PRESCHOOL & KINDERGARTEN KIDS & FAMILIES date
3.12
What I would have missed if left to my own devices! God changed my course and my life, all for the better. Inspire (for parents) I have a confession to make: I am a spotlightseeker. I want to be noticed and adored. I was made for great things! There was a time when I considered majoring in theater. Taking center stage, becoming a famous actress—these were the things that were on my wish list. Instead, with God’s leading, I majored in writing. I’m now a mom who writes from home, and my wish list consists of a shirt without spit-up on it and finding a quiet corner to hide in while I regain my cool. I recently confessed my deep, dark secret to my husband. “You know,” I said shyly, “I always wanted to be famous.” He looked at our four children, draped all over me like clothes on a line. “You are,” he said. He’s right. I have my own private paparazzi. They follow me around with their questions, interested even in the small, mundane things I do. I feel their love and adoration as they seek to emulate me. And like the paparazzi, sometimes I suspect that they’re secretly trying to ruin me (those are just the bad days!).
I’m loving my life of “local“ fame. I’m both my kids’ launching pad and their soft place to land. I’m a person of influence, and I was made for great things: raising these beautiful little people. What I would have missed if left to my own devices! God changed my course and my life, all for the better. He spared me from my own ballooning ego, and for me, this is the path that keeps me close to Him. That is His way—always changing our lives for the better, keeping us honest about ourselves, and keeping us close to Himself. Missy Wetzel
arted d Silas in Gettinctgs 16S:1t6— 40 (Paul an
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Equip (for parents) Equip is additional background information that will help as you introduce this passage of Scripture to your children this week. Oftentimes God uses the lives of His people, directed by the Holy Spirit, to impact and change lives. Paul and Silas sailed toward Macedonia after the Spirit called them to go and proclaim the good news to the people. On the way, they traveled through Philippi. While there, they were seized and publicly accused of introducing unlawful customs to the people. The surrounding crowd joined in the attack on the two men, until the magistrates ordered that they be flogged and thrown into prison. While in prison, as they were singing hymns of praise to God, a massive earthquake shook the building. The stocks were loosened from Paul and Silas’ feet and the prison doors opened. When the jailer, who was likely a retired military officer, awoke to see the doors opened, he drew his dagger to kill himself rather than face the consequence of losing his prisoners. But before the jailer impaled himself, Paul’s voice rang out, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” Saved from death, the jailer fell to the ground and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” How quickly a life can change. Plucked from fear and death, the jailer and his entire household believed in Jesus and were baptized. As Roman citizens, Paul and Silas had rights that they temporarily laid aside to see what God would do. They could be joyful even in the darkest of prisons because their identity did not depend on their circumstances. From their steadfast testimony, God changed the life of the jailer and his entire family.
REMEMBER VERSE
God chose us to belong to Christ [Jesus] before the world was created. Ephesians 1:4 (NIrV)
Support (for parents & kids) This week, JUST FOR FUN, spend some time singing praise songs with your children. You may choose to sing together in the car or have a praise party at home one night after dinner. After your family worship time, tell your children you’re going to read a part of The Big God Story where some people praised God even in some really difficult circumstances. Read together Acts 16:25–34. When you’re finished reading, ask, “What were Paul and Silas doing while they were in prison?” Then ask, “What did the guard ask Paul and Silas?” Discuss together how the jailer’s life was changed. Use this opportunity to share with your children how believing in Jesus has changed your life. Remind your children that what they just heard is part of The Big God Story in the Bible, and they’ll hear more in church this week about how Jesus changes lives. Pray as a family, thanking God for the many ways He has changed your lives.
They could be joyful ... because their identity did not depend on their circumstances.
© 2012 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.