Big Idea: We can be content in all things, because we have Jesus.

Parent Prep: If you can, hit the drive-thru this week. When I was a little kid, whenever we would get takeaway chips, the hunt would be on for whoever could find the longest potato chip. If you were the winner, you'd hold it up and announce 'BIGGEST CHIP!' and then save it until the end to eat – just in case someone else found a chip a similar size and you needed to compare measurements. It was always so devastating when yours wasn't the biggest. We grew serious chip-envy. This week we talked about having contentment in all things. So, when you hit the drive-thru, encourage your kids to find the biggest potato chip. When they do, get them to call it out, and then, as a family, remind each other: Jesus is better, even better than being the one who finds the biggest potato chip. He is better no matter what. Jesus gives us the strength to know peace even when we want what other people have in this life.
 

Read Philippians 4:10-20 together in a children's Bible, or this easy-to-read version here.

Listen 

Ask children – Have you wanted something that someone else had? What was it? Why did you want it? Is it hard or easy to be 'content' with what you have? Why is it easy/hard?

Look up the word 'content' in the dictionary, or google it together. It means 'in a state of peaceful happiness.' Is this how you feel when you look at what you have in life? Why or why not?

Talk

Paul says that he has learned to be 'content' – or 'in a state of peaceful happiness' no matter what happens to him. Whether he be in need, or has plenty, whether well- fed, or hungry. He says the reason he has strength to 'be in a state of peaceful happiness' no matter what because he knows Jesus. He says that knowing Jesus is better than even having the most riches, and better than anything we could ever want in this life.

Do

Last week, we talked about how to 'reach out' for the peace of Jesus when we are worried, sad, angry or afraid. This week we learn that when Jesus does give us this peace, we can know happiness in every situation, no matter what happens or what we do or don't have. 

Together as a family, write down all the things your kids want. They can be big or small things. Big dreams or little wishes. Then, next to every line you've written, write the words 'JESUS IS BETTER' next to them. Then read them aloud, together. It is powerful to declare to ourselves and our family, that no matter what we want in this life, to know Jesus is to know peaceful happiness in all things, and that is better. Jesus gives us the strength to hold onto peace and face all things.

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.

Big Idea: Jesus' love for us is bigger than any fights we have with each other!

Parent Prep: Child psychologists use the phrase 'rupture and repair' when talking about the natural conflict we have in relationships. Even healthy relationships with the people we love include disagreements. The disharmony that comes from conflict is called the 'rupture'.  But when both parties in the relationship are willing to work together to reconcile, we have the 'repair'. To 'rupture and repair' is the process of gospel reconciliation. It's what Jesus did for us. He repaired what we ruptured by our sin, and reconciled us to God. In the parent-child relationship, it is the parent who does the 'repairing' work; helping the child to be calm, and think through how to forgive, confess, understand and be united together again. As we model this gracious and loving work of 'repair' in relationships with our children, we remind them of the assurance of our love for them – that nothing they rupture is too big or too bad for us to forgive. In turn, we aim for them to learn the art of reconciliation, in showing grace to others, too. In the process of 'rupture and repair', psychologists observe that often, after a truly gracious healing work of 'repair', a relationship reaches a new level of depth. This, too, is a reflection of the gospel. When we realise how much we are forgiven, we reach a new level of depth of love for our Saviour. This love then, overflows to others as we learn to forgive and repair our relationships with them in light of our own forgiveness.

Read Philippians 4:1-3 together in a children's Bible, or this easy-to-read version here.

Listen 

Have you ever had a big fight with your brother or sister? Choose an example to talk through as a family. What made it hard to forgive the other person? What made you want to stay mad at them? What did you do to fix the problem?

Talk

Paul writes to 2 of his friends.

1) He talks about how much he loves them because they also love Jesus.

2) He points out that all his friends who love Jesus – even the two who are fighting- are going to be together for all of eternity because of what Jesus has done. So with that in mind,

3) He pleads with his friends to not be on two different sides of an argument, but to be on the same side, following Jesus together. Fighting for each other and for the gospel, not against each other. Jesus' love for us is so great, and we have been forgiven even though we have caused our God so much hurt, how can we not forgive each other for the hurt they cause us?

Before Jesus goes to the cross and dies for his friends, he actually prays this for His friends, too. Jesus says, "Holy Father, keep them safe by the power of your name—the name you gave me. Then they will be one, just as you and I are one. " Jesus wants us – his followers- to be on the same side, fighting for each other, not against each other. You can read this together in John 17:11.

Do

This week, take the opportunity to call out and encourage when you see your kids 'fighting for each other'. This could look like choosing to share or be generous when they could keep something to themselves. It could mean letting another child go before them when making a choice, or using kind words to encourage each other. Each time it happens, notice it and help kids recognise what it looks like to 'fight for eachother' or 'be on the same side' as Paul talks about. Encourage kids to also call it out when they see it happening, so that they can look for it too. 

Consider making a chart for the week while you're on holidays. For every time you see family members 'fighting for each other', put a gold star or smiley face on the chart (be generous with your stars!). Every time family members fight 'against each other', use a different coloured sticker. At the end of the week, use your chart to talk about whether it was easy or hard to fight for/against each other. (It doesn't matter how many of each sticker colour there is – it's school holidays! It will give you a great chance to talk about this week's devotion!) Reflect together on how it felt when someone was fighting for you instead of against you. If there is still hurt, anger or bitterness between any family members, use the time to pray together and ask Jesus to remind you of His love so you can forgive one another. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you 'be on the same side' and fight for each other in the Name of Jesus.

Have a great week!

Big Idea: We press on by pressing into Jesus.

Parent Prep: Part of being a kid is growing resilience. Children try and fail hundreds of times before they master simple skills, such as walking, eating with cutlery, tying shoelaces, kicking a ball – the list goes on. As parents, part of our job is to encourage kids to 'just keep trying' even when they are struggling to learn something. It's the same with their walk of faith. Our job as parents is to encourage kids to 'just keep trying' even when they are struggling to be like Jesus – and each time they fail, we have the added privilege of modelling God's response to His children. To extend grace, to point to Jesus and remind them of His great love for them. 

Read Philippians 3:12-21  together in a children's Bible, or this easy-to-read version here.

Listen 

Ask children, "What are some goals you would like to acheive this year?" Or, "What are some things you would like to do but can't yet?" Their goals can be as simple or as complicated as they like. Being able to click, hop on one foot, sing/play a whole song by heart, tie their shoes etc. 

Ask, "What do you need to do to acheive these things/make these things happen?" 

Talk

To do something hard, it takes lots of hard work and practice – doing it over and over again, even when we fail. It is the same as following Jesus. Paul says "I don’t mean that I am exactly what God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal. But I continue trying to reach it and make it mine. That’s what Christ Jesus wants me to do." Jesus wants us to be like Him, but it takes lots and lots of trusting and trying to be like Jesus. 

Paul says, "Brothers and sisters, I know that I still have a long way to go. But there is one thing I do: I forget what is in the past and try as hard as I can to reach the goal before me." Paul says what helps him to be like Jesus most, is to forget about his past sins and failures, and to look at Jesus and focus on His goodness and love, and that helps him move forward towards His goal. 

We can do this too. What are some ways we can 'look ahead' or 'look to Jesus'? We can read the Bible together to see Jesus and what He was like, we can talk to Him in prayer and spend time worshipping Him by singing and talking about Him together. We can join in with others in our church family who are also 'running this race' so that we can be encouraged by them to keep going, too.

Do

As a family, set a relay race track up – it can have as many obstacles as you like. It can be inside (perhaps a walking race) or outside. Choose a baton to use (maybe a wooden spoon or rolling pin) and set a timer. Then, run the race as a family, timing yourself. When family members have finished their leg of the race, have them cheer the others on to encourage them. Make a finish-line ribbon together, and write the name of JESUS across the ribbon. You could use toilet paper so that it breaks when the final family member runs through it. Remind children that we don't run this race towards Jesus alone; that we have each other, and that the Holy Spirit is always with us to give us strength. 

Have a great week!

Big Idea: We can boast about the goodness of Jesus because He has made us right with God.

Parent Prep: It's natural for kids to learn to be proud of what they can achieve. It's a healthy part of development for a child to grow a sense of self-pride in what they are capable of. When it comes to salvation, however, the opposite is true. No one can reconcile themselves to God, no matter how holy they try to be. (Romans 3:23). We spend our time telling our kids how great they are, how proud we are of them and how much we think of them. But when Paul talks about his achievements, he considers what he earned on his own 'a loss' and 'garbage'. This is not to say we shouldn't encourage our kids to be proud of who they are and what they can achieve. It means that when we talk about salvation, and being acceptable to God, we need to help them see that nothing great about them, no matter how great it is, is enough. All of us are separated from God, and all of us need Jesus to reconcile us to Him. It's actually freeing for kids to learn that they don't have to be 'good enough' for God, and what makes them important to Him is simply because He has chosen them to be His.

Read Philippians 3:1-11  together in a children's Bible, or this easy-to-read version here.

Listen 

Make a list of all the things your kids are good at together. Let them help make the list so it as personal as they would like it to be. Eg. Making playdough dinosaurs, cooking spaghetti, keeping their room tidy etc. 

Then ask your children, who in your family do they think is the best at being good and following all the rules. Is it mummy? Daddy? or any of the kids? Does this make that person better than everyone else in your family? Why or why not? 

Talk

Talk with children about all the things that Paul says He's good at. Look at verses 5-6. Here's why he says those things:

• Being 'circumcised on the eighth day' was a command given to the Jewish people in the book of the law (Leviticus 12:3) to show that the baby belonged to God's people.
• He was born an Israelite, one of God's people, from the tribe of Benjamin. He knew he was one of God's chosen Jewish people from God's special tribes.
• He was the best at keeping the rules of the law: he was a pharisee! That meant he was an expert at the law and taught others what it said.
• He was so good at being a perfect Jew that he bullied other people who didn't do what the law said. 

All these things should have made Paul the best and most acceptable to God, but it didn't. He said that the only thing worth really boasting about was how great Jesus was, because the only thing that makes us acceptable to God is Jesus. 

It's okay to be proud of the way God has made us, but not to boast about these things as if they make us more important than other people. Paul says the only thing that makes us important, and worth boasting about is that Jesus is so good that He chose us to be His friends. 

Do

Instead of making lists about how good we are at things, try to make a list together of all the great things worth celebrating about Jesus. Pin your list to the fridge this week, and use it to shape your prayers, thanking Jesus for all the good He has given to us. 

Have a great week!

Big Idea: We need special friends to encourage each other to follow Jesus.

Parent Prep: In Australia today, 1 in every 10 Generation Y young adults do not know any other Christians. It's an even lower number for Gen Z and Gen Alpha – the children of today. (You can read more here at Faith and Belief.org). For most of our kids, that means their faith in Jesus will be an anomaly on the playground. It's tough for anyone to follow Jesus when you're the only one, and it's even harder for our kids. Children learn to define themselves by the thoughts and opinions of the important people in their worlds, and by the time they are teenagers, their peers are some of the most important voices in their lives. If by and large, these voices aren't voices who also speak the truth of the gospel, statistically, we recognise that children begin to drift from their faith communities and eventually their faith. The current statistic is that 50% of church-going young people will have walked away from their faith by the time they are university age. The best evidence we have suggests that having around 5 important voices speaking a similar language of faith will help steady a child through their adolescent years as they grow more independent in understanding what they believe. These important voices can be parents, grandparents, small group or youth group leaders, peers and family members. It's best to have a mix of ages – so that kids have many people of various generations speaking the wisdom of God into their lives. Without a support network of faithful, encouraging believers, it is unlikely that a child's faith will last through to adulthood. We can help our children's faith grow deeper and stronger by encouraging them to find friends and build relationships with others who are intentionally following Jesus.

Read Philippians 2:19-30  together in a children's Bible, or this easy-to-read version here.

Talk

Read the passage together, and make a list of all the great things Paul says about his friends.

• Timothy:
  • Genuinely cares for his friends v20
  • Cares about the work of Jesus v21
  • Tells others the good news of Jesus v22
  • He is servant hearted v23
• Epaphroditus
  • Works hard for the Lord v25
  • Serves others v25
  • A good helper v30
  • Put his life in danger for his friend v30
  •  Almost died for Jesus! v30

Listen

Can you think of any friends who are like Timothy and Epaphroditus? Ask children to think of people they know in their lives who are like Timothy and Epaphroditus. Try and think of 5 together, and ask if each child can think of one friend like this. 

Do

Make a list of these friends, and commit to praying for them. You could even write down things that are great about these friends too, so you can continue to thank God for your gospel-partner friends. As a family, make a commitment to spend time with these people often and regularly so that you can enjoy their company and be encouraged to be like Jesus together.

Have a great week!

Big Idea: When we put others first like Jesus did for us, we shine like stars in a dark sky.

Bible Passage: Philippians 2:1-18

Parent Prep: In this passage, Paul calls the Philippians to love and serve each other 'in the same mindset as Christ Jesus' (verse 5). Paul explains that to be a follower of Jesus is to live in the exact opposite way to the way the world acts: to be humble, put others first, and care for their needs as more important than our own. This is the only true way to be exalted by the Father and 'shine like stars in a dark sky'. In the Kingdom of God, things are upside down. The world tells us that in order to be exalted and 'shine like a star', we must be proud, self-promoting, put ourselves before others and look out for our own needs. This is the world our children live in. So it's okay for our kids to be confused by Paul's teaching. It's also okay to find it difficult to practice his instructions. They don't come naturally to anyone, not even children. When we teach children to 'be humble', 'looking out for the interest in others', we must first help them see the beauty of what Jesus has done for us. Then it's helpful to acknowledge that it is hard, and that we cannot do it without His help. Ultimately, this leads us to prayer, to ask for His help to shine like a star in this darkened world. That way, when kids find humility, serving and caring for others difficult, we can acknowledge that they are not alone, and not to give up, and point them back to Jesus for His help. 

Read Philippians 2:1-18  together in a children's Bible, or this easy-to-read version here.

Talk

Paul gives the Philippian church some tough instructions. Read verse 3 together. He tells them to never, ever, ever do anything to put themselves first and be selfish.Then read verse 14. He tells us to never ever complain or argue! Try and remember the last time your family went a whole day without someone putting themself first, arguing or complaining. (Extra points for families who don't argue trying this activity!)

Instead of living the way the rest of the world lives, Paul tells God's family, "In your life together, think the way Christ Jesus thought." (verse 5). That's pretty hard to do all of the time. You can read how Jesus thought by reading through verses 5-11 together in Paul's poem. He was King and he didn't even come to earth to boss people around and tell them to do what's right. He came as a servant and served His people by laying His life down for us to save us. 

Paul says that to really 'shine like a star' in this dark and broken world, we must also be ready to lay down the things we want, and look out for the needs of others. That way people will see the way we live and act, and be surprised by our love and hope and want to know more about Jesus.

Listen

Ask children to name someone they think is a 'shining star' in this world. Think celebrities, pop stars, superheroes etc. What makes this person a 'shining star'? What makes them so special? Is it their humility, and ability to put other people first? Help children see that being a 'shining star' in this life is different to being a shining star in God's family. 

The world tells us to 'make yourself the most important', but Jesus says, 'make God the most important, and love others as you love yourself.'  It's upside-down and the opposite to what people are usually like, but that's how we'll really be like Jesus, and be shining stars to point others to Him.

Do

It's pretty tough to be like Jesus, we need the help of His Holy Spirit. The best way to be like Jesus is know Him, and to know His great love for us. We can read all about how great Jesus is in Paul's poem in verses 5-11. This week, write your own poem about how great Jesus is. It could be an acrostic poem, describing Jesus' humility and love for us through His death on the cross. You can choose any word for your acrostic – but for younger children,  the word JESUS is nice and short. Consider using the word 'PHILIPPIANS' for older children, as a challenge to see if they can find many describing words for the humble character of our God.

Consider sharing this acrostic poem with our church family, or with another family in our church (like your 'gospel partner families), so that they can be encouraged to 'think like Jesus in their lives together', too.

Have a great week!

Big Idea: We can be an encouragement to others in our church family, no matter what we are going through, because of our hope in Jesus.

Bible Passage: Philippians 1:12-30

Parent Prep: This week we continue our study into Philippians, and read more about Paul's encouragement to the people of the church there. (To learn more about the book of Philippians, consider watching this Bible Project video.) It is while he is in prison that Paul writes this letter of encouragement to his friends. He assures them that "I will continue to rejoice, for…what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance." and that "to live is Christ and to die is gain." Despite his own suffering, Paul encourages his friends in their own troubles, urging them to "Stand firm in the Spirit, striving together…without being frightened." 

Read Philippians 1:12-30 together in a children's Bible, or this easy-to-read version here.

Talk

Even though Paul is going through a lot of troubles, he is writing to encourage his friends to be brave. That's a very hard thing to do! Yet Paul says that he will 'continue to rejoice' (rejoice means to be glad and celebrate), because he knows that the hard things that happen to him, more people will know Jesus, and He will know Jesus better.

Listen

What are some hard things that our family has faced? Are we able to be glad and rejoice because we know they bring us closer to Jesus? Why or why not? Do hard things draw our family closer to God and His people and His Word, or make our family more distant from God, His people and His word? Why do you think this is? Do you think this makes it harder to easier to encourage others in our church family?

Think of one of the hard things your family has been through, or are still going through. How can we celebrate this and be glad? Where can we see God using it to send His good news of Jesus to other people? Where can we see God using this hard thing to pull us closer to Him and His people and His word? Can we sing and celebrate with a song or prayer now together? (You can use this song, or choose one of your own together – One Thing Remains)

Are there other families in our church family who need encouragement? Who can we be praying for? How can we encourage them to 'Stand together, with the same purpose, and work together like a team to help others believe the Good News," as we read in verse 27?

Do

If you haven't already, ask another family in our church family to be Gospel Partners with your family. Put a photo of that family on your fridge. Write down some ways you can help them "Stand together", "Work together like a team" and "Help others believe the good news". Consider how you can encourage that family this week. Consider drawing them a picture, or writing them a postcard or letter of encouragement like Paul did for his friends, and put it in their mailbox. Ask them to be praying for your family too. 

See you next week!

Big Idea: We can have great joy and love for our family of believers, and pray for and encourage each other as we grow to be more like Jesus.

Bible Passage: Philippians 1:1-11

Parent Prep: As we begin our new series in Philippians, it is helpful to know a little about the city of Philippi. It was a prominent city of Macedonia in its day. Paul was on his missionary journey when he has a dream about a man in Philippi saying, "Come to Macedonia and help us." (Acts 16:9). Paul listens, and so they go. There he goes by the river to meet some people praying, where he meets Lydia. She becomes a believer, and is baptised, as is her whole household. Then after Paul and Silas are met with opposition for preaching, they are beaten and thrown in prison. There we read the story of the earthquake- the jail crumbles around them, and the jailer in charge of Paul and Silas becomes a believer, too. His household members also are baptised and follow Jesus. Shortly after, Paul and Silas are ushered out of town. They are only there a few days, yet a small number of people believe in Jesus, and from there, an apparent flourishing church grows – we read about how proud Paul is of his brothers and sisters throughout the book of Philippians – the letter he wrote to them. To learn more about the book of Philippians, consider watching this Bible Project video.

Read Philippians 1:1-11 together in a children's Bible, or this easy-to-read version here.

Talk

In a Bible with a map, or on Google Maps here, find where Philippi is together. Have a look at a map of Paul's Missionary Journey either in a Bible, or here. Watch what happened to Paul and Silas while they were in Philippi, here, and here. Lots of hard and bad things happened to Paul in Philippi! Yet when we read his letter to the church there, he says he cares for them, thinks of them with great joy and prays for them as often as he remembers them! 

1) Highlight or underline "I thank my God every time I remember you." Even though Paul had such a hard time visiting Philippi, he remembers his time and the people there with joy. Why is that? Look for the answer in verse 5. "Because of your help/partnership witin the gospel/good news."  He remembers his time with the believers in Philippi as a joyful time, because they celebrated the gospel together. He could have remembered the hard times and the bad things that happened, but he chooses to celebrate the joy of the people coming to know Jesus. They are now his special forever friends!

2) Highlight or underline together in your Bibles, the words "In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy." in verse 4. Paul prays for his special friends in Philippi. He cares for them, so he prays for them as much as he can – even though he is in jail facing his own troubles!

3) Highlight or underline "And this is my prayer. That your love will grow more and more, and that you will have knowledge and understanding with your love." Paul prays that the people's love for Jesus and each other will keep on growing. And he prays that people would grow to know more and more about Jesus and His ways. He is confident and brave in His prayer, because he knows that "The work that God began, He will continue it until it is complete on the day when Jesus Christ comes again." God promises to help keep growing us to be more like Him.

Listen

1) Who are we thankful for? Who is in our church family that encourage us and support us to be worshipping Jesus? Have you travelled through hard times with these people? Can you think of a time it was hard, but God used it to grow you closer to Him and others in your church family?

2) Do we pray for these people? Do we care about them and serving them as much as we care about ourselves? Do our own worries keep us from praying for other people in our church family? How can we be praying for another family in our church? Who in our church needs help this week?

3) God promises to grow and grow our love. We can pray this for others. We can also ask it for each other. God promises to grow our love and knowledge of Him through our reading His Word, and worshipping Him with others in our church family. Which families can we pray for this week that God would grow and grow their love for God, and help them know Him better?

Do

Ask another family in the church for a family photo, or print one off of social media. Consider giving that family a photo of your family and asking them to do this activity with you. Stick the photo on the fridge, and this week, as often as you think of them, or see the photo, pray that God would grow and grow their love, and help them know Him more through His word and their worship of Him.

See you Sunday!

Big Idea: We pray for the peace of God to be with His people and the world.

Bible Passage: Psalm 122:6-9

Parent Prep: This week we look at the idea of peace, or more specifically, shalom. "The Hebrew word for peace, shalom (שׁלום), is derived from a root denoting wholeness or completeness, and its frame of reference throughout Jewish literature is bound up with the notion of shelemut, perfection. Along with truth and justice, peace is among the most hallowed Jewish values. In the Bible, the word shalom is most commonly used to refer to a state of affairs, one of well‑being, tranquility, prosperity, and security, circumstances unblemished by any sort of defect. Shalom is a blessing, a manifestation of divine grace."* This is God's ultimate good for us. That we would know His peace – His wholeness in our lives here on earth. Our mission therefore is to demonstrate God's shalom to the world as we are sent together to heal it and make it look 'on earth as it is in heaven'. It is also what we look forward to when at last we are called home to be restored God forever in the New Creation. This week, we are teaching children to ask God for His shalom in the various contexts of their world.

Read Psalm 122:6-9 in a children's Bible, or in this easy-to-read version here. As we did last week, when you read this passage, explain to children that when we read and talk about 'The New Jerusalem', for us it is talking about the Church [Galatians 4:26]. 

Talk 

1) First we read to pray for peace, or shalom, for 'those who love you.' We pray for those who put their trust in Jesus. This includes ourselves, and our church family, and believers across the world. That God would be their strong place, the One who is their 'security'. 

2) Second we read to pray for peace, or shalom for those who are 'within the walls'. For our families in our big church family, we pray that we would be at shalom together. That we would be as one, whole, united together, and not fighting eachother, but supporting and strengthening each other, united in our love for Jesus.

3) Thirdly, we read to pray for peace, or shalom, 'in the great buildings' or 'citadels' or 'palaces'. Traditionally, the leaders or royaly would have lived in these great buildings. We are reading here to pray for those who lead the city of Jerusalem. We pray for shalom – wholeness and peace and togetherness for our church leaders, that they would face the future, and be strong as one in Jesus to lead our big church family together.

We also read to pray for our family and friends, or family and neighbours- we can pray for the world to know the peace and hope of Jesus – that the way we show love and peace to them would show them God's great 'shalom', too. Read together John 14:27 “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." Jesus gives us His peace, which isn't just based on feeling safe in the world. We know the world can be scary and changing. But Jesus isn't changing, He is always the same, and He has a special home waiting for us to be with him forever one day. And while we are here on earth, He promises to be with us every day. We can have 'shalom' peace -wholeness and togetherness with Jesus and be safe and rested in Him.

Listen

1) Who are some people that we know who love Jesus? Make a list of the people in your family, or people that you know, that love and trust Jesus. Pray together for those people that God would be their Rock and Strongplace. 

2) Who are other families in our church family that you know and love? Make a list of these families, and others you know from our big church family, and pray together that you would be at peace with them, and that all our church families would have wholeness and togetherness in Jesus.

3) Who are the leaders of our church family? Make a list and pray for these leaders that they would have shalom peace and know God's strength, protection, and have togetherness with Him and each other so that they lead our big church family well. 

What are some of the things you wrote on your Service Notes page? Are there any questions you have or words you wrote down but don't understand? Did you find anything interesting about the message? What was your favourite song to sing this week? Why did you like it?

Do

As a family, do a puzzle together. As you put the pieces together, talk about God's shalom peace – meaning 'wholeness'. God is restoring and piecing together the world the way He wants it to be. One day we will see the full picture, God's perfect creation, when He finally restores all things to Himself. It is our job now to pray and to make the world 'shalom' – at peace and whole. Just like we put these pieces of the puzzle together, when we show God's love, justice and peace to others, we heal the world and make it whole so that people can see God's love and peace.

*https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/shalom/