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Month: August 2023

Published on Leave a comment on Holy Family Time: August 31st

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, be with us now, as we seek to grow closer to you. Remind us that you never leave us on our own. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, we pray. Amen.

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

In his travels, Paul did meet
Many people, good and sweet
One such person was Acquila,
And his lovely wife, Priscilla.

There in Corinth, Paul would speak
To the Jews and to the Greeks
Some would listen, but not all;
Others yelled at faithful Paul.

Then the Lord appeared one night
In a vision, bringing light:
“Don’t give up, dear Paul, my friend,
I am with you ‘till the end.”

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

Child: When you have been trying to do good, but were resisted by others? Why is it easy to feel like giving up?

Child: How does God speak to us through the Word of Scripture? Has something you read in the Bible ever given you encouragement to keep going?

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

Holy God, just as you did for Paul, you comfort us when we face dark times. We are so thankful that we can always count on you! We love you. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

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

May you depend on God, above all else. Amen.

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

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.

Almighty God, speak to us today through your Word. Make us sturdy in faith, and merciful to all. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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

Acts 18:7-8
Paul then moved into the house of a man named Titius Justus, who worshiped God and lived next door to the Jewish meeting place. Crispus was the leader of the meeting place. He and everyone in his family put their faith in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also heard the message, and all the people who had faith in the Lord were baptized. (CEV)

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

Child: What does it mean to “put our faith in the Lord,” like Crispus did? How does that affect the way we live our lives?

Child: What do you think kept Paul from giving up after having so many hard experiences? How did he keep going and reaching out to new people?

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

God of grace, thank you for the gift of baptism, which makes us your sons and daughters. Because we belong to you, we need never fear anything in this world. Help us put our faith in you. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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

May you never forget that you are a true child of God. Amen.

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

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.

Lord God, our true strength comes from you, above all else. Help us to remember this promise always, especially when we feel alone in a crowd. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

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

Acts 18: 4-6
Every Sabbath, Paul went to the Jewish meeting place. He spoke to Jews and Gentiles and tried to win them over. But after Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, he spent all his time preaching to the Jews about Jesus the Messiah. Finally, they turned against him and insulted him. So he shook the dust from his clothes and told them, “Whatever happens to you will be your own fault! I am not to blame. From now on I am going to preach to the Gentiles.” (CEV)

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

Child: What does it mean to “insult” someone? Have you ever insulted anyone — or been insulted, yourself? How did you handle that?

Child: Why do you think Paul “shook the dust from his clothes”? What did that mean to him?

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

Heavenly Father, when people turn against us, we feel sad and left out. Remind us that even if that happens, you are always there for us. Thank you for being our truest friend. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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

May you stand tall and strong in your faith. Amen.

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

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.

O God, make us wise. Help us to know when to listen, when to speak, and when to be silent. We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

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

Acts 18:1-11
Paul left Athens and went to Corinth, where he met Aquila, a Jewish man from Pontus. Not long before this, Aquila had come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Emperor Claudius had ordered the Jewish people to leave Rome. Paul went to see Aquila and Priscilla and found out that they were tent makers. Paul was a tent maker too. So he stayed with them, and they worked together.

Every Sabbath, Paul went to the Jewish meeting place. He spoke to Jews and Gentiles and tried to win them over. But after Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, he spent all his time preaching to the Jews about Jesus the Messiah. Finally, they turned against him and insulted him. So he shook the dust from his clothes and told them, “Whatever happens to you will be your own fault! I am not to blame. From now on I am going to preach to the Gentiles.”

Paul then moved into the house of a man named Titius Justus, who worshiped God and lived next door to the Jewish meeting place. Crispus was the leader of the meeting place. He and everyone in his family put their faith in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also heard the message, and all the people who had faith in the Lord were baptized. One night, Paul had a vision, and in it the Lord said, “Don’t be afraid to keep on preaching. Don’t stop! I am with you, and you won’t be harmed. Many people in this city belong to me.” Paul stayed on in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching God’s message to the people. (CEV)

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

Child: What is the most interesting trip you ever took? How did people treat you in that place?

Child: Paul travelled all over, and preached about Jesus wherever he went. Have you ever talked about Jesus to someone you didn’t know well? Why can that be a  hard thing to do?

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

Lord God, it can be hard for us to talk about our faith. Help us to share the good news of your love with others, and to do so bravely.  In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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

May you trust God to lead you, wherever you go. Amen.

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

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.

Gracious Lord God, you made us, and you made everything that we see around us. We love you! Help us to remember to put you first in our lives. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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

Psalm 96:4-5
The Lord is great and deserves our greatest praise! He is the only God worthy of our worship. Other nations worship idols, but the Lord created the heavens.

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

Child: Why do you think the psalmist says that God deserves our greatest praise? What are some ways we can praise God?

Child: Can you list some of the ways that God has blessed you?

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

Lord God, open our eyes, so that we can see you at work in the world. Help us to never take for granted our freedom to publicly worship you and give you praise. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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

May you truly count your blessings today. Amen.

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

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.

Mighty Lord, you can do anything! Teach us what you would have us know, and lead us so that we can make a difference in the lives of others. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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

Acts 17:32-34
As soon as the people heard Paul say that a man had been raised from death, some of them started laughing. Others said, “We will hear you talk about this some other time.” When Paul left the council meeting, some of the men put their faith in the Lord and went with Paul. One of them was a council member named Dionysius. A woman named Damaris and several others also put their faith in the Lord. (CEV)

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

Child: Why do you think some people laughed when Paul said that Jesus had been raised from the dead?

Child: Do you think it was hard for Paul to keep sharing the Good News after being laughed at? What kept him going?

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

Merciful Lord, even when you are rejected, you continue to reach out to us. Thank you for your love and patience. Help us to be patient with others, in return. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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

May you notice the many ways God reaches out to you. Amen.

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

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.

O God, you want us to believe in you, and to look to you above all others. Give us trusting hearts and willing hands to serve you each day. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

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

“You shall have no other gods before me.” What does this mean? We should fear, love, and trust God above all things. (Luther’s Small Catechism)

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

Child: Why doesn’t God want his people to worship other gods? What are some of these false gods?

Child: Have you ever had trouble trusting God? What helped you?

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

Heavenly Father, thank you for Luther’s Small Catechism, which helps us understand the Bible better. Teach us all that you would have us know about you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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

May you turn from anything that leads you away from God. Amen.