Family Devotional Romans 12:9-21

For families with little ones (preschool age), this could be a 3-5 minute talk! It doesn’t have to be much. For older children, you can opt in for more of these options to extend your study time together. I recommend doing this with (especially little) children over a meal – whichever meal is the least chaotic in your home (for my family right now, that’s lunch), or saving the questions for while you’re on a walk or playing outside together. Have fun!

1. Read the scripture together: Romans 12:9-21. The important thing is that you’re reading scripture together! If you’re looking for different ways to engage your children while reading, here are some fun ways to read scripture as a family

      • Every Reader takes a verse

      • Ask each child to pick two words they don’t understand to talk about after you read it. (For longer scriptures and younger children, you may need to split up the reading in order to do this.)

      • Draw a picture of what you read

      • Act it out as a family (And please send documentation of this to children.sjumc@gmail.com because we could all use a laugh right now!)

      • Sing it!

      • Use Legos or dolls to tell the story

2. Tell your kids that today’s Bible story is from the Book of Romans. The apostle (teacher) Paul wrote it. He lists instructions and ideas for a group of people called the Romans, and this book of letters to the Romans is included in the Bible today because the people who worked together to form the Bible under God’s calling felt there were important pieces of these ideas and instructions for us, too.

3. Discussion Questions (as always, pick and choose which questions you’d like to discuss!):

    • What do you think it means to love without pretending? Is it real Love, if you’re pretending?

    • What is something you’re enthusiastic about? How do you show your enthusiasm?

    • How do you show your enthusiasm for God?

    • Have you ever felt you’re better than someone else? What does that feel like in your body? How do you think the other person would feel if they knew?

    • If someone hurts you, do you feel like hurting them back? (It is normal to want to. Our job is to not hurt them back.)

    • Paul says to defeat evil with good. What do you think this means? Have you ever been kind to someone, after they were mean to you? How did they respond? (If someone continues to be unkind or unsafe to you, it is ok to give yourself space from this person, or do what you need to do to be safe. And, sometimes people are mean because someone else is cruel to them. We can be an example of God’s love to them – sometimes that is by being nice back to them, sometimes it is by taking our space from them, sometimes it means standing up for ourselves without hurting them back, sometimes it is by asking them how you can help them, if you can, and sometimes it is by praying for them.)

4. Close in Prayer: Dear God, thank you for Bible stories that continue to teach us, even thousands of years later! Thank you for giving us the strength to choose the good, true way – Your way. Even when it’s really hard to do that! Give us wisdom to know what to do when someone is mean to us, and to not be cruel back. Fill us with enthusiasm for You! We want to share this enthusiasm with the world. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

~ Erynne DeVore, director of Children’s Ministry

Family Devotional Romans 12:1-8

For families with little ones (preschool age), this could be a 3-5 minute talk! It doesn’t have to be much. For older children, you can opt in for more of these options to extend your study time together. I recommend doing this with (especially little) children over a meal – whichever meal is the least chaotic in your home (for my family right now, that’s lunch), or saving the questions for while you’re on a walk or playing outside together. Have fun!

1.  Read the scripture together: Romans 12:1-8. The important thing is that you’re reading scripture together! If you’re looking for different ways to engage your children while reading, here are some fun ways to read scripture as a family

  • Every Reader takes a verse

  • Ask each child to pick two words they don’t understand to talk about after you read it. (For longer scriptures and younger children, you may need to split up the reading in order to do this.)

  • Draw a picture of what you read

  • Act it out as a family (And please send documentation of this to children.sjumc@gmail.com because we could all use a laugh right now!)

  • Sing it!

  • Use Legos or dolls to tell the story

2.  Tell your kids that today’s Bible story uses the human body to teach us. We are told that the human body all has different parts that all work together to make up the full body. We need every body part doing it’s own thing for us to work! The “body” of Christ, or the church, or the world is the same way. It’s a LOT of people who are all good at different things, and when we each do our own special thing, we can work together for God!

3.  Discussion Questions (as always, pick and choose which questions you’d like to discuss!):

  • Can you think of two (or more) body parts that do different things for us? How do they work together?

  • What is something you really enjoy doing?

  • Can you think of someone who is really good at something different than you?

  • Have you ever taught someone else something? Something in school, a chore, or something about the world or God?

  • What is something you have learned from someone who is different than you?

  • What if we were all the same? How would we learn?

  • When is a time you’ve worked on a team? Did each person do something a little different? (It doesn’t have to be a sports team – family and other groups can be teams!)

4. Close in Prayer: Dear God, thank you for everyone! We are so glad there are so many different people who are good at different things. Thank you for what gifts you’ve given me. I know I’m great at different things because you gave me those gifts to share with my family and friends and the whole world! Help me use those gifts to bring others closer to You! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

~ Erynne DeVore, director of Children’s Ministry

Back to School Devotional 8.20.20

For families with little ones (preschool age), this could be a 3-5 minute talk! It doesn’t have to be much. For older children, you can opt in for more of these options to extend your study time together. I recommend doing this with (especially little) children over a meal – whichever meal is the least chaotic in your home (for my family right now, that’s lunch), or saving the questions for while you’re on a walk or playing outside together. Have fun!

Read together: Joshua 1:9 CEB: I’ve commanded you to be brave and strong, haven’t I? Don’t be alarmed or terrified, because the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Each family member take a turn sharing (one question at a time):

  • One thing that excites you about this school year.

  • One thing that worries you about this school year.

  • Three feelings you have felt today.

  • A time you can remember being nervous.

  • A time you felt God's love.

Pray together: Dear God, we are feeling (insert words/feelings you discussed above) about starting this school year together. Help fill us with excitement to learn and calm our worries. Please be with (insert teacher's name, school staff, principal's name, etc.) this school year, too. We ask for you to surround (insert school name, homeschool or family name) with your love and care as we start a new school year together in a brand new, unique way. New things can be exciting and scary and confusing, but we know you hold our hearts and all of us in Your Love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

~ Erynne DeVore, director of Children’s Ministry

Pastor Andy’s Back to School prayer:

Pastor Andy invites you to join him in prayer on this unusual first day of school