ALONG THE WAY - Week 2
People often say, "It's about the journey, not the destination," when their travel plans don't work out how they expected. This phrase couldn't have been more true for Job, who went through a shocking journey. In this 4-week series, our families will hear from Job's story as he learned to navigate loss and trust God's itinerary every step of the way. Through the story of Job's perseverance and faithfulness, we will learn that God is with them no matter what they go through, they can show God's love in small ways, God is bigger than they could ever understand, and they can trust God will make everything right.
BIG IDEA: We can show God’s love in small ways.
BIBLE: Job And His Friends: Job 2:11–13; 16:1–5; Hebrews 4:12–16
MEMORY VERSE
Elementary: “The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” Psalm 121:8 (NIV)
Toddler Twist: God (point up) always watches (hand to forehead) over me (point to self)." Psalm 121:8
WATCH:
Preschool- teaching video
Elementary- teaching video
SONG: When the Spirit of the Lord and I Wanna be Like Jesus
DISCIPLE:
Prepare one medium or large bubble wand and demonstrate different ways to blow a bubble.
Airplanes aren't the only way to fly. Some people fly in balloons that float slowly through the air. Let's imagine what that might look like using bubbles!
But if I want to travel by bubble, I'd want the biggest bubble. How do I make big bubbles?
Dip the wand into the soap, and try blowing a bubble while making vocal sounds like humming, grunting, or whistling.
Blowing while making noise didn't produce large bubbles. Maybe I need to do it faster!
Now blow the bubble as fast as you can. Usually, this will result in bubbles that drift off or pop before they get very big.
That didn't really work either. What if we tried being making bubbles slow and steady without making extra noise?
This reminds me of our Bible story, when Job's friends tried to talk to him and explain why he was going through a hard time.
Sometimes, when someone is sad, we might think that we need to say a lot of things to be helpful, but words don't always help. It was hard to blow a bubble when we made too much noise!
Or, we might think that we need to cheer them up, but we can't force someone to feel better. The bubbles popped when we rushed them.
It can be more helpful when we are gentle and don't say too much, like when we blew the biggest bubble.
Sometimes just sitting quietly with someone and letting them know you are there shows the most love. We can show God's love in small ways.
Pray: Dear God, thank you for showing us your great love in so many ways—the biggest way being your son, Jesus. You always show up for us and help us when we need it most. Help us know we can show your love to others in small ways. Amen.
Parent Devotion SONG: When the Spirit of the Lord and I Wanna be Like Jesus
DISCIPLE:
Matthew 6:25–34
This passage contains one of many teachings of Jesus while he was on earth. People came from everywhere to listen to his words because he revealed truths about God that taught them how to follow God.
What is one word you heard over and over in this passage? Yup. "Worry." Jesus was teaching the people that worrying won't solve anything. He even asked, "Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" He wasn't just saying, "Don't worry, be happy!" He understood that when you trust God, you know God will show up for you.
Jesus was able to tell people not to worry because he knew God. This passage reminds us that God created everything in the universe, and even though God is bigger than we could ever understand, God cares about each and every one of us. When we realize that we are in the hands of our big God, we can stop worrying and turn our focus to God. And when we "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness," God will take care of everything else!
Pray: God, you are amazing. You created everything in this world. You are bigger than we could ever understand, and yet you love us so much. Thank you for taking care of us every day. Amen.