Family Fuel: Sept 27th – Oct 1st

Our CDTX lesson on Sunday September 26th revolved around the birth of one of Israel’s greatest leaders, Moses.  The Biblical narrative of Moses’ birth can be found in Exodus 1:1-2:10.

Below are follow-up questions for you to discuss with your children…one for each day of the week.  Parents are encouraged to guide the depth of discussion based on the age of their child.  Please make it a priority to engage in these Faith-Fueling family discussions!

Monday Sept 27th: Moses was a great leader.  God did amazing things through him.  And yet, Moses was a normal human being, just like you and me.  Sometimes we find it hard to believe that God can use us in mighty ways, like He used people like Moses, but that is absolutely the truth.  What does 1 Timothy 1:12 teach us about Jesus doing great things through us?

Tuesday Sept 28th: From birth, God had a plan for Moses’ life.  Moses couldn’t always see the plan clearly, and sometimes it looked like things weren’t going to go so well.  However, God was always in charge, even in the times that seemed rough.  What does Jeremiah 32:17 say about God always being in charge of things?

Wednesday Sept 29th: Moses was rescued from the river, because Pharoah’s daughter had compassion on him.  Compassion is a great characteristic; it means caring for others in sincere and helpful ways.  As followers of the Savior Jesus, we are created to be compassionate people.  What does Colossians 3:12 teach us?

Thursday Sept 30th: The story of Moses is the story of God leading his people out of slavery.  Moses was God’s chosen instrument to do so, but it was really God that saved his people from slavery.  We too have been saved from slavery….the slavery of sin and the slavery of being punished for the sins we commit.  Jesus has saved us from that “slavery”, and we are super thankful he has done so.  What does Romans 6:1-7 teach about this?

Friday Oct 1st: When Moses was rescued from the river, his life was changed forever.  When we are connected to the Savior Jesus, and forgiven all of our sins (and promised that we will live forever in heaven) our lives are also changed forever.  What does Romans 6:4 teach us about this?

Family Fuel: Sept 20th – 24th

Our CDTX lesson on Sunday September 19th revolved around a “forgiveness” theme.  The Biblical narrative of Esau forgiving his brother Jacob was the focus story.  You can find that narrative in Genesis chapters 32 and 33.

Below are follow-up questions for you to discuss with your children…one for each day of the week.  Parents are encouraged to guide the depth of discussion based on the age of their child.  Please make it a priority to engage in these Faith-Fueling family discussions!

Monday Sept 20th: In many places in the Bible, God teaches us how important it is to forgive other people.  Even in the Lord’s Prayer, the special prayer that Jesus taught his disciples, we find the importance of forgiving people.  Read the Lord’s Prayer from the Bible (in Matthew 6:9-15) and discuss as a family what the Lord’s Prayer says about forgiveness.

Tuesday Sept 21st: When we ask for forgiveness for the bad things we’ve done (our sins), we do so in the name of Jesus.  What does Jesus have to do with our forgiveness?  What did Jesus do, that allows us to be forgiven by God?  What does 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 teach us?

Wednesday Sept 22nd: When we do something wrong to someone, we should always say we’re sorry.  It’s not always easy to say we’re sorry, but God has taught us it’s the right thing to do.  What are some things you’ve had to say sorry for?  What does James 5:16 teach us?

Thursday Sept 23rd: In the story of Esau and Jacob, Jacob was very surprised that his brother was nice to him and forgave him.  We too are called by God to surprise people with acts of care and love.  What does Ephesians 5:2 teach us about life and love?

Friday Sept 24th: If we say we have no sin, or say we never do anything wrong, we are not telling the truth, and God will not forgive us.  But when we are honest with God, and admit that we make mistakes and need a Savior (Jesus) to rescue us from our sins, God fully forgives us (and always will.)  What does 1 John 1:8-9 teach us about such things?

Family Fuel: Sept 13th – 17th

Our CDTX lesson on Sunday September 12th revolved around Jacob and his children (we refer to his children as “the 12 Tribes of Israel.”)   The focus Bible section included Genesis 29:1 – 30:24.

Below are follow-up questions for you to discuss with your children…one for each day of the week.  Parents are encouraged to guide the depth of discussion based on the age of their child.  Please make it a priority to engage in these Faith-Fueling family discussions!

*Monday Sept 13th:  As a family, read the story of Jacob’s life and expanding family (Gen 29:1-30:24)  Discuss your favorite part of the story, and why it is your favorite part.  Also, discuss any parts that are confusing to you.

Tuesday Sept 14th: When Jacob and his wife had children, they were super excited.  All throughout the Bible you read about children being great blessings.  Why do you think that is?  From the moment a child is born, God thinks it is special.  That means that God thinks all human beings are precious and special.  What does Psalm 139:13-14 say about that?

Wednesday Sept 15th: The Bible tells us that Jacob had a lot of children.  In fact, Jacob’s children in turn had many children, and so on and so on, until they became a giant nation of people.  This giant family was known as the Israelites, the people through which God would bring the Savior Jesus.  What did God promise to the Israelites in Genesis 28:14?

Thursday Sept 16th: As we talked about yesterday, Jacob’s family and children became known as the Israelites.  This is because an angel of the Lord changed Jacob’s name to “Israel”.  See how it works?  Since Jacob’s name became Israel, his children and descendants became known as the sons of Israel, or “Israelites.”  Read about Jacob’s name getting changed in Genesis 32:22-28

Friday Sept 17th: In Bible times, peoples names had special meaning to them.  You can read about that in the story of Jacob and all his children…how their names meant special things.  The name Jesus also has special meaning.  That name literally means, “One who saves.”  How cool is that!  What does Matthew 1:21 say about the name “Jesus”?

Family Fuel: Sept 6th – 10th

Our CDTX lesson on Sunday September 5th was based on Luke 4:40-42.  The key theme revolved around “Labor Day”, and how important it is to rest and renew as our journey of Christian faith and witness continues.

Below are follow-up questions for you to discuss with your children…one for each day of the week.  Parents are encouraged to guide the depth of discussion based on the age of their child.  Please make it a priority to engage in these Faith-Fueling family discussions!

Monday Sept 6th: Jesus was a very busy guy.  He had an important message to spread, and a lot of people he needed to care for and train.  However, Jesus still took time for rest.  What does this teach us?  What does Luke 4:40-42 (especially verse 42) model for us?

Tuesday Sept 7th: Many times in the Bible God instructs us to take care of our bodies.  God knows that if our bodies are feeling sick or run down, then it will be hard for us to love and care for others (as we serve God.)  Name some things that are important to do as you take care of the body God gave you.  Check out Ephesians 5:29.

Wednesday Sept 8th: The Bible calls your body a “temple.”  This is because the Spirit of Jesus (the Holy Spirit) lives in us.  Isn’t it awesome that we are a “house/home” for our Savior, as He works through our life!  What does 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 say about this?

Thursday Sept 9th: Jesus knows that we struggle with sins (making mistakes that hurt God, ourselves, and others.)  The Bible tells us that Jesus died on the cross to pay the debt/price for our sins.  It’s that awesome truth that sparked the words written in Matthew 11:28.  What do those words mean to you, in light of what Jesus did for you on the cross?

Friday Sept 10th: When we are rested, and our bodies are taken care of, we are poised to boldly serve our Savior Jesus.  What does Galatians 5:22-23 say about the ways the Holy Spirit empowers us to live for Jesus.  Which of these traits are you good at?  Which do you need to work on?

Family Fuel: Aug 30th – Sept 3rd

Our CDTX lesson on Sunday August 29th was based on Acts 27:27-28:10.  The key theme is how God took care of missionary Paul, after he was shipwrecked on an island.

Below are follow-up questions for you to discuss with your children…one for each day of the week.  Parents are encouraged to guide the depth of discussion based on the age of their child.  Please make it a priority to engage in these Faith-Fueling family discussions!

Monday Aug 30th:  When Paul learned about Jesus his Savior, he then eagerly became a missionary…someone who would travel around the world telling people all about Jesus.  God tells us that we too are missionaries, even in our own towns, schools, and families.  How is this missionary lifestyle described in 1 Peter 3:15.

Tuesday Aug 31st: In 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 we find a great description of who Jesus is, what He has done, who He has made us, and what our message about Him to others is all about.  Check out this powerful part of the Bible, and discuss its key points as a family.

Wednesday Sept 1st: In this week’s classroom reading (Acts 2727-28:10) we read about how missionary Paul got bit by a poisonous snake.  Even though he should have gotten really sick, or maybe even died, he didn’t because God did a miracle and protected him.  Are you scared of snakes?  What other things are scary to you?  What about sharing your faith with others…does that scare you a bit (it does most grown-ups!)  What does God say in Acts 18:9 about not being afraid to share what we know about Jesus?

Thursday Sept 2nd:  God led Paul to move around a lot of times in his life.  In other words, he didn’t really stay in one place for a long time.  Sometimes, we too have to move around, as that is God’s plan for our family.  What attitude does God want to put on our heart, as we are sometimes called by Him to move around?  Check out Acts 8:4.

Friday Sept 3rd: In all his travels, Paul learned that everywhere he went there were people who were hungry to learn about the Savior Jesus.  Paul also learned that God had a special plan for him in all situations, and that nothing could ruin those plans.  The same promise is true for us…nothing can ruin the adventurous plans that God has for us!  Check out an awesome promise from God in Jeremiah 29:11.

Family Fuel: Aug 23rd – 27th

Our CDTX lesson on Sunday August 22nd was built around a back to school theme.  The key verse was Matthew 28:20 where Jesus says, “I will be with you always, to the very end of the world.”

Below are follow-up questions for you to discuss with your children…one for each day of the week.  Parents are encouraged to guide the depth of discussion based on the age of their child.  Please make it a priority to engage in these Faith-Fueling family discussions!

Monday August 23rd: For many of you today was the first day or school (or recently you attended the first day of school.)  Did you get butterflies in your stomach?  What was the thing that made you the most nervous about the first day of school?  What does Matthew 10:29-31 tell us about being worried and nervous?

Tuesday August 24th: God has given us parents to help take care of us, and to teach us how to live as God’s people.  God has given us teachers for the same purpose.  God says it is important for us to respect our parents and teachers, and to listen to them.  What instructions does God have for parents/teachers in Ephesians 6:4?  What instructions does God have for children/students in Ephesians 6:1-2?

Wednesday August 25th: Sometimes there can be kids at school that don’t treat us so well, or even say really mean things about us.  Our first reaction is to be mean right back.  What better way does our Savior show us in Matthew 5:43-44.

Thursday August 26th: You will certainly have some classmates and friends that do not know about or believe in the Savior Jesus.  What does Jesus instruct us to do when we are around them, so that they can see the love that God has for them, as it flows through us?  Check out Matthew 5:16.

Friday August 27th: In America, we are very blessed to have the chance to get a super education.  That means we can grow up to have an exciting job, and be able to make a positive difference in the world.  God loves it when we not only use our bodies, but also our brains to serve him.  Check out what Mark 12:30 says about the importance of serving God at school, as we get an education.

Family Fuel: Aug 16th – 20th

Our CDTX lesson on Sunday August 15th was built around the amazing/powerful things that God did the moment that Jesus died for our sins on the cross.  You can find that narrative in Matthew 27:45-56.

Below are follow-up questions for you to discuss with your children…one for each day of the week.  Parents are encouraged to guide the depth of discussion based on the age of their child.  Please make it a priority to engage in these Faith-Fueling family discussions!

Monday August 16th: One of the craziest miracles that God ever did was when he had the bodies of holy people that had died come out of their graves and walk around.  This happened the moment that Jesus died on the cross (Matthew 27:52.)  As spooky as that sounds, it was a way that God showed how important Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins really was.  What does 1 Peter 2:24 say about the importance of Jesus paying for our sins?

Tuesday August 17th: If God can bring anyone he wants back to life, what does that say about his ability to take care of us.  Can God help see us through anything, even the times that seem extremely bad?   Psalm 121 is a beautiful poem about God taking care of us.  Read it and discuss it as a family.

Wednesday August 18th: This whole summer we have been learning about the amazing power of God.  Have each family member share their favorite story about God doing something incredible.  Then, discuss Zephaniah 3:17 as a family.

Thursday August 19th: We often think that God is good because of the great things he has done.  We should also understand that God is good, because He is nice enough to tell us the truth about our sins, and how they can hurt us and others.  Discuss as a family how God is a good God, because He tells us about things that will hurt us, and things that will bless us.  Follow that discussion by reading Micah 6:8.

Friday August 20th: In Matthew 27:55 we read about the women who cared for Jesus’ body after he died on the cross.  While alive, Jesus had cared for them tons, so they in turn, wanted to care the same way for Jesus.  This is an important lesson for us all.  Because Jesus loved and cared for us enough to die for our sins on the cross, we too should care for people in the world the same way.  Read what the Bible says about this in 1 John 4:19.

Family Fuel: Aug 9th – 13th

Our CDTX lesson on Sunday August 8th was built around the Biblical narrative of Jesus healing the man born blind.  You can find that narrative in John 9:1-7.

Below are follow-up questions for you to discuss with your children…one for each day of the week.  Parents are encouraged to guide the depth of discussion based on the age of their child.  Please make it a priority to engage in these Faith-Fueling family discussions!

Monday Aug 9th: In this week’s lesson from John 9, we hear about Jesus healing a man born blind.  This is one of many miracles that Jesus did while on the earth.  What does John 21:25 say about the amount of miracles and good things that Jesus did while on earth?

Tuesday Aug 10th: In the miracle we are studying this week, Jesus uses mud to heal the man born blind.  Usually when we think of mud, we think of something kind of bad, since it’s something that can get us dirty and mess up our clothes (and the carpets in our houses.)  Jesus takes something that seems to be a bit yucky, and uses it for good.  Isn’t that the same thing He does with us?  Jesus takes us, with all our sins and yuckiness, and cleans us up and uses us for doing good.  What does Ephesians 2:10 say about that?

Wednesday Aug 11th: Throughout the Bible book of John, the miracles that Jesus does are called “signs.”  They are called signs because they “point us” to who Jesus really us.  Jesus is not only a man, He is also God.  The miracles that Jesus does testify to Him truly being God, and the one who can really save us from our sins.  What does John 14:10-11 say about this?

Thursday Aug 12th: In this week’s story, some people thought that the man born blind must have done something really bad, or perhaps his parents did something really bad, for him to be born blind.  Jesus explains to the people that’s not the way things work.  The man was born blind simply because there is sin in our world, and bad things can happen to everyone (because sin has cursed everything.)  Heaven will be a place without sin, so bad things will not be able to happen anymore.  What does Revelation 21:4 say about heaven?

Friday Aug 13th: Some of the books in the Old Testament are called prophet books.  They predicted the coming of the Savior (the coming of Jesus), and described what kinds of things he would do.  One such prophet book is Isaiah.  What does Isaiah 35:5-6 say about Jesus and the miracles He will do.  How is the prophecy perfectly fulfilled in the story we studied this week?

Family Fuel: Aug 2nd – 6th

Our CDTX lesson on Sunday August 1st was built around the Biblical narrative of God reversing the sun’s shadow, to show He would honor his promise to King Hezekiah.  You can find that narrative in 2 Kings 20:1-11

Below are follow-up questions for you to discuss with your children…one for each day of the week.  Parents are encouraged to guide the depth of discussion based on the age of their child.  Please make it a priority to engage in these Faith-Fueling family discussions!

Monday August 2nd: As you have seen firsthand, the theme for the summer has been God’s control over everything, including nature and the forces of nature.  Is there anything that God cannot do?  There actually is.  God cannot ever go back on His promises.  That’s awesome news for us, because it means that God’s promise to rescue us with Jesus (through what He has done on the cross, paying for our sins) will be a promise that lasts forever!  What does 1 Samuel 15:29 teach us?

Tuesday August 3rd: King Hezekiah was a good king for God’s people.  He did his best to please God in all that He did.  And yet, King Hezekiah got sick, just like everyone else.  Why is it that “good” people get sick?  God tells us that because this is not heaven, and we live in a world of sin, we can expect to have tough things happen to us. But God also tells us that He will always see us through the tough times.  What does Psalm 46:1-3 remind us of?

Wednesday August 4th: The sunshine is a great gift from God.  It gives our planet warmth, and supplies energy so that plants and animals can grow and produce food.  When you look at the size of the sun compared to the many universes God created, it’s just a tiny little dot.  It’s weird to think that something so big and important to us (like the Sun), it just a small little thing that God created.   That shows how big and amazing God is.  What does Isaiah 40:28-31 say?

Thursday August 5th: The last few weeks we’ve been reading about a lot of miracles that had to do with the sunshine?  On what day of creation did God make the sun, one of His greatest first miracles?  Read Genesis  1:1-14 to find the answer.

Friday August 6th: The real King of God’s people is Jesus.  He will be our perfect King forever.  In Psalm 72, the reign of Jesus is compared to the sunshine (and some other things in nature.)  What do the beautiful words of Psalm 72:5-6 tell us?

Family Fuel: July 26th – 30th

Our CDTX lesson on Sunday July 25th was built around the Biblical narrative of God answering the prayers of Gideon.  You can find that narrative in Judges 6:36-40.

Below are follow-up questions for you to discuss with your children…one for each day of the week.  Parents are encouraged to guide the depth of discussion based on the age of their child.  Please make it a priority to engage in these Faith-Fueling family discussions!

Monday July 26th: Gideon was a man who knew God was real, but he still had some doubts about God’s involvement in his life.  When things are tough in life, or when we have a great challenge ahead of us, sometimes we too wonder if God will really see us through it all.  What does God ask us to think about in those situations, based on the words of Psalm 121.

Tuesday July 27th: Gideon had the need to “test” God, to see if God was really there.  In the story of Gideon, God does do a miracle and show he is there.  In our lives, God wants us to know He is there, without ever having to test Him.  We should already know God is with us in everything, because God sent Jesus to Earth to prove He loves us and always walks with us.  What does Matthew 4:7 say about “testing” God?

Wednesday July 28th: Gideon was a great warrior, who led God’s people in battle.  Gideon certainly got scared sometimes, especially when he was in a terrifying fight.  When Gideon was scared, he knew that God would provide him with strength and courage.  Check out what Psalm 28:7 says about God providing us with strength and courage.

Thursday July 29th: Gideon was chosen by God to do some special things.  You too have been chosen by God to do special things.  What are some of the things God has made you good at, abilities that you can use to serve God?  What does 1 Peter 4:10 say about using our gifts to God’s glory?

Friday July 30th: The last few weeks we have studied many stories about the great miracles that God can easily do.  Do you know what the greatest miracle of all is?  It was when Jesus came back to life, after dying on the cross and being buried in a grave.  That miracle proved that Jesus is indeed someone special, God’s Son, and that He really is the Savior of all sinners (paying the full price for our sins on the cross.)  What does 1 Peter 1:3 say about the joy and hope we find in the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection?