Tag Archives: 1 Peter 5:7

Optimism

Read:

In 1997 the journal of the American Heart Association reported on a remarkable study. Researchers found that people who experienced high levels of despair had a 20% greater occurrence of arterial sclerosis, the narrowing of the arteries, than did optimistic people. This is the same magnitude of increased risk that one sees in comparing a pack-a-day smoker to a non-smoker says researcher Steven Everson. In other words, despair can be as bad for you as smoking a pack a day. Hope is essential not only for physical health but far more important for spiritual health.*

Reflect
Read 1 Peter 5:7 from your Bible.

Respond

Optimism is related to faith. You have optimism not because of how much faith you have, but who your faith is in. God reminds us that He has a plan for us. Plans to prosper us and not to harm us. Plans to give us a future filled with hope. Realize that despair not only effects our minds but our hearts and, by the story above from the American Heart Association, despair even erodes our bodies physically. How can you be optimistic this week? If despair has come into your life, how can you cast these cares on God? Write a prayer below giving all your worries to Him.

Prayerfully consider what you have read today. Then take a few moments to pray for yourself, your students, and others with whom you serve in ministry.

Remember

An optimist sees an opportunity in every calamity; a pessimist sees a calamity in every opportunity.**

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*A Children’s Leader Devotion, (Lake Forest, CA: Saddleback Church), Week 28.
**Ibid.

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Sustained!

YOU WILL NEED:

✓Something you can throw
✓A Bible marked at Psalm 55:22 and 1 Peter 5:7

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.

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

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.”

This family devotion is from:

72 Family Devotions for Spiritually Training Your Kids
ON SALE for $5.99. Regular price: $9.99 USD. Nonfiction.
Featuring 72 action-packed, easy-to-lead family devotions. Set aside a night or two each week for a “special time” where you and your kids can have family fun together and learn valuable lessons from God’s Word. No advanced planning is needed. Anyone can do this. The ebook contains devotions concerning a variety of topics including salvation, fear, trust, sin, forgiveness and much more.

Find more family resources at 330resources.org/family.

If these resources bless you, consider supporting this ministry:




 

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The Shield

YOU WILL NEED:
✓A pillow for each member of your family
✓A Bible marked at Psalm 18:1-4
✓A Bible marked at 1 Peter 5:7

PILLOW FIGHT—Part 1

Have a family pillow fight—Set boundaries, clear an area and have fun. You may also want to set limits depending on the age of your children.

Take a break, sit on your pillows and ASK—What was your pillow made for?

SAY—Our pillows were made for sleeping, not fighting. Of course it is fun to use them for a good fight, but you’d never really win a fight if all you had was a pillow. Why? That’s not what it was made for. Imagine armies going into battle, all carrying fluffy pillows—that’s crazy!

SAY—Just like our pillows were made for a reason, God made you for a reason too. He has great plans for your life and everything you’ve ever wanted in life is found only in Christ.

PILLOW FIGHT—Part 2

Have one family member protect another during the pillow fight. Then take turns protecting each other.

SAY—God’s purpose for you is to give your life to Jesus and follow Him every day in every way. When you do this, you can know that God is a shield for you. God becomes your personal protector.

Read Psalm 18:1-4 from your Bible.

SAY—God cares about everything in your life. Because of this, you can give your cares to God because He cares for you.

Read 1 Peter 5:7 from your Bible.

PRAY—List your family’s “cares” or prayer requests below and thank God for making you special, for being your shield and for always taking care of you.

This family devotion is from:

72 Family Devotions for Spiritually Training Your Kids
ON SALE for $5.99. Regular price: $9.99 USD. Nonfiction.
Featuring 72 action-packed, easy-to-lead family devotions. Set aside a night or two each week for a “special time” where you and your kids can have family fun together and learn valuable lessons from God’s Word. No advanced planning is needed. Anyone can do this. The ebook contains devotions concerning a variety of topics including salvation, fear, trust, sin, forgiveness and much more.

Find more family resources at 330resources.org/family.

If these resources bless you, consider supporting this ministry:




 

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