Parents' Corner
Dri Bayer
FPCSS Director of Family Ministries and Christian Education
 Ephesians 4:1-16 Jesus wants YOU! He calls you by name, just like Samuel. He calls you to join his people, the church. But he doesn’t just want you to join a bunch of people for no reason. He wants you to participate, to use your gifts for the good of the church. He wants us to use our gifts to grow the church. Like a healthy body, we need to take in good food (God’s word) and get exercise (using our gifts) so we can grow into people who look and act like Jesus.
Put together a puzzle. It can be a giant floor puzzle, a simple four piece puzzle, 100 pieces, 1000 pieces, and as hard or easy as you like. You could even draw your own picture, cut it into pieces and put it together again! Talk about how in the box, apart, the pieces don’t really have any purpose. But when they are put together, they create a beautiful, full picture. We as the church are the same. We aren’t meant to exist apart, but together for a full picture of the glory of God. Share a picture of your completed puzzle on the FPC Facebook Group!
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Ephesians 3:1-13 Often, it is good to think of the world as God’s stage, where he is the star actor, center stage. But sometimes the metaphor shifts, where God is the playwright and we are the actors on the stage. The angels, saints who’ve gone before, and even the demons watch and marvel, as God works out redemption in our lives on his grand stage. One of the most amazing plot twists, other than Jesus’ death and resurrection, is that we, as Gentiles, are invited into this story!
Sunday Pastor Jonathan spoke about how mundane things can be rebellious acts against the darkness. Simple acts of obedience or kindness, even when no one is looking are still legitimate ways to praise God in view of the heavenly hosts. This week, find a mundane act that you can do to serve someone else. Have your children write and mail cards to elderly friends (contact the church office for mailing address, if needed). Bake bread or cookies together to leave on someone’s doorstep who is lonely. Call or video chat with someone you know who is vulnerable. Ephesians 2:11-22 There used to be a dividing wall between us and God, because of our sin, but God has broken down that wall. When we were far away from him, he brought us near. And now, he’s connecting us together, like legos. He’s building a temple for himself, using each of us, as unique blocks, joined together through the blood of Jesus. God is the foundation, and Jesus is the first brick laid to secure each of the others to it, and the Holy Spirit binds us together.
Break out the legos, Mega blocks, wooden blocks, or other building toys, or digitally with Minecraft. Even older kids can get on board with this family challenge. Build a Temple for God. Start with a firm foundation, that is God, and a cornerstone, Jesus, the first brick you lay. Make it as detailed and intricate as you wish. Then, share a picture or screenshot of your creations on the new private FPC Facebook Group! We want to see your house for God! Ephesians 2:1-10 Has your family ever done a remodel or renovation? Or even just reorganizing a room? Did you take before and after pictures? What a major difference! Or have you watched TV shows about home makeovers? Sometimes the before and afters are unrecognizable. That’s exactly what the Holy Spirit does in us. He tears out the bad, old stuff and installs new, clean things. It’s a process called sanctification and it takes our whole lives. He never gives up working on us and bringing new life to our dead hearts.
Find some before and after pictures to compare. If your family has lived through a renovation, reminisce about how hard it was, but how the end result was worth it. If not, find a friend or family member (to make it personal) who has. Alternatively, if your kids’ room or playroom is particularly messy after a hard day of playing, take a picture. Then, depending on your child’s attention span, spend 10-20 minutes tiyding up. Take another picture afterwards to compare. Show them what a difference even their 10 minutes of cleaning can make. How much more can the Holy Spirit do in our hearts? |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
July 2020
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