Big Idea: Jesus wants to give us His joy and peace all the time!

Parent Prep: It's a difficult command to follow: "Rejoice in the Lord always!" It seems impossible to be joyful all of the time, and to say it to a child who is afraid or sad or upset is almost laughable. How can we possibly read this verse and obey it – does Paul really mean to be happy, all the time, no matter what? The key to Paul's instructions is the 3 little words in the middle. "In the Lord." We may not be able to rejoice in our circumstances, or even pretend to feel happy when we are afraid, or sad or upset, but we can reach out for our God. We can know that He promises to give us His peace in all things. Reminding children of God's strength, of His love, of His closeness – and that He is ready to share all of these things with us, whenever we ask-  may not change the situation, or the way our kids feel about it, but it does remind them that they are safe, secure, loved and cared for no matter what. And the Holy Spirit does bring a peace that we will never be able to understand. 

Read Philippians 4:4-9 together in a children's Bible, or this easy-to-read version here.

Listen 

Sometimes we face problems in our life. And sometimes we know what to do. 

  • What do we do when we are cold? Let children answer how they would get warm. 
  • What do we do when we are hungry? Let children answer how they would get food. 

What about when we are scared or afraid? What about if we are worried about something? What are some of the things you worry about, or are afraid of? Let children talk about their fears and anxieties without finding solutions to these problems.

Talk

Paul is writing to his friends who are facing fear and worry.

He says, "Rejoice in the Lord, always. I will say it again, Rejoice!" Paul says in all things, even the scary and worrying things, to rejoice. That means to be happy. Do you find it hard to be happy when you're scared? Of course we do! It's very hard to be happy all the time, especially when we are feeling sad, or angry, or afraid or upset. 

But Paul doesn't say to be happy about all the sad and scary things that happen to us. He says "Be happy in the Lord, always." Read those 3 little words in the middle together. "IN THE LORD." We don't have to be happy about the sad and scary things that happen to us, but we can always know that King Jesus is with us, and this makes us feel calm and happy. 

Paul says this because he knows Jesus never changes, and He promises to be with us, and care for us always, no matter what. So, when we feel sad, angry, upset or scared, instead of staying that way, we can ask Jesus to show us how close He is to us, and reach out for Him. He comes close to us, and gives us His peace. And Paul says this peace covers all our scared and sad feelings and makes us happy inside, because we are not worried anymore. We don't understand it, but it's how the Holy Spirit works.

Do

This week, as a family, write or draw out these words on a piece of paper: 

When I'm cold, I reach out for a jacket.

When I'm hungry, I reach out for food.

When I'm ________, I reach out for my friend Jesus.

He gives me His peace, and I can be happy in Him.

John 14:27 Jesus says, “I leave you peace. It is my own peace I give you. I give you peace in a different way than the world does. So don’t be troubled. Don’t be afraid."

 Then, this week, help your kids identify when they are feeling sad, scared, angry or upset. Ask them to name how they are feeling. Then, with a pencil, write that feeling on the blank space on your poster. Then, read out the poster together. Each time you say 'REACH OUT', reach out your hands and pretend to grab something. When you read the 'reach out for Jesus', reach high above your head and then bring your hands to your heart. Read the promise of John 14:27 together, take a deep breath and say 'Amen' together.  Practice this as often as you like, to help your kids develop the habit of taking their fears and anxieties to Jesus.