Here's what's happening in kidSPACE this month!
Preschool:
Do what’s right! How often have we heard that in our lives? We are constantly being told by people to do what’s right. And, if we’re honest, we’re constantly telling the little people in our lives to do what’s right. What we need to remember is that they are just learning what is right. We need to help them. We need to teach them.
In the month of May, we will be guiding our preschoolers to the Bible where they can “Learn to do what is right,” (Isaiah 1:17, NIrV). They will be introduced to two amazing Bible heroes who knew they should do the right thing even when it is hard. Their stories are great examples for our littlest friends.
First, we will meet Daniel. Daniel did not have an easy life. He was taken from his home and asked to do some pretty incredible things. Through it all, Daniel looked to God for guidance and continued to follow His commands even when it meant almost certain death. However, we learn that God is more powerful than our enemies and even lions.
Then, we meet Joseph. Poor Joseph. First, his brothers sell him to slavery. Then, he ends up in jail for something he didn’t do. If anyone had a reason to be bitter, it was Joseph. In contrast, Joseph continued to do what he knew was right; what God wanted him to do. And, God used his obedience to save a nation.
Our prayer is that our preschoolers will hear the stories this month and know that God will teach them to do what is right through His Word. And, by doing what is right, by showing obedience to God, they will glorify Him every day.
Elementary:
Preschool:
Do what’s right! How often have we heard that in our lives? We are constantly being told by people to do what’s right. And, if we’re honest, we’re constantly telling the little people in our lives to do what’s right. What we need to remember is that they are just learning what is right. We need to help them. We need to teach them.
In the month of May, we will be guiding our preschoolers to the Bible where they can “Learn to do what is right,” (Isaiah 1:17, NIrV). They will be introduced to two amazing Bible heroes who knew they should do the right thing even when it is hard. Their stories are great examples for our littlest friends.
First, we will meet Daniel. Daniel did not have an easy life. He was taken from his home and asked to do some pretty incredible things. Through it all, Daniel looked to God for guidance and continued to follow His commands even when it meant almost certain death. However, we learn that God is more powerful than our enemies and even lions.
Then, we meet Joseph. Poor Joseph. First, his brothers sell him to slavery. Then, he ends up in jail for something he didn’t do. If anyone had a reason to be bitter, it was Joseph. In contrast, Joseph continued to do what he knew was right; what God wanted him to do. And, God used his obedience to save a nation.
Our prayer is that our preschoolers will hear the stories this month and know that God will teach them to do what is right through His Word. And, by doing what is right, by showing obedience to God, they will glorify Him every day.
Elementary:
Think about all you saw when you stepped outside this morning. Was the sun shining? Did you hear birds or see squirrels making the most of their morning? Did you take a deep breath?
Without our thinking about it, life happens.
From the beginning, when God created the world, He set systems in motion. If He decided to ignore those, our world would quickly turn chaotic. God takes responsibility for what He creates. Even when we failed Him, He promised a way of escape through Jesus. He made good on this promise, and after we take our last breath we can trust that we’ll be with Him forever. God has proven that you can trust Him with every moment of your life.
But God doesn’t want for us to move through our life simply trusting Him. He wants us to become more like Him by showing others that we can be trusted as well. Every day, you have opportunities to take what God has given to you: your stuff, your words, your relationships and use them wisely. When you respond to God with the abilities that He has given to you, you are responsible.
And when you are responsible with a little, the Bible says you will be given more: more opportunities, more relationships, more ways that you can use what God has given you to reflect His character to the world around you. Our monthly memory verse says it this way, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much,” (Luke 16:10, NIV).
Our series is called, “Great Expectations—will you win Trust?” It plays out like this: God has proven He can be trusted. When we trust Him and we respond to Him with our abilities, then we are responsible. And when we are responsible, we live a good story. We are a light to others. They will see our good works and glorify God because of how they see Him at work in us.
Week One, we start with the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) and focus on responding to God by giving Him our stuff—our money and our abilities. Everyone’s been given something and we can choose to invest what we’ve been given to make a difference in the world around us. The worst thing is to just sit on it, bury it and save it for later. Bottom Line: I can be trusted when I make the most of what God has given me.
Week Two, we discover our words matter (Ephesians 4:29). We’ll talk about how we can become trusted people by the way we build others up based on what they need. When we show responsibility with our words, we create trust between us. So, one of the best things we can do for our relationships is to learn to choose our words carefully. We might even get more opportunities to impact even more people. Bottom Line: I can be trusted when I choose the right words.
Week Three, we unpack the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37). In this powerful narrative, we see how the people we most expect to be responsible aren’t. We’re challenged to be more like the Samaritan because he could be trusted to act and do the right thing, even if he was busy and it cost him something. We don’t want to be people that say the right things, but then don’t act on them when they have the chance. Bottom Line: I can be trusted when I choose to help others in need.
Week Four, we review with the Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22:34-37). Our greatest responsibility is something very good: loving Someone who loved us first and loves us most—so much He willingly sacrificed for us. When we choose to love God more than anything else, our other responsibilities (like using our stuff, choosing our words and acting to help others) are much easier to live out. When we get the relationship part right, being responsible is a natural expression of our love. Bottom Line: I can be trusted when I put God first.
It’s important to remember that we can’t do any of this on our own. But God isn’t asking us to! God is the One who’s proven He’s responsible and trustworthy since the very beginning. Our responsibility is really a reflection of God and His character showing up in us. We can be responsible because of God’s power at work in us to help us respond to Him with everything we have—our ability, our stuff, our words, our time and our actions. Imagine how the world might change if we lived out these “great expectations” and became even more trustworthy people!
By Cara Martens. ©2012 Orange. All rights reserved. www.WhatIsOrange.org * All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Without our thinking about it, life happens.
From the beginning, when God created the world, He set systems in motion. If He decided to ignore those, our world would quickly turn chaotic. God takes responsibility for what He creates. Even when we failed Him, He promised a way of escape through Jesus. He made good on this promise, and after we take our last breath we can trust that we’ll be with Him forever. God has proven that you can trust Him with every moment of your life.
But God doesn’t want for us to move through our life simply trusting Him. He wants us to become more like Him by showing others that we can be trusted as well. Every day, you have opportunities to take what God has given to you: your stuff, your words, your relationships and use them wisely. When you respond to God with the abilities that He has given to you, you are responsible.
And when you are responsible with a little, the Bible says you will be given more: more opportunities, more relationships, more ways that you can use what God has given you to reflect His character to the world around you. Our monthly memory verse says it this way, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much,” (Luke 16:10, NIV).
Our series is called, “Great Expectations—will you win Trust?” It plays out like this: God has proven He can be trusted. When we trust Him and we respond to Him with our abilities, then we are responsible. And when we are responsible, we live a good story. We are a light to others. They will see our good works and glorify God because of how they see Him at work in us.
Week One, we start with the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) and focus on responding to God by giving Him our stuff—our money and our abilities. Everyone’s been given something and we can choose to invest what we’ve been given to make a difference in the world around us. The worst thing is to just sit on it, bury it and save it for later. Bottom Line: I can be trusted when I make the most of what God has given me.
Week Two, we discover our words matter (Ephesians 4:29). We’ll talk about how we can become trusted people by the way we build others up based on what they need. When we show responsibility with our words, we create trust between us. So, one of the best things we can do for our relationships is to learn to choose our words carefully. We might even get more opportunities to impact even more people. Bottom Line: I can be trusted when I choose the right words.
Week Three, we unpack the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37). In this powerful narrative, we see how the people we most expect to be responsible aren’t. We’re challenged to be more like the Samaritan because he could be trusted to act and do the right thing, even if he was busy and it cost him something. We don’t want to be people that say the right things, but then don’t act on them when they have the chance. Bottom Line: I can be trusted when I choose to help others in need.
Week Four, we review with the Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22:34-37). Our greatest responsibility is something very good: loving Someone who loved us first and loves us most—so much He willingly sacrificed for us. When we choose to love God more than anything else, our other responsibilities (like using our stuff, choosing our words and acting to help others) are much easier to live out. When we get the relationship part right, being responsible is a natural expression of our love. Bottom Line: I can be trusted when I put God first.
It’s important to remember that we can’t do any of this on our own. But God isn’t asking us to! God is the One who’s proven He’s responsible and trustworthy since the very beginning. Our responsibility is really a reflection of God and His character showing up in us. We can be responsible because of God’s power at work in us to help us respond to Him with everything we have—our ability, our stuff, our words, our time and our actions. Imagine how the world might change if we lived out these “great expectations” and became even more trustworthy people!
By Cara Martens. ©2012 Orange. All rights reserved. www.WhatIsOrange.org * All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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