See below for resources to use for your family worship time, including a song, coloring page, learning activities activities, teaching materials and ideas for ongoing family fun. SING TOGETHERSing this song together with your kids. Enter full screen and follow the lyrics on the screen. PARENT PREP (SCRIPTURE NOTES)Jesus said “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me;” Then Jesus said, “…yet not my will, but yours be done.” Jesus' love for us is so great that He was willing to suffer many hardships, even death, on our behalf to save us from God's righteous wrath. We should be ever thankful for the incomprehensible gift of grace, which Jesus provides for us, in that we may be forgiven of our sins; thus we are able to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. We should sacrificially share this Good News with others. God wants us to pray when we are sad, afraid, or upset. Kids will learn that when they are upset, they should remember to pray like Jesus did. THE POINTJesus prayed and spoke with his Father but, Jesus went to the cross willingly for you and me. Jesus is alive now forever! KEY VERSELuke 22:42 “… not my will, but yours be done.” FAMILY ACTIVITIESChoose ones that work best for your family or the amount of time you have. PRAYING HANDS CRAFT
"GREEN BEAR" ACTIVITY/SNACK
INSTRUCTIONS: One at a time, put the blindfold on the kids. Hand them a green gummi bear in one hand, and a different color in the other. The player will taste both gummi bears and try to guess which one is the green one. (Note: In Haribo Gummi Bears, the green flavor is actually strawberry!) VARIATION: This can be done with any colored, flavored candy that has a green piece, including Lifesavers and Jelly Beans. WHAT’S THE POINT? Prayer helps us grow and comforts us when life isn’t so green. "GREEN THINGS" ACTIVITY
Stand in a circle, and pass a green ball around your group. Every time someone throws the ball, they need to name something green. How many green things can you come up with in a row without repeating? Green is for the garden. The garden is where we pray. TEACHRead Luke 22:39-46 or watch the video below. How many of you pray? (Wait for responses.) Good! I’m glad that you pray! When do you pray? (Wait for responses; some may have been given already.) We often pray together before we eat, or just before bedtime. We pray together at church or even in Sunday School! Did you know that Jesus prayed? He did. He prayed a lot. The Bible talks about Him praying at night, early in the morning, in front of big groups, with His Disciples, and even all by Himself. He always prayed to His Father in Heaven (God the Father.) The Bible also tells us that He prayed on the night before His death on the cross. On that night He prayed on the Mount of Olives at a place called Gethsemane. One of the most powerful stories in the Bible is the story of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. It is there that Jesus prayed on the night before His death, asking His Father, "…if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me." However, Jesus finished His prayer with these words, "…yet not as I will, but as you will." Jesus went through untold agony in the Garden, even to the point of sweating blood. But despite this He stayed true to the Father’s will. It was important that the Savior (Jesus) be a willing sacrifice. It would not have been alright for God the Father to have somehow forced His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross. But Jesus, though He in His humanity dreaded all that it meant to die on the cross, was willing to do what His Father asked, even if it meant His death. When Peter fought back as Jesus was arrested, Jesus stopped him and asked “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” (Matthew 26:53-54) Jesus was not forced to die on the cross. As He told Peter, He could have called on His Father and received the immediate help of more than 12 legions of angels (more than enough!) But He wanted to do the Father’s will, to fulfill the scriptures, and to set mankind free from sin and death. Jesus went to the cross willingly for you and for me. But, He prayed with his friends and his Father first. MAKE IT PERSONALWe know Jesus was born to die for our sins, and we know he went willingly. But the Garden of Gethsemane reveals that this was no easy task. Jesus would have gladly skipped the cross if it was possible, but he put God’s plan ahead of his own comfort and fulfilled his mission. God has a plan for every one of you. For some, it will mean serving God right where you are, in school or at home or someplace else close. For others, it may mean going out on a mission trip. It may one day even mean going someplace dangerous to share the good news. Whatever God calls you to do, do it. Do it with all your heart. Do it knowing that God will go with you. Jesus didn’t want to suffer. If there was another way, he’d have gladly taken it, but he was never, ever going to run. Jesus was obedient. That incredible obedience means we can have eternal life. It means we are amazingly loved. And it means we need to prepare our hearts to be just as obedient. Let’s thank God for the obedience of Jesus, and ask him to help us to be just as obedient when the time comes. PRAYJesus used prayer to strengthen himself. He also asked for his friends to pray for him. It's ok to ask for relief, as long as we accept that God can say no! It's very important to share our feelings with God. It's OK to be angry or fearful. Those feelings should be shared with God, not harbored against Him. But we must always be willing to accept God's answers and go ahead and do what we fear. He will help us through it. Jesus asked his friends for help. His friends failed him by falling asleep. Your friends and family may fail you, but they still love you. Let's spend take a moment to pray today and ask God for help for our family, and our friends! FAMILY ACTIVITY (REINFORCE) - "MOTHER MAY I?"Although the Father answered Jesus' prayer request with a "No," Jesus stayed obedient. Parents can reinforce this concept by organizing a round of "Mother, May I."
1. One child or an adult must stand in the front of the group to act as the "mother". The others line up across the back of the room. 2. The "mother" shouts out a command that causes someone to advance forward. For example, the mother may say "Jeff, hop forward three steps," or "Mary, leap forward one step." 3. The individual must respond with "Mother, May I" to gain permission to follow the command before she actually follows the command. If she fails to do this, she must go back to the starting position. The first one to reach mother, wins.
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It Takes a VillageFaith formation in children is a massive undertaking. While parents are the primary disciple-makers of their kiddos, we're here to let you know you're not alone. Archives
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