Today’s Reading:
Read John 14-17
As a family, discuss ways that you might prepare for something you know is coming. If you’re going on vacation, what do you need to do to prepare for that? If you are having friends over for dinner, how would you prepare for that? Spend some time discussing what it means to prepare for something.
Jesus knew that the time was coming when He would not be with His disciples anymore. He knew that God’s plan meant that He would only be on earth for a short time before He would return to heaven to be with His father. Knowing that it was time for him to leave, He wanted to prepare His disciples for what they needed to do while He was gone.
Jesus reminded them of all that He had been teaching them. He wanted them to have faith that even though there might be sadness or trouble that they faced, they could still believe in God’s plan. He told them that when He left, He was going to prepare a place for them to come and be with Him. He wanted them to continue loving others. Jesus understood that part of God’s plan was for Him to return to Heaven to be with Him, but ultimately there would be a time where everyone who believed in Jesus would be able to go to Heaven.
Jesus also offered some good news for the Disciples. He promised that even though He was leaving, the plan was for a “comforter” to come to be with them in his absence. That comforter was the Holy Spirit. God was going to send the Holy Spirit to be a counselor and a comforter to followers of Jesus.
Application/Prayer:
John 16:33 says, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” Jesus’ message to His disciples is one that can help us, too! If you’re facing a challenge or something hard in your life right now, know that you can trust in Jesus. And know that you can have peace because Jesus has conquered the world. Thank Him for that truth today!
November Memory Verse:
“The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever.”
Using the daily reading prompts from George H. Guthrie’s Read the Bible for Life, here’s how to use this devotional:
- Bring your Bible! Your kids need to see that everything you are reading to them or learning about comes from an actual Bible!
- Each day starts with a reading prompt. Read the selection as a family. If your kids are readers, encourage them to read along with you.
- After you’ve read the passage, read the short devotional thought that goes along with each passage.
- Prayer and application are important any time we read God’s word! After each devotional, there is a challenge to help apply what your family has read that day.
- There is a reading for six days of the week. The last reading of the week is a Gospel Conversation Prompt to help you connect the reading from the week with God’s plan for salvation.
Other Resources:
November memory verse coloring sheet
November Fill-in the blank activity