November: Wholly Holy

WEEK 1: The Only One

YOU'LL NEED: Two different kinds of leaves or flowers (fake flowers are fine) and four pieces of plain paper, some tape and markers.

GET STARTED: Pass the flowers or leaves around your group. Ask each person to notice one thing that makes these flowers or leaves different from each other. Explain that this month you'll be talking about what makes God holy and different from all other beings, including the false gods of other religions.

TALK IT OVER: Read 2 Chronicles 6:12-15. Ask each person to talk about a time someone made them a promise and broke it. What does Solomon say about God's promises in this passage? Talk together about some of God's other promises. What do God's promises tell us about him? What else does Solomon say about God in this passage?

WRAP IT UP: Tape the four pieces of paper together, end to end. Position the paper vertically and write the letters of the alphabet down the left side. Write a name or description of God that begins with each letter. (For X, use a word starting with "ex".) Finish with a prayer thanking God for his holiness.

WEEK 2: Power Play

YOU'LL NEED: A large piece of paper for each family member and crayons or markers.

GET STARTED: This week, you'll be talking about God's power. Pair up and have each pair thumb wrestle by holding their partner's hand, thumbs raised. The first person to "pin" the other person's thumb wins. Have the winners wrestle each other to get a family champion.

TALK IT OVER: Read 2 Chronicles 14:9-12. What did Asa believe God could do? Help your children think of other Bible stories in which God helps the powerless defeat the mighty (David and Goliath, Daniel in the lions' den, Peter escapes prison, etc.). Have each person talk about a time he or she felt powerless. How did God help them? Ask how it feels to think about God's superhuman power. That kind of power is part of what makes God holy.

WRAP IT UP: Pass out paper and markers. Have each person draw a shield. Ask them to include something that symbolizes God, such as a cross, a Bible or even a powerful animal like a lion. End with a prayer asking God to help you trust in his power.

WEEK 3: God Talk

YOU'LL NEED: A newspaper or magazine

GET STARTED: This week you'll be talking about the ways God communicates with us. Show your family the front page of the newspaper or the cover of the magazine. Talk together about what it communicates and how.

TALK IT OVER: Read Deuteronomy 4:5-8. What does Moses say makes God different from false gods? Talk about the ways we communicate with God. What are some ways God communicates with us? Even though God is awesome, powerful, perfect and holy, he also loves and cares about us. That makes him even more awesome and holy.

WRAP IT UP: As a family, walk through the rooms in your house or apartment. Ask your children to point out things that communicate something about your family. What do the pictures on the walls or the books on the shelves tell people about you? Ask your children to think about what the clothes they wear, the words they use and the attitude they project tell people about them. Finish with a prayer thanking God for being so close to us that we can communicate with him anytime, anywhere.

WEEK 4: God in Me

YOU'LL NEED: A photo of yourself as a child, a large bowl of water, a pepper shaker and some dishwashing liquid.

GET STARTED: This week, you'll be talking about ways we can be more like God. Show your children the photograph of yourself. Ask them to talk about ways they look the same or different from your photo.

TALK IT OVER: Read 1 John 4:8-12. What does this passage tell us about God? Now read 1 Peter 1:15-16. Just like we resemble our parents, we want to do our best to resemble God in the way we live. Talk together about ways each of you can be more holy as you try to follow God.

WRAP IT UP: Put the bowl of water on a table. Talk about what it means to be pure and clean like the water. Then ask each person to shake pepper onto the water. The pepper represents sin. How does the pepper change the water in the bowl? Now put one drop of dishwashing liquid in the center of the water and watch what happens. How does God cleanse us so that we're pure again? End by asking God to help you become more like him each day.

Karyn Henley is the author of the original Beginner's Bible (Zondervan) and other resources for parents and children. Visit her website at www.karynhenley.com.

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