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Attention Parents and Kids:
Please use a ball point pen or marker
to write in this book.
Introd uction
“Draw near to God, and He will draw
near to you.” James 4:8a
Over the next few weeks you will have a chance to do
what the verse says up there, draw near to God. He promises us that if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us.
Drawing near just means getting closer to Him. We could
even reword that verse a little bit:
“Get closer to God and He will get closer to you.”
Think about that! The God of the universe, the God
who created everything (from puppies to waterfalls to
hotdogs), the God who can do anything wants to get
closer to you. That’s pretty amazing!
This devotional book will help you draw near to God
over the next few weeks. You might be asked to draw
something. You might be asked to go outside and do
something. You might be asked to sit quietly for a couple
of minutes and simply think about God. If you take each
of these days seriously, you’ll be giving God more of a
chance to get closer to you.
So, may these weeks help you get closer to God. May
God’s Word change your life. May you begin to read
God’s Word (the Bible) and figure out how God wants you
to live. May you allow God to use you to change the lives
of others.
Now let’s Draw Near!
WEEK one INTRODUCTION
How does it feel when someone invites you to
something? Maybe you got invited to a party or to a
friend’s house for a sleep-over. Do you feel special or a
part of the group? Does it make you feel like someone
cares about you?
Did you know that Jesus has invited us? He has invited
us to have a relationship with Him. He wants us to know
Him and spend forever with Him in Heaven. He cares
about us so much! This week you are going to be learning
about how Jesus Invites Us.
“Draw Near to God, and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8
WEEK one DAY one
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and make your hearts
pure, you double-minded.” (New King James Version)
“Come near to God and He will come near to you.
Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you
double-minded.” (New International Version)
“Say a quiet yes to God and He’ll be there in no time.
Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the
field.” (Message Bible)
Read this verse 3 times, underline the important words,
then write them down.
Have you ever gone on a camping trip? Did you have
a camp fire? What happened when you got close to the
fire? What happens when you walk away from it? How
does it feel to be close to the fire?
God invites you and me to come close to Him, to enjoy
being near Him, thinking about Him, talking to Him, listening
to Him.
How do you feel when you are near someone you
love?
PRAY
Dear Jesus, thanks for inviting me to be close to You! I
love You and love to feel very near to You!
WANNA READ MORE?
Drink Deep! John 7:37-39, 4:7-14
“Draw Near to God, and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8
WEEK one DAY two
Listening to God is sometimes really hard. Read
James 4:8 again, then stop for 5 minutes and ask God to
speak to you.
What came into your mind?
When is it easiest for you to talk to God?
When is it hard?
Who are 2 people you love to be around?
Why do you like them?
Do you talk more or listen more?
Jesus loves to talk to us. Sometimes He talks to us in
our thoughts, sometimes when we read the Bible and
sometimes He uses other people to share with us important
things about Him.
Which is easiest for you to know for sure that God is talking to you?
PRAY
Dear God, help me to stop and listen to You today. I
want to think about You more, but sometimes I don’t. Help
me to think about You lots! Amen
WANNA READ MORE?
Only One Voice. John 10:1-15
“Draw Near to God, and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8
WEEK one DAY three
Where is your favorite place in the entire world? No
one knows for sure what God looks like, but the Bible tells us
we are made in His image. Draw a picture of you and God
sitting in your favorite place.
PRAY
Dear Jesus, it is fun to imagine You and I sitting together.
I can’t wait until I see You. Heaven sure sounds wonderful!
Thank You for promising us that someday we can be there
with You!
WANNA READ MORE?
Return And Live! Isaiah 55:1-3, 6-7
“Draw Near to God, and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8
WEEK one DAY four
Have you ever wanted to ask God a question? Write
down 2 things you would like to ask God.
1.
2.
You might want to share those with your parents;
maybe they can help you find the answers.
Finish these sentences:
I usually talk to God when
.
I am so glad God made
.
I think it is funny that God made
.
I think about God most when I
I have learned
.
about God this week.
Today, I want to tell God
.
PRAY
Now, take time to tell Him that thing that you just wrote
down on that last line.
WANNA READ MORE?
Show Me Your Glory! Exodus 33:13-19
“Draw Near to God, and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8
WEEK one DAY five
This week, God has reminded us that He wants to
spend time with us. He loves it when I think about Him,
read the Bible, talk to Him and listen to Him.
Sometimes it is hard to make time for everything we
want to do. We get busy or distracted or put things off. But
God tells us if we take the time to be close to Him, He will
be there waiting for us. God loves to spend time with me!!
With God’s help, I will spend _______ minutes with Him
every day at this time ________.
Every time I look at a clock today, I am going to
remember that God is with me and thank God for being
so close to me!
WANNA READ MORE?
Only One Boast. Jeremiah 9:23-24
“Draw Near to God, and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8
WEEK two INTRODUCTION
What do you do when you are scared? If the world
around you is crazy, do you look for a place to run and
hide? When our lives get crazy, we want a refuge. Refuge
sounds like a pretty big word. But it’s just a place where we
can run and hide and be safe.
Jesus is our refuge. One of the cool things about Jesus
is that He’s always with us. Whenever our lives get scary or
crazy, we can run to Him and hide and be safe. He is with
us. He knows what’s happening to us. And He cares about
us and will keep us safe. This week we are learning about
how Jesus Is Our Refuge.
“God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1
WEEK two DAY one
Read Psalm 46:1-2.
The dictionary says the word “refuge” means protection or shelter.
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Where do you take refuge (shelter) during a storm?
Where do you take refuge from the sun?
Where do you take refuge when it’s cold?
Where do you take refuge when it’s hot?
Where do you take refuge when someone is
making fun of you?
It’s a lot harder to answer that last question, huh? But,
in this verse, God promises us that He will be our refuge and
strength and He will help us when things are hard!
Write down a time when God helped you when you
were in trouble…
How does it make you feel to know that God will help
you in times of trouble?
Now, read Psalm 46:1-2 again.
PRAY
Pray and thank God for always being your refuge!
WANNA READ MORE?
Refuge And Defender! Psalm 18:1-6, 16-19, 30-36
“God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1
WEEK two DAY two
Read Psalm 46:1-2.
In Bible times, warriors used a shield as refuge and
protection when they were in battles. The Bible even calls
God our “Shield,” because He protects us. In the space
below, there’s a shield divided into 4 sections. Follow the
instructions and draw something in each section.
In Section 1, draw a picture of a time when you felt like God was really close
to you. (Example: looking at the stars, going to a camp…)
In Section 2, draw a picture of a hard time that God helped you get
through. (Example: something hard at school, death of a loved one or pet.)
In Section 3, draw a picture of something that God has given you that you
really love. (Example: your family, a bike, a toy…)
In Section 4, draw a picture of something that you have a hard time trusting
God to help you with. (Example: fighting with brother or sister, disobeying your
parents…)
WANNA READ MORE?
Protection Over Our Faith. 1Peter 1:3-9
“God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1
WEEK two DAY three


Read Psalm 46:1-2.
Below is a word search. See if you can find the following words:

GOD, REFUGE, HELP, FEAR, TROUBLE, STRENGTH,

PROTECTOR, KING, MOUNTAIN, JESUS
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PRAY
Now, write down a prayer to God praising Him for being your refuge and strength. Try and use every word that
you found in the word search in your prayer!
WANNA READ MORE?
Security Of Our Salvation And Future. 1Thessalonians
5:23-24 and Jude 24-25
“God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1
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WEEK two DAY four
Read Psalm 46:1-2.
Now, head outside in your back yard and walk around.
Spend some time looking at the world God created
around you…
• Close your eyes and listen to the birds. Try and count
how many different birds you hear. Notice how God gave
every bird a different sound.
• Pick a piece of grass or a plant and look at it. Look at
all the different parts and notice how God made it perfectly to grow in the sun and drink the water.
• Try and find a bug and watch it. Notice how God
made it perfectly to crawl or run or fly.
Now, read the verses below…
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or
store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds
them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
- Matthew 6:26
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the
lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell
you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed
like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the
field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the
fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?”
- Matthew 6:28-30
How does it make you feel to know that God controls
everything?
PRAY
Now, spend some time praying and praising God for His
creation.
WANNA READ MORE?
Refuge And Shield. Psalm 91:1-9
“God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1
WEEK two DAY five
Read Psalm 46:1-2.
Today, we’re going to spend some time listening to
God. Find a quiet place by yourself and spend some time
thinking about what it means that God is your Protector
and talk to Him about what things in your life you have a
hard time trusting Him with.
What has God taught you this week about refuge?
WANNA READ MORE?
Deliverance And Answered Prayer. Acts 12:1-17
“God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1
WEEK three INTRODUCTION
Has anyone ever done something really nice for
you? How did that make you feel? Have you ever done
something nice for someone else? In our lives, we need to
help each other out. Or to say it another way, we need to
serve each other.
Jesus wants us to serve each other. He gave us plenty
of examples of how He wants us to serve each other.
That’s what Jesus did all of the time. He always served
other people. How can you serve other people? How can
you do what Jesus did and do nice things for those people
around you? This week, you’ll see how Jesus wants us to
Serve Others.
“And whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve,
and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:44-45
WEEK three DAY one
Mark 10:44-45 – “and whoever would be first among
you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came
not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a
ransom for many.”
Have you ever asked a friend to save you a seat in the
cafeteria or on a bus?
Has anyone ever saved you a seat for you at school or
at home?
Open your Bible to Mark 10:35-45 and read the story
where Jesus says our memory verse for the week.
In verse 37, what do James and John ask Jesus to do?
As the disciples were walking with Jesus, James and
John, two of Jesus’ disciples, asked Jesus if He could grant
them permission to sit on His right and left side some day in
heaven. They wanted Jesus to save them a seat by Him!
James and John knew that getting to sit by Jesus meant
they were the most important.
What did Jesus tell them in verse 44?
The disciples were so worried about being better than
everyone else, so Jesus reminded them that it was better to
serve others than to be served.
Is it ever hard for you to serve and help others? Why?
PRAY
Pray and ask God to help you remember that serving
others is better than being served.
WANNA READ MORE?
The Great Servant. John 13:1-17
“And whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve,
and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:44-45
WEEK three DAY two
Draw a picture of whatever you think of when you think
of being “first.”
Have you ever won first place at anything? A sporting
event? A spelling bee? A family board game? An art
contest?
What did you have to do to be first?
Read Mark 10:44-45. What does Jesus tell His disciples
to do if they want to be first?
In Bible times, a slave was someone who worked for
another person. They often had to do jobs around the
house that no one else wanted to do.
Draw a picture of someone doing a job that you don’t
enjoy doing. (Example: making your bed, washing dishes,
cleaning your room.)
PRAY
Ask God to help you remember that to be “first” we
need to put others first.
WANNA READ MORE?
Path To Greatness. Mark 9:33-35
“And whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve,
and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:44-45
WEEK three DAY three
Read Mark 10:44-45.
Who is someone that you know that you want to grow
up to be like?
Many times we call the people we want to be like a
“role model.” When it comes to being a servant to others,
Jesus is the best example we could ever have!
Read John 13:1-9.
What does Jesus do to the disciples?
Imagine how dirty your feet might get if you walked for
an entire day through sand and dirt wearing just a pair of
sandals. Jesus and his disciples did that every day. Back
in Bible times, washing someone’s feet was the job of the
household servant. Washing feet was the job that no one
wanted to do. In the story, Simon Peter couldn’t believe
that Jesus, his teacher, was going to wash his feet! That
would be like Michael Jordan serving your basketball team
water at a game. Or Hannah Montana coming over to
clean your room for you.
On the lines below, make a list of everyone who lives
with you. Then, next to the name, think of some way to
serve, or help, each person. Think like Jesus thought in the
story, and try and choose something that you know they
don’t enjoy very much. If you can’t think of anything, go
and ask them what is their least favorite job they have to
do. You can fill any extra lines with friends or neighbors’
names.
Name
Way to Serve or Help
Now, choose one name and circle it. Decide, today,
to serve like Jesus and do what you wrote down beside
their name!
PRAY
Pray and ask God to help you be a servant to all, just
like He was.
WANNA READ MORE?
The Great Life. Mark 10:35-37, 42-45
“And whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve,
and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:44-45
WEEK three DAY four
Read Mark 10:44-45.
Circle the word ransom. The dictionary defines a
“ransom” as a payment for someone’s release.
In verse 45, who does Jesus say gave up His life as a
ransom for you and me?
“The Son of Man” is another name for Jesus. In order
to pay for and release us of our sins, Jesus had to give up
His life and die on the cross. Sometimes it’s hard to serve
others because it means giving up something… our time,
belongings, or a bad attitude.
Read 1 John 3:16-18.
PRAY
Now, we are going to spend some time listening to
God. Find a quiet place by yourself and spend some time
thinking about what it means to give up something for
another person. Jesus gave up His life, ask God what things
in your life He wants you to give up to serve others and
write them on the lines below.
WANNA
READ MORE?
Real Love. 1 John 3:16-19
“And whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve,
and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:44-45
WEEK three DAY five
Read Mark 10:44-45. What does the word “serve”
mean?
Who is the greatest example we have to follow of
service?
Why is it hard to serve others sometimes?
PRAY
Take time, right now, to praise and thank God for Jesus’
example of service to us and for giving up His life as our
ransom.
WANNA READ MORE?
Trade Up! Matthew 25:14-28
“And whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve,
and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:44-45
WEEK four INTRODUCTION
Have you ever been given a mission? What was the
mission? Was it tough to accomplish? In our lives, we have
a mission, too.
Jesus sends us on a mission. He wants us to tell other
people about how much He loves them. It’s our mission as
followers of Jesus to tell others about how they can have
a relationship with Jesus. Jesus wants to see people’s lives
change. And the cool thing about Jesus is how He wants
to do that and how He wants to use us to do it. This week,
you’ll be studying about how Jesus Sends Us.
“And He said to them, ”The harvest is plentifl, but the laborers are
few. Therefore prayearnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out
laborers into His harvest.” Luke 10:2
WEEK four DAY one
Luke 10:2 – “And He said to them, “The harvest is
plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly
to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His
harvest.”
Read Luke 10:2.
To harvest something means to gather or collect it ... kind
of like when a farmer harvests whatever fruit or vegetable
he or she plants. A laborer is someone who works for
someone else and does what he is told to do.
What kinds of things can be harvested?
Who gathers or collects the harvest?
Do you think it would be harder or easier to collect a
harvest with lots of people?
What kind of harvest do you think the Lord is collecting?
That last one is a little tougher to answer, huh? This
verse is talking about people believing in the Lord and
asking Him into their hearts. When we do that, we become
a part of His harvest.
Our next step is to become laborers in God’s harvest.
As laborers, we go out and help Him gather more people
to believe in Him by telling them about what Jesus did for
them.
Read Luke 10:2 again.
PRAY
Pray to God and ask Him to send you into His harvest
field to help Him gather more people into His kingdom.
WANNA READ MORE?
The Great Commission. Matthew 28:18-20;
Luke 24:45-49; Acts 1:8
“And He said to them, ”The harvest is plentifl, but the laborers are
few. Therefore prayearnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out
laborers into His harvest.” Luke 10:2
WEEK four DAY two
Read Luke 10:2
Draw a picture of three different fruits or vegetables
that can be harvested and what they look like before they
are harvested or picked.
Are all three of these things harvested the same way?
How might a laborer go about harvesting or picking these
things?
PRAY
Pray to God and ask Him to help you learn how to best
work for Him in His harvest.
WANNA READ MORE?
Heart For The Harvest. John 4:34-38
“And He said to them, ”The harvest is plentifl, but the laborers are
few. Therefore prayearnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out
laborers into His harvest.” Luke 10:2
WEEK four DAY three
Write down a prayer to God asking Him to send you
into His harvest to help Him gather more and more people
to Him.
PRAY
Dear God,
Amen
WANNA READ MORE?
Reconciled To Reconcile. 2 Corinthians 5:14-20
“And He said to them, ”The harvest is plentifl, but the laborers are
few. Therefore prayearnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out
laborers into His harvest.” Luke 10:2
WEEK four DAY four
Take a look at the picture below. Now imagine that
each and every stalk or piece of wheat is someone who
you will know sometime in your life who does not believe
in Jesus. Take 3 minutes and think about one way that you
can live your life differently and tell people that God loves
them and wants them to go to Heaven to be with Him
forever.
PRAY
Ask God to use you to tell other people about how
much He loves them. Take some time telling God that you
are ready to go and do whatever He tells you to do.
WANNA
READ MORE?
Here Am I. Isaiah 6:1-8
“And He said to them, ”The harvest is plentifl, but the laborers are
few. Therefore prayearnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out
laborers into His harvest.” Luke 10:2
WEEK four DAY five
Take a walk out into your yard and pick as many 3 or
4-leaf clovers you can find. Each time you find one, think
about one of your friends or someone in your family and
thank God for them.
Take all the clovers you found and spread them out on
your driveway and count them. How many did you find?
GREAT JOB! You are a great laborer in the field of
clovers!
PRAY
Now pray to God that you would be a hard worker or
laborer in His field gathering people who don’t know Him
and telling them about how much He loves them!
WANNA READ MORE?
Irresistible Influence. Matthew 5:13-16
“And He said to them, ”The harvest is plentifl, but the laborers are
few. Therefore prayearnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out
laborers into His harvest.” Luke 10:2
WEEK five INTRODUCTION
Has anyone ever done something mean to you? How
did that make you feel? Did they apologize? Did you
forgive them for doing that mean thing to you? It’s tough
sometimes to forgive people when they do mean things to
us. But it’s what is best.
Jesus forgives us. Think about that for a minute. Jesus
will forgive us of every sin that we commit. A sin is simply
something we do that God doesn’t like. We’ve all sinned.
And since we aren’t perfect, we’ll keep doing things that
God doesn’t like. One of the cool things about Jesus is that
He will forgive us if we ask Him to. And since Jesus
has forgiven us, He wants us to forgive others when they
do mean things to us. This week, you’ll learn about how
Jesus Forgives Us.
“Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against
another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you,
so you also must forgive.” Colossians 3:13
WEEK five DAY one
Colossians 3:13 – “bearing with one another and, if one
has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as
the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”
Write out Colossians 3:12-13.
Jesus wants us to forgive each other. Look at
Colossians 3:12-13 and circle why we are supposed to
forgive others.
Take a couple of minutes and think about this: What
are some of the things that Jesus has forgiven you for?
On the lines below, write those things.
PRAY
Thank God for forgiving you for these things. Ask Him to
help you forgive others as well.
WANNA READ MORE?
“Neither Do I…” John 8:1-11
“Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against
another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you,
so you also must forgive.” Colossians 3:13
WEEK five DAY two
Go get a backpack or some type of bag. Now, fill it will
books, magazines, rocks, something heavy. For the next 10
minutes, everywhere you go, carry that bag with you. Walk
around your house. Walk around in your front yard. After
the 10 minutes is up, take the backpack off/set the bag
down & come back and look at these questions.
What was it like to carry that bag around for 10
minutes? Was it heavy? Did you get tired? Was it hard to
do what you were doing?
What did it feel like when you finally took it off? Were
you relieved?
When we sin, God doesn’t like it. He wants us to ask
Him for forgiveness for our sins. When we don’t confess our
sins to God, it’s like we are carrying them around with us.
They are heavy. They weigh us down. Just like when you
set that bag down and felt better, God will forgive us of our
sins and take that burden from us.
PRAY
Thank God that He forgives us of our sins. Thank Him for
taking that burden from us.
WANNA READ MORE?
The Truly Happy Person. Psalm 32:1-7
“Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against
another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you,
so you also must forgive.” Colossians 3:13
WEEK five DAY three
Read Colossians 3:12-13.
Circle the last part of that verse, “so you must also
forgive.”
Ask God to help you see if there is someone that you
need to forgive.
Spend 5 minutes listening to God. See if He tells you if
you need to forgive someone of something that they did/
said to you.
If you think of someone, write their name below.
PRAY
Ask God to help you forgive this person. Thank Him that
He forgives us and helps us to forgive others.
WANNA READ MORE?
Grace Alone; Faith Alone. Ephesians 2:1-10
“Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against
another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you,
so you also must forgive.” Colossians 3:13
WEEK five DAY four
Grab your Bible and look up Psalm 51:10.
When we sin, it’s kind of like we are making our hearts
dirty. Take some time to draw things on the heart on the
left. Make it dirty.
Now on the line between the two hearts, write the
words “God’s Forgiveness.”
Notice how the heart on the right is clean. Jesus can
and will forgive us from our sins, if we ask him to.
How do you feel when you have sinned or done
something that you know God doesn’t like?
How do you feel when you’ve asked God to forgive
you?
PRAY
Thank God that He forgives our sins. Make Psalm 51:10
into a prayer. You could pray something like, “God, make
my heart clean. Help me to do what you ask and obey
You. Help me to make right choices and not sin against
You.”
WANNA READ MORE?
Prayer For Revival. Psalm 51:1-13
“Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against
another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you,
so you also must forgive.” Colossians 3:13
WEEK five DAY five
You have been doing a great job over the last few
weeks learning how to draw near to God. Here’s what
you are going to do today. Go back through the past few
weeks and look through some of the things you’ve written
down or that you’ve drawn.
Take a few minutes today and see what all you’ve
learned. Below, write one or two things that have been
your favorite things that you have learned.
Now, go back over the memory verses that you’ve
memorized. See how many of them you can say without
looking at the book.
PRAY
Thank God that He promises to draw near to us if we
draw near to Him. Ask Him to continue to teach you as you
keep learning over the next few weeks.
WANNA READ MORE?
Forgiven To Forgive. Luke 6:27-37
“Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against
another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you,
so you also must forgive.” Colossians 3:13
WEEK six INTRODUCTION
Have you ever played the game, “Follow the Leader”?
What’s the point of that game? What happens if you don’t
have a good leader? In our lives, we are always following
someone. Sometimes we follow good leaders that help
us do right things or help us get better at something. But
sometimes we follow bad leaders that don’t take us in the
right direction.
Jesus is the best leader that we can follow. He leads
us and teaches us how He wants us to live. If we will
read His word and ask Him what to do, He will lead us
and help us know what to do. This week, let’s find out
how Jesus Leads Us.
“And He said to all, ”If anyone would come after Me, let him
deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For
whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his
life for My sake will save it.” Luke 9:23-24
WEEK six DAY one
Luke 9:23-24 – “And He said to all, “If anyone would
come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross
daily and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will
lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.”
READ – As we are thinking, studying, meditating and
memorizing our verses this week, it is good to know the
context that it was written. So let’s investigate…
1. Who wrote the book of Luke?
2. Who was actually speaking in Luke 9:23-25?
3. What was happening before our memory verse?
Read Luke 9:18-22.
4. What was being said after our verses? Read 9:26-29.
PRAY
Take some time to thank God for giving us His Word.
Thank Him for teaching us and helping us to know how He
wants us to live.
WANNA READ MORE?
Love And Obey. John 14:18-24
“And He said to all, ”If anyone would come after Me, let him
deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For
whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his
life for My sake will save it.” Luke 9:23-24
WEEK six DAY two
WRITE – Pretend you are a reporter for a local
newspaper. Find 2 people to interview. (You can interview
your mom, dad, neighbor, grandparent, brother, dog,
goldfish or anybody!!) Read them Luke 9:23-25. Ask them
the following questions about these verses and write their
answers on a piece of paper:
1. Tell me about a time when you have denied
yourself something you really wanted?
2. What does it mean to take up your cross daily?
3. Give me two ideas of how someone could take up
their cross today.
In light of your recent interviews, write a newspaper
article titled: “Denied What You Wanted”
PRAY
Thank God that He gives us all of the things that we
need. Ask Him to help you see the difference between
something we want and something that we need.
WANNA
READ MORE?
Repent! Joel 2:12-13
“And He said to all, ”If anyone would come after Me, let him
deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For
whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his
life for My sake will save it.” Luke 9:23-24
WEEK six DAY three
DO – Make a cross. You can be as creative as you
would like (i.e. glitter, foil, wood, paper, feathers, beads…
whatever you can dream). You may also want to write
your memory verse (or part of it) somewhere on your cross.
Now the challenge – Carry your cross with you (in your
pocket, around your neck, or however your can imagine)
to help you remember to take up your cross daily.
PRAY
Every time that you see this cross that you made, take
some time to thank Jesus for what he did on the cross for
you. Thank Him for dying to take the punishment for your
sins.
WANNA READ MORE?
From The Father’s Hand. Hebrews 12:1-11
“And He said to all, ”If anyone would come after Me, let him
deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For
whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his
life for My sake will save it.” Luke 9:23-24
WEEK six DAY four
LISTEN – Find a place that is quiet. Spend 4 minutes
talking to God and 6 minutes listening to God. Thank Him
for all your favorite things, tell Him about what you want
to be when you grow up, ask Him any questions you have
about Luke 9:23-25, and talk with Him about anything else
that comes to mind. Then listen! In the space below,
record what God said to you.
WANNA READ MORE?
Every Knee. Philippians 2:3-11
“And He said to all, ”If anyone would come after Me, let him
deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For
whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his
life for My sake will save it.” Luke 9:23-24
WEEK six DAY five
DRAW – Draw a comic or a picture to illustrate the
verses in Luke 9:23-25.
PRAY
Take some time today to thank Jesus for leading us.
Thank Him that He gives us an example to follow. Thank
Him for everything that He’s taught you this week.
WANNA
READ MORE?
Return! Revelation 2:1-7
“And He said to all, ”If anyone would come after Me, let him
deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For
whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his
life for My sake will save it.” Luke 9:23-24
WEEK seven INTRODUCTION
Who is your favorite teacher? What about them makes
him/her your favorite teacher? We all can think of our
favorite teachers in school. Usually they are people who
care about us and who we learned the most from. We
need good teachers in our lives.
Jesus is a good Teacher. Jesus wants us to learn. He
doesn’t want us to be the same tomorrow as we are today.
He wants to teach us from His Word so that our lives can be
changed. This week, see if you can figure out how Jesus
Teaches Us.
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any
two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit,
of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and
intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
WEEK seven DAY one
Hebrews 4:12 – “For the word of God is living and
active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the
division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and
discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Read: Hebrews 4:12
Make a list of things that are sharp:
When is the last time you had a bad attitude?
What was it about?
Have you ever stopped to think that God knows when
your attitude is good or bad?
PRAY
The Bible tells us that God’s Word has a lot to say about
our attitude. Only God can help us have a good attitude.
Let’s ask Him to help us have a good attitude today.
Dear God, I need your help to have a good attitude
about _________________. I am going to trust You to help
me. Thank You for the Bible that helps me know how You
want me to live. Amen
WANNA READ MORE?
Blessings Of The Word. Psalm 119:1-16
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any
two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit,
of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and
intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
WEEK seven DAY two
Hebrews 4: 12 (The Message Bible)
God means what He says. What He says goes. His
powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting
through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us
open to listen and obey.
Write down the important words:
What do you think this verse means?
What do you think God wants you to remember about
this verse?
What is hard to understand about this verse? Ask your
Mom or Dad what they think it means.
PRAY
Dear God, thanks for giving us the Bible. Help me to
read it more and obey what it says.
WANNA READ MORE?
Blessings Of The Word. Psalm 119:33-48
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any
two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit,
of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and
intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
WEEK seven DAY three
In Psalms it tells us that God’s Word will direct our paths
and help us follow Him. Draw a map from your house to
your favorite place in Northwest Arkansas.
What happens when you turn the wrong way?
Have you ever been lost? How did you feel?
People who do not know God are lost. They don’t
know where to go or where to turn. God uses the Bible to
help us know what to do. His words to us help us draw near
to Him.
PRAY
Dear God, thank You for helping me obey You and for
teaching us how we should live.
WANNA READ MORE?
Two Foundations. Matthew 7:24-29
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any
two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit,
of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and
intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
WEEK seven DAY four
Lots of things distract me. Write down 3 things that
distract you from getting your work done.
What helps you get back to your work?
Have you ever thought about asking God to help you?
God loves to help us!
PRAY
Dear God, I need Your help to do what I know is right.
Please help me today to:
WANNA READ MORE?
Ears And Hands. James 1:21-25
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any
two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit,
of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and
intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
WEEK seven DAY five
Psalms 119: 37 - “Let my heart be turned to Your
unchanging word, and not to evil desire.”
Try walking around your house for 10 minutes without
moving your head. Was it hard? Did you want to look to
the right or to the left?
When we think about God and read His words to us in
the Bible, it helps us to stay on the right road, the road that
leads us to Him!
PRAY
Dear God, help me to trust You and do what the Bible
tells me to do. It is so hard sometimes, but I know You will
help me! Amen.
WANNA READ MORE?
Protection And Provision. Psalm 19:7-14
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any
two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit,
of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and
intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
WEEK eig ht INTRODUCTION
How well does a lamp work when it’s not plugged into
the wall? Is there any way that you can turn it on? Why
not? It’s because the lamp isn’t plugged into the power
source. We are kind of like that lamp. We need a power
source to help keep us going and doing the right things.
Jesus is our Power Source. Jesus sustains us. Here’s the
last of those big words. “Sustains” just means that He keeps
us going. In order for us to keep going, we have to be
“plugged in” to Jesus. You’ll learn some ways that you can
do that this week. So have fun learning about how Jesus
Sustains Us.
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit
by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless
you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches.
Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much
fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5
WEEK eig ht DAY one
John 15:4-5 – “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch
cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine,
neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you
are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he
it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do
nothing.”
Go outside and find a branch on a plant outside ...
maybe it’s on a tree or a bush. Break off a small piece of
that branch. Bring it back in and read John 15:4-5.
What do you think is going to happen to this branch?
Why do you think that will happen? Put the branch somewhere in your room and look at it every day and see what
happens to it.
Just like this branch, we need to be connected to Jesus.
Take some time to read John 15:4-5. Circle every word that
has to do with some sort of plant.
PRAY
Ask Jesus to teach you this week. Ask Him to help you
understand John 15:4-5.
WANNA READ MORE?
So Great A Salvation. Ephesians 1:3-14
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit
by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless
you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches.
Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much
fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5
WEEK eig ht DAY two
See if you can think of a few ways that you can stay
“plugged in” to Jesus. Write them on the lamp shade.
If you are having trouble thinking of some ways, take
this book to your parents and ask them what they think.
Ask them how they stay “plugged in” to Jesus.
PRAY
Thank Jesus that He wants to be close to us. Ask Him to
show you ways that you can stay “plugged in” to Him.
WANNA READ MORE?
Walk In Light. 1 John 1:5-2:2
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit
by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless
you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches.
Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much
fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5
WEEK eig ht DAY three
Another way to think about
Jesus sustaining us is to think
about how He wants us to be
close to Him.
Have you ever seen a baby
animal? Maybe you’ve seen a
baby calf or a baby kitten.
How close do they stay to
their parent? Think about why
they stay so close to their parent.
Write some of your
thoughts below.
Jesus wants us to stay close to Him as well. When we stay
close to Him, we feel safe and protected. Think about
those things that you wrote above. These are some ways
that we can feel when we stay close to Jesus.
PRAY
Thank Jesus that He wants us to be close to Him. Ask
Him to help you stay close to Him and learn from Him.
WANNA READ MORE?
Lesser Loves. 1 John 2:12-17
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit
by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless
you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches.
Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much
fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5
WEEK eig ht DAY four
Let’s think about that baby animal that we talked
about yesterday. What happens if the baby animal
wanders off from its parents?
What would that baby animal be feeling? What would
they be afraid of? What dangers would that animal face?
The same is true of our relationship with Jesus. When
we wander away from Jesus, we can have some of those
same fears.
In the box below, write/draw some of the dangers that
we can face when we wander away from Jesus.
PRAY
Ask God to help you understand why we need to stay
close to Him. Thank Him for hearing our prayers.
WANNA READ MORE?
Walk In Love. 1 John 4:7-16
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit
by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless
you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches.
Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much
fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5
WEEK eig ht DAY five
This is our last day for this Draw Near Journal. It has
been a great experience of growing closer to God. And
hopefully, you’ve gotten a chance to feel God get closer
to you as well.
For this last day, take your Bible & the branch you
picked on Day One, and go outside.
Turn to John 15:4-5. Read these verses 5 times.
Look at the branch. What does it look like now?
We don’t want our lives to look like this branch, all
brown and withered. We want our lives to be green and
alive and growing.
Spend just a few minutes listening to God in silence.
Don’t say a word. Just sit and listen. Before you start, ask
Him to speak to you. Write anything you think He might be
telling you below:
Here’s your challenge: Keep following Jesus.
Now that you are finished with this journal, it doesn’t
mean that you are finished trying to get closer to Jesus.
This is just a starting point. Keep reading your Bible, keep
memorizing verses, keep praying to Jesus, keep serving
others ... keep doing the things that God asks you to.
PRAY
This is a prayer of blessing that we pray for you:
“May you continue to follow Jesus for the rest of your
life. May you see how important it is to keep getting closer
to Jesus. May you know how much Jesus loves you. May
this world be a different place because of what God can
do through you to tell the world how much He loves them.
Amen.”
WANNA
READ MORE?
Abide! John 15:1-11
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit
by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless
you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches.
Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much
fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5
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