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Month: April 2023

Published on Leave a comment on Holy Family Time: April 30th

Sunday: Worship

Pray:  Begin by making the sign of the cross and calling upon God’s name.

From God to us, from death to life, from me to you …
in the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Lord God, as we gather together today help us to worship you with all our heart. Speak to us through the words of the Bible, that your story would become our story. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Listen: Pay close attention as these verses from the Bible are read aloud.

Psalm 51:1-2
You are kind, God! Please have pity on me. You are always merciful! Please wipe away my sins. Wash me clean from all of my sin and guilt. (CEV)

Engage: Talk about the Bible by having parents respond to children’s questions.

Child: When have you had pity on someone else? What does it mean for God to have pity on us?

Child: How do you know that God hears your prayers and forgives your sin? In what way can this comfort you when you feel weighed down with worry?

Affirm: Pray for God to put his Word into action in your daily life.

Lord God, in times of great faith and in times of doubt, hold us in your loving embrace. Give us courage to keep going forward in life, and rescue us from every trouble. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Have each person in the family bless one another with these words.

May the God who loves you bless you now and forever! Amen.

Published on Leave a comment on Holy Family Time: April 29th

Saturday: Generosity

Pray:  Begin by making the sign of the cross and calling upon God’s name.

From God to us, from death to life, from me to you …
in the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Lord, in you alone we put our trust. In you alone can we live! Grant us your love, and help us to trust in your Word, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Listen: Pay close attention as these verses from the Bible are read aloud.

John 20:27-29
He greeted his disciples and said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands! Put your hand into my side. Stop doubting and have faith!” Thomas replied, “You are my Lord and my God!” Jesus said, “Thomas, do you have faith because you have seen me? The people who have faith in me without seeing me are the ones who are really blessed!”  (CEV)

Engage: Talk about the Bible by having parents respond to children’s questions.

Child: Have you ever gone through a time in your life when you struggled with doubts? How did God help you through that?

Child: When Jesus spoke of those “who have faith without seeing me,” he was talking about people like us!  Why do you think our faith matters to God?

Affirm: Pray for God to put his Word into action in your daily life.

Thank you dear God, for showing us that you are always near. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us so that we never doubt your love for us. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

Have each person in the family bless one another with these words.

May God remove your doubts and give you faith! Amen.

Published on Leave a comment on Holy Family Time: April 28th

Friday: Trust

Pray:  Begin by making the sign of the cross and calling upon God’s name.

From God to us, from death to life, from me to you …
in the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Heavenly Father, you sent Jesus into this world to find and bring back those who are lost. We trust in all he has done for us. Please give us faith, and cast out our doubts. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Listen: Pay close attention to this reminder from Luther’s Small Catechism.

"I believe in Jesus Christ... On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead."

What does this mean?
He has done all this in order that I might be his own, live under him in his kingdom, and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as he is risen from the dead and lives and reigns for all eternity. This is most certainly true! (Luther's Small Catechism)

Engage: Talk about the Bible by having parents respond to children’s questions.

Child: Why do you think Jesus gave his life for us, sinful and imperfect as we are?

Child: What do you imagine it would be like to live with Jesus forever? What would be your favorite part of that?

Affirm: Pray for God to put his Word into action in your daily life.

Holy God, thank you for loving us so much that you will never let us go! Help us to remember that even death is not the end for us, because of what Jesus has promised. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

Have each person in the family bless one another with these words.

May God watch over you and keep you close to him. Amen.

Published on Leave a comment on Holy Family Time: April 27th

Thursday: Compassion

Pray: Begin by making the sign of the cross and calling upon God’s name.

From God to us, from death to life, from me to you …
in the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Almighty Father, open our eyes to the world around us. Help us to see the place where our neighbors need our help. By your Holy Spirit, give us compassion to serve those in need. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Listen: Pay close attention as the Bible story is read in the form of a rhyme.

“We saw Jesus! Did you know?
He showed up not long ago.”
Thomas wondered, deep in thought:
Could his friends be right? Or not?

Doubting, Thomas rubbed his beard.
That’s when Jesus just…appeared!
Thomas stared, and then he cried,
“But I thought that you had died!”

“Touch my hand and you will see,
That it’s really, truly me.”
Jesus said, “Have faith, my friend,
God will bless you in the end.”

Engage: Talk about the Bible by having parents respond to children’s questions.

Child: How do you think Thomas felt when he saw Jesus for himself? What thoughts might have been running through Thomas’ mind?

Child: Who could we pray for right now who needs some faith and hope?

Affirm: Pray for God to put his Word into action in your daily life.

Lord God we give you thanks for the gift of Jesus, who brings us peace and light. Fill us with your Holy Spirit, and bless us, so that we can be a blessing to others. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Have each person in the family bless one another with these words.

May the peace of Christ be with you! Amen.

Published on Leave a comment on Holy Family Time: April 26th

Wednesday: Mercy

Pray:  Begin by making the sign of the cross and calling upon God’s name.

From God to us, from death to life, from me to you …
in the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Holy Father, you know what we need even before we do. Bless us with your Holy Spirit, so we may trust in what we have not seen. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Listen: Pay close attention as these verses from the Bible are read aloud.

John 20:26-28
A week later the disciples were together again. This time, Thomas was with them. Jesus came in while the doors were still locked and stood in the middle of the group. He greeted his disciples and said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands! Put your hand into my side. Stop doubting and have faith!” Thomas replied, “You are my Lord and my God!” (CEV)

Engage: Talk about the Bible by having parents respond to children’s questions.

Child: What do you think Jesus meant when he said to the disciples, "Peace be with you?" How does knowing Jesus give us peace?

Child: Has there ever been a time when you needed to see something to believe it? Tell us about that. Can we believe without seeing?

Affirm: Pray for God to put his Word into action in your daily life.

Lord God, you gave Thomas what he needed, so he could believe that Jesus had been raised from the dead. Help us to believe even though we cannot see Jesus with our eyes. In his holy name we pray. Amen.

Have each person in the family bless one another with these words.

May the Holy Spirit fill you with joy! Amen.

Published on Leave a comment on Holy Family Time: April 25th

Tuesday: Struggle

Pray:  Begin by making the sign of the cross and calling upon God’s name.

From God to us, from death to life, from me to you …
in the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Almighty God, as we study our Bible story today, help us to remember that you are with us always, and because of that, we have nothing to fear.  In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, we pray. Amen.

Listen: Pay close attention as these verses from the Bible are read aloud.

John 20:24-25
Although Thomas the Twin was one of the twelve disciples, he wasn’t with the others when Jesus appeared to them. So they told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But Thomas said, “First, I must see the nail scars in his hands and touch them with my finger. I must put my hand where the spear went into his side. I won’t believe unless I do this!” (CEV)

Engage: Talk about the Bible by having parents respond to children’s questions.

Child: Why do you think Thomas didn't believe his friends when they told him they had seen Jesus?

Child: Have you ever thought someone was lying to you, and later found out they were telling the truth? What happened?

Affirm: Pray for God to put his Word into action in your daily life.

Lord, we don't always believe the things we hear, even though there are times when we really should. Help us to believe in Jesus and the truth of your Word. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Have each person in the family bless one another with these words.

May the Lord guide you each day! Amen.

Published on Leave a comment on Holy Family Time: April 24th

Monday: Understanding

Pray: Begin by making the sign of the cross and calling upon God's name.

From God to us, from death to life, from me to you …
in the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Heavenly Father, we come to hear your Word and to learn more about you. Speak to us now, as we read our Bible story, so that by the power of your Holy Spirit we may grow in faith. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Listen: Pay close attention as these verses from the Bible are read aloud.

John 20:24-29
Although Thomas the Twin was one of the twelve disciples, he wasn’t with the others when Jesus appeared to them. So they told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But Thomas said, “First, I must see the nail scars in his hands and touch them with my finger. I must put my hand where the spear went into his side. I won’t believe unless I do this!”

A week later the disciples were together again. This time, Thomas was with them. Jesus came in while the doors were still locked and stood in the middle of the group. He greeted his disciples and said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands! Put your hand into my side. Stop doubting and have faith!” Thomas replied, “You are my Lord and my God!”

Jesus said, “Thomas, do you have faith because you have seen me? The people who have faith in me without seeing me are the ones who are really blessed!” (CEV)

Engage: Talk about the Bible by having parents respond to children’s questions.

Child:Were you ever gone when something important happened, and felt like you missed out? Tell us about that.

Child: How do you think Jesus got into the room with the disciples if all the doors were locked?

Affirm: Pray for God to put his Word into action in your daily life.

Holy God, help us to trust in Jesus, even though we cannot see him. Open our hearts to your Word, so we may come to know Jesus better. In his holy name we pray. Amen.

Have each person in the family bless one another with these words:

May the Lord give you faith in Jesus! Amen.