Your HOOPS challenge this week (10/17-10/22) is to read about the first 9 plagues that God sent against Egypt. (Exodus 6-10). They were sent to show the Egyptians that there was only one true God. Use HOOPS to think about what Pharaoh did in this time.
What is a HOOPS Challenge?
Each week your student will be challenged with a take home activity called a HOOPS Challenge. These activities help them look a little closer at the lesson and give their family a chance to guide them in their pursuit of Christ. The first challenges are listed on the back of the “Exodus” card your student received this past weekend. The challenges will also be posted here every week.
How do we complete a HOOPS Challenge?
To complete a challenge you have to start with HOOPS. Each letter represents something we can look at in the passage and is broken down below.
Hear God – How did the person hear God? What did God say?
Open your heart – Did they trust God? Was it easy for them to trust Him?
Obey God – Did the person follow God’s command? Did they do it right away?
Pray – Did they talk to God? Did they ask for His help or guidance?
Serve – By hearing, opening their heart, obey and praying to God how did they serve? Did they serve God or others?
Sometimes the answers will be easy and sometimes you need to think and talk about what happened. This is where parents are vital in helping guide their students to answers that lead them to deepen their faith and understanding.
Once we complete a challenge…then what?
There are two things you can do once you complete a challenge.
1. Bring in what you’ve done and discovered. Small group leaders will collect or record the HOOPS Challenges for their students. Please be sure the student’s full name is on the challenge. Once your child has completed 10 challenges they earn a glow in the dark star for their bracelet.
2. Don’t Stop! Use these challenges with the “Kids Live in 60 Seconds” to disciple your child. These are just starting points for your family to learn more about the word and talk about what that means in your family. Read the passages that surround our lesson. See where it started or what happened after the lesson. You could even use a devotion to guide your reading. Find a reason to read the Bible with your child every day.
Your student may start these challenges to earn a reward, but what they get from this time with you is priceless. By reading God’s word together, they get the story and can see Christ working in you. These challenges are made to give you a starting point to sharing God with your child, the rest is up to you.
Elementary Video Review
Moses was called to be a messenger of God to the Israelite people and the Egyptians. This wasn’t good news to Moses. He made many excuses for why he couldn’t be God’s messenger, but it wasn’t about Moses. This story is what God did through Moses despite his imperfection. God can do anything, we just have to let him. God still calls us today to be his messengers whether it is at school, the soccer field, or maybe even at home. When we get the chance to share God with others we have to remember it’s not about us, but what God can do through us.
