Great blessings belong to those who don’t listen to evil advice, who don’t live like sinners, and who don’t join those who make fun of God. Instead, they love the Lord’s teachings and think about them day and night. So they grow strong, like a tree planted by a stream – a tree that produces fruit when it should and has leaves that never fall. Everything they do is successful.
Use this monthly Family Time guide to include God’s Word and His teachings in your daily family rhythms. You will find a monthly verse to focus on, a simple conversation around the topic of that verse and suggested family activities to incorporate during the month. Some of these verses have been simplified to a Bible Phrase. Every verse included connects to our Sunday school lessons for the month. Choose a specific time around a meal or at the end of the day to establish a rhythm of saying the verse together and then talking about it. The more regular this time becomes, the more normal it is to focus on the things of God. And that is the goal for healthy family growth!
Psalm 1 gives clear instructions for growing in a healthy way, as a follower of Jesus. First: Planting our roots in God’s truths and establishing our identity with Him is key. Our FBCA preschoolers hear these three truths often: God Made Me, God Loves Me, and God is my Friend. Second: From those roots, we begin to grow, gaining strength from God’s teachings, scriptures learned, and shared conversations. Third: As we experience God’s love and His blessings, we then become the shade and blessing for others. It is our hope that these simple family conversations provide ways to talk about God, learn His truths, and then bless others. These are the kinds of experiences that impact your family’s future in a healthy way, growing strong like a tree.
Psalm 1:1-3 (ERV)
how to use this family guide
Becoming a Psalm 1 Family
Dear God, Thank you for all of the people who wrote the stories in the Bible. Help us to grow as we learn from the Bible.
The Bible is God's big story. He, very much, wants us to be a part of His story. God loves us and wants us to experience His love so we can love others, just like His Son Jesus. God takes care of us, making sure we have everything we need. One of His ways of blessing us is telling us the truth in the Bible. Learning from The Bible and focusing on the stories of Jesus, helps us grow and know the truth. What is your favorite story God tells in the Bible?
Family Activities:
Family prayer:
Take turns telling favorite Bible stories & acting them out as a family. Make a list, through the month, of ways your family is blessed. How can your family bless someone else and show them God’s love? Try memorizing all of Psalm 1 as a family
Family Conversation:
Dear God, thank you for people. Thank you for the people in my family! You made each person in a very special way. Help us to share with others how much You love people.
God created the entire world. That means God created people. He made people to love and to take care of each other. God loves each of us very much. Because love comes from God, we can love others. When we love people, we are showing them they matter to us. They are special and we care about them. That is exactly what God thinks of us too. He made us just like he wants us to be, and He loves us!
Give a family group hug and say together “I love you!” Cut out 2 or 3 heart shapes from paper and have each one color them or decorate them in their own way. Then secretly leave a heart for a family member to find, as your special “I love you” message. Name people you love, outside of your family. How can you share God’s love with them and show them they are special to you? Say the words, “I love you”, daily, to each person in your family.
Contributor: Nanette Johnson
Jesus went to church with his family. He loved church! One time his family had gone to the temple and were on their trip back home when they realized Jesus wasn’t with the group. They went all the way back and found him in the temple talking to the teachers. He was teaching them! Going to church is a special place for families to learn about the Bible, how to pray, and how to tell others about Jesus. Jesus wants us to make going to church a part of our family’s weekly life!
Contributor: Debbie Bertrand
Thank you, God, for our church. Thank you for all the church helpers and Sunday school teachers that teach us about Jesus.
As a family, talk about why you like to go to church. What are your favorite things about church? Sing this song to the tune of “The Farmer in the Dell” or make up your own tune: I like to go to church; I like to go to church; I like the happy songs we sing; I like to go to church. I like to go to church (2x); I like to read the Bible; I like to go to church. I like to go to church; (2x); (ask your child what they like to do & sing it here); I like to go to church. On Saturday night, get everything ready for church and share your excitement about going to church. Listen to praise music on your way to church! And take selfie photos of your family as you go. Take a selfie in the car, as you walk in the door, and going into the sanctuary or classroom! Enjoy your time at church!
Dear God, we praise you and thank you for the birds in the sky and the bright sunshine. Thank you for giving us good gifts.
Since God gave us families, share a gift of kindness with each family member. It can be as simple as giving each person a hug and saying, “I love you!” or making a card to let them know how special they are to you. Spend extra time with your pet such as taking your dog for a walk. Prepare a meal as a family and give thanks to God for providing us food.
God gave us many wonderful gifts! God created this beautiful world and everything in it. God gave us people. We have our families who love and take care of us. God gave us plants that provide food and beauty. God gave us animals that we can enjoy and take care of as pets. God gave us sunshine during the day and the moon and stars during the night. Each morning we can wake up and enjoy another new day in God’s beautiful world. Thank you, God, for all your wonderful gifts.
Contributor: Lorrie Maurer
Dear God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for sending Jesus to be our way to live in Heaven one day.
Sing “Jesus Loves Me!” together as a family. Make a commitment to repeat these truths with your children as a part of their bedtime routine: God Made Me, God Loves Me, God is my Friend During the Easter season, read, “The Happy Easter Book”, as a reminder of God’s great love for each of us.
God’s love for us is Big! He made us because He loves us. The biggest way God shows us that He loves us is through His plan for His son, Jesus. God made a way for Jesus to be born on earth and live a perfect life. God wanted us to know how to love and be kind to others, just like Jesus did. Jesus lived and died and then came back to life so that we can live forever with Him in Heaven. That is God’s plan for us. God made us. He loves us and He is our friend, forever!
Contributor: Eilene Moore
Dear God, You are strong! Please help me to be strong too. Please help me to use the strength you give me to help my family and friends.
God is ready and willing to help us. Because God is our helper, we can ask him to be near and then depend on his strength. God loves for us to lean and depend on him in every season and area of our lives. God knows everything about us. He knows when we need help to make good choices. God wants to be strong for us. God loves us so much and always wants to be our helper.
Write down 3 things your family needs God to help you with this week. Post them in a visual place in your home and pray about them together. Make a “God is My Helper” Bookmark. Cut paper or cardstock into a rectangle and list needs to pray over. Write the verse: “God will help you.” Isaiah 41:10 and then decorate it. Pray for Friends. Ask your friends or family if you can pray for them about a need they have. You may want to ask the cashier at the grocery store or the waiter at the restaurant if you can pray for them too.
Learn a new worship song together. Praising God through singing can be like a special prayer. Build “family blocks”. Use small blocks or Legos to build towers to represent each family member. One block for each year you are (John is 5 = 5 blocks, Daddy is 30 = 30 blocks). Help one another to build each tower. Play with cars. Make a “road” with paper or masking tape on the floor. Talk about places that you may travel. Sometimes God’s plan for our lives might take us to a different place to share about Him.
Thank you, God, for the plans you have for me and my family. Your plans are always good. Help us to be more like you each day.
God has a special plan for each of our lives. God helped people in the Bible like Noah and Moses to do big things. God can help us too! When we pray, we can talk to God and ask Him for help. God will help us make good choices. He can help us to stay grow strong. He can help us to get well. God can do anything!
Contributor: Courtney McDaniel
Dear God, thank you for loving us so much! Thank you for sending Jesus to tell people about You. Please help us to know when it is our turn to tell someone about Jesus.
Practice the verse different ways: whisper the verse; cup your hands around your mouth and say the verse; clap your hands as you say each word; pat your knees as you say each word. Ask each family member to name one or two friends that you could tell about Jesus. The wording could be as simple as this: “Did you know that Jesus loves you?” Write “Jesus loves you” on a few index cards or small pieces of paper and decorate. Find a time to give them to the people you named above.
Jesus was thirsty one day and found a well but didn’t have a jar to get any water. A woman came to the well with her jar, and Jesus asked her for a drink. She was surprised that he would ask her for a drink since she didn’t know him. Then Jesus began to tell her how He loved her very much. The woman became so excited at this good news that she ran back to her village to tell everyone about Jesus. Did you know you can tell others about Jesus just like this woman did?
Contributor: Kathryn O'Neal
There are times when doing the right thing is really easy, but there are times when doing the right thing can be hard! In the Bible, God reminds his people of how much he loves them and how he has taken care of them. God points out that doing what is “right and good in the Lord’s sight” is very important. Your parents want what is best for you when they ask you to do certain things. God loves you even more than your parents. He always wants what is right and good for you. God’s ways are always right.
Gather your family in a circle and tell each person in the circle something they do very well. Parents, affirm your child(ren) when they make the “right” decision. Talk about times where it is easy to do the “right” thing.
Contributor: Kurt Krodle
Dear God, we thank you for giving us good things. Thank you for helpings us to make right choices. Please be with us as we do our best to make good decisions.
God created people to care for and watch over the world that he created. He made man and woman to take care of all the animals, all the birds, and all the fish. God gave them lots of good fruits and vegetables to eat and a very beautiful garden to live in. God’s plan for the people is for them to spend time together and to love one another. God made YOU and all of the people in your family. You were made special and God is so happy that He made you!
Dear God, You created each person in our family. Thank you for making each one of us special! Help us to always love one another and treat one another with kindness.
Draw a family portrait: Have each family member draw one person. Cut the people out and glue or tape them to a larger piece of paper. Sing God Made Me: “God Made Me, God Made Me, In the Bible book it says that God Made Me.” Repeat with each family members name in the place of “Me” Look at family pictures: Look at pictures of your family, family that lives far away, and friends that are like family. Thank God for each person in your family.
Thank you, God, for sending Jesus to be a good example for us to follow. Help us to show others that we love Jesus by being kind and loving and making good choices. Help us to follow the Jesus Way!
Stand together as a family and shout, “We will Follow the Jesus Way”. Make this a part of your morning routine. Create and decorate a sign out of paper for your refrigerator, or paint a rock and put it outside, that reminds you and says to others that your family will Follow the Jesus Way. Share ways you can show others that you are following the Jesus Way.
As followers of Jesus, we choose to live our lives the way Jesus taught us to live. At our church we say, “We Follow the Jesus Way.” The Bible tells us how we should act and treat others. The people in the Old Testament told Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.” They made a promise to worship and follow God. We can do that today. We can tell others, and show them by the way we live, that we choose to “Follow the Jesus Way”!
Contributor: David Butts
Make a prayer book. Use small pieces of paper, or index cards and write or draw the name of a person or place, one on each card. Staple pages together or punch a hole and tie with ribbon. Leave the book in the car and choose someone to pray for every time you go somewhere. Go on a nature walk. Collect nature items as you walk around your neighborhood or in a nearby park. Make a collage with the items when you get home and thank God for your neighbors. Play a "Stepping Game" as you repeat the verse. Begin on one end of the yard or one side of the room and then move to the opposite side by choosing to: hop, skip, tippy-toe or long jump - all while repeating the verse.
Did you know that God goes with us everywhere? He is with us at home, at the store, at the park, and even at the dentist. We can talk about God wherever we go, too. When we meet a new friend at the park, we can tell them, “God loves you”. If we are going somewhere like the doctor or dentist, we can ask God to help us be brave. God loves us and wants us to remember that He is always with us.
Dear God, You are always with me! Thank you for helping me no matter where I go. Please help our family to always share with others that God loves them!
Dear God, we are thankful for Jesus, Your Son. He is wonderful and we praise Him! Thank you for our wonderful family too! We love you, Jesus. Amen.
Talk about when your children were born and what they were like as a baby. Share ways they have grown and changed since then. Share words that are like “Wonderful”. Example: Great, fabulous, terrific! Each of you is created in God’s image and has ‘wonderful’ qualities. Encourage each other by naming what is ‘wonderful’ about your family.
Have you ever been near a baby? They are small and soft and sometimes they cry. When it was time for God’s plan to take place, He made it possible for Jesus to be born as a little baby. His son, Jesus, was born in Bethlehem to Mary and Joseph. The baby wasn’t born at their home or in a hospital, Jesus was born in a barn with the animals. That was the only place they could find! But even in a barn, Mary and Joseph knew Jesus was very special. They knew he was Wonderful! We know Jesus is Wonderful too!
Notes:
Dr. Dennis Wiles, Senior Pastor Nanette Johnson, Preschool Minister