"Following the leader" Lesson #5

take advantage of this resources for your family devotions

“Do not be afraid, for I am with you.” - Isaiah 43:5

For this devotion, you will need some hand weights or something

heavy for each of your kids to lift. It needs to be heavy enough so that it’s

hard to lift, but not so heavy that it’s impossible to lift. Place the weights in

front of your kids and give your kids these instructions: “Pretend like these

weights are something you’re afraid to do. I want you to lift them up to your

chest at least 20 times. If you think you can’t do it, just ask me and I’ll help.

I’ll also make sure you don’t hurt yourself. Feel free to ask any questions you

have along the way.”

Tell your kids to start lifting the weights. Help them as much as they

need until all of them have lifted their weights 20 times. Then discuss the

following questions:

* How hard was it to lift the weights?

* How do your arms feel?

* What happens to your muscles when you lift weights like this?

* How did you feel knowing that someone would help you whenever you

asked?

* How do you think you’d feel if you knew someone would help you like

this whenever you had to face one of your fears?

Explain to your kids that while dealing with fears may be hard, it helps

make them stronger, just like lifting the weights did. Then read Hebrews 13:5

to them: “For God has said, ‘I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.’”

Tell them that whenever they have fears, they can always ask God to help

them and protect them while they face them. He will always be there for

them, and he will never fail to help.

Pray together, asking God to help each of you with the fears you face

every day. Ask him to give you courage and strength, and thank him for his

promise to always be with you.

What are you afraid of? Most of us are afraid of something, or at

least have some concerns about things in our lives. Our fears may not

affect us much on a daily basis, or they may paralyze us in certain circumstances.

Regardless of what kinds of fears we have, though, we can learn

how to deal with them effectively with God’s help. Discuss the following

questions:

* Can you think of things you used to be afraid of that you’re not

afraid of anymore? How did you get over those fears?

* What’s the difference between being afraid of a thing (like snakes,

heights, etc.) and situations or circumstances (like the future, relationships,

obeying God, etc.)?

* Do you think there’s a difference in the way you deal with the fear of

things and the fear of circumstances? If so, what are some of the

differences?

* What are some things you do now when you have to face something

you fear? How effective is that strategy?

* How much of your fear do you think is mental? That is, you just

can’t get your mind to believe that there’s nothing to be afraid of?

* What are some scriptures you can use to help your mind believe

God’s truth about your fears? (Google “Bible verses about fear” for

some ideas.)

Developing the ability to deal effectively with our fears is a lifelong

skill we should develop. Learning to look at our fear objectively

rather than emotionally helps, but it’s hard to do. The more faith we

have in God, though, the more we’re able to believe he’s able to deliver

us from the things we fear. By believing he’s always with us, always

protecting us, and always directing our lives, we can conquer the fears

that come our way.

Thank God that he’s promised to help you in all of the fears you

face. Ask him to help you believe his promises the next time you’re

confronted with a fear.

Joshua "spies like us"

SPIES LIKE US

this week we are doing something a little bit different we want to make available to you a family devotion to reinforce this week lesson in kids church - please take advantage of this resource

Read the following list aloud to your kids. Ask them to keep track of
how many things on the list they’re afraid of.
* Some kind of animal, like a snake, big dog, or spider
* Speaking in front of a group of people, like giving a book report
* Being somewhere really high up
* Being in a very small space
* Loud noises, like fireworks or jackhammers
Ask your kids to talk about the things on the list that they’re afraid of.
Explain that these are called irrational fears, because we’re usually afraid of
them for no reason; most of us have never been attacked by a dog, been
locked in a tight place, etc. Ask your kids if any of them even seem funny to
them—a lot of times, the things that other people are afraid of seem funny to
us.
Then discuss this next list of fears with your kids. Tell them that they
don’t have to tell you which of these they’re afraid of.
* Not having any friends
* Not being picked to be on a team
* Failing a class
*Getting really sick
* God doesn’t love me
* Not having enough money
* Dying

Ask your kids to think of other things they’re afraid of that aren’t
on the list. If they want to share them, that’s fine, but don’t force them
to. Then talk about one or two fears you’ve faced in your life—one that
might be silly, and another one that’s more serious. Tell them how you
overcame your fear, or admit to them that you still struggle with it
occasionally. Then talk about the following questions:
* What happens to your fear when you keep it to yourself and never
let anyone know you’re afraid?
* What do the things you’re afraid of have in common?
* What happens to your fear when you think about it all of the time?
* Is it hard or easy for you to trust God when you’re afraid? Why?
Tell your kids that most of the things we’re afraid of in life are
things that we can’t control. Ask them to think about the things they’re
afraid of and decide whether or not they can control them. Then ask
them the following questions:
* Who really is in control of the things and situations you’re afraid of?
* How can focusing on God instead of on yourself and your fear make
your fear easier to face?
* What fears do you have that you’re not ready to trust God to handle
yet? What can you do to learn to trust him more?
Finish the devotion by reading the following two verses: Psalm
56:3, “When I am afraid, I will trust in you,” and Romans 8:31, “If God is
for us, who can be against us?” Tell your kids that while our fears may be
real, God is always on our side, ready to help us conquer them.
Pray together, thanking God for his promises and that he’s
always in control. Ask him to help you focus on him when you’re afraid
and learn to trust him more.

If you need creative ideas on how to start having devotion in your home please send us an email or call the church office

milton@cpchurch.net

321-609-1269

The more I see my life and the things that I been through - knowing that God was in the midst of it all - as I look at it from a distance I can see his finger prints all over

Moses spent a lot of time with
God. He would regularly go to the Tent
of Meeting and speak with God face to
face. When he would leave the tent,
Joshua would stay. Joshua knew that he
needed to spend time in God’s presence.
In today’s busy lifestyle, it is easy
for us to come up with all kinds of reasons
why we can’t spend time in God’s
presence. But, if we want God to use us
to do EXTREME things for God
tomorrow, we must spend time in His
presence today.
In this lesson, we will learn another
lesson from Joshua’s time of
preparation to be the leader of Israel.
The children will learn the importance of
spending time in God’s presence.