Picking Jesus
WELCOME TO WEEK 4
We can choose to follow God and keep His commands. When we do it will lead us on the path He has set for us. This week we will see what the Bible says about choosing God and following His ways.
BIBLE STORY
Listen to these choices we make almost every day. We all have an order of doing things so that things are not done backwards or out of order. Decide which activity you would choose to do first.
Wash your face or brush your teeth?
Put on your show or put on your socks?
Put on your pajamas or unmake your bed?
Comb your hair or get in bed?
Ride your skateboard or put on your helmet?
Hit the baseball or run the bases?
Eat a cookie or eat your dinner?
Do your homework or watch TV?
We make lots of choices each day based on the order things should be done, or by how important we think it is. Things that we think are important we do first. Choosing to spend time with God is important, it is how we get to know him and grow closer to Him. We can choose to spend time with God at any point of the day, there is not just one specific time that we have to choose. This week we will see why God wants us to know and follow His word. God knows what is best for us and has a plan for your life.
Read or listen to the scripture Proverbs 3:1-8
What are we to keep in our hearts? (God’s commands)
What will God’s commands and teachings do to our lives? (Prolong our lives, bring peace and prosperity)
What should we bind around our necks? (Love and faithfulness)
When we keep love and faithfulness, what will we have? (Favor and a good name in the sight of God and man)
Who should we trust with all our heart? (In the Lord)
What should we not lean on? (Our own understanding)
When we submit to God, what will happen? (God will make our paths straight)
When we fear the Lord and shun evil, what will it bring? (Health to your body and nourishment to your bones)
BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY
Activity
We all have activities and things we have to do each day. Sometimes our days can feel really busy, but even when we have busy lives, we can still choose to spend time with God. Cut out the following activity cards and decide which activities you do each day, then place the cards in order for the day. Did you put worshiping God at the front of your line? Were you able to fit it in during your day? We may not always be able to spend time with God in the early morning, but we can choose to spend time with God during our busy day. Alternative: place cards in order of importance. Things that must get done should be the cards in the front of the line, and then order the other things that are not as important.
Materials: printed daily activity cards and cut into squares
Alternate
Guide your child into making cookies. Follow your favorite recipe and help them read and follow the instructions. What would happen if wee did’t have a recipe? Would we be able to make these delicious cookies? Would they have turned out the same? That’s how life is, we can follow our own thoughts and choices or we can follow God’s. He has the best plan and He already knows how it will all turn out. When we follow God’s plan for us, we can trust that His plan is better than ours. Optional: make cookies without a recipe allowing your child to decide a reasonable list of ingredients and the amounts. Bake the ‘cookies’ and discuss what happened. Then bake cookies using a recipe or the recipe in your head.
Materials: ingredients for cookies
Independent activity:
Spending time in prayer is a good way to choose to spend time with God. We can pray for ourselves but God also wants us to pray for others as well. We can pray for the people in our family as well as for leaders at church, school and our nation. Trace your hand on a sheet of construction paper. On thumb, write the name of a family or friend; on the pointer finger write the name of teacher; on the middle finger write the name of leaders or principals; on the ring finger write the name of someone who is sick; on the pinky write your name. This week use this hand to guide your prayers.
Materials: construction paper, pencil
ARTS & CAFTS
CRAFT 1
Coloring page
Materials: printed coloring sheet, scissors
Craft 2
Coloring page
Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons
FOLLOW-UP
Read or listen to James 5:13-16
This verse tells the church to pray together at different times. They should pray when they are happy, when they are in trouble, when they are sick or when they have sinned. They should gather together and pray for each other. Choosing God means spending time with Him, keeping his law and praying to God in all things. We can bring our troubles and pain to Him, but God also wants us to come to Him rejoicing. We can choose to share our lives with God and trust that He wants to hear it!
What are some things you pray about?
When do you pray more, when you are in trouble or when you are rejoicing?
When does God want to hear about our needs and wants?
Who can you pray with?
Why is it important to also pray with others?
How can prayer help us keep God’s commands?
What should we bind around our neck?
Who can help us have love and faithfulness?
Practical Application at Home
We can pray for others when we pray for ourselves. We can rejoice in the good times with our friends by praying with them and for them. We can come alongside our hurting friends by praying for them and praying with them. This may seem like a small task, but the verse inn James says that the prayers of a righteous person are powerful and effective.
Start a prayer sheet for this week. Make a list of people you what to pray for and a list of people you want to pray with. You can ask each person if they have a prayer request or you can pray for them without telling them. Write down what you specifically want to pray for each person listed. When you pray with someone, you can ask them directly what they would like to pray for. If you have any answered prayers, give a prayer of rejoicing and write the answer to your prayer.
Additional Resources
Outings to Reinforce Lesson
Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?