Series Overview
Growing in faith is not something that happens by simply cramming more information about the Bible into a child’s brain. All of that knowledge in their head means nothing if we don’t help them experience how that knowledge can transform their heart. To experience faith, we want kids to practice their faith, and that takes commitment. Commitment is part of God’s nature and how God interacts with us, keeping promises and putting plans into action. God’s commitment to us is just one of the many reasons we can trust God no matter what. Because God’s promises and plans came true in Jesus, we can be with God forever. We reflect God’s character when we make a plan and stick to it. This month, we’ll help kids discover that one of the best plans they can make is to commit to an ongoing relationship with Jesus. We hope they commit to practicing their faith by reading God’s Word, praying to God honestly and consistently, talking about God with others, and living for God in how they show love throughout the everyday moments of their life.
Memory Verse
“Training the body has some value. But being godly has value in every way. It promises help for the life you are now living and the life to come.” – 1 Timothy 4:8, NIRV
Week One (May 5)
Light My Way
Bible Story: God’s Word Is A Light | Psalm 119:105
Bottom Line: Practice hearing from God
Virtue: Commitment – Making a plan and putting it into practice
We start the month with Psalm 119:105, where David wrote, “Your word is like a lamp that shows me the way. It is like a light that guides me.” When we read what the authors of the Bible wrote, we can find out how God wants us to live. It’s like we’re listening to God. God offers us wisdom throughout the pages of the Bible that can guide us to not only discover more about ourselves, but also how to love God, trust Jesus, and treat others well.
Part of growing in our faith includes learning about what God has planned for our lives. In order to do that, we need to take time to listen to what God is telling us through the Bible, and through those who’ve read the Bible who can help us understand what it means for our life. While kids might not be able to read and understand everything they encounter in the Bible, we still pray that, through this lesson, they’ll get the foundation they need to navigate and personalize the Bible. On top of that, we hope they will eventually make reading the Bible a regular part of their faith journey as they grow in their relationship with Jesus.
Week Two (May 12)
You Say
Bible Story: The Lord’s Prayer | Matthew 6:9-13
Bottom Line: Practice praying to God
Virtue: Commitment – Making a plan and putting it into practice
In Matthew 6:9-13 we find Jesus talking about prayer during His Sermon on the Mount. Jesus shared a model for prayer that helps us understand more about how we can talk to God. We can pray with gratitude and honesty, pray for our needs, and ask for forgiveness. It’s comforting to know that we can pray while remembering that God knows us and wants to hear from us.
Even if kids have grown up in a home where practicing faith is a priority, they might still think prayer is something they do before they eat dinner or get tucked into bed for the night. Of course, prayer is so much more than that. And, as kids learn about Jesus’ model prayer, we want them to understand that they can pray anytime, anywhere, and about anything—because God is always listening and wants to hear from us. We hope kids will understand more about prayer and find that talking to God can be an important part of growing in their faith.
Week Three (May 19)
Speak Now
Bible Story: Peter Says That Jesus Is The Messiah | Matthew 16:13-20
Bottom Line: Practice talking about God
Virtue: Commitment – Making a plan and putting it into practice
For Week Three, we head to Matthew 16:13-20, where Jesus asked his disciples: “Who do you say I am?” After everything they’d seen Jesus do and heard Jesus say, what did they really think about Jesus? This gave Peter the perfect moment to declare what he believed: that Jesus truly is the Son of God.
God is continually working in our lives. When we talk about those moments with others, we can actually end up growing in our relationship with God. As kids process their growing faith, they will have questions and doubts. We want them to know that no question is off-limits when it comes to their faith. We hope that as they practice talking about God, they’ll discover that sharing about their faith isn’t so daunting. We pray that kids will find trusted adults who believe in Jesus who will help them talk through their questions about God.
Week Four (May 26)
All I Have To Give
Bible Story: The Widow’s Offering | Mark 12:41-44
Bottom Line: Practice living for God
Virtue: Commitment – Making a plan + putting it into practice
We finish the month in Mark 12:41-44. Jesus noticed how wealthy people were giving lots of money at the temple. Then a poor widow walked up to the offering box and gave just two small coins. While this seemed like a small gift, Jesus told His disciples that this woman actually gave more than the rich people did—because she gave everything she had.
We know that many kids love to sing and worship God. But worship isn’t just something we do when we sing at church. Worship is really how we honor God with our whole lives—how we love others and serve them, how we give our time and talents, how we follow and praise God, and even how we rest. We want kids to practice living for God and understand what it means to worship God with every part of their life.