A Joy Filled Home

By Nicole VanGelder

Family Easter Week Bible Readings & Activities

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Dear Friends,

I hope that this Easter week is a special one, and that these days leading up to Resurrection Sunday are filled with a renewed wonder at just how good the Lord really is!

During 2020, I put together some simple devotionals for families of our church to do together in the days leading up to Easter. (Note: They do not cover, or even attempt to cover, all of the events leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus.) They are simple but I hope your family enjoys them together! (Don’t feel pressured to do them all! Instead, pick and choose what best fits your family and the time you have.)

READING ONE:

Read: Mark 11:15-18

Note: This reading can be startling because it seems to be a moment of uncontrolled anger. However, Jesus may have been angry, but He hadn’t lost His temper! He had already been in Jerusalem and knew what was happening. When He took this action He did so because He was seeking to protect people from the exploitation of the religious leaders. His desire is, and always has always been, to remove the obstacles that separate people from entering into true worship and prayer–and true relationship with His Father. So, the best way to apply this reading may be to simply ask the question if there is anything that is getting in the way of your family (together or individually) spending time in connection with the Lord. If there is, remove whatever the obstacle is! (I suggest not using the same methods Jesus used in this passage though!) 😉 Then, commit to spending a short time together in prayer each day this week.

Optional Activities: 

1. In the days of Jesus, the temple played an important part of worship for the Jewish people. Today, we have the joy of being able to worship Jesus in a different way.  So, throw a family worship party! Some suggestions: put on some music and dance before the Lord; try painting or drawing as an act of worship; praise the Lord with your words during a time of prayer, etc.

2. Do some coin rubbings. This is a simple activity that you should have all the supplies for easily on hand. Find a variety of coins, some paper, and some crayons or pencils. Put the coins under the paper and rub the crayons back and forth over it until the image of the coin appears. As you do this, ask your kids why they think Jesus was so angry and the moneychangers. (They were exploiting people and interfering with their ability to worship God. They were being greedy. They were misusing God’s House.)

3. Look up the what the temple looked like in the day of Jesus. (You should be able to find this with a simple internet search.)

4. And, just for some fun that isn’t directly related to the lesson:Here is a Paper Doll Coloring Page created by my daughter, Eliana. Color, cut out, and have fun getting her dressed up for Easter!

READING TWO:

Read Mark 11:20-26

Discussion Questions:

1.  What does Jesus command in this passage? (To have faith in God.)

2.  According to this passage, what is the result? (That you will be able to pray without doubt.)

3.  This passage also talks about forgiveness. How important is it to forgive?

4.  How do you think faith is connected to forgiveness? (For example: we receive forgiveness through faith. Since we have received such great forgiveness for the Lord, how could we not forgive others?)

6.  Can you think of a time you were forgiven by someone? Or, can you think of a time when you’ve had to forgive someone? How did it feel?

*This would be a perfect opportunity to take some time to release forgiveness over others as needed, as well as to receive forgiveness.

Optional Activities:

1. Taste test: Find an assortment of both sweet and bitter foods to taste test. Have some fun tasting them, and point out that not only do we need to forgive because the Lord commands it, but unforgiveness is bitter. It will make us sick if it stays inside of us too long. But, giving forgiveness freely is sweet. To take this lesson a little further, have fun making some spring themed sugar cookies.

2.  Prayers of Faith: Find a jar or a box and some notecards or small pieces of paper. Have each person write down a prayer request that they have. (They don’t need to share it with anyone else.) As a family, prayer over the requests. Keep the jar over the next year & whenever a prayer is answered, make sure to keep track of that, too!

3.  Here is a fun Bunny Coloring Page. Do your best to find the five eggs that are hidden in it!

READING THREE: 

Read Mark 12:41-44. 

This time of year, when we remember all that Jesus has given to us, it is important to take some time to consider our attitude in return. After all, how can we, who have received so much, not be generous in response?

Discussion Questions:

1. What is your most valuable possession? Is it easy or difficult to share? How about your favorite dessert? Is that easy or hard to share? What is something you have a difficult time sharing?

2. Is it easier to share with your friends than with a stranger? Why/why not?

3. The Lord is very generous with His kids. Why do you think that is?

4. What might make it easier for you to share with others?

5. What is something of value that you can offer God?

Optional Activities:

1. Brainstorm ways your family can practice generosity towards others. Then make a plan for putting one or two of those ideas into practice.

2.  Practice Secret Generosity. Over the rest of this week, each person in your family should look for ways to be secretly kind and generous to one another. Then, at the end of the week, talk about the experience. Even without sharing specifics (although that is okay, too), discuss the impact on your home. How did it feel to do kind things for others? Was there a difference in the atmosphere in your home? Encourage your family to make this a normal practice.

3.  Spend some time in prayer thanking the Lord for His generosity towards you. Be specific. Make a list and post it someplace you can see it to remind yourself everyday to be thankful.

4.  Make one of the favorite desserts mentioned during the discussion questions as a special treat. Make an extra to deliver (while keeping your distance!) to a neighbor or friend.

READING FOUR:

Read John 13-14. 

Note: If you have smaller children, you may want to only read John 13:1-30. After you read through the last supper that Jesus had with His disciples, the best activity I can suggest is to actually take communion as a family. Click here to watch a video to help walk you through this process, then gather the needed elements (and your family!) and do as Jesus commanded.

READING FIVE:

Read John 20-21

The reading today is all about the resurrection of Jesus! If your children have never prayed to receive Christ, this is the perfect opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus with therm. After today’s reading, simply ask your children if they understand why the death and resurrection of Jesus is so important. Explain that because Jesus died and rose again, those who believe in Him and receive Him as their Savior have the opportunity to live with Him forever in heaven someday, and also walk with Him here on earth!  You can ask if they have ever asked Jesus into their hearts / if they have ever accepted Jesus death and resurrection as payment for their sins and made Him their personal Lord and Savior. If they haven’t, and would like to, simply lead them in a prayer like this: “Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross as payment for my sins. I believe in you and receive you as my Lord and Savior. Thank you for coming into my heart and giving me life now and in eternity. Help me to walk with you and learn your ways. Amen.” If your children pray this prayer, make sure to celebrate big!

Optional Activities:

1. Jesus is ALIVE! So, celebrate with a time of prayer/worship. Thank Jesus for the cross and all that He has brought into your lives. Let the joy of that fill your hearts and homes with excitement as you celebrate together.

2. Here are some coloring sheets of the cross (from which Jesus has risen!!) Cross_Coloring_Page  Cross_Coloring_Page 2
Cross_Coloring_Page 3

3. Play pin the tail on the bunny. Here is a template to use: Pin_The_Tail_On_The_Bunny_ 2.

4. Celebrate the empty tomb! First, colorJesus’s_Tomb. Then, color and cut out Jesus’s_Tomb 2 (including the “arm”). Finally, cut on the dotted line on the coloring page and slide the “arm” of the rock into the slit on the coloring page. Now you can open the tomb and celebrate that it is empty!

5. Color the Easter Eggs: Easter_Egg Coloring Sheet 1  Easter_Eggs 2  Easter_Eggs 3

Family Devotional: Through the Bible Series: Genesis 12-21 || Abraham

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See previous devotionals for tips as to how to open up your devotional time in prayer, etc. For today’s devotional, I do encourage you to find the most complete account of Abraham’s life in a children’s story Bible to share if possible. Otherwise, you can focus on the portions shared in the Verse Highlight. I do recommend looking them up in a translation that will be easy for your kids to follow along with and understand. (If you are interested, you can find a chart that correlates different Bibles with reading levels: https://kidsministry.lifeway.com/2012/08/07/choosing-a-childs-bible-1/ .) 

Scripture Focus: Genesis 12-21  Hebrews 11

Verse Highlight: Genesis 12:1-5 “Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.’ So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan.”

Hebrews 11:8-16 “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN IN NUMBER, AND INNUMERABLE AS THE SAND WHICH IS BY THE SEASHORE.

All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.”

Introduction Questions: What is the most amazing gift that you can imagine receiving? What if I told you that you were going to receive it on your next Birthday? Would you be excited? Would it be hard for you to be patient until your birthday came? What if you waited and when your birthday finally came, you found out that it wasn’t going to be your gift this birthday—but for your birthday fifteen years from now? Would you still be excited to receive it? 

Discussion: The Lord gave Abraham and Sarah a great promise. This promise was so big, that it would affect the whole world! That’s pretty awesome! There was a catch, though. 

Abraham and Sarah had to wait a long time before the promise would come true. And, a lot would happen as they were waiting. For example: he moved to a different country because of a famine; he fought in a battle to rescue his nephew Lot; he had a son named Ishmael (that was not the son that God promised); he helps Lot escape the destruction of the city he lived in; etc. 

Even once Abraham and Sarah had their son Isaac fifteen years after God first gave them the great promise, the promise wasn’t fulfilled. It was still just starting to be fulfilled. In fact, it is still being fulfilled! This is because you and I and everyone who knows the Lord is considered heirs of Abraham. And, God is known as the “God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”.

There are a lot of lessons we can learn from Abraham and Sarah, but one important one is this: Patience and faith go hand in hand. When we trust the Lord, it means that we trust Him indefinitely. We don’t need to understand when or why or how. Instead, we simply need to do our best to trust Him, follow Him, and live faithfully. 

The Lord is faithful and His promises will always come true—just like they did for Abraham and Sarah. 

Closing Activity: Spend some time thanking the Lord for His faithfulness. Think of specific times He has been faithful to you or others (even Biblical people) and praise Him for His goodness! Then pray for your family to both see God’s faithfulness personally and to trust the Lord and live faithfully for Him. 

Bonus Activity: Sing Father Abraham

“Father Abraham had many sons… I am one of them and so are you, so let’s all praise the Lord.”

Uhh, what? This was a song many people sang as kids without any idea of what it meant.  (Myself included!) Hopefully the lesson today helps to clear that up! Remind your kids that because of God’s faithfulness to Abraham, everyone who is part of God’s family is part of Abraham’s family, too—even you! Then, have some crazy fun singing (make sure to do the actions!) the “Father Abraham” song together. Remember: the goal is to have fun, so you may need to set aside your pride in order to have some silly (and perhaps silly looking) fun together. Bonus points for group laughing fits!

You can find the song with lyrics & motions here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASXowiv3FAc

Family Devotional: Through the Bible Series: Genesis 11 || The Tower of Babel

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See previous devotionals for tips as to how to open up your devotional time in prayer, etc. For today’s devotional, I do encourage you to read the scriptures below in their entirety. If you have younger kids, you may want to find a Children’s Bible to read from. I also encourage you to get a Bible that your kids can read along with, if they are able. Many find the New International Readers Version and Contemporary English Version helpful for kids. (If you are interested, you can find a chart that correlates different Bibles with reading levels: https://kidsministry.lifeway.com/2012/08/07/choosing-a-childs-bible-1/ .) 

Scripture Focus: Genesis 11:1-9; Matthew 17:14-20

Verse Highlight: Genesis 11:6 “The LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them.”

Matthew 17:20 “…truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.“

Introduction Questions: If you could be a superhero, who would you be? What superpower would you most like to have? Why? 

Discussion: A lot of people like to watch superhero movies, especially if they are about people who seem to be “normal” people, but you then discover they can do something that is impossible for everyone else. It’s fun to imagine what it would be like to have a superpower of your own! Part of the reason why that is so fun is because it is not based in reality so people can fantasize about what it might be like. The truth is that it is not possible for us to be superheroes like in the movies. However, did you know that we do get to do things that are impossible? 

The two stories we read today were very different from each other, but they have a common theme. In the first one, the Lord says that the people on earth will find nothing they purpose to do impossible. Isn’t that kind of hard to imagine? He sees that they are united in purpose and are able to accomplish anything. That’s amazing! But, it wasn’t good. Why do you think it was a problem? 

In the next story, it seems like the opposite thing is happening from the first story. In the first story, God steps in and actually prevents people from being able to do what they are working on doing. In the second one, Jesus is instructing people in the opposite way. He tells them that even a little bit of faith will make nothing impossible for them! What is the difference? 

There are actually several differences in the settings & circumstances of these two stories. But, one of the biggest is this: Who people are partnering with. 

When the people were building the Tower of Babel, they were working to accomplish a goal of their own, entirely separate from God. But, when Jesus is instructing His disciples, He is talking about how the Kingdom of Heaven operates. You can access the impossible if you have faith, but it isn’t about doing the impossible. Jesus isn’t saying that if you have enough faith you can fly or have x-ray vision! He is talking about having faith in God. God does lots of things that are impossible for man to do. He can do that because He is God! But, because we know Him, He invites us to join Him! That means that we get to do impossible things, too. But, not just any impossible stuff. We get to do the impossible stuff that is part of His Kingdom. What kind of stuff is that, do you think? (Think of what kinds of miraculous stories are in the Bible: people being saved, healed, and set free; miracles of provision; etc.)

The key to this is to have faith. Stay connected to the Lord. See what He is doing. Learn His ways and the ways of the Kingdom of Heaven. Then, stir up your faith and move some mountains!

Closing Activity: Spend some time sharing some of your favorite testimonies. These can be personal testimonies, testimonies you have heard from others, or Biblical stories. Try to have each person share. Then, share about people or situations you know that need a miraculous breakthrough. Finally, spend some time praying in faith! (Make note of any action step ideas that the Lord brings to mind during this time. He may provide an opportunity for you to step out in faith, along with praying.)

Bonus Activity: Build a Tower. 

The way you do this will depend on the age of your kids and the number of people in your family. If you have small kids, simply have fun building a tower all together using blocks or other material you have on hand. (For a fun twist, you could use marshmallows or another food item and then have one as a small treat.) If you have older kids you could do a contest to build the tallest or prettiest or sturdiest (etc.) tower. You could use blocks or toothpicks or a combination of other building materials. 

Family Devotional: Through the Bible Series: Genesis 6-9 / Noah

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See previous devotionals for tips as to how to open up your devotional time in prayer, etc. 

For this devotional, I do encourage you to read the story of Noah from a Children’s Bible if you are able. Otherwise choose several passages to read, so that the main parts of the story are shared: There was great evil in the land, but Noah found favor with God. Noah obediently made the Ark as God instructed. When it was time, Noah & his family, plus two of every kind of animal entered the ark & God shut the door after them. They were safe on the ark during a flood that brought destruction & changed the world forever. After the rain stopped they remained in the ark until the waters subsided. When they got off of the ark, they worshipped the Lord. The Lord instructed them to be fruitful & multiply, filling the earth. And then made a covenant to never again cut off all people & animals or destroy the earth with a flood. He then gave the rainbow as a sign of the covenant. 

Scripture Focus: Genesis 6-9

Verse Highlight: Genesis 6:8 “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.”

Introduction Questions: What does it mean to be good? to have integrity? (Adjust the wording of the question depending on the age of your kids.) Can you think of someone you know (or know of) that you would consider a man/woman of “integrity”? What about them makes you say that? 

Discussion:  In The Message version of the Bible, the beginning of the story of Noah reads like this: “GOD saw that human evil was out of control. People thought evil, imagined evil—evil, evil, evil from morning to night. GOD was sorry that he had made the human race in the first place; it broke his heart. GOD said, “I’ll get rid of my ruined creation, make a clean sweep: people, animals, snakes and bugs, birds—the works. I’m sorry I made them. But Noah was different. GOD liked what he saw in Noah. This is the story of Noah: Noah was a good man, a man of integrity in his community. Noah walked with God. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” (Genesis 6:1-10)

It is hard to imagine a world like this. In fact, let’s not even try. We know that evil is in the world. But, instead of looking at the evil, let’s look at something else: Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. He walked with God. The Lord looked at Him and smiled. 

Do you know that we get to live like that, too? 

Psalm 5:12 says, “Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.”

When we put our faith in Jesus, we become righteous. That means that we have God’s favor around us all the time, like a shield. Do you know what a shield is for? It’s used for protection. Also, shields were often decorated to identify people individually, or recognize them as a part of a military unit.* If we apply this to this verse, then the Lord’s favor protects us & also identifies us! It is part of who we are as His children, His friends, His family! What affect do you think that this has on our lives? 

God’s grace and goodness is with us. It surrounds us and tells others who we are and whose we are! Since this is true, we don’t ever need to be afraid of darkness or evil! Because no evil can overcome the goodness of God! So, instead of worrying, we get to celebrate. And that is what we are going to do right now. 

Closing Activity: As a family, make a list of the ways you have seen God’s favor on your lives. Make sure to include “small” things, too! Then, pray out loud together, each taking a turn to thank the Lord for a specific way His kindness has been shown to them. This is also a good time to give any specific worries or fears to the Lord and replace them with confidence in His protection and Presence in your life. 

Bonus Activity: Take paper or perhaps a paper grocery bag & cut it into the shape of a shield. Then, make a “family crest of God’s favor”. Let each person add something to the design / help to decorate it. Then hang it up someplace this week to remind you that God’s favor is with you! 

*More information on shields can be found here: https://www.mylineage.com/family-coat-of-arms-explanation/ 

Family Devotional: Through the Bible Series: Genesis

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This devotional is not created to replace a Bible Reading plan or your personal daily connection time with the Lord. Instead, they are meant to be a short, easy time of connection between both your family and the Lord. If you’d like, read the entirety of the scripture focus as a family. You can do this out of a “regular” version of the Bible, or you can find it in a Children’s Bible. In either case, I encourage you to find a version that you are comfortable with and is easy to understand for you and your children. If your children are old enough, have them read along in their own Bibles! If the reading is too long, you can do the devotional by reading only the verse highlight instead.

Also, it can be helpful to reiterate the value for the Bible each time you read from it, as well as ask the Lord to speak to you and help you to understand and know Him. You can do this through a simple prayer like this, “Thank you Lord for giving us your words in the Bible. We know that your words are true. Please help us to understand them. Help us to know you and your ways and live according to them. Amen.”

Scripture Focus: Genesis 4

Verse Highlight: Genesis 4:6 “Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” (NASB) 

Introduction Questions: Have you ever done something wrong because you were mad about something? Did that make you feel better or worse? How do you get out of an “angry mood”? What about when you do something good? How does that feel? Does it make you want to do more good things?

Discussion: It is easy to mistakenly believe that God stopped relating with Adam and Eve after they had to move out of the Garden of Eden. But, we know that this isn’t true because their sons knew the Lord! They knew Him to the point that Cain wasn’t surprised that God was speaking to him.  So, it would seem like this story should be a happy one. Unfortunately, it isn’t. It is actually very sad. 

Cain and Abel offered sacrifices to the Lord—which is good. But, something about Cain’s offering wasn’t as pleasing to the Lord as Abel’s offering and this made Cain angry! It wasn’t Abel’s fault that his offering was accepted and Cain’s wasn’t, but he still bore the brunt of Cain’s anger. In fact, he paid for it with his life. This is the problem with anger! When you allow anger to be in control of your actions, it hurts! It hurts you, it hurts the people around you. Unchecked anger can be very destructive! But, there is good news: we don’t have to give it control! 

The Lord, in His kindness, tried to help Cain. “Why are you so angry?” the LORD asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” (Genesis 4:6 NLT) 

When we don’t do things right, it is easy to get angry. It’s silly because we are the ones at fault, but in our anger we get mad at those around us! And if we act in anger, we make a big mess! But, the good news is that the Lord is kind to us, just like He was to Cain. He gave us the Holy Spirit to teach and correct us! If we pay attention, He will let us know that we are starting to think or do things that aren’t right. When that happens, it is up to us to choose to listen and change our behavior. 

Cain could have simply made a new sacrifice, one that was acceptable to the Lord. He should have done this. But, instead, he allowed the anger he had inside to sit and simmer until he did something even worse. Unfortunately, this is usually what happens when we don’t make things right—things get worse. But, if we “subdue” it—by choosing to do what is right!—than it no longer has control. Instead, we do. When we do what is right (even before we might “feel like it”!) it brings us freedom from the messes of sin. 

Closing Activity: Ask each other if there is a specific area where you have been struggling to do the right thing. If someone has something to share, spend time together talking about what “right” action they could take to make sure they aren’t giving sin control. Then, pray as a family, thanking the Lord for the Holy Spirit and asking Him to guide and correct and comfort you.

Bonus Activity: Note: This activity can be messy! I suggest having a baking dish to “catch” the overflow, as well as to do this someplace that a mess won’t be a problem. 

In today’s devotional, we learned about how sin and anger can make a mess if you let them sin inside of you. We are going to do an activity to sho an example of what this is like: 

Get a glass and fill it about half full with vinegar. Then add a squirt of dish soap into it. Finally, add a heaping spoonful of baking soda. Then, watch what happens!
This is what sin and anger can be like if we allow it to remain in our hearts and lives. It overflows and makes a mess! But remember—it doesn’t have to be like this! Instead, we can choose to listen to the Lord and do good. After all, this is a fun activity, but not a fun way to live!

Family Devotional: Through the Bible Series: Genesis

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This devotional is not created to replace a Bible Reading plan or your personal daily connection time with the Lord. Instead, they are meant to be a short, easy time of connection between both your family and the Lord. If you’d like, read the entirety of the scripture focus as a family. You can do this out of a “regular” version of the Bible, or you can find it in a Children’s Bible. In either case, I encourage you to find a version that you are comfortable with and is easy to understand for you and your children. If your children are old enough, have them read along in their own Bibles! If the reading is too long, you can do the devotional by reading only the verse highlight instead. 

Also, it can be helpful to reiterate the value for the Bible each time you read from it, as well as ask the Lord to speak to you and help you to understand and know Him. You can do this through a simple prayer like this, “Thank you Lord for giving us your words in the Bible. We know that your words are true. Please help us to understand them. Help us to know you and your ways and live according to them. Amen.”

Scripture Focus: Genesis 3

Verse Highlight: Genesis 3:20-21 “Now the man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all the living. The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.”

Introduction Questions: How do you feel when you do something wrong? How does it feel to get in trouble?

Discussion: This is a terrible chapter of the Bible. It is hard to imagine what life in the garden of Eden would have been like. Not only was everything “good” but God Himself was in the garden with Adam and Eve! (See verse 8.) But, in what seems to us like one short moment of weakness, everything suddenly changed. Now instead of walking with God, Adam and Eve hid from Him! Not only that, but life itself would change. They would even have to leave the garden. Everything was not good anymore. 

And this didn’t just impact Adam and Eve! The whole world was changed. 

But, all was not lost. This was a sad and terrible day, to be sure. Sin brought terrible things into the world—it still does! But the good news, the most important thing, is that God didn’t change! He was remained good! (And He still does!) Sin can bring change. It can cause heartache and pain. But, it can never overcome the goodness of God. Even when sin first came, God continued to care for Adam and Eve. He clothed them. He moved them out of the garden so that they wouldn’t eat of the tree of life and forever stay in their sin marred stated. 

And, even though Adam and Eve had disobeyed the Lord and brought terrible consequences to themselves and the world, Eve was still the mother of all the living. All descendants on earth would come from them. Their lives and purpose were not taken away!

Sin is bad. It causes all kinds of pain and problems. It doesn’t feel good to do things wrong because we were created to live like God. But, the good news is that when we do things wrong, God’s goodness remains for us, just like it did for Adam and Eve. We may have consequences to face, but no sin can overcome God’s goodness!

So, when we do something wrong, it is important that we confess and do what we can to face the consequences and make it right. But, we don’t need to be afraid. God’s goodness and care will be with us always. And nothing can ever change that!

Closing Activity: Close in prayer together, thank the Lord for His goodness & for Jesus coming and brining forgiveness for sin. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind any unconfessed sin that needs to be made right. After you close the prayer time, let people share if there is something that the Lord brought to mind. (Make sure to be gracious and patient, helping them to walk through forgiveness and any next steps with care!)

Bonus Activity: Take a roll of toilet paper or a tube of toothpaste and have your kids help you to unroll it all or squeeze it all out of the tube. (If you have a larger family, you may want to offer both so that each person can participate.) Have fun while you are doing this! But, after you are done, ask your kids to roll the toilet paper back up and/or put the toothpaste back into the tube. Offer a reward to anyone who can make it just like it was to start with. 

The point is: you can’t. Once sin occurs, it is impossible to be undone. The good news is that Jesus overcomes sin! The goodness of God and the light of Jesus overcomes any and all darkness! 

1 John 2:1-2 “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.” (NLT)

Family Devotional: Through the Bible Series: Genesis

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This devotional is not created to replace a Bible Reading plan or your personal daily connection time with the Lord. Instead, they are meant to be a short, easy time of connection between both your family and the Lord. If you’d like, read the entirety of the scripture focus as a family. You can do this out of a “regular” version of the Bible, or you can find it in a Children’s Bible. In either case, I encourage you to find a version that you are comfortable with and is easy to understand for you and your children. If your children are old enough, have them read along in their own Bibles! If the reading is too long, you can do the devotional by reading only the verse highlight instead. 

Also, it can be helpful to reiterate the value for the Bible each time you read from it, as well as ask the Lord to speak to you and help you to understand and know Him. You can do this through a simple prayer like this, “Thank you Lord for giving us your words in the Bible. We know that your words are true. Please help us to understand them. Help us to know you and your ways and live according to them. Amen.”

Scripture Focus: Genesis 1-2 

Verse Highlight: Genesis 1:31 “God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”

Introduction Question: What is something in your life that you would describe as “very good”? 

Discussion: It’s hard, if not impossible, to imagine what it would have been like to witness the creation of the world. Most of us have made something in our lives—a picture perhaps or a lego building. When we cook, we take ingredients and form them into an entirely new dish or product. But, we all start with something. Art materials, ingredients, blocks, and so on. It is beyond our understanding to make something from nothing. Yet, that is exactly what God did! The Bible tells us that God created everything out of nothing. He spoke and out of His words life came! He spoke the earth and all that is in it—plants, animals, the sea, and dry land—into being. He spoke and the earth and planets and stars were born. He spoke and time itself was created! All the Lord had to do was speak and things came into existence. That is difficult to understand, but it helps us to know how powerful the Lord actually is!

And, no only that, but when He was done, everything God was created was very good. Nothing God created was not good. This is because God is powerful, but (thankfully!) He is also good! His ideas are good. His ways are good. And his Because of this, we can trust Him. 

One last thing: Just like God created the world around us, He created people! In fact, it was people that He created in His own image. That means that He created each of us to be like Him. Because of this, we should have great value for ourselves and others because we all were created in the image of a God who is  both powerful and good. 

What is one way you see the goodness of God in the people in our family? What is one way you see the goodness of God in the way you were created?

Closing Activity: Close in prayer together. Have each person in your family thank the Lord for the person on their right. 

Bonus Activity: Color the giraffe coloring page and share the following facts about the way that they were created. 

giraffee coloring page

giraffee coloring page

Did you know that scientist can’t figure out how giraffes were created? In fact, each giraffe can be considered a mini miracle! This is because of the way their heart pressure works. Your heart pumps blood through your whole body. This is important because blood carries nutrients that your body needs. The force your heart is pumping with helps to determine your blood pressure. A giraffe needs high blood pressure to get blood all the way around its body. Do you know why? Because it has such a long neck! If it didn’t have high enough blood pressure, the blood would not make it up to its head. So, it makes sense that God would create the giraffe to have high blood pressure. But, there is one thing that could be a big problem. In order to drink water, giraffes need to bend down. Because of their high blood pressure, when they bend down, this could (and should!) cause them problems! In fact, with their rate of blood pressure, it their heads could be expected to explode when they bend down! Yet, we don’t hear about exploding giraffes. (And, if it were to happen, we can be sure that not only would we hear about it, but there would probably be some viral videos, too.) We also don’t hear about fainting giraffes. Have you ever gotten light headed when you stand up real fast? This is related to your blood pressure and your body adjusting as you go from sitting to standing. This is the miracle part: God created giraffes so that their blood pressure would adjust so that they could safely bend down to drink water and then stand back up without problems, but no one can figure out how He did this! Scientist are starting to understand a little, but they still have a long way to go to decoding this mystery. Yet, God easily created this unique and beautiful animal. This is because God is much smarter than we are. He is powerful. He is smart. And He is good. He created giraffes and all the rest of the animals and world, even people! So when we look around us we can see God’s beauty, wisdom and creativity. 

Family Devotionals — Tips & “How Tos”

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I can (faintly) remember regular uninterrupted quiet times: early morning prayer times, late nights in the Word. In depth Bible studies & rich community life around them. Then I had children. 

It would be an exaggeration to say that this completely stopped, but the form it took certainly changed. I’ve since discovered that—like most things—my “quiet times” or personal “devotion” times change from season to season. In some ways this has created a much deeper & more authentic connection with the Lord for me. I have learned how to connect with Him throughout my days, not just in uninterrupted time blocks. The result of this is a relationship that is much more “real” than religious. And sometimes (for example: adjusting to a new baby, going through a sickness, etc.) it is all you can do to maintain any type of connection to the Lord because there is no capacity for more than the whispered prayers of your heart. And the good news is that the Lord remains constant even in seasons like this! He is gentle & kind, faithful & full of mercy & grace. 

But, those seasons should be temporary. It is important to find ways to prioritize your connection with the Lord in more proactive ways. One way that I do this is by having consistent “Family Devotionals”. Let me warn you: this is not for the faint of heart! Kids (especially younger kids) are not built to sit quietly for long periods of time. Life doesn’t stop simply because you open your Bible or turn your heart towards the Lord in prayer. But, let me also encourage you: not only does it grow better over time, but the rewards of this time are immeasurable (both here & now & in eternity someday)!

So, today I am going to share a few things I’ve learned over the years with hopes that it will help you to create special times of connection between you, your family, and the Lord. 

  1. Create a Consistent Time, Place & Name

First, it is very helpful to create a consistent time and place to have family devotionals. Notice that I said “create” not find. Rarely will you find time for anything. Life is usually too busy for that! Instead, you will need to create time for the things you value. And this should be something you value greatly! So, create time in your schedule for regular “Family Devotions”. Also, you don’t need to call it “Family Devotions” but do create a name for this time! That way your family will begin to understand the expectations around this experience. I also recommend stocking up on Bibles (children’s versions if you have younger kids), journals, coloring supplies, worship music & any other supplies that will be helpful to have on hand during this time. (Create a space to keep these, too. That way each time your Family Devotional is set to begin, everything you need is on hand already.)

Also, it is okay to start small and work your way up. What I mean by this is that you don’t need to find hours of time each day in order to feel like you are successful. Instead, maybe you start once a week and work your way up from there. It’s also okay if you don’t ever do it every day! The point is to create consistent points of connection between you, your family & the Lord; to show value for the Lord; and to create space to help your children learn practical skills for connecting with the Lord in His Word, in prayer, and in times of worship. 

  1. Consistent Values, Various Methods

Determine from the beginning what values are driving your Family Devotional time. Why is this important for you & your family? Once that is clearly answered you may need to experiment a little bit to find the best way(s) to accomplish your goal. Also, as your children grow in age & in their understanding of & relationship to the Lord, the way this time is structured should changed, too. Also, it can simply be fun to use different methods from time to time. Perhaps you want to use a devotional book where everything is already prepared for you. Maybe you will read through a specific book of the Bible together. Whatever method you use, I recommend that you make sure your time includes:

  • Prayer—Make sure to start your time together with prayer. It can simply be a “Thank you, Father that you are with us. We turn our hearts to you right now & ask for you to speak to us & help us understand your heart & words. Draw us close to you & each other during this time. Amen.” It is also good to spend time in prayer for people or situations that you know that need prayer, as well as to regularly spend time thanking the Lord and worshiping Him with your words. I do recommend that you find ways to let everyone participate (out loud), though not everyone needs to participate each time. Also, remember that prayer should be talking & listening! (And I highly recommend sharing what you are hearing the Lord say with each other & taking note of what is said in a journal or something. I have had the Lord speak powerfully in my life by listening to what my young kids were sharing during times like this!)
  • Worship—Worship is often associated with music and for good reason. This was true even in Biblical times. If you are able to lead worship musically yourself, that can be helpful for this time! My husband sometimes does this for us on the guitar. Otherwise, I will play different worship music (using my phone) and the kids & I will lead worship that way. There are some very powerful songs that can help create special moments in God’s Presence this way! It is helpful also to play the same music often enough that you are familiar with it & can easily sing along & have a general understanding of what the song is about. I also allow my kids to dance or draw & color during times of worship, encouraging them to make sure what they are doing is in connection to worship of the Lord. I don’t enforce any specific rules over standing or sitting, etc. as I long ago learned that what was happening outwardly may not accurately reflect what is happening inwardly. However, I do make my kids participate with this time. Also, it is important to note that music is not necessary for times of worship! Reading a Psalm, sharing prayers of worship, writing a poem in praise of the Lord, etc…there are many ways to worship. So don’t feel constrained by what your picture of “worship” may be. The important thing is to connect your heart in awe & wonder of the Lord and then express that awe to Him!
  • The Word—One of the main ways that the Lord connects with us & teaches us is through the Bible. It can be difficult for us to understand how precious this book truly is, simply because we have such easy access to it. But, the Words in it are of such great value that people in other nations will risk their lives for it! That isn’t because it is a religious text, but because it contains the very words of God—the words of life. But, with that said, getting through it can be difficult. It was written in other languages, to people of other cultures and time periods so it shouldn’t be surprising that it can be difficult to understand! The good news is that there are a lot of tools to help. If you are new to reading the Bible, I encourage you to find a devotional book that can help you understand as you read. It is also helpful to start reading in one of the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke or John (at the beginning of the New Testament). Also, I personally love to read in different translations. (There are apps that make this possible for free too, like Bible Gateway.) 

Our family uses a Bible Reading Plan for our family devotional now, as so many of our children are now old enough to read on their own. We open in prayer, spend some time in worship, then will read on our own (the little ones read in a children’s Bible, color or look at books during this time) then come back and share what stuck out to us as we read, and then close in a time of prayer. However, for years, this wasn’t the case. Instead, I shared a Bible story or passage & we had discussion / activity around it. (Sometimes these were from a devotional book, but often we just created them on our own as we went.) Whatever method you use, take some time to learn about the Bible a bit/use tools to help you & your family grow comfortable & confident reading the Bible personally. 

  • Connection—This may go without saying, but the point of doing Family Devotionals is to create connection with God and also each other! It is helpful to keep this in mind because that will change the way you approach this time. It isn’t about you simply connecting with the Lord. You also want to connect your hearts with each other too. This means that you value what is happening with your family during this time too! As you patiently listen to them & invite them into the process, you will find that your relationship with both them and the Lord deepens as a result!
  1. Keep Little Hands Busy

Practically speaking, it is always helpful to have a plan to keep little hands busy! The ultimate goal is for your kids to learn how to (quietly, when appropriate!) connect with the Lord themselves. But, younger children may have difficulty sitting quietly for the duration of your Family Devotional time. To avoid frustration at this, be prepared to keep them busy! Provide coloring materials, books to look at, or other “quiet” activities to keep them busy. Let them move around (as quietly as possible). Encourage them to dance & participate when possible during times of worship. Include them in short prayers. The point is to make them a part of this time, but don’t get frustrated if they are not at the development level needed for your ideal devotional time. Instead, find ways to engage them & then let them be. As they grow the way they engage will grow too, and you don’t want this time to be one that is filled with conflict or dread for either of you. 

  1. Teach, model, then let your kids make it their own. 

There are many benefits to creating consistent Family Devotionals. You will find it is good for your heart and relationships! However, one of the purposes of this time is to empower & equip your children to connect with the Lord personally themselves—long after they are no longer living in your home. This means that you need to find ways to help them to “do the stuff” themselves so that they grow comfortable and confident in their own prayer lives and connection with the Bible, etc. Because of this, it is extremely helpful to teach them but not try to control them! Their relationship may look different than yours! Their expressions of worship may look different! Perhaps they dance before the Lord or use other creative expressions. Their time in the Bible may look different! Maybe they find life in a Bible Translation you don’t. And so on and so forth. With this in mind, consider the values you are trying to instill in your kids: a love for the Bible? A personal connection with God? A heart of worship? A fruitful prayer life? (And so on.) Ask the Lord to help draw your kids into those thing, then do your best to lead, but trust Him to be the One to actually establish that firm foundation in your children’s hearts & lives. Also, it is important to note that your children will learn from you both as you intentionally teach them and as you live. So do your best to live and grow in these values in your personal life, too. 

  1. Family Devotionals are not a task but a value, so stick with it!!

You are growing a relationship not merely passing down a religion. So, value the experience & use the experience to practice your values! Remember, children loved Jesus! And He loved them. This is just as true today as it was then! So, these times should be fun & full of life, light & connection. Keeping this in mind during your Family Devotional times helps you to value the right things and let go of the things that maybe seem important but actually aren’t. What a bummer if your Family Devotions end up bringing out the worst in your family as you struggle to control behavior and people. That is a sign that something is off. Unfortunately, this time won’t always go the way you hope or want. Some days will be better than others. Sometimes you will see amazing fruit & sometimes you will wonder if anything good is happening. But, if you stick with it, it will be worth it. You will do far more than pass down a religious practice or family value. You will connect your hearts firmly to one another and the Savior Himself. 

Blessings to you!

Proverbs 5:1-2 Family Devotional

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family devotional

Supplies needed: 1 egg, your family, this devotional

Optional: Bible, Journal, Pen/Pencil

Begin with a short prayer thanking the Lord for this time & asking Him to speak to you & teach you.  Then read and discuss the following: (Note: encourage everyone to participate as appropriate for their age level! This is important for retaining and understanding the material.)

Proverbs 5:1 – 2 “My son, give attention to my wisdom, Incline your ear to my understanding; That you may observe discretion And your lips may reserve knowledge.” (NASB)

“Give attention to my wisdom” “Incline your ear to my understanding”

What does it mean to do those thing? How do you do it? To understand, let’s think about the words used. Give attention. What is something that you pay attention to? 

Incline your ear. What do you use your ears for? How do you listen?

Another way to say this is, “My son, pay attention to my wisdom; listen carefully to my wise counsel.” (NLT) 

Pay attention! Listen carefully!

When you are doing something carefully, you are taking care with it.  We have an activity to do that will help us to remember what it means to be careful. 

Have everyone stand up in a circle. Take the egg and pass it around the circle. Then take a step back & pass the egg again. Repeat this as long as you are comfortable. The goal is to not break the egg. (If it does get broken, that is a lesson too! So, simply clean it up & use it as an example during the rest of the devotional.)

We treated the egg with care, because we didn’t want it to get broken. If we are trying to be careful with something, it changes how we treat it. How do you think we can treat God’s Words with care? 

One reason we are supposed to treat God’s Words with care, is because of what it will lead to. According to this verse, if we do that, then we will “observe discretion and our lips will reserve discretion”. What in the world does that mean? 

Well, let’s read it another way. In the Message Bible, it says it this way: “Then you’ll acquire a taste for good sense; what I tell you will keep you out of trouble.”

We were careful with the egg because we didn’t want to break it. We should be careful to pay attention to God’s Words because we want to live well. He knows best how to live. He knows what actions and values will lead us into good lives—and He wants us to live good lives! He wants things to go well for us! So, it’s important that we listen to Him so we can learn His ways. If we do, the result will be that we live good lives. 

Close in prayer. Thank the Lord for teaching you and leading you all into connection with Him. Pray over your family that you all would know Him and walk according to His ways all your days.