Welcome to the Summer Edition of Parent-Driven Discussions! Summer brings longer days, lighter schedules, and the perfect opportunity to slow down and invest in your family’s spiritual growth. This special Summer Edition of Parent-Driven Discussions offers six weekly conversation guides rooted in Scripture and designed to help you discuss your faith in meaningful ways. Whether you’re around the dinner table, in the car, or sitting on a beach, these short Bible-based family discussions will help you plant Gospel-seeds that last all year long.
Week Two: Trust God When Plans Change
Bible Focus
Proverbs 16:9 “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.”
Summer break can be such a fun time for families. And I’m thinking of parents and kids. It’s a change of pace from the school year. Even for parents with younger kids or those who homeschool, it still offers the possibility of a new adventure every day—vacations, playdates, camps, and outdoor adventures. But sometimes those plans get canceled, changed, or don’t go the way we hoped. Whether it’s rain on the day of a big trip or something more serious, we all face disappointment. This week’s conversation helps your family talk about what it means to trust God when plans change.
Discussion Questions
Can you think of a time when plans were changed for something you were really excited about? Bonus points for coming up with something from this summer! Parents, tell your kids a relatable story describing a time you were disappointed about a change in plans.
How did that make you feel?
Let’s read our verse together again from a different translation – The Message. “We plan the way we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it.”
What do you think it means that we plan the way we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it? Parents, I think this translation brings out the meaning for our kids, but we may still need to help our younger kids understand this verse.
Why do you think God allows our plans to be changed?
What’s one way you can trust God more the next time your summer plans are changed?
Family Activity
Talk about a time in the past couple of weeks when plans were changed. It can even be a change of plans from this summer that was already mentioned in the parent-driven discussion. Then, play a quick game:
Each person shares one good thing that came out of the change (even if it was hard).
Talk about how God might’ve been at work—even if you couldn’t see it at first.
Close in Prayer
Choose someone in your family to close your time in prayer and ask God to help you trust him more, even when plans change.
Additional Discipleship Resources
10 Reasons to Read the Bible as a Family
Bible Study Skills for Parents: How to Grow Your Faith and Lead Your Family
Colossians Bible Study – Week 1
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