Mr Peabody is a dog that legally adopts a boy called Sherman. When Sherman gets in trouble for biting a classmate his father – the dog – is brought into school. It looks like Sherman will be taken away from Mr Peabody for good. Yet Sherman knows Mr Peabody is a great dad and he doesn’t want to leave him… this trailer is a little introduction to the characters and provides an open door to discuss what a good father is like.

Applications:

1. Fathers:

Mr Peabody wasn’t your average dad was he? I mean, he was a dog! How many kids can say they have a dog for a dad? I’m pretty sure none! The funny thing about this movie though, is that Mr Peabody was a very intelligent dog – a genius dog! He could do anything! He also cared for Sherman and that’s why Sherman loved him too. He was well looked after by the dog and he knew that Mr Peabody would look after him. Maybe your experience of a father has been great, or maybe it has been bad. We have all had different kinds of fathers. Some of us know our fathers really well, and others of us don’t know them at all. One thing we know for sure though, we have a Heavenly Father that loves us more than any earthly father ever could! All fathers mess up and make mistakes. Our Father God is the only perfect father.

Fathers in the bible:

Abraham was so obedient to God that he was willing to sacrifice his son. As a father he put God first and set the example for his son Isaac… yet he dismissed Ishmael and left him to wander away with his mother Hagar.

Isaac loved both of his sons, yet he was fooled by Jacob and gave him his brother’s blessing.

Jacob had many sons and daughters, yet he had favorites. This caused problems amongst the brothers and sisters.

Eli had 3 sons, yet he failed to make sure they grew up to obey God. (1 Samuel 2:12-36)

Joseph was a good father as he cared for Jesus, Mary’s unborn child by looking after Mary before the baby was born.

USEFUL BIBLE VERSES:

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 1 John 3:1

One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:6

And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Matthew 23:9

Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us?…Malachi 2:10

Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. Psalm 68:5

And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:16-17

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What does the word ‘dad’ mean to you? (If some don’t want to answer this, you could ask the children to write their answers down and put them in a box, drawing the answers out one at a time and discussing them)

2. What makes a good dad?

3. How can you trust that God is a good father?

4. What can we learn from some of the father’s in the bible?

5. If someone was the best dad in the whole world, what would they be like? Is our Heavenly Father like this?

2. God the Father:

Mr Peabody might seem like a funny choice to be someone’s father. He’s a dog! Yet he really cared for Sherman, in fact, he loved him! He showed his love by going back and forward in time to help Sherman and by spending time with him and teaching him things. Mr Peabody was also very intelligent, it seems like he could do anything! That’s why Mr Peabody reminds me a little of our Heavenly Father. Our Father God knows everything. There is nothing that He doesn’t know about! He also loves us more than anyone in the Universe! He is such a good God! We can get to know the Father more by reading our bibles and praying to Him! Jesus made a way so that we could talk to our Father God every second of every day. Unlike Mr Peabody, our Heavenly Father can be with us all the time. He never leaves us.

RELEVANT BIBLE PASSAGES:

The Prodigal Son: Luke 15:11-32

Praying to the Father: Matthew 6:5-15

Click here for relevant bible verses

USEFUL DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What do the words ‘Father God’ mean to you?

2. Do you like thinking of God as your father? Why/why not?

3. Do you think God the Father is like Mr Peabody? Why/why not?

4. How have you experienced God as your father? [leaders may need to share testimonies here too]

5. How have you felt the Father’s love?