Conversation Starters: Give Thanks – Anyway!
Posted by Karah
CONNECTION POINT: Honor God by obeying and thanking Him.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: Every November, we are reminded to be thankful for all the blessings and good things in our lives. It’s easy to be thankful when the blessings are obvious or right in front of us. Thankfulness is harder when the road before us is uncertain and we feel like we’re facing more challenges than blessings. We can truly give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18), because God is always at work on our behalf.
Concept: Give Thanks – Anyway!
Preschool
Exodus 20; 31:18
LIFE POINT: God’s people were traveling to the land God had promised them. They camped in a desert near a mountain until God told them to move. Moses would go up the mountain and talk to God. One time God gave Moses and the people ten special rules or Commandments to follow. These are some of the rules God wanted His people to follow: Love God. Love your mother and father and do what they tell you to do. Do not take anything that does not belong to you. Always tell the truth. After God was finished talking with Moses, the people heard thunder and saw lightning. A trumpet blew, and smoke filled the area. The people were afraid. Moses told them to not be afraid. “Love God and make right choices,” he said. God wrote these rules on two stone tablets so the people would remember them.
LIVE IT OUT: Give your child ten items to count. Use the opportunity to talk about the Ten Commandments God gave to the people.
Kids
Exodus 20; 31:18
LIFE POINT: God commanded Moses to tell the people what He wanted them to do. God reminded Moses of all He had done for the people. Then God told Moses His special commandments.
Worship only God. Do not make idols. Honor God’s name. Remember the Sabbath is God’s special day. Respect your parents. Do not murder. Keep your marriage promises to your husband or wife. Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not want the things that belong to other people. When the people heard the thunder and trumpet, and saw the lightning and smoke, they shook with fear. Moses said, Don’t be afraid.” God spoke again. “Do not make idols to me. Instead make an altar from the earth. Use it to offer your sacrifices to Me. I will bless you in every place you go.”
LIVE IT OUT: Talk about the Ten Commandments with your child. Help him think of different ways to express the commandments that convey the same meaning. Discuss modern applications of the commandments.
Students
2 Chronicles 20:10-30
THE POINT: Our circumstances don’t define our thankfulness. How do you normally respond to a situation you cannot fix? What are the benefits of being a thankful person? How does being a thankful person bring recognition to Christ? Discuss the following quote:
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”1—G. K. Chesterton
LIVE IT OUT: Encourage your student to take practical steps to take his or her faith and Live It Out this Thanksgiving. Here are some ways you can encourage your students to live out their faith with Christ personally, in community, and in their culture:
• CHRIST: Begin family prayers this week by thanking God. List the small things God is doing for your family in the battles you are facing.
• COMMUNITY: Pray with your student about any battles he or she may be walking through. Check in each day to see how God is working in the situation.
• CULTURE: Help your student to prepare for future battles. This can be through Scripture memorization, prayer, etc. Remember that even in tough situations, God is working in us to make us more like Him.
1. “G.K. Chesterton > Quotes > Quotable Quotes,” Goodreads [online], [accessed 1 February 2016]. Available from the Internet: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/20268-i-would-maintain-that thanks-are-the-highest-form-of.
Posted in Just For Parents | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Conversation Starters, Ridgecrest Summer Camps