A biblical discipleship journey equipping parents to engage their children in biblical truth.
Theme Verse
“God has plans for me” (Jeremiah 29:11).
Objective
God made me special.
Teach
Find something your younger preschooler may consider special—ideally something tangible. It can be a toy, snack, blanket, pacifier, etc. Have your child hold the object. Tell them this is a special item. It is special because they love it very much, and it makes them happy. Tell your younger preschooler, “God made you, and God loves you so very much. You are special!” Consider what you already see in your younger preschooler that is special—their smile, movements, or just anything unique about them. Reinforce that God made those unique qualities.
Discussion Question
Model language skills through asking rhetorical questions such as:
Play
Take the time to play with your child with their favorite toy or activity. Use this time as an opportunity to teach the concept of “special”. Even the youngest child can understand how certain things are special and unique—special things are the things they love the most. One toy may be ordinary to them, but their favorite toy is special because it interests them the most.
Sing
Live it Out
Use the word special as often as you can this week. Whenever your child shows a particularly strong interest in something, use it as an opportunity to point back to the truth that God made your child special. Read a Bible story this week and point out how God made the person in that story special, and God’s plan for them is also special.
Closing Prayer
God, thank You for making (child’s name) special! We love how You gave him/her his/her smile and curiosity. God, You made (child’s name) to be like You, so he/she is special. Thank You for having a special plan for (child’s name). Help him/her know he/she is special because You made him/her that way. Amen.
Theme Verse
“God has plans for me” (Jeremiah 29:11).
Objective
People grow as God planned for them to grow.
Teach
What do you think you will be doing when you are 10 years old? What about when you are a grown-up? Talk to you child about any dreams they might have about being older.
The Bible talks about a young man who lived in Lystra with his parents and his grandmother (2 Timothy 1:1-5, 3:14-17). His mother’s name was Eunice and his grandmother’s name was Lois. The Bible does not give us Timothy’s dad’s name. Both Eunice and Lois loved Jesus. They wanted Timothy to love Jesus too, so they taught him about Jesus and the Bible. As Timothy grew, the believers were impressed with how Timothy was growing to be more like Jesus and how much he knew about the Bible Scriptures.
Like people saw Jesus in Timothy’s life, do people see Jesus in your life?
One day, the Apostle Paul met Timothy. Paul asked Timothy if he was willing to travel with him and tell people about Jesus. Timothy agreed and continued to learn more about Jesus. One day, Paul knew Timothy was ready to travel and teach others about Jesus by himself. Paul sent Timothy two letters to encourage him to continue telling others.
Our verse this week is, “God has plans for me.” Jeremiah 29:11.
What was God’s plan for Timothy? (To travel with Paul and tell others about Jesus)
How did he prepare for this task? (Listening to his mother and grandmother teach about Jesus.)
(Repeat the verse several times. Now play a form of “Simon Says” by having the children say their verse while jumping up and down, marching in place, saying the verse very loud, saying the verse in a whisper, etc.)
Discussion Question(s):
Play
Sing the song, “Read Your Bible, Pray Every Day.” Most of the children know this from Bellevue’s K-WOW or childcare. If not, it is to the tune of “I Will Make You Fishers of Men.” Children often learn best through visual cues, so you can make this activity fun and memorable by creating motions for each line of the song if you would like.
Lyrics:
Read your Bible.
Pray every day (sing 3 times).
Read your Bible.
Pray every day.
And you’ll grow, grow, grow (sing 3 times).
Read your Bible.
Pray every day.
And you’ll grow, grow, grow.
Neglect your Bible.
Forget to pray (sing 3 times).
Neglect your Bible.
Forget to pray.
And you’ll shrink, shrink, shrink (sing 3 times).
Neglect your Bible.
Forget to pray.
And you’ll shrink, shrink, shrink.
(Repeat 1st verse.)
Sing
Live it Out
Why do you think we sang this song about reading our Bibles and praying? Because we want to remember that we need to grow as God wants us to grow, and we must read His Word and talk to Him in prayer in order to grow.
Closing Prayer
Dear Jesus, thank You for (Child’s name). I pray they will always want to read Your Word and talk to You in prayer. Help them to grow to be more like You and follow Your plan for their life every day. Help us as parents to guide and teach them about You and how they can become a godly man/woman. Thank You for helping us. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Theme Verse
“’For I know the plans I have for you’— this is the Lord’s declaration—’plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope’” (Jeremiah 29:11 CSB).
Objective
Birth and growth are part of God’s plan.
Teach
(Bring out a picture of your child when they were a baby or toddler and talk about a couple memories from when they were that age. Prompt them to talk about the differences between now and when they were a baby—they are a lot bigger now, their favorite toy has probably changed, they like different food, and they might even have darker or lighter hair! Encourage your child that no matter how they have changed, we can know it is part of God’s plan for us to change and grow throughout our entire lives.)
Jeremiah 29:11 tells us God has and knows a plan for each of us. God wants us to grow up and follow His plan for our lives, which includes physical and spiritual growth. Growing does not just mean how tall we get, having to buy new shoes because our feet are too big, or moving from one grade to the next in school. When we grow in our relationship with God, it means we are learning more about Him and growing closer to Him. How do we learn more about God? We can read the Bible, pray to Him, spend more time in His creation, sing Worship songs, and more! In God’s creation, there are many things that physically grow—like flowers and trees—but people are the only thing He created that can grow in a relationship with Him. He cares just as much about us growing spiritually as He does physically, so we should too.
Discussion Questions
Play
Look at the food items on your plate. Talk about the growth and change each item had to go through before it became food on your plate. For example, green beans had to be planted, watered, grown, picked, and sent to the grocery store to be bought. In a similar way, we are always growing physically, but God also created us to grow and know Him spiritually.
Sing
Live it Out
Part of God’s plan for our lives is to grow up and know more about Him. Sometimes, while we are growing and learning more about God, we encounter obstacles. An “obstacle” course is a fun race that is made harder by barriers and other things to get past. Obstacles are situations in our life that are harder to move past than normal. A fun birthday party is not an obstacle but being picked on by a friend is. What are some other obstacles we might encounter in life, and how can we overcome them? There is always something for us to learn when we face an obstacle.
Closing Prayer
God, thank You for giving us the ability to grow up and grow in our relationship with You. Thank You for making us different from the rest of creation, so we can talk to You and learn about You. Amen.
Theme Verse
“’For I know the plans I have for you’— this is the Lord’s declaration—’plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope’” (Jeremiah 29:11 CSB).
Objective
God created me in His image.
Teach
(Talk with your child about where your family’s ancestors come from. Did you or any of your older relatives come to America from another country? It’s okay if all you know is the general region or continent that the last names in your ancestry are from. Spend time sharing about some of the things you know about your family heritage.)
Say: Do you ever think about where people come from? I’m not asking about which country or part of the world, but how people were first made. The Bible says God created the first man out of dust from the ground (Genesis 2:7). God made this man, Adam, just as He wanted. Then, God made Eve, the first woman just as He wanted as well. God made the first people with special care. In the beginning, God made a lot of creatures, but He made people, including you, with a special purpose. He gave them the special gift of being made in His image. Let’s say that again, you were created in the image, or likeness, of God Himself! He is the Maker of all things, and He made you to be a unique individual. God made your body in such a marvelous way, and He has a plan for your life. You are made by God, and He made you just as He wanted.
As God’s special creation, He has a plan for your life. Think about something special you own and cherish. (Help your child think of ideas like a stuffed animal, baseball glove, or another item.) Now, think about how you take special care of this item. In the same way, God cares for you in a special way. He has a plan for you and will help you discover it.
Discussion Questions
Play
Play a quick game of charades. Take turns silently acting out different jobs and guessing the answer. Make sure you and your child get to play both sides of the charades. Kids love to see adults playing like a child. Some ideas: construction worker building a house, a police officer directing traffic, teacher writing on the board, etc.
Sing
Live it Out
Dig into your child’s answers to the career question you asked following the Teach section. Help them find out more about the job(s) they mentioned and what training or schooling is necessary to get there. Guide them to learn more information at the library or online. Most online job search sites have an area with information about different professions and qualifications. (If using the internet, be sure to carefully monitor your child’s research.)
Closing Prayer
God, thank You for making us special and able to Serve and Worship You. Please help us to live out Your plan for our lives.
Theme Verse
“’For I know the plans I have for you’— this is the Lord’s declaration—’plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope’” (Jeremiah 29:11 CSB).
Objective
God created me in His image, so I can appreciate my value.
Teach
Can you think of a time you were playing sports, participating in a drama production, or performing in a music recital, and you began to doubt yourself? Why do you think that happened? Maybe you felt feelings of comparison to others around you, or maybe you made a mistake? Ask yourself, why do we allow our level of success or our mistakes to determine our value?
We can be tempted to notice other people’s popularity, talent, or personality and think we do not measure up. We may even feel left out. However, God’s Word is clear that He has created each of us uniquely and with a specific purpose as a part of His “team,” “cast,” or “band.” We can trust that He has never made a mistake, and His plans are better for us than anything we can come up with on our own. Because we know God loves us and has great plans for us, we can wake up each day knowing He wants us, and we are valuable to Him and others.
Discussion Questions
Answers may vary. Allow this to be a time of family discussion.
Play
Pretend your family has been challenged to survive on a deserted island for a month. Talk about the roles each of you would play in that situation. Discuss the strengths of each person that would be needed to work together to survive.
Praise God for making each of you with different gifts and talents. Talk about how those strengths can also be used on God’s “team,” “cast,” or “band.”
Sing
Live it Out
Take some time as a family to write a note to someone you think could use some encouragement. Express your appreciation for him/her and include some specific examples of what you admire about his/her personality or actions.
Closing Prayer
God, thank You for making us special and able to Serve and Worship You. Help me to know that my value is in and because of You, and my value is not determined by my talents. Thank You for wanting me on Your “team.” Help us to live out Your plan for our lives. Amen.
Theme Verse
“’For I know the plans I have for you’— this is the Lord’s declaration—’plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope’” (Jeremiah 29:11 CSB).
Objective
All people are created in God’s image, and our lives are gifts from God.
Teach
At recess there is typically a game of kickball, dodgeball, or tag going on that requires two team captains to pick their team. For most students, this feels like the most stressful moment of sports. Thoughts race through their minds like, “Will they pick me? Am I going to be selected last? Should I flex, so they know I’m athletic?” Regardless of whether a student is selected first or last, doubts about their value both on and off the team flood through their hearts. However, all of these emotions and feelings can be quieted with one small action. If the captain takes a moment to remind you that your role on the team is vital, your talents are essential, and your participation matters, then you are affirmed.
Sometimes a person can look around and see the skills, popularity, the personality of others and think that they don’t fully measure up. Praise God that we have a “Team Captain” who affirms us regardless of our accolades. As we have seen in the last few weeks, God has fashioned and created us in His image. He has given each of us gifts and talents for a higher purpose than we often perceive. Because we know God loves and wants to use us in mighty ways, we can wake up with confidence each day knowing we are valued on God’s team.
Discussion Questions
Answers may vary. Allow this to be a time of family discussion.
Play
As a family, take a moment and play a game with the whole family. If your family is large enough, let the two youngest people in the group be the “team captains” and select their teammates. Then, join in for a game of cards, charades, or a video game! Make sure to spend this time emphasizing the importance of encouraging and supporting your teammates.
Sing
Live it Out
Write everyone’s name on small pieces of paper. Then, instruct each family member to draw a name. Now, take five minutes to write an encouraging note to that person. Make sure to think about ways you can affirm who they are and what they do.
Closing Prayer
God, thank You for making us special and able to Serve and Worship You. Help me to know that my value is in and because of You; my value is not determined by my talents. Thank You for wanting me on Your “team.” Help us to live out Your plan for our lives. Amen.
Theme Verse
“’For I know the plans I have for you’— this is the Lord’s declaration—’plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope’” (Jeremiah 29:11 CSB).
Objective
People are created as moral beings and are responsible for their choices and the consequences of their choices, including the ways we treat others.
Teach
God loves His people! He desires for all of us to know Him and to trust Him. He is not a cosmic cop waiting for us to mess up and to punish us. Read Jeremiah 29:11 “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ this is the Lord’s declaration, ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and hope.”
His plans for us are good! He wants to give us a hope and a future. But none of us get it right all the time. We make mistakes and sin habits creep in. In these moments of weakness, we are responsible for the choices we make. God really does love His children, even though He does not love our disobedience.
Just as God first loved us, we need to treat others with that same kind of love. How we treat others matters. The way we treat others should lead them to experience how valuable they are to God. Our actions toward those around us will reflect the love of God if we choose to love first.
Discussion Questions
Answers may vary. Allow this to be a time of family discussion.
Play
Play a favorite board game. As you play, use this moment to affirm your kids publicly. Use phrases like, “You’re so good!”, “Wow that was a smart move.”, or “I like playing with you!” (Consider: What if the result of affirmation is a closer relationship with your kids?)
Sing
Live it Out
There are bad consequences, and there are good consequences. If we choose to do something sinful, there are bad consequences. Can you think of some of them? If we choose to do something godly, there are good consequences. Can you think of some of them? Honestly, if we choose godliness the consequences might look like a “future filled with hope!”
Closing Prayer
Dear God. I want to know Your plan for my life. I know it starts with spending time with You and Your Word. Help me to stay focused on listening to Your voice. I know the consequences of doing these things are good and for my benefit. Amen.