Remember
Breath Prayer
Breath in: My heart is thankful
Breath out: For all you've done
Song Themes: Goodness of God's never-ending love
Remember one another
Is anyone celebrating something that happened this week? Let’s share so we can all thank God together.
Is anyone struggling, feeling sad, lonely or scared? How can we pray for one another?
Remember what we learned last week
Practice the Following Jesus Liturgy (With our youngest kids only focus on the portion that we’re currently learning)
Leader: Who remembers what we learned last week?
Persevere in worship
What does persevere mean and how can we lean in to worship to help us get through hard times?
Reflect: Persevere
Before starting the story, ask the kids what they think persevere means. When do we persevere and how? How could worshipping God help us to persevere in hard times?
Watch "God's Story: Worship" or Read Philippians 4:4-9
Respond: Worship
Ask the kids
What did you learn about worship?
Was there anything new or interesting that stood out to you?
Do you have any questions about what we watched/read?
Often times when we say "worship" we mean singing to, or about God. The scripture is clear, though, worship can look lots of different ways! Ask the kids what worship means to them. Share any knowledge you have about what worship has meant to you.
List a few ways in which we can worship God and ask the kids if they have any additional things to add to the list. They can get as creative as they want! Ultimately, anything we do, say, and think, can be worship as long as it is pleasing to the Lord and we do it for His glory.
Examples:
Make art that worships God
Sere someone else by being generous with your time
Give away something valuable to show your love and gratitude
Write a poem or sing a song about Jesus
Spend quiet, reflective time in nature
Be still and dwell on God's character
Read the scripture and invite the Holy Spirit to speak through it
The Bible says that we are to worship God when we feel like it and even when we don't. We know that our emotions can change quickly, but God's goodness and love never changes. That means He is good when we are sad, confused, lonely, and angry. He is good when we are happy, content, and feeling at peace.
The Bible is clear that in every season, in every emotion and circumstance we are to worship God. And God knows that by doing so we are strengthened in Him so that we can persevere. Praising and worshipping God fills us with His Spirit again to continue following Him!
Experience: Make a Plan
Make a plan to persevere when things get hard this week.
Imagine the week ahead. Consider what challenges could be ahead? Will you be at home with a sibling who likes to "borrow" your toys? Will you be going off to day camp and afraid to meet new kids? Maybe you don't look forward to dinner because Mom is always serving new foods.
Whatever the hard part of your week is, make a plan to stop, think about God, and say thank you for all the ways He is good. Persevering in worship often gives us the courage and faith to keep going when we're tired, angry, scared, or nervous. Remembering that God is with us helps to unlock joy in our hearts!
Ages 3-7
Draw your plan. Consider a challenging part of your week (or something you're not looking forward to). Draw the scene and include you in the middle worshipping God. What would it look like and feel like to worship God at home, while riding in the car, while doing chores, tidying up, or getting ready for bed?
If we want to be worshippers in all of life we have to be able to imagine what that looks like and feels like. Share your pictures and hear from one another.
Ages 7+
Write down your plan on a 3X5 card. On one side write a few statements that are true about God, things that you are grateful for, or dimensions of His character that you love. Ex. When you look at me you smile. You are always kind and patient with me.
Then on the other side write a statement or two that is true about you. These should be statements that help bring you back to the Lord and how He sees you.
Ex. I am love and never alone. God is fighting for me.
Decorate the card however you like and take it home with you. Put it somewhere you'll see regularly or keep it in your pocket for a few days. It will be a fun way to remember to worship God in every part of the day.