Family Blueprint Week #44

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(A geode and polished stone teach us along with Samson and Delilah what to look for in a true friend.)  

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:
Judges 16  

Story:
“Samson and Delilah”  

Application:
Choosing Godly Friends.  

Summary: 
Samson loved a woman named Delilah, but she loved money more that she loved Samson.  When the lord of the Philistines offered her eleven hundred pieces of silver if she would find out how Samson got his great strength, she quickly agreed. Samson lied to her three times, but after she annoyed him night and day, he finally told her all that was in his heart and shared about his Nazirite vow and his hair. Delilah lulled Samson to sleep on her lap and then had a man shave his head. When the Philistines came to get him, the Spirit of the Lord had left him and he had no strength to fight them. They took him away, poked out Samson’s eyes and put him in prison. Samson’s hair began to grow again. Samson prayed that God would strengthen him just one more time. When the Lord did, Samson pushed out the two main posts of the building they were all in and it crashed down killing more Philistines at one time than Samson killed in his entire life. Samson was also killed at the same time.  

Focus:
That our children will seek out the heart of friends, to see if Christ reigns in their hearts, not just choose friends based on external appearances or wrong motives.  

Finding Christ:
A couple of things here. We see both Samson and Christ were betrayed for pieces of silver. We see both were willing to die to deliver those whom they were rightfully judges over.  

Live the Lesson:  
You will need to acquire a geode (Wikipedia definition: The exterior of the most common geodes is generally limestone or a related rock, while the interior contains quartz crystals and/or chalcedony deposits) and a polished rock/stone.  

Ask your children which rock is more appealing to the eyes? Which rock is probably prettier inside?  

First take an old sock and put the polished stone inside of it. Lay it on a sidewalk or concrete floor and tap it with a hammer until it breaks open. Show the children that the rock is not as pretty on the inside. Now take the geode and place it in an old sock and tap it with a hammer on a concrete floor until it cracks. Take it out and show the children how beautiful it is inside.  

Explain to them that friends can be the same way. We don’t want to choose friends who just appeal to us from the outside, but we need to know if they have the beauty of Christ in their hearts.  

Now make “Jesus is the Rock” candy together to eat next week at family time for a brief recall of this week’s lesson. “This pretty candy we have grown this week, we made last week when we learn about crystals inside the ugly geode. What was the purpose of that lesson?” www.familyblueprint.org/jesus_is_the_rock_candy.htm  

For more free family devotional resources visit www.familyblueprint.org  

Memory Verse:
"A friend loves at all times.” Proverbs 17:17                                            

Prayer: 
Dear Lord, please help us to choose friends who live for You. Help us to also be a friend to others the way You are a friend to us.  

Living the Life: 
This week discuss with your children what true friendship looks like according to the standard of the Word of God.

By Julianne Bell
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