Family Time with God

Family devotions don't have to be formal sit-down events. Use these quick ideas to connect with your kids during meals, in the car, or at bedtime. The more involved "Family Night" ideas will help you create memorable evenings (or afternoons) with the whole crew. Whether you use one of these ideas each week or only manage to squeeze in a couple during the next two months, you'll be teaching your children that any time is a great time to learn about God.

Mealtime Moments

Eat It Up

Prayer: Thank you Lord for this food and for your Word, which is food for our hearts (Jeremiah 15:16).

Main Course: Serve alphabet cereal, alphabet soup, or alphabet macaroni and cheese. See who can spell out a short Bible word (such as "God" or "love") on a plate first, then eat the words.

Table Talk: Ask your family these questions:

• Which Bible verse "tastes" sweetest to you? Why?
• Even if you chew food, why doesn't it do you any good until you digest it?
• How exactly do we "digest" God's Word?

Stone Cold Heart

Prayer: Thank you, God, for promising to remove our hearts of stone (Ezekiel 36:26).

Main Course: Serve baked potatoes wrapped in foil. Wrap some potato-sized rocks with foil and set them on a plate beside the real potatoes.

Table Talk: Ask each person to use their fork to pick up a "potato" from each plate. How is getting a fork into a rock like trying to talk to someone with a hard heart? Why does God want us to have "soft" hearts?

Joy Ride

Three of a Kind

Ask your children what object is associated with each list:

• Peter and Jesus walking, baptism, and the Jordan. (Water)
• Animals, wood, and 40. (The Flood)
• Gold, baboons, and wisdom. (Solomon)
• Fire, a chariot, and miracles. (Elijah)
• 30 years, 3 years, and 3 days. (Jesus)

Now make up your own.

Book Worms

Have your children take turns naming the Bible books in order, first the Old Testament, then the New Testament. One child starts with Genesis, then the next child says Exodus, and so on. When a child misses, he or she is out of the round. The winner is the child who stays in the longest.

Bedtime Blessings

Three in One

Find three different colored strings or ribbons and help your child make a braid. Point out how the three strings make up one braid. Explain that God is also made up of three parts; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Hang the braid somewhere in your child's room so that he can see it every night before bed. End with this prayer: Dear God, thank you for giving us your son, Jesus, and thank you that your Holy Spirit is with us and helping us every day. Amen.

Snack Time

Help your child prepare a simple bedtime snack. Ask your child why she needs food? Explain that talking to God gives us strength on the inside just like food gives our bodies strength to work, run, and play. After your snack, pray this prayer with your child: Dear God, thank you that [your child's name] had fun learning and playing today. Please help her to always be strong on the inside, too. Amen.

Family Night Fun

Thanks a Lot!

Point: When we focus on what we don't have, we get unhappy.

Gather: Paper, markers, and a Bible.

Go: Have the kids draw a picture of a glass of water that's half full. Tell them to write the things they already own in the bottom part of the glass and things they want to own in the top half.

Ask: How do you feel when you look at the things you already have? How do you feel when you look at the things you want? What happens when we focus on the things we don't have? How can we feel more content?

Read: 1 Timothy 6:6-8

Remember: "To give thanks and be content doesn't cost a cent!"

The Best Gift

Point: Jesus came to die for our sins.

Gather: A large piece of cardboard, markers, scissors, and a Bible.

Go: Create a large cardboard cross. Take turns drawing symbols or words on the cross that indicate ways you've sinned in the past week. After everyone is finished, write the word Jesus across all the sins with a big red marker.

Ask: What does it feel like to know that Jesus takes away our sins? Why is Christmas a good time to talk about what happens at Easter? How can we show God how grateful we are for the gift of his son?

Read: Romans 5:8.

Remember: "Emmanuel, God is with us!"

Heritage Builders, a ministry of Focus on the Family, is dedicated to training and equipping parents to pass on a spiritual heritage to their children. For more information or to request resources visit: www.heritagebuilders.com

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