PRESCHOOL & KINDERGARTEN KIDS & FAMILIES date
2.5
As parents, we have the amazing opportunity to … allow His Spirit to fill us up, showing God’s love to our children. Inspire (for parents) I once read a story about a little boy who kept breaking the rules that his family had set up. His parents warned him that he would be disciplined if he continued to walk down this path of disobedience. The next day, the boy broke the rules once again. When dinnertime arrived, the boy came to the table and looked at his plate. There was nothing but a piece of bread and in his glass, only water. He looked at the rest of his family’s plates and realized they were full of food and their glasses filled with milk. The boy was stunned.
God loves us so much and desires to meet with us and restore us. He chose to send Jesus, who was sinless, to take the punishment for our sins, so that He could be in relationship with us. As parents, we have the amazing opportunity to meet with God and allow His Spirit to fill us up, showing God’s love to our children. by Debbie Guinn
Then, much to his surprise, without a word the father switched his own plate and glass with his son’s. As he ate the piece of bread he smiled at his son. Later in life the boy recalled that it was on that day he learned what God was really like.
ted Getting 2:S13t–2a3r
t. Scripture: Mat omise Protects The Pr od G t: in Main Po to Egypt) (Family Flees your family to signed to allow de is ren ce ur so This re fore your child God’s Word be nts in re e pa r tim fo is ve ha God’s plan se au ec B . ch ildren’s faith, attend chur rers of their ch rtu nu al n tu iri sp ly, your childre to be the u grow spiritual yo as at th ow we kn ally as well. will grow spiritu
Equip (for parents) Matthew highlights how one father listened to God’s guidance and kept his family safe from a terribly wicked man. Herod the Great was a powerfully wicked king, who launched a diabolical plan to slaughter innocent children in a vain effort to eliminate what he felt was a threat to his throne. But even a powerful king could not stop God’s plan. Jesus was destined to be the King of the Jews. In contrast to Herod, Joseph, the earthly father to Jesus, was a man of mercy and integrity. The gospel of Matthew opens by tracing the genealogy of Jesus from Abraham to his foster father, Joseph. What a great way to acknowledge Jesus as not only the rightful heir to the throne of David, but also to acknowledge the important role Joseph played in Jesus’ life according to God’s divine design. The last we hear about Joseph in Scripture is in Luke 2:39–40, when Jesus is 12 years old: “When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.” What a wonderful testimony to the godly influence of His earthly parents. Our God is an intimate, hands-on God. He didn’t just set Mary and Joseph on a course and then sit back to watch. God interjected Himself into events—informing shepherds, redirecting wise men, and defying the plans of a king—so that His purpose would be completed. God guided Joseph to protect Jesus, and He cares for each one of our children as well. We can be assured that the God who interjected Himself into Mary and Joseph’s lives and parenting is the same God who is walking with us as we parent our own children.
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 Jesus’ family fleeing to Egypt in Matthew 2:13–23. Before reading, pray as a family and thank God for His constant involvement in the lives of your family. At the end of the passage, think of a question that reviews what you just read, such as, “Why did God tell Joseph he had to move his family?” Just for fun, create a setting for your children that will help them engage with the passage they’re about to hear. Gather your children and tell them you’re going to read them a part of The Big God Story, and you’re going to tell them a story from your own life as well. After you’ve read the passage, share a simple story with them about a time God helped you to parent them. Talk about what it was like to rely on Him for help in being shown how to be a mom or a dad. 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. Ask your children if they have any questions for you about either of the stories they just heard. Close your time by praying and allowing your children to hear you acknowledge your need for God as you learn how to parent your children.
© 2010 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.