Kids Program Week
Day 1
Read Deuteronomy 6
For the last year, I have spent a lot of time thinking about how to aim at the long game of church work. For years, as a church planter, I feel we had to think about growing the church, getting people there, setting up these systems, etc. Those are vital things, but they are shallow in their approach to creating something that is built to last. Teaching the truths of God’s work and making people familiar with who God is, what He is offering, and how he works in our lives gives the long view. Last Sunday, we let the kids ministry tell us the story of Christmas. The Keystone Kids ministry has been the most fruitful and impactful ministry that Keystone has had…for many years running. So let’s think about that and the Bible and see what we learn this week. Let’s think about being a church of creating a legacy of longevity that is culture changing.
The church is not really mentioned in this passage. In fact, the children’s ministry idea is not mentioned in the Bible. What do you see is the chief vehicle God desires for carrying on the message of God (hint: verses 7-9)?
What do you think of when you see the teaching “you shall talk of them when you sit in your house?” What does that look like now?
What about “When you walk by the way?”
What about “when you lie down and when you rise up?”
How are you doing this in your family or how can you help make this a part of other people’s families?
Share some of these thoughts on the app.
For the last year, I have spent a lot of time thinking about how to aim at the long game of church work. For years, as a church planter, I feel we had to think about growing the church, getting people there, setting up these systems, etc. Those are vital things, but they are shallow in their approach to creating something that is built to last. Teaching the truths of God’s work and making people familiar with who God is, what He is offering, and how he works in our lives gives the long view. Last Sunday, we let the kids ministry tell us the story of Christmas. The Keystone Kids ministry has been the most fruitful and impactful ministry that Keystone has had…for many years running. So let’s think about that and the Bible and see what we learn this week. Let’s think about being a church of creating a legacy of longevity that is culture changing.
The church is not really mentioned in this passage. In fact, the children’s ministry idea is not mentioned in the Bible. What do you see is the chief vehicle God desires for carrying on the message of God (hint: verses 7-9)?
What do you think of when you see the teaching “you shall talk of them when you sit in your house?” What does that look like now?
What about “When you walk by the way?”
What about “when you lie down and when you rise up?”
How are you doing this in your family or how can you help make this a part of other people’s families?
Share some of these thoughts on the app.
Day 2
Read Proverbs 4
This is a passage that reads like a father is sitting down with his son and sharing some insight. I want the vision of Keystone Church to function like that. With that being said, I am fully aware that not everyone reading these devotions are fathers…or are in homes that have a father present. I do not think that makes God’s plan of building families that are centered on God’s ways obsolete for some people. I still think we are on a path and God’s ways are always the best ways. So think strategically about your role as a college student, student, grandparent, single person, or whatever else you may be. This is still for you. But how does it order your life?
How would you reword some of the teaching found here in your own words and use your own experiences to back it up? What part specifically stuck out to you?
Think of an example in life that you have seen that seems to be teaching the opposite or a distorted version of this idea.
What specifically do you see as your role in this wisdom transmission method as it is outlined here? How does this happen in the church as a community?
What is God laying on your heart to make a prayer here for today?
This is a passage that reads like a father is sitting down with his son and sharing some insight. I want the vision of Keystone Church to function like that. With that being said, I am fully aware that not everyone reading these devotions are fathers…or are in homes that have a father present. I do not think that makes God’s plan of building families that are centered on God’s ways obsolete for some people. I still think we are on a path and God’s ways are always the best ways. So think strategically about your role as a college student, student, grandparent, single person, or whatever else you may be. This is still for you. But how does it order your life?
How would you reword some of the teaching found here in your own words and use your own experiences to back it up? What part specifically stuck out to you?
Think of an example in life that you have seen that seems to be teaching the opposite or a distorted version of this idea.
What specifically do you see as your role in this wisdom transmission method as it is outlined here? How does this happen in the church as a community?
What is God laying on your heart to make a prayer here for today?
Day 3
Read Acts 10:1-33
I sure wish that it always happened like this! God lays it on someone’s heart to show up somewhere, they do and they and their whole family are there to hear about Jesus, and everyone gets saved…as a family. But this is not the norm.
What part of this story sticks out to you and why?
There is an element to ministry that should happen to families and that piece is really what helps make this a beautiful story. In what ways has your family experienced the gospel together? In church? At an event? In your home?
Do you find it significant that this whole gospel experience was birthed out of the middle of prayer? Peter was praying and Cornelius was praying.
How does this story become a prayer for you today?
I sure wish that it always happened like this! God lays it on someone’s heart to show up somewhere, they do and they and their whole family are there to hear about Jesus, and everyone gets saved…as a family. But this is not the norm.
What part of this story sticks out to you and why?
There is an element to ministry that should happen to families and that piece is really what helps make this a beautiful story. In what ways has your family experienced the gospel together? In church? At an event? In your home?
Do you find it significant that this whole gospel experience was birthed out of the middle of prayer? Peter was praying and Cornelius was praying.
How does this story become a prayer for you today?
Day 4
Read Ephesians 5:15-6:9
People did not go to work everyday when Paul was writing this letter. Work was where they lived, so when they defined the household, they would say Family, mom and dad, kids, grandparents, or whomever, and then also people that worked with them (or slaves in this language). After Paul spends the first 4 chapters of Ephesians giving the picture of what he believes, he then paints the picture of how belief changes every aspect of life…including the home.
I know there is a lot to get distracted by in these verses, but what do you see Paul as saying the gospel does to the family structure in this passage?
How is this all like the story of what Jesus did for us as an example?
What part of this sticks out for you in your role in your family currently that you could learn from?
How does this become a prayer for today?
People did not go to work everyday when Paul was writing this letter. Work was where they lived, so when they defined the household, they would say Family, mom and dad, kids, grandparents, or whomever, and then also people that worked with them (or slaves in this language). After Paul spends the first 4 chapters of Ephesians giving the picture of what he believes, he then paints the picture of how belief changes every aspect of life…including the home.
I know there is a lot to get distracted by in these verses, but what do you see Paul as saying the gospel does to the family structure in this passage?
How is this all like the story of what Jesus did for us as an example?
What part of this sticks out for you in your role in your family currently that you could learn from?
How does this become a prayer for today?
Day 5
Read Philippians 2:1-18
There seems to be absolutely no fully good reason to be concerned about other people’s families and other people’s relationship with God, that doesn’t seem to break down at the point of realizing that no matter how much we care or try, there just seems to be a lot of bad in the world. Well, no reason but the reason of the example of Jesus and what He did on my behalf. In other words, it seems like a totally ridiculous and backwards way of living to consider others “more significant” than myself…until I realize that the King of Kings did that for me. I don’t get to choose whether or not He does that for me, it happened while I was “yet in my sins.” I get to choose how I respond, but the fact that it is done, changes everything and how I view everything.
What part of these verses sticks out to you and why?
How does this idea change your day today…specifically?
How does this idea change your life in the future?
Why not share some thoughts on the app with everyone regarding these verses?
What becomes your prayer today after reading this passage?
There seems to be absolutely no fully good reason to be concerned about other people’s families and other people’s relationship with God, that doesn’t seem to break down at the point of realizing that no matter how much we care or try, there just seems to be a lot of bad in the world. Well, no reason but the reason of the example of Jesus and what He did on my behalf. In other words, it seems like a totally ridiculous and backwards way of living to consider others “more significant” than myself…until I realize that the King of Kings did that for me. I don’t get to choose whether or not He does that for me, it happened while I was “yet in my sins.” I get to choose how I respond, but the fact that it is done, changes everything and how I view everything.
What part of these verses sticks out to you and why?
How does this idea change your day today…specifically?
How does this idea change your life in the future?
Why not share some thoughts on the app with everyone regarding these verses?
What becomes your prayer today after reading this passage?
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