Fa i t h Fa mi l y Fu n
Dear ad u l ts, Welco me to yo u r F a i t h F a m i l y F un d i s c us s io n gui de ! T hank yo u f o r l e tti ng us j o i n i n as yo u en co u r age y o u r l i t t l e o ne ( s ) t o e x p e r i e nc e the l o ve o f Je sus. Our ho pe i s to o f f e r an i nte rac ti v e an d en jo yab le w a y f o r y o ur l i t t l e o ne ( s ) t o c o nne c t to the be auti f ul me ssage o f the Go spe l . In d e p en d en ce D a y o f f e r s a wo nd e r f ul o p po rtuni ty to te ac h yo ur l i ttl e o ne ( s) abo ut the ch ar acte r isti cs tha t m a k e t he U ni t e d S t a t es o f Ame ri c a so gre at. As C hri st f o l l o we rs, yo u are calle d to mo d e l t he s e s a m e c ha r a c t e r t r a i ts and i nsti l l the m i n yo ur c hi l dre n. T o ni ght’ s di sc u ssion an d activ i ty w ill h e l p y o ur l i t t l e o ne ( s ) t o be tte r unde rstand the f re e do m the y have i n C hri st.
ME M O R Y VERSE P hili p p i a ns 4 : 8 “ Fi n a l l y, b r o t h e r s a n d si sters , wh a t ever is t ru e, wh a t ever is n oble, wh a t ever is right, w ha te v e r i s p u r e , wh a t e v e r i s l o v e ly, wh at ever is ad m irab le—if a n yt h in g is exc ellen t or pr ais e w o rthy — th i n k a b o u t su ch t h i n g s. ” W ord s to re m e mb e r : “ . . . i f a n yt h i n g i s e x c ellen t or p ra is ewort h y—t h in k ab ou t s u c h t h in gs .”
READ I NG TIME Ite m s n eeded: Re d a nd b l ue m a r k e r s , s t a r sti c ke rs. R ead al o u d to yo ur l i t t l e o ne ( s ) . We ar e v e r y b l ess e d t o l i v e i n A m e r i c a . O ne bi g re aso n i s be c ause we are FREE! We are f re e to live wh er e w e w an t, s a y wha t we wa nt , b e l i e v e what we want and wo rshi p Go d ho w we want. Many p eop le ar o u n d the wo r l d d o no t ha v e t he s e f re e do ms. Do y o u th i n k fr ee d o m i s whe n we a r e a l l o w e d to do whate ve r we want o r whe n we are no t allow e d to d o w ha t e v e r we wa nt ? (T ha t ’ s r i gh t! F reed o m is th e a b ility to a ct, s a y a n d th in k w h a t we belie v e i s ri g h t .) Whe n o u r co u n tr y wa s f o r m e d a l m o s t 2 5 0 ye ars ago , we had to wo rk hard f o r o ur f re e do m. We ga ined o u r f r ee d o m a nd f o r m e d t he U ni t ed S tate s o f Ame ri c a. We we re so pro ud o f o ur ne w ear n ed fr ee d o m t ha t we c r e a t e d a f l a g ! Do y o u k n o w w h a t o ur f l a g l o o k s l i k e ? C a n yo u te l l me what c o l o rs are o n o ur f l ag? (Y o u go t it! Re d, wh it e a n d b lue! ) Do y o u w an t to kno w s o m e t hi ng r e a l l y c o ol ? Eac h part o f o ur f l ag me ans so me thi ng spe c i al . Th e star s r e p r esen t t he num b e r o f s t a t e s o ur c o untry has, and the stri pe s re pre se nt the numbe r of state s o u r co u n tr y s t a r t e d wi t h. E v e n t he c o l o rs o f the f l ag have spe c i al me ani ngs. Let’s star t w ith RE D : The co lo r r ed me a ns C O U R A G E . Cour age i s w h at he l p s us t o d o t he r i g ht t h i ng e ve n whe n i t f ri ghte ns us. Do y o u th i n k th a t i t t o o k c o ur a g e f o r t he m e n and wo me n o f o ur c o untry to f i ght f o r the i r fr ee d o m? (I t t oo k a l o t o f co ur a g e! T hey ha d to s ta n d u p fo r w h a t th ey b elieved in , even w h en th e y were v e ry sc a re d . ) God gav e th em c o ur a g e , a nd H e g i v e s y o u and me c o urage , to o . Whe n yo u se e so me o ne who is lone ly at sch o o l o r a t t he p a r k , y o u c a n a s k Go d f o r the c o urage to go o ve r to the m and ask if th ey w an t to p lay . Y o u c a n r e p r e s e nt t he co l o r RED !
We ear n ed o u r r e d s t r i p e s b y s ho wi ng g r e at c o urage as a c o untry. Go ahe ad and use yo ur re d mar k e r to co lo r i n t he r e d - s ha d e d s t r i p e s o n the f l ag o n the bac k o f thi s page . (I f mo re th a n one c hild i s p a rt i c ip a t i ng , enco ur a g e t hem t o cho o s e a co lo r to co mp lete. ) Nex t u p , th e co lo r W H ITE : The co lo r w h ite m e a ns P U R ITY . Som eth in g th at is p ur e i s f i l l e d wi t h o nl y go o d thi ngs. Je sus i s the pe rf e c t e xampl e o f puri ty. Jesu s i s G o d ’ s So n a nd i s t o t a l l y p ur e . T he o nl y way that we c an be c o me pure j ust l i ke Je sus is by b eliev in g in H im. Do y o u th i n k th a t o ur c o unt r y b e g a n b e c a u se we f o ught f o r go o d thi ngs o r bad thi ngs? (Defini tel y good t h in g s! ) The B i b le tel ls u s i n P hi l i p p i a ns 4: 8 t ha t no bo dy i s pe rf e c t, but i f we thi nk abo ut what i s pure, Jesu s w ill h el p u s f i g ht o ur b a t t l e s . Whe n Amer i ca b e g a n, we ha d 1 3 s t a t e s . Our f l ag had 13 W H I TE stars to re pre se nt e ac h state. Ou r flag e ar n e d i ts st a r s b y f i g ht i ng f o r p ur i t y . Yo u c an c o unt e ac h o f the stars o f the f l ag o n the back of th is p age. Last b u t n o t l eas t , B L U E. The co lo r b lu e m e a ns F A ITH F U L N E S S. The men an d w o m e n who f o ug ht f o r o ur i nde pe nde nc e had so muc h f ai th. T he y be l i e ve d i n wh at th ey co u l d n o t se e . B e i ng f a i t hf ul m e a ns t hat we c o nti nue to do what we kno w i s ri ght, no ma tter h ow lo n g i t tak e s . Wha t ty p e o f p e o p l e a r e f a i t hf ul t o o ur c o untry by f i ghti ng f o r what i s ri ght? ( Hi nt: We l e arned some w ay s to say t ha nk y o u t o t he m wi t h o ur bo x’ s ac ti vi ti e s.) As a co u n tr y , w e c o nt i nue t o e a r n t he B L U E o n o ur f l ag by be i ng f ai thf ul whe n we f ac e hard times an d co n tin u e to s t a nd up f o r wha t i s r i g ht . Use yo ur bl ue marke r to c o l o r i n the bl ue se c ti o n of th e f lag.
L ET’ S P R AY TOGETHER We can lear n so m uc h f r o m o ur f l a g ! W he the r yo ur f ami l y has be e n i n Ame ri c a f o r a l o ng ti m e or a lit tl e time , w e c a n b e p r o ud o f wha t o ur c o untry stands f o r. We c an have f ai th that Go d i s g oin g to gi v e u s th e co ur a g e t o s t a nd up f o r wha t i s pure no matte r who we are , ho w yo ung we are, or wh at w e ar e facing . Will y o u b o w y o u r he a d a nd p r a y wi t h m e ? “De a r L o rd , tha n k Y o u f o r g i v i n g u s o u r f lag t o h elp u s rem em ber wh at we s t an d for. T h an k You for g i v i ng us c o u r a g e , sh o wi n g u s w h a t i s p u re an d t eac h in g u s t o be fait h fu l in all t h in gs .
A m en . ”
C A R R Y T H E CONVERSATION FO R W A R D : •
Co n ti n u e to r e c i t e t he p r a y e r a b o v e with yo ur l i ttl e o ne ( s) thi s mo nth.
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En co u r age yo ur l i t t l e o ne ( s ) t o r e c i t e t h e i r me mo ry ve rse thi s mo nth, P hilippia ns 4:8 . Extra p o i n ts i f th ey c a n r e c i t e t he who l e t hi ng!
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U se yo u r i n cl ud e d s t a r s t i c k e r s t o e nc o urage yo ur l i ttl e o ne ( s) thi s mo nth. Eac h ti me yo u see th e m r ep r e se nt i ng t he q ua l i t i e s o f r e d , whi te o r bl ue , ac kno wl e dge i t by gi vi ng the m a sticker!