Week 9
This week we will wrap up our time in 1 Corinthians and move into readings from the Gospel of John. John tends to lead us to the heart and desires of Jesus.
The love Jesus has for each of us, the intimate relationship he desires to have with each of us and the communion he wishes all of us to share in Him.
There are a number of verses to choose from below. They have been chosen because they are appropriate for your child’s developmental ability. You may find that your children want, over the course of the week, to read the same verse again so they can wonder about its meaning and experience the presence of God. If they ask for another than move on to another one. Resist the temptation to “get through” all of these each week. Respond to your child and his/her desire for God.
Sunday, January 24th
1 Corinthians 14:3
"..., her who prophesies speaks to men for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation." (1Cor 14:3)
- I wonder what it means to prophesy?
- (Prophets are those who listen to God and tell the people His message.)
- How do you think that might build up the Church or comfort the people?
Monday, January 25th
1 Corinthians 15:33
"Do not be deceived: Bad company ruins good morals." (1Cor 15:33)
- What does that word "company" mean?
- What company do we keep?
- Good?
- Bad?
- Are they helping me to get to heaven?
- Am I helping them to get to heaven?
Tuesday, January 26th
1Cor 16:13-14
“Be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” (1Cor 16:13-14)
- I wonder what ways we can stand firm and be courageous for our faith?
- Can everything we do be done in love?
- If there are things that cannot be done in love, should we do them?
Wednesday, January 27th
John 1:2-3 The Beginning
“He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be.”
- I wonder when the world and its many gifts to humans first began?
- I wonder how things come to be created. Can anything come into being without God?
- I wonder if God is still creating.
- I wonder how we could respond to the many gifts of creation.
John 1:14 Word made Flesh
“And the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us, and we saw His glory, the glory of the Father’s only Son, Full of grace and truth.”
- I wonder who is the Word and when does this word become flesh.
- I wonder where we see Jesus dwell among us.
- I wonder what the glory of God looks like.
- I wonder what it means to be full of grace.
Thursday, January 28th
John 2:1-2 The Wedding at Cana
"On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and His disciples were also invited to the wedding."
- A wedding is a special day.
- These were incredibly special guests to invite to a wedding.
- I wonder what it was like to have Jesus and Mother Mary attend this wedding.
- I wonder what the events of the day were.
John 2:7-11 The Wedding at Cana
"Jesus told them, “fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. Then He told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it. And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, “everyone serves good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, an inferior one. But you have kept the good wine until now."
- Turning water into wine is a great sign from God.
- I wonder what Jesus might be trying to show us by turning water into wine.
- I wonder what this tells us about Jesus.
- Can anyone turn water into wine?
- I wonder if Jesus still gives us the gift of signs.
Friday, January 29th
John 3:1-5 Born Again
"Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus at night and said to Him, 'Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.' Jesus Answered and said to him, 'Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.' Nicodemus said to Him, 'How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely, he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?' Jesus answered, 'Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and spirit.'”
- Jesus performed many signs so that people would believe in Him and become children in His kingdom.
- I wonder about the kingdom of God.
- I wonder what Jesus says we must do to enter His kingdom.
- I wonder what it means to be born of water and spirit.
- I wonder when we are born of water and spirit? I wonder how we might respond to such a gift.
John 3:16-17 God Gave His Son
"For God so loved the world He gave His only son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send His son to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him."
- I wonder about the many sacrifices of self-gift Jesus has given to us. His birth, His meal, and His cross….
- I wonder how our belief in Jesus might save us.
- I wonder how we can help others to believe in Jesus.
- I wonder what eternal life with Jesus will be like.
- I wonder how Jesus continues to make a gift of himself to us.
- I wonder how we can make a gift of ourselves to Jesus.
John 3:30 Increase, Decrease
"He must increase, I must decrease."
- I wonder how does He increase?
- Where is this increase seen?
- Does He grow in some way?
- I wonder how we decrease.
- Do we lose something?
- Do we gain something?
John 3:34 Gift of the Spirit
"For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration His gift of the spirit."
- I wonder what God wants to tell us.
- I wonder when we first receive the gift of the spirit.
- I wonder how we can be like Jesus and not ration the gift of the spirit.
Saturday, January 30th
John 4:13-14 Living Water
"Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
- I wonder about the gift of water Jesus gives, what could this water represent for our lives?
- I wonder what we are thirsty for. I wonder how Jesus satisfies this thirst.
- I wonder how this water could grow into a spring within us.
- I wonder how we take this water to eternal life.
John 4:24-26 Woman at the Well
"Jesus said, 'God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.' woman said to Him, 'I know that the messiah is coming, the one called the anointed; when He comes, He will tell us everything.' Jesus said to her, 'I am He, the one who is speaking with you.'"
- Jesus reveals to her He is the Messiah, the long awaited one. Her savior.
- I wonder if through these words we too might also be waiting for the Messiah to come.
- I wonder what we might need saving from.
- I wonder how we are to respond to such a gift of salvation.