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Reel Theology for Kids Summer “Con-votional”: Despicable Me

Reel Theology for Kids Summer “Con-votional”: Despicable Me

Last updated on: July 6, 2013 at 4:20 pm by Osheta Moore

Reel Theology for Kids Summer “Con-votional”: Despicable Me 2013-07-06T16:20:12-08:00 Osheta Moore

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I’m not a big fan of pre-written devotionals, I find I’d rather take in the bible verse or idea myself, finagle in my head and then begin a series of conversations to bring home my point. So these devotionals should probably be called, “con-votionals” because they are more guided conversations that traditional devotiona

The format will be:

Movie Info

Movie Summary

Con-votionals questions

Scripture

Application

Prayer

When teaching my kids about the Bible, the most important thing for me is ease and accessibility. They’re attention spans are already zapped from the movie, but I want to strike while the iron’s hot and connections can easily be made. I need something that I can pull up on my phone during the end credits and engage my kiddos. Hopefully, with this format they will learn how to observe culture and connect it back to Christ like Paul in Areopagos who took the words of a Greek poet named, Aratus, “in Him we live and move and have our being” to reveal God to the people of Athens. I hope these “con-votionals” spark conversations to reveal God to my children and yours.

All of the questions for the “con-votionals” have been tried on my kids and they’ve pretty much memorized Psalm 68:6 so I hope that’s enough research study and field testing 😉

Love for the Lonely Con-Votional

“Despicable Me”

Running time: 95 minutes

MPAA rating: PG

Content: Nothing questionable. Some comedic violence and silly bathroom language.

Biblical Themes to look out for: Forgiveness, redemption, identity, acceptance.

Summary (from IMDB):

In a happy suburban neighborhood surrounded by white picket fences with flowering rose bushes, sits a black house with a dead lawn. Unbeknownst to the neighbors, hidden beneath this home is a vast secret hideout. Surrounded by a small army of minions, we discover Gru, planning the biggest heist in the history of the world. He is going to steal the moon. (Yes, the moon!) Gru delights in all things wicked. Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays, freeze rays, and battle-ready vehicles for land and air, he vanquishes all who stand in his way. Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little orphaned girls who look at him and see something that no one else has ever seen: a potential Dad. The world’s greatest villain has just met his greatest challenge: three little girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes. Written by Universal Pictures

Con-votionals questions

1: What do Gru and the girls have in common

(answer: both are lonely, both need a family, both have no one to love.)

2: How did they show their loneliness?

(answer Gru: was mean, cruel, unfriendly, kept to himself

Girls: Didn’t smile very much in the beginning, asked for a new family, prayed for a new family)

Sometimes when people are lonely they are mean and unkind like Gru. Sometimes they look sad and keep to themselves. Sometimes they may ask to play/join/hang out with you, but most of the time they’re too afraid someone will say “no” so they avoid people all together…like Gru.

3: What interesting thing did the girls do to try and try and fix their loneliness?

Prayed to God for parents.

4:? When did things begin to change for Gru and the girls? When did their loneliness seem to go away?

(answer: When they went to the amusement park and had fun together. When the girls showed Gru love and they found things in common.)

5:At the end of the story what made the ending so happy? What did they all become?

(A family.)

Scriptures:

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

1 John 5:14

“God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.”

Psalm 68:6

Did you know the bible has a lot to say about being lonely and what we should do if we feel lonely? Two of them are shown in the movie are:

1***: That we can confidently pray because we know God hears us (1 John 5:14)***

2: That God puts the lonely in families (Psalm 68:6)

Read both verses with the kids, if possible.

Application:

1: Sometimes people are unkind to us because they want to be our friends, I know it’s weird, but it’s true they are so lonely or scared that it’s easier to be mean and feel strong that try to be kind and maybe have their feelings hurt. So whenever someone is unkind to us, we should pray for them and be generous with our love friendship. Because God hears our prayers and he wants to put the lonely in families.

2: Write down the names or call out the names of people who have been unkind to us recently. Let’s pray this prayer for them:

Jesus,

We lift up _________ to you. We know you love them and we know you want them in your family. Please help us to love like you love. Over and over again, with patience, and without holding grudges. Jesus, we are confident that you hear our prayers and we know that as your followers you want us to make wholeness where there is brokenness. Our friend________’s heart is a little broken. Show us how to help fix it with our love and friendship. Help us not be selfish and not invite them to have fun with us because of the ways they’ve hurt our feelings, but help us be generous friends like you, Jesus.

In your Name,

Amen

Enjoy your week, Lovelies! While away at Family Camp this week, I’ll be reposting some of my favorite posts from before I switched to WordPress. My Summer re-wind, of sorts.

Love Always,

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