Category: Spiritual Training ABC’s OF GOD

God is Merciful

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Day 1 – Read Ephesians 2:4

We studied a few weeks ago that grace is getting what you don’t deserve. Mercy is not getting what you do deserve. Do you see the difference? God, through Jesus, gives us eternal life with Him. That is His grace. God, through Jesus, gives us a way to avoid getting what we deserve. We deserve to be separated from God forever. This is how God is merciful.

Day 2 – Read Ephesians 2:4Write it out. Memorize this verse today.

Day 3 – Read Romans 6:23A wage is something you deserve.

What do we deserve?          

What did Jesus do for you on the cross?
Did Jesus do anything wrong?
Did He deserve to die or did you? How did God show you mercy?

Day 4Imagine you were on trial for a law that you had broken. You are standing before the judge, who is about to give you the sentence you deserve, and someone walks in and says “WAIT! I will go to jail for you.”  This person has done nothing wrong. You are the one who deserves the punishment. This is what Jesus did for you. God’s mercy is seen in Jesus taking the punishment for your sin so you don’t have to die and live apart from God forever.

Day 5

If God is merciful, then we should be merciful. How can you be merciful today?

DIG DEEPER

Read Luke 10:30-37
You can’t be merciful unless you have compassion for people. Compassion means you care for someone enough to help them in some way. God has more compassion for us than we can ever imagine. The Bible tells us a true story about a man who had compassion for another person. Read about the good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37. If you want to be merciful, then you have to care for others. How does this story challenge you to care for others in need?

God is Near

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Day 1 – Read Psalm 145:18It is easy to think that God is far away, but He promises that He is near. He is close, and no matter where you are, you can talk to Him any time.

Day 2 –Read Psalm 145:18

Write it down. Memorize this verse today.

Day 3

There are billions of people in the world that God could listen to everyday, but He promises that He is near if you call on Him. How special does that make you feel?

I PROMISE YOU

Jeremiah 33:3 says that God gives us a HUGE promise. God says that if we call Him, He will answer and tell us things that we don’t know. God wants you to know Him, so He is right there waiting for you to ask Him.

Day 4

 The most important thing we have in our relationship with Jesus is that we can talk to Him any time. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to never stop praying to God. Could you imagine how close God would feel if you never stopped praying? This doesn’t mean you have to be on your knees praying every moment of every day. You can talk to God when you are driving to school. You can thank Him when something happens. You can ask Him questions, and even ask Him for help right when you need it. You can also think about Him as you go through your day. Write down other ways you can talk to God throughout the day.

Day 5You can talk to God right now. He is near so spend some time praying to God today. He wants to hear how life is going. He wants you to ask Him for help. He wants to listen to you today.

God is the ONE AND ONLY

Day 1 – Read 1 Timothy 1:17The world says that there are many gods. The Bible says that God is the only God and none of the others are true. He has proven He is the one and only in the Bible and He proves it every day. Do you believe that God is the one and only God? Why?

Day 2 – Read 1 Timothy 1:17

Write out the verse. Memorize this verse today.

The Secret Service agents don’t have to study all the different kinds of fake money. They spend their time studying and knowing the characteristic of the real dollar so they can spot any type of fake dollar. Spend your time knowing God, and you will be able to spot anything or anyone that claims to be God or claims to have value and know they are not the real thing

Day 3If God is the one and only God, then how special is He?

Should anything else be more important than God?

Day 4The Secret Service is a group whose job is to protect the President and all of the important American government officials. Did you know that the Secret Service has one other task? Most Secret Service agents spend all their time making sure American money is not fake. The agents work very hard to make sure the money we use is real and not counterfeit. A counterfeit dollar is not worth anything. It might look good, but it can’t buy you anything because it has no value. There are things about a real dollar bill’s paper, the way it’s printed, and even the stuff inside the paper that show that it’s real.

People who make fake money can get pretty good at making it look real, but there is no way for them to recreate the real thing. Only the American treasury has the ability to make a real dollar bill. Ask your mom if you can put a dollar bill in your Bible next to 1 Timothy 1:17. Just like there can only be one true dollar, there is only one true God.

Let the dollar remind you He is the only real God who holds true value.

Day 5

Look back through your book and see all the things you have learned about God through your ABC’s. What have you learned that proves that God is the one and only God? Write your thoughts down.

God is Patient

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Day 1 – Read 2 Peter 3:9

God is always patient. His heart breaks when you sin and do bad things, but He never gives up on you. He wants to have a relationship with you forever.

Day 2 – Read 2 Peter 3:9

Write it down and memorize it.

Day 3 – Read 1 Timothy 1:16It says that God has unlimited patience for you. No matter what you mess up, all you have to do is turn to Him, and He will be there with open arms.
How has God been patient with you?
Thank God for all the ways He has been patient with you.

Give it a try!

God is patient so you should be patient. You can start by being patient with God. God has perfect timing, but it’s not always when you want it to happen. Is there anything you are waiting for God to do? What can you do to be more patient?

Day 4There is a story in the Bible about a father and a son. The son wanted to leave and live the way he wanted to, so he left. The son lived a hurtful life and found himself with nothing. He couldn’t even eat. He decided to go back to his dad for help but was worried that he wouldn’t call him his son anymore. The dad had been patiently waiting for his son to return home and threw a party in his honor when he came home. You can read this story in Luke 15:11-32. How is the father an example of God’s patience for you?

Day 5

God is patiently waiting for you to make your relationship with him the most important thing in your life. How can He become #1 in your life? Think about how you can change your life around to make him #1.

God is our Provider

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Day 1 – Read Matthew 6:31-34

God tells you in the Bible, that you don’t have to worry about what you need because He promises to provide you everything you need. Look around you. Do you have shelter over you every night? Do you have food on the table every meal? Do you have a closet full of clothes? If you have any of these things, then you have a lot more than many people in the world. God provides for your needs so you don’t have to worry.

Day 2 – Read Matthew 6:31-34Write it down three times. Put one copy by your closet, another by your refrigerator, and one by the door you walk into your house the most. It’s a good daily reminder that God provides for your needs. Memorize verse 33 or 34.

Day 3

Sometimes, we confuse what we want for what we really need. God promises to take care of what you need.

Sometimes, we don’t get everything we want. You can pray for something, and you may or may not get it. God is wise enough to know exactly what you need and what you don’t.

Have you ever gone a day without somewhere to live?

Have you ever gone a full day without any food to eat?

Write down all the things you need that God has provided for you daily?

Spend some time thanking Him.

DID YOU KNOW…660 million people in the world live off of less than $2 a day. 385 million people live off of less than $1 a day. If your family had $1 a day to live on, one of you could eat one meal from a fast food menu and everyone else wouldn’t eat. You would not have any money left over for clothes, a place to live, or anything else you need. You couldn’t go to the doctor when you get sick. Does this make you thankful for what you have? Think of ways you can help people in need. Do you realize that you can show someone in need that God is our provider? Help someone, and when they say “thank you,” tell them it was God, not you.

Day 4

A few months ago, you read about the true story in the Bible where God saved His people from the Egyptians by parting the Red Sea. Today, you are going to learn what happened after they crossed the Red Sea. When God’s people left Egypt, they had to go quickly. God’s people didn’t have much of anything to take with them, but because of time, they couldn’t even take the little they had. They were in the desert with no food and no way to get food. They cried out to God and look what God did. Read Exodus 16:9-17. How did God provide for His people?
Do you think He will do the same for you?

Day 5

Do you know that God can use you to provide for someone in need? How can you help someone in need today? How can you give someone clothes, food, or even encouragement?

CHECKPOINT #2

Great Job! Email us at checkpoint@kanakuk.com so we can keep track of your progress. In your email, please include:
First Name
Last Name
Kamp you attended last summer
K-1 K-2 K-Seven K-West K-Kountry
Kamp you plan on attending next summer
K-1 K-2 K-Seven K-West K-Kountry
Title of the Book
One thing you learned
Parent’s Name
At Kanakuk, we will honor everyone who has completed all 3 checkpoints at closing ceremonies
Checkpoint 2 of 3

God is Righteous

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Day 1 – Read Psalm 145:17

God is righteous, which means everything He says or does is right. He cannot do things that are wrong; it’s not a part of His character.

Day 2 – Read Psalm 145:17

Write it down below. Memorize the verse today.

Day 3If God is right in all His ways, then we should listen to Him when He asks us to do something. Today, you will read some of the things God has asked us to do. Think about, or write down, why you think His way is perfect in each of these situations.

When someone is mean to you, God asks you respond by being how? Is God’s way better?

God asks you to think of others as more important than yourself. Why is this the right thing to do?

God asks you to obey your parents. Why is obeying your parents the right thing to do?

Day 4

If you had a math tutor to help you with your homework, you would want that person to teach you all the right ways to do your math problems. What if you went to a math tutor who gave you all the wrong ways to do your math problems and you made bad grades on all your tests? You wouldn’t listen to the bad tutor; if you did, you would fail math. Of course, you would choose the math tutor that gave you all the right ways to do your math problems so that you could do your best on the test. You would feel confident, learn, and be able to do math. God is righteous, and His ways are perfect. You can always trust Him to do things the right way and teach you the right way to live. When have you followed the wrong tutor? What happened? Can you remember a time when you followed the right tutor?

There was a king of Israel named Josiah, who became king of all of Israel at the age of 8. The Bible says in 2 Kings 22:2, that Josiah did right in the eyes of the Lord. If Josiah was young and did right in the eyes of the Lord, so can you.

Day 5Today, you will probably face many situations where you or someone else has to make a decision about right or wrong. You will experience it at home, school, and with your friends. You will even watch characters in movies or on television be challenged to make those decisions. Today, pay attention to actual situations around you or situations you see on a TV show. Stop and think what God would want you to do in those circumstances.

DIG DEEPER

Read Daniel Chapter 1
Daniel and his friends are a great example of choosing to do what is right. They were in a situation where people were asking them to do something that God didn’t want them to do. They had to stand up for what is right.

God is Quick to Forgive

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Day 1 – Read Daniel 9:9God will forgive you no matter what you have done. He knows what you have done wrong, and Jesus has provided a way for you to be forgiven of your sins. God will not only forgive, but He will forget. You just have to ask Him for forgiveness.

Day 2 – Read Daniel 9:9

Write it down. Think about and memorize this verse today.

Day 3

Have you ever asked God for forgiveness of things you did wrong?

Get some cards and write down some things you have done wrong. Only write them down if you are really sorry for what you have done. Ask God to forgive you.

Write “Forgiven” in red pen or marker over what you wrote down. Jesus forgave you BEFORE you sinned. He forgave you when He died on the cross.
Thank God for forgiving you and then throw those cards away. Jesus forgives and you don’t have to carry that sin around any more.

Give it a try!

Try this fun activity to understand God’s forgiveness. Take an old t-shirt and cover it with food. Have fun with this! Hang the shirt outside for a few days. Watch the shirt get gross for those few days. It will smell and be covered by bugs. It might even have holes from other animals. That t-shirt represents your nasty sin. After seeing the shirt, would you wear the shirt again? I am sure you will say “No Way!” but God would put it on for you. He would not only put it on for you, but He will forgive you and give you a brand new shirt to wear.
How does this teach you about God’s forgiveness?

Day 4

There is another story in the Bible that explains how God forgives you and how you should forgive others. A “debt” is a word that we use when we owe something to somebody. This story is about a man who had a huge debt to a king; one so big he couldn’t pay it back. Read this story and see how the king forgives him and how the man responds to others after he was forgiven.

Read Matthew 18: 23-33. How is the king like God, who forgives you for your sin? How should the man have responded after he was forgiven?

Day 5

Is there someone that you need to forgive? This week, when someone wrongs you, try to forgive them. God forgave you so you should forgive others.

 

God is our Savior

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Day 1 – Read John 3:16God loves you so much that He does not want you to get hurt. Sin hurts and it keeps us from God forever. God became our Savior when He died on the cross for our sins and rose again three days later. He took the punishment that we deserved so that we would be with Him forever.

Day 2 – Read John 3:16

Write it down.
Memorize this verse for today.

Day 3Jesus’ death saves you from taking the punishment for your sin. Because Jesus rose again, you can conquer sin and have a relationship with Him forever.

How does your sin hurt you?

Do you believe that Jesus died on the cross for you?

Do you believe that the way He lived His life can help you?

I PROMISE YOU…

The story of Jesus saving you from your sin is called the Gospel. What the Gospel says and does is the most important promise God gives you. Here is an easy way to remember what the word “Gospel” means: Gods Only Son Provides Eternal Life.

Day 4If you believe in Jesus, your sin is forgiven. Because you are human, you still will sin. It’s part of your nature. The great thing is that Jesus’ death saves you from that sin, and the way He lived His life can show you how to do things without sinning. Sin is harmful, and Jesus showed us how to avoid sin. Today, read Matthew 4:1-11. Jesus came face to face with Satan, and He didn’t sin. What can you learn from Jesus here?

Day 5Ask your parents or someone at church if they believe in Jesus as their Savior. Ask them why they believe it and what it means for their life. If you don’t know anyone you could write your counselor from this summer and ask her/him. Go to www.kanakuk.com to get the Kanakuk phone number so that they can help you get your counselors’ contact information.

God is the Holy Spirit

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Day 1 – Read and memorize John 14:16-17

Did you know that God is three persons? Take out a pencil and draw a triangle. In the middle of the triangle, write God. At one tip of the triangle, write God the Father, at another write Jesus, and the last write the Holy Spirit. The triangle represents God and shows there are three persons who are God. In the last few months, you have learned that the God the Father is God. You have also learned that Jesus is God. Today, you will learn that the Holy Spirit is God.

Day 2 – Read John 14:16-17

Write it down. Circle all the words that describe the Holy Spirit.

Day 3

Jesus is talking in this verse. How does He describe the Holy Spirit?
Where does the Holy Spirit live?
The Bible tells us that Jesus, for a little while, lived on earth with us. After He died and rose again, He went up to heaven to live there with God. After Jesus went up to heaven, the Holy Spirit came down to earth to live inside those who believe in Jesus. God lives in you, and His name is the Holy Spirit. If you believe in Jesus, you have God’s spirit within you. He is there to guide you, teach you, comfort you, and help you.

Day 4

In science class, you learn that water is made up of H20. If a liquid is not made up of H2O, then it is not water. Water has three forms. It can be ice, steam and liquid. Each form of water is made up of H2O, but it looks and feels different. Each form of water has different purposes. The same is true for God. God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit are all God. Just like H20 can be ice, steam, and liquid, God has three forms. Ice, steam, and liquid water contain the same elements, just as the three forms of God have the same characteristics of God. God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit have different purposes, but they are all God.

Day 5

The Bible verse this week tells us that we can’t see the Holy Spirit with our eyes but you have probably noticed Him. Maybe you didn’t know who it was. Have you ever thought about not doing something because you knew it was wrong? That is the Holy Spirit helping you to choose what is good and right. Have you ever seen someone and thought, “I need to help them out”? That is the Holy Spirit.  Try to pay attention to the Holy Spirit today. He is in you.

DID YOU KNOW…It seems hard to understand that God is three people at the same time, but you don’t realize how that is a pretty normal concept in every day life. For example, think of your mom. She is your mom but at the same time she is your grandmom’s daughter, she might be someone’s sister, and is also someone’s friend. Your mom is one person but has many different roles! It’s not a perfect example, but it can help you grab onto the truth that God is three persons in one.

God is Trustworthy

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Day 1

God is true, which means He is trustworthy. You don’t ever have to wonder if God will do what He says. He always does what is right and what He says is always true.
Be confident in God. He will take care of you and what He says is trustworthy.

Day 2 – Read Psalm 37:5 and write it down.

Memorize this verse today.

You start to trust someone or something as that person or thing keeps their promise. The Bible is full of promises. There are more than 3000 promises in the Bible and God has kept His word on every single promise. God has done way more than enough to gain our trust. There is no one more trustworthy than God. Do you believe God is trustworthy. 

Day 3

What has God done that makes you trust Him?
If you trust God, what should your life look like everyday?
If God is trustworthy, do you have any reason to be afraid?

Day 4Every day, you place your trust in things, and you don’t even realize you are doing it. More than likely, you are sitting in a chair right now and didn’t think twice about sitting in that chair. You know what it is, you know what it’s supposed to do, and you trust that it will hold you… so you sit. You may have been timid to sit in a chair when you were little, as you watched people sit in chairs, you learned that a chair meant to hold you. You began to trust the chair enough to sit. Sitting in a chair is a part of your everyday life. It’s a silly example, but our trust in God should be something we do every day. As you learn about Him, you will take steps of faith to trust Him. The more you trust Him, the more His ways will become who you are and what you do naturally.

Day 5

Grab a parent or an older family member. Ask them to stand behind you. Tell them you are going to lean back and ask them to catch you. This is a trust fall. Make sure you do this with a parent in a safe way and in a safe place! This would not be a good idea with a little brother or sister because they are not strong enough to catch you. Did you trust the person to catch you when you leaned back? Did you even think twice about it? Why or why not? How is this like trusting God?

God is Unchangeable

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Day 1 – Read James 1:17

It seems like everything changes in life. People change, seasons change, popularity changes, and technology changes. These are just a few examples of how the world is always changing. God never changes. He doesn’t change His mind, and He doesn’t change who He is. You can rely on Him forever.

Day 2 – Read James 1:17Write it below. Think about and memorize this verse today.

Day 3

Make a list of everything that has changed in your life. Why is change hard? 
You can trust that God will never change. How does that help you be confident in God?

Day 4

The Bible is a great illustration of how God never changes. The Bible was written thousands of years ago, and it has never changed. Not one word has been added to the Bible since God finished writing it. It has survived thousands of generations without one sentence or one word changing. It might be written in different translations so everyone can read it, but the meaning of the words and the events that happened have never changed.

Day 5

Sometime this week or weekend, ask someone who is older, like your parents or grandparents, to share with you how the town they grew up in has changed. Ask them how they have seen the world change. It will be fun to learn about the changes, but it can also make you thankful that God never changes.

DID YOU KNOW…

Did you know the first text message was sent more than a decade ago? It didn’t become popular until years later, but today, the number of text messages sent every day is bigger than the number of people living in the world.

Did you know that the world has been around for about 7,000 years, and the television has only been around for less than 100 years?

Did you know Facebook is less than 10 years old?

The world is changing every day. The way we travel, communicate, and do the things we do, change. Through it all, God will always be the same.