Day 3

KNOW

**For more resources to train yourself as a parent, challenge your older children (upper elementary through teens), or to simply go deeper, check out the Bonus>Extra Resources Tab in the app**.
  • Begin your family devo time with a prayer asking God to focus everyone’s attention on Him together.  Feel free to have one of your kids pray!
  • Say this week’s Gospel statement out loud together (in the picture above!)…feel free to have your family say it along with you, or repeat short phrases. Our goal is to memorize this phrase by the end of the week!
  • BIBLE TIME: Read Ephesians 2:8-9 out loud together.
    • Challenge your children who are old enough to read to follow along in their own physical Bibles.

GROW

  • Family Discussion: What does Ephesians 2:8-9 teach us? Share out loud together*.
    • *Take time to emphasize just a few of these points if you have a distracted audience!*
    • We are saved by grace through faith.
      • Dig Deeper: What are we saved FROM? (Romans 6:23a & Isaiah 59:1-2…spiritual death, which is eternal separation from God’s holy and welcomed Presence)
      • What are we saved FOR? (John 17:3, Romans 6:23b, Ephesians 2:10, 1 Peter 2:9 & Psalm 103:1-5…eternal life, which is knowing God the Father and God the Son in the Spirit, being crowned with God’s steadfast love and mercy, to show off the excellencies of our Lord and Savior)
    • Is this faith of ourselves? No!  It is not our work or effort, so that we get no credit.
  •  Family Discussion: Based upon Ephesians 2:8-9, what can we learn about trying to make ourselves right (saved!) before God on our own effort?
    • We can’t take credit!  It’s not our work, but God’s.  Our part is to simply believe Him and place our life in His hands, under His total authority, to be saved.

GO

  • Take turns praying as a family.  If you’re willing, tell God that you want faith to believe Him, to trust Him alone to save you.  Maybe this is the first time ever you’ve thought about having faith in God and what He did on the cross for you.  Parents, take time to “skip ahead” in the Gospel to these verses if someone in your family is eager to put their faith in Christ: Romans 6:23, Romans 5:8, Romans 10:9-10, Romans 10:13, Romans 5:1, Romans 8:1, Romans 12:-12, Romans 8:37-39 (especially the first 4 verses…the last 4 listed can be shared if a family member surrenders their life to Jesus or with everyone as an encouragement & reminder for what is true for every Christian).
  • THIS WEEK‘S CHALLENGE: Have each family member share out loud about one person who needs to hear that God is holy and created us to be with Him, our sins separate us from Him, and no good work takes away the stain of sin.  Take time to pray for each person by name.
  • Have one family member or all re-state today’s Gospel statement: Sins can’t be removed by good deeds.
  • BONUS OPTION TO CLOSE: Listen & sing along with either “I Don’t Have Much” by the Worship Initiative or ”Rock of Ages” by our praise team: