Preschooler Daily Reading Notes

Transcription

1 Preschooler Daily Reading Notes

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3 Welcome! These Daily Reading Notes are designed for children aged 2-6 years old, and use the same Bible passages as the adult Daily Reading Notes. However, in order to help your children to engage with the passage and understand the content, each day involves a different style of reading that is appropriate for preschoolers. Each week includes a story, a craft, a lesson, a focus verse and a picture story. In addition to this, each week has a family activity that is designed to involve the whole household, and allow you to enjoy learning about God s Word together. HOW TO USE THIS BOOK: 1. For your child s daily Bible time Choose a time each day that works for your family and commitments just after breakfast, before rest time, around the dinner table. Be realistic about what you can consistently commit to each week you might choose 3 days a week, ask an older sibling to help in some way or use some weekend time. Choose a version of the Bible that will be accessible to children. Many children s Bibles skim over much of the Old Testament detail, so for this term it would be great to read the specific (and short!) passages from a Bible that has been specifically designed for young readers. Use the prayer to help emphasise the key point from the day s activities. 2. Alongside your own Bible time Try to make sure you have done your own Daily Reading Notes before your child s Bible time. This means that you will already have been thinking into the passage for the day. Take the opportunities during the day to talk about what you have been challenged by in the passage, and ask your child what they remember. Set aside a time over the weekend to make sure you ve got what you need and plan your approach for the week. 3. Tips If you don t already have a children s Bible, now is the time to invest! For littlies, try The Beginner s Bible or the Early Reader s Bible, and for those heading towards school age, try the New International reader s Version Bible. Don t hesitate to read from your own translation every now and then as well. Find someone else who is planning to use these notes, and keep each other accountable over the weeks, encouraging each other to remain consistent and sharing your experiences. Set aside a family time that suits your whole family, and commit to spending some time all together, reflecting on God s Word as you also have fun together. Have fun! Being a child of God is great cause for celebration and joy, so let s encourage our kids to develop that attitude early on. We hope you find these notes really helpful and fun as you teach your children to know and love Jesus, to understand his Word and to live a life worthy of His calling.

4 TERM 2 OVERVIEW ROMANS Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 God s Gift of New Life Romans 6:1-14 Godly Living Romans 6:15-23 God s New Way Romans 7:1-6 God s Salvation Romans 7:7-25 The Big Picture This term, we will begin each week by looking at the big picture. Preschoolers often find it helpful to have a visual or concrete image of abstract ideas, so each week we ll be adding an image to our Big Picture board. This will help us to remember what we ve already looked at over the term, and also allows children to connect the idea with a specific picture. These resources are A3 size. Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 God s Spirit Romans 8:1-13 God s Children Romans 8:14-17 God s Family Romans 8:18-28 God s Glory Romans 8:28-30 God s Love Romans 8:31-39 The Memory Verse This term, we will be trying to memorise Romans 8:38-39 over the course of the whole term. We have written a song to help with remembering it, and we re hoping that the repetition of this verse each week will enable it to stick in our minds and in our kids minds too! You can download this song from the church website or via the EVChurch app. The Puppet Show This term, we will finish the week s activities with a short scripted puppet show. The aim of this is to remember what we have learnt over the week, and to see what it means for our lives. These skits are attached at the end of the Activity Booklet.

5 OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES AND PASSAGES Monday The Big Picture Tuesday The Verse Wednesday The Craft Thursday The Lesson Friday The Puppet Show Weekend The Family Week 1 Rom 6:1-14 God s Gift of New LIfe Seed Romans 8:38-39 Butterfly Prints Rom 6:8 What Belongs? Pickle Parker s Problem Learning about Baptism Week 2 Rom 6:15-23 Godly Living Chain Romans 8:38-39 Chain Craft Rom 6:22 Body Parts for Good Free Pickle Parker Bodies for Holy Living Week 3 Rom 7:1-6 God s New Way Law Romans 8:38-39 Junk Puppet Rom 7:5a-6b Dot-to-Dot Pickle s in a Pickle Serving as a Family Week 4 Rom 7:7-25 God s Salvation Cross Romans 8:38-39 Jesus Rescues Me Rom 7:24-25 Colour by Numbers Struggle, Struggle, Toil and Trouble Scientific Sin Week 5 Rom 8:1-13 God s Spirit Dove Romans 8:38-39 Woven Hearts Threading Controlling Pickle Who s In Control? Rom 8:9 Week 6 Rom 8:14-17 God s Children Child Romans 8:38-39 Body Shapes Rom 8:14 Tracing Childish Pickle Father of the Nations Week 7 Rom 8:18-28 God s Family Membership Romans 8:38-39 Egg People Rom 8:23 Family Sequencing Pickle s Gold Membership Family Membership Week 8 Rom 8:28-30 God s Glory Sun Romans 8:38-39 Melted Bead Suncatcher Find-a-Word Privileged Pickle Talk about Jesus Rom 8:30b Week 9 Rom 8:31-39 God s Love Heart Romans 8:38-39 Toothpick Sculpture Shape Matching The Pickle Verdict Tug of War Rom 8:37

6 God s Gift of New Life Romans 6:1-14 Monday: The Seed This term we are looking at Romans chapters 6-8. Here are a few helpful starting points for you and your child. Romans was written by Paul and is in the New Testament. It is part of the Bible and it is true. It was originally written to people who lived in Rome in Italy. It is all about the righteousness of God that means it explains who God is, what Jesus did for us by dying on the cross and how this can make us right with God. The section we are looking at is all about all the wonderful promises God makes to those who trust in Jesus, and the way that this brings glory to Him. Put up your Big Picture for this term. Explain that each week we will add a new picture to our poster. It will help us to remember all the things that we learn this term! Follow the instructions in the booklet. Read Romans 6:3-4 in the NIrV. The main point is that we have a new life when we trust in Jesus! We no longer have to sin; trusting in Jesus means that we no longer fear death and sin. Show your child the picture of the seed, and explain that seeds are the beginning of new life for plants. We are like a new seed! Add the seed picture to the Big Picture poster. Thank God that he enables us to put our trust in Jesus. Pray that we would choose to not sin. Tuesday: Romans 8:38-39 This will be our memory verse for the whole term. Read it through slowly with your child (we will be using the NIV version). The main point is that NOTHING can separate us from God s love when we trust in Jesus. Repeat the first few phrases together. Listen to the memory verse song! (You can download this from the church website or the EVChurch app.) NB Keep the memory verse song on hand over the course of the term. Listen to it in the car, while you re having breakfast or when you re doing your Bible time together. It s amazing how putting words to music can help us to remember them! Thank God that He has joined us to Jesus, so that our old life has been buried and we have a new life in Him! Thank God that NOTHING can separate us from Him!

7 Wednesday: Butterfly Prints Read Romans 6:4. This verse describes what it is like to be in Christ. The new life that we have is not our own it belongs to Christ, and it is His Spirit that lives in us. Today s craft gives us a picture of this to help us understand it. Follow the instructions in the booklet. Thank God for providing a way for us to have a new life with him. Pray that we would remember that our new life belongs to God. Thursday: What Belongs? Read Romans 6:13. Talk about how some different ways that we can give our bodies to God. Today s activity focuses on the different ways we can use our bodies, either to sin or to serve God. Complete the activity in the booklet. Thank God that He shows us what is right and wrong. Pray that we will use our bodies to serve Him and love each other. Friday: Pickle Parker s Problem Today (and every Friday), we will be setting up a little puppet show to help act out the main message from the week s activities. The instructions for setting this up are in the activity booklet, along with a short skit that you can act out with your children. Pray: Ask your child what they would like to pray about today. Family Activity: What is Baptism? This passage of Romans talks about baptism, and so it is helpful to spend some time talking about what this actually means for Christians. Explain what happens when someone is baptized and what it means. (You might like to use a doll or puppet to show what baptism looks like as you explain its meaning.) When a person goes under the water, it means that they are being buried and that their old life of sin is being washed away. When a person comes up out of the water, it means that they are being raised up with Jesus in their new life with Him. Baptism is an outside way to show other people that you have made an inside decision to follow Jesus. Being baptized doesn t make someone more Christian or a better Christian. Read the story of Jesus baptism (Matthew 3 or Luke 3). You might tell the story of your own baptism if you have been baptized, or go to witness the next baptism service as a family. Thank God that He washes away our sins when we trust in Jesus.

8 Godly Living Romans 6:15-23 Monday: The Chain Look at your Big Picture poster. Can you remember what we talked about last week? What does the seed in our backpack mean? This week, the main point is that Jesus has made us free from being slaves to sin! Read Romans 6: Talk about what it means to be a slave to someone. We used to be slaves to sin: it controlled us! But when we trust in Jesus, we are set free from being slaves to sin. Instead, we are now free to choose to be slaves who obey God. Take this week s picture of a chain and put it into the backpack. We have new life, and we belong to God. Thank God that, when we choose to trust Jesus, we are freed from living sin-filled lives. Pray that we would not keep sinning, but instead live in obedience to God. Tuesday: Romans 8:38-39 Read Romans 8:38-39 (NIV). This is our memory verse for the whole term. Today, write the verse up on some paper, or print it out and tac it to the wall. It can be helpful to use symbols, colours or capital letters to help emphasise key words. After you have read through it together, see if you can remember the first few phrases. Listen to the memory verse and see if you can sing along yet. Thank God that we can be certain of His promise to never be separated from His love. Wednesday: Chain Craft Read Romans 6:22. What are the two types of slaves? Which one are you choosing to be? What is the result of this? Today s craft reflects that we are either slaves to sin or slaves to God. Follow the instructions in the booklet. Thank God that we can be truly free when we are slaves to him, and that this leads to eternal life. Thursday: Body Parts Read Romans 6:19. This tells us that the way that we use our bodies can show whether we are slaves to sin or slaves to God.

9 Today s activity looks at the actions of our different body parts. As you complete the activity, talk about how we can use these body parts as slaves to sin and as slaves to God. Complete the activity in the booklet. Thank God that our bodies are no longer controlled by sin. Pray that we would keep remembering to use our bodies in a godly way. Friday: Free Pickle Parker Follow the script in the activity booklet for today s puppet show. Pray: Ask your child what they would like to pray about today. Family Activity: Bodies for Service As a family, talk about some ways that you can work together to use your bodies to show that you are slaves to holy living. Think about what you look at or watch with your eyes, whether you are willing to listen to others, the words that you speak, and the things you do with your hands and feet. Choose one of these actions or activities to do together this weekend. Thank God that He has given us each other, so that we can encourage each other as we work towards godly living. Pray that we would not be lazy, but that we would work hard for Him.

10 God s New Way Romans 7:1-6 Monday: The Rules Look at your Big Picture poster. Can you remember what we talked about last week? What does the seed and the chain in our backpack mean? This week, the main point is that we are no longer under the punishment of God s rules. Read Romans 7:4. The punishment for disobeying God s rules is death. But because we trust in Jesus, we have been set free and we now are able to serve God in a new way. Take this week s picture of the rules and put it into the backpack. We have new life, we belong to God and we are free to serve Him in a new way. Thank God that, even though it was us who disobeyed his rules, Jesus has taken our punishment for us. Pray that we would always remember what Jesus has done for us. Tuesday: Romans 8:38-38 Today is memory verse day! Have you been reading through it and listening to the song? Today, see if you can come up with some actions that help you to remember the words from the verse. You might shake your head for nothing, make a big circle for all creation, point to the sky and to the ground for neither height nor depth etc. Practise singing the memory verse song and see if you can add in the actions. Thank God that His love comes through our trust in Jesus. Pray that we would keep living with Him as our Lord. Wednesday: Junk Puppet Read Romans 7:5-6. What does it mean to be controlled by something? Isn t it wonderful that God has saved us from being controlled by sin, which only led us to death? Today s craft helps us to see what it means to be controlled by something. Follow the instructions in the booklet. Thank God that, when we believe in Jesus, we are free from being slaves to sin and to the rules. Thank God for providing a new way for us to live. Thursday: Dot-to-Dot Serving Romans 7:6 says that now we serve in the new way of the Holy Spirit. Remind your child that the Holy Spirit is God s spirit that lives in us when we choose to follow Jesus. It is God s spirit

11 living in us that makes us able to choose to live in a godly way and to say no to sin. Talk about what your heart will be like when you let God s spirit live in you. Today s activity helps us to think about what it means to have a new heart that serves God. Complete the activity in the booklet. Thank God for giving us a new way to love and serve Him. Pray that you would keep growing in your understanding of what it means to serve God in a new way, and that He would show you how to do it. Friday: Pickle s in a Pickle NB You might like to use the puppet you made this week in the puppet show. Follow the script in the activity booklet for today s puppet show. Pray: Ask your child what they would like to pray about today. Family Activity: Serving as a Family This week we have been learning that we are no longer controlled by the sinful nature. As a family, take it in turns to talk about one thing that you sometimes do that is not serving God or his family in a loving way. Make a decision to do it differently this week, and pray each morning that God would help you to be more like Him in this one area. Thank God that He is always with us and always changing our hearts to be more like Him. Pray that you would always be looking for different ways to become more like Jesus.

12 God s Salvation Romans 7:7-25 Monday: The Cross Look at your Big Picture poster. Can you remember what we talked about last week? What does the seed, the chain and the rule book in our backpack mean? This week, the main point is that the only way we can be saved from sin and death is through Jesus. Read Romans 7: ALL of us have sinned and disobeyed God, wanting to be king of our own lives instead of letting Jesus be our Lord. The punishment for sin is death. Who is the only person who can save us from this punishment? Jesus! When he died on the cross, Jesus died in our place. Take this week s picture of the cross and put it into the backpack. We have new life, we belong to God, we are free to serve Him in a new way and we have been saved from sin and death by Jesus death on the cross! Thank God for Jesus, who died on the cross in our place, so that we might be saved from the punishment of our sin. Tuesday: Romans 8:38-39 Today is memory verse day! Are you able to sing along with the memory verse song yet? As you read through the verse today, clap your hands to keep a rhythm for the verse. See if you can find a clapping rhythm when you sing along with the verse as well. Thank God nothing in the world can break the love that He for us. Pray that we would keep showing that we love Him in the way that we live. Wednesday: Textured Cross Read Romans 7:18. What does this verse show us about ourselves? There is nothing that we can do to make God love us, or to compensate for our sin. Now read Romans 7: The only way we can be saved is through what Jesus has done for us. What has Jesus done for us? Today s craft focuses on the cross of Jesus. As you do this craft, tell the story of Jesus death and resurrection with your child. Follow the instructions in the booklet. Thank God that Jesus was willing to sacrifice his own life in our place, and that He has saved us not because we deserved it, but by his grace.

13 Thursday: Colour by Numbers Read Luke 23: This recounts Jesus death. What other things happened when Jesus died? All these events show us that Jesus death was the most important event in history! Read Mark 15:5-6. Jesus not only died in our place, he then rose from the dead! This shows that he has victory over death, and those who trust in Jesus have a new life. Today s activity helps us to keep thinking about all that Jesus has done for us. Complete the activity in the booklet. Thank God that he has victory over sin and death, and so we can also have new life through Jesus! Pray that we would keep trusting in Jesus all of our lives. Friday: Struggle, Struggle, Toil and Trouble Follow the script in the activity booklet for today s puppet show. Pray: Ask your child what they would like to pray about today. Family Activity: Sin Experiment We often find it difficult to really understand how serious our own sin is, and how much we are in need of a Saviour. This experiment will hopefully help us all to grasp this more deeply. Experiment You will need: Two clear, glass containers (vase/jar) 1 cup bleach 2 cups clean water Food colouring Fill one container with about 2 cups of clean water, and the other with about 1 cup of bleach. The clear water represents a sinless life. Then add a drop or two of food colouring. See how it spreads all through the water? Add a drop for each sin you can think of until the water is murky. There is no way of separating the colour out now! The water cannot separate itself from the colouring. It needs something else to come and take the sin away. Add the bleach to the murky water. What happens? (It might need a stir.) Can you see how this might help us understand Jesus forgiveness of our sins? Thank God that, through His love and Jesus sacrifice, we can be washed clean from all our sin.

14 God s Spirit Romans 8:1-13 Monday: The Dove Look at your Big Picture poster. Can you remember what we talked about last week? What do the seed, the chain, the rule book and the cross in our backpack mean? This week, the main point is that, when we belong to Jesus, God s Spirit lives in us and changes us so that we become more like Jesus. Read Romans 8:9. Take this week s picture of the dove and put it into the backpack. We have new life, we belong to God, we are free to serve Him in a new way, we have been saved from death by Jesus death on the cross and we have His Spirit living in us! Thank God that He does not leave us on our own, but sends His spirit to work in our hearts to make us more like him. Tuesday: Romans 8:38-39 Today is memory verse day! Before you sing along with the music this week, see how much of the song you can sing on your own. Have a couple of turns, then put the music on and fill in the bits that you missed this time. Thank God that His love gives us peace and confidence so that we can do anything that He asks us to do. Pray that we would not doubt his love for us. Wednesday: Felt Heart Read Romans 8:6. What are the two ways of living in this verse? When God s Spirit lives in our hearts, we can have life and peace. This means that we are able to choose to obey God and live for him. Today s craft helps us to focus on our hearts and to remember that God s Spirit is always in us and working to change us to be more like Jesus. Follow the instructions in the booklet. Thank God that He has shown us grace and so we are no longer controlled by sin. Pray that we would be committed to learning more of God s Word so that we know how to live for Him. Thursday: Heart Threading Read Romans 8: This reminds us that our lives now belong to Jesus, and his spirit is alive in us. Even though we will still die one day, we will then be raised to life to live with Jesus in heaven forever! Whilst we live, our heart and spirit belongs to God.

15 Today s activity helps to show us that God s Spirit does live in us. As you do this, talk about what it means to become more like Jesus. Complete the activity in the booklet. Thank God that we no longer need to be afraid of dying. Pray that we would be excited about heaven, and look forward to being there one day with Jesus and all those who love Him. Friday: Controlling Pickle Follow the script in the activity booklet for today s puppet show. Pray: Ask your child what they would like to pray for today. Family Activity: Who s in Charge? This week, we have been learning that, when we trust in Jesus, we are no longer controlled by our sinful nature, but instead we have God s Spirit living in us to change us and guide us. Today we re going to play a game that helps us to understand how our actions can be controlled by different things. Blindfold someone in your family, and use words and directions to help them walk from one side of the yard/room to the other. If the person is an adult, it might be helpful to have them run into a few things along the way! Then repeat the task, but without the blindfold. Is it easier or harder? When we are controlled by our sinful nature, it is like wearing the blindfold. We are in the dark, we can t see where we are going and we stumble on the way. When we allow God s Spirit to be at work in us though, we can see clearly and walk confidently in the light. Thank God for giving us His spirit. Pray that we would be able to control our sinful nature, and instead choose to live His way.

16 God s Children Romans 8:14-17 Monday: The Child Look at your Big Picture poster. Can you remember what we talked about last week? What do the seed, the chain, the rule book, the cross and the dove in our backpack mean? This week, the main point is that we become children of God when his Spirit lives in us. This means that we can also God our Father, and that we will receive all that Christ receives as a son of God. Take this week s picture of the child and put it into the backpack. We have new life, we belong to God, we are free to serve Him in a new way, we have been saved from death by Jesus death on the cross, we have His Spirit living in us and we are His children! Thank God that we have been adopted as his children. Pray that you would remember how important this is. Tuesday: Romans 8:38-39 Today is memory verse day! This is a long verse to remember, so we need to keep practising! Memorising verses from the Bible is an important part of following Jesus, as it helps us to remember his promises and his words to us, even when we don t have our Bibles with us or we can t read them. Keep singing along to the memory verse song. See if mum and dad (and maybe even older siblings) can also start learning this verse today. Thank God for giving you a memory that can remember his promises to you. Pray that you keep persevering to learn more of the Bible so that it can help you live for him. Wednesday: Body Tracing Read Romans 8:14. When we trust in Jesus and God s Spirit lives in us, we also become God s children. Being a child of God means that we can call him Father, and that we have a close relationship with God. God is the perfect Father to all his children. Today s craft reminds us that we are God s child, and that he has made each one of us to be just the way we are. Follow the instructions in the booklet. Thank God that He is our perfect Father and loves us as his children. Pray that we would behave like children of God.

17 Thursday: Tracing Activity Read Romans 8:17a. All God s children will receive his love and his promises, and God knows each one of his children by name. Today s activity helps us to remember that God knows everything about us, including our name. Complete the activity in the booklet. Thank God that He cares for his children, and gives us His spirit so that we can be strong and live for Him. Pray that we would be brave and bold as God s children. Friday: Childish Pickle Follow the script in the activity booklet for today s puppet show. Pray: Ask your child what they would like to pray for today. Family Activity: Father of Nations This passage reminds us that God is our perfect Father, and we can call Him Abba, which means Daddy in Aramaic. Do you know any words for Daddy in other languages? Daddy is often a name that little children give to their father. What might this say about our relationship with God our Father? Learn some of the different words for Daddy from all around the world. And remember that God is the Father of all of His people, in all of the nations of the world. Here are some examples: Papi (French), Vati (German), Baba (Mandarin), Abi (Arabic), Biyanga (Dharawal Aboriginal dialect) etc. Thank God that He is the perfect Father who will never forsake or disappoint us. Pray that we would love being his children and living for Him.

18 God s Family Romans 8:18-28 Monday: The Member Look at your Big Picture poster. Can you remember what we talked about last week? What do the seed, the chain, the rule book, the cross, the dove and the child in our backpack mean? This week, the main point is that we have a future hope in Jesus, even if we find life difficult now. We look forward to being full members of God s family, and being given everything He has saved for us. Read Romans 8:23. Take this week s picture of the membership card and put it into the backpack. We have new life, we belong to God, we are free to serve Him in a new way, we have been saved from death by Jesus death on the cross, we have His Spirit living in us, we are His children and we can look forward to one day fully sharing in his family and promises! Thank God that we have so much to look forward to in eternity with him. Pray that we would not be discouraged. Tuesday: Romans 8:38-39 Today is memory verse day! As you read the verse today, leave some words out and see if your child can fill in the blanks for you. Read it a few times, and try leaving bigger gaps, prompting if need be. Sing the song together before listening to the recorded version. Thank God that we can keep learning more and more about Him and His Word, just as we are learning this verse. Pray that we will also be keen to grow in our understanding of Jesus and what He has done for us. Wednesday: Egg People Read Romans 8:23. God s Spirit living in us is our guarantee of God s promises for our future. One of the promises is that we will become full members of God s family. Being part of God s family is even more important than our own little families. Today s craft reminds us that we are already in God s family, and that God s people are different and special to Him. Follow the instructions in the booklet. Thank God that we can be sure that He will keep His promises because his Spirit lives in us. Pray that we will keep being patient as we wait.

19 Thursday: Family Sequencing It is wonderful to be part of God s family. Read Romans 8:27. This verse tells us that one of the great things about having God s Spirit living in us and being part of His family is that these things help us to pray. God s Spirit helps us to pray in the way that God wants us to, and He can see into our hearts. Today s activity is again about family, and so as you do this, talk about what it means to be part of God s family. Complete the activity in the booklet. Thank God for always being with us through His Spirit, and hearing our prayers. Pray that we would pray regularly and that we would trust God to answer our prayers. Friday: Pickle s Gold Membership Follow the script in the activity booklet for today s puppet show. Pray: Ask your child what they would like to pray for today. Family Activity: Family Membership Today, we will be making Family ID/Member cards. Follow the instructions in the booklet for this activity. As you make your cards, talk about these things. Being part of a family has privileges and responsibilities. What are some of the things you enjoy or benefit from in being part of a family? What are some of the responsibilities or jobs you have in your family? Being a member of God s family has even bigger benefits and responsibilities. Can you think of some of these? Put your family ID cards on a lanyard or fix a clip onto the back of them. This week, when you come home from preschool/work/outings, put on your family ID cards and be reminded that there are benefits and responsibilities that come with being part of a family. Make plans for one fun family time this week, and each plan to do one new thing to help serve your family. Thank God for giving us our little families to love and to care for us. Pray that God would help us to behave like members of His family.

20 God s Glory Romans 8:28-30 Monday: The Sun Look at your Big Picture poster. Can you remember what we talked about last week? What do the seed, the chain, the rule book, the cross, the dove, the child and the ID card in our backpack mean? This week, the main point is that God has always had a plan to save us and to share his glory with us. God created everything and is in control of everything, and his plan to save us through Jesus sacrifice was not an afterthought. Read Romans 8:28. Take this week s picture of the sun and put it into the backpack. We have new life, we belong to God, we are free to serve Him in a new way, we have been saved from death by Jesus death on the cross, we have His Spirit living in us, we are His children, we can look forward to one day fully sharing in his family and promises, and God always planned to save us for his glory! Thank God for being in control of all things, and knowing everything that happens to us. Pray that we would trust God, because he is good and faithful. Tuesday: Romans 8:38-39 Today is memory verse day! Let s remind ourselves of what this verse actually means for us. This is one of the most important things you will ever learn, and so it s great to have it stored away in our memories. As you sing along with the memory verse song today, dance along too. The message of this verse is something to celebrate! Thank God that His love for us brings Him glory! Pray that we would remember that there is nothing that we can do to hold on to God s love it is a gift from Him and it comes through Jesus. Wednesday: Melted Bead Suncatchers Read Romans 8:30. God s glory is his greatness and honour, and other parts of the Bible describe it as shining around Him as brightly as the sun. God receives glory when we praise Him and honour Him, and when we choose to live according to his plan. Today s craft helps us to think about God s glory by reflecting sunlight. God s glory in heaven will be so much greater than this, but this craft reminds us to be bringing glory to God. Follow the instructions in the booklet.

21 Thank God that He is worthy of all praise and worship. Pray that we will be humble as we praise God. Thursday: Find-a-Word Read Romans 8:29a. This verse tells us that God has always had a plan for rescuing his children. Today s activity reminds us of some of the important words in these verses. As you find the words, talk about what they mean in this passage. Complete the activity in the booklet. Thank God for choosing us to be His children. Friday: Privileged Pickle Follow the script in the activity booklet for today s puppet show. Pray: Ask your child what they would like to pray for today. Family Activity: Talk about Jesus How can we talk to other people about Jesus? There are so many people who don t have Jesus as their King, and some who have never even heard about Jesus! Encourage your children to ask their friends to come to church, or to start thinking about someone to invite to Summerfest. It might be a cousin or a neighbour, or a long-time friend of the family. Act out some situations where you might be able to talk about Jesus at preschool, playing at the park or when your family all gets together. Thank God that you have heard the good news of Jesus, and that you have chosen to follow Him and make Him the King of your life. Pray for a few people who don t yet know Jesus, and ask God to help you in talking to them about Jesus.

22 God s Love Romans 8:31-39 Monday: The Heart Look at your Big Picture poster. Can you remember what we talked about last week? What do the seed, the chain, the rule book, the cross, the dove, the child, the ID card and the sun in our backpack mean? This week, the main point is that nothing is able to separate us from God once He has forgiven us. Nothing on earth, no person, no distance nothing! God is bigger and stronger than anything else, and nothing can take away what Jesus has done for us. Read Romans 8: Do you know this verse now? Take this week s picture of the heart and put it into the backpack. We have new life, we belong to God, we are free to serve Him in a new way, we have been saved from death by Jesus death on the cross, we have His Spirit living in us, we are His children, we can look forward to one day fully sharing in his family and promises, God always planned to save us for his glory and nothing can ever separate us from God s love! What a list! Thank God for ALL that He has done for us and given us. Tuesday: Roman 8:38-39 Today is our last memory verse day! Do you know it by now? See if you can say it (or sing it) all on your own. You might be able to point to the words in the written sign on the wall, or remember the actions that you have learnt with it. Print the verse onto some paper or decorate a written copy. Put it on the wall in your bedroom and keep saying it so that it sticks in your memory for a long time. Well done for all your practising and remembering! Thank God that His Word and his promises never change and are always true. Pray that God would help you to keep learning and remembering parts of the Bible as you grow older. Wednesday: Toothpick Sculpture Read Romans 8:37. This verse reminds us that we are able to overcome things that are hard or make us sad because Jesus loves us and his Spirit is living in us. We are like soldiers who are fighting in a battle that has already been won by Jesus. Today s craft has a picture of a soldier, to help us remember that there is nothing that we need to be afraid of, because nothing can separate us from Jesus love and his Spirit that lives in us.

23 Thank God that Jesus has already won over sin, and so we do not need to be afraid of anything. Pray that we will be brave as we live for Him. Thursday: Shape Matching Read Romans 8: God s love for us can never be taken away from us, because of what Jesus has done on the cross to save us. Today s activity uses a heart to show us God s love. Complete the activity in the booklet. Thank God for his amazing love for us. Thank God that He is faithful and will never stop loving us. Friday: The Pickle Verdict Follow the script in the activity booklet for today s puppet show. Pray: Ask your child what they would like to pray for today. Family Activity: Tug of War Romans 8:38-39 tells us that it doesn t matter what pulls or tugs at us, we will never be separated from God s love when we trust in Jesus. Have a family tug-of-war tussle. Take it in turns on different sides of the rope and see if you can pull each other over. Remind each other that no tug-of-war will separate us from God s love. As a family, unpack the backpack on the Big Picture. Talk about what each picture means and how it shows us what God has given to us and done for us. Thank God for His many, many blessings.