Parent Discipleship Guide 03 May 2026

PARENT–CHILD DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE
God and Suffering  Week 3
Loaves, Fish, and Faith: Trusting Christ When Human Systems Are Not Enough       

Pastor Ryan Perry
Good Hope Baptist Church
03 May 2026

Big Idea (repeat each day)
What we have may look small, but when we surrender it to Jesus, He is more than enough.

DAY 1:  JESUS SEES THE NEED
Scripture: John 6:5–6

Parent Says:
A large crowd came to Jesus, and the people were hungry. The disciples saw a problem that was too big for them. They did not have enough money, enough food, or enough strength to fix it. But Jesus already knew what He was going to do. That teaches us something important. When we face a need that feels too big, Jesus is not surprised. He sees the need before we know the answer.
Ask:

• What was the problem in John 6?
• Does Jesus know what our family needs?

Truth to Remember:
Jesus sees our needs before we know the answer.

For Younger Kids:
Jesus knew the people were hungry, and He cared about them.

Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for seeing our needs. Help our family trust You when we do not know what to do.
 
DAY 2:  WE ARE NOT ENOUGH WITHOUT JESUS
Scripture: John 15:5

Parent Says:
Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” That does not mean we never work, plan, save, or try. It means we cannot do God’s work in our own strength. The disciples had a hungry crowd in front of them, but they did not have enough to feed them. Sometimes we feel that way too. We may not have enough courage, patience, money, strength, or wisdom. Jesus teaches us not to pretend we are enough. He teaches us to depend on Him.
Ask:

• What does Jesus say we can do apart from Him?
• Where does our family need Jesus’s help right now?

Truth to Remember:
We need Jesus for everything God calls us to do.

For Younger Kids:
Jesus helps us when we are not strong enough.

Prayer:
Lord, help us stop trusting only ourselves. Teach us to depend on You every day.

DAY 3:  BRING WHAT YOU HAVE TO JESUS
Scripture: Matthew 14:18

Parent Says:
A boy had five loaves and two fish. That did not look like much beside thousands of hungry people. But Jesus said, “Bring them here to me.” That is faith. Faith does not say, “I have enough.” Faith says, “Jesus, I give You what I have.” Our little may look small, but Jesus is not limited by what we can count. He can use our prayers, our time, our kindness, our obedience, our gifts, and even our weakness when we place them in His hands.
Ask:

• What did the boy have?
• What can we give to Jesus this week?

Truth to Remember:
Jesus can use what we surrender to Him.

For Younger Kids:
The boy gave Jesus his lunch, and Jesus used it.

Prayer:
Jesus, we give You what we have. Use our family for Your kingdom.

DAY 4:  JESUS IS BETTER THAN BREAD
Scripture: John 6:35

Parent Says:
After Jesus fed the crowd, many people came looking for Him again. But Jesus knew their hearts. Some wanted more bread, but they did not really want Him as Lord. Jesus told them, “I am the bread of life.” Bread can fill a stomach for a little while, but Jesus gives life forever. Sometimes people only want God to fix problems, give blessings, or make life easier. But our greatest need is not just what Jesus gives. Our greatest need is Jesus Himself.
Ask:

• What did Jesus call Himself?
• Why do we need Jesus more than anything He gives us?

Truth to Remember:
Jesus is our deepest need.

For Younger Kids:
Bread feeds our bodies, but Jesus gives life to our hearts.

Prayer:
Jesus, help us love You more than the things You give. Be the center of our family.

DAY 5:  DON’T PRETEND TO SURRENDER
Scripture: Acts 5:4

Parent Says:
In Acts 4, the early church shared generously so people in need could be helped. Then Acts 5 tells us about Ananias and Sapphira. They wanted to look generous, but they were not honest. Peter said they had lied to God. The problem was not that they failed to give everything. The problem was they pretended to surrender while secretly trying to control how people saw them. God cares about the heart. He does not want fake faith. He wants honest surrender.
Ask:

• What did Ananias and Sapphira do wrong?
• Why does God care about honesty?

Truth to Remember:
God wants true surrender, not pretend faith.

For Younger Kids:
God wants us to be honest with Him.

Prayer:
God, give our family honest hearts. Help us obey You without pretending.

DAY 6:  FAITHFUL PEOPLE STILL FACE HARD THINGS
Scripture: Psalm 23:4

Parent Says:
Faith does not mean we never suffer. Joseph suffered in Egypt. David faced danger before he became king. Ruth walked through grief and poverty. Daniel lived in exile. The poor widow gave when she had almost nothing. Faith does not remove every valley, but faith knows the Shepherd is with us there. Psalm 23 does not say we will never walk through the valley. It says we do not have to fear because God is with us.
Ask:

• Does faith mean life will always be easy?
• Who is with us in the valley?

Truth to Remember:
Faith trusts God even in the valley.

For Younger Kids:
God stays with us when life is hard.

Prayer:
Father, help us trust You in hard places. Remind us that we are never alone.

DAY 7:  PUT OUR LOAVES AND FISH IN JESUS’S HANDS
Scripture: Romans 8:28

Parent Says:
God calls His people to live faithfully in a suffering world. That means we do not build our lives on fear, comfort, money, or control. We give Jesus what He has placed in our hands. As a family, we can give Him our time, our prayers, our home, our gifts, our suffering, our blessing, and our future. Our church must do the same. Vision 2030 is not about saying, “Look what we can do.” It is about saying, “Lord, this is what You gave us. Here are our loaves and fish. Take what we have, multiply what we cannot, and use us to help people know Christ.”
Ask:

• What has God placed in our family’s hands?
• How can we surrender it to Jesus?

Truth to Remember:
Jesus is more than enough for what He calls us to do.

For Younger Kids:
 We can give Jesus our whole life.

Prayer:
Jesus, our family belongs to You. Take our lives, our gifts, our time, and our future. Use us for Your kingdom.

FAMILY PRACTICE FOR THE WEEK
Choose one “loaf and fish” your family can place in Jesus’s hands this week. It could be praying together each night, encouraging someone who is hurting, giving to someone in need, serving at church, forgiving someone, or using your home to bless another family.

Say together:
 “Jesus, what we have may look small, but in Your hands it is enough.”

CLOSING FAMILY PRAYER
Lord Jesus, thank You that You see every need before we know the answer. Forgive us for trusting human systems more than we trust You. Forgive us for trying to control what only You can multiply. Teach our family to surrender what we have, not because it is impressive, but because You are Lord. Take our people, gifts, resources, prayers, time, testimony, suffering, blessing, and future. Use our family and our church for Your kingdom. Amen.




© 2026 Dr. G. Ryan Perry, PhD | Good Hope Baptist Church (GHBC) | Cross+Walk Ministries. All rights reserved. Permission granted for personal use, family discipleship, and local church ministry use. Not for resale or unauthorized commercial reproduction.