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Month: June 2023

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

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.

Lord God, you promised your disciples that you were preparing a place for them. Help us to trust your promise of eternal life and that you will come and get us and take us home with you when we die, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Listen: Listen carefully as these verses from the Bible are read aloud.

Acts 7:59-60
As Stephen was being stoned to death, he called out, “Lord Jesus, please welcome me!” He knelt down and shouted, “Lord, don’t blame them for what they have done.” Then he died. (CEV)

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

Child: What did Stephen mean when he asked Jesus to welcome him? How do we know that Jesus will never let us go?

Child: Do you believe that we are in God’s care, even when we die? Why is that important to know?

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

Lord Jesus, you are the one who conquered death and rose again. Help us to trust that because we believe in you, even death is not the end for us. In your holy name we pray. Amen.

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

Nothing can separate you from the love of Christ: not even life or death.

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

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.

Holy God, we live in a world where people often do bad things. Sometimes it is others, and sometimes it is us. We pray that when we sin against others, you would forgive us. When someone sins against us, we ask that you would give us the ability to forgive them, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Listen: Listen carefully as the Bible story is read in the form of a rhyme.

Stephen, full of strength and grace,
With a smile on his face,
Healed and did amazing signs
In the name of Christ, divine.

Some who heard what Stephen said,
Twisted all his words, instead.
And they stirred up others, who
Planned to capture Stephen, too!

Soon they stoned this godly man
(as was in their evil plan),
But despite their shouts and calls,
Stephen still forgave them all.

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

Child: How is what happened in this story to Stephen similar to what happened to Jesus at the end of his life?

Child: When the mean people threw rocks at Stephen, why did Stephen forgive them?

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

Holy God, we know that Jesus himself suffered to do what was right, and he calls us to do the same. Help us to be brave as you are brave, and help us to forgive as you forgive us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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

May the Holy Spirit give you the strength to forgive in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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

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.

Lord God, speak to us through the stories of the Bible. Let your Holy Spirit be at work in us, so that we would learn from the example of the people who came before us in faith, that we would trust and believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Listen: Listen carefully as these verses from the Bible are read aloud.

Acts 6:8-10
God gave Stephen the power to work great miracles and wonders among the people. But some Jews from Cyrene and Alexandria were members of a group who called themselves “Free Men.” They started arguing with Stephen. Some others from Cilicia and Asia also argued with him. But they were no match for Stephen, who spoke with the great wisdom that the Spirit gave him. (CEV)

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

Child: Was there ever a time when you were afraid to stand up for what you believe?

Child:  What gave Stephen the strength to be bold and faithful?

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

Holy God, it is not always easy to stand up for our faith in you. Many people like to argue and tell us we are wrong. Give us the bravery to speak the truth, even when other people don’t want to hear it. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

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

May God give you the strength to remain faithful, no matter what. Amen.

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

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, it is not always easy to have faith. Some people will not like us because we believe in you. So we ask you to give us the strength and courage to stand strong, knowing that you are with us, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Listen: Listen carefully as these verses from the Bible are read aloud.

Acts 6:12-15
[Some bad men] turned the people and their leaders and the teachers of the Law of Moses against Stephen. Then they all grabbed Stephen and dragged him in front of the council. Some men agreed to tell lies about Stephen, and they said, “This man keeps on saying terrible things about this holy temple and the Law of Moses. We have heard him claim that Jesus from Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses gave us.” Then all the council members stared at Stephen. They saw that his face looked like the face of an angel. (CEV)

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

Child: Have you ever had someone tell lies about you? How did it make you feel?

Child: Why do you think people tell a lie? Why is it important to always tell the truth?

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

God of truth, we are called to speak the truth of your Word to others and to be faithful, as Stephen was faithful, in sharing the Good News of Jesus. Give us courage to speak of Christ with the wisdom of the Spirit. In his name we pray. Amen.

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

May the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with his goodness and truth. Amen.

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

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, you call us to be faithful in sharing your Word with others and sometimes that comes with risk. Give us courage to speak the truth about Christ so that all people might come to believe in him. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Listen: Listen carefully as the Bible story for the week is read aloud.

Acts 6:8-15
God gave Stephen the power to work great miracles and wonders among the people. But some Jews from Cyrene and Alexandria were members of a group who called themselves “Free Men.” They started arguing with Stephen. Some others from Cilicia and Asia also argued with him. But they were no match for Stephen, who spoke with the great wisdom that the Spirit gave him. So they talked some men into saying, “We heard Stephen say terrible things against Moses and God!” They turned the people and their leaders and the teachers of the Law of Moses against Stephen. Then they all grabbed Stephen and dragged him in front of the council. Some men agreed to tell lies about Stephen, and they said, “This man keeps on saying terrible things about this holy temple and the Law of Moses. We have heard him claim that Jesus from Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses gave us.” Then all the council members stared at Stephen. They saw that his face looked like the face of an angel. (CEV)

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

Child:  What gifts or skills did God give to Stephen that he used to help others?

Child: Was Stephen doing anything wrong? Why did some of the people argue with him instead of supporting him?

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

Loving God, you gave Stephen the power to do great things. Grant us the same love and wisdom that you gave Stephen so that we, too, might tell others about you. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

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

May Jesus be with you as you proclaim his love to the world. Amen.

Published on Leave a comment on Holy Family Time: June 18th

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, we ask you to open our hearts and minds to your Word. Help us hear what you have to say to us and trust in your promise. May we always give you praise and glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Listen: Listen carefully as these verses from the Bible are read aloud.

Psalm 107:6-9
You were in serious trouble, but you prayed to the Lord, and he rescued you. Right away he brought you to a town. You should praise the Lord for his love and for the wonderful things he does for all of us. To everyone who is thirsty, he gives something to drink; to everyone who is hungry, he gives good things to eat.

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

Child: Can you tell me a time when you were in serious trouble and God answered your prayers?

Child: Why do Christians regularly come together to thank and praise God in worship?

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

Lord God, you see our deepest needs. You respond to our needs through the hands and help of others.  Just as we have received your help, shows us ways that we can help others, in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

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

Thanks be to God for all the blessings in your life. Amen.

Published on Leave a comment on Holy Family Time: June 17th

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.

Lord God you have given us all that we have, including our bodies, minds, and possessions. Help us in return to be generous to others so they may also know the source of all good gifts. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Listen: Listen carefully to this reminder from Luther’s Small Catechism.

I believe that God has created me and all that exists, that he has given me and still preserves my body and soul, my eyes and ears, my reason and all my senses, together with food and clothing, home and family, and all my property.  (Luther's Small Catechism)

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

Child: What good things has God done for us as a family?

Child: If God gives us all we have, how should we take care of those things?

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

Holy God, all that we have has been given to us by your gracious hands. Help us to use these good things to serve you and our neighbors. In all our actions, may we give you thanks in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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

May the Lord bless and keep you in his loving care. Amen.