Read and Share Devotional

by Gwen Ellis

Overview

This perfect companion to the Read and Share Bible^® helps parents teach their young children about God’s Word!

With 52 Bible stories and fun activities, this book provides easy access to age-appropriate topics, prayers, Bible stories, and activities that encourage sharing God’s love with others. Stories emphasize such topics as helpfulness, forgiveness, love, and fear. It’s perfect for young families who are looking for tools to help them teach their children about God’s love and who want to make the most of the times they spend together.

Each devotional contains a variety of topic introductions (ranging from songs and poems to recipes and stories), a Bible verse (short enough for a child to memorize), a Bible story, Let's Talk About It questions, a Share God’s Love activity, a prayer, plus engaging four-color art.

(Formerly titled Our Together-Time Bible.)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781400317967
Publisher:	Nelson, Thomas, Inc.
Publication date:	06/05/2011
Sold by:	HarperCollins Publishing
Format:	NOOK Book
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	975,802
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Gwen Ellis has been writing and editing all kinds of books for many years. Her Read and Share Bible and its ancillary products have sold more than 1.3 million units. Gwen is fierce in her endeavor to communicate the Word of God to kids, and she is the proud mother of two adult children and two wonderful grandchildren.

Read an Excerpt

Read and Share Devotional

Applying God's Word to Everyday Life

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By Gwen Ellis, Steve Smallman, Jeffrey Ebbeler

Thomas Nelson

Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson, Inc.
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4003-1796-7

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CHAPTER 1

God Made Them All

Through his power all things were made—things in heaven and on earth, things seen and unseen. —Colossians 1:16

Did you know God made everything? He made all the beautiful and wonderful things we see: birds, fish, elephants, puppies, kittens, flowers, you, and me—everything! God made it all. How wonderful and awesome God is! Together let's celebrate what He has made by saying or singing the poem below.

ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL

All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful, The Lord God made them all. —Cecil Alexander (excerpt)

Bible Story

Genesis 1–2

In the beginning God made heaven and earth. Then God said, "Let there be light. Let there be plants. Let there be living things in the oceans. Let there be birds in the sky. Let there be animals on earth." And every time God said, "Let there be ..." it happened!

Then God made people. First He made Adam. Later He made Eve so Adam would not be alone. God made both Adam and Eve like Himself. And God said it was all "Good"!

Read and Share Together

Let's Talk about It!

* What are some other things God made?

* Who did God make to be like Himself?

* What did God say about everything He had made?

Share God's Love

A fun way to celebrate all the bright and beautiful things God made is to make a creation collage of pictures. Ask a grownup to help you with this activity. Find some magazines that everyone has finished reading, a large piece of paper, and a pencil, pen, or crayon. At the top of your paper write: God Made Them All. Next, tear out or cut out pictures of things God has made. Glue as many of these pictures as you can onto the paper. Hang your paper with all the pictures in your room and thank God every day for all the things He has made. When friends see the collage of pictures on your wall, share God's love by telling them how God created the world.

Prayer

Dear Lord, thank You for making our beautiful world and all the animals, birds, and fish. Thank You for making everyone I love and for making me too. Amen.

Patient Noah

We show that we are servants of God by living a pure life, by our understanding, by our patience, and by our kindness. —2 Corinthians 6:6

A patient person waits calmly and without complaining. How patient are you? Is it hard for you to wait your turn when playing a game or to wait to eat just-baked cookies? What about waiting for your birthday or to open Christmas gifts?

Here's a fun way to find out how patient you really are. (To make it even more fun, include other family members.) Set a timer for one minute. Then sit perfectly still, not moving a muscle except to breathe. Did it seem as if one minute would never pass? Set the timer again, and this time while you are waiting have someone tell a story. Did the time go faster when you were busy? Staying busy and doing something useful while being patient is a good plan.

In today's Bible story, see how patiently Noah waited in the big boat with all those smelly animals.

Bible Story

Genesis 7:12; 8:1–19

You may know the story of Noah and how God saved Noah and his family from a big flood. Noah obeyed God and built a big boat, sometimes called Noah's Ark, and filled it with animals just as God told him to do. But did you know that they were in the boat for more than a year? That is a long time to be in a floating zoo! Everyone and every creature on that ark practiced patience as they waited for the day to come when they could leave the boat.

One day Noah went to the top of the boat and opened the window he had made. He sent a dove out to see if it could find dry land. If it did, they could get off the boat. The bird came back because it couldn't find a dry place to land. Noah waited seven days and sent the dove out again. This time it came back with a green leaf in its mouth. He waited seven more days and sent the bird out again, and this time it did not come back. Noah knew that meant the dove had found a safe home, because the water on the ground was drying up. Soon Noah and his family could get off the boat. Their waiting would be over.

Read and Share Together

Let's Talk about It!

* How long were Noah, his family, and the animals on the ark?

* What did everyone on that boat have to practice?

* How many times did Noah send the dove out to find land?

Share God's Love

Yikes! Just think what it would be like to not go outside for a whole year. Being patient isn't easy, but it is something God wants us to do. There are lots of different ways to keep busy while you're being patient.

* On a car trip try acting out different animals sleeping or seeing how many cars you can count in your favorite color.

* At home you might read a book or play a game.

What are other things you can do while you're being patient?

Prayer

Dear Lord, please help me to be patient in everything I do. And thank You for being patient with me. Amen.

Being Cheerful and Kind

Do not forget to do good to others. And share with them what you have. These are the sacrifices that please God. —Hebrews 13:16

Are you always cheerful and kind? Are you helpful to others? Or do you complain when someone asks for your help? In the picture on this page Abby and Casey are raking the leaves in their neighbor's yard. What are some of the things you can do to be kind and helpful?

In today's Bible story, let's read together about a kind girl named Rebekah.

K is for the King of kings you see, I is for Inside, where He lives with me, N is for Not, for I will Not fail the King, D is for Devotion—His praises I will sing.

Bible Story

Genesis 24:15–20

Abraham's servant had traveled a long time. He was thirsty and so were his ten camels. Finally, he saw a water well. Near the well was a girl named Rebekah. He asked her, "Will you give me some water, please?"

"Yes," Rebekah answered. Then she cheerfully gave the servant some water. "I will give all your camels water too," she said.

Rebekah poured water ... and poured water ... and still the camels were thirsty! But Rebekah did not get grumpy or complain; with a happy heart she kept getting water from the well until the camels were no longer thirsty.

Read and Share Together

Let's Talk about It!

* What did Abraham's servant ask Rebekah?

* What was her answer?

* What else did Rebekah do?

Share God's Love

That was a lot of camels to give water! Did you know that when you are kind to others and help with a cheerful heart as Rebekah did, you are sharing God's love? Putting away your toys and other things without being told is a way you can be helpful.

See how many toys you can put away in five minutes.

Ready, set, GO!

Prayer

Dear God, help me to be a cheerful helper and show kindness to others. Amen.

The Angry Brother

When you are angry, do not sin. And do not go on being angry all day. —Ephesians 4:26

Have you ever been angry with a brother or sister or friend? Esau was angry with his brother, Jacob. Their argument started when Esau realized he had traded his share of their father's property (his birthright) for a bowl of soup. Let's use our time together to make a soup like Jacob's soup. Ask whoever prepares the meals in your family to help you.

JACOB'S SOUP

1 cup dry lentils
1 onion, chopped
3 stalks of celery, diced (optional)
3 carrots, grated
1 pinch of cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of ginger
½ teaspoon of cloves
1 teaspoon cummin (optional)
6 cups of water or broth (chicken, beef, or vegetable)

Pick through the dry lentils to make sure there are no stones or dirt. Rinse and put them in a pot. Put everything else in the same pot and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 ½ hours. Serve with pita bread.

Hint: You can also ask a grownup to buy lentil soup in a can and help you prepare it.

Bible Story

Genesis 25:27–34; 27:1–37, 43–44

Esau and Jacob were brothers. Esau was the oldest, which meant when their father's property was divided, Esau would get the most. It was called his "birthright."

One day Jacob made soup while his brother, Esau, went hunting. When Esau came home, he was very, very hungry. "Let me eat some of that soup," Esau said.

"I'll trade you some soup for your birthright," Jacob answered.

Foolishly, Esau agreed to the trade. Their father gave Esau's birthright to Jacob.

Later, Esau thought, That trade was a big mistake. My birthright is worth more than a bowl of soup! Esau became very angry. His anger made Jacob afraid. Jacob went far away to his uncle's house, and Jacob did not come home for a long time.

Read and Share Together

Let's Talk about It!

* What did Jacob cook?

* Why did Esau get angry with Jacob?

Share God's Love

It's okay to be angry, but don't let your anger lead you to do something you know is wrong. Animals get angry in a different way than people—especially people who love Jesus. Try this pretend game to show the difference:

* Act like a big, angry bear.

* Act like a mad tiger.

* Act like an angry monkey.

* Now, act like a person who loves Jesus even when you are angry by being kind and thoughtful.

Prayer

Dear Lord, when I am angry, help me to remember to calm down and think about what I'm doing and saying. Amen.

A Happy Heart

A happy heart is like good medicine. —Proverbs 17:22

Have you ever been unhappy and whined when things didn't go your way? Did whining help? Probably not. God knows things won't always go the way we want them to, but He wants us to be happy and joyful because of all He has done for us by sending Jesus as our Savior. Jesus lives in our hearts and brings joy to us. The next time you're tempted to whine about something, sing a song of joy. You can even make up a new song.

Bible Story

Exodus 4:29–5:9; 14:29–15:16

When the Israelites heard that God had sent Moses to help them get their freedom from the king of Egypt, they were happy and thanked God for remembering them. But then things didn't go as they expected!

The king would not give them their freedom. Instead, the king made them work harder!

Now they even had to find their own straw to make bricks.

That must have made the Israelites grumpy and unhappy with God and Moses. The Israelites didn't understand that this was all part of God's plan to free them. Later, when God helped the Israelites across the Red Sea to freedom, they were so happy they sang a song to praise God.

Read and Share Together

Let's Talk about It!

* What made the Israelites unhappy?

* What did they not understand?

* What did the Israelites do when they were happy?

Share God's Love

When we are grumpy like the Israelites were when things go wrong in our lives, we squish joy from our hearts. Here's a fun way to see how joyful your heart is.

Get a jar and a handful of beans. Every time you whine or pout or complain, put a bean in the jar. At the end of the week, count your beans and see how you are doing. One bean means you did well. But if you have a lot of beans, you have squished too much joy from your heart and need to work on smiling more and whining less.

Prayer

Dear Lord, I don't want to be a whiner. Help me be happy and cheerful with a heart full of joy. Amen.

God Can Do Anything

"God can do everything!" —Luke 1:37

God takes care of you every place you go—school, camping, the seashore, visiting friends, home. He takes care of all His people all the time, everywhere. God can do anything! He used a miracle to take care of the Israelites when they left Egypt. Read today's Bible story to see just what an amazing thing God did for them. Moses was so happy, he sang the words below in praise to God. Let's sing them together.

THE SONG OF MOSES

"Are there any gods like you, Lord? No! There are no gods like you. You are wonderfully holy. You are amazingly powerful. You do great miracles." —Exodus 15:11 (excerpt)

Bible Story

Exodus 14:5–31

Moses led God's people out of Egypt and right to the banks of a huge sea. There was no way to cross to the other side of the sea. And to make matters worse, the king of Egypt had changed his mind and sent his army to capture them. God's people thought they were trapped. But God was with them. God moved a tall cloud behind them to hide them from the Egyptians. He told Moses to raise his hand over the sea.

God sent a wind that pushed the seawater apart and made a path right through the middle. And guess what? That path was dry. The people didn't even get their sandals muddy as they walked safely across to the other side. Only God can do a miracle like that!

And did you know that when the Egyptian army tried to use the path, the water came back together! And that was the end of the king's army.

Read and Share Together

Let's Talk about It!

* Where did Moses lead God's people?

* Who was coming behind them?

* What did God do?

Share God's Love

God takes care of everyone and everything. And He can do anything, like part the Red Sea. Find out just how awesome this miracle was by making a small sea.

A SMALL SEA

Start by filling a small bowl halfway with sand or dirt. Go to the sink and add enough water to cover the sand with about an inch of water over the top. With your hands, try to separate the water into two parts. You can't do it, can you? Now pour the water off the sand. Feel the sand. How long do you think it would take for the sand to get dry?

Prayer

Dear Lord, You helped Your people cross the Red Sea. I know You can take care of me too. Thank You for loving me. Amen.

God Takes Care of Us

My God will use his wonderful riches in Christ Jesus to give you everything you need. —Philippians 4:19

Has your parent or teacher ever asked you to clean up a spill, but then didn't give you any towels to do the job? Probably not. When God asks us to do something, He gives us everything we need to do it. When Moses led God's people out of Egypt and into the desert, there was no water and no food. God provided them a miracle food called "manna."

AMAZING FOOD

No one knows for sure what manna was, but the Bible tells us this:

• Manna came on the ground at night and looked like frost.

• Manna looked like small white seeds.

• Manna tasted like wafers made with honey.

Bible Story

Exodus 15:22–17:7

After God's people left Egypt, they began to grumble. "In Egypt we had all the food we wanted," they complained. "Now we will starve in the desert!" God heard them and said He would be sure they had plenty of food. In the evening, He would provide them meat to eat. In the morning, He would give them all the bread they wanted. And He did.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Read and Share Devotional by Gwen Ellis, Steve Smallman, Jeffrey Ebbeler. Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson, Inc.. Excerpted by permission of Thomas Nelson.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Contents

God Made Them All Creation....................1
Patient Noah Patience....................5
Being Cheerful and Kind Kindness....................9
The Angry Brother Anger....................13
A Happy Heart Finding Joy....................17
God Can Do Anything Miracle....................21
God Takes Care of Us God Takes Care of Us....................25
God's Book God's Word....................29
Try Something New Try New Things....................33
Blind Trust Trust....................37
The Best Help Possible God's Help....................41
You're a Winner! Overcoming Problems....................45
God Answers Prayer Prayer....................49
Shhhhhhhhhh! Listening....................53
Hooray for the Little Guy! Courage....................57
Friends Forever Friends....................61
Be Kind Kindness....................65
Let's Share Sharing....................69
Fire from Heaven Prayer....................73
An Honest Person Telling the Truth....................77
Faithful Faithfulness....................81
God Provides God's Provision....................85
Achoo! Your Amazing Body....................89
The Borrowed Ax Borrowing....................93
I Choose You Chosen....................97
The Right Time Choices....................101
God's Angels Watch Over You Angels....................105
I Will Obey Obedience....................109
God's Family Family....................113
Jesus' Birthday! Jesus' Birth....................117
God's Best Promise Comes True God's Promises....................121
One of God's Top Ten Honoring Parents....................125
Say No to Temptation Temptation....................129
When You're Sick Sickness....................133
Being a Helper Helpfulness....................137
Don't Be Afraid Fear....................141
Jesus Loves Me! Jesus' Love....................145
God's Surprises God's Surprises....................149
Jesus Heals Healing....................153
Be a Happy Giver Giving....................157
Mighty Jesus! Fear....................161
The Good Shepherd Caring....................165
Forgiven Forgiveness....................169
When Jesus Cried Sorrow....................173
A Thankful Heart Gratitude....................177
Let Me Serve You Serving Others....................181
Happy Easter! Easter....................185
Good News! Good News....................189
A Life That Shines Witnessing....................193
When It's Not Funny to Laugh Laughter....................197
A Sudden Storm Hope....................201
A Home in Heaven Heaven....................205
Index....................209
Topics....................209
Scriptures....................209
Activities....................211