Category: Family

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05.19.12 GPS for Families

By on May 19, 2012 in Daily Readings, Family

Say: God has given all of us the Holy Spirit to guide us. While this is abstract for children and often difficult to explain, we can help them begin to discern the “voice” of the Holy Spirit. God can use His spirit and internal prompters to guide us in what’s right and wrong. Children have these same prompters, but many parents miss the opportunity to help kids recognize them. Instead, parents emphasize their own guidance and prompting. If we want children to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, we have to teach them to listen for it. Instead of telling a child to clean their room, you might say, “Please go look in your room to see if you can find anything out of place.” Or try this, “You are about to leave the table, forgetting anything?” These open-ended questions lead them to use their own internal guidance and make choices based on that information. Yes, you will have to help them find that guidance with small prompts and hints, but they can do it if you continue to offer them opportunities to look and listen to their internal dialogue. Warning: this process will be more frustrating for parents than children in the beginning. But in the long run, when we raise the awareness of their built-in guidance, it helps them find confidence in their internal instincts and the voice of the Holy Spirit.

Weekly Prayer

Holy Spirit, help me this day to cultivate an awareness of your work in my heart. I know that your presence in my life represents the same power at work in me that raised Jesus from the dead. Bring your power to bear on my life as I seek to honor you with my every thought, word and deed today and every day. I offer this prayer in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.


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05.12.12 GPS for Families

By on May 12, 2012 in Daily Readings, Family

Read: Acts 1:1-10. Read from a children’s Bible if you have young children.

When Jesus left the earth, he told his disciples he would leave the Holy Spirit with them to help them do his work. The Holy Spirit is still here with us every day, just like a good friend.

Ask: Who are some friends that you love to be around? Why do you like to be around that person? (They are fun, they listen, they help me, etc.) Say: God gave us a helper in life besides our family and friends. He gave us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came to give the disciples (including you) power to share his love with others.

Ask: What does it mean to have the power of the Holy Spirit? Say: It means we can do things using God’s power that we could not do on our own. Philippians 4:13 says we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. When we have God’s power, we can be brave and we can share God’s love with others, even though it may seem scary or hard to do.

Pray: Let’s try to think of a way to share God’s love with someone this week. Now let’s pray for the Holy Spirit to give us his power to do so.

Weekly Prayer

Holy Spirit, help me this day to cultivate an awareness of your work in my heart. I know that your presence in my life represents the same power at work in me that raised Jesus from the dead. Bring your power to bear on my life as I seek to honor you with my every thought, word and deed today and every day. I offer this prayer in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.


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05.05.12 GPS for Families

By on May 05, 2012 in Daily Readings, Family

Read: Psalm 27:14, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

Say: Sometimes we start planning stuff then ask God to bless us in what we are doing. Instead, we should try to wait and see what God is already doing, then join him. The Holy Spirit is here to guide us and help us figure out what we are to do. When we truly learn to wait on God, we learn to trust God.

Say: It’s kind of like trusting someone to catch you. Henri Nouwen tells about learning this from The Flying Rodleighs, famous German trapeze artists. The trapeze group leader told Nouwen, “As a flyer, I must have complete trust in my catcher. The public might think that I am the great star of the trapeze, but the real star is Joe, my catcher. He has to be there for me with split second precision and grab me out of the air as I come to him in the long jump. The secret is that the flyer does nothing and the catcher does everything. The worst thing the flyer can do is to try to catch the catcher. A flyer must fly and a catcher must catch, and the flyer must trust, with outstretched arms, that his catcher will be there for him.”

What a great picture of what God asks us to do. We are the flyer and he is the catcher.  We just have to fly through the air and trust he will catch us.

Weekly Prayer

Holy Spirit, help me this day to cultivate an awareness of your work in my heart. I know that your presence in my life represents the same power at work in me that raised Jesus from the dead. Bring your power to bear on my life as I seek to honor you with my every thought, word and deed today and every day. I offer this prayer in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

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04.28.12 GPS for Families

By on Apr 28, 2012 in Daily Readings, Family

GPS for Families

Read: Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Show: Your kids a glove.

Ask: “What shape is the glove?” (a hand) “If it looks like a hand, it should be able do everything a hand can, right? Let’s see if that works.” Tell the glove to do something for you. (When the kids look at you like you’re crazy, go ahead with the test.)

Say: “Glove, will you please go get a pen for me?” Watch and wait for a few seconds. Keep trying to talk the glove into doing something for you. Finally, in frustration say, “I guess we need to put a hand in that glove to get it to do something.” Put the glove on and have it “do” a few things.

Say: That glove is a lot like us without the Holy Spirit. We may look like we can do things, but without the hand in the glove or the Holy Spirit in us, we really cannot accomplish much for God. God gave us the Holy Spirit so that we always have his power with us. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to do the work of God every day.

Weekly Prayer

Holy Spirit, help me this day to cultivate an awareness of your work in my heart. I know that your presence in my life represents the same power at work in me that raised Jesus from the dead. Bring your power to bear on my life as I seek to honor you with my every thought, word and deed today and every day. I offer this prayer in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

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04.21.12 GPS for Families

By on Apr 21, 2012 in Daily Readings, Family

GPS for Families

Read: John 20:21-22 again. Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you.” And with that He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” If you have young children, read from a children’s Bible.

Say: This scripture is about Jesus’ time on earth after He died and was resurrected. He is talking with His disciples, and they are concerned because Jesus will not be on earth with them anymore. In verse 22, when it says He breathed on them, Jesus was giving them the Holy Spirit. He was leaving that part of Himself with the disciples. The Holy Spirit is like God’s breath in us. It’s like the air. It is always available to us, and we carry it around with us wherever we go. So, though we cannot see Jesus, we always have Him with us.

Ask: Have you ever thought of doing something, but somewhere inside you had this feeling that it was a bad choice? That is the Holy Spirit talking to you, trying to guide you. In that circumstance, you can choose to listen to that voice or ignore it, right? If we are followers of Jesus, we must learn to listen to the Holy Spirit. The next time you have a choice to make, stop. Take a deep breath, and feel the Holy Spirit filling you up just like the air you are breathing. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you make the right choice. Then do what He says.

Weekly Prayer

Holy Spirit, help me this day to cultivate an awareness of your work in my heart. I know that your presence in my life represents the same power at work in me that raised Jesus from the dead. Bring your power to bear on my life as I seek to honor you with my every thought, word and deed today and every day. I offer this prayer in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

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04.14.12 GPS for Families

By on Apr 14, 2012 in Daily Readings, Family

GPS for Families

We celebrated Easter this week. Jesus’ Resurrection is proof that even death can’t separate us from God. Jesus’ new life reminds us that even though we are not perfect, we make mistakes and will do things we shouldn’t, God will always be there, ready with his “blanket” of grace.

Read Romans 8:35-39. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Ask: What do you think it means that nothing can separate us from the love of God? Explain: It means we can do nothing to make Him stop loving us. Even if we did something terrible, God loves us and will continue to offer us grace. Grace is what allows us to seek forgiveness. It allows us to feel God’s love even if we think we don’t deserve it. Grace is like a blanket of God’s love wrapped around us to keep our hearts warm.

Find a cozy blanket and wrap yourselves up in it as a reminder of God’s love for you. Keep a special blanket to remind your kids of this when they are struggling.

Weekly Prayer

Loving and gracious God, we give you thanks for the victory we each have in Jesus. Today, we remember that the Resurrection changes everything! We pray that you would enable us to live with complete trust that our past is forgiven, our present is a sacred opportunity to bless others and our future is firmly secure. You live, Lord! You live! May we also live in you! AMEN.

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04.07.12 GPS for Families

By on Apr 07, 2012 in Daily Readings, Family

GPS for Families

We began Holy Week with Palm Sunday, celebrating Jesus’ return to Jerusalem. Waving palms was a custom used to welcome a ruler, and the people were welcoming Jesus as they would a king. But Jesus chose to send a different message. A king would have been riding on a horse, but Jesus chose to enter humbly on a donkey. He continued to take on the role of servant.

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in the appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross.” Philippians 2: 5-8

To practice this attitude in your home, hold a special Jesus dinner. Put food in family-style containers on the table and take turns serving each other the food. Adults may have to help small children. Talk about the above scripture and what it means to serve others. Discuss the different ways Jesus continued to act as a servant rather than a king. Brainstorm ways you can serve each other and ways you can serve others outside your home. Commit to serving someone else in a new way this week.

Weekly Prayer

Holy God, prepare our hearts this week for Easter and the remembrance of the suffering that preceded that great day of celebration. Remind us that it is in your dying that we find life, and that we, too, are called to lose our own lives for the sake of finding new life in you. May we walk through these final days of Lent with a renewed commitment to following you on the narrow path that leads to life.

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03.31.12 GPS for Families

By on Mar 31, 2012 in Daily Readings, Family

GPS for Families

Each day in our GPS this week we have been encouraged to memorize our one-verse scriptures. Why is memorizing important not only for us but also for our children? Because God will use those words in times of need. You can recall Philippians 4:13 when you are feeling exceptionally weak and tired. You will lean on 2 Timothy 1:12 when you feel threatened by others.

So how do we memorize God’s word? Here are a few ideas to help:

  • Chant to a rhythm. Clap your hands, stomp your feet or bang on a drum if your ears can handle it! It doesn’t matter what rhythm, just make up one or chose a simple nursery rhyme beat like The Itsy-Bitsy Spider.
  • Make up movements to go with the verse. You can turn to official American Sign Language or invent your own movements.
  • Sing a song. If you can sing it, you can remember it. You can make up your own tune or use a standby tune like Mary Had a Little Lamb. If you’re feeling “hip” enough, consider using a rap or hip-hop tune. Just pick something the kids will like so they will want to sing it.
  • Post the scripture somewhere prominent so it can be reviewed each day. Consider reciting it together in the car, before meals or on the way to school.

Finally, make sure to find situations that allow your kids to apply the words. This will reinforce the importance of learning God’s word.

Weekly Prayer

God, sometimes we do the things we don’t want to do and find ourselves neglecting the things we should do. We struggle with sin! Forgive us for so often complaining about our boundaries, resenting our limitations, hating our weaknesses. You made us human, people who can’t live without the divine. We admit our need of you and accept your gift to us of Jesus Christ. Where we deserved condemnation, you have given us grace!

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03.24.12 GPS for Families

By on Mar 24, 2012 in Daily Readings, Family

GPS for Families

Read Luke 22:54–62, Peter’s denial of Jesus. After Peter had denied Jesus, verse 61 tells us Jesus turned and looked straight at Peter. Can you imagine? The thing you swore you wouldn’t do (deny Jesus), you just did. The man you said you’d die for, you just betrayed. And as He’s being questioned and insulted by the religious leaders, He hears you. He turns, sad eyes locking with yours. What did those eyes say to Peter? You just broke my heart, Peter, but I still love you.

After looking into the eyes of Jesus, Peter remembered. Aren’t our kids just like that at times? When they make a mistake or misbehave, they will usually feel remorse or at least regret it when they get caught. If they have to look us in the eye, they feel even worse because they see our disappointment. They remember the rules, the reminders, the talks and the previous consequences. The question is, do they see the love too?

Often we get so caught up in their actions or misbehavior that we forget to temper
our reactions with love. We react in anger or frustration. We are only human, of course, and we forget, just like Peter did. But let’s remind ourselves how much we are loved. Remember the God who sent His own Son to die for us. Remember the Son who willingly gave His life. Close your eyes and imagine looking into his face. You will see love.

Weekly Prayer

Holy and loving God, we remember today your challenging instructions to “deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow you.” We confess, Lord, that we often feel tempted to go the easy way and avoid the narrow path that involves our sacrifice. Remind us, Lord, that it is this less-traveled road that leads to life. As you have given to us, help us to give ourselves for others. We pray all these things in the name of our crucified and resurrected Savior, Jesus. AMEN.

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03.17.12 GPS for Families

By on Mar 17, 2012 in Daily Readings, Family

GPS for Families

We learned in our GPS this week that “repent” means to turn away. Teach your kids a lesson in how to turn toward Jesus and away from their imperfect nature.

Read Acts 9:1-6. Use a children’s Bible if you have young children. Talk about
how miraculous it is that Paul (who was against people who followed Jesus) came to become one of the greatest disciples to walk the earth. But to do so, he had to turn away from his old self and toward Jesus. This was a choice. Jesus refers to Himself as the truth and the light. He says we must turn toward Him and away from the darkness.

Illustrate this by making the room as dark as possible. Let your children hold your hand if they are scared. Now shine a bright flashlight or small lamp on one side of the room. Tell your kids to walk toward the light. Ask them what happens when they get closer to the light. (They can see their way better, see themselves more clearly, feel safer, etc.) Now have them turn away from the light and discuss what happens.

When we move toward Jesus, we can see ourselves better and understand what we need to change. Jesus also helps us see our way better. His “light” directs us through choices and decisions that would be hard in the dark. Talk about practical ways to move toward Jesus every day.

Weekly Prayer

God, sometimes the world we live in can seem very dark. We ask you to lead us in the light. As the “word is a light unto our feet and a lamp unto our pathway,” help us to see and live by the truth you give us in Jesus Christ. Save us from our sins, grant us a new birth, fill us with your Holy Spirit and give us everlasting life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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03.10.12 GPS for Families

By on Mar 10, 2012 in Daily Readings, Family

GPS for Families

God loves for us to spend time with family and friends creating traditions and memories. He made us for life in community. But He also made us to be in relationship with Him. But sometimes we get so focused on making our plans that we leave God out of the planning. Start a new tradition this year that will draw you back to Jesus. No need to forego the family Easter traditions like dying eggs, getting a new outfit and hunting for eggs filled with candy. Instead, plan to devote one day during this Lenten season to focus on Christ. Put it on your calendar right now.

Pick one afternoon or evening to focus on what Jesus did for us before He rose from the grave. Take a picnic or play some quiet music at home to set the mood. Read about the final days of Jesus’ life in John 17-19 or Luke 23. Read from a children’s Bible if you have young kids. Have them draw a picture about Jesus’ last days, or make a cross out of sticks and yarn or beads and lanyard. Talk about what that experience must have been like. Acknowledge that it seems horrible to us, and it probably was very hard for Jesus. Remind them that He was willing to go through all of that because He loves us so much. Write a letter of thanks to Jesus and express what it means that He died for you.

Then plan a great Easter weekend marking His rise from death that gives us all new life!

Weekly Prayer

Jesus, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God! God, if there is anything lacking in my faith, please reveal this to me. I want to love you, please you, follow you and live for you. Sometimes I get distracted on this journey. Today I choose to believe in you. Give me courage and grace for this belief to guide my life.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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03.03.12 GPS for Families

By on Mar 03, 2012 in Daily Readings, Family

GPS for Families

Use the Family Lent Calendar from our church to focus on Lent in your home. It has simple activities to do each day. In addition, you can try some of these ideas:

  • Read 2 Corinthians 5:17. As a symbol of a “new creation,” make butterflies using a large piece of wrapping tissue scrunched and secured in the middle with a clothespin.
  • Paint a spring mural. Put up a wall-sized piece of paper, tape newspaper to the floor, dress your child in old clothes and get out the paints! Even if it’s not greening up outside, you can start springtime indoors.
  • Take a “new life walk” outdoors, searching out tiny shoots, sprouting buds on trees and eggs in birds’ nests. Talk about the new life Jesus’ death and resurrection brings.
  • Bring springtime indoors as a symbol of the new life we have in Christ. Buy potted crocuses, daffodils, lilies or tulips for your home. Or, fill a clay pot with soil and grass seeds. Your children will be able to watch the swift growth of the grass shoots.
  • Define resurrection for your kids. Have an older child undertake a “Bible hunt” to identify people who died and were raised to life. In every case, who did the resurrecting?
  • Visit a farm or petting zoo and look for newborns: piglets, bunnies, lambs or chicks.
  • Make an Easter bonnet by decorating a paper plate with silk or paper flowers. Two slits on opposite sides of the plate allow a ribbon to pass through so you can tie it underneath your child’s chin.

Weekly Prayer

God, give to me your spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Christ; may the eyes of my heart be opened so I may know the hope of your calling and the riches of the glory of your inheritance, the surpassing greatness of your power and work in my life, brought about in Christ by the resurrection from the dead. Amen. (from Ephesians 1:17-23)

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02.25.12 GPS for Families

By on Feb 25, 2012 in Daily Readings, Family

GPS for Families

The subject of Lent can be a heavy topic for children, so it’s important to recognize the suffering and death of Jesus, but be careful not to focus too much on the final days without emphasis on the resurrection. Just as we must recognize our sin and failings, we must also recognize that Jesus died for us, to forgive that sin and give us eternal life.

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday with the practice of placing ashes on one’s forehead as a sign of humility and sorrow before God. It continues 40 days as a time of prayer, introspection and repentance in preparation for Easter. The six Sundays that occur during Lent are not counted as part of the 40 days. The number 40 is connected with the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness facing the temptations that could lead him to abandon his mission and calling.

Some people practice the giving up (fasting) of meat, sweets and other types of indulgences or activities. Others focus on helping those in need. Still, some add a new practice of prayer or Bible study during the Lenten season. Each is done as
a discipline, a reminder of Christ’s sufferings and what our true pleasures are as followers of Christ and as an act of sorrow over our sin. Sometimes we don’t notice how certain things we do have gained power over us and dictate our actions. In Lent, we discover these things and give them up so that God can be in charge.

Weekly Prayer

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as a pathway to peace; taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will; so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen.

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02.18.12 GPS for Families

By on Feb 18, 2012 in Daily Readings, Family

GPS for Families

In Galatians 5:22, we read about the fruits of the Spirit that God wants to grow in our lives. These fruits are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These are characteristics we would all like to have, but it’s hard to always love or be good or self-controlled when things aren’t going our way or when we are tired or someone is giving us a hard time.

The good news is God doesn’t expect you to try to be these things all by yourself, in your own strength. He wants to grow these characteristics in you. He gave us the Holy Spirit to stay with us always. As we connect with the Spirit and draw closer to God, we allow the Spirit to work in us.

If you spend time around certain friends, you may begin to act, dress and talk like them. The same happens when you spend time with God. You will begin to be more like God as you get closer to him. You can spend time with God by reading the Bible, praying and journaling about your faith. You can also get closer to God when you go to classes at church with your friends or worship with your family. The more time you spend with God, the more fruit the Holy Spirit produces in your life.

Weekly Prayer

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as a pathway to peace; taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will; so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen.

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02.11.12 GPS for Families

By on Feb 11, 2012 in Daily Readings, Family

GPS for Families

Research links the lack of self-control to addiction, bad health, debt, procrastination, eating disorders, and more. The lack of self-control breaks down walls of protection, prevents the spirit from working in you, and exposes you to things that can destroy your future.

But don’t buy into the myth that you can’t teach self-control because it’s a part of how a child’s personality is wired. Most experts agree that anyone can learn self-control. It’s not easy…it has to be intentionally and continually developed. But just like you would use your skill to build a wall back in places that are broken, you can build more self-control into your home. You can help your kids learn self control by:

  • Implementing a consistent structure and schedule
  • Pursuing moderation in eating, playing video games, TV, and computer usage
  • Establishing a system for homework and chores
  • Instilling financial habits of giving and saving
  • Practicing delayed gratification when it comes to purchasing or acquiring items for your kids, and teaching them to actually “shop” instead of buy

It’s like mental gymnastics; practice helps. Ultimately though, a strong role model is key. Maybe you need to sit down as a family to develop new patterns for all of you. If you do not practice the habits above, you will have a tough time enforcing them with your kids. Then pray specifically for the fruit of the spirit to become evident in your life.

Weekly Prayer

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as a pathway to peace; taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will; so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen.

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