God Provides-Week 3

Memory Verse

“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

Day 1- God Provided a Rescue

  • Pray.
  • Practice the memory verse (Philippians 4:19).
  • Read or tell the story in your own words.
    • Daniel 3– Try to read verses 15-18 directly from the Bible.
      • This story might be a good one to use Little People or other small toys to be the characters as you read.
  • Discuss what you read with your kids with some of the following questions:
    • Did you like this story? Why or why not?
    • What part stands out to you the most?
    • Is there anything in the story that you didn’t understand?
    • What is God wanting you to know after hearing this story from His Word today?
    • How does this story correspond to our memory verse?
    • How can we apply this story to our lives today?
  • Pray. As you go about your day today, pray that the Lord will give your children such a confidence in the Lord that they will have the courage of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.

Day 2-God Provided a Big Fish

  • Pray.
  • Practice the memory verse (Philippians 4:19).
  • Read Jonah 1.
  • Discuss
    • Who had a need in this story? Push your older children to think a littlie further about who had a need-the sailors, the people in Ninevah, Jonah.
    • How did God provide for their needs?
    • What do you think about Jonah being rescued?
    • Why did God provide the fish? Have them think beyond the fish saving Jonah’s life. Help them understand that God had a job for Jonah, and that was to bring people back to God and bring glory to God.
  • To find out what happened to the people of Ninevah, read Jonah 3.
  • Have your kids consider the following question:
    • How does God want you to use what He has provided for you to make Him known, to bring Him glory?
  • Activity

Day 3- God Provided His Word

  • Pray.
  • Practice the memory verse. Say it while doing jumping jacks or running in place or twirling.
  • Explain that in Joshua 1:8, Joshua reminds the people that they are to read God’s Word and and be careful to do all that it says, for then they will be prosperous and have success. The people had forgotten these commands. They had even lost the book of the law that Joshua was talking about.
  • Read how God provided His word to change the people’s hearts:
    • 2 Chronicles 34:1-4, 8, 14-21, 24-28, 31-33
  • Discuss
    • What did Josiah and the people need?
    • When the book of the law was found, what did they realize?
    • What did they do next?
    • Do we need God’s Word?
    • Why did God give us the Bible? What do we need to do with His Word?
    • Older kids-How does God want you to respond today after reading this story?
    • How can our hearts be changed by reading God’s Word?

Day 4- God Provided a Gift

  • Pray.
  • Practice the memory verse. Can each child say it by him/herself?
  • Ask, “What is the best gift you could give someone? Why would that be such a great gift for that person?”
  • Read about the best gift God gave us.
    • Romans 6:23
  • If you have younger kids, use this time to explain to them what sin is.
  • God sent Jesus to earth to provide for our greatest need, Every one of us needs a Savior to forgive us of our sins and rescue us from eternal separation from God. We can’t achieve this on our own. We needed God to provide a way to be rescued and brought back to Him.
  • Read what an angel told Mary, Joseph and the shepherds about Jesus.
    • Luke 1:26-38 (if summarizing, be sure to focus on verses 31-32)
    • Matthew 1:20-23
    • Luke 2:10-11
  • Ask,
    • What was the need?
    • How did God provide?
  • Read or recite together John 3:16.
  • Ask,
    • How does knowing that God offers you this gift make you feel?
    • When someone offers you a gift, what do you have to do in order for it to be yours? Do you have to pay them or work for it? (No, you just have to receive it/accept it.)
  • Explain that the same is true for the gift that God offers you. He already provided for what we need when He sent Jesus to die for our sins. It is our job to accept His gift by confessing our sin and believing that Jesus died and rose again to give us life forever with God (1 John 1:9, Romans 10:9).
  • For kids who have more questions about what it means to trust in Jesus to be their Savior, here are two great resources:

Day 5- God Will Provide What You Need

  • Take a video of your kids reciting Philippians 4:19. This will be our last day to work on it.
  • Read Matthew 6:25-34.
  • Tell your kids a time when you were worried about possibly not having what you needed. (think: money, health concern, job, friends, etc.)
    • Did you trust God in faith?
    • Did you He provide?
    • Would you have done anything differently?
    • What did you learn from your experience?
  • Pray, thanking God for knowing what we need. Ask Him to help you and your family trust Him as provides in His way and in His time.