PRESCHOOL & KINDERGARTEN KIDS & FAMILIES date
1.5
God is gently revealing to me it’s not healthy to parent out of fear. Inspire (for parents) Parenting is one wild adventure. Like a roller coaster, the journey is filled with ups and downs and excitement. To be honest, I’d have it no other way! My wife and I are continually amazed at how the daily needs of our two children dominate our focus. What surprises me is how quick I am to rescue my kids! I can trace this tendency directly back to my childhood. I grew up in one of the poorest and most dangerous neighborhoods in our city. My dad split when I was six and my mom was left on her own to fend for my two younger sisters and me. Driven by love, my mom was my protector. I trusted her and always knew she was there for me. Today, my family and I live in one of the safest cities in America. This should relieve any concerns, but sometimes fear still creeps in. I often go to the worst-case scenarios when I sense danger looming. “Don’t stand on that chair or you’ll fall and crack your head open! Chew your food or you’ll choke! Don’t run; you’ll trip and skin your knee!” Like my mother, I am driven by love. Sometimes, I feel God nudging my heart
when I see my children becoming afraid of the unknown and less willing to take a risk. God is gently revealing to me it’s not healthy to parent out of fear. I remind myself how He saved my family when I was a boy. He healed us from financial poverty and guarded me from harm. God was my shelter, my shield, and He set me on the right path. As a dad, I want to model for my children that God saves and the Lord is our ultimate protector.
ted GettinxogdusS1;t2:a1–r10
by Mike Kenyon
E : re tu ip Scr (Baby Moses) od Saves Main Point: G ily to allow your fam is designed to ren ce ild ur ch so re ur is yo Th ord before W ’s od r G in ’s plan is fo have time Because God . of ch ur rs re ch attend iritual nurtu the primary sp ow parents to be that as you gr ow kn faith, we s ell. n’ w re as ild ly ch al r tu ei iri th n will grow sp re ild ch ur yo spiritually,
Equip (for parents) God kept His covenant to Abraham by blessing his descendants and causing them to multiply. The population explosion amongst the Israelites concerned the new pharaoh. His fear led him to devise a plan to enslave the people and destroy the newborn Hebrew boys. Two Israelite midwives were used to outsmart the pharaoh. When Pharaoh realized he had been deceived, he gave the order to all his people to act as spies and take the male babies of the Israelites and cast them into the Nile River. A son was born into the tribe of Levi. Filled with faith, the child’s parents defied Pharaoh’s edict and hid their son for three months. When the couple could no longer hide the baby, his mother placed him in a basket made of reeds, lined with tar, and put him in the Nile River. She trusted God to save her son, and God did not fail her. Pharaoh’s daughter rescued the baby. God then used Moses’ sister to help the princess arrange for a nurse (the child’s own mother) to care for him. The child was able to grow up in the home of his parents during the early years of his life. Moses grew to be a man of great faith. The foundation for such faith was received at his parents’ knees, for it is said that the Jewish mothers would, from the time a baby was first cradled in their arms, begin to whisper in their ears, “Jehovah is God.” God is a God of salvation. He healed Moses’ past and set a corrected course for him in order to deliver a nation. It is through this nation (the tribe of Judah) that salvation came to the world through Jesus Christ. Our God saves!
REMEMBER versE
You always show me the path that leads to life. Psalm 16:11a (NIrV)
Support (for parents & kids) Sometime this week, read with your child the biblical account of God and baby Moses in Exodus 1:22—2:10. Ask your child what their favorite part of this passage is and then share what stood out to you. Just for fun, this week when you’re giving your child a bath or washing the dishes, find some objects that float and some that sink. Spend time talking with your child about when Moses was placed into a basket and then floated down the Nile River. Ask some questions that review what you read such as, “Was Moses ever in danger?”, “Who saved Moses?”, and “How did God save Moses?” When you’re finished, share with your children that what they just heard is a part of The Big God Story in the Bible, and they’ll hear it in church. Close your time by praying and thanking God that just like He saved Moses, He saves us, too.
Our God Saves! © 2011 David C Cook. TruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church and a national network of family and children’s ministry leaders. All rights reserved.