God’s Passion Our Purpose | The Little | Week 1

“Hear, O Israel! Yahweh is our God, Yahweh is one! You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as phylacteries between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 

“And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.’ And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.”
Mark 10:13-16

Free Downloadable Memory Verse Cards | Seeds Family Worship 
Download and print these memory verse cards to use at home with the family or use with the kiddos in your life!

Podcast | Parent Cue
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Article | 3 Ways to Start Seeing Young Adults | Fuller Youth Institute
"Once you see young adults, closing the relational distance requires you to move one step closer. And young adults want you to. In fact, they need you to because they often struggle to make the first move."

This week, try the spiritual practice of fasting from distractions. Choose a period of time this week when your family will fast from electronic devices and tech distractions. Instead, spend that time in more high-quality interactions of sharing stories, engaging in a hobby together, reading something together, and praying for each other. If you don’t have children in the home, use this time to connect with another family or invite someone over for a similar high-quality activity!

“I’ve been on a journey,” is a phrase I’ve been saying a lot lately. There have been a number of things I’ve felt the Lord is convicting me about, calling me into, or revealing to me. One of the key revelations has been the concept of child-like faith. 

The idea started months back with my new friend, Whitney. We’ve had many discussions about child-like faith and even indulged in some “child-like” activities over the summer – climbing rocks at Tahoe, scraping knees (I still have a good scar!), getting caught in a downpour during a hike, and splashing in puddles. 

While these were physical experiences, they’ve stirred something profound within my soul! During the summer, I’ve been going through Church of the Highland’s Freedom curriculum and one quote has deeply resonated with me: “Children are not technically innocent; they just don’t have any hesitation about them. They are not weighed down by guilt, shame, or burdens.” 

This quote has become a source of great joy for me. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, I don’t need to carry the weight of shame or embarrassment. There’s no room for hesitation! Living daily with God leads to innocence – an innocent life is one lived without hesitation!

My hope and prayer is that we’re creating an environment where the next generation can live without hesitation. I pray that they grasp the beauty of the gospel, hear God’s voice clearly, climb their “big dream” rocks, and joyfully splash in spiritual puddles. May they lead innocent lives, unburdened by hesitation. And the best part is, we don’t have to wait! We can all start living with child-like faith today. We can discover a meaningful friendship with God today and begin to live without hestitation today. 

Blessings,
Lydia Long