Time is a tricky thing. You are given the same 24 hours that everyone else has each day. No more. No less. Once you use it up, you can never get it back. It keeps ticking away at the same speed but it sure feels like it slows down and speeds up sometimes. Every day we have a choice to make about how we will use our 1440 minutes. Do we use it on frivolous things for ourselves or do we see the time as a gift, not our own, and steward that gift well to honor the Lord? What will you do with your 24 hours today? The choice is yours
STEWARDSHIP: Honoring God With All He Has Given You
MEMORY VERSE: “Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him and He will help you." PSALM 37:5 (NLT)
This Week’s Finish Line: To Honor God We Steward Our Time
Nehemiah, an Israelite, was cupbearer to the king of Persia when he found out that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down. The king granted him permission to go back and fix the walls. He honored the Lord and stewarded his time wisely while leading the Israelites to rebuild the wall. Nehemiah made a plan and took action. He was prepared for attacks from his enemies and was not distracted by the things of this world. God gave Nehemiah everything he needed to do the job He had for him and the wall was rebuilt in only 52 days!
Family Questions:
- Read Nehemiah 4 and 6:15-19. Who or what tried to distract Nehemiah from doing God’s work? How did Nehemiah respond?
- How did the Lord show that He was in control of everything that was happening in Jerusalem? How did Nehemiah show he trusted the Lord?
- What tries to distract you from doing what you should with your time? When do you waste time? When have you used your time well this week to honor the Lord?
Bring it Home Conversations & Activities:
- Check out our vision for parents and how to use these activities each week.
Teacher: SS CHALLENGE #5: REST - Stick to Sabbath
Challenge: Stick to Sabbath! Make a plan for a day that you can rest and do nothing and then stick to that plan and follow through. Rest, relax, recharge and thank God for loving us so much to give us rest! (Post a picture of your family in their most relaxing pose!)
Read: Matthew 11:28-30
Talk:
- Talk about what happens to us when we get really tired. Parents, be honest here about what happens to you when you’re really tired (grumpy, irritable, impatient, make poor decisions, etc.)
- What does Jesus say in Matthew 11:28-30 that we can do when we realize that we are tired? What will he give us? (We can come to Him and He will give us rest)
- Say, “This week you learned about stewardship and how we ‘steward our time’. One of the 10 Commandments tells us to steward our time by resting regularly.” (you may want to prove it by reading Exodus 20:8-11)
- Why do you think God commanded us to steward part of our time this way? (because He loves us and doesn’t want us to feel grumpy, impatient, etc.)
Friend: Make a Schedule Together
Make time this week to sit down with your family and make a schedule for each person. Ask your kids what responsibilities they have each week and what things they want to do, tell them to make a list of all these things. Then print off a monthly calendar to talk them through what days they should do each responsibility and have them write it on the calendar. Be intentional about asking how they are sticking to their schedule throughout the month and help them to follow it.
Counselor: Definition of Stewardship
As you are getting your family ready for the day ask what the definition of stewardship is. Some of them might have an idea and some may have no clue. Then tell them an easy definition of stewardship is: The management or care of something. So when we honor God by stewarding our time that means we intentionally manage and care how we spend our time. This can be difficult sometimes with all the distractions around us, but our motivation to honor God will result in us stewarding our time. Read 1 Corinthians 10:31 together.
Coach: Memory Verse
As you are putting your family to bed begin to memorize this months memory verse. “Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him and He will help you.” PSALM 37:5. Pray that God will help you to steward you time well.
Prayer
Thank God for the time He has given you. Ask Him to help you steward it better so you can honor Him more with everything you do.
Looking Ahead
Next week we will continue the month of July with the godly characteristic trait of STEWARDSHIP. We will be learning that to honor God, we steward our talents.
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