Hello! Here is the last of the "Armour of God" series, Gospel of Peace. Sharing your faith isn't easy! Sometimes we are surprised by the faith of our children and their boldness in sharing their faith. I oftentimes have to remind myself that my children are watching me. If they aren't seeing and hearing me sharing the Good News, chances are that any boldness they might have had will wither away. So as you are going through this with them, share ways that you have, you want to, and you will share the Gospel of Peace. Be that example for them and be ready to be amazed at the work the Holy Spirit will do!
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Overarching Verse - This is the verse to memorize during this entire series, however, there will be other daily verses that you could work on as works for your family.
Ephesians 6:11-17 - Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,but against the rulers, against the authorities,against the powersof this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God,so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,with the breastplate of righteousness in place,and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith,with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvationand the sword of the Spirit,which is the word of God.
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Song
For the family:
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Illustration
For Kids:
For the Family:
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Read
Hebrews 6:11-17, Ps. 96:3, John 14:1-31
When we think about armor, shoes aren't usually the first (or in all reality, the last) thing we would think about. Who cares what you have on your feet, right? But when a soldier is preparing for battle, he doesn't know what kind of terrain he will encounter. Will it be smooth grass, rocky dirt, or thistle infested fields...? A soldier must be prepared to travel the path engage in the battle ahead, and follow the journey laid out before him.
So, how is the Gospel of peace related to shoes a soldier would wear? To start, we must understand what the gospel of peace is. The word “gospel” means “good news,” referring to the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross so that we can be saved. When we accept Jesus and believe that good news, we have peace. As Christians, we are called to share the good news of Christ with others. Having our shoes fitted with the gospel of peace allows us to do this successfully.
John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” In the object lesson video, we saw how with the Holy Spirit's power we can be brave in sharing our faith with others and the impact/result is so much larger than ourselves. Jesus already defeated death, so we do not need to be afraid. The song by Sara Groves, "When the Saints", is a great reminder to us as well of the Saints that have gone before us, the battles they faced, and how they walked shod with the Gospel of Peace. Our road may or may not be as "tough", or "rocky", as theirs, but we be can rest assured that we have the same Holy Spirit walking along side of us and He can give us the same power that those Saints had!
One of the lines in Audio Adrenaline's song, "World Changers", says, "How can we be silent, we know the one who saves." It is sort of like the situation in Douglas' video, when the ice cream truck broke down and all the ice cream was melting. The child ran to his team and announced the good news of free ice cream. Do you proclaim Jesus with as much passion and excitement as you would free ice cream? We know the one who saves! We have the key to eternity in heaven, how can we be silent?
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Discussion Questions
1. How have you remained silent? What are some small changes you can make in your life to walk with the Gospel of Peace?
2. What holds you back from walking with the Gospel of Peace?
3. Think of some ways you might be a little bolder in sharing the Good News with those around you.
4. Take a look at some ways you might be more intentional about sharing your faith. Pick one and try to do it in the next month:
Wear Christian clothing and be ready to talk about it when someone asks about what you are wearing or what it means.
Host a movie night (show a christian movie - like "Do You Believe" or "God's Not Dead")
Start a blog and share it with your family and friends. Talk about your journey in your walk with God and the things He is speaking to you about or teaching you along the way.
Carry tracts with you. Find moments to share - even with strangers.
Start a Bible Study with your friends. Before or after school, through Zoom, anything works! Talk to a youth leader or parent to help you get started!
Share your testimony. Tell your friends about how you became saved and what Jesus has done in and through you.
Start a book club. There are some great christian books out there and it could be a great way to get the conversation started.
Do a RAOK (Random Act of Kindness) and tell the person why you did it. Things such as baked goods, unloading/loading groceries, rake yard, shovel snow, weed a garden, etc. are great examples. Do it as a family and it'll make a great memory!
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Prayer
As you go to prayer as a family, take this time to think about where you are at. Do you need to make some changes in order to be a "World Changer"? Who in your life might God be nudging you to proclaim the Good News to? As you pray, pray for these people God brought to your mind. Ask Him to give you an opportunity, to help you be a bold witness, and for their heart to be ready to hear. Just remember, it isn't you doing the work, but the power of the Holy Spirit through you!
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Thank you for using this resource. I hope that you have found it helpful as you incorporate Family Worship Time in your home. Please leave a note if this has been helpful to you. I'd love to hear how you implement these in your home.
Thank you!
Rachel
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