Family Time with God: August

One of the best ways parents can model a living, active relationship with Christ is to emphasize the importance of the Bible in day-to-day family life. These calendar pages from Awana can help you do just that! The verses are divided into three parts. Preschoolers memorize the words in bold. Elementary boys and girls memorize the words in bold and italics. Older teens and parents learn the complete verse.

Calendar Highlights

Names of God (August)

Challenge older children to search the Bible for various names of God. (The list below is just a starting point.) Work together, using a concordance or other Bible study tools.

Old Testament

(August 11)

Shield—Psalm 3:3

Rock—Psalm 28:1

Fortress—Psalm 46:7

Holy One—Psalm 71:22

Most High—Psalm 92:1

King—Psalm 145:1

New Testament

(August 22)

Father—Matthew 11:25

Most High God—Mark 5:7

The Word—John 1:1

Abba—Romans 8:15

Lord Almighty—2 Corinthians 6:18

Judge of all men—Hebrews 12:23

Johnny Appleseed (September 26)

Johnny Appleseed was born John Chapman on September 26, 1774. He's famous for planting apple trees throughout the East and Midwest, but he was also a missionary of sorts. Before he left home, his father gave him a Bible and said, "As long as you carry God's Word, your path will be a straight one." Johnny listened to his father's advice; while he planted apple trees, he also planted God's love, announcing, "My name is John Chapman, and I enjoy planting apple trees and bringing God's Word."

(Go online or head to your local library to learn more about Johnny Appleseed.)

Praying for Missionaries (October 4)

During your family prayers, be sure to include any missionaries you or your church support.

Ask God to:

give them wisdom as they minister to people from other cultures
keep them healthy
help them work in unity with other missionaries
bring good friends into their lives

Ask God to help you:

encourage them with your prayers and letters
remember them as they do God's work in the world
learn more about the people they work with
find ways to offer emotional, spiritual, and financial support

What Is Awana?

Awana® is a nondenominational youth ministry committed to reaching boys and girls with the gospel of Christ and training them to serve him. Each week, more than one million kids in over 110 countries attend Awana clubs where they play games, memorize Bible verses, and learn practical truths from God's Word. From preschool through high school, Awana offers a fun environment in which children and youth hear the life-changing message of the Bible.

To learn more about Awana and locate an Awana club near you, visit www.awana.org/about.asp

How can you help children memorize? Here's some advice from a group of kids in North Carolina:

"Sing, write, and study."

—Lisa, age 9

"My secret is saying the words over and over."

—Jesse, age 10

"I look over it and say it to myself."

—Shelby, age 8

"I say my verses 15 times over and over every night."

—Myles, age 11

"I try to make a song out of it as I memorize a little bit of it at a time."

—Holly, age 9

August

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
	1. Family Fun: Shredded wheat was patented on August 1, 1893. Have a bowl for breakfast!	2. Family Forum: Ask your parents how they chose your name. What other names did they think about?
Week 1 What's in a name? 1 Samuel 22:1A good name is more desirable than great riches;to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.
3. Find three people at church who are named after someone else in their family.	4. Click Here to find out the most popular names of the past few years. Do you know anyone with one of these names?	5. Learn Proverbs 22:1. What does it mean to have a "good name"?	6. Make a name plaque with heavy cardboard. Make the letters of your name with something unique: sticks, buttons, sequins, pebbles, ribbon, etc.	7. With a marker, write Proverbs 22:1 around the edge of your name plaque. Hang it on your bedroom door.	8. Read Genesis 17:1-7. Whose name was changed? Why was it changed?	9. Read a story about Abraham from a Bible storybook.
Week 2 God's Name (part 1) Isaiah 40:28Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
10. Read Isaiah 40:28-31.	11. Find at least five names of God in the Old Testament.	12. Why do you think God has more than one name?	13. Learn Isaiah 40:28. What does "everlasting" mean?	14. List 10 things God created.	15. Enjoy God's creation! Swim, take a walk, or have a picnic.	16. Family Fun: It's National Joke Day: When was baseball first mentioned in the Bible? Genesis 1:1 — In the beginning (big inning).
Week 3 God's Name (part 2) Revelation 1:8"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
17. Family Fact: It's National Air-conditioning Appreciation Week. Thank God for cool breezes.	18. Look up the Greek alphabet Click Here. Spell your last name using Greek letters.	19. Learn Revelation 1:8. Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Why do you think the Lord calls himself the Alpha and Omega?	20. Read Revelation 22:18-21.	21. Family Fact: August is Peach Month. Eat a peach and thank God for this yummy treat.	22. Find at least five names of God in the New Testament.	23. Make a list of all the names of God you've found. Try using these names when you pray.
Week 4 No Other Name Acts 4:12Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.
24. Listen for different names for God at church.	25. Read Acts 4:1-13.	26. Family Forum: How did the crowd treat Peter and John in Acts 4? Why did they get put in jail?	27. Pretend you're a news reporter listening to Peter and John talk. How would you report the story?	28. Thank your parents for telling you about God.	29. Learn Acts 4:12.	30. Pray for a friend who doesn't know God.
31. Say all the verses you learned this month.

Read more articles that highlight writing by Christian women at ChristianityToday.com/Women

Family Time with God: August

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Cultivating Kids' Faith Parenting

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