August Preview | Kindergarten - 5th Grade | Dive Deep
James 1:5
Sometimes it’s easy to know what the wise choice would be. Let’s say you’re choosing between having expired milk with your cereal or eating some fruit and a sandwich. You probably aren’t reaching for the milk! What about choosing to stay up all night when you have a road trip the next day, or getting some sleep because you’re driving first? Every decision you make starts out with a choice. As we “dive deep” into the Bible this month, we’ll discover that God is always there to help us make wise choices. God has given us people who can help us make those wise choices too.
August 4 | Kindergarten - 5th Grade | Dive Deep
August 4, 2024 • Luke 2:41–52
We start the month in Luke 2:41-52. Mary, Joseph, and Jesus had just traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast and were headed home. Except . . .Jesus was no longer with them. Instead, He was at the temple, listening and asking questions. Jesus knew how important it was to gain wisdom. When we ask God for wisdom, we will find it too. Bottom Line: Wisdom is worth searching for. Think back to when you were a kid, playing pretend as you went off in search of hidden treasures. Remember the joy and excitement you got as you dug deeper and deeper into the clues—and maybe even the earth? Searching for wisdom, in a way, is like finding that hidden treasure. When we find God’s wisdom, its riches are infinitely more valuable.
August 11 | Kindergarten - 5th Grade | Dive Deep
August 11, 2024 • Matthew 7:1–5
In week 2, we head to Matthew 7:1-5, which is part of one of Jesus’ most famous recorded messages, the Sermon on the Mount. Throughout this sermon, Jesus touched on many important lessons. One of these truths was that we shouldn’t judge other people. When we judge others without first looking at ourselves, we miss out on the work God is doing in us to shape us and help us grow. Bottom Line: When you see yourself clearly, you can make the wise choice. It’s easy to see something that others have done to wrong you. But when we wrong someone else? That’s not always easy to see. It’s important that we take the time to examine ourselves so we can love others the way God wants us to . . . and so we can continue growing in wisdom.
August 18 | Kindergarten - 5th Grade | Dive Deep
August 18, 2024 • 2 Chronicles 10
For week 3, we head to 2 Chronicles 10. King Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, was now king, and the people came to ask him to lighten their workload. However, when presented with the opportunity to gain the people’s trust, King Rehoboam sought out wise counsel . . . and unwise counsel. Unfortunately, Rehoboam chose to listen to his unwise friends, which led to catastrophic consequences for him and for God’s people. Bottom Line: Hang out with wise people. There’s a famous saying: “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” The people we allow into our lives have the power to influence us, both positively and negatively. That doesn’t mean we should cast people off and ignore them, but it does mean that we need to be aware of who we let speak into our lives and our situation. If we spend time with wise people, then we know it’ll be worth it in the end.
August 25 | Kindergarten - 5th Grade | Dive Deep
August 25, 2024 • Romans 12:2
We wrap up the month in Romans 12:2. Paul was writing a letter to the Romans in which he encouraged them to “let [their] way of thinking be completely changed.” Paul wanted to remind the believers that God could continually change the way they thought, which would allow them to focus on God’s plan. When we spend time talking to God, learning from Scripture, and listening to others who follow God, we’ll be able to figure out what God wants to do in our lives. Bottom Line: Never stop growing in wisdom. Wisdom isn’t something that we find one time and then we’re done. It’s a continuous learning process that we’ll encounter for the rest of our lives. As we gain knowledge, we should want to gain God’s wisdom too. It’s not enough just to know something. We have to do something with what we know in order for it to make a difference.
August Preview | Preschool | Cooking Show
Psalm 139:14
Have you ever watched a cooking show where kids are doing the cooking? They are SO creative! A little of this and a little of that and voila! A culinary delight! Now imagine God creating each and every person . . . even more creative, right? Two brown eyes, some curly black hair, and a splash of freckles. Then, God adds a dash of compassion, a spoonful of kindness, a large cup of creativity . . . and voila! Psalm 139:14 says, “How you made me is amazing and wonderful.” God made me wonderful! God made you wonderful. God made every person on the planet wonderful! Our prayer for preschoolers is that they will know that God made us, God loves us, and Jesus wants to be our friend forever. We’re cooking up a lot of fun to go with these foundational truths. We hope this month leaves you and your preschoolers smiling with confidence as you look into a mirror because you know that God made me wonderful!
August 4 | Preschool | Cooking Show
August 4, 2024 • Genesis 1:27, Psalm 139:13–14
Story Focus: God made me. From the top of my head to my wiggly toes, God made me wonderful! And God made you wonderful! God made every person in the whole wide world wonderful! We all have different colored eyes and different kinds of hair, but God made us all wonderful.
Story Focus: God made me to create, think, and help. God made ALL people, and people are the most special thing God made because God made us to be like Him. When people have the passion to create, they are reflecting God who made everything. When people think about justice, order, and laws of nature, they are reflecting God who is wise. When a person helps someone in need, they are reflecting God who helps His people. God made us to be like Him - to be creative, to think, and to help! God made us all wonderful.
August 18 | Preschool | Cooking Show
August 18, 2024 • Psalm 139:1–4, Matthew 10:30
Story Focus: I am important to God. God knows everything about us. God knows when we sit and when we stand. God knows what we are going to say before we say it. God even knows exactly how many hairs are on our heads. God knows everything about you and me because God made us . . . because God loves us . . . and because we are important to God.
August 25 | Preschool | Cooking Show
August 25, 2024 • John 3:16, 1 John 4:9–10
Story Focus: God loves us so much that God gave us Jesus. God made us wonderful and loves us so much that God gave us a gift. But not just any gift. This is better than a teddy bear or a pair of shoes. God made you and loves you so much that God gave you Jesus! Jesus is a special gift because Jesus is God’s Son and because Jesus wants to be your friend forever. Our prayer for preschoolers is that they will know that God made us, God loves us, and Jesus wants to be our friend forever.
