Parent Pages Week 9
Bible Basis: Ruth 1-4:17
Key Verse: “May the Lord reward you for what you have done. May the God of Israel bless you
richly” (Ruth 2:12).
Get the Point:
Preschool: Boaz and Ruth were kind to others. I please God when I am kind.
Elementary: Boaz and Ruth are kind to others. I please God when I am kind.
Middle School: By loving God first, you can better love your family.
High School: God calls us to go beyond ourselves to serve other people, even when it appears that it won’t profit us.
Table Talk
Preschool/Elementary
• When Naomi’s husband and sons died, why did she want to move to Bethlehem? (That’s
where she was from. She had family there and had heard the Lord was helping his people.)
• Did Naomi want Ruth and Orpah to come with her? (No, she encouraged them to go back to
their parents’ homes and marry different men.)
• Why did Ruth stay? (She loved Naomi and wanted to serve her and her God.)
• How did God bless Ruth’s actions? (He provided food for her and Naomi. He allowed her to
marry Boaz.)
• How does God bless us when we do nice things for people?
Middle/High School
• Boaz and Ruth’s relationship teaches a lot about dating and the characteristics of a future
spouse. What first attracted Boaz to Ruth? (She was hard-working. He had heard about the
kindness she showed Naomi.)
• What attracted Ruth to Boaz? Was it his awesome biceps? (No. He offered her protection by
having her glean in his field. He provided for her.)
• As parents, tell your children what first attracted you to your spouse. Ask them what
characteristics are most important to them in a future mate.
• How does Boaz marrying and redeeming Ruth mirror what Jesus did for us?
Living Faith
Have a kindness competition. Depending on the ages of your children, you may have to make teams of two. If every family member is old enough, make it an individual competition. The idea behind this game is to show kindness to each other without expecting anything in return. Ruth showed great love and kindness toward Naomi, even though she couldn’t give her anything in return. In a similar way, Boaz showed amazing kindness toward Ruth. God blessed both Ruth and Boaz for their actions.
Encourage your family to show kindness to each other in tangible ways. Maybe it’s a kind word or a back rub. Maybe it’s something done in secret. You can tape special notes to the mirror in your kids’ bathroom. Your daughter can organize the garage. Your son could offer to baby-sit for free or drive a younger sibling somewhere without complaining. A child could clean up the family room or vacuum without being asked. A husband could buy flowers for his wife. The ideas are endless. At the end of a week, reconvene as a family and talk about what meant the most. Discuss what it was like being the giver and what it was like being on the receiving end of the kindness.
• Did being kind to each other change any family dynamics?
• What was the best part?
• How can kindness and unconditional love be shown all the time?
• How does intentionally showing kindness improve family relationships?
• Read Ephesians 4:32. What does it teach about kindness and how we should treat each
other?
Extra Mile
Get together as a family and look at the lives of your neighbors and your children’s friends. Chances are you know another family that’s going through a difficult time, whether it’s divorce, serious illness, job layoff or death. If you can’t think of anybody who’s struggling, call your church and ask for the name of a child who needs to feel loved and encouraged. Once you find a child who’s going through a hard time, come up with a plan to show him love and acceptance—just like Boaz showed Ruth love and acceptance. Invite this child over for dinner. Offer to pick him or her up and pay for him to join a sports team or club with your child. Bring her to the amusement park with your family. Make him a consistent part of your family during a difficult time in his life. Be Jesus with skin on for this child. Boaz changed Ruth’s life forever, and your family can do the same thing!
Key Verse: “May the Lord reward you for what you have done. May the God of Israel bless you
richly” (Ruth 2:12).
Get the Point:
Preschool: Boaz and Ruth were kind to others. I please God when I am kind.
Elementary: Boaz and Ruth are kind to others. I please God when I am kind.
Middle School: By loving God first, you can better love your family.
High School: God calls us to go beyond ourselves to serve other people, even when it appears that it won’t profit us.
Table Talk
Preschool/Elementary
• When Naomi’s husband and sons died, why did she want to move to Bethlehem? (That’s
where she was from. She had family there and had heard the Lord was helping his people.)
• Did Naomi want Ruth and Orpah to come with her? (No, she encouraged them to go back to
their parents’ homes and marry different men.)
• Why did Ruth stay? (She loved Naomi and wanted to serve her and her God.)
• How did God bless Ruth’s actions? (He provided food for her and Naomi. He allowed her to
marry Boaz.)
• How does God bless us when we do nice things for people?
Middle/High School
• Boaz and Ruth’s relationship teaches a lot about dating and the characteristics of a future
spouse. What first attracted Boaz to Ruth? (She was hard-working. He had heard about the
kindness she showed Naomi.)
• What attracted Ruth to Boaz? Was it his awesome biceps? (No. He offered her protection by
having her glean in his field. He provided for her.)
• As parents, tell your children what first attracted you to your spouse. Ask them what
characteristics are most important to them in a future mate.
• How does Boaz marrying and redeeming Ruth mirror what Jesus did for us?
Living Faith
Have a kindness competition. Depending on the ages of your children, you may have to make teams of two. If every family member is old enough, make it an individual competition. The idea behind this game is to show kindness to each other without expecting anything in return. Ruth showed great love and kindness toward Naomi, even though she couldn’t give her anything in return. In a similar way, Boaz showed amazing kindness toward Ruth. God blessed both Ruth and Boaz for their actions.
Encourage your family to show kindness to each other in tangible ways. Maybe it’s a kind word or a back rub. Maybe it’s something done in secret. You can tape special notes to the mirror in your kids’ bathroom. Your daughter can organize the garage. Your son could offer to baby-sit for free or drive a younger sibling somewhere without complaining. A child could clean up the family room or vacuum without being asked. A husband could buy flowers for his wife. The ideas are endless. At the end of a week, reconvene as a family and talk about what meant the most. Discuss what it was like being the giver and what it was like being on the receiving end of the kindness.
• Did being kind to each other change any family dynamics?
• What was the best part?
• How can kindness and unconditional love be shown all the time?
• How does intentionally showing kindness improve family relationships?
• Read Ephesians 4:32. What does it teach about kindness and how we should treat each
other?
Extra Mile
Get together as a family and look at the lives of your neighbors and your children’s friends. Chances are you know another family that’s going through a difficult time, whether it’s divorce, serious illness, job layoff or death. If you can’t think of anybody who’s struggling, call your church and ask for the name of a child who needs to feel loved and encouraged. Once you find a child who’s going through a hard time, come up with a plan to show him love and acceptance—just like Boaz showed Ruth love and acceptance. Invite this child over for dinner. Offer to pick him or her up and pay for him to join a sports team or club with your child. Bring her to the amusement park with your family. Make him a consistent part of your family during a difficult time in his life. Be Jesus with skin on for this child. Boaz changed Ruth’s life forever, and your family can do the same thing!