September: Pass the Salt

Get Ready

Pour two tablespoons of salt into a small bowl of water and let it sit for a day. Drain the water, leaving the salt in the bowl. Put two tablespoons of new salt in another small bowl. You'll also need a notebook (or your family journal if you use one) and a pen.

Read the Word

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men" (Matt. 5:13).

Talk It Over

WEEK 1: Old Salt

Have an older child read the passage. Ask each family member to taste both the old and the new salt. What happened to the waterlogged salt to cause it to lose its flavor? What are some things that can cause Christians to lose our "saltiness" in the world? What keeps us "salty"? Choose one or two members of the family and ask everyone else to talk about ways these family members are salt to the world. Write these comments in your notebook so you can look back on them later. End your time by asking God to show you ways to add salt to the world.

WEEK 2: Why Salt?

After you read the verse, give each person a pinch of salt to hold as you talk together about the characteristics of salt?what it looks and feels like, where you find it, what happens if you have too much or not enough. Why do you think Jesus compared us to salt? What does this comparison tell us about how we should live? Choose another family member or two and talk about how each person is salt to the world. Write down the responses in your notebook. End your time by thanking God for helping us share his love with the world.

WEEK 3: Salt That Works

After reading the passage, look at the salt in the bowl and think about all the things salt does. It seasons food, it preserves food, it melts ice on roads. Now think about the ways Christians can help other people. How can we add flavor to other people's lives? How can we help "preserve" people in need? How can our "salt" melt the ice of people's hearts? Talk about the "saltiness" of any remaining family members and write your comments in the notebook. End your time by asking God to help each of you become more "salty."

WEEK 4: Out of the Shaker

Read the passage, then read other verses related to salt such as Mark 9:50 and Colossians 4:6 and talk about how they apply to your family. Ask each person to taste the new salt one more time. How are you salt for each other? Together, think of an aspect of family life where you'd like to add more salt. Write down ways you can add salt to your family and end your time asking God to help you focus on this goal.

Remember This

"You are the salt of the earth" (Matt. 5:13).

Want More?

AGES 3-5:

Get a variety of foods your child likes, then ask your child to taste each one. Which foods are salty? Which are sweet or tart or sour? Help him think about how these foods would taste without any seasoning. Then talk about how dull life would be without the salt God brings.

AGES 6-9:

Talk about the ways Jesus was salt to the world. How did he add flavor to the lives of people he met? Have your child name one characteristic of Jesus that she'd like people to see in her, then talk about specific ways she can be salt to her friends and family. Have her write the Remember This verse on a notecard or piece of paper and put it next to the salt shaker in your kitchen. Every time she reaches for the salt this month, have her say the verse.

AGES 10-14:

Help your child use a concordance to find all the places the word "salt" is used in the Bible. What do these verses tell us about how we should live? Ask your child to think of three ways he can be salt in his school. Encourage him to write these down and keep his list in his backpack or locker so he can see them and practice them every day. At the end of the month, talk with your child about ways you've seen him be salt to his family and friends over the last few weeks.

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