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Category: Holy Family Time

Published on Leave a comment on Holy Family Time: March 19th

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, thank you for this day of rest and worship. Help us to turn to you now, and to leave the worries of the week behind as we study your Word. Be with us, and teach us all that you would have us learn. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

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

Psalm 23:5-6
You treat me to a feast, while my enemies watch. You honor me as your guest, and you fill my cup until it overflows. Your kindness and love will always be with me each day of my life, and I will live forever
in your house, Lord. (CEV)

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

Child: Think back over your life, from when you were little to now. What are some ways God has shown kindness to you at each point in your life?

Child: What do you think God’s house is like? What would it be like to live there forever?

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

Lord God, we love you! Since our earliest days, you have been there, sometimes in ways we did not even notice at the time. Thank you for always caring for us, and for being our true resting place. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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

May you see that God has always been there for you! Amen.

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

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, be with us today as we come together to study your Word. Help us to learn from it, and to grow into the people that you would have us be. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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

John 12:7-8
Jesus replied, “Leave her alone! She has kept this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor with you, but you won’t always have me.”  (CEV)

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

Child: Mary spent her perfume on Jesus while he was alive, rather than waiting until after he died. Do you think this was a good idea? Why or why not?

Child: If you were at that meal with Jesus, what might you have done to show him how much he meant to you?

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

Dear Lord, even though we did not live during Bible times, we are so thankful that we can come to know you as we hear our Bible stories. Draw us closer to you each day, for you are our kindest and truest friend. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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

May you love the Lord, your God! Amen.

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

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, thank you for this day. As we study the Small Catechism now, teach us how to live in a way that is faithful and good, and to treat our neighbors fairly. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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

We should fear and love God so that we do not betray, slander, lie, or gossip about our neighbors, but defend them, speak well of them, and put the most charitable construction on all that they do. (Luther’s Small Catechism)

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

Child: To “slander” means to say mean, untrue things about someone else. Why is it important that we not do this?

Child: Why would our love for God affect how we treat people? How can this guide our actions, even if we don’t like someone?

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

Heavenly Father, getting along with other people can be hard at times. But if we look to you, you will help us with this, and with all things. Guide us each day, so that we make good decisions. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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

May you treat your neighbor well! Amen.

Published on Leave a comment on Holy Family Time: March 16th

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.

Dear God, open our minds and our hearts today, so that we may learn more about Jesus. Thank you for sending your Son into our world as your ultimate act of compassion. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

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

For supper, Jesus went to see
His three good friends in Bethany;
While Lazarus sat down to eat,
His sister, Martha, kept things neat.

Then Mary came into the room
With costly nard, a sweet perfume.
She gave her Lord this gift most rare
And wiped his feet with her long hair!

Then Judas yelled, “Why waste that stuff
When some poor folks don’t have enough?”
But Jesus said, “Leave her alone;
For in a while I’ll soon be gone.”

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

Child: Two times in the Bible, a woman wiped Jesus’ feet with her hair. Why do you think someone might do that?

Child: In this poem, Jesus said, “I’ll soon be gone.” What do you think Jesus meant by that? Where was he going?

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

Holy God, Mary, Martha and Lazarus knew that Jesus was special—and in fact, he was the Savior of the world! Help us to understand how much Jesus loves all of us, and to live good, faithful lives in return. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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

May you serve the Lord!  Amen.

Published on Leave a comment on Holy Family Time: March 15th

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, as we study your Word today, may we learn to have mercy on others, as you do for us. Please be with us now, and teach us all that you would have us know. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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

John 12:4-6
A disciple named Judas Iscariot was there. He was the one who was going to betray Jesus, and he asked, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor?” Judas did not really care about the poor. He asked this because he carried the moneybag and sometimes would steal from it. (CEV)

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

Child: The Bible tells us that Judas stole from the moneybag. Why is it wrong to take something that doesn’t belong to you?

Child: Judas didn’t care about the poor, even though he said he did. Who are the poor in our area? What are some ways we might help them?

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

God of grace, you have given us so much. Help us to use what we have for good purposes, so that we can make a positive difference in this world. 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 spend money on the important things in life! Amen.

Published on Leave a comment on Holy Family Time: March 14th

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, may your Holy Spirit inspire us now, as we turn again to our Bible story. Help us to learn from Martha, Mary and Lazarus, our ancestors in faith. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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

John 12:1-3
Six days before Passover Jesus went back to Bethany, where he had raised Lazarus from death. A meal had been prepared for Jesus. Martha was doing the serving, and Lazarus himself was there. Mary took a very expensive bottle of perfume and poured it on Jesus' feet. She wiped them with her hair, and the sweet smell of the perfume filled the house. (CEV)

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

Child: If you were Lazarus, and had been raised from the dead by Jesus, would you live your life any differently afterwards? How might a second chance at life change the way you looked at things?

Child: Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus treated Jesus very well when he visited them. What are some special things our family does to make a guest feel welcome?

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

Heavenly Father, sometimes we feel too busy to host people. Yet even Jesus was a guest at times. Help us to remember this, and to treat any visitors who come our way with true hospitality. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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

May you welcome visitors and help them feel at home! Amen.

Published on Leave a comment on Holy Family Time: March 13th

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, as we read our Bible story today, help us to understand more about who Jesus was, and about who we are in relation to him.  Be with us now as we study and learn. We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

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

John 12:1-8
Six days before Passover Jesus went back to Bethany, where he had raised Lazarus from death. A meal had been prepared for Jesus. Martha was doing the serving, and Lazarus himself was there.

Mary took a very expensive bottle of perfume and poured it on Jesus' feet. She wiped them with her hair, and the sweet smell of the perfume filled the house. A disciple named Judas Iscariot was there. He was the one who was going to betray Jesus, and he asked, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor?” Judas did not really care about the poor. He asked this because he carried the moneybag and sometimes would steal from it.

Jesus replied, “Leave her alone! She has kept this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor with you, but you won’t always have me.” (CEV)

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

Child: Why do you think Mary poured expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet? Do you think she would have done this for any guest? Why or why not?

Child: To “betray” someone means to be disloyal, or to turn a friend over to an enemy. From reading this story, what was Judas most concerned about? How might this have tempted him to betray Jesus?

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

Heavenly Father, we want to be like Mary, and to serve you with all that we have. Help us to follow her example, so that we may value our relationship with you above earthly things. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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

May you put Jesus first in your life! Amen.