Preschool (2yrs-PreK)

God Made Me

Day 6!  Animals!  We continue to teach your child that God makes good things and this week we are using Day 6 of creation to do that.  You know, when Adam and Eve were hanging out in Eden, they didn’t really have anything to pray for.  It was all there and it was all good.  There were no financial problems, no marriage problems, no church services to pray about, no lost souls to ask God to save.  They were just there, enjoying God’s creation!

How often do we do that?  I’m pretty sure their conversation with God was more like “We just saw a duck billed platypus!  Did you just take all the leftovers and put them together to make that?!?!”  They weren’t spending all of their time in fellowship with him asking for something.  There was nothing to ask for!  It was ALL good!!

Is your whole relationship with God based on asking for things?  When Jesus died on the cross He said “It is FINISHED”.  He restored us to the same relationship with God that Adam and Eve had in the garden before sin.  You know how exhausting it is when the whole day is filled with only requests or complaints.  I’m pretty sure God gets tired of it too!  Create a Rhythm this week by just enjoying God’s creation with your preschooler.  Start teaching them that they can hang out with God, just like they hang out with you.  Try going to the zoo!  There are tons of animals we don’t usually get to enjoy and you‘ll get lots of one on one time walking around with your family.  If you participate in the public library summer reading program, there are free admission tickets for youth in the rewards booklet!

Elementary (K-3^rd Grade)

Love-choosing to give someone your time and attention

Dad left when you were a young boy.  Mom was addicted to drugs and never gave hugs or kisses.  The teacher said you would never be anything.  The kids at school called you names.  Your boss treats you like dirt.  Your spouse makes you feel like you aren’t important.

All of these scenarios have the opportunity to create enemies in someone’s life. Your children are encountering “enemies” in their lives as well.  The kid who won’t share, the girl who makes fun of her, the group of kids who won’t let him play.  None of these people have earned your respect.  They aren’t your friends.  You sure don’t like them.  Why would you ever love them?

In Matthew 22:39, Jesus told us to love your neighbor as yourself.  If you don’t love yourself this could be a problem.  So let’s look at the story for this week, Matthew 5:43-47,  when Jesus told us to not only love our neighbors, but to also love our enemies.  To pray for the people who persecute us.  Bottom Line: Love others, even your enemies.

But why?  Of course, the people you choose to love will benefit from your kindness and may serve the Lord because of it.  What about you?  When you make the CHOICE to love the people who have hurt you and walk in forgiveness, you are setting YOURSELF free! (Proverbs 14:30)  FIGHT FOR THE HEART this week by setting an example in forgiveness and love.  Include your student as you choose to love your enemies and encourage them to do the same.

Club 45 (4-5^th grade)

Hot, Bold, Confident

This series we will look at several scriptures that encourage your student (and you!) to “Listen to God’s instructions , even when it is hard or doesn’t make sense”.  The verse we are focusing on this week is Revelation 3:15-16.   This New Testament church was “lukewarm”.  God wanted them to either be hot or cold, but not in between.  The message from the author of this verse is that indifference is actually worse than being cold towards God.

When I think of  “lukewarm” I instantly think of food.  More specifically, lukewarm coffee.  Yuck.  I either want it so hot I have to sip, or in the frozen form.  But a cup o’ joe that has been sitting on the counter long enough to be room temperature is gross.  We sort of get the idea that God feels the same way about a lukewarm attitude (he actually says He will spew “lukewarm” out of his mouth!).

We are often quick to judge the world for being “cold” towards the things of God.  Children’s ministries, student ministries and churches in general have to be more and more creative in order to compete with what the world has to offer.  Maybe they are uninterested because so many “church” people are somewhat indifferent to the things of God.  Wonder if they would be more intrigued if we had a “HOT, BOLD, CONFIDENCE” about what Jesus has done for us?

IMAGINE THE END with your 4^th or 5^th grader and talk about the influence they can have if they are HOT for God.  Encourage them to be BOLD in their faith and CONFIDENT that God will show up in powerful ways as they follow Him.