This week in Sunday School we talked about Advent 3, where we join the shepherds running in joyful celebration on the way to Bethlehem.
Stop. Watch. Pay attention! Something incredible is going to happen in Bethlehem.
This week in Sunday School we talked about Advent 2, where we join Mary and Joseph on the way to Bethlehem.
Stop. Watch. Pay attention! Something incredible is going to happen in Bethlehem.
This week in Sunday School we talked about Advent 1, where we remember the Prophets.
Stop. Watch. Pay attention! Something incredible is going to happen in Bethlehem.
Dear families,
When you read the description of Solomon’s wealth in 1 Kings 10, it is hard not to have some sense of jealousy about the amount of money and power he had amassed. Solomon is described as having 25 tons of gold come into his possession every year as only a portion of his annual increase of wealth.
Solomon made everything imaginable out of gold and ivory. In fact, he had so much gold that silver lost its value in his kingdom because it was so accessible to the people. He was a man who had anything and everything that one could ever want.
Who wouldn’t want all that Solomon had? Solomon had anything a person could ever want in terms of both possessions and wisdom. But after his reign of 40 years came to an end, Solomon’s life ended too. He was buried alongside his ancestors and carried none of his riches with him.
Psalm 50:10 says, “Every animal of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.” The currency of the days of Asaph, writer of Psalm 50, was animals. And for God to describe Himself as the owner of the livestock roaming on the earth was for God to say that He owns it all. In the same way that the cattle on a thousand hills represents unimaginable wealth, we could never calculate the wealth and richness of God.
When we consider the desirable wealth of Solomon, we ought to be reminded of the unimaginable wealth of God. He is a good God who doesn’t gather for Himself and leave the leftovers to His children; rather, God gives to His children out of His abundance that we too might enjoy His wealth of grace and mercy both now and in eternity.
If you’re looking for wealth, look no further than the cross. The cross is where we find the evidence of God’s gracious hand providing for His children and where we look to find access to His generous heart for eternity.
Check out The Gospel Project At Home for resources designed to help you lead a family worship experience as well as suggestions for morning and evening prayer times and family activities.
FAMILY TALKING POINTS
CHRIST CONNECTION
This is the big idea of how this week’s Bible story points to Jesus.
· Babies & Toddlers: Jesus is a perfect King who brings people together.
· Younger Preschool: Solomon sinned, and Israel was divided into two kingdoms. God’s people needed a perfect king. God sent His Son, Jesus, to be King. Jesus is a perfect King who brings God’s people together.
· Older Preschool: Solomon sinned, and Israel was divided into two kingdoms. God’s people needed a perfect king. God would send His own Son, Jesus, to be King. Jesus is better than Solomon. Jesus is a perfect King who brings God’s people together.
· Kids: King Solomon’s sin led to the division of the kingdom. God’s people needed a better king. Through David’s family, God would send His own Son, Jesus, to be a perfect King over God’s people forever. Jesus is greater than Solomon. Jesus brings His people together and leads them back to God.
BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER
This is an important biblical truth that your child will encounter each week of this unit.
· Younger Preschool: What is mercy? Mercy is when God does not give us the punishment that we deserve.
· Older Preschool: What is mercy? Mercy is when God does not give us the punishment that we deserve.
· Kids: What is mercy? Mercy is when God does not give us the punishment that we deserve.
KEY PASSAGE
This is a Bible verse that relates to what your child will encounter each week of this unit.
· Babies & Toddlers: The Lord is a kind and loving God. Exodus 34:6
· Younger Preschool: The Lord is a kind and loving God. Exodus 34:6
· Older Preschool: The LORD is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth. Exodus 34:6
· Kids: The LORD—the LORD is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. Exodus 34:6-7
Dear families,
Moments of distress or pain and moments of rebellion or wandering often function as God’s classroom for His children to learn to trust Him. These experiences force us to either lean in to God or to leave—to turn from God or to trust in God. These moments are not obstacles to our faith but opportunities that God provides to grow our faith like no other.
In 1 Kings 8:22-53, King Solomon was praying at the dedication of the temple. God had fulfilled His promise to King David, and the people had a tangible reminder of God’s faithfulness and provision.
In Solomon’s prayer, we see several things that He believed about God. Among those, we learn that Solomon believed the only right response to feeling far from God is to turn the direction of our focus from ourselves to God as our only hope and to turn the direction of our lives from rebellion toward obedience to the Lord.
The temptation for believers when we feel far from God is not to move toward Him but rather to sit at a distance or move further away, in fear that what has caused our sense of distance prevents Him from wanting us near. But this is simply not true.
Solomon’s prayer reveals that God wants His people near. Even amid rebellion or trial, the Lord is the only way to turn.
When you hit moments of distress, pain, rebellion, or wandering, is your tendency to move away from God or remain at a distance? Or do you find yourself turning your focus away from yourself and toward Him? If there is any rebellious way in you, turn toward God’s gracious hand of forgiveness. “LORD God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below, who keeps the gracious covenant with your servants who walk before you with all their heart” (1 Kings 8:23).
This is the God who wants you near when you wander and wants your heart when you are hurting. Do not doubt Him, for He longs for us to draw near to Him as He has drawn near to us through Christ. Because of the work of Jesus, who drew near to us by humbling Himself, taking on the form of a man and enduring death on a cross, we too can humbly draw near to God.
Check out The Gospel Project At Home for resources designed to help you lead a family worship experience as well as suggestions for morning and evening prayer times and family activities.
FAMILY TALKING POINTS
CHRIST CONNECTION
This is the big idea of how this week’s Bible story points to Jesus.
● Babies & Toddlers: When we trust in Jesus, He forgives us and is always with us.
● Younger Preschool: The temple was a place where God was with His people and people could worship God. When we trust in Jesus, He forgives us and is always with us, ready to help us.
● Older Preschool: The temple was a place where God met with His people. God wants to be with us. As part of His plan to save people from sin, God sent Jesus to earth to be with people.
● Kids: The temple was a place where God met with His people. The people could go there to make sacrifices and worship God. Today, when we trust in Jesus, He is with us wherever we go. We can look to Him for forgiveness and help.
BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER
This is an important biblical truth that your child will encounter each week of this unit.
· Younger Preschool: What is mercy? Mercy is when God does not give us the punishment that we deserve.
· Older Preschool: What is mercy? Mercy is when God does not give us the punishment that we deserve.
· Kids: What is mercy? Mercy is when God does not give us the punishment that we deserve.
KEY PASSAGE
This is a Bible verse that relates to what your child will encounter each week of this unit.
· Babies & Toddlers: The Lord is a kind and loving God. Exodus 34:6
· Younger Preschool: The Lord is a kind and loving God. Exodus 34:6
· Older Preschool: The LORD is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth. Exodus 34:6
· Kids: The LORD—the LORD is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. Exodus 34:6-7
Dear families,
What exactly do you pray for the next generation? When you ask God to move and work in the coming generations, what is it that you are asking Him to do? You may hope for them to be good and productive citizens. It may be that you hope to see them make good decisions, marry the right person, and raise a beautiful family. It may be that you hope they will become committed to the local church and even show evidence of their love for God in how they serve others.
In 1 Kings 2, we see an incredible example of how to pray for the next generation. Whether your own kids, your future kids, the kids you are investing in through your church, or others that you influence, consider David’s desire. David’s hope for his son demonstrates what we ought to hope and pray for the next generation.
The first four verses of 1 Kings 2 contain David’s dying words to his son Solomon. David knew his days were few, and he took the opportunity to call Solomon to what he knew would be best. Ultimately, David told Solomon to grow into a godly man who is faithful to the Lord in every way. Specifically, David called Solomon “to walk in his ways and to keep his statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees.”
When you think about the way you pray for the next generation, does it sound like this? Does it sound like the words of a dying father who knows his child’s only hope is to trust in God and follow Him faithfully? Or does it sound more like a hopeful fan who wants a good, moral societal participant that they will be associated with and maybe even reap the benefits of their success?
We ought to want what God wants for our own lives and the lives of the next generation that we are investing in. It shouldn’t matter if they are our biological kids, adoptive kids, foster kids, or church kids. Our hope should be that they would faithfully follow God as they grow into godly people who are faithful to the Lord in every way.
Check out The Gospel Project At Home for resources designed to help you lead a family worship experience as well as suggestions for morning and evening prayer times and family activities.
FAMILY TALKING POINTS
CHRIST CONNECTION
This is the big idea of how this week’s Bible story points to Jesus.
● Babies & Toddlers: Jesus is the wisest king of all.
● Younger Preschool: Solomon was a wise king who wanted to follow God’s plan. God had a plan to send a wiser king—Jesus. Jesus trusted God and followed God’s plan.
● Older Preschool: Solomon was a wise king who wanted to follow God’s plan, but Solomon was not perfect. God had a plan to send a greater and wiser king—Jesus. Jesus trusted God and followed God’s plan by dying on the cross for our sin.
● Kids: Solomon was a wise king who wanted to do God’s plan. Solomon wasn’t perfect, but God had a plan to give His people a greater and wiser king—His Son, Jesus. Jesus completely trusted God. Jesus surrendered His own life to die on the cross for our sin.
BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER
This is an important biblical truth that your child will encounter each week of this unit.
· Younger Preschool: What is mercy? Mercy is when God does not give us the punishment that we deserve.
· Older Preschool: What is mercy? Mercy is when God does not give us the punishment that we deserve.
· Kids: What is mercy? Mercy is when God does not give us the punishment that we deserve.
KEY PASSAGE
This is a Bible verse that relates to what your child will encounter each week of this unit.
· Babies & Toddlers: The Lord is a kind and loving God. Exodus 34:6
· Younger Preschool: The Lord is a kind and loving God. Exodus 34:6
· Older Preschool: The LORD is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth. Exodus 34:6
· Kids: The LORD—the LORD is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. Exodus 34:6-7
Dear families,
David is described in the Bible as a man after God’s own heart. (1 Sam. 13:14) Though at times David showed the depth of his depravity, he also demonstrated a love for God that was radical. In 2 Samuel 6, we see this take the form of David dancing with all his might before the Lord.
There was much external evidence of David’s love for God, including his praising and rejoicing, dancing, and playing instruments. We also see in David’s life a depth of love for God as evidenced in the way that he prayed.
In 2 Samuel 7:18, after David heard from the Lord through Nathan, we find the beginning of an incredibly humble prayer of thanksgiving to God. David’s first response to the great things that God had promised Him was to say, “Who am I, Lord GOD, and what is my house that you have brought me this far?”
David didn’t stand up taller or display an attitude that suggested he deserved God’s blessing. He did just the opposite of that. David recognized that he simply didn’t deserve the good things that God had done and had promised to do.
When you think about God’s great work in your life or when you read His Word and recall His precious and very great promises, what is your response? Do you find yourself believing you deserve it and wishing there was more, or do you rightfully understand that God alone has brought you this far, leading you to respond in praise and thanksgiving?
This week, take the time to remember some of the great things that God has done in your life, how He saved you and others in your life. Remember how He has given you victory over sin. Remember the things you’ve seen God do in the lives of friends and family members.
Humbly thank God for what He’s done, and boldly ask Him to continue to work—not because you deserve it but because you desire to see, know, and love God more.
Check out The Gospel Project At Home for resources designed to help you lead a family worship experience as well as suggestions for morning and evening prayer times and family activities.
FAMILY TALKING POINTS
CHRIST CONNECTION
This is the big idea of how this week’s Bible story points to Jesus.
● Babies & Toddlers: Jesus will be King over God’s people forever.
● Younger Preschool: God promised that future kings of Israel would come from David’s family. God kept His promise. God sent His Son, Jesus. Jesus will be King over God’s people forever.
● Older Preschool: God promised David that future kings of Israel would come from David’s family. God kept His promise. God sent His Son, Jesus, as part of David’s family. Jesus is our King. Jesus is alive, and He will be King over God’s people forever.
● Kids: God promised David that future kings of Israel would come from David’s family, and David’s kingdom would last forever. God kept His promise by sending His Son, Jesus, as one of David’s descendants. Jesus is our King who will rule over God’s people forever.
BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER
This is an important biblical truth that your child will encounter each week of this unit.
· Younger Preschool: What is grace? Grace is when God gives us something good even when we do not deserve it.
· Older Preschool: What is grace? Grace is when God gives us something good even when we do not deserve it.
· Kids: What is grace? Grace is when God gives us something good even when we do not deserve it.
KEY PASSAGE
This is a Bible verse that relates to what your child will encounter each week of this unit.
· Babies & Toddlers: God forgives our wrong choices. Ephesians 1:7
· Younger Preschool: God forgives our wrong choices. Ephesians 1:7
· Older Preschool: In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. Ephesians 1:7
· Kids: In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding. Ephesians 1:7-8
Dear families,
The name of the Lord is holy and set apart. For those who follow Christ, the name of God is one which ought to be held in high regard, above all other names.
In 1 Samuel 17, Goliath, the giant warrior of the Philistines, showed little regard for the God of the Israelites. He mocked not only the armies of Israel, but their God as well. Though Goliath had his own gods by whom he cursed David, he did not count the God of Israel to be of any value.
When Goliath mocked the name of the Lord by mocking David and the Israelites, the power of God was unleashed through the most unlikely of people. As the Philistines ran for their lives, they were reminded that there is more power in the youngest and weakest of God’s children than there is in the largest and strongest of the rest of the world.
The power of God is revealed in every instance in Scripture where the name of the Lord is used. When God-fearing prophets, priests, and ordinary people call on the name of the Lord God, we see time and again the power of God put on display.
When David encountered the giant, he said, “I come against you in the name of the LORD of Armies, the God of the ranks of Israel” (1 Sam. 17:45). David knew the power of God’s name. And once again, God proved to be unwilling to be mocked and unshakable in power.
The power of the name of God is seen most notably in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Paul wrote in Philippians 2:9-11, “For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Jesus guarded God’s name in that even though He was tempted in every way, He was without sin. Jesus demonstrated the power of God’s name through His death, burial, and resurrection. That power will never fail or be defeated, and that power is yours in Christ.
Check out The Gospel Project At Home for resources designed to help you lead a family worship experience as well as suggestions for morning and evening prayer times and family activities.
FAMILY TALKING POINTS
CHRIST CONNECTION
This is the big idea of how this week’s Bible story points to Jesus.
● Babies & Toddlers: Jesus came to save us from sin and death.
● Younger Preschool: The men in Israel’s army were afraid of Goliath, but God gave David power to beat Goliath. David reminds us of Jesus. Jesus came to save us from sin and death.
● Older Preschool: The men in Israel’s army were afraid of Goliath, but God gave David power to beat Goliath. David reminds us of Jesus. Jesus came to save us from our biggest enemies: sin and death. Jesus is the hero who saves us so we can live with Him forever.
● Kids: The Israelites were not strong enough to fight Goliath, the mighty Philistine warrior, on their own. God gave David power to defeat Goliath. David reminds us of Jesus, who came to save us from our greatest enemies: sin and death. Jesus, the ultimate hero, saves us from our sin and gives us eternal life.
BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER
This is an important biblical truth that your child will encounter each week of this unit.
· Younger Preschool: What is grace? Grace is when God gives us something good even when we do not deserve it.
· Older Preschool: What is grace? Grace is when God gives us something good even when we do not deserve it.
· Kids: What is grace? Grace is when God gives us something good even when we do not deserve it.
KEY PASSAGE
This is a Bible verse that relates to what your child will encounter each week of this unit.
· Babies & Toddlers: God forgives our wrong choices. Ephesians 1:7
· Younger Preschool: God forgives our wrong choices. Ephesians 1:7
· Older Preschool: In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. Ephesians 1:7
· Kids: In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding. Ephesians 1:7-8
Dear families,
One of God’s good gifts to us is the way He uses the most unexpected people in the most unexpected ways. We’ve all probably seen this happen at times. A young man or woman that rises to prominence in his or her vocation, but no one saw it coming.
We see this in sports, in business, and other arenas. But in the kingdom of God, it’s not just something you might see occasionally; it’s standard.
Isaiah 55:9 says, “For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
God has been in the business of bringing about surprising stories of unsung heroes since the beginning of time. In 1 Samuel 16, we find one more example of this. God chose to use David, a young boy with a shepherd staff and some musical ability, to lead Israel in a time of desperation.
Do you ever find yourself trying to hone the skills that God has used in others in hopes that He might use you too? Have you ever wished you were wired or gifted differently so you could do something specific for the Lord? Rest assured, God is not interested in only a specific set of gifts or a particular personality type. God desires to use you just the way He made you.
Find comfort in knowing that He didn’t mess up when He made you. He won’t waste a gift He has given you, and He wants you to grow in those ways so that at just the right time and in just the right way, your gifts can be used for His kingdom purposes.
Who would have thought that David’s ability to play the lyre would get him into Saul’s inner circle? God did. It was His plan all along. And it is His plan to use you in great ways too. He will not waste the gifts He’s given you. Be open and willing to serve Him for His glory and your joy.
Check out The Gospel Project At Home for resources designed to help you lead a family worship experience as well as suggestions for morning and evening prayer times and family activities.
FAMILY TALKING POINTS
CHRIST CONNECTION
This is the big idea of how this week’s Bible story points to Jesus.
● Babies & Toddlers: Jesus is the perfect King.
● Younger Preschool: People were surprised God chose David to be Israel’s next king. When Jesus came to earth, He seemed like a surprising choice for a king. Jesus is the perfect King who saves us from our sin.
● Older Preschool: God’s choice of David to be Israel’s next king was surprising. David was the youngest in his family, but God saw David’s heart for the Lord. When Jesus came to earth, He seemed like a surprising choice for a king. Jesus is the perfect King who saves us from our sin and reigns forever.
● Kids: Samuel anointed David, setting him apart to be the next king. God’s choice for Israel’s king was surprising; David was the youngest in his family, but God saw David’s heart for the Lord. When Jesus came to earth, He seemed like a surprising choice for a king. Jesus is the perfect King who saves us from our sin and reigns forever.
BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER
This is an important biblical truth that your child will encounter each week of this unit.
· Younger Preschool: What is grace? Grace is when God gives us something good even when we do not deserve it.
· Older Preschool: What is grace? Grace is when God gives us something good even when we do not deserve it.
· Kids: What is grace? Grace is when God gives us something good even when we do not deserve it.
KEY PASSAGE
This is a Bible verse that relates to what your child will encounter each week of this unit.
· Babies & Toddlers: God forgives our wrong choices. Ephesians 1:7
· Younger Preschool: God forgives our wrong choices. Ephesians 1:7
· Older Preschool: In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. Ephesians 1:7
· Kids: In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding. Ephesians 1:7-8
Dear families,
The sacrificial system of the Old Testament was the rhythm and practice of the people of God for many generations. It brought about reminders of the authority of God and the sin of the people. God used these sacrifices as temporary atonement for sin and a foreshadowing of the permanent sacrifice of Jesus that was to come.
Some Old Testament figures practiced these sacrifices with precision as prescribed by God. For others, the sacrifices were a good luck charm or “Get Out of Jail Free” card. In 1 Samuel 14–15, Saul built an altar and used sacrifice to try to earn back the favor of both God and Samuel.
Samuel’s response to these things cut Saul deeply. “Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? Look: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams” (1 Sam. 15:22).
The answer to Samuel’s rhetorical question is a resounding “No!” God does not desire sacrifice more than obedience; He desires obedient sacrifice. Though it was possible to sacrifice and disobey, it was never possible to obey and not sacrifice. God’s desire was for sacrifice to come from a broken and contrite heart that understood the weight of one’s sin and the need for forgiveness before a holy and righteous God. To practice sacrifice with any other motivation was to disobey.
Though we don’t live under the ceremonial law of the Old Testament, we do live under the authority of God. And though we don’t use the blood and meat of animals to try to satisfy God, we are certainly guilty of trying to please Him with religious practices.
For some Christians, there is a quiet hope that checking the boxes of daily disciplines will satisfy God’s wrath toward our sin. For some Christians, the applause of men drives the public display of their faith. In either instance, Christians are seeking to earn the favor of both God and man through their “sacrifice,” when God’s desire is for our whole-hearted obedience out of love for Him.
Consider today what areas you may be tempted to try and impress God or earn back His love. Confess those things and be reminded that what God wants is your love for Him above all else and your confidence that His sacrifice of Christ is sufficient to make you right before Him.
Check out The Gospel Project At Home for resources designed to help you lead a family worship experience as well as suggestions for morning and evening prayer times and family activities.
FAMILY TALKING POINTS
CHRIST CONNECTION
This is the big idea of how this week’s Bible story points to Jesus.
● Babies & Toddlers: King Jesus obeyed God in everything He did.
● Younger Preschool: God made Saul king, but King Saul did not obey God. God sent His Son, Jesus, to be king over everything. King Jesus obeyed God perfectly.
● Older Preschool: God made Saul king, but King Saul did not obey God. God sent His Son, Jesus, to be king over everything. King Jesus obeyed God perfectly and died so we can be forgiven.
● Kids: God gave the Israelites a king, but Saul did not obey God. God had a plan to send His Son, Jesus. King Jesus trusted and obeyed God perfectly and died so sinners could be forgiven and accepted.
BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER
This is an important biblical truth that your child will encounter each week of this unit.
● Younger Preschool: Why does sin separate us from God? Because God is holy.
● Older Preschool: Why does sin separate us from God? Because God is holy.
● Kids: Why does sin separate us from God? Because God is holy, sin has broken our relationship with God.
KEY PASSAGE
This is a Bible verse that relates to what your child will encounter each week of this unit.
· Babies & Toddlers: My eyes have seen the Lord. Isaiah 6:5
· Younger Preschool: My eyes have seen the Lord. Isaiah 6:5
· Older Preschool: I said: Woe is me ... because I am a man of unclean lips ... and ... my eyes have seen the ... LORD. Isaiah 6:5
· Kids: Then I said: Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Armies. Isaiah 6:5
Dear families,
Gilgal was a place the Israelites knew well. It was the first place their ancestors set foot in the promised land; the place where they built a memorial of 12 stones after crossing the Jordan with the ark of the covenant; a place that they looked back on and remembered the power, greatness, and provision of God. Gilgal wasn’t a place of convenience, but rather a place of significance.
Have you ever taken the time to revisit places of your past? Maybe you’ve driven past your childhood home and school, your first home, or the hospital where a family member was born. These nostalgic journeys can bring back all sorts of memories of heartbreak and victory, sadness and joy. Revisiting the past might flood your heart and mind with things you had long forgotten as well as things that can never be forgotten.
In the fast-paced world we live in today, we don’t go back often enough. For many, thinking about the past only slows down productivity. We rely on timeline photos as reminders but then quickly scroll to the news of the day and our plans for tomorrow.
What if we regularly returned to the past? What if we frequented the memorials of God’s power, greatness, and provision? It may be that part of why we run so hard after the tyranny of the urgent is because we’ve lost sight of God’s faithfulness through the ages.
It may not be a nostalgic drive through your hometown or a trip to the mountaintop where you were first gripped by the greatness of God, but a stroll down memory lane recalling the work that God has done is so very good for the soul.
The Israelites didn’t return to Gilgal because it was easy. They returned to Gilgal because amid their present circumstances, they needed to remember. And so do we.
Reflect on the great things that God has done—the ways you’ve seen His power, greatness, and provision. And as you do, let it grow your gratitude and hopefulness. For, as James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
Check out The Gospel Project At Home for resources designed to help you lead a family worship experience as well as suggestions for morning and evening prayer times and family activities.
FAMILY TALKING POINTS
CHRIST CONNECTION
This is the big idea of how this week’s Bible story points to Jesus.
● Babies & Toddlers: God sent Jesus to be our King.
● Younger Preschool: God chose Saul to be the king in Israel. With God’s help, Saul brought the Israelites together to win the battle. God sent His Son, Jesus, to be our King forever. Jesus came to rescue people from sin and death.
● Older Preschool: God chose Saul to be the king in Israel. With God’s help, Saul brought the Israelites together to win the battle. God sent His Son, Jesus, to be our King forever. Jesus came to rescue people from sin and death.
● Kids: God chose Saul to be the Israelites’ king. With God’s help, Saul brought the Israelites together to defeat their enemy. God sent His Son, Jesus, to be our King forever. Jesus brings together everyone who trusts in Him and gives us victory over sin and death.
BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER
This is an important biblical truth that your child will encounter each week of this unit.
● Younger Preschool: Why does sin separate us from God? Because God is holy.
● Older Preschool: Why does sin separate us from God? Because God is holy.
● Kids: Why does sin separate us from God? Because God is holy, sin has broken our relationship with God.
KEY PASSAGE
This is a Bible verse that relates to what your child will encounter each week of this unit.
· Babies & Toddlers: My eyes have seen the Lord. Isaiah 6:5
· Younger Preschool: My eyes have seen the Lord. Isaiah 6:5
· Older Preschool: I said: Woe is me ... because I am a man of unclean lips ... and ... my eyes have seen the ... LORD. Isaiah 6:5
· Kids: Then I said: Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Armies. Isaiah 6:5
Dear families,
It can happen to any of us: We look at our circumstances, forecast a coming trial or opportunity, and act accordingly—only to find out that the situation doesn’t play out quite like we expected.
This is precisely what happened in 1 Samuel 8–10. The people of Israel, while assessing their circumstances, discerned that Samuel’s days were numbered. They recognized that his sons, Joel and Abijah, had turned to dishonesty and against the ways of their father. So, they predicted that they would soon have no one to lead them and that something must be done.
The elders of Israel believed they knew what was best and demanded that Samuel appoint a new king who would lead them “the same as all the other nations” (1 Sam 8:5).
We can do the same. With the best of intentions, we can hastily seek what we believe is best without consideration of the Lord’s plans, desires, or wisdom. This may happen in search of a new job, in response to conflict, in making family decisions, or even in determining how to best minister to people in our church or community.
How do we know that our decisions, desires, and actions align with what God wants? Be encouraged to do three things as you seek the Lord’s wisdom in these moments of decision: Pray, read God’s Word, and seek counsel.
When we pray, we humble ourselves before the Almighty God and submit our desires to Him. When we read God’s Word, we discover His desires, plans, and will in the most clearly revealed way so that we might walk in them. And when we seek counsel, we open ourselves to the community of believers to be shaped, formed, sharpened, and corrected.
Proverbs 3:5-6 remind us, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Taking the time to pray, read the Bible, and seek the counsel of brothers and sisters in Christ is an act of refusal to rely on our own understanding, instead submitting ourselves to God’s authority and ensuring that we don’t get ahead of Him.
Check out The Gospel Project At Home for resources designed to help you lead a family worship experience as well as suggestions for morning and evening prayer times and family activities.
FAMILY TALKING POINTS
CHRIST CONNECTION
This is the big idea of how this week’s Bible story points to Jesus.
● Babies & Toddlers: God sent His Son, Jesus, to be king over the world.
● Younger Preschool: God gave the Israelites a king, but He had a plan to send His Son, Jesus, to be king over the whole world. Jesus would be the perfect King.
● Older Preschool: The Israelites did not trust God. They wanted a king. God gave the Israelites a king, but He had a plan to send His Son, Jesus, to be king over the whole world. Jesus would be the perfect King. Jesus would bring peace and save people from sin.
● Kids: God intended for a heavenly king to rule over Israel, but the Israelites did not trust God’s plan. They wanted a king like the nations around them. God had a better plan: to eventually send His Son, Jesus, to be the perfect King forever.
BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER
This is an important biblical truth that your child will encounter each week of this unit.
● Younger Preschool: Why does sin separate us from God? Because God is holy.
● Older Preschool: Why does sin separate us from God? Because God is holy.
● Kids: Why does sin separate us from God? Because God is holy, sin has broken our relationship with God.
KEY PASSAGE
This is a Bible verse that relates to what your child will encounter each week of this unit.
· Babies & Toddlers: My eyes have seen the Lord. Isaiah 6:5
· Younger Preschool: My eyes have seen the Lord. Isaiah 6:5
· Older Preschool: I said: Woe is me ... because I am a man of unclean lips ... and ... my eyes have seen the ... LORD. Isaiah 6:5
· Kids: Then I said: Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Armies. Isaiah 6:5
Dear families,
The story of Ruth is an incredible story. We see how gracious and good God is. We see the providential care God has for a woman who was not Jewish. She was from Moab—a descendant of Lot, not a child of Abraham. Yet, she became a recipient of God's promise to Abraham because salvation is a gift and is received by faith.
Ruth was married to a Hebrew man who died. She returned to Israel from Moab with her mother-in-law. Ruth was an outsider, a woman without a husband in a land that was not her own. Ruth was vulnerable, but what we see so beautifully in her story is that God protected her and provided for her. In the middle of a famine, God provided food to sustain Ruth. God did more than that; He ultimately provided a husband who redeemed her and saved her from destruction.
Ruth is a picture of what it looks like to trust God in the hard seasons of life. The story of Ruth is the story of you and me. We are outsiders who have no hope in a world cursed by sin. But God did not leave us that way. He provides for us, sustains us, and ultimately redeems us through Jesus.
Ruth brought nothing to her relationship with Boaz but her own need. Boaz saw Ruth, loved her, and redeemed her. From this loving act of redemption, it was from the family of their great-grandson that Jesus would come into the world and in His great love for people, redeem all who put their trust in Him alone.
God shows us His desire to redeem all those who belong to Him by including Ruth in the lineage of Jesus. Remember that in Jesus, we have hope no matter how hopeless our situation looks. Jesus is more than just a friend. He is our kinsman-redeemer.
Check out The Gospel Project At Home for resources designed to help you lead a family worship experience as well as suggestions for morning and evening prayer times and family activities.
FAMILY TALKING POINTS
CHRIST CONNECTION
This is the big idea of how this week’s Bible story points to Jesus.
● Babies & Toddlers: God sent Jesus to be our Redeemer.
● Younger Preschool: Boaz was a family redeemer. He helped his family. Jesus is our Redeemer. Jesus helps us by saving us from our sin.
● Older Preschool: Boaz was a family redeemer. He helped his close relatives. Boaz bought back what his relatives lost. Jesus is our Redeemer. He bought our salvation by dying on the cross for our sin.
● Kids: Boaz was a family redeemer. He helped his close relatives who were in trouble. Boaz cared for Ruth and Naomi because their husbands had died. In a similar way, Jesus is our Redeemer. We need help because we sin. Jesus bought our salvation for us by taking our punishment when He died on the cross
BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER
This is an important biblical truth that your child will encounter each week of this unit.
● Younger Preschool: What is the punishment for sin? The punishment for sin is separation from God.
● Older Preschool: What is the punishment for sin? The punishment for sin is death.
● Kids: What is the fair payment for sin? The fair payment for sin is death.
KEY PASSAGE
This is a Bible verse that relates to what your child will encounter each week of this unit.
● Babies & Toddlers: God gives life forever. Romans 6:23
● Younger Preschool: God gives life forever. Romans 6:23
● Older Preschool: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
● Kids: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
Dear families,
When was the last time you prayed fervently to God? What did you need? Did He answer in a way you expected?
When Hannah wanted a baby, she cried out to God with great earnestness so much that the priest Eli thought she was drunk. Hannah had confidence that God heard her prayer. She understood that one of the evidences of the understanding and the belief that God hears and answers prayer is persistence in prayer.
Hannah prayed with a passion and bitterness of heart that looked to God at first and fixed her gaze upon the Lord only. She didn't even notice Eli watching her. She believed that God heard and God acted as a result of our small prayers. She prayed with passion because she believed God heard her.
But what if our prayers seem not to be heard? Hannah is a great example for us of what C. H. Spurgeon observed about prayer in his book Illustrations and Meditations: "Frequently the richest answers are not the speediest … A prayer may be all the longer on its voyage because it is bringing us a heavier freight of blessing. Delayed answers are not only trials of faith, but they give us an opportunity of honoring God by our steadfast confidence in Him under apparent repulses.”
Finally, Hannah's persistence in prayer showed that she understood she could not fix her situation but the all-powerful God who hears and acts could. The next year, Hannah came with a baby in her arms. A baby she named Samuel, which means “God heard.” Samuel’s life was a constant reminder to Hannah and all of Israel that God lives, hears, and acts.
As you prepare to serve kids through teaching, remember that even prayers that seem to be delayed are meant to strengthen our resolve to pray and to honor God with a confidence that can't be shaken. We serve a God who hears us, and because He hears us, no prayer is too small or too big that we can't bring Him.
Check out The Gospel Project At Home for resources designed to help you lead a family worship experience as well as suggestions for morning and evening prayer times and family activities.
FAMILY TALKING POINTS
CHRIST CONNECTION
This is the big idea of how this week’s Bible story points to Jesus.
● Babies & Toddlers: Jesus showed the world what God is like.
● Younger Preschool: Samuel told people what God is like and what He would do. Jesus, the Son of God, told people about God’s plan and showed the world what God is like.
● Older Preschool: Samuel told people what God is like and what He would do. Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth as a human. He told people about God’s plan and showed the world what God is like.
● Kids: Hannah trusted God and sent Samuel away from home to serve God with his whole life. God sent Jesus from heaven to earth to be our Savior. Just as Samuel used God’s words to tell people about God, Jesus—the Word who became flesh—perfectly shows us what God is like.
BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER
This is an important biblical truth that your child will encounter each week of this unit.
● Younger Preschool: What is the punishment for sin? The punishment for sin is separation from God.
● Older Preschool: What is the punishment for sin? The punishment for sin is death.
● Kids: What is the fair payment for sin? The fair payment for sin is death.
KEY PASSAGE
This is a Bible verse that relates to what your child will encounter each week of this unit.
● Babies & Toddlers: God gives life forever. Romans 6:23
● Younger Preschool: God gives life forever. Romans 6:23
● Older Preschool: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
● Kids: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
Dear families,
In the Book of Judges, we see a cycle of sin, oppression, repentance, rescue, obedience, and then back to sin. The condition of man's heart when left to himself will "do what is right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25). Our own hearts lead us to sinful behavior that leads to enslavement to sin. Judges reveals who we are apart from God's grace.
The Book of Judges also uncovers what God is like. He is rich in love and quick to restore those who turn to Him. He is gracious; every time the people of Israel repented and turned from their sins, He sent deliverance. He restored Israel from the edge of destruction. God also revealed Himself as able to save no matter how difficult or deep the captivity. In fact, we see God's mercy clearly when He sent the judge Samson when the people didn't even ask for deliverance. In these warrior-deliver stories, God showed that what His people really needed was a king— not just any king but a perfect king who would rule His people with perfect justice and mercy.
It is easy for us as modern readers to judge the people of Israel harshly. How could they turn away from a God who delivered them from their enemies over and over again? But how easy is it for us to be tempted away from love for God and love created things more than the Creator?
What gives us hope and comfort is that in a world where it feels like there is chaos all around us, we know that God in His mercy is a God who rescues. He didn't send a flawed warrior to deliver us from the effects of our sin temporarily. He sent His only Son to defeat sin and death and restore the relationship that sinners could never fix on their own.
Today as you prepare to teach, rest in the knowledge that God has gone before you. Prepare your heart to point kids to Jesus over and over as the true Deliverer and the true peace for which their hearts desperately long.
Check out The Gospel Project At Home for resources designed to help you lead a family worship experience as well as suggestions for morning and evening prayer times and family activities.
FAMILY TALKING POINTS
CHRIST CONNECTION
This is the big idea of how this week’s Bible story points to Jesus.
● Babies & Toddlers: Jesus rescues us from sin and changes our hearts.
● Younger Preschool: God sent His Son, Jesus, to save us from sin and change our hearts to want to obey Him.
● Older Preschool: After God’s people sinned, the judges helped God’s people obey God again. But the judges could not change the people’s hearts and make them love God. God had a plan. He sent His Son, Jesus, to change His people’s hearts and save them from sin forever.
● Kids: The judges saved the people from the consequences of their sin, but not the cause of it. God’s plan was to one day send a true Deliverer—Jesus, His own Son—to be the King of His people. Jesus saves people from sin forever.
BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER
This is an important biblical truth that your child will encounter each week of this unit.
● Younger Preschool: What is the punishment for sin? The punishment for sin is separation from God.
● Older Preschool: What is the punishment for sin? The punishment for sin is death.
● Kids: What is the fair payment for sin? The fair payment for sin is death.
KEY PASSAGE
This is a Bible verse that relates to what your child will encounter each week of this unit.
● Babies & Toddlers: God gives life forever. Romans 6:23
● Younger Preschool: God gives life forever. Romans 6:23
● Older Preschool: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
● Kids: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
Dear families,
Joshua was getting along in years, so he gathered the people at the place where God had made a promise to Abraham. (See Gen. 12:6-7.) Joshua wanted the people to remember and to live based on what they knew to be true about God: God can be trusted. He is good, and He is faithful.
Joshua issued a challenge: “Be very strong and continue obeying all that is written in the book of the law of Moses.” Reading, studying, and obeying God’s Word is a mark of belief in God. Joshua reminded the people that they were successful over their enemies because of their obedience to God. Joshua also gave the Israelites a warning. Just as all the good things God promised had been fulfilled, so would all the bad things He promised if the Israelites disobeyed Him.
Further, Joshua reminded the leaders of their nations’ history—from the birth of Isaac to Israel’s escape from Egypt. Over and over, God had demonstrated His power and goodness to the Israelites. Their ancestors had repeatedly turned from God to worship the false gods of other nations. Joshua said, “Choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship … As for me and my family, we will worship the LORD” (Josh. 24:15).
The Israelites had a choice: Continue to worship God or choose to serve other gods. In response to God’s faithfulness to His promises, the Israelites renewed their covenant to be faithful to the Lord.
As you share the story of Joshua’s legacy with kids, point them to a greater legacy found in Jesus Christ. Jesus gave a similar type of farewell speech at the Last Supper, exhorting His disciples to not only love God but love one another. After His resurrection, Jesus sent His disciples out to tell the nations about Him. Jesus calls all people who trust in Him to tell others about Him.
Check out The Gospel Project At Home for resources designed to help you lead a family worship experience as well as suggestions for morning and evening prayer times and family activities.
FAMILY TALKING POINTS
CHRIST CONNECTION
This is the big idea of how this week’s Bible story points to Jesus.
● Babies & Toddlers: Jesus told the disciples to obey Him by telling others about Him.
● Younger Preschool: Joshua told the Israelites to obey God. Jesus told the disciples to obey Him by telling others about Him.
● Older Preschool: Before Joshua died, he left the Israelites with a task: obey God. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples and left them with a task: obey Him by telling others about Him.
● Kids: As Joshua prepared for his own death, he left behind a legacy of obedience to God. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, He appeared to the disciples and left them with a legacy: to obey Him by making disciples of all nations.
BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER
This is an important biblical truth that your child will encounter each week of this unit.
● Younger Preschool: What is a miracle? A miracle is something that shows God’s power.
● Older Preschool: What is a miracle? A miracle is something God does that usually cannot be done.
● Kids: What is a miracle? A miracle is something God does that usually cannot be done so that we can know He is all-powerful.
KEY PASSAGE
This is a Bible verse that relates to what your child will encounter each week of this unit.
● Babies & Toddlers: God shows His strength to people. Psalm 77:14
● Younger Preschool: God shows His strength to people. Psalm 77:14
● Older Preschool: You are the God who works wonders; you revealed your strength among the peoples. Psalm 77:14
● Kids: You are the God who works wonders; you revealed your strength among the peoples. Psalm 77:14
Dear families,
In today's story, we see that God fights for His people and gives them peace and rest. We live in a world filled with conflict and pain. We desperately want peace. The reality is that true peace doesn’t come from any amount of solitude or self-confidence; we need true peace that comes from being forgiven. Peace comes as we trust in the finished work of Jesus. His forgiveness, not our own effort, brings us lasting peace.
Read the words of the apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:12-14. In a world of conflict, Christ is our hope. In a world filled with division, He is our peace. This peace and hope Paul speaks of are available to us when we place our trust in Christ alone for our salvation. This is a continual, daily dying to self so that we may live in Christ.
What is so interesting about the section of Scripture your kids will be learning about today is that it shows us that we humans have not changed and God has not changed. Israel obeyed God at Jericho, and God fought for His people. They enjoyed good success.
Next, they went up against a smaller city and relied on their own strength rather than seeking God's strength. They disobeyed and took things devoted to God and fought a battle at Ai without consulting God and His plan. Their lives were filled with disunity. Sin is the reason our world is in disunity. The lie we believe is that sin is personal and doesn't affect anyone else. Sin is the rejection of God Himself and the placing of our trust in things He has made. The sin of one Israelite—Achan—affected him, his family, and the whole nation.
Joshua's response was right. He humbled himself, appealed to God's covenant-keeping power, and responded with obedience when God spoke to him.
When we sin, we must recognize the damage that it creates in our lives and in the world. Our response must not be to cover it up but to run to Christ because He is our hope, our life, and our peace.
Dwell on these words from theologian Charles Spurgeon: “My faith rests not upon what I am or shall be or feel or know, but in what Christ is, in what He has done, and in what He is now doing for me. Hallelujah!”
Check out The Gospel Project At Home for resources designed to help you lead a family worship experience as well as suggestions for morning and evening prayer times and family activities.
FAMILY TALKING POINTS
CHRIST CONNECTION
This is the big idea of how this week’s Bible story points to Jesus.
● Babies & Toddlers: Jesus gives us victory over sin and death.
● Younger Preschool: God saved the Israelites and gave them victory over their enemies. God saved sinners by sending His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross. Jesus gives us victory over sin and death.
● Older Preschool: Joshua’s name means “The LORD is salvation.” God fought for Joshua and the Israelites, saving them and giving them victory over their enemies. God saved sinners by sending His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross. Jesus gives us victory over sin and death.
● Kids: Joshua’s name means “The LORD is salvation.” God fought for Joshua and the Israelites, saving them and giving them victory over their enemies. Sinners can look to God for victory over sin and death. God brought us salvation by sending His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross and rise again.
BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER
This is an important biblical truth that your child will encounter each week of this unit.
● Younger Preschool: What is a miracle? A miracle is something that shows God’s power.
● Older Preschool: What is a miracle? A miracle is something God does that usually cannot be done.
● Kids: What is a miracle? A miracle is something God does that usually cannot be done so that we can know He is all-powerful.
KEY PASSAGE
This is a Bible verse that relates to what your child will encounter each week of this unit.
● Babies & Toddlers: God shows His strength to people. Psalm 77:14
● Younger Preschool: God shows His strength to people. Psalm 77:14
● Older Preschool: You are the God who works wonders; you revealed your strength among the peoples. Psalm 77:14
● Kids: You are the God who works wonders; you revealed your strength among the peoples. Psalm 77:14
** Next week:Joshua Challenged the People (Joshua 23–24)
Dear families,
In our Bible story today, we see not just mercy, but courageous mercy. Rahab by faith, courageously trusted God and hid the Hebrew spies. Mercy is not courageous until being merciful costs us something. Rahab's mercy was pushed to the testing point. She had compassion and, in doing so, risked her life. She showed mercy; as a result, she received mercy.
Mercy is compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm. Mercy was one of the marks of Jesus’ ministry. He modeled it for us on earth. There are countless examples of Jesus’ showing compassion and forgiveness to those who didn't deserve it.
Mercy always involves courage because you have the power—and often the right—to punish rather than forgive. In our world today, the act of forgiveness is often seen as a weakness. It's risky. Mercy that lacks courage will be sporadic in its application. We, like Pilate, will forgive until it costs us something. We will have compassion, but only from a distance. This is the beauty of Christ that we see in stories like Rahab.
The God we serve is lavish in His mercy and rich in His kindness. What Rahab experienced is a glimpse of God’s mercy we see in Christ. Jesus is the full expression of the mercy and kindness of God. Jesus isn't concerned from a distance; He took on human flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus didn't just act mercifully when it was convenient. He laid down his life so that we could be forgiven.
Rahab modeled for us what Jesus preached in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:7: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Let us today be extenders of mercy to others because of the tender mercy of God in Christ we have received because of the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ.
Check out The Gospel Project At Home for resources designed to help you lead a family worship experience as well as suggestions for morning and evening prayer times and family activities.
FAMILY TALKING POINTS
CHRIST CONNECTION
This is the big idea of how this week’s Bible story points to Jesus.
● Babies & Toddlers: Everyone who trusts in Jesus becomes part of God’s family forever.
● Younger Preschool: The Israelites kept Rahab and her family safe, and she joined God’s people. Everyone who trusts in Jesus is safe and becomes part of God’s family forever.
● Older Preschool: By faith Rahab believed God would win the battle. The Israelites kept Rahab and her family safe, and she joined God’s people. Jesus has won against sin and death. Everyone who trusts in Jesus is safe and becomes part of God’s family forever.
● Kids: By faith, Rahab believed God would win the battle. When the Israelites attacked Jericho, Rahab and her family received mercy and became part of God’s people. Jesus has won against sin and death. Everyone who trusts in Jesus receives mercy and becomes part of God’s family forever.
BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER
This is an important biblical truth that your child will encounter each week of this unit.
● Younger Preschool: What is a miracle? A miracle is something that shows God’s power.
● Older Preschool: What is a miracle? A miracle is something God does that usually cannot be done.
● Kids: What is a miracle? A miracle is something God does that usually cannot be done so that we can know He is all-powerful.
KEY PASSAGE
This is a Bible verse that relates to what your child will encounter each week of this unit.
● Babies & Toddlers: God shows His strength to people. Psalm 77:14
● Younger Preschool: God shows His strength to people. Psalm 77:14
● Older Preschool: You are the God who works wonders; you revealed your strength among the peoples. Psalm 77:14
● Kids: You are the God who works wonders; you revealed your strength among the peoples. Psalm 77:14
** Next week:God Gave the People the Land (Joshua 7–11)
Dear families,
The children of Israel often gave in to worry and bitterness. Their attitude revealed deeper heart issues: their belief that God had failed to take care of them and would fail in the future. It was in the 40 years of wandering in the desert that God showed them over and over that He was worthy of their trust. Yet they still did not trust Him.
When God provided supernatural food for them to eat, they craved the food of Egypt. (Num. 11:4-6) When they first encountered the inhabitants of Canaan, they were filled with fear because they didn't trust that God would be with them. (Num. 13:33) God went out of His way to deliver His people, protect them, and provide for them. He showed He is all-powerful and trustworthy.
Read Moses’ words in Deuteronomy 6:20-24. Moses implored the Israelites to remember what God had done and testify to their children of His faithfulness. God had brought them out of Egypt to keep His covenant with Abraham. He gave them instructions for their good.
Meditate on Moses’ proclamation: “We were slaves in Egypt, but God, by his grace, set us free.” This truth is particularly helpful for us when we face difficulties and periods of anxiety. We can have peace in the present by looking backward in gratitude and forward with hope. When we look back at our lives and the millions of ways God has provided and protected us, our hearts should be filled with gratitude. Based on God's character as revealed in Scripture and in our lives, we can look forward with hope, knowing that God, who has preserved us, will continue to do so until He comes to bring us home.
As you get ready to teach, prepare your heart by reminding yourself of God’s faithfulness. Tell the kids in your group how God has shown Himself worthy of your trust. They too can put their hope in a God who never fails.
Check out The Gospel Project At Home for resources designed to help you lead a family worship experience as well as suggestions for morning and evening prayer times and family activities.
FAMILY TALKING POINTS
CHRIST CONNECTION
This is the big idea of how this week’s Bible story points to Jesus.
● Babies & Toddlers: We can remember what God has done through Jesus.
● Younger Preschool: God was with His people as they went into the promised land. He showed His power so they would trust in Him. When Jesus came to earth, He showed His power so people would trust in Him.
● Older Preschool: God was with Joshua and the Israelites as they went into the promised land. He showed His power to them so they would trust in Him. When Jesus came to earth, He showed His power so people would trust in Him and be saved from sin.
● Kids: God went ahead of Joshua and the Israelites into the promised land. He showed His power to them so they would trust in Him. When Jesus came to earth, He showed His power so people would trust in Him and be saved from sin.
BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER
This is an important biblical truth that your child will encounter each week of this unit.
● Younger Preschool: What is the Bible? The Bible is God’s words to us.
● Older Preschool: What is the Bible? The Bible is God’s Word.
● Kids: What is the Bible? The Bible is God’s Word that tells us what is true about God and ourselves.
KEY PASSAGE
This is a Bible verse that relates to what your child will encounter each week of this unit.
● Babies & Toddlers: God’s word shows my path. Psalm 119:105
● Younger Preschool: God’s word shows my path. Psalm 119:105
● Older Preschool: Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path. Psalm 119:105
● Kids: Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path. Psalm 119:105
Dear families,
We often think that fear is the absence of courage, and to some degree, it is. However, true courage is not someone who is free of fear. Courage comes to us most often, and especially when we are young, from the presence of another. In C. S. Lewis' The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Lucy, the young heroine of Lewis' stories, was on a boat that went into the dark night of a cave where their worst fears were realized.
Going into the cave, they all were afraid. Inside the cave, their fears were realized. They were in the middle of the night and without hope, and Lucy (whose name means “light”) asked Aslan to send help.
Aslan (the Christ figure in Lewis' work) answered by sending his light into their darkness and his word to her heart. He said, "Courage, dear heart."
The gospel tells us that our greatest enemy, sin, and our greatest fear, death, has no hold on us—not because of courage that rises up from within us, but from courage that came from outside of us. Jesus came from outside of us and said to us through his life, death, and resurrection, "Courage, dear heart."
The promise of peace, true rest that Moses and now Joshua sought, was not conditional on what they saw in front of them. It was based on the character of God. The promise God gave to Joshua was the promise of His presence in the middle of the dark night. This promise is true for us and is experienced in the person and work of Christ.
As you prepare to teach, take a moment to allow the Person of God's Spirit to whisper to your heart what God's Word proclaims to be true, no matter how difficult your week or dark your night. You are loved, you are cared for, you are not alone. Christ is with you. Christ has gone before you; Christ is interceding for you.
Remember the words God gave Joshua: “Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:9). What a promise. What a Savior.
Check out The Gospel Project At Home for resources designed to help you lead a family worship experience as well as suggestions for morning and evening prayer times and family activities.
FAMILY TALKING POINTS
CHRIST CONNECTION
This is the big idea of how this week’s Bible story points to Jesus.
● Babies & Toddlers: Jesus leads us into the promised land of God’s kingdom.
● Younger Preschool: Joshua led God’s people into the promised land. Jesus leads us into the promised land of God’s kingdom.
● Older Preschool: God encouraged Joshua and promised to be with him. Joshua led God’s people into the promised land, where they would find rest. We have true rest in Jesus, who is with us always. Jesus leads us into the promised land of God’s kingdom.
● Kids: God encouraged Joshua and promised to be with him as he led the Israelites into the promised land, where they would be victorious and find rest. We have victory over sin and rest for our souls in Jesus, who is with us always and leads us into the promised land of God’s kingdom.
BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER
This is an important biblical truth that your child will encounter each week of this unit.
● Younger Preschool: What is the Bible? The Bible is God’s words to us.
● Older Preschool: What is the Bible? The Bible is God’s Word.
● Kids: What is the Bible? The Bible is God’s Word that tells us what is true about God and ourselves.
KEY PASSAGE
This is a Bible verse that relates to what your child will encounter each week of this unit.
● Babies & Toddlers: God’s word shows my path. Psalm 119:105
● Younger Preschool: God’s word shows my path. Psalm 119:105
● Older Preschool: Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path. Psalm 119:105
● Kids: Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path. Psalm 119:105
** Next week:God Stopped the Jordan River (Joshua 3–4)