Friendship-Using your words and actions to show others you care
September 2020 • Week 1
Today's Bible story: Better Together (Two people are better than one) • Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Monthly memory verse: "A friend loves at all times. They are there to help when trouble comes." Proverbs 17:17 (NIrV)
Memory Verse for 2's - Pre-K: "A friend loves at all times." Proverbs 17:17a NIrV
Life Application: Friendship-Using your words and actions to show others you care
Praise & Pray: Sing along with the provided worship videos and pray. Access songs here
What you might pray: "Dear Lord, you are a great friend. Please help us to see how we can follow after your example so that we can be a good friend to others just as you are to us. In Jesus name we pray, amen."
Read God's Word together: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (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: In Ecclesiastes 4:9 it says, "Two people are better than one. They can help each other in everything they do." A friend is there for you when you need help. "What makes someone a good friend?"
Pray and bless your family
What you need: "Friendship Skills" activity page if you chose to complete the activity.
What you do:
- Make sure kids have their "Friendship Skills" page if you chose to do that activity.
- Encourage the kids to silently ask God to show them how they can be a better friend to someone by making sure they practice at least one of the green friendship skills this week. If you did not do the "Friendship" page, brainstorm with your family different ways they can be a good friend to someone this week.
- Close with group prayer.
What you might pray: "Dear God, thank You for showing us the importance of godly and healthy friendships. Help us be a good friend to those You have put in our lives by (name a few good friendship skills from the activity page or ones you brainstormed). Please help us when we are tempted to not be a good friend by (name a couple of bad friendship skills from the activity page). Help us to rely on and trust You in our friendships because that is the only way you can [Bottom Line] choose your friends carefully. In Jesus name we pray, amen."
Additional Activities
What You Need: "Friendship Skills" Activity page (download here), green and red markers or crayons
What You Do: Pass out the "Friendship Skills" page.
- Encourage the kids to color "what good friends do" in green and "what bad friends do" in red.
- As they work, engage them in conversation about being a good friend. Ask:
- How do you know when someone's a good friend?
- How do you know you're BEING a good friend?
- Who's the greatest friend ever? (Jesus)
What You Say: "Who can tell me what it means to influence someone? (To affect or change their behavior or how they think.) Did you know that you are influenced by others whether you know it or not? Some people can influence you to do good things, while some can influence you to do bad things. That's why it's important to [Bottom Line] choose your friends carefully. One way you can have good friends is by BEING a good friend."
What You Need: Balloons
What You Do: Divide the family or group into two teams.
- Give each team three balloons.
- For round one of the game:
- One teammate from each team will try to keep all three balloons in the air while the rest of the teammates cheer.
- The kids can use any part of their bodies to keep the balloons in the air, but the balloons cannot rest on their bodies or be held for any length of time.
- The game ends when a balloon touches the floor. Continue playing until everyone has had a chance to try.
- For round two:
- Using the same guidelines, the entire team will work together to keep three balloons in the air.
- The team that can keep all three balloons floating in the air for the longest time wins.
- At the end of round two, ask the kids to share their thoughts about which round was easier to play.
What You Say: "It was much easier to keep three balloons in the air as a team than by yourself, wasn't it? Today's verses are about how two people working together are stronger than just one person by themselves. Friends can help you and also make things way more fun! That's what friends do. They support each other, and they help each other. What else do good friends do? (Allow time for a few responses.) That's one of the reasons why God wants you to [Bottom Line] choose your friends carefully. He created us to have relationships with others. Finding friends is super important. But it's even more important to find friends who want the best for you and will help you trust God. And it's important to BE a friend who helps others trust God."
What You Need: "Good Friends" Activity Page, <download here>, pencils or crayons
What You Do: Pass out a "Good Friends" page to each kid.
- Point out the different parts as you discuss the attributes of a good friend.
- Encourage the kids to color their pages and fill in the blanks with their answers to the questions below:
- Guide kids to point to the mouth and ask: What is something a good friend does with their mouth? (encourages, cheers up someone who is sad, uses kind words, smiles)
- Guide kids to point to the ears and ask: What does a good friend do with their ears? (They LISTEN!)
- Guide kids to point to the hands and ask: What does a good friend do with their hands? (helps, shares, uses gentle hands, gives a high five)
- Guide kids to point to the arms and ask: What does a good friend do with their arms? (hugs, helps, comforts with an arm over your shoulder when you're sad)
- When kids have finished filling in all of the blanks, give them a few minutes to color their page.
What You Say: "This is a great picture of what a good friend looks like. Let's remember to [Bottom Line] choose your friends carefully. Let's be a good friend by (point to different parts on the page as you review) using our mouths to say kind words, listening with our ears so we can understand what our friends need, using our hands to help, and our arms to hug. God gave us these ears, mouths, hands, and arms because He loves us. And we can show God how thankful we are when we love others, too! Use this sheet as a reminder to [Bottom Line] choose your friends carefully and to be a good friend, too.