jefftpitts_how87b | Jeffrey T. Pitts

Day 1: A Second Family in God’s Kingdom

Bible Memory (bold section for younger readers): Acts 17:24, “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.

Our memory verse talks about God being the Lord of heaven AND earth. God had a heavenly family that Job says sang during creation. When God created a second realm, He wanted earthly stewards to manage it, a second family to image or represent Him physically on Earth. Today, we’re going to read about the earthly beings Jesus created and commissioned to be His hands and feet in His earthly creation and to expand Eden throughout the Earth.

Genesis 1:1, 26-28, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” 26, Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move on the earth.” 27 God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it! Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground.””

Genesis 2:8-9a, 15, “The LORD God planted an orchard in the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man he had formed. 9 The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow from the soil, every tree that was pleasing to look at and good for food… 15 The LORD God took the man and placed him in the orchard in Eden to care for it and to maintain it.”

Once God created the world, He wanted someone to rule His new creation. Humans were to image God in this new world, being his physical hands and feet, and doing the work He gave them. That work was to “Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it! Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground.” God had planted Eden, and humans were commissioned to fill the rest of the earth and make it just like Eden.

Questions:

What did God create humans as?: God’s imagers, His earthly representatives, His hands and feet
What job or mission did God give His imagers? – Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and subdue it (make it like Eden). Rule over the fish, birds, and creatures. (notice that doesn’t include ruling over other humans)
How are you imaging God today? How are you His hands and feet?: (Help them apply the mission God gave us. E.g. – being part of a family, improving the world around them, taking care of nature, pets, animals, working to share with others, etc.)

Prayer: Dear God, You created the world and everything in it. You created us as your earthly family to represent you in the world by taking care of it and Your creatures. Please help us to image you well in this world. Amen.

Song: “This Is My Father’s World”

An Introduction to Gravy

I grew up visiting my grandparents’ farm in Southwest Missouri. They had long and storied lives, but to me, they were just Grandpa and Grandma. I loved the simplicity of their days—waking early to check on and feed the cattle, tend the chickens and gather eggs, weed the garden, and tackle the endless chores of farm life. They lived without fanfare, but their lives were thick with meaning.

They hadn’t always led such a quiet life. During the Great Depression, my grandfather hopped trains to roam the country. One night, riding atop a train to reach the next town, he slipped off his coat to use as a pillow. When he woke and sat up, the wind snatched it away—along with his wallet and every cent he had. Over the years, he fixed cars, built planes during World War II, and took on other jobs to provide for his family.

Eventually, he bought a farm and raised cattle. Cash was scarce, but my fondest memories were born there, especially during Thanksgiving. All the aunts, uncles, and cousins crammed into their small double-wide. With no spare bed for me, I’d sleep under the dining room table, drifting off to the hum of adult voices. The food was always good, but breakfast stood out. I’d wake to the smell of bacon and eggs, and Grandma’s sausage gravy—rich and perfect—tied it all together. I’d even ladle the leftovers into my bowl to eat plain. That’s how delicious it was.

Matthew 6:25-30 (NKJV), “25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?”

“That Thanksgiving memory—the warmth of family, the smell of bacon, and Grandma’s sausage gravy—stayed with me. It got me thinking about the saying ‘the rest is gravy.’ Mashed potatoes are a Thanksgiving staple, but they’re nothing special on their own—sometimes dry, sometimes plain. Good gravy, though, transforms them into something unforgettable. Life’s like that too. We all start with the basics, the essentials God provides. And His blessings? They’re the gravy that makes life rich.

My Grandparents’ lives taught me that happiness comes from savoring the basics—a lesson I hope to unpack in this book. When we do that, any extra blessings that come our way can be truly appreciated for what they are. How much better life gets when we reset our expectations to that simple truth.

In this first chapter, I want to invite you to embrace the idea that the basics are enough—food on the table, clothes on your back, a roof overhead. Nothing more is guaranteed, and that’s okay. As Matthew 6:25-30 reminds us, God takes care of the birds and the flowers without their striving. How much more will He care for us? Everything not promised by God is gravy.”