Shine like Stars

The verse you will be working with your child on this week is Philippians 2:15 .

 “Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky. ”

Materials:

• A flashlight
• A couple of sheets of tissue with some bad behaviors your child frequently displays written on them with marker (like Pouting, Fighting, Back-Talking, Not Sharing, etc.  Something tells me most mommies can come up with a pretty good list!)

Directions:

• Say the verse above with your tot.  We suggest that you print the verse off and use it every morning with your calendar time.  If you don’t do calendar time still say the verse each morning with your tot before you begin tot school.
• Take out the flashlight and turn it on. 
• Go over the devotion with your child, and follow the prompt to cover the flashlight with the pieces of tissue
• As you instruct your child on the Godly behaviors, take off pieces of tissue. 

Talk with your child about the following:
This week we are learning all about Space!  We can’t really see space can we?  Not from down here on Earth, but we can see some of the things in space, like the sun, and the moon, and the stars.  Have you ever looked up at the stars in the sky?  They shine and twinkle, don’t they.  Sometimes, on very dark nights, they can be really bright.  Did you know that our verse today tells us that we can shine like stars? 

Now, we don’t glow in the dark, do we?  No, that would be silly.  Jesus did tell us though that we are a light in a dark world.  Jesus said that people will see the kind and good things we do and know that we worship God because we do them.  Its kind of like each person has their own little flashlight like this one.  When we trust in God our light turns on like this, and everyone can see that Jesus is in our heart.  Sometimes though we can make it hard for people to see the light in us.  I have some pieces of tissue here and they have some not so nice things we can sometimes do to each other.  These are things that God would really rather us not do.  Like, what if we don’t share our toys?  That can cover the light we shine a little.  Or what if we talk back to mommy and daddy? (Cover light with a tissue for each example; you should try to have a couple)  Or we fight with other kids at church, and tell lies about the things we do we know we shouldn’t do?   Look at our light now, once its covered with all of the things we do that God doesn’t want us to!  Its harder to see, isn’t it?  It doesn’t shine as much as a star, does it.  But you know what, God doesn’t give up on us.  He just keeps asking that we do things He loves.  Like maybe instead of fighting we could let someone else have their way, (Remove a tissue and continue for each behavioral correction), or we could listen and do like mommy and daddy ask.  We could share our toys, and give to those in need, and be kind to others.  Look at what happens to our light when we do those things!  It shines bright again, doesn’t it?!  Lets pray and ask God to help us do good things, so that we can shine like stars for Him! 

Dear God, we know that you made us to be something special for you.  We know that others will see what we do, and that you will be glorified.  Help us to shine like the stars in Heaven, and to do things that would bring glory and honor to your name in which we now pray, Amen. 

Questions to ask:

• You may want to review last weeks questions with your tot
• Who made all the stars in the sky?  God!
• How are we like stars? We shine God’s light! 
• There is a Mommy Devotional that you might like that is also on this topic.