ELEMENTARY KIDS & FAMILIES For Sunday, August 14, 2016
This resource is designed to allow your family to have time in God’s Word BEFORE your children attend church. Because God’s plan is for parents to be the primary spiritual nurturers of their children’s faith, we want YOU to be the one to introduce this part of The Big God Story to them.
Summer Lesson 11
DID YOU KNOW?
HomeFront: A Spiritual Parenting Resource This monthly magazine gives your family ideas for creating fun, spiritually forming times in your home—setting aside sacred space in the midst of your active, everyday lives. Visit www.HomeFrontMag.com to subscribe to the print edition or to have a digital copy sent directly to your inbox.
• In the beginning, it was God who created the celestial heavens and the earth we now inhabit. • At the end of the age, the heavens and earth will be destroyed, and it will be God who creates a new heaven and a new earth. • What we refer to as heaven will actually be the new earth that God is preparing for us. • The new earth will be perfect, unmarred by sin. There will be no weeping, mourning, or crying.
GOD IS THE BEGINNING AND THE END
YOUNGER KIDS
Revelation: New Heaven and New Earth Revelation 21—22 God gives John a vision of a new heaven and a new earth. John sees what the world will look like at Jesus’ return, with no more death, mourning, crying, or pain.
Your child can listen to and recall the stories he hears. Tell your child the ending to a familiar story or fairy tale. Allow him to guess what the story is. Remind him that from beginning to end, the Bible is The Big God Story.
JUST FOR FUN Spend some time cleaning up litter in a local park or in your neighborhood. Imagine with your children how different the earth might be without all the ways we have destroyed it. Read Revelation 21:5–7.
REMEMBER VERSE But these were written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:31
TEACHABLE MOMENTS After reading the Scripture passage, discuss the following together: • What will it be like to be with God forever? • What are you most looking forward to about heaven? Share with your children that God desires to be with them forever in heaven. Remind them that it is Jesus’ death and resurrection that makes it possible for this to happen.
© 2016 David C Cook. TruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church and a national network of family and children’s ministry leaders. All rights reserved.
OLDER KIDS Your child has a sophisticated vocabulary and is capable of telling inventive and entertaining stories. Create a fun story together by giving her the beginning of a story and then allowing her to make up her own ending. Discuss with her how God was at the beginning and He will be at the end with His gift of a new heaven and a new earth.
BLESSING A blessing can be a spoken prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture, or words of encouragement and guidance over your child. For more information about blessing your child, see the Blessing section in HomeFront: A Spiritual Parenting Resource @ HomeFrontMag.com A blessing to pray over your child: (Child’s name), May you know God loves you and wants to spend forever with you. May you accept His free gift of everlasting life.
PROMOTION SUNDAY Parents: Next Sunday is Promotion Sunday, when your children will move up to the next age or grade level. Be sure to refer to the check-in tags for any new room assignments and please introduce yourselves to any new teachers or leaders. Thank you!