Read or quote the memory verse.
We don't always take advantage of the power God has given us. A young Japanese boy once showed his courage in a very simple but brave way.
The boy attended a school in Nagasaki, Japan, and of the 150 students, he was the only Christian. Every day before he ate his lunch, the young boy dared to fold his hands and ask God's blessing before he ate.
Some of the other kids considered themselves his enemy, and they were out to get him. They went to the Headmaster of the school one day and accused the boy of "doing something in the way of magic." The Headmaster called the boy in to the office to explain himself.
With brave confidence, the boy explained to the Headmaster that he was a Christian and that he had been thanking God for his lunch and asking Him to bless the food. The Headmaster began to cry, and he put his head down on the desk.
"My boy," he said, "I too am a Christian, but I was afraid to tell anyone. Now, with God's help, I will try to live as a Christian ought to live."
Who do you relate to most, the boy or the Headmaster?
What does it mean to truly be a Christian? (Parents: Refer to The Four Fantastic Facts to help your child understand how to begin life as a Christian.)
Jesus told His disciples that the Holy Spirit was going to come, live within them, and give them His power to do whatever He asked them to do.
Read Acts 1:8.
The minute you ask Jesus into your life, to forgive your sins, and to help you obey Him, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of you. You have His power in you to do whatever He asks you to do!
God always gives us what we need in order to do what He asks us to do. In the Bible, He tells us exactly what tools we need to be strong. He uses the example of a soldier to show us how these tools protect us and give us strength.
I'm going to read Ephesians 6:10-11,13. Listen for who God says is our enemy . . .
Who is our true enemy? (The devil)
What will God's armor help you do? (Stand firm against the devil's schemes.)
Let's be clear about what the devil wants.
a. The devil doesn't necessarily want to beat up your body.
b. He wants to beat up your soul. He wants to discourage you and make you feel bad about yourself.
c. He wants to fill your heart and mind with lies and make you doubt God.
d. Remember: Once you accept Jesus as your Savior, the devil can't take that away, but he does try hard to make you stop talking with God and hurt your relationship with Him!
e. Satan doesn't want you to help others have a relationship with God; and
f. He doesn't want you to be happy. If you're happy, others might want to know why... Satan definitely doesn't want that!
So let's check out our armor! Ephesians 6:14-17 says:
What pieces of armor did you hear talked about in the verses? (NOTE: You can print a picture of a soldier from the bonus activities to point to the pieces of armor to help your kids visualize the principles)
Explain each piece as follows:
Belt of truth (Knowing what God's truth is and living by it)
Breastplate of righteousness (Knowing what God says is right and doing it)
Feet ready with the gospel of peace (Being ready to tell others about His message of peace)
Shield of faith (Trusting that God really is who He says He is)
Helmet of salvation (Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior)
Sword of the Spirit (Knowing God's Word, the Bible, and reading it everyday. It is our greatest weapon against the devil.)
What piece of armor would be particularly helpful for you right now?
What is one way you can stand strong (with His power) for God and tell others about Him?
Why does it matter?Because God is the strongest, His strength will be enough to help you do whatever He asks you to do.
There is nothing too hard for God. You can take every problem to Him and know that He has the power to help.
Talk with God and Stay ConnectedThank God today for providing the armor needed in order to stand strong against Satan and his evil tricks. Choose a piece of armor that you need to put on today, and ask God to help you put that piece of armor on to stand strong for God!
Because God is All-Powerful (Biggest and Strongest), I will ________________________.
(Note: Fill in the blank by sharing a specific action point.)