Jan. 18, 2007

Family Devotional - Fruit of the Spirit: LOVE

Hi, y'all! This is a repeat, but I hope to do a new one soon!

Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.

Psalm 125:1

Foundations of Love

LESSON:

Have you ever wondered if the Three Little Pigs knew about Jesus? I have the feeling one of them did! You see the first two pigs built their houses out of flimsy materials. They threw up a couple of huts – one made of straw and one made of sticks. When the wolf came, he easily blew them down. But the third little pig took his time. He laid a foundation – brick by brick, stone by stone – and worked hard until he had a house that could not be shaken. When the wolf came along, he could not destroy the house and the pig stayed safe.

Jesus told the story of the wise and foolish builders. The wise man built his house on a sure foundation. The Bible says “The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock” (Matthew 7:25). These are people who hear Jesus’ words and obey them. The foolish man built his house upon the sand; and when the storm came, the house fell with a crash. These are people that hear the Lord’s words but choose not to follow Him.

So how do we build our foundations? What are the “bricks” in our lives? In order to have Jesus as our foundation, we need to know Him. To get to know Him, we need to read God’s Word and talk to Him in prayer. As we do, we’ll find out more about the ways He shows His love to us. Then we in turn can build our lives on His foundation of love, trust and obedience.

PRAYER:

Thank You, Lord, for showing me how to love and to build my life on your Word. AMEN

SONG:

(To the tune of “Mary Had a Little Lamb”)

Those who trust in the LORD

In the LORD, In the LORD

Those who trust in the LORD

Are like Mount Zion

Which cannot be shaken

Shaken, Shaken

Which cannot be shaken

But endures forever

Psalm one hundred twenty-five

One hundred, twenty-five

Psalm one hundred twenty-five

It’s found at verse 1

CRAFTS:

I. Valentine Cards

Make a simple card or letter to show someone that you love them, and Jesus does, too!

Materials Needed:

construction paper or cardstock

scissors

markers

glue or glue stick

Fold the paper or cardstock in half to make a card. Draw hearts, flowers, smiley faces or whatever you want on the card to show love. Use the scissors to cut out heart shapes from colored paper and glue to the card. Write one thing you like about the person you’re giving it to and add a Bible verse about much Jesus loves them (try John 3:16, Romans 5:8, Psalm 32:10b). Don’t forget to send the card!

II. Mobile

Create a mobile showing the bricks you’ve laid in your foundation as a family!

Materials Needed:

coat hanger or dowel

string

5-7 colored paper rectangles

marker

hole punch

Bible concordance

On each paper rectangle “brick”, write a Bible verse about love using your concordance. On the other side, write something you can do to show love as a family (visit a nursing home, clean up your neighborhood, leave notes of encouragement for each other, etc). Punch a hole in the top of each “brick” and tie a length of string to each. Vary the lengths of string a bit. Tie the other ends of the strings to the coat hanger or dowel. Add a final string for a hanger and put up your mobile in a central location. Choose one activity per week to do together to build your foundation as a family!

APPLY WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED:

* Make a Valentine for someone you love (even if it’s not February!)

* Bake cookies for someone who needs a treat

* Use your hands to show your love (hug, sign “I Love You”, clap for a job well done)

* Pray for all those around you

WHAT’S THE POINT?

As parents, we need to be intentional about showing our children how to build a foundation on the Rock, Jesus Christ. Children are so literal, they need to be taught concrete ways to put “feet to their faith”. For that matter, plenty of adults need new ways to add “bricks” to their own foundations! Working together as a family to study God’s Word and put it into practice is a great place to start.