For our kids: a summer-long story about friendship
Over the past school year, we’ve enjoyed taking kids through God’s one big story. We’ve traveled through the Bible covering the familiar stories of Abraham and Joseph, Moses and King David. We made it all the way to Jesus, Paul, and the start of the early church.
As the church started, no longer were there just a handful of disciples. These were growing congregations filled with people from all walks of life. And I think you see where I’m going with this: they were pretty much like that middle school band. They didn’t always get along. Sure, every so often, they got it right and there were glimpses of greatness. But they disagreed and argued. They had a hard time forgiving and accepting each other. At times, they even found it difficult to keep worshiping together.
Several of the apostles began writing to these believers, instructing them how to practice getting along and living in harmony with one another. These writings are not presented in the form of a story. They are letters and sermons, delivered by people and for people. They’re historic, but they’re not really a story. This summer may feel a little different, but it’s amazing to read these letters from real people to real people.
To help illustrate these important truths, we’ve wrapped them in a summer-long story about friendship. We’re continuing in July looking at what the New Testament letters have to say about friendship.
Friendship is treating others the way you want to be treated. Each week, we continue looking at a “one another” principle that gives us a framework for loving others the way God loved us. Because these are short verses, we suggest that you take this summer to memorize each one.
Our theme verse for July is Proverbs 17:17, NIrV. “A friend loves at all times. He is there to help when trouble comes.” This verse is a great reminder that friends aren’t just there for each other when everything is going well. They also are there to help when life is hard.
In Week 1, we kick off July back in the book of Romans. We know that it’s not always easy for us to get along with each other. This was also true of the believers in Rome. In Romans 12:16, Paul tells them that friends accept each other regardless of their differences. It’s easy to see how different we are from people around us. God accepts us as we are. When we accept others, we get to help them see how much God loves them too. Our Bottom Line is: Friends accept each other.
In Week 2, we’ll take a closer look at how friends forgive each other. In Colossians 3:13, Paul reminds us that God has forgiven us for everything we’ve ever done wrong! At some point, one of our friends will let us down. We should let go of what we’re holding against them and forgive them because God forgave us first. Putting up with each other means we don’t hold on to the things people might have done to hurt us. When we forgive them, we get to show them how much God loves them too. Our Bottom Line is: Friends forgive each other.
In Week 3, kids will discover how they can encourage each other. In 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Paul tells the believers that they should build each other up with how they speak to one another. Basically, friends encourage each other. We have hope because of Jesus. When we share that hope with others, we can encourage them to keep going even when life is tough. Our Bottom Line is: Friends encourage each other.
Finally, in Week 4, we’ll wrap up our summer in the book of Hebrews. This is another letter full of wisdom from God. We will take a look at how friends worship with each other. The writer of Hebrews talks about this in chapter 10 verses 24 and 25. Life can be hard sometimes. Don’t try to go it alone. When we are connected to a community of friends who can encourage us and remind us of God’s love, it makes those times a little easier. We shouldn’t give up meeting together with our Small Group and friends at church. Encourage each other to live out loving God and loving others in every single thing you do. Our Bottom Line is: Friends worship with each other.
We pray this will be a fun end to the summer for kids to learn more about how they can show friendship to everyone.
By Dan Scott ©2014 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. www.ThinkOrange.com *Used by permission.
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(Shortcut: Just click on the Bible icon at the top of this page. Each week, it links to the current event.)
The event is not “live” in the sense of everyone participating together at one time. People can join and work through the material when they want and at their own speed… and are not interacting “live” with others…. But you are all seeing and reading the same content… so all are literally “on the same page.”
Each week we produce discussion questions. These questions are written to help you get into the passage from the week before and apply the truths discussed that week. While we don’t use these during the worship gathering, they can be used to review things through the week–or invite a couple of friends to discuss them with you!
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Excited about things at Deep Water? Looking to make a difference? There are a variety of ways to get involved at Deep Water and we’d love to help you find a place for you to serve that matches the way God made you. Here are a few of the common places that you can get involved quickly:
Update on Food for the Hungry
As we said before, some of us have been feeding hungry people at the library on various days. We’ve had our biggest responses on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. Those are the days that other churches or organizations do not feed people. We’re hoping to be able to commit to feeding regularly on those days.
Basically we heat pre-made sandwiches, soft pretzels, etc. (about 25 minutes) and bring them to the library where we meet up with hungry people, feed them, sit down and hang out with them for a few minutes and listen to their stories, finding out more about them. At times, we pray, invite them to church, etc. (We have several people who come to Deep Water because we hang out with them there.)
We’re not looking to create a big program, we’re just looking to love people the way Jesus told us to love people. It can be scary going the first time, but if you come a few times, you’ll get to know them and it’ll come very naturally. Of course, if you try it and it doesn’t click for you, you don’t have to keep doing it.
Currently, a few of us feed people on Sundays after church and on Mondays around 2pm. If you’re interested in giving it a try on one of those days or another time, let us know. Additional days and times are easy to add!
Comment below or contact us if you’re interested.
Farmers Market Update
The City of Dover has a Farmers’ Market sponsored by The Downtown Dover Partnership on Wednesday afternoons from 11:30am-4:30pm during the summer months on Loockerman Street in the green space near Deep Water’s worship space. Personally, I (Jeff) try to go every week to support all they are trying to do in downtown Dover.
Since, it would be an opportunity to connect with people in Dover and serve in a place close to where we meet on Sundays, we are trying to get approval to set up a table on some Wednesdays. We have a few people interested in helping me plan a few kids crafts/games and set up and run a booth to tell people about Deep Water. If you’re interested, let me know ASAP so I can include you when we know more.
Comment below or contact us if you’re interested.