Big Idea: We can rest and rely on God.

Bible Passage: Zechariah 4:6-7

Parent Prep: This week we take a short pause in our 'Family' series to dig into what it really looks like to depend on God and His Holy Spirit to help us when we aren't strong enough. This has been a big, tough year for many families, and so it is a refreshing reminder for us that God is all-powerful, and His promise to build the church & bless His children is not dependent on us, but on His own mighty arm. Our calling is an honour, a privilege and a work of faith to trust and rely on Him to do His work. As we look ahead to 2021 for our own church family, with big decisions to make about our future, we too can be assured that God will be faithful and that our calling as His children is to rest and rely on His faithfulness, and trust that we too will be able to look back and say, 'Beautiful, beautiful!' (verse 7).

Read: Zechariah 4:6-7 in a children's Bible, or this easy-to-read version here.

Talk

Zerubbabel was a powerful leader of God's people who led them back to the land God had given them. He took them from exile, back home to Israel, and he received a word from God that he was to lead the people to rebuild God's temple. It was a big job! And yet, these words that we have read are a promise from God that it would be His Holy Spirit that helped Zerubbabel, and that he would be able to do this great big job if he had faith and relied on God to help him, not his own strength. 

Ask

When you were little, did someone big ever carry you? Did you rest your head on their shoulder, and lean your whole weight on them? Faith is leaning your whole weight on God. Resting your head on his shoulder. Faith means resting – relying- not on who we are or what we can do, or how we feel, or what we know. Faith is resting in who God is and what He has done. And He has done EVERYTHING.*

We can trust God to take care of us, and keep His promises to bless us, His beloved children. 

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us." – 1 John 4:16

Do

Give children an instruction to get from one point to another in your house. For older children, consider making it difficult by placing obstacles in their way. Then, repeat the exercise with a parent carrying them from one point to another. Ask children if it was easy or harder to be carried than to walk. Use this simple demonstration to explain how God's strength helps us. We can do things- even hard things- that God has asked us to do, because we know that it is God who helps us by giving us His strength. We can ask Him for help with whatever we need and rest and rely on Him in faith knowing He will always keep His promises to help us. Pray together about the things that are tough for your family, and ask God's Holy Spirit to give you the faith to rest on Him as you look ahead.

Have a great week, see you next Sunday!

*Quote taken from page 77, 'Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing' by Sally Lloyd-Jones