Faith Forward Family Devotional: 100 Devotions

By Patrick Schwenk and Ruth Schwenk

Do you need a devotional to help connect your family? With 100 devotionals, Faith Forward Family Devotional by authors Patrick and Ruth Schwenk equips parents to raise faith-filled kids who know, love, and live for God.

Somewhere between diapers and sippy cups, piano lessons and soccer practice, dating and college searches, even the most well-intentioned family can lose sight of creating a God-centered home. As parents of four, pastor Patrick Schwenk and his wife, Ruth, of The Better Mom blog, understand the challenges--and importance--of raising faith-filled kids.

• Patrick and Ruth help you pass on your faith with devotions you can do at your own pace as a family.
• Each devotion features a Bible passage, a teaching that's applicable for kids of any age, key ideas to learn about God and His character, questions to spark family discussion, and a prayer. 
• Faith Forward Family Devotional is aimed primarily at families with kids ages 8-12, but it also includes ideas for activities for younger children and recommendations for further study for older kids, so the whole family can join in the devotional gathering.

You've passed down to your kids your last name, your love, and maybe your sense of humor or favorite hobbies. But have you passed down the most important thing: your faith? Faith Forward Family Devotional helps you grow closer to your kids as they grow closer to God. Whatever season of parenting you are in, sharing this devotional time together will help your children nourish a faith that lasts a lifetime.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Release date: Nov 12, 2019
• ISBN: 9780310453154

Patrick Schwenk

Patrick Schwenk is a pastor of nearly twenty years and the co-author of Faith Forward Family Devotional and For Better or For Kids: A Vow to Love Your Spouse with Kids in the House. He is also the co-founder, with his wife Ruth, of the popular blog FortheFamily.org and the podcast Rootlike Faith. Along with being a Michigan sports super fan, he loves to read and spend time with his family. Patrick has a Doctor of Ministry degree from Biola University and lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with his wife, four children, two hamsters, and a loyal Labrador Retriever.

Book preview

LETTER TO PARENTS

Dear parents,

One of the greatest joys we have in life is the calling, with God’s help, to shape our children’s hearts. To ground them, guard them, and guide them in God’s amazing truth, love, and grace. And of course, to one day release our children into the world for God’s glory!

Written for families with children of all ages, Faith Forward Family Devotional takes families like yours through the entire Bible in one hundred devotions. Each devotion is complete with key verses, a devotion for the whole family, a key idea, discussion questions geared for various ages, and even a family prayer.

Faith Forward Family Devotional is the perfect resource for everyday busy parents who also desire to help pass on faith to the next generation. Simple, practical, conversational, and full of God’s truth, it is written to help families, with kids of all ages, keep God at the center of who they are and what they do!

Our prayer is that you not only come to know God’s Word more fully, but that you also come to trust Jesus more faithfully. That you would know the power and presence of God’s Spirit. And that you and your family would be light in the dark!

We, too, want to see faith move forward in our family and in the world. We know it’s not always easy. It’s not always convenient. But our calling is critical. And so we hope that this devotional is a blessing to you and your family. We trust it will further equip you and inspire you to help raise another generation to love and serve Jesus.

Passing on faith with you!

Patrick and Ruth Schwenk

1

GOD CREATES

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

GENESIS 1:1–2

How did you start your day today? Maybe you jumped out of bed, eager to play outside. Did your mom or dad drag you out of bed to get ready for school? Or maybe your day began with something to eat or a list of chores.

When we first open the Bible, we discover a different kind of beginning—the very beginning. The start of it all. Not just the start of a day, not just the beginning of a new week, but the beginning of God’s creation. The beginning of God’s work in the world. The beginning of everything!

In five simple but important words, we read, In the beginning God created. Nothing came before God! He was the beginning, and everything else comes from Him. He is the Author and Giver of life. God created the heavens and the earth.

God our Father created the light and separated it from the darkness. He called the light day and darkness night. He separated the water above from the water below, calling it sky. God gathered the water under the sky and caused dry ground to appear. And then He began to fill what He created.

The dry ground was filled with plants and all kinds of vegetation.

The sky was filled with the sun, moon, and countless stars.

Living creatures filled the seas, dry ground, and blue sky.

Then God made man and woman—in His own image.

He made everything from nothing.

From the very beginning, God was creating a world where He could be known. A world to be enjoyed by His creation. And that was just the beginning! Soon we’ll see how God is creating a world where we are invited to join Him in all He is doing.

KEY IDEA

God is powerful. It takes a lot of faith to believe that He created something from nothing. The Bible teaches that God is the Creator of all things. Out of nothing, He made everything!

LET’S DISCUSS TOGETHER

• Describe a time when you have seen God’s power or strength in your own life.

• Why is it important to believe that God created us?

• In what areas of your life do you need to remember that God is powerful and He is with you?

LET’S PRAY TOGETHER

Father, You are our Creator. You are almighty—powerful and strong. We were made by You and for You. Help us trust that You are powerful, strong, and in control of all that happens. We love You and want to live for Your purposes. In Jesus’ name, amen.

For Further Study: Genesis 1:1–31

2

FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD

God said, Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.

GENESIS 1:26

Have you ever made something you were really proud of? What was it, and why did you make it? God is a creative God. Full of power. Overflowing with goodness and wisdom. And that’s not all! God’s love is the source of all He has made.

The Bible teaches that love has always existed between God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Love just pours out of God because love is who He is! Do you know what the best part is? God created us to share in His love by being in a relationship with Him.

When God was finished creating the heavens and earth, filling it with every kind of living creature, He saved the best for last. He made human beings in His image. Not even angels or animals are said to be made in God’s image. There is something special about who we are and the kind of relationship we can have with God.

We are made to be in a loving friendship with God in which we listen to Him, trust Him, and obey what He says. God gives us emotions to feel, a mind to think, and a will to freely love God the way He first loved us.

Only a friendship with God can truly make us happy. It’s a friendship that promises joy, peace, and hope that will never go away!

KEY IDEA

God is relational. The Bible teaches that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He has always existed in relationship. He created us to live in a relationship with Himself by faith in Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

LET’S DISCUSS TOGETHER

• In what ways do we share God’s likeness?

• Why is being in a relationship with God necessary for showing others what God is like?

• What are one or two practical ways you can begin showing others what God is like?

LET’S PRAY TOGETHER

Father, You have made us to be in a relationship with You through faith in Your Son, Jesus. Continue to teach us. Grow us. Make us more like You by making us more like Jesus. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit so we can show others what You are really like. In Jesus’ name, amen.

For Further Study: Genesis 1:26–28; Colossians 1:15; Colossians 3:9–10

3

PARTNERS WITH GOD

The L

ORD

God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

GENESIS 2:15

How do you usually respond when your mom or dad asks you to help around the house? Are you ready to serve or ready to complain? The story of creation is a reminder that God not only loves us but also invites us to work with Him and for Him.

When God first created Adam and Eve, He placed them in the perfect home. It was called the garden of Eden or the garden of delight. It was perfect in every way because God was present there with Adam and Eve.

There was no sin. No fighting. No crying. People didn’t get hurt, lonely, or scared. There was no death or sadness. Just pure love and joy and peace. It was like heaven on earth! But God had a job for Adam and Eve to do. God created them to work—to help take care of His creation.

In God’s eyes, work is good. It is important and full of meaning. Work isn’t something bad or something to complain about. In fact, God has given each of us different gifts or abilities. God created us to join Him in His work of telling the world what He is like.

Our work might be something around the house, like putting away the dishes, mowing the grass, or doing laundry. Or someday it could be a job as a teacher, doctor, or engineer. Whatever we do, we can do it with an even greater purpose. We can do it to love others and show people what God is like. God doesn’t want our work to be a chore. He wants it to be a chance for us to serve people and bring glory to Him.

KEY IDEA

Work is meant to bless others and glorify God. Work isn’t just about us. Whatever we do, we can use our work to help love and serve others. And if we work with the right heart and attitude, work can be a way of showing other people what God is like.

LET’S DISCUSS TOGETHER

• How do you usually respond to work?

• How can work be a way of showing other people what God is like?

• How can you use your gifts and abilities to love other people?

LET’S PRAY TOGETHER

Father, give us the same attitude of Jesus—an attitude of love toward others. Help us remember that no matter what we do, we are really serving You. Teach us to work hard and to work to bless and serve those around us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

For Further Study: Genesis 2:4–17

4

SEPARATION

The L

ORD

God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.

GENESIS 3:21

Everything in God’s creation was just right. Perfect. But then something terrible happened.

It turns out God has an Enemy. This Enemy, Satan, used to be a friend. He was once a powerful and beautiful angel. But Satan didn’t want to love God; Satan wanted to be God.

Satan knew God was powerful and that God wanted to use His creation to tell the whole world what He was like. He wanted to stop God’s plan from the very beginning.

He came disguised as a snake, telling lies about God. He tried to trick Adam and Eve into believing that God wasn’t good. That God didn’t really love them. And that life would be better if they were in charge, doing what they wanted, instead of trusting and obeying their Father and Friend.

It worked too. Even though God had given Adam and Eve everything they could have wanted, it wasn’t enough. They disobeyed the one command God gave them: You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17). If they ate from it, God warned, they would not enjoy a long and amazing life with God forever. Instead of friendship with God, they would experience separation. That’s exactly what happened.

After eating the fruit, Adam and Eve felt guilty for the first time. They realized they were naked, so they hid from God. But because of God’s great love, God clothed them with animal skins. It was like He was wrapping their sin with His love. Even though they would have to leave their perfect home, they would not lose their perfect Father and Friend. He would never stop loving them.

God was just beginning His work in the world. The story of Adam and Eve is a reminder that we too have an Enemy. He might not come disguised as a snake, but Satan is still trying to break up people’s friendship with God and to stop His work in the world. But we know God has something so much better for us when we trust and obey Him!

KEY IDEA

God is gracious. Because God is perfect and holy, He had to deal with Adam and Eve’s disobedience. They experienced the consequences for their sin. But God is also gracious—He gives us what we don’t deserve. He covered their sin. It is a beautiful picture of what Jesus would do for the whole world one day when He would die on the cross, covering our sins once and for all.

LET’S DISCUSS TOGETHER

• Describe a time when you were tempted not to obey God.

• As we live for God, how can we guard against Satan’s temptations?

• The good news is that we are not alone. How do you think God protects us?

LET’S PRAY TOGETHER

Father, thank You that You never leave us or stop loving us, even when we sin. Help us be wise and not fearful in fighting against Satan’s temptations. Protect us. Give us the strength to trust You and obey You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

For Further Study: Genesis 3:1–24

5

FAMILY TROUBLE: CAIN AND ABEL

The Lord said to