Memorize these two verses as a family:

James 1:22: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

Matthew 5:19b: “…whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Listen. Last we learned that how to listen and respond to God through prayer. We listen through silence, we respond with praying the Lord’s Prayer. Did you know that we can do this through reading the Bible as a family?

It takes three steps to read the Bible: 1. Listen (James 1:22) 2. Respond (James 1:22) 3. Share (Matthew 5:19b)

Activity. Read Mark 1:1-8 out loud as a family.

• Listen: Talk about what you heard. in Mark 1:1-8. What did this passage say about God? What does it say about us?
• Respond: How is God asking us to obey him? How is God asking us to trust him? How should we be thankful for God?
• Share: What did we learn that we could share with others? Who will we will share this with?

Set Goals. Make a goal to listen, respond, and share God’s word each day as a family. Choose a reading plan that could work for your family. Try starting with the Gospel of Mark, James, or Jonah. You can also try to follow the Gospel, New Testament or Old Testament tracks in the Connect.