FunFaith™ Moments for Families

Backwards Night

Use this fun family experience to help your kids see that being great isn't a matter of wealth or intelligence or social status. Rather, it's achieved through being "backwards" and putting others before ourselves.

 

Scripture: Mark 9:33-35
Equipment: Dinner, complete with salad and dessert.

Before You Begin

Prepare a delicious dinner that includes salad, entrée, and dessert. Be sure to pick dishes that your family loves! Also, before you call your family to dinner, dress yourself so that your clothes are backwards--either front-facing-back, or inside-out.

The FunFaith Moment

Call everyone to the dinner table, then send them back to their rooms with instructions to dress themselves "backwards" like you have.

 

When everyone gathers again at the table, begin the meal...starting with dessert! (Yes, we know this isn't good nutrition, but as long as you don't make it a habit, it won't kill you to chow down on junk first just this one night.)

 

Follow dessert with the main course, and finish off with the salad. Then sit back and let your food digest as you go through the Discovery questions below.

Discovery

Have family members discuss these questions:

• Why was it unusual for us to have dinner backwards?

• What did you like about having dinner backwards? What did you dislike?

 

Read Mark 9:33-35 together, then discuss these questions.

 • Jesus' disciples argued about who among them was the greatest. How did Jesus define greatness for them?

• Jesus' definition of greatness seemed "backwards" to what the disciples expected--and to how we most often define greatness today. Why is that so?

• What do you think it meant when Jesus said the greatest must be the servant of all? Give examples.

• When have you seen someone in our family be "great" according to Jesus' backwards definition?

• What makes it hard for you to be great in the way that Jesus described?

• What can we do to help each other overcome our obstacles to greatness this week?

Prayer

Let family members know that being backwards tonight meant simply getting dessert first, but in reality putting others first isn't always a piece of cake. Pray that God will give your family members the courage and desire to live out Jesus' "backwards" definition of greatness each day.

 

--Mike & Amy Nappa

Note: This FunFaith moment is adapted from 52 Fun Family Devotions by Mike and Amy Nappa copyright © 1994 Augsburg Books. Reproduced by special permission of Augsburg Fortress Publishers. No further reproduction permitted without the written consent of Augsburg Fortress.

52 Fun Family Devotions by Mike & Amy Nappa (Augsburg Books)