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, stir up your Holy Spirit in us as we study your Word today. Lead us, guide us, and help us to grow into the people you want us to be. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
Listen: Pay close attention as these verses from the Bible are read aloud.
Matthew 4: 18-20
While Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw two brothers. One was Simon, also known as Peter, and the other was Andrew. They were fishermen, and they were casting their net into the lake. Jesus said to them, “Come with me! I will teach you how to bring in people instead of fish.” Right then the two brothers dropped their nets and went with him. (CEV)
Engage: Talk about the Bible by having parents respond to children’s questions.
Child: Have you ever spent an entire day fishing? What was the best and worst part about that? What might it be like to fish as your day-to-day job?
Child: By dropping their nets and following Jesus, what hardships do you think the fishermen would have faced? Do you think friends and family understood their decision? Why or why not?
Affirm: Pray for God to put his Word into action in your daily life.
Heavenly Father, sometimes people don’t understand why we follow Jesus. They may not know why we make certain decisions, and might even tease us for our faith. Help us to be brave, anyway, like those fishermen from long ago. Make us strong. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Have each person in the family bless one another with these words.
May you be strong in your faith! Amen.