Family Time -- HOPE

Read the following short paragraphs. After you read them, there are a couple discussion questions and a short activity to do as a family. This week, you parents just might learn something new about your kids . . . and you kids just might learn something new about your parents!

MATERIALS NEEDED: Paper and pen, pencil, crayons, pencil crayons, markers, or whatever you want to draw with and draw on!

THIS WEEK'S VERSE: Romans 5:3b-5 -- . . . we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

READ: Hope can mean a lot of different things.

There's "Taco Bell Hope", which we talked about on Sunday. Taco Bell Hope is when you say, "Boy, I hope I get a lot of cheese on my taco" when you go through the drive-through. It's also when you say, "I hope I get a wii for Christmas." Or, "I hope we don't have homework tonight."

Taco Bell hope is wishing!

Real hope, Biblical hope, Godly hope . . . the hope that Paul talks about in Romans . . . THAT hope is not wishful thinking!

THAT hope is the kind of hope that we KNOW will happen! It's confidence! Assurance!

When we put our hope in God, it's not like Taco Bell Hope. We know that when we put our hope in God, we will not be disappointed. When we ask God to forgive our sins, we KNOW he will do that! When Jesus is a part of our life, we KNOW that we will spend forever with him!

Lots better than Taco Bell hope, eh?

TALK:

1. What's the difference between Taco Bell Hope and Biblical Hope? Is Taco Bell Hope bad?

2. What are some things that we KNOW God will always do?

DO:

Draw a picture of a taco and a picture of a Bible. Inside the taco, write some examples of "Taco Bell Hope". Inside the Bible, write some examples of "Biblical Hope".

~ Mr. Ben