Hosted by the Faith To Go team in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, David Tremaine and Charlette Preslar, and joined the each week by a special guest, the Faith To Go Podcast highlights themes from the Sunday Gospel reading for you to take into your faith discussions and reflections throughout the week.
Activity Time: Jesus Loves You Hearts
Supplies: construction paper, markers, scissors
Cut out large hearts out of construction paper. On the heart write “Jesus loves you!”. Deliver the hearts to people you love, or put them on cars in your neighborhood or at church.
Story Time: Three Peculiar Penguins
Watch this video together and then use the discussion questions below to reflect as a family.
Discussion Questions:
1. Do you want to tell me an interesting fact you learned in the video?
2. Is it fun to share things that we find exciting and interesting?
3. I think that is how John felt about sharing about Jesus. What is something you know
about Jesus that you think is exciting?
4. Who could we share that with?
5. Where could we find out more?
Dinner Time: Sharing God's Love
Below is a prayer with which to start your meal and then discussion questions to explore this week’s topic with your family while you eat.
Prayer -
Dear God, Thank you for our family. Help us to remember that we are part of Your family too. Remind us to use kind words when we talk to each other and to share your love with everyone we meet. Amen.
Questions:
1. Who are people that love you?
2. How do you know?
3. Can you think of a time that you felt God’s love? Tell me about it.
4. How do we share God’s love with other people?
Bedtime: Reflections for Children at the End of the Day
During your bedtime routine, invite your children into a time of reflection about their day, maybe by saying, "Did you know that God really wants to know what happened in your day today, and that God is always listening whenever you need to tell God something?" Then continue with these questions:
1) What are some things that happened today that you want to tell God about?
2) What is one happy thing that happened today? What is one sad thing that happened today?
3) Did you see God or feel God with you when those things were happening? Where did you see or feel God when those things happened today?
4) Read to your children this week’s scripture selection, then ask the questions that follows.
John 1:29-42 (God’s Word, My Voice)
John, who was Jesus’ cousin who lived in the desert, saw Jesus walking toward him one day and he shouted, “Look, here comes Jesus, the Lamb of God who has come to break down the barriers we put between ourselves and God. HE’s the one I’ve been talking about; there is a man who will come after me who is far better than me because he was God’s before I was. I didn’t always know him. But I’ve been out here in the desert baptizing people so that Jesus would be shown to be from God.”
John said, “When I baptized him, I tell you, I saw the Holy Spirit like a dove, coming down from heaven and land right on Jesus! I wasn’t sure what was going on but then God, who sent me to baptize, whispered in my ear: “When you baptize someone and see the Holy Spirit come down from heaven on that person and stay with him, that is the one who will baptize, not with water, but with the Holy Spirit.”
“And sure enough, that’s what I saw when I baptized Jesus. That’s how I know Jesus is the Son of God.”
The next day John was standing around with a couple of his disciples. As he saw Jesus walk by, he shouted out, “Look! There he goes. He’s the Lamb of God!”Those disciples believed what he said, and they turned around and followed Jesus from then on.
When Jesus saw them following him, he turned around and said, “What are you looking for?” They said, “Teacher, show us where you’re staying.” Jesus said, “Come and see. I’ll show you.” They went with him, saw where he was staying, and stayed with him.
One of those men was named Andrew. He found his brother Simon Peter and said to him, “Guess what? We’ve found the Messiah, the one we’ve been looking for!” He brought his brother to Jesus, who took a look at him and said, “I know you. You’re Simon, son of John. But I’m going to call you Cephas, which is another word for Rock.”
Did the story remind you of anything that happened in your day today?
5) What are some things that you want to tell God that you are grateful for today?
Share some of your conversations in the comments below: