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: Lent Desert Box (Week 1)
Supplies: 9x13 in. pan or similar size box with short walls, sand to fill the bottom of box, rocks for every member of the family plus a few extra
The desert box you are assembling this week will be used through all of Lent, with different activities each week. For week one, you build the box as a family and talk about Jesus’ time in the desert.
One rock that we will paint for Jesus. For the Jesus rock: Paint one side colorfully or bright white. Paint the other side with a black cross, or the name Jesus.
Take your pan and fill it halfway full with sand. Place the Jesus rock with the colorful side down in the sand. Add rocks for each member of the family, plus a few extras.
Over the next few days, on slips of paper, write temptations down, “my brother asked me not to tell that he broke the window so he wouldn’t get in trouble.” “I had cookies after school, but mom came home and offered me one before dinner. Should I tell her I already had one?” etc and hide the slips under the rocks.
Then at dinner each night take turns lifting the rocks and pulling one of the temptations slips. Talk about each temptation as a family.
Story Time: Jesus is Tempted
Watch this video together and then use the discussion questions below to reflect as a family.
Discussion Questions:
1. Jesus had gone without food for a long time in this video, what is the longest you have ever gone without eating?
2. How did you feel?
3. Why do you think the devil came to Jesus when he had gone without food?
4. Do you think it is easy or hard to resist temptations when you feel weak?
5. What do you think about the devil using Bible verses to try to trick Jesus?
Dinner Time: To Be Tempted
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 sending us Jesus. We know that when we listen to the stories in the Bible, it helps us grow as Christians and be the best version of ourselves. Help us to watch out for things that tempt us, and turn to You when we need to know the right way to go. Amen
Questions 5-10 years old
1. What does it mean to be tempted?
2. Can you think of a time you felt tempted? (by food, by a friend, etc)
3. How did that feel?
4. What choice did you make?
5. What and who helps you to make the right choices?
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.
Matthew 4:1-11 (God’s Word, My Voice)
After Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit took him into the desert where he faced a lot of temptations. He stopped eating for a really long time to get a clearer picture of what God wanted him to do with his life. Afterwards, he was really, really hungry. The one who tempts us came to Jesus and said, “So, if you’re really the Son of God, why don’t you just turn these rocks into bread? What are you waiting for?”
Jesus answered him, “That’s not what God’s power is all about. Don’t you know that the Bible says, ‘Bread isn’t everything; God’s Word is everything’”?
Then the devil took him to the holy city and flew him up to the very tip of the temple. He said, “So, if you are the son of God, jump off, because the Bible said, ‘God will make sure his angels take care of you. They’ll lift you up so you won’t even hurt one foot on a stone below.’”
Jesus said to him, “But the Bible also says, ‘Don’t test God.’”
Then the devil tried a third time. He took him to the peak of the high mountain where he could see the whole beautiful world and everyone in it. The devil said, “You can have all this, if you will just fall on your knees and worship God and only follow him.”
With that, the devil gave up and went away. And then Jesus was surrounded by messengers straight from God who came and took care of everything he needed.
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: