CATEGORY ARCHIVES: Just For Parents
Conversation Starters: God’s Forgiveness
Posted by KarahTHE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: We have all been affected by unforgiveness. Many of us have wronged someone else—intentionally or unintentionally—and though we may have sought forgiveness, it was not offered. Others have been so hurt by someone else that the idea of forgiving seems impossible. Fortunately, God is not like us. The Bible reveals to us a loving God whom we have wronged with our rebellion and sin, yet He offers us total forgiveness and empowers us to forgive others.
Concept: God’s Forgiveness
Preschool
Book of Jonah
LIFE POINT: God told Jonah, “Go to Nineveh. Tell the people I know about their sins.” Jonah did not want to go. He went on a ship that was sailing far away. God sent a storm that almost broke the ship. Jonah told the sailors that he had run away from God. He told them to throw him into the sea because the storm was his fault. The sailors threw Jonah overboard, and a big fish swallowed him. While in the fish, Jonah asked God to forgive him. After three days and nights, the fish spit Jonah onto the shore. Jonah went to Nineveh. The people listened to Jonah, and God forgave them.
LIVE IT OUT: Model forgiveness for your child. Let her hear you and other family members pray for forgiveness from God. Let her see you forgiving someone for some wrong. Slowly she will begin to put that behavior into practice.
Kids
Book of Jonah
LIFE POINT: God told Jonah, “Go to Nineveh. Tell the people I know about their sins.” Jonah did not want to go. He went on a ship that was sailing far away. God sent a storm that almost broke the ship. Jonah told the sailors that he had run away from God. He told them to throw him into the sea because the storm was his fault. The sailors threw Jonah overboard, and a big fish swallowed him. While in the fish, Jonah asked God to forgive him. After three days and nights, the fish spit Jonah onto the shore. Jonah obeyed God and went to Nineveh. The people listened to Jonah, and God forgave them. He did not punish them.
LIVE IT OUT: Forgiveness can be a hard lesson. Challenge your child to keep a list of the times he sins during one day. Pray with him, asking God to forgive his sins.
Students
1 John 1:5- 2:2
THE POINT: God always forgives when I truly repent. How can we learn to be more forgiving as a family? What is the hardest part of forgiving someone? Have a conversation around this quote:
“I think that if God forgives us we must forgive ourselves. Otherwise it is almost like setting up ourselves as a higher tribunal than Him.”1 —C.S. Lewis
LIVE IT OUT: Your student has been encouraged to do one or both Live It Out activities.
If your student chooses to do Confession:
•Encourage your student in the practice of confessing sin to God.
•Pray for your student as he or she examines his or her life for unconfessed sin.
If your student chooses to do Forgive Them:
•Encourage your student as he or she seeks to forgive someone this week.
•Determine to forgive someone in your life and share that experience with your student if possible.
1. C.S. Lewis, Letters of C.S. Lewis, ed. W.H. Lewis (Orlando: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing, 1966), 408.
Posted in Just For Parents | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Conversation Starters, Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply
Conversation Starters: God’s Faithfulness
Posted by KarahTHE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: No one gets married with the intention of getting a divorce, although the divorce rate hovers around 50 percent of all marriages. All of us, however, have been guilty of failing to keep a vow, pledge, or commitment. We live with people who say one thing but do another. We become cynical when someone makes a promise to us. To know what faithfulness looks like, we need to look to God. The Bible shows us that God never fails to do what He says or promises.
Concept: God’s Faithfulness
Preschool
2 Kings 4:1-7
LIFE POINT: The prophet Elisha traveled and told people messages from God. One day a widow said, “Since my husband died, I have no money to pay bills.” She had only a jar of oil in her house. Elisha told her to borrow as many empty containers as she could and then go in her house, shut the door, and pour oil into the jars. The woman and her sons gathered many containers. When all of the containers were full, the jar the woman had been pouring from was finally empty. Elisha told the woman, “Sell the oil and pay what you owe. Now you will have enough money for you and your sons. God has provided for you.”
LIVE IT OUT: As a family, make a blessings poster. Every time someone thinks of a way God has blessed him, write it on the poster. Thank God for blessings.
Kids
2 Kings 4:1-7
LIFE POINT: The prophet Elisha traveled and told people messages from God. One day a widow said, “Since my husband died, I have no money to pay bills.” She had only a jar of oil in her house. Elisha told her to borrow as many empty containers as she could and then go in her house, shut the door, and pour oil into the jars. The woman and her sons gathered many containers. When all of the containers were full, the jar the woman had been pouring from was finally empty. Elisha told the woman, “Sell the oil and pay what you owe. Now you will have enough money for you and your sons. God has provided for you.”
LIVE IT OUT: Explain to your child that God’s faithfulness means that He is always with us and always helps us. During a family devotion time, encourage family members to share a time when they felt God helped them.
Students
Hebrews 6:17-20; 10:19-23
THE POINT: God’s faithfulness ensures us our future is secure. Discuss faithfulness and how it is viewed in our society. Have a conversation around this quote:
“We are not equally blessed with great intellect or physical beauty or emotional strength. But we have all been given the same ability to be faithful.”1 —Gigi Graham Tchividjian
LIVE IT OUT: Your student has been encouraged to do one or both Live It Out
activities. If your student chooses to do Trust God:
• Pray for your student to trust God in every area of his or her life.
• Ask your student if he or she wants help determining areas of faith in which he or she could trust God more.
If your student chooses to do Step Out:
• Challenge your student to step out in faith in some way.
• Encourage your student as he or she steps out in faith
1. Ruth Bell Graham and Gigi Graham Tchividjian, Coffee and Conversation with Ruth Bell Graham and Gigi Graham Tchividjian, (Ann Arbor, MI: Servant Publications, 1997), 106.
Posted in Just For Parents | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Conversation Starters, Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply
Conversation Starters: Joy
Posted by KarahTHE 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 | Leave a reply
Conversation Starters: Surrender
Posted by KarahTHE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: We like the stories of individuals who started with little, and through their own discipline and determination accomplish great things. These may be good examples for sports or business, but they fall short when it comes to our personal lives. Fortunately, when facing difficulties and opposition, we are not left alone. The Bible shows us what happens when we drop the self-made approach to faith and rely on God. We can be victorious because Christ has already won the victory.
Concept: Surrender
Preschool
Acts 16:1-3; 2 Timothy 1:1-5; 3:14-17
THE POINT: Paul chose a young man, Timothy, to travel with him and help teach about Jesus. Timothy’s mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois, taught him about God. The believers thought that Timothy was special and would be able to help Paul. Later Paul wrote to Timothy. These are some of his words to Timothy: “Timothy, you are like a son to me. I pray for you constantly. I thank God for your mother and grandmother who taught you. Continue to believe everything from the Bible. Remember everything you have been taught. The Bible is from God. Follow it.”
LIVE IT OUT: If you haven’t already, begin a family devotion time. Reinforce what your child is learning. Let her see you using the Bible. Help her know that God wants her to keep learning about Jesus.
Kids
2 Timothy 1:1-5; 3:14-17
THE POINT: Paul chose a young man, Timothy, to travel with him and help teach about Jesus. Timothy’s mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois, taught him about God. The believers thought that Timothy was special and would be able to help Paul. Later Paul wrote to Timothy. These are some of his words to Timothy: “Timothy, you are like a son to me. I pray for you constantly. I thank God for your mother and grandmother who taught you. Continue to believe everything from the Bible. Remember everything you have been taught. The Bible is from God. Follow it.”
Students
1 Peter 5:6-11
THE POINT: God will strengthen and restore me. How has God strengthened you in times of struggle? What does victory look like in relation to suffering and faith? Have a conversation around this quote:
“We are never defeated unless we give up on God.”1 —Ronald Reagan
LIVE IT OUT: Your student has been encouraged to do one or both Live It Out activities. If your student chooses to do Defense Plan:
• Encourage your student to develop his or her plan to rely on God.
• Ask your student if he or she would like for you to help create a plan.
If your student chooses to do Surrender = Victory:
• Help your student determine how surrender leads to victory.
• Pray for your student to be surrendered to Christ.
1. “Ronald Reagan Quotes,” Brainy Quote, [cited 8 November 2013]. Available from the Internet: www.brainyquote.com.
Posted in Just For Parents | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Conversation Starters, Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply
Conversation Starters: Trust in God
Posted by KarahTHE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: We love our rights and we want to exercise those rights. But do our rights ever become secondary? And what do we do when those rights are trampled on? Submission is not a popular word in a culture focused on entitlement, but regardless of our circumstances our attitude should be one of submission and trust in God. Christ empowers us to make God first in our lives and experience enduring faith.
Concept: Trust in God
Preschool
Acts 14
LIFE POINT: Paul and Barnabas were missionaries. They traveled and told people about Jesus. Many of the Jews and also Greeks believed that Jesus is the Son of God. Some Jews did not believe in Jesus and wanted to hurt Paul and Barnabas. They found out and left the city. They went to Lystra and healed a man who could not walk. Some of the people thought Paul was God. Paul said, “I am only a man. God, who made heaven and earth, healed this man.” Then more people tried to hurt Paul and Barnabas. So they left Lystra. They traveled many more places. Many people believed. After a while, they returned to the church in Antioch.
LIVE IT OUT: With your child, name ways that God cares for you. Make a list of two or three things and encourage your child to draw a picture for each one. Pray daily and thank God for His care.
Kids
Acts 14
LIFE POINT: Paul and Barnabas were missionaries. They traveled and told people about Jesus. Many of the Jews and also Greeks believed that Jesus is the Son of God. Some Jews did not believe in Jesus and wanted to hurt Paul and Barnabas. They found out and left the city. They went to Lystra and healed a man who could not walk. Some of the people thought Paul was God. Paul said, “I am only a man. God, who made heaven and earth, healed this man.” Then more people tried to hurt Paul and Barnabas. So they left Lystra. They traveled many more places. Many people believed. After a while, they returned to the church in Antioch.
LIVE IT OUT: Discuss the word trust and what it means to your child. Explain that trusting God means always believing that God will help you. Help your child list some issues where he might need to trust God to help. Pray with him for these issues.
Students
1 Peter 2:13-23
THE POINT: Trust God in every circumstance. What are some difficult situations Christians face in regard to faith? How can you help each other trust God in all circumstances? Have a conversation around this quote:
“To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.”1 —Thomas Aquinas
LIVE IT OUT: Your student has been encouraged to do one or both Live It Out activities.
If your student chooses to do Trust Factor:
•Help your student develop his or her list of things in life that are hard to entrust to God.
•Encourage your student to trust God in all circumstances this week.
If your student chooses to do Prayer Focus:
•Help your student identify a persecuted group to pray for.
•Join your student in praying for the group they choose
1. “Thomas Aquinas Quotes,” Brainy Quote [cited 8 November 2013]. Available from the Internet: www.brainyquote.com.
Posted in Just For Parents | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Conversation Starters, Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply
Conversation Starters: Be Holy
Posted by KarahTHE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: We all want to be accepted by others. This explains our tendency to follow trends and what’s “in” at the moment. While many of these trends are neither good nor bad in a spiritual, moral, or ethical sense, the human desire to be like everyone else can lead us to compromise or to lose our distinctiveness as followers of Christ. God calls us to holiness—to live separate and distinctive lives—and the Holy Spirit empowers us to do so.
Concept: Be Holy
Preschool
Acts 13
LIVE IT OUT: Help your child think of one person she could tell about Jesus. Pray together for that person. Help your child remember to tell the person about Jesus.
In a church in Antioch, there were men who were teachers and prophets for the Lord. They taught that Jesus was the Son of God. Paul and Barnabas were two of these men. God spoke to the men, “Paul and Barnabas are special. I want them to go many places and tell about Jesus.” The men prayed for Paul and Barnabas and sent them off. Paul and Barnabas traveled to Cyprus and taught about Jesus. A Roman soldier believed in Jesus after Paul and Barnabas talked to him. They continued to travel and teach about Jesus. People listened and believed. Some people listened but did not believe.
Kids
Acts 13
LIVE IT OUT: Christian suffering is a fact of life. Find some stories about Christian martyrs that you feel comfortable sharing with your child. Comment that God did not promise we would not suffer, but He did promise He would always be with us.
God’s Holy Spirit told the church in Antioch to set apart Barnabas and Saul. God was sending them to faraway places to tell people about Jesus. The believers placed their hands on Barnabas and Saul and asked God to bless and protect their two friends. Barnabas and Saul sailed from Antioch to the island of Cyprus. A Roman soldier believed in Jesus after Paul and Barnabas talked to him. They continued to travel and teach about Jesus. People listened and believed. Some people listened but did not believe. They forced Paul and Barnabas to leave town. They traveled to a new town to tell about Jesus.
Students
1 Peter 1:14-19, 22-25
THE POINT: Live a life that is set apart for God.
•Why do you consider some things sacred or holy?
•How can you pursue holiness?
Have a conversation around this quote:
“Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.”1 —Augustine
LIVE IT OUT: Your student has been encouraged to do one or both Live It Out.
If your student chooses to do Holy Words:
•Encourage your student to read some Scriptures on holiness.
•Pray for your student to apply what they read.
If your student chooses to do Memorize:
•Ask your student if they would like you to memorize 1 Peter 1:14-15 with them this week.
•Encourage your student as they memorize 1 Peter 1:14-15.
1. “Saint Augustine Quotes,” Brainy Quote, [cited 8 November 2013]. Available from the Internet: www.brainyquote.com.
Posted in Just For Parents | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Conversation Starters, Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply
Conversation Starters: Generosity
Posted by KarahTHE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: God is a generous God who gives good things to His children. While some are blessed with more wealth than others, all Christians are called to be generous with what we have been given. When we understand that everything we have is a gift from our generous God, we’ll desire to reflect that generosity with our own giving.
Concept: Generosity
Preschool
Exodus 36-39
LIFE POINT: Moses called craftsmen and the other workers to get everything the people had brought for the tabernacle. The people continued to bring offerings. The men said to Moses, “The people are bringing too much. We have enough to build the tabernacle.” So Moses told the people to stop bringing offerings. The craftsmen and workers began to build. They made 10 curtains from linen with blue, purple, and red yarn. They joined animal skins together with clasps of bronze. They used planks of wood joined together with pegs. One man built the ark of the covenant. The craftsmen built tables, altars, lamps, and utensils. They made special clothes for the priests who would work in the tabernacle. They used everything the people had brought.
LIVE IT OUT: Build an indoor tent together in your home. Encourage your child to bring in special items to decorate the tent. Have your family devotion inside the tent and talk about how the people worked together to build the tabernacle.
Kids
Exodus 39:32-40:38
LIFE POINT: The people had everything made: the curtains, the ark, the table, the lampstand, and the priests’ clothes. They made each thing just as God commanded. Moses used the tent, the curtains, and the poles to set up the tabernacle. He put the ark, the table, the lampstand, and the altar in the correct places. Aaron and his sons put on the priests’ clothes. A cloud covered the tabernacle. The glory of God filled the tabernacle. Whenever the people saw God’s cloud over the tabernacle, they did not move their camp. If the cloud lifted from the tabernacle, they broke camp and moved until the cloud stopped again.
LIVE IT OUT: Research to discover the history of your church’s facilities. When was it built? Who actually built the structures? What church members contributed to actually building the facilities? Thank God for those who worked together to construct your church.
THE POINT: We should reflect God’s generosity. Have a discussion with your student
about everything God has blessed you with. Have a conversation around this quote:
“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.”1 —John Bunyan
LIVE IT OUT: Your student has been encouraged to do one or both Live It Out
activities.
If your student chooses to do God Gives:
• Determine to read through the Scripture daily with your student.
• Ask your student what he or she has learned through reading these passages of Scripture this week.
If your student chooses to do Generosity:
• Help your student determine what generosity looks like in areas other than finances.
• Pray your student will develop a generous heart.
1. “John Bunyan Quotes,” Goodreads, [cited 19 July 2013]. Available from the Internet: http://www.goodreads.com.
Posted in Just For Parents | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Conversation Starters, Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply
Conversation Starters: Fight Opposition
Posted by KarahTHE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: Failure is painful. It’s that moment when things don’t go quite the way we had hoped. We all fall short. We all make mistakes. We all sin. So then the question isn’t if we’re going to fail, but what happens when we do? Those who follow Christ can rest in the fact that He restores them every time they fail.
Concept: Fight Opposition
Preschool
John 18:15-1, 25-27; 21:15-19
LIFE POINT: Peter was close to Jesus. He learned so much from Jesus. He followed Him everywhere. One night, Jesus was taken for questioning. Peter waited outside. A servant girl saw him and asked, “Are you one of Jesus’ disciples?” Peter was afraid and answered, “I am not.” Peter began to warm himself by a fire. Someone asked, “Are you one of Jesus’ disciples?” Peter said, “I am not.” One of the high priest’s slaves asked, “Didn’t I see you with Him in the garden?” Again Peter said, “No.” Later Jesus cooked breakfast for His disciples. Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him. Peter answered yes each time. Jesus replied, “Then care for My people.”
LIVE IT OUT: Talk about what it means to make a mistake or “mess up.” Help your child understand that if she makes a wrong choice, she can ask someone to forgive her. Pray as a family.
Kids
John 18:15-18, 25-27; 15-19
LIFE POINT: Peter and another disciple followed the soldiers who had taken Jesus. They waited to find out what would happen. Three people asked Peter if he was one of Jesus’ disciples. Each time, Peter said, “No!” After Jesus rose from the dead, He met with Peter by the sea. Three times He asked Peter: “Do you love me?” Each time, Peter said, “Yes! You know I do!” Each time, Jesus told Peter to take care of His sheep. Finally, Jesus said to Peter: “Follow Me.” Peter had made wrong choices, but Jesus still wanted Peter to be His follower!
LIVE IT OUT: As a family, talk about the ways each member has messed up at times. Pray together, thanking God that He forgives us.
Students
John 18:15-18, 25-27; 21:15-19
THE POINT: Jesus restores us when we fail. Discuss some failures you have had with your student. How can you deal with failure better as a parent? Have a conversation around this quote:
“Hope is passion for what is possible.”1 —Søren Kierkegaard
LIVE IT OUT: Your student has been encouraged to do one or both Live It Out activities. If your student chooses to do Honest Evaluation:
• Encourage your student as he or she selects a verse about hope to reflect on this week.
• Choose a verse that reminds you of the hope you have in the midst of failure.
If your student chooses to do Serve Others:
• Give your student ideas of ways to serve others in your family this week.
• Pray that your student will be an example to others in serving.
1. “Hope Quotes,” Hope Faith Prayer, [cited 19 July 2013]. Available from the Internet: hopefaithprayer.com.
Posted in Just For Parents | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Conversation Starters, Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply
Conversation Starters: Go
Posted by KarahTHE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: When hope takes a foothold in our lives, it affects our actions, our words, our attitudes, and even our emotions. As you have received hope, offer it to others as much as possible, in as many ways as possible. To share the message of the gospel is to embark in the only calling worthy of our lives. It’s a calling of hope.
Preschool
Acts 3:1-10, 16
LIFE POINT: One day Peter and John were walking in the temple. They saw a man who could not walk. The man asked them for help. Peter and John said, “Look at us.” Peter continued, “I do not have money, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus, get up and walk.” Peter took the man’s hand, and the man stood up. His feet became strong. He stood and walked into the temple with Peter and John. He was leaping and praising God. The people recognized the man. They were amazed. Peter and John said, “We did not make this man walk. He walks by the power of Jesus.”
LIVE IT OUT: As a family, make up a song about praising God. Use a familiar tune.
Kids
Acts 3:1- 4:21
LIFE POINT: Peter and John were on their way to the temple to pray. They saw a man being carried to the temple because he could not walk. Each day, the man begged for money at the temple door. When Peter and John passed by the man, he called out to them, asking for money. I do not have money,” Peter said, “but I do have something for you. In the name of Jesus, get up, and walk!” Peter helped the man stand up. The man was so happy that he started jumping and praising God. A crowd gathered around the apostles and the man. The people listened as Peter told them about Jesus.
LIVE IT OUT: Let each family member prepare three sticky notes that say “Jesus loves you.” Ask the family members to hide the notes during the week in places where another family member will find them and be reminded of this truth.
Students
Acts 3:1-10
THE POINT: Share your hope in Christ.
• Tell your student about a time when you shared the gospel.
• Discuss how you came to know Christ. Have a conversation around this quote:
“The gospel of Jesus Christ is the last great hope for this world.”1 —Ronnie Floyd
LIVE IT OUT: Your student has been encouraged to do one or both Live It Out activities. If your student chooses to do Focus on a Friend:
• Ask your student if he or she needs help determining who to pray for.
• Pray with your student for the people he or she chose.
If your student chooses to do Bite-Size Testimony:
• Help your student with his or her testimony as needed.
• With his or her permission, share your student’s testimony through social media
1. Ronnie Floyd, Our Last Great Hope (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2011) , 9.
Posted in Just For Parents | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Conversation Starters, Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply
Conversation Starters: Encouraging Words
Posted by KarahThe Bible Meets Life: We all face the pressure of using our words to criticize, gossip, or
verbally assault others. Words spoken carelessly, unwisely, hastily, and destructively can affect every aspect of our lives. As we follow Jesus, He will empower us to use our words in a positive way.
Preschool
Mark 10:13-16
LIFE POINT: Jesus loves children. Why was Jesus angry with His disciples? Why did Jesus think children were special? What did He tell His disciples about children?
LIVE IT OUT: Sing the song “Jesus Loves the Little Children” or “Jesus Loves Me” with your preschooler. Remind her that Jesus loves her and all children.
Kids
Mark 10:13-16
LIFE POINT: Reflect God’s love by speaking to everyone with kindness. Why did Jesus get angry with His disciples? How can you use Jesus’ example to speak kindly to everyone?
LIVE IT OUT: Give your child a box of inexpensive breath mints. Tell him that this week when he is tempted to use unkind words, to use a breath mint to remind him to use his words wisely.
Students
James 3:1-18
THE POINT: Our words should reflect our relationship with Christ. How can we do a better job of communicating as a family? How can we encourage each other with words this week? Have a conversation around this quote:
“Kind words do not cost much…yet they accomplish much.”1 —Blaise Pascal
LIVE IT OUT: Your student has been encouraged to do one or both Live It Out. Here are some suggested ways to help your student:
If she plans to complete Say It:
• Encourage your student to choose someone she can
encourage this week.
• Encourage your student this week with positive words.
If she plans to do Whatever:
• Ask your student if she would like you to help her
complete the activity.
• Ask your student how you can pray for her regarding how she talks to and about others.
1. John Mason, You Can Do It (Grand Rapids, MI: Revell, 2003), 55.
Posted in Just For Parents | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Conversation Starters, Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply