Come Follow Me 2026 · Week 36
Family Activities
August 31–September 6 - Psalms 102–3; 110; 116–19; 127–28; 135–39; 146–50
This week's one thing
God's word lights the path ahead, one step at a time, for anyone who calls on Him.
Opener: The Flashlight Test
Before anyone sits down, write a short sentence on a piece of paper and set it in the middle of the room. Turn off every light. Hand the paper to someone and ask them to read it aloud. After a few seconds of struggling, turn on the flashlight and aim it at the paper. Ask: 'What changed?' Then read Psalm 119:105 together out loud: 'Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.' Point out that the lamp in David's time didn't light the whole road, just the few feet directly in front of the traveler.
When we leave scripture out of our lives, we navigate in the dark; God's word gives us exactly enough light for the next step forward.
Scripture Story
A man lies in his bed in the dark, certain he is dying. Sickness has swallowed him whole, and he can feel death waiting just outside the door. He doesn't have a long prayer ready. He just cries out into the room: 'Lord, save me.' That's the whole prayer. And God hears him. Days pass. The man gets stronger. He walks through his house and notices everything as if for the first time: the light coming through the window, the sound of his own breathing, the cup sitting on his table. He picks up the cup and holds it up like an offering. 'I will call on the Lord,' he says out loud, 'as long as I live' (Psalm 116:2, 13). He knows now what he didn't know before: God heard a three-word prayer in the middle of the night, and that was enough. Now here's your turn. Everyone freeze in a pose showing how YOU would call on God if you really needed help. Hold it for five seconds. What do you think the man felt when he realized God had actually heard him?
Discussion Questions
Little Kids (ages 4–7)
- Have you ever been scared of the dark? What made you feel better?
- What is one thing someone taught you from the scriptures that helps you know what to do?
Big Kids (ages 8–11)
- Psalm 119:105 says God's word is a lamp, not a spotlight. A lamp only shows your next few steps. Why do you think God gives us just enough light to see ahead instead of showing us the whole path at once?
- When was a time you didn't know what to do, and something you already knew from church or the scriptures helped you figure it out?
Teens
- Psalm 102 reads like someone who is exhausted and feels completely forgotten by God. Psalm 103, from around the same collection, is full of praise. Have you ever felt that shift from one state to the other? What actually moved you?
This Week's Challenge
Each night before bed this week, one person shares one scripture, hymn line, or gospel truth that gave them light that day. Write it on a sticky note and press it to the fridge. On Sunday, read them all back and talk about which one surprised you most.
Song Suggestions
My Own Praise Scroll
Ages 3-10~10 min- 1
Step 1: Tear or cut a strip of paper about four inches wide and as long as the sheet allows.
- 2
Step 2: Draw or write one way YOU praise God: singing, dancing in the kitchen, looking at stars, being with animals, praying out loud.
- 3
Step 3: Roll the strip tight like a scroll and tie it with string or a rubber band to keep it rolled up.
The psalms were songs of praise that God's people wrote down, rolled up, and carried with them; your scroll is your own small psalm.
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