PACT for the 3rd week of February

You Are Unique   Items needed: pencils, white paper or card stock   Make a set of fingerprints. (from www.humanhand.com/fingerprints.html).   Step 1: Use a pencil to scribble a dark section on a piece of paper. Step 2: Rub one fingertip across the section of paper. Step 3: Stick a piece of clear tape onto the darkened finger. (Packing tape works very well, but any clear tape will do.) Step 4: Carefully remove the tape from the fingertip, and stick the tape onto a piece of white paper or card stock.   Every person has a unique set of fingerprints.   What does unique mean? (Different, only one, etc.)    No one in the whole world has the same fingerprints as you (even identical twins have small differences that make their prints unique). Just as our fingerprints are unique, God has a unique purpose for each person. What an honor that the eternal God created each of us with a special purpose! Even before Samson was born, God had a purpose for him. We will be happiest when we accept and live out God's purpose.              A Special Purpose  Choose an activity your family can do together (make a meal, organize the playroom, do an art project, make a dessert, etc.) Break the activity down into different roles or steps. For example: If you choose to organize the playroom, the different roles could be: put the books on the shelf, pick up toys and place them in the right bin, gather and organize the art supplies, make labels for the bins, etc.   Set the timer and give everyone a chance to fulfill their role. When finished, ask:   What would have happened if you hadn't done your part or job? (It would have been left undone; it would still be messy, etc.)    Each person had a specific job or purpose to do. We all need to do the job given us. God has a special purpose for each one. It is up to us to fulfill the job He gives us to do.     Becoming Stronger   Lead your kids in some exercises: running in place, jumping jacks, touching toes, stretching, sit-ups, knee raises, and kicking.     How do you get stronger? (Eating good food, exercising, etc.)   As a baby, you were weak and helpless. You couldn’t even roll over by yourself. But as you ate, you began to grow stronger. First, you crawled, then you walked (falling down a lot at first) and soon you could run and jump. Exercising your muscles made you stronger and able to do things you couldn’t do before.   What would happen if you laid on the couch all day, every day? (You would get weaker, your muscles would go down, etc)   How can you get stronger in the Lord? (Depend on Him for strength, read the Bible, pray, believe God, serve Him, give, tell others, obey, etc.)   The more you do each of these, the stronger you will become. God will help you to be stronger inside to make right choices and do what pleases Him. It takes more than doing them once a year or even once a month. Just as you need to physically exercise daily, you need to do these things often to build strong spiritual muscles.     Review the Bible verse, Ephesians 6:10b. Say it at least once a day, maybe at the same meal each day. On this journey with youm Pastor Beau

PACT for the second week of February

God Delivers His People   The Israelites were in a bad cycle—they went away from God, God sent a judge to deliver them, they followed God...they went away from God, God sent a judge to deliver them, they followed God. This was repeated over and over. Eventually, you read that God delivered the Israelites through Gideon, a judge.   Act out the story of Israel's victory. Assign parts for Gideon, the Israelite army, and the Midianite army. Read Judges 7 aloud as the kids act out their parts.   How did God deliver Israel? (He saved them from the Midianite army that was stealing their food and other possessions.)   God is strong and can deliver His people from those who hurt them.     Be Strong in God   Items needed:  copy or construction paper markers or crayons   Help your child memorize Ephesians 6:10b.   When Gideon thought he was ready to fight the Midianites, God told him he needed to take away some soldiers. God reduced the size of Gideon’s army from 32,000 to 300! God wanted Gideon and the Israelites to depend on Him instead of their own strength or power. Gideon needed to focus on God and what HE said and not on the BIG problem or job before him. When Gideon did not see a way for them to be free from the evil Midianites, God had a plan and directed Gideon on what to do. When we depend on God's strength, He can take away our fear and do amazing things.   How did Gideon rely on God's strength? (He trusted in God to help them, he did what God told him to do, he obeyed even though he may have been afraid, etc.)   How can we be strong in God? (Pray and ask Him to help us with our problems, believe that He will guide us to know what to do, read and focus on what He has said, etc.)   Ask kids to illustrate the Bible verse. Talk about a problem they may have and how God can help them. Post the Bible verse in their room as a reminder that God wants to help them face the big problems.         Celebrating God's Love   Items needed: supplies to make cookies or cupcakes, pieces of paper (or small hearts)   Celebrate Valentine's Day by showing love to others. Just as God used Gideon to deliver the Israelites from their trouble, God can use us to help others. Think of someone you know who is going through a hard time (sickness, loss, sadness, etc.). Bake cookies, make a card (with a message of encouragement, such as: We are praying for you, We love you, We believe God will help you, etc.) Deliver some of the goodies and say a short prayer with them before you leave.   Play a game of finding the letters to an important message. Write each letter of the phrase, God loves you, on a slip of paper or heart. (Make at least one set for each kid, with some extras to make it easier to find them.) When kids aren't looking, hide the letters. Invite the kids to find the letters and an important message. Let them exchange letters, if they need to.   Celebrate God's love with some of the goodies you made! On this journey with you, Pastor Beau

PACT for first week of February

Corruption Sin Is Bad for Us Item needed: moldy bread (or other food) Find and offer some moldy bread or food (the moldier the better) to your kids. Or follow the steps to grow some mold. Collect dust on a cotton swab. You can slide the swab along a dusty shelf, floor, or any other surface with a thick coating of dust. Since dust contains the spores from which mold grows, you will want to collect as much dust as possible. (Mold spores exist in the air and can drop to the floor or onto objects as dust.) Rub the cotton swab over the entire surface of your bread slice, coating it with the dust. The moisture from the bread combined with the spores contained in the dust creates an ideal breeding ground for mold. You can also drop a few sprinkles of water on the bread slice. Seal your bread in an airtight environment (in a sandwich bag or wrap it in firmly in plastic wrap) to lock in the dust. Place your bread in a warm, dark environment to accelerate the growth process. For example, the website Science Fair Adventure recommends placing the bread in an old milk carton (preferably one with traces of milk still left behind) and sealing the lid. Leave the bread alone for approximately 24 to 48 hours and then remove. (Read more: How to Grow Mold Quickly on Bread Would you like to eat this? Why or why not? At one time, this food was good, but now it has become corrupted. We too can become corrupted by sin. With the right conditions and our sinful desires, we tend to give in to sin, which will be bad for us. How is sin bad for us? (It makes us feel guilty; it draws us away from God and what is right; it hurts our testimony; it leads us to do other wrong things, etc.) Who Are You "Linked" With? Items needed: strips of fabric or scarves (to tie legs together for a three legged race) Run a three-legged race, but with a little different twist. Pair up kids, but tie them together with one person facing one direction and the other one facing the opposite direction. At the instruction to GO, each pair should run toward the wall they are facing, which is the goal line. After a minute or so of struggling, untie them and talk about it.  Why was it so hard to get to your side of the room? (We were linked with someone going the opposite way.) Is it harder to do right if you are “linked” with people who want to do wrong? (Yes) Why? (They want to go the wrong way; they want to lead you in a wrong way; it is hard to stand by yourself and do right, etc.)  This week, we began studying the book of Judges. Joshua had died and the Israelites began following the gods of the Canaanites in the new land God had given them. God had given them strict instructions NOT to make an alliance with the Canaanites; neither were they to marry them or the people who still lived there. God was holy and He wanted His people to be holy. The people linked up with the Canaanites and were soon going away from God and worshiping false gods. They were corrupted by the Canaanites.  Link Up With Jesus As a family, read 1 Corinthians 15:57 and memorize it together. Ask your child to do something that he or she cannot do. (Pick up a heavy object, complete a difficult chore, write something, etc.) When they get frustrated or tell you they can't do it, come alongside of them to help. How were you able to do what I told you to do?(You helped me) The best way to do something hard is to ask someone stronger for help. How does the Bible verse say we can have victory—be a winner? (Through Jesus Christ) The best way to win over sin is to link up with Jesus. When we ask, He will take away our sin and then send His Holy Spirit to live inside us to help us do what is right. God will help us know the right thing to do and give us the strength to do it. When we link up with God, He will hold us tight. He is strong so we must stay as close as we can to Him. He will help us!  Pair up kids and have them help each other learn the verse. Toss a small ball (or stuffed animal) back and forth with each person saying the next word in the verse when they catch the ball.  On this journey with you, Pastor Beau

PACT for the 3rd week of January

January 20 - 26 Mercy A Place of Refuge Play an old-fashioned game of Hide and Seek. Designate a spot as the safe place or home base. Remind the kids that if they can get to that spot, they are safe from the finder. Choose one person to be the finder who will count to 50 while the rest are hiding. (Play this in the dark if you are really adventurous and have older kids.) After several rounds of hiding and seeking, talk about it. What did you like about playing this game? How did you feel when the finder was chasing you? How did it feel to make it to the safe place, home base? God told the Israelites to make six cities of refuge—six "safe" places where people could run to when they had accidentally committed murder. They could go to these cities and no one would hurt them; they could receive mercy. What is mercy? (Mercy is when someone shows compassion or kindness toward someone who needs help or has done wrong.) We all need mercy!  Free Mercy Act out some of the following situations where a person might need mercy. Write each of the situations on an index card or slip of paper. Pair kids up to act out their situation where mercy is needed. Situations:  little sister accidentally broke older sister's toy forgot  to bring lunch money need help completing a big assignment accidentally spilled milk on the carpet lost temper and yelled at friend How do you feel when someone gives you mercy? (Happy, relieved, etc.) We have been given mercy, so we should give mercy to others. When your child does something wrong and breaks a rule, show him/her mercy. Instead of punishment, sit down together and talk about God's mercy. He forgives us even when we don't deserve it.     Rich in Mercy Item needed: Band-aids (the colorful ones would be great) Give each kid a band-aid. Ask: When do we need band-aids? (When we have been hurt) When you are hurt, would you like for someone to give you a lecture or hurt you more?(No, of course, not. You would like them to give you mercy, not their judgment or harshness.) What are some other words for mercy? (Kindness, helpfulness, goodness, sympathy, and gentleness) When others are hurting what do they need? (Kindness, help, mercy) Ephesians 2:4 says that God is RICH in mercy. We can be full of mercy toward others. On this journey with you, Pastor Beau

PACT for 2nd week of January

Who is God's Judgment For?   The five kings came to battle against Israel (God's people) and the Gibeonites.   The Israelites were fighting hard but it was getting late in the day, so what was the special favor Joshua asked God? (To let the sun keep shining so they could see to win the battle)   What did God do? (He did a miracle; he allowed them to have more sunlight so they could keep fighting and win the battle)   Israel won the battle, with God's help. God judged Israel's enemies. Only God is perfect and He sees peoples' hearts so He can judge them with fairness (Deuteronomy 32:4). God's judgment is for those who reject His way and His Son.   Ask:   If you could ask me for a favor, what would it be? (If it is something that you could do, do it.)   As a parent, I want to help you. I can't do a miracle, but I will try to do what I can. God wants to help you. You can ask Him anything. He may say yes, no, or wait, but He will help you.   Running Away...From Sin Do a simple experiment to show that living with integrity means doing what we can to run away from sin.   Items needed: bowl (cereal bowl is fine) with water covering the bottom, pepper, liquid dishwashing detergent, and a Toothpick Sprinkle some pepper over the water. Dip the toothpick into the detergent and place a drop of detergent in the middle of the water. Watch the pepper run away. Why does the pepper move away?   FYI: Water molecules are strongly attracted to each other and this creates surface tension. (This is what allowed the pepper to float on top of the water.) When you put the detergent in the water, it makes the surface tension weak. The water’s surface tension force is stronger than the detergent’s surface tension force, so the pepper pulls away from the soap and carries the water with it.   God is holy and wants us to be holy; we are to run away from sin.   Read Proverbs 6:16-19.   What are some sins God hates? (Proud look, lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers)   What are some ways you can avoid (stay away from) sin? (Make friends who also want to do what is right, pray and ask God to help you be strong, listen to your parents, love God more than any sin)   If someone asks you to do something you know is not right, what can you do? (Walk away, tell them you need to leave now, say "no, thanks")   No one can completely be free of sin, but God gives us His Holy Spirit to help us keep away from sin. What should we do when we sin? (Be sorry for our sin and ask God to forgive us; He is merciful and always ready to forgive us.)        God's Gift of Forgiveness   Review the Bible verse kids are learning—Romans 6:23.   Announce that you have a list of extra jobs to be done and that you are paying money. (Make a list of extra jobs and attach a money amount to each one—clean out the hall closet - $1; organize the bookshelf - $.50. The amounts will depend on the ages of your kids and the difficulty of the job.)   Post the list on the fridge and set a deadline for when the jobs need to be completed. At the designated time, call them together and hand out their their wages.   Read Romans 6:23 (or ask one of them to quote it).   What are wages? (Payment for doing work)   What are the wages for sin? (Death, separation from God)   We've all sinned and our payment for it is to be separated from God forever. God doesn't want us to be separated from Him so what does He give us? (The gift of eternal life in Heaven)   Give each of them an extra amount of money as a gift. Say something like this as you hold up each one's money: This is a gift for you. You don't have to earn it.   What did you need to do to get the gift of money? (Reach out and take it, receive it, etc.)   God wants to give each one the gift of forgiveness. It is up to us to receive it. Post the verse on the fridge and say it at least once a day.   On this journey with you, Pastor Beau