God – faithful, gracious, compassionate

1. Get active

Unbroken circle

Everyone holds hands and stands in a circle. Do these moves together:

• 5 squats
• 5 lunges
• 5 superman holds
• 5 push-ups

Repeat. Try not to break the circle.

2. Rest and talk

• Take turns to demonstrate an action such as sitting or standing. The other family members respond with the opposite action. In what ways is God’s character opposite to ours?

Now that the feasting and celebrations have finished, the people of Israel go into a time of fasting and confession. They are reminded of their own rebellion and the sin of their ancestors. But despite this, God’s character is gracious and faithful.

3. Read the Bible passage

Read Nehemiah 9:16-17, 30-31, 32

4. Discuss

After centuries of the people of Israel repeatedly failing God, this section reveals much about God’s character. It helps the nation of Israel see their years in captivity in a new way. They start to see the big picture of what God sees and how God is always faithful in his promise.

Read verses 16-17, 30-32 again. Draw a wall of bricks on paper. Write on the individual bricks the characteristics of God revealed in these verses. Take turns to identify and mark which words describe what God is ALWAYS like.

• What do you think each characteristic means?
• How does verse 32 ultimately point to Jesus’ work? (Remember that this story happened hundreds of years before Jesus was born.)

Chat to God: Together, write a family prayer based on the characteristics of God and his promise to be faithful to His people.