All posts by admin

Family Devotions, Family Fun

Sustained!

You Will Need: 

GET STARTED

TELL your child that you are going to throw an item to him and you want him to catch it and throw it back. Do this several times.

ASK—What does it mean to “cast” something? (“Casting” is another way of saying “throwing.”)

SAY—We are going to read about something that God wants us to throw His way.

Read Psalm 55:22 from your Bible.

ASK—What does God want you to “cast” on Him? (Our cares.)

ASK—What does it say God will do if we cast our care on Him? (He will sustain you.) What does that mean?

SAY—“Sustain” comes from a Latin word that literally means “to hold below.” 

Have one person stand in front of you. Ask them to wobble. Then take hold of them to keep them steady. 

SAY—In the same way that I held him steady, God sustains us which means He supports us, supplies us with what we need and keeps us steady from falling.

SAY—Sometimes the worries and cares of this world drag us down, but we can cast our cares on God and He will sustain us. 

ASK—What else did the verse say God will do? (He will never let the righteous fall.)

PLAY AGAIN

TOSS the item back and forth again but each time you throw it, say a care or worry that someone might have. 

ASK—What are some cares or worries that you have? What about your friends?

TOSS the item back and forth again. This time with each throw say something for which you are thankful.

ASK—God wants us to always have a thankful heart but how can you give thanks when you’re facing tough situations?

SAY—We can always give thanks, no matter what, because we trust in God. He takes care of us and sustains us.

SAY—Before we pray I want to read one more verse. 

Read 1 Peter 5:7 from your Bible.

SAY—Because God is so good and Jesus died and rose again for us, we can cast our cares on Him. And because we know how God will take care of us, we can always give thanks no matter what we’re facing.

PRAY—Take turns praying and let each member of your family tell God about a care or worry (something that concerns them)—something they are giving to Him. For example, “Dear Lord, Grandma is sick. Please help her to get better. I give this to you. In Jesus’ Name—Amen.” Then go around again and let each person tell God something for which they are thankful. For example, “Thank you, Lord, for caring for me.”

Read the Bible

D.I.V.E. Devotions 

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

• DAY 1 – Luke 14:15-24 – Parable of the banquet

• DAY 2 – Luke 14:25-35 – The cost of discipleship

• DAY 3 – Luke 15:1-7 – The lost sheep

• DAY 4 – Luke 15:8-10 – The lost coin

• DAY 5 – Luke 15:11-32 – The lost son

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

Sharpening

Read 

One man challenged another to an all-day wood chopping contest. The challenger worked very hard, stopping only for a brief lunch break. The other man had a leisurely lunch and took several breaks during the day. At the end of the day, the challenger was surprised and annoyed to find that the other fellow had chopped substantially more wood than he had. “I don’t get it,” he said. “Every time I checked, you were taking a rest, yet you chopped more wood than I did.” “But you didn’t notice,” said the winning woodsman, “that I was sharpening my ax when I sat down to rest.”1 

Reflect 

Cutting logs with a dull ax makes you work harder. A wise man will sharpen his ax. In the same way, wisdom can make any job easier. (Ecclesiastes 10:10 ICB) 

Respond 

Are you being efficient and effective in your ministry? I would hope the answer is yes to both, but first we need to understand what each word means. Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness comes by doing right things. When it comes to reaching and teaching the children of our community, how efficient and effective do you feel? Are you taking time to stop during the week to spend time with God and let Him sharpen your axe? Do you feel like your axe is sharp or dull? What can you do this week to sharpen your axe for the ministry to which God has called you? What are your thoughts about the verse for this week? 

Your thoughts?

Remember 

Don’t work harder; work smarter. 

Fun Stories

Sue

There once lived a girl

With a name so long,

That many tried to remember it,

But they were all wrong.

So at last she wrote it down,

One fine day,

So people years later,

Could read it and say:

Her name was:

Ima Elizabeth Margaret Mary,

Judith Lola Jacqueline Sherry,

Sabrina Catrina Christina-Loo,

Teresa Lisa Patrisa-Su,

Margine Johnson (named after her Nana),

Savannah, Alana, (sometimes called banana),

Mona-Cherona (named for her mother),

And Georgette (for George, named for her brother),

Hatti Patty Matti-Bo,

Laura Lynn and Amy Jo,

Rudy Trudy and Nancy Drew,

But all her friends just called her Sue.

Known by God

How does it make you feel that God knows your name? That He calls you by name? That He made you for a reason and has great plans for your life? Did you know that God delights in you? That’s how special you are to God.

Listen to what the Bible says in Zephaniah 3:17, “The Lord your God, is in the midst of you, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over you with joy. He will calm you in his love. He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Family Devotions, Family Fun

Rejoice!

You Will Need: 

GET STARTED

Tell the following jokes to begin…

-Can a turkey jump higher than the Empire State Building?

Yes. A building can’t jump at all!

-What did the turkey say to the turkey hunter?

“Quack, Quack, Quack”

-What’s blue and covered with feathers?

A turkey holding its breath

-If the Pilgrims were alive today what would they be most famous for?

Their age!

SAY—Now I have a few Thanksgiving questions for you:

ASK—What is your favorite thing about the Thanksgiving holiday? 

ASK—What is your favorite Thanksgiving food? 

ASK—What is your favorite Thanksgiving dessert? 

ASK—What is your favorite thing that our family has done on Thanksgiving? 

ASK—What do you think a turkey’s least favorite holiday would be? (Probably Thanksgiving; maybe Christmas.)

SAY—Around Thanksgiving we seem talk more about the things we’re thankful for, but God wants us to be thankful all year long. God also says that we can rejoice no matter what situations is going on around us. 

Read Philippians 4:4 from your Bible

ASK—When does this verse say we can rejoice? (Always)

SAY—After everything I say, I want you to say, “No.” Ready…(No!)

-Does this verse say to rejoice in the Lord sometimes? (No!)

-Does this verse say to rejoice in the Lord every once in a while? (No!)

-Does this verse say to rejoice in the Lord from time to time? (No!)

-Does this verse say to rejoice in the Lord when things go good? (No!)

-Does this verse say to rejoice in the Lord when you get what you want? (No!)

REPEAT after me: “Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS.”

SAY—“Always” means always. 

ASK—What does it say to rejoice in? (The Lord)

SAY—We can rejoice in the Lord, not in the situation. We can always rejoice and be thankful because of who God is. Even if we find ourselves in a tough situation, if we are following God, we know that He has promised to turn all things to our good. Because of who God is and what He can do, we can rejoice in Him, no matter what is going on around us.

EXTRA TIME

Read Acts 16:19-34 from your Bible for a great story that illustrates this kind of attitude.

PRAY—Take prayer requests and pray together…Pray that your family will always give thanks and rejoice in the Lord.

Read the Bible

D.I.V.E. Devotions 

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

• DAY 1 – Luke 13:10-17 – A crippled woman is healed

• DAY 2 – Luke 13:18-21 – Parables of the Kingdom

• DAY 3 – Luke 13:22-35 – The narrow door

• DAY 4 – Luke 14:1-6 – Healing on the Sabbath

• DAY 5 – Luke 14:7-14 – Humility and generosity

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

Understanding

Read

Three sons left home, went out on their own and prospered. Getting back together, they discussed the gifts that they were able to give to their elderly mother. 

The first said, “I built a big house for our mother.” The second said, “I sent her a Mercedes with a driver.” The third smiled and said, “I’ve got you both beat. You know how mom enjoys the Bible and you know she can’t see very well. I sent her a brown parrot that can recite the entire Bible. It took 20 monks in the monastery 12 years to teach him. I had to pledge to contribute $100,000 a year for 10 years, but it was worth it. Mom just has to name the chapter and verse and the parrot will recite it.” 

Soon thereafter, mom sent out her letters of thanks. She wrote the first son, “Milton, the house you built is so huge I live in only one room, but I have to clean the whole house.” She wrote the second son, “Marvin, I am too old to travel. I stay home all the time, so I never use the Mercedes. And the driver is so rude!” She wrote the third son, “Dearest Melvin, you were the only son to have the good sense to know what your mother likes. The chicken was delicious.”1 

Reflect 

When I am with those who are oppressed, I share their oppression so that I might bring them to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring them to Christ. I do all this to spread the Good News, and in doing so I enjoy its blessings. (1 Corinthians 9:22-23 NLT) 

Respond 

In the above story poor Melvin made a pretty large mistake by not asking what his mom liked or wanted. He didn’t understand his mother’s needs. What are some need of the students in your class? How can you meet those needs? (For example, if the need is special attention from you, when can you go and watch a ball game; if the need is encouragement, why not send him a short note telling him how special he is to you, etc.) God knows each of our needs? What are some ways He has met your needs in the past? What are some ways He can use you to meet others people’s needs this week? 

Your thoughts?

Fun Stories

The Silly, Young King

Let me tell you the story,

Of a silly young king,

Who wanted to have

Everything.

He wanted a circus,

With a tent made of silk,

And a castle of candy,

With a moat of chocolate milk.

He wanted a spaceship,

To take him to Mars,

And a million and one,

Big candy bars

He wanted the world’s seas

With harbors and boats,

He wanted to own the mountains,

And billions of goats.

He wanted to fly,

As high as the sky,

And he wanted to eat,

The world’s biggest pie.

He wanted one each

Of every kind of car,

And He wanted to name,

Each and every star.

He wanted three elephants,

To dance in his room,

And a jet plane,

That would take off with a zoom.

He wanted fireworks,

To explode every night,

And trumpets to play,

At dawn with the light.

He got all he wanted,

A trillion and one things,

But none of it can compare,

To the joy that Jesus brings.

Contentment

Someone who is content realizes that true joy doesn’t come from what you own or wear. When you’ve given your life to Jesus and are walking with Him, He’ll always take care of you—you’ll never lack for what He desires to give you and the life you’ll find in Him is beyond anything you could have ever imagined. The Bible says in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.” Remember: Only Jesus satisfies and true joy comes only from Christ.

Family Devotions, Family Fun

Whatever! (You Do)

You Will Need: 

GAME—THINGS YOU DO

SAY—We’re going to play a game and here are the rules: In a moment I’m going to say something that I did today, then we’re going to go around the circle and everyone else is going to say something they did today. Then when it gets back to me, I’m going to keep going. We’ll keep going around and around but here’s the catch—if you take longer than 3 seconds to come up with something you did today, then your out. 

Read Colossians 3:17 from your Bible.

SAY—According to this verse, everything we just named we should have done in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to the Father through Him. 

ASK—What do you think this verse means? (That no matter what you say or do, you should always be living for Jesus with a thankful heart.)

ASK—Are there any of your actions today that didn’t glorify God?

ASK—Are there any of your words today that didn’t glorify God?

ASK—What are some ways we can give thanks to God? (Through prayer, in our actions, in our words, in our attitude, in how we respond to situations—especially situations where we didn’t get what we wanted or things didn’t go the way we desired.)

SAY—Because Jesus died and rose again, we live for him in everything we say and do and always give thanks to God through Him. 

GAME—THINGS YOU SAY

SAY—We’re going to play another game. It’s actually the same game we played before except instead of naming things we did today, we’re going to name things we said today. 

Re-Read Colossians 3:17 from your Bible.

PRAY—Take Prayer requests and pray together…Pray that your family live for Jesus everyday in everything they say and do and always have an attitude to thanks.

Read the Bible

D.I.V.E. Devotions 

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

• DAY 1 – Luke 12:13-21 – Parable of the rich fool

• DAY 2 – Luke 12:22-34 – Trust in God and anxiety

• DAY 3 – Luke 12:35-48 – Faithfulness to the Master

• DAY 4 – Luke 12:49-59 – The coming judgment

• DAY 5 – Luke 13:1-9 – The barren fig tree

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?