We are absolutely loving our daily devotions! The kids are finally not protesting them anymore (before they just wanted to run off to watch TV after homework), but now they jump up and down asking what type of activity we are doing (not every day, but some)! This week, we even did a science experiment as one of our activities! Have you ever related God to oil? Haha… maybe it was a stretch, but the kids loved it and totally got my analogy, so that’s what matters!
When my husband got home, the boys couldn’t wait to tell him what they learned which sparked my husband’s Daddy Teacher side (he taught math, science and engineering to high schoolers before he became a mechanical engineer). He ended up creating a science experiment that will be my next post in a few days.
Day 1: An Adventure with Me
“On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” -John 14:20
If you have any matryoshka (nesting) dolls lying around your house, this verse can be perfectly portrayed by using those dolls. If not, any type of nesting toys such as blocks or cups can be used just fine. For your older child, you can label the big nesting doll “God,” the next size “Jesus,” the next your son/daughter’s name, and the next “Jesus” again.
This one took some convincing for my 3 year old to understand that God was not an LSU football player, and to get past the fact that each doll has a “shirt” (top) and “pants” (bottom).
Me: “Leyson, so where is Jesus?” Leyson: “He is wearing my pants.” Me: “No, he is inside you. Inside you.” ::sigh::
Next lesson: the difference between “where” and “wear” and maybe we’ll just use nesting blocks instead of the nesting dolls. 😉
“For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own pets have said, ‘We are his offspring.'” -Acts 17:28
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught and overflowing with thankfulness.” -Colossians 2:6-7
Day 2: Never Changing
“God is not a God of confusion but a God of peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:33
The devotion talked about all of the distractions we face daily…hourly…and how one thing always remains the same: God. He is a constant in our lives. While we are growing and changing, He is the one thing we can count on to always be there for us.
Today, I wanted to do an illustration on things that change and things that remain the same.
Materials: 2 bowls, oil, water, food coloring
I pulled out 2 bowls and filled one with water and one with oil. I explained to the kids that we are like the water, always growing and changing, learning new things, adjusting to new situations. James added food coloring to our water to see how the water automatically changed to blue.
Then I explained that God is always the same, always there for us. He is not going to be changed or influenced by distractions like we are. He is not going to walk away from us even when we mess up. His love for us remains the same. Leyson added food coloring to the oil and the oil did not change. It did not spread and turn the oil blue like it did the water.
“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10
Day 3: I Am the Light
“I am the light of the world. The person who follows me will never live in darkness. He will have the light that gives life.” -John 8:12
Today’s discussion was about the Light that fills our hearts and the darkness that can overtake it, if you let it.
Materials: black paper, pencil, glue, glitter, tray or box with sides (to limit the mess)
Draw a large heart on the black paper. Talk about how hate, jealousy, rudeness, disobedience, dishonesty and disrespect can all darken the heart. Let your child paint the inside of the heart with glue and fill it with glitter.
Talk about how Jesus’ love for us and our obedience to follow Him will fill our hearts with light. My kids had a great time waving their hearts around to see the light dance against the glitter.
“You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” -Psalm 32:7
Day 4: No Other Friend Like Me
There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” -John 15:13
We pulled one of our favorite Disney songs to help us with today’s devotion. We compared the love and friendship that Andy and Woody have with each other to our relationship with Christ. We also closed our eyes and listened to the words of this song describing their friendship and talked about how that relates to us and our BFF, Jesus.
“I no longer call you servants because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” -John 15:14-15
Day 5: Depend on Me
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” -Ephesians 6:10
God is the ultimate superhero – putting it in 6-year-old boy terms here. He is super duper strong, like an ant. We discussed how strong ants are in comparison to their bodies, and how big and heavy the things they carry can be.
Materials: stirring straws, cheerios, glue
We pretended our fingers were little ants and made dumbbells to pump some ant iron and show their strength. Cutting the straws into 3 inch pieces, we slipped cheerios onto each end. James decided 3 cheerios on each end was about what an ant can carry (he thinks he is Wikipedia and knows everything).
Then my 6-year-old know-it-all decided to multiply the weight that the ants can carry times a million trillion billion because that’s how strong God is.
“The God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:26-27
If you are doing Bible studies with your kids at home, we would love to hear from you! Are you following a specific kid’s devotional or study, or making your own up as you go along? Comment below to tell us all about it!
