GPS-Five Days of Serving Kids

JUN 09  / Sunday – Read various scriptures below

Overview: Pastor Julie Kocher covers what’s ahead at Vacation Bible School (VBS) this June and its positive impact on both kids and adults.

10 / Mon – The greatest friend  |  Read James 2:23 / John 15:15

For many children, Vacation Bible School is one of the best weeks of their summer. The theme of next week’s VBS is SCUBA: Diving into friendship with God. You may know God as your Creator, Savior, and Provider but do you consider Him your friend? Our minds can’t comprehend all of who God is but He gave us a glimpse through the life and person of Jesus Christ. Think about the best friend you’ve ever had. What qualities forged that friendship? Do any of these apply to your friendship with God? How can you grow in becoming a better friend of His?

11 / Tue – Are you connected?  |  Read Matthew 19:14 / Luke 18:15-17

When you were a child, what did you think God was like? What contributed to your impression of Him? Were there people who read or taught the Bible to you? Did someone love you unconditionally and live in a way that made God seem real to you? The goal of rezKids Ministry is to help connect the heart of a child to the heart of God. Ask yourself, what is God’s heart for you? Then, as an adult, how can you show the little people in your life what God thinks about them?

12 / Wed – Basic truth to live by – #1  |  Read Proverbs 2:6

RezKids Ministry helps every child learn three basic truths. The first one is: I need to make the wise choice. No matter your age, life is full of options. Sometimes the choice is easy when it is between something good and something bad. At other times, it’s not so clear-cut. When facing a decision, Pastor Andy Stanley suggests you ask this clarifying question: in light of my past experience, my present circumstances, and my future hopes and dreams, what is the wise choice? The better you know God and are attentive to His words, the better decisions you will make.

13 / Thu – Basic truth to live by – #2  |  Read Jeremiah 17:7-8, 13-14

The second basic truth children are taught is: I can trust God no matter what. Kids are usually very trusting and may find this easy to believe. What about you? Have things happened in the past that made you question the goodness of God’s heart or His ability to take care of you? Do you wonder how a good God can allow such awful things to happen? Or have you lived long enough to see the ways God is able to bring good out of evil, hope out of tragedy, and joy in the midst of sorrow?

14 / Fri – Basic truth to live by – #3  |  Read Luke 6:27-36

The third basic truth children learn at rezKids is probably the most familiar: I should treat others the way I want to be treated. Most children understand this ‘golden rule’ even if they don’t always follow it. The grown-up version might be: I should treat others like Jesus did. The gospels show us that Jesus took time to really look at those in front of him. He never let appearances deter him from treating them with compassion. Will you ask the Lord to help you be more sensitive to those around you? Everyone is fighting some kind of battle.  Let the Spirit, working in you, make a difference.

15 / Sat – Things to ponder  |  Read Psalm 145 / James 1:5 / James 1:22

Considering what you’ve read this week, here are some questions to think about: Is my heart connected to the heart of God? Do I believe that He is good, as described in Ps 145? Do I seek to live wisely in every area of my life by asking God for His wisdom, or do I too often rely on my own? When it is hard to trust God in certain areas, will I ask Him to remind me of His past faithfulness? Finally, realizing that words only matter when I live them out, will I ask the Holy Spirit to help me live as an authentic Christ-follower, starting right now?