God Sticks! - Weekly Study

Teach children who and what we spend around can strengthen or weaken our faith.

ALERT: This study is very MESSY. . . but fun!
*The basis for this study was found on Family Time Training and adjusted to fit our needs.

What You'll Need
Bible & Pen • Aluminum pie pan • Water • Cornstarch

Read & Talk

"Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits.” I Corinthians 15:33

“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you." I Corinthians 15:58

Talk about a time when someone talked you into doing something you shouldn't have done because you knew it was wrong. (Perhaps someone asked you to lie?) Have children share a story too - perhaps of something a friend had them do that they knew they should not have. Then also stories of times when someone talked you into doing something that was really good and you felt proud to be part of it. (Perhaps you helped a friend with a difficult task).

Activity (MESSY!!)
On the fingertips of your child's right hand draw five symbols of "helpers" that keep them strong in their faith. (Cross, Bible, Smile for a Friend, Praying Hand, Fish). Explain these are things in life that help strengthen their faith and keep them close to God.

Now fill your pan with 1/4 Cup Water and 3/4 Cup Cornstarch. Mixture should be pretty thick. Have each person reach in a grab a glob squeezing it tightly. Explain as they hold and roll the mixture in their hands keeping it close to their Godly helpers, it (they) remain solid and strong. But as they let go of those helpers the mixture (and they) fall apart and get runny (or make not-so-good choices). Talk about how important it is for us to make sure the helpers closest to us are in line with God's desires.

You are Unique! - Weekly Study

Teach children they are one of a kind created by God and for God's purpose.

What you'll Need to Prepare;

Picture of Each Child

Puzzle Piece

Scissors

I did prep work in advance for this as it took quite a while to cut out my five "puzzles". I printed a picture of each of us on an 8 1/2 x 11" paper. Then took a large puzzle piece and traced the outline of it on the back of each photo. Then just cut the pattern. Mine made 15 piece puzzles and I put them in sandwich baggies until ready to use.


Read Jeremiah 1:5
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, i set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."


Talk
How God made each of them, each of us, and He knew us even before Mommy or Daddy did.
How God knows every part of them inside and out and he put them together like no one else on earth.
God created them with a special plan that no one else has.
God loves them because they are His children.

Play
Get out the Puzzles and let them discover how UNIQUE they are!
As they work their puzzles talk about how there is only one way they fit together and no other person's puzzle can fit into theirs. They are UNIQUE and perfect just the way they are, just the way God made them.

A great book to read along with this study is "God Loves You" - see my Book blog from 10/20.

How to Pray?

Many people struggle with prayer. We used to. They want to know answers like; How do I pray, what do I say, should I be quiet or talk out loud, do I bow my head, what do I call him?

Don't worry God doesn't care about your form, he just wants to hear from you! He's not counting your stutters or stumbles or snickering if you repeat yourself. He won't be angry if you you forget someone or if you only pray once a day. He just wants to hear what's in your heart and hear from you as often as possible.

For some it works best when prayer is Often and Like a Conversation; Whenever you need to, whenever you want to (and especially when you don't want to). In the morning, at mealtime, while driving, during breaks, at nap time, when someone is hurt, when you see an ambulance, when someone is sick, at stop lights, at bedtime, when someone asks.

For others it is more Organized and Patterned; Prayer books help you find the words you want to say and many are categorized by subject or situations. Here's a handy pattern to refer to when trying to get your prayer thoughts in order. It's also a great way to teach your kids where to begin...

ACTS

A - Adore; Tell God how great he is!!

God you are awesome, beautiful, creator, defying, eager, fulfilling, glorious, holy...

C - Confess; Tell God something you've done.

Forgive me for putting my housework above my prayers today.

T - Thank; Thank God for something or someone.

Thank you for my amazing friend Abby.

S - Seek; Ask God's help with something.

Please watch over my husband and heal his sickness.

With teaching your kids how to pray - do whatever works for you! Make it a conversation or make it more formal - But just do it! Show them how to connect with their God. Just like tying their shoes or making their bed, they're waiting for someone to teach them. But don't worry because they won't count your stumbles or stutters either.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philipplians 4:6

Seasonal Thanks - Weekly Study

Teach children to give thanks to God - every time of year!

You Will Need
Bible
Scissors
Construction Paper
Markers
Stapler or Glue

Read Psalm 100
"Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who make us and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."

Craft
Cut construction paper into desired shapes. For this week it was autumn's colorful leaves and trees. Talk to children about every big and small thing God has made and how it is right for us to give thanks to him for those things that bring us joy. On each leaf we each selected unique things we are thankful to God for and then wrote those things down.


With all our weekly family studies we make sure to hang our work for at least the next week sometimes more. This not only serves as a reminder for the kids as to what we talked about, but fills our home with fresh and Godly artwork!

Silly or Serious - Weekly Study

Teach children NO MATTER WHAT God loves them just as they are! There is nothing they can DO that will change his love.

You Will Need;

Bible

Scissors

Magazines

Blank Paper

Glue or Glue Stick

Marker

Read

John 3:16

Philippians 1:27

Play

At the top of each child's paper write SILLY or SERIOUS. I added a cross that reads "for God". This could be a sticker or just drawn in marker. Have the children go through magazines cutting out eyes, noses and mouths and gluing them on their paper on the appropriate side; SILLY or SERIOUS. No wrong answers, let them determine which face they believe it is.

Talk with them as they cut and glue about times during their days when they can be silly for God (dancing, singing, worshipping, comedians, playtime) and times to be serious for God (tithing, prayer, Bible reading, helping others).



Remind them however they act SILLY or SERIOUS, as long as it is honoring to God - it is okay! When we smile, God does too. Enjoy!

Words - Weekly Study

This study is fun for early readers/writers as well as the whole family. It's quick and doesn't require a lot of supplies. It's also a great reminder for how positive and encouraging words do so much more than hurtful ones.

You Will Need;

Bible, 5 Pieces of Paper (each with one a large letter on it as follows; W-O-R-D-S), Markers

Talk about a time when someone said something that was not nice and how that made them feel. Have everyone share a story if they can. I've found my kids really respond well when I honestly share a story of my own as well. Read Ephesians 4:29; "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up."

Ask them why God would want us to use nice words instead of mean ones? Ask them each about the "hurtful" story they shared and how it could have been better if the words were "nicer". Then ask everyone to share a story of a time when someone said something kind to them and how that made them feel. Do they see the difference? Talk more about how God wants us to "build others up", give them examples of how to do that.

On your papers have everyone write words that are positive, helpful, kind, encouraging... here are some examples.

W - Way to Go! / Wow / Wonderful

O - Original / Obedient / Overjoyed

R - Righteous / Rejoice / Real

D - Delightful / Darling / Dedicated

S - Super / Sensational / Safe

Then hang your WORDS papers somewhere as a reminder for everyone throughout the week.

Fruit of the Spirit - Weekly Study

Teach your children about the beautiful fruits in their lives - in more ways than one!

This is a simple and tasty study.

You Will Need
Bible
Large Bowl

Small Bowl of Water
Knife

Cutting Board
8 fruits of your child's liking. (I used lemon juice as one fruit.)
8 slips of paper with the following words;
Love / Peace / Faithfulness / Patience / Gentleness / Kindness / Self-Control / Goodness

Read the following verses to your children.

John 15: 1-4 / Galatians 5: 16-17, 22

Talk to your children about Christ being a VINE and them being the FRUIT. Compare it to a plant or a vine thrown into the street - it will not grow. But if a caring gardener (GOD) waters the vine and makes sure the weeds are pulled then the vine grows yummy, sweet, good fruits. Explain how God's spirit is all of these "fruits" mentioned in the verse and He wants those same fruits in our lives too.

Have children each select a word of their choice and a matching fruit of their choice. (IE Goodness = Strawberries, Peace = Grapes, Blueberries = Self-Control) While the kids wash and prepare/cut the fruit, talk to them about what it means or looks like during their days to be "patient", "kind", and to have "self control" and go through each word one by one. Be sure to remind them it is not easy and God does not expect perfection, but it pleases him when we set our hearts in line with His desires.

In the end you will have a beautiful and delicious fruit salad for all to enjoy. Then throughout the days ahead as you eat it ask your children to remind you what each fruit stands for. you'll be pleasantly surprised how much they recall!

Mmmmm Mmmm Good!

How To: How We Do Bible Study

We follow a very simple and consistent pattern each week so the kids know what to expect.

Music

These are typically Contemporary Christian songs or Kids Christian songs from our favorite iTunes or CDs, usually we'll do 2 or 3. (You can also tune in to your favorite Christian radio station and listen along.) During this time we stand and dance and sing together and have a grand old time!

Prayer

It's never the same and we say what's on our heart. Most nights asking God to guide our study and be with us as we learn together.

Read & Talk

We read our Bible verses and talk about what it means. There are NO WRONG ANSWERS because we always want to encourage our kids to participate. Everyone gets a Bible even if they can't read yet. There are some great picture Bibles that can teach the kids as well as the wordy ones until they are ready. Some nights the lesson is more in depth and other nights we just talk about whatever comes up. We find the more we (as parents) share truthful experiences and choices, the more the kids dig in.

Activity & Craft

This is the part the kids love most and is also the part where they put what we talked about into action. Creating something with their hands makes the words come alive. I recommend if nothing else, make sure this is part of every family study.

Snack

Some nights it's as simple as pretzels and candy corn. Other nights we share a special dessert or ice cream.

** Take some or all of these into your plan. Do what works for your family. Keep it simple and honest and let the Spirit lead your time together. Have fun!**

Children's Christian Books

Here's a list of kid's books we enjoy. I will update and add to this list as things go ...

Little Books of the Bible

This box set of 10 Old Testament stories includes miniature colorful books, just right for your little ones hands. The stories are short and in line with the Bible. Stores includes; Creation, Jonah & the Whale, David & Goliath, Noah's Ark, Daniel in the Lion's Den, and others. Stories retold by Jenny Fry & Ruth Hooper - First published by Ideals Children's Books 2002.

Sophie & Sam - When to Say "Yes" and When to Say "No"

This book is based on the book Boundaries by Drs. Cloud & Townsend. It is filled with 10 short stories and lessons learned by Sophie and her younger brother Sam. The trouble we have is only reading one story as the kids want to hear them all! Situations like Say Yes to Telling the Truth, Say Yes to Respect, Say No to Arguing, Say No to Meanies, and more. Each story teaches a valuable lesson and references a bible verse. Author is Tori Cloud, Illustrated by Becky Valentine 2005.

Just In Case You Ever Wonder by Max Lucado

"Here's everything you'd like to say to your children about how much you love them and most of all how special they are to God. (This book) wraps your children in its warm message of love, comfort, and protection. Illustrated by Toni Goffe 2000.

God Loves You

This book is one of my favorites as well as the kids. It reminds them no matter how they look or feel or behave, that God loves them "just as they are" with so strings attached, no working their way to him. Just love, unconditionally beautiful! Author is Kathleen Long Bostrom, Illustrated by Elena Kucharik 2001.

Prayers for Little Hands

This book is much more "formal" than our prayers typically are, but it has 28 very nice prayers it in if you are looking to help give your children a foundation for prayer, or if you aren't sure where to begin, or you prefer a more structured style of prayer. Prayers included for all areas of the day; Our Father, God is Great, Rise & Shine, Big Day at School, Dinner Prayers, Morning Prayers, Bedtime Prayers, Published by Publications International, Ltd., Illustrated by Judith Pfeiffer 2001

Blog Inspiration

My desire with this blog is to put down in writing the Bible Studies we do with our kids. My husband and I realized we can't lay the expectation of teaching our children about God on the church because WE are their church. These three little people see what we do and how we live every day. So for us just taking them to Sunday School once a week wasn't everything we wanted to give. We decided to do a little bit more, but nothing too unmanageable. Just an extra nudge to help them learn about God's Word and a relationship with him, as opposed to rules and regulations and do/don't religion.

Each week we have a "formal" study that follows a similar pattern and then other times throughout the week we do spontaneous activities or readings or prayer. But don't be threatened, my husband and I are not Bible scholars, we are not musicaly gifted, and neither of us was raised in a church - so if we can do this, you can too. We just love the Lord and desire to give our kids a piece of that too. I hope you'll find some ideas here you can try yourself. Whatever it takes to teach them, bit by bit - that is our WISH. " Train a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6

Here's the song "I Wish" by Nicole C. Mullen that inspires me to do this for them.

Nicole C. Mullen widget by 6L & AM