Devotion for the week of April 30

Bible Point: Trusting in God makes us courageous.

Key Verse: "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9).

Read this quote and talk it over with your family.
"'Be strong and courageous!' (Joshua 1:6,7,9). Are you? Honestly now - are you?... The real tests of courage are much broader...much deeper...much quieter. They are the inner tests, like remaining faithful when nobody's looking...like standing alone when you're misunderstood."
-Charles R. Swindoll, Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life

• When have you had an opportunity to be courageous, and how did you handle it?
• What does it take to be courageous?
• How can you depend on God's strength to be courageous?

Devotions for the week of April 23

Bible Point: God gives people different gifts for serving him.

Key Verse: "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do"
- Ephesians 2:10

Read this quote with your family and talk it over.
"I believe God has gifted each person uniquely, but not completely; we need one another." - Kurt Johnston

• What do you think the author means when he says God has gifted each person uniquely but not completely?
• What are some gifts you believe God has not given you?
• How can you as a family work together and use your different gifts to serve God?

Daily Challenge

• Put your gifts into motion. For instance, if your gift is encouraging, make it a point to encourage three or four people. If your gift is service, serve God by caring for someone else's physical needs.

Devotion for the week of April 16

Bible Point: Faith is believing in Jesus even though we can't see him.

Key Verse: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrew 11:1

Read this quote as a family and discuss it.
"Faith is a lot like hiking on a trail at night, guided only by the beam of a flashlight. You have just enough light for your next step." (DC Talk, Like Like a Jesus Freak)

• How good are you at giving God areas of your life and then leaving them with God? Why is it hard to trust God with the REALLY important things?
• Is it harder to have faith in God to handle things when you can't see what God is doing? Why or why not?
• If faith is trust in action, what can you do to remind yourself that God is in control even when you don't see any more than one step at a time?

Devotion for the week of April 2

Bible Point: We can honor Jesus with words and actions.

Key Verse: "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." - Philippians 2:10-11

Read the following and discuss as a family.
"The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism." - Norman Vincent Peale

• We all like to hear praise. We love to hear that others appreciate us. Do you think that's what motivates Jesus to desire that his followers honor him? Why or why not?
• Why is Jesus worthy of praise and honor?
• How can you begin to honor Jesus more as a family?