Week 2 Devotionals

NEW TESTAMENT CHALLENGE:  WEEK ONE

Devotional #5 (Sept. 29)

Blind Leading the Blind

Items you’ll need:  2 blindfolds

Matthew 15:10-20

(Parents:  Prepare for this lesson by placing large objects in the middle of the room.  Ask for a volunteer, whom you will blindfold and ask to stand at the end of the room.  Ask for a second volunteer, who will also be blindfolded and asked to take the hand of the first child.  The children will decide who will lead across the room.  Once they have reached their destination, they will switch roles and return to the other side.)

Explore:  What’s it like to lead someone when you can’t see where you’re going?  Isn’t it scary to be led by someone who can’t see where he’s headed?  Jesus described the Scribes and Pharisees as people who led others, without knowing where they were going.  He said to His disciples, “they are blind guides of the blind.”  (Matthew 15:14a) The Scribes and Pharisees were keepers of the old way of doing things (the old law).  Jesus came to teach them a new and more perfect way.  Had they been more open to His ideas, they would have been much happier people.  Instead, they chose to wander blindly.  Jesus warned his disciples that they would blindly lead others straight into a pit!

Application:  What’s the difference between their teachings and the teachings of Jesus?  The Scribes and Pharisees focused on outward uncleanliness, but Jesus says what truly makes a man unclean comes from within – his thoughts.  (Read Proverbs 4:23)

Discussion for the family:  How do our thoughts make us unclean in God’s sight?  What are some good things we can think about?  (Philippians 4:8)

Prayer:  Dear Lord, please help us to do things your way and have your attitude.  Help us to put into our heart the things that make us clean and pure.  Help us to always put You in our hearts through every means available to us in Christ Jesus.

NEW TESTAMENT CHALLENGE:  WEEK ONE

Devotional #6 (Sept. 30)

He Leads me Safely Through

Acts 27

Explore: Close your eyes and imagine that you are on a boat in the middle of the night.  This is a boat unlike any you’ve ever seen.  It’s not a new modern boat, but a boat made of wood planks and rope.  It’s the middle of the night and a terrible storm has been raging for days.  The boat is being tossed back and forth and men who have spent their whole lives at sea are terrified for their lives.  They are saying that the only chance of survival is to get off the boat.  One man stands up in the middle of all the chaos and encourages everyone to not be afraid.  He says that an angel of God told him that as long as everyone remains on the boat, they will live, only the boat will be destroyed.  By the fourteenth night of this terrible storm, people are ready to take their chances with the smaller life boats.  Once again, this man whom some are calling Paul the Apostle says that they will only live if they remain onboard.  Grudgingly, they obey and it comes to pass that they see an island nearby.  Paul instructs them to run aground and though the ship is torn to pieces, all 276 men are saved.  The nightmare is finally over.

Application:  God promised Paul that he and all the men would be saved.  He didn’t promise that they wouldn’t have to go through the storm, but that He would take care of them.  God promises the same thing to us.  We will all face storms, or trials and hardships in the voyage of life which all of us are taking.   God doesn’t promise to keep us out of them, but He does promise that He will lead us safely through with His strength and comfort as long as we trust in HIM.  (Read Psalm 34:19; Philippians 4:13)     

Discussion for the family:  What are some “storms” we have to go through sometimes in life?  How can we hold steady to God in the midst of the storms of life?  (Read Matthew 7:24-27; Hebrews 13:5-6)  In turn, how will we steady those around us and point them to God?  (Read 2 Corinthians 1:3-11)

Prayer:  Dear Father, we thank you for the reminder from this chapter that life is intended to be filled with difficulties and dangers, perils, and even shipwrecks at times.  Help us understand that it is through all these that we make our way, learning great lessons along the way to your heavenly kingdom.

NEW TESTAMENT CHALLENGE:  WEEK ONE

Devotional #7 (Oct. 3)

Who Will You Serve?

Romans 6:15-16

Explore:  Throughout your life you will be a slave.  Yes, you heard me right, you are going to be a slave.  The good news is that you get to choose whose slave you are going to be.  You can choose one of two masters.  Listed below are your choices.  Listen to the requirements of each and decide who you will serve

 Master #1                                           Master #2

 You must be…                                    you must be…

 ● Hateful                                                          ● Loving

 ● Selfish                                                           ● Unselfish

 ● Dishonest                                                        ● Honest

 ● Stingy                                                            ● Giving
 ● Conceited                                                      ● Humble

 ● Underhanded                                             ● Forthright 
 ● Apathetic                                                        ● Caring

 ● Lazy                                                                  ● A hard worker
  ● Willing to spend an                                   ● Willing to spend
      eternity suffering                               an eternity in rest

Application:  If you haven’t figured it out already, master number one is sin (Satan), and master number two is righteousness (God).  So which did you choose?  Master number two!  Excellent choice!  That was an easy decision, right?  Sure it was!  But, believe it or not, even though some people say choose God, their actions say something different.  Some people say they are loving, yet they treat their neighbors unkindly.  Some people say they are caring, but when they see a brother or sister in need they look the other way.  Remember, the choice really is yours!  Who will you serve?

Discussion for the family:  Read and discuss the following:  Luke 16:13; 1 John 2:15

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to always choose to be a slave to righteousness.  May we resist choosing Satan as our master, which leads to eternal destruction.   May we choose you Lord to always be our Master, which leads to grace and an eternal life in heaven.

NEW TESTAMENT CHALLENGE:  WEEK ONE

Devotional #8   (Oct. 4)

The Lord’s Supper

Matthew 26:20-29

(Parents:  Spend some time this evening discussing the Lord’s Supper.  It’s important for your children to know the significance of the Lord’s Supper and why we partake of it at the first of every week.  Use all or some of the following questions to begin discussion with your children.)

Discussion for the family: 

Who is Jesus?  (John 20:31)

Who can tell me about Jesus’ death?

(Possible discussion topics:  He was crucified (Luke 23:33); It was painful (Luke 22:44); He was spat upon (Matthew 27:30); He was humiliated (Acts 8:33); He was separated from God (Mark 15:34)

Did you know that He died for you?  (Romans 5:8)

Did you know that Jesus instituted as special feast so we can remember Him? 

(Read today’s devotional text and discuss the emblems of the meal)

What is the purpose of that memorial feast? 

(1 Corinthians 11:23-26 – remembering & proclaiming “until He comes”)

How often are we to participate in that memorial feast? (

The early church met on the first day of the week to remember the Lord’s death (Acts 20:7). 

We should, too.

Prayer:  Father, help us as we observe the Lord’s Supper to remember Jesus and to proclaim the facts and significance of His death and resurrection until He comes.  Help us also to remember as we partake of the Supper that we are your new covenant people—part of the family of God.