Read - Genesis 12:1-4; Genesis 15:1-6

Examine - At the start of any road trip, you need a goal. Sometimes it’s to visit family. Sometimes it’s to go on a fun adventure. Other times, it’s just to get away and relax. While the journey is valuable, the purpose of that journey is the most important thing. Imagine if halfway through your road trip, the driver decides to change the purpose of the trip altogether. That would cause quite the frustration and probably cause you to lose trust in the one planning the trip. God laid out the purpose of His people from the very beginning by making a covenant with Abraham, and He promised it to Abraham by showing Him his future in the stars. Fast forward to today, and God has a plan for us as well. In a similar fashion, God has His purpose for His people written on our hearts. His purpose is not one that changes, but is promised to us, which allows us to trust Him along the journey.

Apply - Write down what you think your purpose is as a parent. Ask your student to write down what they think their purpose is right now. Compare and discuss what God’s purpose for your family might be.

Pray - Ask God to help your family know and pursue the purpose that God has for you.

Read - Genesis 22

Examine - On trips, there are often times when two or more of the people on the trip have a disagreement on what should be happening. The disagreement may be about food choices, where to stay the night, or if five bathroom breaks in the span of 2 hours are actually necessary. Can anyone relate? Sacrifices of what we want are necessary on a trip. But what happens when we have to sacrifice what we believe is the purpose of the trip? Through the story of Abraham and Isaac, we see that we can trust what God has entrusted to us. God doesn’t just take away what He has promised to us, but that doesn’t mean our trust and faith won’t be tested along the journey.

Apply - Ask your student: “What is something that you own that would be hard to give up if you were asked to?” and “How can you trust God with the things He has given to you?”

Pray - Thank God for the many blessings He has given your family, and ask Him what things you might be holding onto too tightly.

Read - Genesis 45:4-10; Acts 7:9-10

Examine - Have you ever made a bad call on a trip? Maybe you booked the hotel for the wrong date, or you thought you could make it to the next exit before running out of gas, but you end up stranded on the side of the road. Bad decisions are going to happen in life because we are flawed. Those bad decisions can leave us feeling stuck in a pit. In the life of Joseph and his family, we see that God gives a purpose to the pits we create. While we may not be able to see the plan in the hole that we are stuck in, God can, and he knows the beautiful picture He can create out of the pit we are stuck in.

Apply - Pits, as a result of bad decisions, happen in every family. Discuss with your family what pits your family often gets stuck in. Ask your student: “When has God made something good from a pit you’ve been in?”

Pray - Ask God for Him to help you trust Him even in the pits that are formed.

Read - Exodus 3:1-12, 16-17; Psalm 34:17-18; Exodus 12:50

Examine - There’s nothing like being excited for vacation to a place like Disney and weather ruining the trip. The frustration and sadness from something you can’t control spoiling what you planned for often leads to a feeling of hopelessness. While we often create problems for ourselves, external issues also can weigh on us, making us feel like we are in bondage. If a family member gets sick, you lose your job, or people you love get a divorce, it’s hard to see light coming out of those situations. And that’s exactly where the enemy hopes we stay. But as we see with the exodus from Egypt, God delivers us out of bondage and into better. While the forces against us are strong, He is stronger and always working for our benefit.

Apply - Challenge your family to talk about a time when something didn’t go as planned, maybe a vacation, a school event, or even just a regular day. Ask your student: “What do you think God could be doing in moments like that?” Then, together, write down one area where you feel stuck or overwhelmed and pray about trusting God with it this week.

Pray - Pray for God to bring peace and freedom to your family in places where you feel stuck, overwhelmed, or uncertain.

Read - Joshua 2:11; Joshua 6:20; Joshua 24:14-15

Examine - One of the most frustrating things is when you’re changing a tire and the lugnut is stuck on tight. You twist, yank, maybe even kick the tire iron…and nothing. Eventually you give it to someone else to try, who gives it one turn, and…POP! Freedom. That’s kind of what faith looks like. The Israelites didn’t break down Jericho’s walls with force, they trusted God and followed His lead. And the walls fell. We all face walls: stress, fear, tough choices. We can try to face them ourselves, but when we give it to God and have faith that He can handle it, He does. Faith opens the way to freedom. It may not always make sense, but faith gives us a freedom that nothing else can.

Apply - Take a moment as a family to talk about a “wall” you’re currently facing. Something that feels rather hard or uncertain. Ask your student: “What would it look like to trust God with this instead of trying to fix it ourselves?”

Pray - For God to grow faith in your family that leads to freedom, especially in areas where you feel stuck or afraid.

Read - Judges 2:18-22; Judges 4

Examine - Ever been picked last for a team, only to surprise everyone by hitting the game-winning shot? That’s kind of what happens in Judges. God doesn’t always choose the strongest, loudest, or most obvious leaders, He chooses the willing. Deborah wasn’t a warrior, but she led with wisdom and courage. Barak wasn’t confident, but he listened to wisdom. Together, they showed that God uses unexpected people to do big things. We often think leadership looks a certain way, but God sees something deeper. He calls ordinary people to do extraordinary things, if they’re willing to trust Him.

Apply - Have a conversation as a family about what leadership really looks like. Ask: “Can you think of someone who leads in unexpected ways?” Look for ways to serve with courage this week.

Pray - For God to help your family lead with courage, even when it’s hard and uncomfortable.

Read - 1 Samuel 8; 1 Samuel 12:21-24

Examine - When we were teenagers, we often thought we knew better than our parents. We had insight and knowledge that there was no way they could have. On vacations, we knew that dessert was the best dinner, and that we should be able to wander a strange town by ourselves. After we grow, some of the things we thought might sound ridiculous, but in our teenage years, those thoughts that we knew better would get us into trouble. Israel was no different. Instead of following God, they wanted to choose their own human king. Thankfully, God doesn’t allow our mistakes to supersede His mission. As He does time and time again, He can use our mistakes to show just how great He is and how great His plan is.

Apply - As a family, talk about a time when someone thought they knew better, and how that turned out. Ask your student: “Why do you think God’s plan is better than ours, even when we don’t understand it?” Then, look for one way to trust God’s leadership this week.

Pray - For God to help your family trust his leadership, even when it’s different from what you expected or planned.

Read - 1 Kings 12; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Examine - If someone has siblings, they would probably agree that some of the best and worst times in life were being crammed close to those siblings for extended periods of time. It causes lots of fights, but also brings some of the greatest laughs. You may not have the comfort of being able to spread out or have alone time, whether it’s family or friends, studies show that we are healthier when we do life in community with others. At one point, Israel decided to split, fracturing its people, causing harm for generations of God’s people. Part of living in community means giving up some things you may want. Living in community is synonymous with sacrifice. While it might seem counter to our thinking, when everyone is willing to sacrifice for one another, we are actually stronger.

Apply - Discuss with your student who is in their community. Ask your student: “What healthy sacrifices do you have to make/should you make in order to have a healthy community?”

Pray - Ask God to bring Godly friends, leaders, and influencers into the life of your student.

Read - 2 Kings 24:14-15; John 18:36-37; Jeremiah 29:4-7

Examine - Getting lost in a town you’ve never been to can be scary, especially if you forget to charge your phone and you’ve got no technology to help you get out of the problem. Feeling stranded and lost can make you feel alone and small. When we feel this way in life, it’s easy to think that God has forgotten us. When Israel was taken into captivity, it was easy to believe that God abandoned and forgot them. However, He sent them reminders that He was still there and that His plan was still in motion. In your biggest problems, God has the bigger picture. While you may not see God, He has never left those that He loves.

Apply - It can be hard to see God in certain situations. Ask your student: “When have you felt lost in life? How can I help you see God’s bigger picture when you feel that way?”

Pray - Thank God for the fact that He has never abandoned your family. Ask Him to remind you of that when you feel lost.

Read - Ezekiel 11:14-20; 1 John 1:5-10; Jeremiah 29:11

Examine - A road trip is a fun and exhausting adventure. At the end of the trip, the drive back home is usually something that everybody looks forward to. Even if the place you traveled to was amazing, there is something special and safe about being home. The nation of Israel realized that God was their special and safe home. When they were in exile, God knew he’d return them to the promise He had given them. Even when we turn our back on God, He is working to bring us back to Him. Regardless of how far we are from Him, God sees us where we are and redeems us where we are.

Apply - Discuss as a family what things about home make it feel safe and special. Ask your student: “What aspects of God make Him safe and special?”

Pray - Ask God to keep your family close to Him, whether everyone is close to home or far away.

Read - Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 7:14; Micah 5:2; Luke 1:26-33

Examine - Waiting is the hardest part of any road trip. Whether it’s sitting in traffic or counting down the many miles, it’s easy to wonder if you’ll ever get there. That is how it felt for God’s people. They heard the many promises of a Savior, a King, but many generations passed without seeing Him. Even still, God was working. He was working through prophets like Isaiah and Micah. When Jesus arrived on the scene, their hope became reality. The promised King didn’t just show up, he fulfilled every word, bringing light to a people who had been waiting in the darkness. God gives us hope in the waiting.

Apply - Spend time as a family talking about something you’ve had to wait for. Maybe it’s a trip, a gift, or an answer to a prayer. Ask your student: “How does knowing God keeps his promises help us when we’re waiting?”

Pray - Ask God to grow hope in your family in seasons of waiting. Knowing that God gives us hope, even when the road feels long.

Read - John 3:16-17; Luke 23:44-47; Luke 24:5-6

Examine - On the road trip of life, we all hit moments that make us stop and ask, “Is this really the way?” Detours, delays, and dead ends can leave us confused or even hopeless. The cross reminds us that God’s plan, though unexpected, always had a purpose, and that purpose was salvation. Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world, but to save it. His sacrifice wasn’t a detour; it was the destination. The cross is the culmination of the covenant, a moment where love, justice, and mercy all meet. And the empty tomb? That’s the sign that the road doesn’t end in death, but in life.

Apply - Take time as a family to talk about what sacrifice means. Ask your student: “What’s something Jesus gave up for us? What’s something we can give up to love others better?” Then, choose one way to show sacrificial love this week, maybe by giving time, attention, or encouragement to someone who needs it during the holidays.

Pray - For God to help your family understand the true depth of Jesus’ love and then to reflect that love through serving and sacrifice.