Ever After - Week 3
God gives us boldness!
Fairy tales are full of fantasy and imagination. We love them because they take what could be real and add extraordinary circumstances. But what if there was a story where the extraordinary circumstances were real? Could a story like this exist? This month, we are going to look at the story of Ruth to see how God truly writes the best stories for us — full of companions, hope, boldness, and the knowledge that God is always taking care of us!
Click HERE to watch this month’s memory verse video!
BIG IDEA: God gives us boldness
MEMORY VERSE:
"The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." Psalm 121:8
TODDLER TWIST:
"God always cares for me!" Psalm 121:8
READ: Ruth and Naomi leave Moab: Ruth 3
WATCH:
Preschool- Teaching Video
Elementary- Teaching Video
SONG: Oceans
COLORING: Ruth Asks Boaz for Help
DISCIPLE:
Have you ever noticed that a lot of classic fairy tales are about a princess that needs to be rescued by a knight in shining armor? Those are fun and all, but the story of Ruth reminds us that in some fairy tales, the "princess" already has everything she needs to overcome her situation.
At first glance, the story of Ruth might appear to be simply about a woman trying to find a new husband, but as we learned today, she does a fair amount of work to survive on her own!
The story of Mulan is another one that doesn't play out the way typical fairy tales do.
INSTRUCTIONS: Show this clip (or a part of it) from Mulan.
What are the different ways Mulan was bold in this video?
Do you see any similarities between Mulan and Ruth?
Both of these women were expected to fulfill their duties only as someone's wife. But they both were so much more than that.
Mulan decided to enlist in the army to spare her father from having to fight, during a time she could have been sentenced to death for doing so.
Ruth went out and found ways to provide for her only remaining family member in a land where she was seen as a foreigner. Even the way she went to Boaz for help was unusually brave.
Both of these heroines show us that in order to be bold, we sometimes need to disregard what other people think in favor of doing what is good and what is right. And God gives us boldness to do that!
Because God gives us boldness, there are things we can do every day to help us be bold! List some ways you can be bold. It can be . . .
Trying something new
Doing what is right
Facing a fear
Standing up for a person or a cause
Being honest about something
Pray: Dear God, thank you for giving us boldness to do what is good and right. We know that being bold can be intimidating, but we know you are with us. Help us to use the boldness you give us to better serve you and others. Amen.
DISCUSSION:
What did Naomi tell Ruth to do?
How would Boaz be able to help Ruth?
In what ways was Ruth bold in this story?
Read Psalm 42:5. How is this verse about boldness?
Do you consider yourself a bold person? Why or why not?
When is an appropriate time to be bold? When might it not be?
How is asking for help an example of boldness?