that happens to you to your good. Listen to the Bible in Romans 8:28: “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.”

Read the Bible

D.I.V.E. Devotions – Mark 15:1-16:20

Dig In
–Dig in and enjoy God’s Word. What should I read in the Bible today?

Answer these questions each day…

Insight
–What did you see? What did you hear?

Value
–What did you learn? What should you do?

Examine
–Examine yourself as you pray. What will you pray?

For Leaders

Risks

Read 

Legend has it that a man was lost in the desert, just dying for a drink of water. He stumbled upon an old shack—a windowless, roofless, weather-beaten old shack. As he glanced around he saw a pump about fifteen feet away, an old rusty water pump. He stumbled over to it, grabbed the handle, and began to pump up and down, up and down. Nothing came out. 

Disappointed, he staggered back. He noticed off to the side an old jug. He looked at it, wiped away the dirt and dust, and read a message that said, “You have to prime the pump with all the water in the jug, my friend. P.S.: Be sure you fill the jug again before you leave.” 

He popped the cork out of the jug and sure enough, there was water. Suddenly, he was faced with a decision. If he drank the water, he could live. Ah, but if he poured all the water in the old rusty pump, maybe it would yield fresh, cool water from the well, all the water he wanted. Risking everything, he poured all the water into the pump. Then he grabbed the handle and began to pump. . . squeak, squeak, squeak. Still nothing came out! Squeak, squeak, squeak. A little bit began to dribble out, then a small stream, and finally it gushed! To his relief fresh, cool water poured out of the rusty pump. Eagerly, he filled the jug and drank from it. He filled it another time and once again drank its refreshing contents. 

Then he filled the jug for the next traveler. He filled it to the top, popped the cork back on, and added this little note: “Believe me, it really works. You have to give it all away before you can get anything back.”1 

Reflect 

Joshua 1:9—“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” 

Respond 

What would you have done in the above story? If the man had been stingy with the water, he would have never received the full blessing that the pump could give. How are Christians today stingy with their time? With their money? With other resources? What might you need to risk “giving away” this week that will help you to dive deeper in your service to or relationship with God? 

Your thoughts?

Remember 

“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in that gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.” —Theodore Roosevelt2 

1Source of the story is unknown.

2Cited from Saddleback Community Church’s Children’s Ministry Values.