Responsibility: Showing you can be trusted with what is expected of you.
January 2021 • Week 2
Today's Bible story: Give It Away (Bigger Barns) • Luke 12:16-21
Monthly memory verse: "Suppose you can be trusted with something very little. Then you can also be trusted with something very large." Luke 16:10a (NIrV)
Life Application: Responsibility-Showing you can be trusted with what is expected of you
Suggested songs: Our God, Reckless Love, Peace Like a River
Praise & Pray: Sing along with the provided worship videos and pray. Access songs here.
What you might pray: "Dear Jesus, please help me today to learn how people are more important than stuff. Thank you for your word, the Bible that teaches me the best way to live. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen."
Read God's Word together: Luke 12:16-21 (Need a kid-friendly Bible? Check out our suggestions.)
Family Devotional & Discussion
What you do: Watch the complementary video together as a family and discuss today's question.
What you discuss: "We only have a certain amount of time on earth. Do we want to spend our time caring about the stuff we have or caring for people? Jesus said we should be rich in the sight of God. What do you have that you can share?"
Bible Story Review
What you need: Bible
What you do: Open the Bible and read together as a family Luke 12:16-21.
- Consider asking the questions in the following order, since it's the story order:
- In the story that Jesus told, what problem did the rich man have? (his land produced more grain than he had room to store)
- What was the rich man going to do to solve the problem that he had? (he was going to build bigger barns to store all of the extra grain)
- What did the rich man tell himself that he should do since he had so much grain? (relax and take it easy)
- Was the rich man going to share any of his extra grain? (no)
- Why do you think God was upset with the rich man? (the rich man was selfish; he could have shared his extra grain with a lot of people)
- What did God say to the man after the man decided he would take life easy? (that the man was going to die that very night)
- Would the man get to enjoy his extra grain? (no)
- Where does everything we have come from? (God)
- If the rich man got a second chance, what do you think he should do with all of his extra grain? (he should share it)
Pray and bless your family
What you need: Checkers piece and checkers board (optional)
What you do: Ask for prayer requests
- Remind kids that no matter how much or how little we have, we always have something we can share with others. But sharing does not come easy for most of us and is often not on our radar.
- Encourage them to ask God's help in being aware of needs around them and willing to share wherever they can.
- If you chose to use a checkers board hand each family member a checkers piece. Tell family members to place their checkers on the corner of the checker board that best fits the way they would finish the following sentence: "This week I need God's help to share . . ."
- My time (point to a corner)
- My money (point to a corner)
- My talents (point to a corner)
- My possessions (point to a corner)
- If you did not use the checker board just talk through the above ways each person could share.
- Allow family members a few minutes to share any details they'd like about their choices then encourage them to pray aloud or silently for themselves and others in the group.
What you might pray:"Dear God, it's so easy for us to hold on too tightly to the things we have. Help us to let go when we see others in need and be willing to share what we have. You have given us so much-even Your own Son to die in our place. Help us to look for and not ignore opportunities to share what we have with others. Pray for prayer requests. Amen."
Additional Activities
What you need: "Movers and Sharers" Activity Page (DOWNLAD HERE), scissors, markers, paper clips
What you do: Ask family members to think of what they have to share.
- Encourage them not only to think through physical items, but to also think about the skills and talents they have. Give examples like singing, good handwriting, being smart, etc.
- Provide each kid with a "Movers and Sharers" Activity Page.
- Encourage kids to fill in each coupon with what they can share. (For example: I can share my good singing voice, my love for baking, my skills in math)
- Once the coupons are filled out, instruct kids to cut out the coupons and paperclip them together.
- Ask kids to discuss how they plan on sharing their coupons. (For example: I can share my good singing voice by singing songs at a retirement home to make people happy! I can share my love for baking by making cookies for my neighbors. I can share my skill at math by helping a classmate out who has a hard time studying.)
- Remind them to hand out all of their coupons this week and complete their sharing ideas.
What you say: "Wow! I love hearing about all of the creative ideas you have. A lot of times, we only think of physical items and money when it comes to sharing, but God has given us so much more. From your talents to our hobbies to hard work and fun quirks, I'm so thankful that He has given you endless opportunities to [Bottom Line] share what you have. I can't wait to hear the stories of how you shared what God has given you this week to make a huge impact around you!"
What you need: Bible, bowls of water or cup, and small items such as: penny, paper clip, dice
What you do: Open Bibles to Luke 16:10 and read the monthly Bible verse together a few times.
- Review the verse as a family.
- Give each child kids a cup of water and three small items.
- Invite kids to drop their items in the water one at a time waiting until the water settles before dropping the next time.
- Observe how each item creates a different ripple effect, depending on the size.
What you say: "Did you notice that no matter how small or big the item, it still made a ripple in the water? We can easily think that we don't have a whole lot to share with other people when in reality, everything God has given us can create a ripple of goodness in the world! The more we are faithful in sharing the small things, the more God will trust us with the big things. I don't know about you, but if saying yes to [Bottom Line] sharing what you have leads to big opportunities to tell people about God's love, then I want to do it!"