Preschool (2yrs to PreK)

God Loves Me No Matter What

I remember some parenting advice I received as a young mom.  It’s stuck with me as one of the most important things I do. A seasoned dad told me one time…

“When you see your child walk in the room in the morning, make sure they know from the look on your face you’re excited to see them.”

I’ve never let go of that advice.  I think it’s one of those little things that means a lot.

It means that no matter what the night before might have been like… no matter what the behavior trends have been… today is a new day, and I’m excited to start that day with you.

The story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-24 is one of those examples Christ shares.  A demonstration of how His mercies are new every day.  A story of a dad who loved his son no matter how much his son messed up.  And when his son decided to return with a repentant heart… the father was there with open arms and an excited expression on his face.

I have no doubt that when the son returned to his dad, what he saw on the face of his father told him he was loved no matter what.

We want our kids to know they are loved no matter what.  We want your preschooler to know that God Loves Me No Matter What.

This week, Fight for the Heart, by communicating with your facial expressions that you love your child no matter what.  Through this they gain understanding and belief that their Heavenly Father feels the same way.

 

Elementary (K-3rd Grade)

Prove you care about others by letting go of “what’s fair”.

In our Bible story this week, we hear of two brothers: Jacob & Esau (Genesis 27:41-45; 31:3, 32:1-21; 33:1-11).  When Jacob stole Esau’s birthright, taking his inheritance and his place in the family, Esau was furious.  Years later, the brothers meet again and this time Esau lets go of his anger and chooses to love his brother.

It wasn’t fair that Jacob took everything from Esau, but our Bottom Line is: prove you care about others by letting go of “what’s fair”.  Sometimes choosing peace means letting go of what we want or our perception of ourselves.  Preserving the relationship is more important than protecting our own sense of fairness.

Our memory verse this month is :

“So let us do all we can to live in peace. And let us work hard to build each other up.” Romans 14:19, NIrV

Doing all we can to live peaceably might include sacrificing what ought to be ours.  Ultimately, the relationships we build will prove more valuable.

This week, Fight for the Heart, by teaching your kids that relationships are more important than what seems fair to us.

 

Club 45 (4th & 5th Grade)

Under the Radar: Don’t Get Tangled on the Web

As parents, I think we share a common fear.

The Web

(insert ominous music… dum, dum, dummmmmm)

In today’s culture, our kids will spend more and more time on the internet.

Whether it’s research for a project, gaming or social networking… the cultural we exist in today is partially lived on the web.

This makes our scripture focus in Club 45 so critical…

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such
things.”

Philippians 4:8, NLT

This scripture can act as a filter for our kids as they navigate the webosphere.  It can help them to discern where to invest their time and what sites to avoid.

Always remember that as our tweens grow older our goal is to teach them to value purity.  As they embrace purity they will be more careful of what they choose to listen to, watch and explore.

This week, Create a Rhythm, by challenging your tween to commit Philippians 4:8 to memory.  Do it together and find a time (morning, afternoon or evening) where you practice reciting the verse together.  Open the door for your child to understand how helpful internalizing God’s word can be.