Family Worship

Walking in Love

The focus of this family time is to use five easy steps to teach your family that as the apostles James and Paul encourage us, we are to pray continually with great faith, believing that God hears and answers our prayers.



MEMORY VERSE: 


And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13


Learn the Memory Verse together and say it throughout the week to help your family remember and apply what they have learned.


STEP 1. GATHER!

Direct kids to gather in the middle of a circle.


SAY: I will roll the ball into the circle. As I roll the ball, I will say an example of hard or troubling times. Try to avoid the ball touching you. But, if the ball does come to you, the only way you can move it outside the circle is to say, “Nothing can separate us from God’s love!” while rolling the ball out. Begin rolling the ball into the circle while saying a phrase from the following list: 


You can use the following statements: 

  • I can pray … for my family. 
  • I can pray … for my friends. 
  • I can pray … for someone who is sick. 
  • I can pray … when I’m feeling sad or worried. 
  • I can pray … for my teachers. 
  • I can pray … for people who are not nice to me. 
  • I can pray … when I’m happy. 
  • I can pray … for my church leaders. 
  • I can pray … for people I don’t know in other countries. 

We might go through other things in life that are difficult too, but no matter what happens, we’ll always have God’s love! 

         

STEP 2. READ THE BIBLE AND WORSHIP





STEP 3. DISCUSSION !

Use these questions and points to have a conversation with your children about the Bible story.

 

REVIEW THE BIBLE STORY  

  • Where did the first Christian churches meet? (in houses) 
  • What were some of the difficult circumstances the early Christians faced? (not having church buildings, not having enough food, being treated badly, sadness, fighting) 
  • What can separate us from God’s love? (nothing) 
  • How does God’s love help us? 
  • What makes you feel loved by God? 
  • How did Jesus show us what real love is like? 
  • How can you show other people God’s love? 

There will be hard things that happen in our lives. That doesn’t mean that God has forgotten us or doesn’t love us. Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love!


Mission Moment

Rosa Parks

(1913-2005)

Do you sometimes think life is unfair? When someone has a bigger piece of cake than you, or has nicer toys? Life was very unfair for Rosa Parks. She knew that her friend Jesus treated all people the same - but in Alabama in America, when she lived, people definitely weren't all treated the same. Rosa and her family couldn't live in nice places, go to nice schools or eat in nice restaurants - just because they were black. They couldn't swim in the same swimming pools as white people. They couldn't play in the same parks as white people. They couldn't even sit in the same part of a train or bus! Rosa knew this was not what her friend Jesus wanted.

One day she was asked to move from her seat on the bus so that a White person could sit there. She said, "No. She didn't shout or hit - Jesus wouldn't want that. She just said, "No*. The police asked her to move. She was very polite - but she still said, "No*. she went to prison for saying, "No": for saying she would not move seats, for sayng that black people should be treated the same as white people like Jesus wanted. Lots of other people now said "No" too. Little by little life became less unfair for black people in America - because Jesus friend Rosa said, "No".



STEP 5. Pray!

Dear God, thank You for loving us no matter what happens in our lives. Thank You for Your promise that nothing can ever separate us from Your great love. Help us remember this and trust in You even when things are hard. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 
Encourage the kids to hold their hands out in front of them, with palms up, as if their hands were open to receive something. Tell them to listen and receive the blessing as you speak it over them. 
Blessing: May you feel God’s great love for you this week, and may you remember to show God’s love to others. Whatever might happen, know that nothing can ever separate you from God’s love!