NCCKids Daily Devotionals | September 28-October 2
A couple of tips for leading your children in the devotions:
Model eagerness to learn from the word and grow.
Pick a set time for doing the devotion each day. This increases the odds for consistency.
Glance over the reading before starting.
Don't get discouraged. There will be days when it seems as if you are wasting your time. Rest assured, God sees your faithfulness and his word does not return void.
September 28:
“…everyone who hears my words and puts them into practice is like a wise man. He builds his house on the rock. The rain comes down. The water rises. The winds blow and beat against that house. But it does not fall. It is built on the rock. But everyone who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man. He builds his house on sand. The rain comes down. The water rises. The winds blow and beat against that house. And it falls with a loud crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27 NIRV)
Discussion Prompt for younger children:
Have you ever tried to build a block tower with a teeny tiny base? Maybe you only put one block on the bottom and then tried to stack two on top of it.
How long will a block tower stand if it has a shaky base?
Jesus said that we are like a block tower- we need a strong base that can hold us up. Jesus said that if we listen to him and do what he says that we will be able to stand tall and strong during hard times. Doing things the way Jesus would do them makes a strong and tough like a well build tower.
Can you repeat after me? If I listen to Jesus… I’ll never fall! (Repeat once or twice more.)
Let’s pray and thank God for helping us grow strong and sturdy as we follow Jesus!
(Parents, the next time you see your young child playing with blocks remind them of the concept of building a strong base by listening to and following Jesus.)
Discussion Prompt for older children and teens:
Have you ever built a house of cards? It’s really hard, isn’t it! Every card you put in place matters and has to be put in just right.
Yesterday in Pastor Barry’s sermon he talked about how everything we do in our lives matters. Our actions are like the cards in a card house, they lay a foundation for what we do next. Jesus said ‘everyone who hears my words and puts them into practice is like a wise man (or woman). He (or she) builds his (or her) house on the rock.’
Listening to Jesus and living as he would means that we build a strong foundation for ourselves. When hard times come, like the winds and the water in the scripture passage, our strong foundation of listening to and following Jesus keeps us strong.
Can you think of a real-life example of how listening to Jesus could act as a foundation for your life? (Some answers could be: If we tell the truth we build a foundation of trust with those around us. If we obey our parents we show them we can be trusted with more freedom and responsibility. If we trust God when something kind-of sad happens we learn we can trust him when something really sad happens, etc.)
It’s really important to listen to Jesus and follow him even in the small things we do. All our actions add up and build who we are. And like a card house, we need a strong foundation so we won’t fall.
Let’s pray and ask God to help us build a strong foundation by listening to Him.
September 29:
Jesus got into a boat. His disciples followed him. Suddenly a terrible storm came up on the lake. The waves crashed over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him up. They said, “Lord! Save us! We’re going to drown!”
He replied, “Your faith is so small! Why are you so afraid?” Then Jesus got up and ordered the winds and the waves to stop. It became completely calm.
The disciples were amazed. They asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” (Matthew 8:23-27 NIRV)
Discussion Prompt for younger children:
Can you imagine what it would have been like to be in the boat with the disciples? They were being tossed back and forth by the waves. The water was crashing into the boat. The rain was pouring down on them. The thunder and lightning was right over their heads! What do you think their faces looked like during the storm? What do you think the disciples were feeling?
But you know what? Even though the disciples were scared they did the right thing! They went to Jesus! They said “Lord! Save us!” Jesus stood up and told those waves and the wind and the lightening to “stop!” And they did! Wow! Isn’t that amazing?! What do you think the disciples faces looked like when the storm listened to Jesus? What do you think they felt?
The Bible says the disciples ask each other ‘What kind of man is (Jesus)? Even the winds and the waves obey him!’ What kind of man is Jesus to you?
Let’s pray and tell God how amazing He is!
Discussion Prompt for older children and teens:
Can you imagine what it would have been like to be in the boat with the disciples? They were being tossed back and forth by the waves. The water was crashing into the boat. The rain was pouring down on them. The thunder and lightning was right over their heads! How scary would that have been?
When life gets scary our thinking brain often goes ‘offline’ and we revert to doing the most basic things we know. Jesus’ disciples were definitely afraid during the storm but thankfully they had experience turning to Jesus with their problems. If we practice going to Jesus when we are young and our problems are still young-people problems we will hopefully automatically turn to Jesus in the future when life gets really hard or scary.
What’s a problem you are currently facing that you can take to God? It can be big or small, nothing’s too trivial or difficult for God.
Let’s pray about that now…
September 30:
A few days later, Jesus entered Capernaum again. The people heard that he had come home. So many people gathered that there was no room left. There was not even room outside the door. And Jesus preached the word to them. Four of those who came were carrying a man who could not walk. But they could not get him close to Jesus because of the crowd. So they made a hole by digging through the roof above Jesus. Then they lowered the man through it on a mat. Jesus saw their faith. So he said to the man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
“I tell you,” he said, “get up. Take your mat and go home.” The man got up and took his mat. Then he walked away while everyone watched. All the people were amazed. They praised God and said, “We have never seen anything like this!” (Mark 2:1-5 & 11-12 NIRV)
Discussion Prompt for young children:
Do you think it was hard for the friends to dig through the roof? Do you think they were scared to get into trouble?
Jesus healed the man on the mat; he could walk again! What do you think he said to Jesus once he saw that he could walk?
Jesus is so powerful and kind!
Do you have any friends who are sick that we can ‘take to Jesus’ by praying for them?
Discussion Prompt for Older Children and Teens:
Imagine you are in the room where Jesus is teaching. It’s totally full, no room for anyone else. Everyone is turned towards Jesus, listening to him teach.
All of a sudden there’s a strange banging on the roof. Everyone turns their faces up to see what’s going on. Dust and dirt start trickling down. People start to shield their eyes so they won’t get dirt in them. You hear voices all around the room saying ‘What’s going on?! What is that noise?!’
The banging gets louder. Chunks of the roof start to fall in and people who have had pieces fall on them begin to press back, squishing into you. Suddenly light comes through a hole in the ceiling! Someone yells ‘We did it!’ and you see four faces looking down from the hole in the roof. Do they look excited? Do you think they are scared of being in trouble?
The friends begin to slowly, carefully lower the man on a mat through the hole. The mat sways back and forth. Your heart beats fast as you watch the friends strain to keep hold of the mat. People nearby step forward and grab the mat from below. They lay the man and his mat on the floor.
What emotion is on the man with the mat’s face? Is he embarrassed? Hopeful?
Imagine Jesus drawing near the man. Is he smiling or is he serious? Is he worried about the man? Is he quiet or is he laughing?
Jesus says ‘Your sins are forgiven. Get up, take your mat and go home.’ And the man does! He stands up, picks up his mat and walks out.
Do you have anyone in your life who would tear a hole in a roof if you were sick?
Is there anyone in your life who is currently sick?
Let’s take them to Jesus by praying for them. And maybe God will show us a way to care for them this week.
October 1:
(Jesus) joined them at the table. Then he took bread and gave thanks. He broke it and began to give it to them. (Luke 24:30 NIRV)
Discussion Prompt for all ages:
Have you ever planted any seeds?
This year the Ragers tried to grow some tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelons, cantaloupes and peppers. We thought it would be something fun and easy to do while we were spending all our time at home.
Did you know plants will die if they don’t get enough water? Did you know they will die if they get too much water? Plants need a lot of sun and the right temperature. If the wind blows too hard plants can snap in half! The Ragers learned all those things this year.
We worked hard to help our plant-babies grow. We couldn’t wait to get some fruit and vegetables! We watered and watered our little plants. We pulled weeds and put nets around them to keep them strong. It took months for them to grow. Some of us got a little tired of all the work. But then… we started to see flowers blooming! We knew those flowers would turn into food! It was so exciting!!
Guess who else got excited? Our neighborhood squirrels! Those sneaky squirrels must be super smart because our nets could not keep them out! The squirrels have eaten more of our tomatoes than we have. And the score for watermelons is Squirrels: 2 Ragers: 0.
We didn’t get much food from our garden this year but we did learn how hard it is to grow food. Food is pretty much a miracle. Everything we eat takes months to grow and a lot of hard work from a farmer somewhere in the world.
When the Bible talks about Jesus eating with his friends it always mentions that he stopped to thank God for the food. The next time you eat look at the ingredients in your meal. Think of all the work that went into raising each one. Not only did a farmer work hard to grow each item, but God also had to send the correct amount of rain and sun. Someone had to drive the food safely to the grocery store. Your mom or dad had to go shopping for the food and cook it for you. There is a lot to be thankful for on just one plate!
Let’s be like Jesus and always give thanks for what we eat!
October 2:
If possible, live in peace with everyone. Do that as much as you can. (Romans 12:18)
Discussion Prompt for young children:
It’s hard to say exactly what peace is. It’s one of those things that easier to spot than it is to explain. So, I’ll give some examples and you tell me if it’s peace or not…
Playing nicely with a friend. (Peace)
Crumpling someone’s coloring page. (Not peace)
Holding Dad’s hand. (Peace)
Calling someone a mean name. (Not peace)
Taking a friend’s toy from them. (Not peace)
Giving a friend a turn. (Peace)
Can you give an example of peace?
The Bible says ‘How good it is when God’s people live together in peace!’
Let’s pray and ask God to help us choose to live in peace today.
Discussion Prompt for older children and teens:
What does living in peace mean?
What makes living in peace difficult?
Reading the verses surrounding Romans 12:18 may help us understand:
Don’t pay back evil with evil. Be careful to do what everyone thinks is right. If possible, live in peace with everyone. Do that as much as you can. My dear friends, don’t try to get even. Leave room for God to show his anger. It is written, “I am the God who judges people. I will pay them back,” says the Lord. Do just the opposite. Scripture says, “If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. By doing those things, you will pile up burning coals on their heads. Don’t let evil overcome you. Overcome evil by doing good.” (Romans 12:17-21 NIRV)
Can you think of an example of how someone could ‘overcome evil by doing good?’
Let’s pray that God would help us to live at peace with others.
