Conversation Starters: Joy

Posted by Karah

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: We respond to difficulties and suffering in a variety of ways. Some of us respond in anger, determination to fight it, or passive resignation. Others respond with introspection or by asking “Why me?” But who responds with joy? Yet joy is the very attitude God calls us to embrace. As a result of God’s grace, even in the face of unjust suffering, we can rejoice in Christ.

Concept: Joy

Preschool

Acts 16:16-34

LIFE POINT: Paul and Silas traveled and told about Jesus. One day Paul healed a young girl, which made some men angry. The men brought Paul and Silas to the judges for disturbing the city. The judges put Paul and Silas in prison and had them put in chains. In the middle of the night, Paul and Silas were praying and singing to God as the other prisoners listened. Suddenly an earthquake shook the jail, and all the prisoners’ chains fell off. The jailer came to look for them; they had not escaped. Paul said, “We are still
here.” The jailer took Paul and Silas to his home. He and his family believed in Jesus and were baptized.

LIVE IT OUT: Teach your child to sing praises to God. Play praise music as you drive in the car. Sing a simple praise song as you go about your daily tasks. Encourage your child to sing along.

Kids

Acts 16: 16-34

LIFE POINT: Paul and Silas traveled and told about Jesus. One day Paul healed a young girl, which made some men angry. The men brought Paul and Silas to the judges for disturbing the city. The judges put Paul and Silas in prison and had them put in chains. In the middle of the night, Paul and Silas were praying and singing to God as the other prisoners listened. Suddenly an earthquake shook the jail, and all the prisoners’ chains fell off. The jailer came to look for them; they had not escaped. Paul said, “We are still
here.” The jailer took Paul and Silas to his home. He and his family believed in Jesus and were baptized.

LIVE IT OUT: Encourage your child to find a way to praise God that is special to her. Maybe it is by writing a poem, singing a praise song, playing a musical instrument, or another artistic way. Invite her to share her praise with the family.

Students

1 Peter 4: 12-19

THE POINT: Choose joy even in life’s difficulties. How is joy different from happiness?How can you help each other in times of struggle? Have a conversation around this quote:

“Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”1
—Martin Luther King Jr.

LIVE IT OUT: Your student has been encouraged to do one or both Live It Out activities.

If your student chooses to do Attitude Problems:

• Encourage your student as he or she determines the cause of his or her circumstances.

• Pray for your student to be honest as he or she identifies attitudes that can
lead to suffering.

If your student chooses to do Refocus:

• Help your student identify someone who is struggling.
• Help your student with encouraging the person he or she has identified.

1. “MLK Quote of the Week,” The King Center, 21 February 2013, [cited 8 November 2013]. Available from the Internet: www.thekingcenter.org.

Posted in Just For Parents | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Conversation Starters, Ridgecrest Summer Camps