Kids Blog #20 - The Revelation

“Something to Look Forward to”

What a journey we’ve had reading through the Bible together! I’ve learned so much – I hope you have too!

Revelation is the last book of the Bible. There can be some things in this book that are hard to understand, like when it talks about lampstands and keys and scrolls and seals, but the great message of Revelation is that God is the winner!

I love to read books! I really like books that have good guys and bad guys and in the end of the story, the good guys win! That’s what we read about in Revelation. In the end, God and those who believe in Him (the good guys) WIN! When we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ we have so much to look forward to!

As a family, I hope you’ll keep reading God’s word together, keep praying together and continue to talk about what real faith and trust in God looks like in our everyday lives. Those who believe in Jesus Christ are the “good guys” and in the end, we will stand with God as the winners – now that’s something to look forward to!

Kids Blog #19 - The Apostle's Teaching

The Apostle's Teaching

**Note: This post is meant as a surprise to the children in the family… don’t worry – the surprise is worth the wait!

This week we read I Corinthians 13, also known as the “love chapter”. As a reminder of all that God’s love means to us and as a special treat for our kids, we’re going to send our kids on a treasure hunt to find all the “ingredients” of love. Along the way, they’ll also find elements of making an ice cream Sundae. When the hunt is over, the family can enjoy a love feast of their finds!

First, find a room in the house that has quite a few nooks and crannies that you can hide things in. This will be the “treasure room”. You will need some small pieces of paper and tape or post-it notes to write each element of love on the ingredients.

Ingredients you will need:

Love is patient – bottle of chocolate syrup

Love is kind – ice cream scoop

Love doesn’t want what it can’t have – jar of cherries

Love isn’t proud – caramel sauce

Love isn’t rude – bag of M&Ms

Love doesn’t say “Me first!” – peanuts

Love isn’t easily angered – bottle of whip cream

Love always trusts – bunch of bananas

Love always hopes – bowls

Love always keeps going to the end – spoons

Before you begin, write “Love NEVER fails” on a sheet of paper in large letters and post on the freezer door in your kitchen. Once the child(ren) have gathered all the ingredients, have them figure out what is missing from their sundaes. When they figure out they are missing the ice cream, they will see the sign on the freezer. As you sit down as a family to eat your ice cream sundaes, pass out the post-it notes and have members of the family read each of them out loud. After reading each note, think of a way we can show (or not show-in the case of the “isn’t” phrases) love to each other.

The best part is that last phrase – that God’s love, his never ending “agape” love is perfect and NEVER fails. Now THAT is something to throw an ice cream party about!!

Kids Blog #18 - Paul to the Leaders

“The Apostles Teaching”

**Note: This post is meant as a surprise to the children in the family… don’t worry – the surprise is worth the wait!

This week we read I Corinthians 13, also known as the “love chapter”. As a reminder of all that God’s love means to us and as a special treat for our kids, we’re going to send our kids on a treasure hunt to find all the “ingredients” of love. Along the way, they’ll also find elements of making an ice cream Sundae. When the hunt is over, the family can enjoy a love feast of their finds!

First, find a room in the house that has quite a few nooks and crannies that you can hide things in. This will be the “treasure room”. You will need some small pieces of paper and tape or post-it notes to write each element of love on the ingredients.

Ingredients you will need:

Love is patient – bottle of chocolate syrup

Love is kind – ice cream scoop

Love doesn’t want what it can’t have – jar of cherries

Love isn’t proud – caramel sauce

Love isn’t rude – bag of M&Ms

Love doesn’t say “Me first!” – peanuts

Love isn’t easily angered – bottle of whip cream

Love always trusts – bunch of bananas

Love always hopes – bowls

Love always keeps going to the end – spoons

Before you begin, write “Love NEVER fails” on a sheet of paper in large letters and post on the freezer door in your kitchen. Once the child(ren) have gathered all the ingredients, have them figure out what is missing from their sundaes. When they figure out they are missing the ice cream, they will see the sign on the freezer. As you sit down as a family to eat your ice cream sundaes, pass out the post-it notes and have members of the family read each of them out loud. After reading each note, think of a way we can show (or not show-in the case of the “isn’t” phrases) love to each other.

The best part is that last phrase – that God’s love, his never ending “agape” love is perfect and NEVER fails. Now THAT is something to throw an ice cream party about!!

Kids Blog #17 Paul to the Churches

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…” Galatians 5:22

Have you ever seen a peach tree with fruit on its branches? The limbs hang lower and the fruit makes the air smell terrific when you walk near it. When peaches are ready they smell as good as candy and taste even better! You can’t walk by a peach tree with ripe fruit without wanting to get closer and pick fruit from it.

That is the way people should feel about us as Christ-followers! They should notice the sweetness of our lives, through our choices and the way we show love to them and want to be near us. The Spirit of God gives to us the things that show who He is to the people around us. What are those things that the Holy Spirit gives us? It tells us in Galatians chapter 5: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

When we ask Jesus to be our forever friend and decide to follow Him, he gives us his Holy Spirit to help us show His love to our friends and neighbors.

Now it’s your turn…

Can you name the fruits of the spirit? Try to say them as a family – maybe even come up with a rap or song to remember them!

How can we share the love of Jesus with our friends at school using the fruit of God’s Spirit?

This week, pray and ask God to use you to show His love by the power of His Holy Spirit. Just like the ripened peach, people will want to be near you and see that because you show them love, they are special to God too!