Tag: Wednesday

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, you give us what we need when we face challenges. Be with us now, and help us to learn more about the quiet ways you shower us with mercy. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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

Acts 24:10-12
The governor motioned for Paul to speak, and he began: “I know that you have judged the people of our nation for many years, and I am glad to defend myself in your court. It was no more than twelve days ago that I went to worship in Jerusalem. You can find this out easily enough. Never once did the Jews find me arguing with anyone in the temple. I didn’t cause trouble in the Jewish meeting places or in the city itself. (CEV)

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

Child: When Paul was ask to explain his actions, he was very respectful? Why is it important to show respect to others, even when they don’t show respect to us?

Child: Many people said Paul was guilty, but Paul had done nothing wrong. How does it feel to be accused of something you didn’t do? Does it help to know that Paul (and Jesus) experienced this same thing?

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

God of grace, you see all and know all. When people say bad things about us, help us to remain honest and respectful, so that by our words and actions, we will show the truth. 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 be honest and respectful in all you do. Amen.

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, sometimes you surprise us. You shower us with blessings, even when we least expect it. Be with us now, and teach us your ways. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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

Acts 21:30-32
The whole city was in an uproar, and the people turned into a mob. They grabbed Paul and dragged him out of the temple. Then suddenly the doors were shut. The people were about to kill Paul when the Roman army commander heard that all Jerusalem was starting to riot. So he quickly took some soldiers and officers and ran to where the crowd had gathered. As soon as the mob saw the commander and soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. (CEV)

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

Child: When the mob grabbed Paul, a Roman commander came onto the scene to rescue him. Why is it important for us to stand up for people who are being hurt and defend those who are in danger?

Child: Why would we want to obey authorities, like the police? How does God use “first responders” to protect us and care for us?

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

God of grace, you are in control. Help us to trust this, and to believe it when we face scary situations. 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 trust in God’s mercy. Amen.

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, you provide for our every need. Be with us now, and teach us to show mercy to others. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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

Acts 20:7
On the first day of the week we met to break bread together. Paul spoke to the people until midnight because he was leaving the next morning. (CEV)

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

Child: Paul stayed up late, speaking to people until midnight. Do you think he was tired? Why do you think he did that if he had to get up early the next morning?

Child: Doing something for the good of others can be a way to show mercy. When have you done something you didn’t want to do in order to help someone else?

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

God of grace, you put good people in our lives. Help us to notice them, and to see the kind and merciful things they do. 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 be thankful today. Amen.

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, you are always working to bring people into relationship with you. Help us to see your goodness as we study your holy Word. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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

Acts 19:25-26
Demetrius brought together everyone who was in the same business and said: “Friends, you know that we make a good living at this. But you have surely seen and heard how this man Paul is upsetting a lot of people, not only in Ephesus, but almost everywhere in Asia. He claims that the gods we humans make are not really gods at all.”  (CEV)

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

Child: Why did Paul tell the people that their gods were not real? Was this a mean thing or a kind and merciful thing that he did? Why?

Child: To be “merciful” means to treat someone well, even though they may deserve to be punished. When have you been merciful to someone else? What happened?

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

God of grace, when we make bad choices and go down the wrong path, you send people into our lives to help us turn around. This is a kindness, even when it doesn’t feel like that. Thank you for your mercy, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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

May you see how God is kind and merciful. Amen.

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.

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, you show us mercy every day of our lives. Thank you for sharing your Word, and for giving us people to explain it to us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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

Acts 17:16-17
While Paul was waiting in Athens, he was upset to see all the idols in the city. He went to the Jewish meeting place to speak to the Jews and to anyone who worshiped with them. Day after day he also spoke to everyone he met in the market. (CEV)

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

Child: Do you think Paul got tired of going to the market to speak day after day? Why or why not?

Child: How would you tell someone about God? What might you say?

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

God of grace, thank you for sending courageous messengers, like Paul, into the world. Help us to speak when we need to do so, so that we may reach others for 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 tire of sharing your faith! Amen.

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, we want to know more about you. Help us to listen well to your Word, just as the people in Berea did so long ago. Strengthen our faith, day by day. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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

Acts 17:11-12
That same night the Lord’s followers sent Paul and Silas on to Berea, and after they arrived, they went to the Jewish meeting place. The people in Berea were much nicer than those in Thessalonica, and they gladly accepted the message. Day after day they studied the Scriptures to see if these things were true. Many of them put their faith in the Lord, including some important Greek women and several men. (CEV)

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

Child: What do you think Paul and Silas liked best about Berea? Why?

Child: When have you felt really welcomed somewhere? What happened?

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

God of grace, teach us to welcome people with kindness. Open our hearts, so that we may see others as you see them. 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 share your faith with others, even if they are very different from you. Amen.