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Guesswork

Parent Tips

Mom was driving the van full of neighborhood kids home from school one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the fire truck was a Dalmatian dog.

The children fell to discussing the dog’s duties. “They use him to keep crowds back,” said one youngster.

“No,” said another, “he’s just for good luck.”

A third child brought the argument to a close. “They use the dogs,” she said firmly, “to find the fire hydrant.”*

Sometimes kids are left guessing. When it comes to the purpose of a Dalmatian, it’s not that big of a deal, but with matters of God, never leave knowledge to guess-work. As parents, God has given us the great privilege of passing truth and faith along to our children. This is an intentional attitude—one that evaluates your children and purposely disciples them to be godly young men and ladies who live to know and serve God.

The Bible says in Deuteronomy 6:5-7, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

Here are a few tips to help you make this a reality in your life:

-Share with your kids what God is doing in your life.

-Spend time with God when your kids can see you. (Sometimes we tend to spend time with the Lord before our children wake up or after they go to bed. This is a great habit but consider how often your children actually see you reading the Bible.)

-Let your children know that they can ask you anything about God, life or even you.

-Ask your children questions that will stir spiritual conversations.

-Use movies, TV shows and other items in the news as a springboard to discussion godly decision-making.

-Seize times when situations happen in the life of your family to pray together and discuss how God guides us in every situation.

-Set aside time for “family devotions” each week. Have fun while teaching your kids God’s truths.

God has told us how to live. God has given us His Word. Build these truths into your kids so that nothing in is ever left to guesswork.

 

*This story was taken from an e- newsletter from 2/6/12 by Biblical Parenting: www.biblicalparenting.org.

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The Power of Encouragement

Parent Tips

Little Johnny was overheard talking to himself as he headed through the backyard, wearing his baseball cap and toting a ball and bat.

“I’m the greatest hitter in the world,” he announced. Then he tossed the ball in the air, swung at it, and missed.

“Strike One!” he yelled. Undaunted, he picked up the ball and said again, “I’m the greatest hitter in the world!”

He tossed the ball into the air. When it came down he swung again and missed. “Strike Two!” he cried.

The boy then paused a moment to examine his bat and ball carefully. He spit on his hands and rubbed them together. He straightened his cap and said once more, “I’m the greatest hitter in the world!”

Again he tossed the ball up in the air and swung at it. He missed.

“Strike Three!”

“Wow!” he exclaimed. “I’m the greatest pitcher in the world too!”*

Sometimes as adults we lose the optimism that helps us see life for it’s positive elements. In return we sometimes become critical and sometimes, although we would all like to get encouragement, we become a people who don’t encourage others.

Consider this: This week how many times have you corrected your child’s character or behavior–i.e., pick up your clothes, put your toys away, clean up your mess, eat with your mouth closed, don’t wear your old shoes to church, don’t pull the dog’s tail, etc.

Compare this to how many times you’ve pointed out positive elements about your child to encourage them–i.e., I like the way you laugh, I’m glad you’re my son, I love spending time with you, you’ve got a great smile, I’m proud of how you treat others when…, you’re so smart, you’re a great daughter.

Encouragement isn’t a replacement for correction and just as every child needs correction, every child also needs encouragement. A man once challenged me to spend 10 times more energy encouraging my children than correcting them.

Take this test. Keep count this week of how many times you correct your child compared to how many times you specifically encourage them. Then look at the bright side of life and become the “greatest” encourager for your children.

 

*This story was taken from a newsletter by Biblical Parenting:  www.biblicalparenting.org.

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Being Like Jesus

Children's Ministry Short Lessons

Discussion: Being Like Jesus

Scripture : Ephesians 5:1, 1 Corinthians 11:1

YOU WILL NEED: No items are needed.


Being Like Jesus

Game #1: Follow the Leader

Choose a volunteer to be the leader and in your room play Follow the Leader. Change leaders every 30 seconds. You’ll want to keep this moving fast. Depending on the size of your class, you will either need to tell them that everyone will get to be the leader or that only a few will get to do it.

For Variation: Play the game in one big, long line.

Then split them into teams and play the game in smaller groups.

Discussion

SAY: Just like the game, when you follow someone you do what they do and you say what they say. When you follow Jesus, you do what He did and say things that agree with what He said.

KEY: To follow Jesus means to be like Jesus.

Read from your Bible:

Ephesians 5:1

Ask the students— How can we imitate God? How can we be just like Jesus?

SHOUT OUT COMPETITION

Divide your class into two sides (i.e., split the group down the middle or boys against girls.)

SAY: We’re going to have a competition to see which side can be the loudest. When I point to this side, yell out, “I Can Be!” When I point to the other side, yell out, “Just Like Jesus!”

Go back and forth between the two teams three times to see which side is louder.

Game #2: Simon Says

Play Simon Says with your class. In this game, you either do it right or you’re out. There’s really only one way to win—that’s by following Simon’s instructions perfectly. In life, though, none of us are perfect. We’ve all made mistakes and that’s the reason we all need a Savior. Jesus is the only way to heaven.

Game #3: Animal Imitation

SAY: I’m going to call out an animal and I want you to imitate his noise:

Pig

Horse

Donkey

Cow

Moose (this might be a tough one!)

Duck

Chicken

Lion

Dog

Cat

SAY: To imitate something means to be like it. The Bible says that we should imitate God. We should be like God. A minute ago you did what “Simon” did to be like Simon. We should always do the things Jesus did, to be like Him.

KEY: To follow Jesus means to be like Jesus.

SAY: A minute ago we read a verse that said to “imitate” God.

ASK— Who remembers where that verse was found? (Ephesians 5:1)

ASK — Who knows who wrote the book of Ephesians? (Paul the apostle)

SAY: Listen to something else he wrote:

Read from your Bible:

1 Corinthians 11:1

ASK — What is different about this verse? (Paul is asking them to imitate him!)

ASK — Why did Paul ask them to imitate him? (Because he is imitating Jesus.)

ASK — If someone were to imitate the way you live, would they be like Jesus?

SAY: Paul wasn’t bragging. He was giving them a living example of how to imitate God by saying, “Become like me because I am becoming like Jesus.” Or, like follow the leader, what if the person in front of you went the wrong way and didn’t follow the leader? You would probably go the wrong way too. It’s important that we are like Jesus and that others can follow our examples to be like Jesus too.

SHOUT OUT COMPETITION

Divide your class into two sides again

SAY: We’re going to have a competition to see which side can be the loudest. When I point to this side, yell out, “I Can Be!” When I point to the other side, yell out, “Just Like Jesus!”

Go back and forth between the two teams three times to see which side is louder.

Extra Time

Discuss with your students ways that they can be “just like Jesus.”  Then pray and thank God for Jesus and for godly examples who follow Him.

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