Sunday, April 26, 2015

Faithful Families Resources April 26 2015


Under any system of society ... the family holds the future in its bosom.
~Charles Franklin Thwing

Family Closeness
Game:
Which of these stories is true?
Have each family member think of three stories. They could be personal stories, from the news, or even from something like a Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Two of the stories must be false and one must be true. Family members have to guess which one is the true story.

Sharing:
Questions for stimulating discussion in your family.
  • The most wonderful thing about this planet is  . . .
  • It is important to be honest because . . . 
  • Some one who needs prayer/thoughts at the moment is  . . .

Story
With your family read: John 15.1-8
Questions for Discussion:
  • What do you think Jesus is telling us in this passage?
  • What does it mean to be connected to Jesus?
  • What do the branches get from the vine?

Prayer and Celebration
The prayer Jesus taught is a great model for how we might pray and how we might teach our children to do so. Each week  we will look at a line of the Lord’s prayer and discover what we can learn about prayer from it.

Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
These lines of the Lord’s pray encourage us to reflect on where we have missed the mark in our relationship with God, with others, with ourselves and with creation. It also makes us question where we are not forgiving others.

Discuss with your family some of the ways that humans are sinful.
Discuss why forgiving others is important if we are to ask for forgiveness.
Take some time in silence to ask God for forgives for those things on our hearts and also to forgive others.

 Service (starting in your home)
Question: how can I give power to the other? One answer: Encourage III.
Work with your child on an aspiration that is important to them. It may relate to school, music, sport or a hobby or other. A tremendous endorsement in personal power is the knowledge that a skill has been acquired, a measure of mastery has been gained. Sometimes we might be drawn to the child whose interests match our own – say I prefer rugby over soccer.  It is vital to engage in the things that interest our children, more than ourselves. This is a long-term project. This is not something to tick off in 7 days time. Stay committed to the task. Remember the guiding question however: how do you give power to your child. This will ensure you are working for their goal and not your own.

Family Time
Bonus Family Activity

This week, create a Love Poster. On the top of the poster, write: "Love one another as I have loved you." Brainstorm practical ways family members can love each other the way Jesus loves your family. (Share bathroom time, take out the trash without being asked, say nice things to each other, etc.) Discuss the cost of each activity. (How will you have to change to live out what your family wrote down?) At the bottom of the poster, write the word "Sacrifice." Discuss the meaning of the word and how love demands sacrifice. End the discussion by reading John 15:9-14. Emphasize Jesus died for us because he loved us and was willing to sacrifice everything for us.

from word-sunday.com Larry Broding (Copyright 1999-2002)

(This material is based on and draws from earlier Faithful Families emails by Stephen Harrison and Richard Browning: An Unless Ideas Production.) Unless otherwise noted all material on this blog is copyright Stephen Harrison and Richard Browning

No comments:

Post a Comment