#Job Skills For Kids! Part of our
Focus On Your Family: Family Bible Study
Bible Study the whole family can get into!
Bible Study HomepageWhat does your child want to be when they grow up???
I remember being asked this question as a kid, I had so many answers, because I just didn’t want to be one thing. I wanted to be many things!
What can your child be with the potential you see in them? How can you as a parent, cultivate their skills, and help shape them for the future?
Think about how you were shaped as a child, how were you cultivated or not?
These are some of the open discussions you want to have with your child during this family Bible study.
Remember, you were not always YOU!
The original Bible study is by Theology of Work, but we’ve added a “Family Focus,” to it.
Enjoy the fun assignments and crafts that come along side this study, created to get your children thinking no matter what age they are! Print the entire package here.
No matter what your child wants to do when they grow up, three basic attitudes help them land a job and keep it. We will look into the Bible and a story about modern kids to teach the three qualities hiring managers want most.
Gather your family around, its time to dive into your Bibles!
But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep?
Proverbs 6:9-11
When will you wake up?
A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest— then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;
scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.
Always be consistent in having Bible study with your family. The more you do, the more they look forward to it, the more you grow as a family.
These lessons can be done day or night. Whenever your family gets together to study!
Start off small, and then go as the Lord leads you. Don’t always expect things to be perfect. Add effort and allow God to do the rest.
You got this!
Ideally:
Turn off any electronics and distractions as much as possible at least 20-30 minutes before sitting down together.
Day 1
Read Scriptures: 2 Thessalonians 3:7-10, 2 Thessalonians 3:13
For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat…As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.”
“The best thing about third grade at this school,” Carl told his new friend Jose, “is you get to apply for principal’s helper. The principal’s helpers have the coolest job. Instead of going straight to class in the morning, they hang out in the principal’s office and make announcements over the loud speakers!”
“Wow,” Jose said. “I want that job. How do you get it?”
Carl looked grave. “You have to write an application, and then do an interview with the principal. He wants to see that you’re a good worker.”
“A good worker? How do you show that?”
“I don’t know exactly. My teacher always says the motto of our school is ‘hard work.’ Maybe the principal is looking for kids who can prove they work hard?”
Are you hardworking?
In a survey of over two thousand hiring managers, most bosses said they look for a person who is hardworking (according to a 2014 survey by CareerBuilder and Harris Poll)
The evangelist Paul was an example of a hard worker. Even though he started dozens of churches, wrote a quarter of the New Testament and could have asked others to support him financially, Paul continued to work as a tentmaker wherever he traveled. He “worked night and day,” as he puts it in 2 Thessalonians 3:8, to be a model of how other Christians should work.
You can show you’re hardworking by doing more than is asked of you. Instead of just filling out an application for a job, write a letter to the boss saying what goals you’d set for yourself in the position. Think of a story that shows you do more than just show up. Did you bike extra miles at the school bike-a-thon? Did you read 20 chapter books when the summer reading list had 10? If you can’t think of an example of working hard, start now by setting a goal and going for it.
Family Discussion:
Discuss the meaning of hard work with your family. What does this look like?
Ask your kids if they work hard at their chores, for this is the first work they will ever do in life.
Read the assignment to your family, and close out with prayer.
ASSIGNMENT:
The assignment pack has the entire Bible Study included, so you don’t need a computer. Check it out here!
Next time someone asks you to do something, go the extra mile. If you’re asked to set the table for dinner, arrange everything like a restaurant. If you’re asked to work in a group at school, see if you can help someone in the group who’s behind.
Prayer:
God, thank you for the chance to work hard. Help me enjoy all the work I do. Amen.
Parents:
Think about one way your child can earn a small allowance from you. This doesn’t have to be long term! It can be just a way to show them what hard work earns them, then show them how to pay tithes from their income!
Choose a memory verse for your child to remember until the next day. Or test all verses at the end of this Bible Study!
Day 2
Read Scriptures: Luke 16:10, Proverbs 31:15-18, Proverbs 31:31
“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities…
She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household
and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.
She goes to inspect a field and buys it;
with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She is energetic and strong,
a hard worker.
She makes sure her dealings are profitable;
her lamp burns late into the night…
Reward her for all she has done.
Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.
In addition to their applications, Carl and Jose each wrote a letter telling about a time they had worked especially hard. The principal was impressed and invited them for an interview. Carl and Jose were nervous.
“What do you think it’ll be like? Will he ask hard questions?” Jose questions Carl.
“My mom told me not to worry about the questions. She said that knowing me there’s just one thing I need to worry about,” Carl said.
“What’s that?”
Carl cracked a smile. “Showing up on time.”
Are you dependable?
Once a boss can tell you’re hardworking, he or she wants to know that you’re dependable. Dependability means being reliable, trustworthy, doing what you said you would to do. Small actions demonstrate this—it doesn’t need to be big stuff. Something as simple as showing up on time and bringing a pencil to take notes shows that you’re dependable.
People who see you acting dependable in small ways will trust you with bigger responsibilities. Jesus promised this when he said, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.”
If you want to show dependability, make sure you have the time and materials to do the thing you’ve said you’d do. When you’re going to school or practice or an interview, leave early so you have enough time to get there, even if there’s a holdup.
Before you leave, check to make sure you have everything you’ll need, whether it’s homework or an instrument or clean clothes for your sport.
The woman in Proverbs 31 does this. She wakes up early to make sure everyone has what they need for the day. She works “vigorously.” And at the end of the day she evaluates whether her work went well. She is an example of dependability.
Family Discussion:
Discuss dependability with your family. What does this look like to your family, what are expectations for chores and tasks?
Discuss times when your child or you really wanted to do something, but you or they, were not ready. For example, your child might have wanted to help you make macaroni and cheese, but they could get burned or splashed with hot water. What did you say or do?
Read the assignment to your family, and close out with prayer.
Assignment:
The assignment pack has the entire Bible Study included, so you don’t need a computer. Check it out here!
With your family: Think of the most dependable person you know. How do you think they would act at a job interview? If you can, practice interviewing that person.
On their own: younger children can draw what it means to be dependable and older kids can write about what it means to be dependable and how to show it. They can also draw! Use the assignment pack for this Bible Study to print out the the fun pages here.
If you don’t have the time, discuss the topic throughout your day.
Prayer:
God, I have faith that you can do all things. Help me be a person other people can depend on. Amen.
Choose a memory verse for your child to remember until the next day. Or test all verses at the end of this Bible Study!
Day 3
Read Scriptures: Philippians 1:3-6
Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns
Jose sat in the principal’s office, nervously tapping his foot on the carpet.
“It’s good to meet you face to face,” the principal said. “I liked reading your application.”
This made Jose feel more confident. “Thanks!” he said. “Being a principal’s helper sounds like fun.”
“What do you think will be fun about it?” the principal asked.
Oh no. Jose was stumped. He couldn’t think of a good answer. He looked around the principal’s office. His eyes rested on a poster of a surfer with the words “be positive.” Jose smiled.
“I guess it would be fun to come here in the morning and help with announcements. It would be fun to meet the other kids and get to know them. You know,” Jose added, smiling at the surfer. “Most things at this school have been pretty fun. I think this would be another fun thing.”
The principal smiled. “I love your positive attitude,” he said. “Congratulations, you’re hired.”
A Positive Outlook On Life!
A positive attitude often makes the difference between getting a job and not getting a job. When you have a job, a positive attitude helps you keep it. This is because joy and confidence are contagious—they make the people around you feel better.
Paul’s positive, confident attitude towards his friends, the Philippians, inspired them to be confident too. Even though Paul wrote to them from prison, he mentioned the word joy 16 times in one short letter.
He started by saying that he prays “with joy in every one of my prayers for you.” This is the type of attitude that wins friends and work opportunities.
If you’re not naturally joyful, do what Paul did. Start with prayer. Ask God to help you “pray with joy.” Think about the people you’ll see today and thank God for them.
You can be confident that God will give you a positive attitude because, as Paul writes, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Family Discussion:
Discuss having a positive attitude with your family, when it comes to work.
How are you positive at your job?
Ask your children how they can be positive while doing their chores.
How does a positive attitude make you feel as a parent, when you see your child obeying and completing their chores without complaining?
Ask your child to discuss a time when they were positive.
Read the assignment to your family, and close out with prayer.
Assignment:
Family Fun
Say out loud:
“I love working. I love whoever I get to work with. Today’s going to be fun!”
Create Chore bucks for your children. Depending on the age of your kids, determine the amount they can earn and what they can get from their chore bucks.
Ideas can be after earning $10-$15 in chore bucks, they can have a pizza party with family or friends.
$5 in chore bucks can earn 30minutes of tablet or computer time in parent approved websites, or their favorite games.
Use these printables from the Bible Study pack to create your chore bucks!
Helping your child become responsible with their finances, is a life long trait. Use these chore bucks in any way you like!
Prayer:
God, give me joy and confidence in you. May my positive attitude spread to the people around me. Amen.
Choose a memory verse for your child to remember, or test all verses at the end of this Bible Study!
We hope you had fun with this Bible Study, come back and do it again!
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