The Gospel Project for August 25-31, 2013-Family Devotional

Unit 12, Session 3: Solomon’s Sin Divided the Kingdom

1 Kings 11–12

Christ Connection: King Solomon’s sin led to the division of Israel. Every king failed to lead God’s people perfectly. God’s people needed a better king, a perfect king! Through David’s family, God would send His own Son, Jesus Christ, to be King over God’s people forever. Jesus would lead the people perfectly back to God.

Adult Connection Point:

Jesus conforms believers to His image through the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit will complete God’s work in us (Eph. 1:13-14). In this passage, Paul used the illustration of a royal seal. Paul said we are sealed with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is an inward mark of God’s ownership of believers. The Holy Spirit continues to work in us, keep us, comfort us, and guide us.

The day is coming when the Spirit will complete His work in us. As believers, we have not yet experienced the fullness of God’s kingdom. God has a plan and a purpose. One day we will be sanctified—made holy as God intended.

Family Devotion:

Materials: empty soda bottle, water, hot glue, newspaper sheets or sheets of plain or construction paper

Before the devotion, fill a soda bottle with water and hot glue the cap so it is permanently sealed. Set the bottle aside for later.

Invite your family members to each take a sheet of paper and tear it down the middle in one rip. See if anyone was able to tear the paper perfectly (this should not be possible). Say: “When Solomon sinned, God planned to tear the kingdom away from his family. As a matter of fact, God planned to divide Israel so that only two tribes remained in Judah and the other 10 moved north and would be called Israel. Kind of like you tore your paper unevenly, God planned to tear the kingdom of Israel because of Solomon’s sin.”

Ask: “How does sin affect our relationship with God?” Encourage kids to answer.

Produce the sealed bottle and ask one of your kids to open the bottle. This will most likely be impossible to do because you sealed the bottle.

Read Ephesians 1:13-14 aloud. Say: “When a person becomes a Christian by trusting in Jesus, God sends the Holy Spirit to make that person’s relationship with God just like the seal on this bottle—unbreakable. God’s Spirit works in people to comfort us, guide us, and make us like Jesus.”

Lead a prayer asking the Holy Spirit to guide the members of your family and make them like Jesus. If anyone in your family is not a believer, pray that God would save him.