Lesson 3 Serving the Body as a Family

Serving the Body as a Family
Use Your Time for God

Read: Nehemiah 2:17-20; 4:7-23
Questions for Discussion:
What was God leading Nehemiah to do?
What kind of oppositions faced God’s people as they worked?
How did Nehemiah and his people use their time for God?
How can you use your time for God?

As a family, talk about creative ways that you can use your time for God. Choose an activity that you can do as a family, such as take cookies to a neighbor, clean up someone’s yard, volunteer at the church, or sing a song at a nursing home. Remind your child that when you serve others and the church, you are using your time for God.

Key Thought: Nehemiah asked everyone to help build a sturdy wall around the city of Jerusalem, and it was a big job to do! The people used their time for God by working together to complete a difficult project. When you do the things that please God every day, you are using your time for God.

Pray and thank God for your family, and the time that you can spend together. Pray that God would bless your family's time spent in the Word together.

Activities

Preschool: Explain to your child that God loves it when we us our time for him by reading his Word- the Bible! Read a Bible story to your child each night. Talk about what God did in each Bible story. Allow your child to tell the story back to you. Thank God for giving us the Bible so we can know him better.

Set aside a certain time every day to pray to God with your child. God loves it when you use your time to talk to him!

Lower Elementary: Help your child set an alarm clock for a time of day when you know you will be at home. When your alarm goes off, drop everything to pray. God loves it when you use your time to talk it when you use your time to talk with him!

Help your child draw a clock. Next to each hour, write or draw a way they can use their time for God. Help them follow through doing those things this week.

Upper Elementary: Wear a watch today. Whenever you look at it, remember to use your time for God. If your watch has a timer, set it to of off at a certain time. When you hear the beep, stop and ask God to help you use your time in ways that please him.

Challenge your child to sit completely still for one minute. Think about how you have exactly 1, 440 minutes in every day. Decide you can use at least 10 of those minutes for God. Help your child make time for God everyday this week.

Teens: Make a “normal” daily schedule. Look at the amount of time you spend doing the daily basics: sleeping, eating, hygiene, hanging out with friends, family time, working, hobbies, exercise, and spending time with God. Does anything stand out to you? Is there anywhere that you may be able to concisely find more time for God during your daily routine? Make a plan to find at least ten more minutes to spend with God everyday this week.