BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER WHAT IS OUR MISSION AS CHRISTIANS? Our mission is to make disciples of all nations by the power of the Holy Spirit. Many people rejected the good news about Jesus, but God had a plan for Paul to share the gospel with Gentiles, no matter what troubles Paul faced. MEMORY VERSE READ THE STORY:
Jesus’ followers preached the gospel in Jerusalem, and the good news spread to places like Judea and Samaria. More and more people believed, and new churches began as both Jews and Gentiles began to follow Jesus. Barnabas went to Antioch—a city about 300 miles north of Jerusalem—where he brought Paul to help teach the believers. The church in Antioch grew. The Holy Spirit told the believers at the church in Antioch to send out Paul and Barnabas to preach the gospel. The church obeyed, and Paul and Barnabas traveled to several cities and all over the island of Cyprus, telling both Jews and Gentiles about Jesus. Consider Paul—once a devoted persecutor of Christians—now a Christian missionary, devoted to obeying God’s call to go and tell others the good news about Jesus. This was Paul’s first missionary journey, and it wasn’t easy. Paul and Barnabas faced rejection in every place that they traveled. Some of the people believed, but some of them were angry. Many people rejected the truth about Jesus. In some places, the Jews made plans to kill Paul. Paul and Barnabas never softened their message or abandoned their mission. In Lystra, Paul healed a man, and when the witnesses to this miracle began to worship Paul and Barnabas, the two men emphatically gave credit to the one true God. When Paul’s enemies attacked him and left him for dead, Paul continued on. Paul and Barnabas shared the gospel in Derbe (DUHR bih), and many people believed. The Holy Spirit sent Paul and Barnabas to tell Jews and Gentiles about Jesus. If Paul had not taken the gospel to the Gentiles, many of us would probably not be believers today. God uses people to tell others about Jesus so that people all over the world can be saved. Many people rejected the good news about Jesus, but God had a plan for Paul to share the gospel with Gentiles, no matter what troubles Paul faced. Many believed in Jesus. The church grew and the gospel spread so that people all over the world could be saved from their sin by trusting in Jesus. GOSPEL APPLICATION K-2nd:
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BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER WHAT IS OUR MISSION AS CHRISTIANS? Our mission is to make disciples of all nations by the power of the Holy Spirit. God answered the people’s prayers for Peter. God had a plan for Peter and the church, and He rescued Peter from his enemies. MEMORY VERSE READ THE STORY:
Peter had witnessed the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on Gentile believers. God made it clear: the gospel is for all because Jesus is Lord of all. Peter returned to Jerusalem and told the believers there what had happened. At this time, other believers who had scattered amid persecution were preaching the gospel. By God’s grace, people believed and the church grew. Before long, King Herod Agrippa attacked the believers. He arrested Peter and killed James, the brother of John. Herod put Peter in prison and planned to kill him too. While Peter was in prison, the other believers prayed earnestly for him. God answered their prayers. Guided by an angel late one night, Peter walked right out of the prison. He escaped to the house of Mary and told the believers gathered there what God had done. Then Peter left Jerusalem for a while because his life was in danger. Consider emphasizing one or more of the following points as you talk about this Bible story. First, prayer is powerful. God answered the people’s prayers for Peter. When we pray, God hears us, and we can trust that He is good and will act according to His will. Prayer shouldn’t be a last resort for people who feel powerless about their circumstances. Prayer is powerful; we can call on the Lord of the universe at any time! Second, God is in control. God had a plan for Peter and the church. Herod couldn’t stop God’s plan. God rescued Peter from his enemies. Even when our own plans fall apart, God is in control. Finally, following Jesus is risky—but worth it. Peter knew he would face death because He believed in Jesus. Many believers were killed because of their faith. But Peter didn’t hide or give up. He kept going so he could share the good news of the gospel. Jesus is worth living—and dying—for. God answered the people’s prayers for Peter. God had a plan for Peter and the church, and He rescued Peter from his enemies. Peter knew he would face death because He believed in Jesus, but he kept going so he could share the good news of the gospel. GOSPEL APPLICATION K-2nd:
BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER WHAT IS THE GOSPEL? The gospel is the good news that God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to rescue sinners. Jesus is the true hero of the Bible. He gives us faith. We can look to Him because in Him, all of God’s promises will come true MEMORY VERSE READ THE STORY:
It is common to think of faith as something that is just within us—trust and confidence in God. While that is surely part of it, faith doesn’t stop there. Faith starts inside of us and always leads to action. The writer of the Book of Hebrews wanted to explain the fullness of faith to the early Jewish Christians. One of the best ways he could do this was to walk through examples of how men and women in the Old Testament had proven to be faithful. The result is Hebrews 11, often known as the Hall of Faith. Abel had faith when he gave an offering to God, and God accepted his offering. Noah had faith. He believed God when God told him to build an ark to rescue his family. Abraham had faith when God called him to leave his home. Abraham’s wife Sarah had faith when she trusted God to give her a family even though she was too old to have children. Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses had faith too. Rahab had faith when she hid the Israelite spies in Jericho. All of these people trusted God, and so did many others. Having faith was not easy. Many suffered, and they died before God’s greatest promise—the arrival of Jesus—came true, but they believed that God had a wonderful plan. God was pleased with them because they trusted Him. This week, share the examples of these heroes of faith to help your kids understand faith in action. We can and should learn from these examples; that is why God gave them to us in Hebrews 11. However, emphasize that every person in this list was a sinner in need of salvation. Each of these heroes needed a greater hero. Point your kids to Jesus, the perfect hero who rescues us from sin. God kept His promise to send the Messiah—His own Son, Jesus—to rescue people from sin. Jesus is the true hero of the Bible. He gives us faith. We can look to Him because in Him, all of God’s promises will come true. GOSPEL APPLICATION K-2nd:
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December 2023
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