Today is the 22nd installment of 30 days of resources for your family to use to grow together. Each of our daily activities will have the following pieces:
- PLAY TOGETHER: An opportunity to have fun and do something together instead of watching Netflix.
- TALK TOGETHER: Around the dinner table or just two of you sitting on the back porch, take turns asking these questions to learn more about the other.
- ORIENT TOGETHER: In time of need we have an opportunity to renew our vision for Jesus, and pray for His work in our life and world.
We hope these resources are helpful to you as a family. Feel free to share with others as well!
The Flour Game: Here’s a low-prep game that will have you laughing together! Don’t forget to have your iPhone camera ready to point and shoot.
https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/flour-game/
From Chuck Klosterman’s “23 Questions I Ask Everybody I Meet In Order To Decide If I Can Really Love Them”
You meet a wizard in downtown Chicago. The wizard tells you he can make you more attractive if you pay him money. When you ask how this process works, the wizard points to a random person on the street. You look at this random stranger. The wizard says, “I will now make them a dollar more attractive.” He waves his magic wand. Ostensibly, this person does not change at all; as far as you can tell, nothing is different. But–somehow–this person is suddenly a little more appealing. The tangible difference is invisible to the naked eye, but you can’t deny that this person is vaguely more attractive. This wizard has a weird rule, though–you can only pay him once. You can’t keep giving him money until you’re satisfied. You can only pay him one lump sum up front. How much cash do you give the wizard?
Your best friend is taking a nap on the floor of your living room. Suddenly, you are faced with a bizarre existential problem: This friend is going to die unless you kick them (as hard as you can) in the rib cage. If you don’t kick them while they slumber, they will never wake up. However, you can never explain this to your friend; if you later inform them that you did this to save their life, they will also die from that. So you have to kick a sleeping friend in the ribs, and you can’t tell them why. Since you cannot tell your friend the truth, what excuse will you fabricate to explain this (seemingly inexplicable) attack?
Day 2 of 3 on Psalm 116 and the Gospel changing families
- Can you name a time when you felt down? Overcome? Maybe, since we’re talking about family conflict, you can remember a time where you felt singled out, not known, not loved, not listened to, or treated unfairly?
- Well, God takes care of our greatest low and rescues from our deepest need. He can also help you in the other troubles of your life! Read Psalm 116:1-6.
- Verse 3 describes being trapped, bound and gagged by death. How is that a good metaphor for our sin?
- Do you relate to sin causing you distress, anguish, suffering?
- Yesterday, we talked about God hearing us when we are in need. Today, we see that the Psalmist is most specifically pointing us to our greatest need: mercy of God for our sin so that hell doesn’t win us in this world or eternally. God hears our pleas for help and he answers by sending Jesus to deliver us (Eph 2:1-10 would be worthwhile reading here, too).
- This is a rhetorical question to leave you with: if God cares about you enough to save you in your greatest need, do you think he will also meet you in your family conflict and help?
Today’s Family Resource for Growing Together is written by Taylor Gordon, a youth pastor in Lexington, SC.
MODGNIK 