MONTHLY ARCHIVES: October 2016

Conversation Starters: Our Need for Direction

Posted by Karah

img_1270THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: God is holy. Therefore, He must punish sin. From the beginning, God has set a standard of righteousness, and failure to live by that standard brought death and separation from Him. In the end, no one gets by with their sin. As Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death.” But Jesus offers all people forgiveness and grace. No matter what we’ve done, we can know the freedom of God’s forgiveness.

Concept: Our Need for Direction

Preschool

Matthew 26:17-30; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

LIFE POINT: Jesus told two of His disciples to get everything ready for a special supper. Jesus said, “Go into the city. You will meet a man. Tell him that I want to eat a special supper with My helpers at his
house.” Jesus’ helpers did what Jesus told them to do. They got everything ready. When it was time to eat, Jesus and His helpers sat at the table. Jesus took some bread. He thanked God for it. Jesus tore the
bread into pieces. He gave some bread to each helper. Then Jesus took a cup and said thank You to God. Jesus shared a drink from the cup with each helper. Jesus wanted His helpers to always remember this special supper they had together. He told His helpers to always remember the things He did for them.

LIVE IT OUT: Help your child remember Jesus and the things He did. Turn through the pages of a Bible with pictures, such as the Jesus Story Book Bible. Talk about Jesus and the Bible stories represented by the pictures.

Kids

John 11:1-44

LIFE POINT: Lazarus was very sick. His sisters sent a message to Jesus. When Jesus came, Lazarus was dead. He was buried in a tomb. Jesus asked Martha if she believed in Him. Martha said, “I believe You are the Messiah. You are God’s Son.” Then Jesus went to Mary. She was very sad. Jesus asked where
Lazarus was buried. Mary took Jesus to the tomb. “Take away the stone,” Jesus said. Martha said, “My brother has been buried for four days.” Jesus told Martha she would see God’s glory. The men removed the stone door. Jesus prayed aloud to God. Then with a loud voice, He said, “Lazarus, come out!” Lazarus came out of the tomb. He was covered with linen strips. His face was covered with a cloth. Jesus told the people to remove the strips and let Lazarus go.

LIVE IT OUT: Has your child ever experienced the death of a friend or loved one? Talk to your child about what happens to Christians when they die. Find verses in the Bible that affirm that Jesus conquered death.

Students

John 8:12-19

THE POINT: Jesus is the true Light who reveals where we should go. What’s the darkest, scariest place
you’ve ever visited? Where do you see evidence of darkness in today’s world? Discuss the following quote:

“Men come and go; … He abides. They die, but He lives. They are lights kindled, and… sooner or later quenched; but He is the true light from which they draw all their brightness, and He shines for evermore.”1 —Alexander MacLaren

LIVE IT OUT: Encourage your student to do one or both Live It Out activities. Here are some suggested ways to help your student:

If he or she plans to complete Influence:
• Help your student understand that what we are influenced by will determine our direction in life.

If he or she plans to complete Daily Reading:
• Give your student verses to read this week about Jesus being the light of the world. Take time to discuss these daily Scripture readings with your student.

1.“Christ our Everlasting Light,” Great Quotes for Quoting [online], [cited 16 July 2015]. Available from the Internet: https://thequotes.wordpress.com/category/satisfaction-in-christ/


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Conversation Starters: Our Need for Contentment

Posted by Karah

img_4252THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: God the Father has chosen us, and He desires to adopt us into His family. We don’t need to remain as orphans, crying and hoping for the love and acceptance of a Father. Instead, we are loved by God and can receive from Him an immeasurable gift: adoption into His family.

Concept: Our Need for Contentment

Preschool

Matthew 4:18-22; 9:35-10:10

LIFE POINT: Jesus walked beside a big lake called the Sea of Galilee. He saw two brothers, Simon Peter and Andrew, fishing. “Come, follow Me,” Jesus said. “I want you to be My helpers (disciples).” Simon Peter and Andrew at once stopped fishing and went with Jesus. Jesus saw two different brothers, James and John, working in their father’s boat. Jesus said, “Come, follow Me.” James and John stopped working and went with Jesus. Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John became Jesus’ first helpers. They traveled with Jesus to help Him. All together, Jesus chose 12 men to be His helpers. These 12 men included Peter and his brother Andrew, James and his brother John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, another man named James, Thaddaeus, Simon, and Judas.

LIVE IT OUT: Play a counting game with your preschooler. Set out twelve objects—small blocks, bottle caps, counting chips. Help your child count to twelve. Comment that Jesus chose twelve helpers. They helped people know about God and Jesus.

Kids

Matthew 17:1-9

LIFE POINT: One day, Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a mountain. Suddenly, Jesus looked different. His face shone like the sun and His clothes were bright! Two men stood beside Jesus. They were Moses and Elijah. These two men had died long ago. Peter offered to build a tent for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. A voice came from heaven. “This is My Son. I am pleased with Him. Listen to what He says.”
Peter, James, and John heard God! They bowed with their faces to the ground. Jesus touched them. “Don’t be afraid,” He said. When the men looked up, they saw only Jesus standing with them. They went down the mountain. Jesus said, “Don’t tell people about this until I have risen from the dead.”

LIVE IT OUT: Help your child memorize Matthew 16:16. These words of Peter confirm that he knew Jesus was the Son of God.

Students

John 6:26, 35-40

THE POINT: Jesus is the only thing that brings true satisfaction. When is the last time you had too much of a good thing? Why do people seek satisfaction in things that don’t last? Discuss the following quote:

“It is easy to want things from the Lord and yet not want the Lord Himself, as though the gift could ever be preferable to the Giver.”1 —Augustine

LIVE IT OUT: Encourage your student to do one or both Live It Out activities. Here are some suggested ways to help your student:

If he or she plans to complete Back to the Future:
• Help your student evaluate how they are living now and if their lifestyles will satisfy them later in life. This is a great opportunity to draw upon your life experience and relationship with Christ to disciple your student’s life practically.

If he or she plans to complete Daily Reading:
• Encourage your student to read Scripture about Jesus’ disciples this week. Discuss with your student how the disciples lived after they encountered Jesus.

1. “Is the gift preferable to the Giver?.” Great Quotes for Quoting [online], [cited 16 July 2015]. Available from the Internet: https://thequotes.wordpress.com/category/satisfaction-in-christ/


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Conversation Starters: Share God’s Love

Posted by Karah

b04b06d9-48d1-41df-9a51-df6343dd172cTHE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: We love … everything. Think about all the things we use this four-letter word about during a given week. We love burgers, puppies, ice cream, fall days, vacations, action movies, and lots of other things. But Jesus is calling us to something more. As Jesus’ followers, we are called to love in the way He does—unconditionally.

Concept: Share God’s Love

Preschool

Esther

LIFE POINT: The king of Persia chose Esther for his queen. Esther was a Jewish girl who lived with her cousin, Mordecai. Haman, one of the king’s helpers, did not like Mordecai or the Jewish people. Haman wanted to hurt Mordecai and all the Jews. “Go and ask the king to help us,” Mordecai told Esther. “Tell
him you are Jewish and that Haman wants to hurt us.” Esther asked the Jews to pray for her for three days. Then God helped Esther be brave enough to go and talk with the king. Esther went to see the king. The king was happy to see Esther and listened to what she wanted. He helped Esther and Mordecai. The king punished Haman for trying to hurt Mordecai and the Jews. God helped Esther and the Jewish people.

LIVE IT OUT: Print your child’s name in the center of a sheet of paper. Offer crayons and stickers to decorate the paper. Tell your child that she is special to God.

Kids

Esther

LIFE POINT: Esther was now the queen. Her people were in danger. Haman wanted to kill them! For three days, Esther and her maids prayed. Then Esther went to the king. He had not called for her. If he did not raise his scepter to her, Esther would be killed. Esther walked toward the king. He raised his scepter to her! “What do you want?” the king asked. “Come to a banquet feast. Bring Haman,” Esther said. The king came. Then Esther asked the king to bring Haman to another banquet feast! At the second feast the king asked, “What do you want? “Save my people,” Esther said. “Haman wants to kill them!”
The king gave orders for Haman to be taken away. He told Esther to save her people.

LIVE IT OUT: With your child, make a list of people special to your family. The people could be other family members or friends. Remind your child these people are special to God. Commit to pray for them every day.

Students

Acts 8:26-35

THE POINT: It’s time to share the gospel with the world. When did a change in plans lead to something better? Who is God calling you to share His love with? Discuss the following quote:

“But then I realize there is never going to be a day when I stand before God and He looks at me and says, ‘I wish you would have kept more for yourself.’ I’m confident that God will take care of me.”1 —David Platt

LIVE IT OUT: Encourage your student to do one or both Live It Out activities. Here are some suggested ways to help your student:

If he or she plans to complete Mission:
• Help your student understand the urgency of the gospel, and then lead by example. Find a time sooner
than later to go “on mission” with your student, whether local or international. Discuss what short-term
missions and living “on mission” looks likes in the life of Christian.

If he or she plans to complete Daily Reading:
• Read Matthew 28 and Acts 1 together throughout the week. Spend time discussing how to live out Jesus’ call to make disciples among the nations.

1. “Radical Quotes,” Goodreads [online], [accessed 17 July 2015]. Available from the Internet: www. goodreads.com/work/quotes/9657002-radical-taking-back-your-faith-from-the-american dream.


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