©2015 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

WEEK

2

READ PROVERBS 6:6-8Ants are pretty amazing little creatures. Have you ever taken the time to observe them? They are hard workers! Ants can lift up to 20 times their body weight. To put that into perspective, that would be like a second grader with the ability to lift a car! Ants understand what it means to work hard when there’s a job to be done.

Sometimes when there’s a job to be done, we try to avoid the work or hope that someone else will do it. But that’s not what an ant would do. He doesn’t stop to think about all the other ants around him. He picks up his load and gets busy moving it down the line behind all his other ant buddies. When there’s a job to be done this week, remember the ant. Don’t wait for someone else. Get busy and get it done.

Head outside and observe some ants. What do you see? If you can’t get outside, look up some fun ant facts on these websites (with an adult’s permission of course).

http://www.pestworldforkids.org/pest-guide/ants/

THANK God for creating the tiny ant to remind us about initiative this week.

DAY 1

DAY 2READ MATTHEW 7:20In the open space to the right, draw some fruits that grow on trees. Great job! Now circle your favorite fruit. Imagine you had an apple tree right outside your window. One morning you look out the window and see that your tree hasn’t produced any apples. Suddenly that tree that used to grow delicious fruit is now looking pretty sad.

Jesus compared our lives to a fruit tree. No, you’re not supposed to grow apples from your fingertips or figs under your arms! Jesus meant that our lives should count for something. Are you growing good fruit? Do you see a job that needs to be done and then take the initiative to do it? Or, are you waiting around for someone else to get started? If not, why?

ASK God to help you grow good fruit by showing initiative this week.

©2015 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

WEEK

2DAY 3

READ COLOSSIANS 3:23AWhen you think of the word “work”, you might not always think of the word “fun” too. But that doesn’t mean that it has to all be terrible. Working hard to get something done can bring a huge sense of accomplishment. So, when there’s a big job to be done this week, remember WHO you’re really working for. God sees all that you do and He is so proud when you work hard and put in the effort it takes to finish what you’ve started. Remember that everything you do, even cleaning the bathroom or taking out the trash, can be done in a way that honors God.

Since this is our memory verse this month, let’s make sure it’s memorized! Write down each word of the verse on index cards. Place all the cards in front of you and repeat the verse. Now remove three random cards and repeat. Continue removing cards until you can say the verse entirely from memory.

KNOW that God loves it when we see our “jobs” as opportunities to honor Him.

DAY 4

READ 2 THESSALONIANS 3:10Imagine this: It’s the morning of a school day. Your mom wakes you up and reminds you to complete your morning routine. You throw on your clothes and head downstairs for breakfast. But there’s no bowl of cereal waiting for you. Why? Because you didn’t make your bed or brush your teeth. And the rule is, if you don’t work you don’t eat. So, the kitchen is officially closed to you. Can you just imagine if that was true?

When someone asks you do so something, do you ignore them or do it halfway? Do you ever think, “they’ll just do it for me later anyway?” When there’s a job to be done, don’t wait for someone else to do it.

Here’s an initiative challenge: Think of something someone else does for you regularly and write it in the blank to the right. For an entire week, you cannot eat until YOU take the initiative to complete the task. Are you up for the challenge?

LOOK out for all those jobs that are your responsibility.