SUNDAY 19 July
Today’s service:
Access our streamed services here.
This week, we start a new sermon series, Back to the New Future.
Our lives have changed due to COVID. When restrictions lift, people will begin to return to their ‘normal’ lives. But what is ‘normal’ and what about the new things we have learnt or enjoyed while being in isolation? Can we keep these things in the new, future ‘normal’?
This series will challenge us to reframe what our lives will look like in the future, to develop a new ‘normal’ that focuses on God’s norms for our lives. Because, one thing we can be sure of, is that God remains the same – from the beginning of time, to the eternal future.
Our kids’ song today, Great Big God, celebrates his mighty power and his plan for each of our lives.
Kids, during the service today, make a list or draw pictures of:
- the things you are missing from your ‘normal’ life while we are in lockdown
- the new things you have learnt or are doing, that you would like to consider making part of your ‘new normal’ after lockdown
- the things that God would like us to do, every day, regardless of what is happening in the world
Parents, talk through these lists with your kids after the service.
Extra activities to keep hands busy during the service:
Family Devotion Time
Before/After your service of choice, or at another time that best suits your family, spend some time together looking at the different ‘persons’ of God.
I am one, but I have different roles as a daughter, as a wife, as a mother. What different roles do you have in your life? (son/daughter, brother/sister, boss, student, friend …)
There is only one God, but God is Father, Son and Spirit and each of those ‘persons’ of God, have different roles. God the Father chose us to be his. God the Son (Jesus) died so that we could be his. God the Spirit lives in us and helps us when we choose to follow God.
Watch Margaret’s videos …
Read 1 Peter 1:1-2 and discuss…
- What is the best thing someone has ever done for you?
- Peter wrote a letter to encourage Christians living among people who were angry with them for following Jesus.
- How does Peter describe these Christians? (chosen, away from their homes, scattered)
- How do you think these Christians would have felt? (scared, sad, alone, unsure …)
- The very first thing Peter does in his letter is to remind these Christians what God has done for them.
Activity …
Younger kids:
- Print this sheet and cut each line into strips. Match up what each ‘person’ of God has done for us. (Father – chose us. Son – died for us to save us. Spirit – lives in us and changes us.)
- Trinity Colouring
Older kids:
- Print this sheet and fill in the table summarising what each ‘person’ of God does for his people. (Father – chose us long ago to be his. Son died for us and made us clean from our sins. Spirit – makes us holy, without sin.)
- Read 1 Peter 5:9, 12 and complete the rest of the sheet. (Stand firm in your faith, stand fast in God’s grace. Faith = what they believe and trust. Grace = God’s undeserved kindness to them in choosing them, saving them, changing them).
- Have a go at making your own mobius strip. Instructions and experiments here.
Application …
- How does knowing all that God (Father, Son and Spirit) has done for you help you to stand firm for God?
- When people make fun of you or ignore you because you follow Jesus, do you stop and thank God for everything he has done for you?
- What is the best thing God has done for you?
Remember …
- If people make fun of you because you love Jesus, remember that God chose you to be his.
- If people ignore you because you obey Jesus, remember that Jesus died to save you.
- If people get angry with you because you speak up for Jesus remember that the Spirit lives in you, when you choose to follow him.
Pray together …
- Thank the Father for choosing you, the Son for dying for dying for you, and the Spirit for changing you.
- Ask God to help you when you face hard times, to remember what he has done for you.
Family Devotion resource credit: Kidswise
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