Week of June 9: Gifted to Serve God

Memory Verse

“… serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.” 1 Peter 4:10b

The Lesson

This week’s lesson comes again from the Book of Judges, chapters 13-16. In Sunday School and in KOW, the children studied the life of Samson, one of the judges of Israel before its era of kings. Read the story, in full or in part, as a family.

The focus of our study is on the gifts that God gives us to prepare us for service. Use this theme to have a conversation at home about how your particular family is gifted to serve God together. Talk and encourage each other in areas of gifting. Point out specific things to your child that he or she may not see. (You might ask your child about his or her experience in KOW last Sunday. Each child wrote his or her perceived gift from God on a “brick” and then built up a tower using everyone’s gift-bricks.) Be bold in your affirmations!

Use this conversation as a platform to work on a family plan of service that reflects your combined gifts. Is your family full of athletes and organizers? Plan to lead a field day or special game with children from a homeless shelter or other local helping agency. Perhaps you have artists in your family who could provide handmade cards of encouragement for children in the local Children’s Hospital or Rehab Hospital.

Pray

Dear God, thank you for the gifts you have given to each of us. Help us identify our gifts and to commit them to your service, so that we might always use them in ways that please you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Activities

Here are some online and printable activities you can use (from dltk-bible.com) to reinforce the story of Samson:
Jigsaw Puzzle
Crossword
Word Search (hard)