Palm Sunday - We look forward to certain things happening during holidays and special times. What do you look forward to at: Christmas, Easter, Birthdays, and weddings? Ask do you know what's special about today? It's Palm Sunday, when we remember Jesus going up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Passover. Explain why the Jews celebrated Passover and that this is what everyone was celebrating when Jesus came on that Palm Sunday. Read John 12:12-15. Explain that the palm branches were used to show Jesus that the people were pleased to see him, in fact they probably thought that he was the King they were expecting, because of all the wonderful things He had been doing. On a large palm cut out, list some of the miracles Jesus did. This is why they were all very excited and celebrated Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem. For dessert make Palm Leaf Cookies - shape sugar cookie dough into palm leaves. Bake per directions and decorate cookies with green icing and sprinkles. Pray before eating cookies, "Dear Heavenly Father we thank you for sending Jesus to die on thecross so we do not have to be separated from you. Today we rejoice and celebrate Him as those did in the bible story we read. Fill our hearts this week as we continue to celebrate the gift of salvation that you have given us through your Son. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen."
Monday- Read aloud Mark 11:15-18. Tell children that this area of the temple was the place non-Jews could come to pray, but it had become a dirty, noisy, unworshipful place. Together, decorate a worshipful space in your home for Easter week. Include a Bible, candles, decorations, and an area to display the items you'll use this week. Place the palm leaf from Sunday there as well. Light the candles or turn on the lights only during devotions to keep it special and meaningful. Close in prayer, "Dear Lord we have made this place to come and worship and learn more about you this Holy week. Please allow this time with you this week to draw us closer to you. You are worthy of our praise Lord. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen."
Tuesday- Review items placed in your worship area from previous days. Read aloud Mark 14:3-9. This woman gave Jesus a gift that was very precious. We can give gifts that come from our heart, too. As each person shares something he or she can do to honor Jesus, spray perfume into the air or on them. Decorate a beautiful piece of paper and form a cylinder around the perfume bottle for display at your family worship space. Talk about how God gave us the best gift ever when He sent Jesus to earth to live a perfect life and ultimately die on the cross for our sins. Read Romans 6:23 and talk through the verse with your child(ren). Use illustration of chasm that separates us from God and list things that we try to do to earn God's forgiveness. Illustrate how none of those things get us across the chasm to God. Close in prayer, "God we thank you for the most precious and valuable gift of all, Jesus." We know that in Him comes our salvation which is a free gift and that we can not do anything to earn it. Thank you for the gift of Jesus. Amen."
Wednesday- Review items placed in your worship area from previous days. Read aloud Matthew 26:14-16. You'll need 30 dimes. Tell child(ren) that Judas betrayed Jesus for about 120 days wages. Let child(ren) count the dimes and place them at your family worship space. Ask, "Was Jesus' life on earth worth more than 30 pieces of silver? Why or not? What is the true value of Jesus' life to our family?" Pray thanking God for things the family discussed.
Thursday- Review items placed in your worship area from the previous days. Read aloud John 13:1-5. Jesus washed feet to show his love. In the bathtub, use a bar of soap to take turns washing each others feet and drying them. While doing so, share what you love about each other. Display the bar of soap at your family worship space. Pray "Lord help us to love others the way you showed love for the disciples in our story. Thank you for loving us so much that you died for us. In Jessus' name we pray. Amen."
Good Friday- Review items placed in your worship area from previous days. Have the child(ren) nail two boards together in the shape of a cross. Then read Romans 3:23 together. Now have each person in the family write their name on a piece of paper along with the word "Sins." Invite each person to list the sinful things he or she has done (losing temper, saying bad words, gossiping, disobeying authority figure, etc.) Then, one at at time, allow each person to nail his or her list to the cross as a symbol of Jesus taking our sins with Him and paying the penalty for our wrongdoings. Read Romans 5:8. Remind them of Romans 6:23 and the chasm drawn on Tuesday's devotional. Conclude by taking the cross and placing it in the chasm to make a bridge for us to get to God. Emphasis that Jesus dying on the cross is the only way we can get to God and spend eternity with Him in heaven. Pray together "Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross to pay for our sins. Amen"
Saturday - Review items placed in your worship area from previous days. Read aloud Mark 15:42-47. Draw straws to see which family member will be wrapped in toilet paper to represent just how Jesus may have looked when prepared for burial. Talk about how the disciples might have felt when all their hopes seemed destroyed when Jesus died. Ask "How would you have felt if you had been there when Jesus died? What would you have done?" Talk about how the burial isn't the end of the story, but that it was a very sad time for Jesus' friends. Pray "Jesus, we thank you for taking our punishment and dying such a horrible death for us. We know because of your great sacrifice how much you love us. Thank you for loving us so much! In Your Holy and Risen name we pray, Amen."
Easter Sunday - Review all the items placed in your worship space from Holy Week. Read aloud Luke 24:1-9. You'll need cupcake(s) and a trick re-lighting candle. Light it and talk about how Jesus came to be the light of the world. On Saturday, it looked like the light had been blown out. Blow out the candle and wait in silence while the flame is gone. When the flame comes back, celebrate! Emphasis that nothing can ever snuff out Jesus, the light of the world. Read John 8:12 explain that Jesus is our light, He shows us the way in this world of darkness, when we choose to follow Him and make Him the boss of our life. Close in a prayer of thanksgiving for our free gift of salvation.
Ideas came from http://www.childrensministry.com/articles/holy-week and http://www.lakepointe.org/Build/EasterAtHome.aspx I took what I liked, combined them, and added what I wanted to incorporate as well. (:
Brandon, I found these at www.childrensministry.com/articles/holy-week and www.lakepointe.org/BuildEasterAtHome.aspx. Then I took what I liked and added to them. (:
Posted by: Crystal | Monday, April 18, 2011 at 01:45 PM
Crystal where do you get your family devotionals?
Posted by: Brandon Berry | Monday, April 18, 2011 at 11:03 AM