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(Ping pong balls, a pitcher of water, and cups
teach us along with the children of
Israel
and Joshua that complete obedience brings victory.)
The Lord gave us the blueprint of His Word to
architect our family on Jesus Christ.
Going
through the Bible with your family…
Weekly
Scripture:
Joshua 3 – Joshua 6; 1 Kings
16:34
Story:
“Crossing the Jordan, Victory at Jericho
”
Application:
God gives us victory through complete obedience.
Summary:
After 40 years in the wilderness, the time had come for Joshua to lead
God’s children across the
Jordan River
into the Promised Land. Joshua gave orders to the children of
Israel
to follow after the priests who carried the Ark of Covenant. As the priests
stepped into the river the water stopped flowing and began to pike up like a
great wall. Joshua and the children of
Israel
all crossed over to the other side of the
Jordan
. God then told Joshua to select twelve men, one from each tribe and command
them to each take a stone out of the
Jordan River
and place them were they camped. This was to be a memorial of remembrance of
where God halted the waters for safe passage of His children. Joshua was now
ready to attack the city of
Jericho
which had a high wall surrounding it. God gave Joshua detailed instructions to
obey with the children of
Israel
. When they completed the obedience to these instructions that seemed strange
to them, the walls of
Jericho
collapsed. God was faithful to keep His Word.
Focus:
We want to encourage our children to obey God’s word and see Him bring
about victory in His way.
Finding
Christ:
In Joshua 5 we have the captain of the host of Yahweh. This appears to be
a preincarnate visitation of Christ again, as Joshua bows before the Captain
and He does not rebuke Joshua for the worship. We are told where the Captain
is standing is holy ground. Sounds a lot like when God spoke to Moses from the
burning bush.
Live
the Lesson:
Give your children a pitcher of water, cups, and ping pong balls. Ask them
to pour some water into the cup and then float the ping pong ball on the
water, only make it float in the center. More than likely your children will
not be able to make this happen. Let them work at it for a bit so that they
will see it as impossible.
Now
tell them with your exact directions, if they obey them, they can have victory
in this matter. Because if you do not fill the cup to the brim, the ping pong
ball will keep floating over to the side of the cup. But if you fill it to the
brim, then the surface tension keeps the ball in the center of the cup as it
prevents it from going to the sides. Tell your children to fill the cup to the
brim and try floating the ball in the center again. Ta-duh! We have success!
Explain
to them that often God will give us instructions He expects us to obey. If we
do it our own way, even if we are close to His instructions, doing what seems
right to us without complete obedience, we will fail. But if we do it EXACTLY
His way we will have victory!
Now
for a little more fun, we have a game with ping pong balls you can play at
your kitchen table: www.familyblueprint.org/cookie_ping_pong.htm
Memory
Verse:
“Thanks be to God, who give us the victory.” 1
Corinthians 15:57
Prayer:
Dear Lord, please help us to obey Your instructions to us in exact measure
that we too may have victory in our lives.
Living
the Life:
This week discuss with your children how partial obedience to God is
actually willful disobedience. That we must choose to completely obey the
Lord. Give them examples in everyday things.
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Blueprint #38
