Weekly Fun Plan: He Makes Me Brave

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Welcome to this week’s Weekly Fun Plan: He Makes Me Brave! If you haven’t already I recommend you read my introductory blog post “Faith-filled Fun: What Is It? And Why I Started It”. That post will give you some background into this blog and a little more in-depth explanation of my Weekly Fun Plans and how to use them.

This Week’s Theme: He Makes Me Brave!

Whether it’s standing up to give a presentation at school or standing up for what we believe in, we all need courage sometimes. When life gets scary or tough for my children I want them to know that they can always turn to God for bravery and that’s the essence of this week’s lesson. What better way to learn about bravery than to look at some of the various stories in the Bible where people were courageous?

This week we are going to look at 4 amazing stories: Daniel in the Lion’s Den, David and Goliath, Queen Esther, and The Fiery Furnace to see what they all have in common…bravery comes from God! And all the craft, snack, and activity ideas will be themed around these Bible stories of bravery. If you try anything in this week’s plan don’t forget to share your experiences on social media! Tag us @faithfilledfun on Instagram or use #faithfilledfun.

New Weekly Fun Plans drop each Monday so stay up to date with the blog by subscribing to my email list!

Bible Lesson: What to Read or Watch this week

Since this week we are focusing on the topic of courage, here are some great resources to read/watch:

If you have young children (ages 0-8):

Read the following Bible verses on bravery:
- Isaiah 41:10
- Psalms 31:24
- Deuteronomy 31:6
- 1 Corinthians 16:13
Read one of this week’s stories in the Bible:
- Daniel in the Lion’s Den: Daniel 6
- David and Goliath: 1 Samuel 17
- Queen Esther: Esther 1-10 (This is a longer read)
- The Fiery Furnace: Daniel 3
Watch “4 Courageous Stories About Overcoming Fear | Bible Stories for Kids” by Minno – Bible Stories for Kids on YouTube. This is a fun animated 30-minute episode that quickly summarizes all 4 Bible stories from this week’s lesson and is geared toward young children.

If you have older children/teens (ages 9-18):

Read the same verses listed above and have them choose 1 of the 4 Bible stories to read in their own personal study time. Then have them take notes on what they think God is trying to teach them through these verses.

Bible Lesson: Questions to Ask Your Kids/Discuss this week

If you read the recommended Bible verses or watched the YouTube video your kids should be able to answer this week’s question:

Who can help me when I am afraid? Answer: God makes me brave!

If you have little ones (ages 0-8):

I would focus on that one question this week, and work on having them memorize the answer. Ask them that same question every morning or evening and see if they can remember the answer. Once they get that question down, move on to the additional questions listed below.

If you have older children (ages 9-18):

Here are some additional questions you can discuss with them throughout the week:

How did David show courage?
How did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego show courage?
How did Esther show courage?
How did Daniel show courage?
How can we become brave like these men and women of the Bible?
Is there a situation in your own life that might require some extra courage this week?

Bible Lesson: Memory Verse

Memorizing scripture is vital to teaching our children at a young age. Recalling and reciting scripture that they’ve memorized will help them as they grow and go through trials in life. It will also encourage them, equip them to go out and be little disciples of Jesus, and strengthen their faith as they age.

This week let’s have your kids work on memorizing Joshua 1:9. You may want to try memorizing the first half of the verse first (shown on the image below) then once you get that part down, work on memorizing the whole thing.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Memorizing scripture is so much easier for kids if you can find a way to make it fun. Here are some different ideas to try as a family to help memorize this week’s verse:

Come up with some simple motions for each word of the verse and make a cheer or dance out of it.
Come up with your own melody and create a song out of it.
Make it a game. Start by saying one word or phrase of the verse at a time and have your kids repeat after you until you’ve gotten through the whole verse. Then repeat the process saying the words differently every time. Examples: slow, fast, in a silly voice, quiet, loud, etc.
Write the verse one word or phrase at a time onto small pieces of paper, cups, blocks, or anything else small you can find around the house. Then work together to unscramble the words and put them in order of the verse.

Once your child/children have got it, I recommend practicing reciting the verse each morning over breakfast or before they leave for school and maybe even again before bed. Make it a part of your routine and you’ll be amazed at how fast they will begin to pick it up.

Supplies needed for this week’s activities

Here is a quick list of all the supplies that you will need to complete all the suggested crafts, activities, and snacks for this week’s plan. For a list of my most used craft supplies, and things I will be utilizing often in future Weekly Fun Plans be sure to check out my Links page.

Recipe: David and Goliath Slingshot Snack

This week’s recipe is a fun way to bring the story of David and Goliath to snack time. Follow along with the super simple instructions in this video and enjoy your edible slingshot.

For more fun videos like this, be sure to follow me on TikTok & Instagram.

Crafts:

This week, we are making a “3D Lion Paper Craft” and “Fiery Furnace Handprint Craft”. Both crafts are simple and fun reminders of the various stories of bravery we learned about this week in the Bible.

3D Lion Paper Craft:

Our first craft this week is an adorable 3D Lion Paper Craft! It’s fun and easy to make and serves as a great reminder of Daniel’s bravery when facing the lion’s den. Follow the link for easy step-by-step instructions.

Fiery Furnace Handprint Craft:

If you’ve followed the blog for a while then you know how much I love handprint crafts! So this week we are making these colorful Fiery Furnace Handprint Crafts as a reminder of the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego with a fun visualization of God with them in the fire. Follow the link for an easy step-by-step guide.

Activities:

With our theme this week, “He Makes Me Brave” here are a few extra ideas for activities to do with your children:

Dress up and act out your favorite Bible story from this week’s lesson as a family.
Make or use your Paper Plate Crown from one of my previous Weekly Fun Plans and pretend play as Queen Esther.
Try something new this week like a new activity or new food. (Be brave!)
Make cards or snacks for some local brave men & women in your area like police officers, firefighters, paramedics, nurses, etc.

Parenting Tip of the Week:

Our identity and our children’s identity should always come from Christ first and foremost. We are who God says we are and not what the world or other people might say we are. As much as we as parents might know it in our hearts, hear about it at church, or read it in our Bibles, it’s so important to remind ourselves and our children daily what our identity is in Christ.

Recently one of my favorite Christian influencers, Lacy Abercrombie, shared a list of Christian affirmations she reads over herself every morning and it stuck with me. I typed up the list and have been reading it over myself and my kids ever since and I think it could benefit you and your family too. So I’ve created a free downloadable Christian Affirmations poster for you to print off and use and have also attached it below for you to read. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Prayers:

Lastly, I like to end each Weekly Fun Plan with some example prayers for your week. One is to pray with your kids, maybe before they get on the bus in the morning, before a meal, or before bed, and the other prayer is for you, the parent, to pray over your kids throughout the week.

Prayer to say with your kids this week:

Dear God, Please help me to be strong and courageous, even when I’m scared. Amen

Prayer to pray over your kids this week:

Dear God, Guide me as I teach my child about your word and your character this week. I know that only You can bring about change and understanding in my child’s heart so I ask that you reveal yourself to them this week. Lord, give my family strength when we are weak, courage when we are afraid, and comfort when we are alone. In Jesus name, amen.

I hope you have a wonderful week and don’t forget to subscribe to my email list and follow me on Instagram @faithfilledfun to stay up to date with the blog!