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Parents, you don’t have to do all of this at once! We want to help you make faith a normal, natural part of your home life this week. Below are two options—pick the one that best fits your family’s evening rhythm today. Option 2 is designed for children of any age, Option 1 is more for younger children

🏡 OPTION 1 Family Creative Devotion Guide: The love of God

Best for: Dinner table, bedtimes, or a 15-minute weekend family slot.

Prep time: 2 minutes.

What you need:

• A heavy object (a large rock, a heavy book, or a filled backpack)
• A small piece of paper and a pen for everyone
• A cross (or two sticks tied together with string/rubber band)

1. The Hands-On Warmup (3 Mins)

Pass the heavy object (rock, book, or bag) around the circle. Have each person hold it out with one arm extended for as long as they can.

Ask:

• “How does it feel to hold something heavy for a long time?”
• “What happens when someone comes along and helps you carry it?”

The Link:

On Sunday, we learned about the Cross of Jesus. Sometimes people treat the cross like a light piece of jewelry, but real crosses were heavy. Former Archbishop Justin Welby said: “A cross that has no weight is no cross worth carrying.” The cross shows us just how heavy, serious, and real God’s love is for us.

2. Read Together (2 Mins)

Have someone read Romans 5:8 aloud:

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

3. Creative Activity: “God is Mad About You” (5 Mins)

1. Hand out a slip of paper and a pen to everyone in the family.
2. Ask everyone to write or draw one thing that made them feel tired, sad, or like they messed up this past week (e.g., getting angry, feeling lonely, a hard test at school).
3. Fold the paper up.
4. Place all the papers under or next to your family cross (or the heavy object).

Talk About It:

Did Jesus wait for us to be perfect, quiet, or super good before He went to the cross? No! He knew all about our hard days, our mistakes, and our bad moods—and He still chose to love us. God doesn’t just “like” you when you’re good; He is completely, relentlessly mad about you all the time.

4. Family Prayer & Action (3 Mins)

Take turns placing a hand on the cross/heavy object and praying a simple 1-line prayer:

“Thank you, Jesus, that your love is bigger and heavier than my mistakes. Help me rest in your love today.”

The Family Challenge for the Week:

Who is one person at school, work, or in our neighborhood who might be having a hard time? Because we are so full of God’s heavy love, how can we share a piece of that love with them this week? (e.g., invite them to play, write a kind note, bake cookies, or pray for them).

💬 Option 2: The 5-Minute Family Table Talk

1. On God’s Character: What do you think it means when we say “God is mad about you,” and how is His love different from the way people sometimes love each other?
2. On the Cross: Why do you think Christians view the cross as the ultimate sign of love, even though it was a place of deep pain and suffering?
3. On Hard Relationships: Jesus loved people even when they hurt Him—what does it look like for us to respond with love when someone is unkind to us, without pretending the hurt doesn’t matter?
4. On Serving at Home: Jesus came to serve rather than show off—what is one small, hidden way each of us can serve someone else in our house this week?
5. On Motivation: How does knowing you are already completely loved by God change the way you say sorry, pray, or choose to help others?