Conversation Starters: Follow with Joy
Posted by Karah
CONNECTION POINT: People can serve God together.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: The world equates joy and happiness with having our needs and desires met. Reality shows us, though, that having all our desires met does not necessarily bring us joy or make us any happier. Joy comes when we turn from pleasing ourselves and turn to living humbly before God, placing the needs of others before our own. When we follow the example of
Jesus in humility, we experience joy.
Concept: Follow with Joy
Preschool
2 Chronicles 23:11, 13; 24:1-14
LIFE POINT: Joash became king when he was only seven years old. He was king for 40 years. Joash did what God told him to do. While he was king, Joash decided to repair the temple (church). He led the people to bring their money, gold, and silver to help repair the temple. The men made a chest and placed it outside the gate of the temple. The leaders and the people brought offerings and put them in the chest until it was full. The money was used to pay the stonecutters who repaired stone walls. The money paid the carpenters who sawed, hammered, and nailed. It was used to pay metal workers called blacksmiths and coppersmiths to repair the metal in the temple and to make new gold and silver items for the temple. The workmen worked hard. They rebuilt God’s temple.
LIVE IT OUT: Briefly review the story of Joash and the people giving offerings. If you have one, show your child an offering envelope for your church. Explain how the offerings are used at church to help people learn about God and Jesus. If your child attends worship, allow him to place money in the offering bin.
Kids
2 Chronicles 23:11, 13; 24:1-14
LIFE POINT: Joash became the king when he was seven years old. When Joash was older, he wanted to repair the temple. “Ask the people for money to fix the temple. They can give their
money just as Moses told them,” King Joash said. But the priests did not hurry to do what the king said. King Joash commanded a chest be placed beside the gate into the temple. He told people to bring money that belonged to God. The people happily brought their money and put it in the chest. The king’s helpers emptied the chest every day when it was full. They put it back beside the temple gate. The men in charge used the money to hire men to do the work. Finally, their work was done. Extra money was used to make things for the inside of the temple. The people worshiped God in the temple.
LIVE IT OUT: Does your child see you give to God? If your child has an allowance or part-time job, help him become a cheerful giver to the church. Talk about how money given to church is used to help people learn about God.
Students
Philippians 2:1-11
THE POINT: We were made to live in love and humility like Christ.
• What annoys you the most?
• Why is unity so important for your group and the church?
• How would you describe the relationship between humility and unity?
• Who in your life best lives out this example of Jesus?
Discuss the following quote:
“Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion. It is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ.”1—Billy Graham
LIVE IT OUT: Encourage your student to take practical steps to take his or her faith and Live It Out. Here are some ways you can encourage your students to live out their faith with Christ personally, in community, and in their culture:
• CHRIST: Pray with your student this week and help him or her to intentionally serve others.
• COMMUNITY: Help your student work on memorizing this week’s passage: Philippians 2:5-11. Keep the Scripture where you can see it throughout the week and quiz your student to
help with memorization.
• CULTURE: Spend time with your student talking about humility this week and how our lives should reflect the humility we see in Christ.
1. Billy Graham, “A Daily Process,” Billy Graham Evangelistic Association [online], 2 October 2015, [accessed 1 May 2016]. Available from the Internet: http://billygraham.org/devotion/a-daily-process/.
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