MONTHLY ARCHIVES: March 2019

Conversation Starters: Our Provider

Posted by Karah

CONNECTION POINT: We can trust Jesus to meet the needs of people.

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: Our tendency is to live by what we can see. We believe what we can touch. We’re confident when what we need is right in front us. But life does not always hand us easy answers and solutions. A life in Christ is a life of trust—trusting Him to provide what we need, even when we don’t readily see the answer. Abraham showed us that God truly is our Provider.

Concept: Our Provider

Preschool

John 6:1-13

LIFE POINT: Jesus was on a mountainside. He looked at the large crowd of people following Him. Jesus asked His disciple Philip, “Where can we buy bread for all these people?” Philip answered, “It would take lots of money to buy so much bread.” But Andrew brought a boy with a small lunch of 5 loaves and 2 fish. Jesus said, “Tell the people to sit down.” The people sat in the grass. Jesus broke apart the bread and thanked God for the food. He gave bread and fish to the people. Each person ate all he wanted. There were 5000 men plus women and children in the crowd. Jesus told His disciples to gather the leftovers so the food would not be wasted. They gathered twelve baskets of leftover bread.

LIVE IT OUT: Review the Bible story with your child and tell her that God helps people have food. Provide a pan of water and a few sturdy vegetables for your child to wash. Say the Bible Verse: “Jesus gave food to people.”

Kids

John 6:1-13

LIFE POINT: A large crowd followed Jesus. So Jesus went up on the mountain. He sat down to teach the people. Jesus spoke to Philip. “Where can we buy bread so the people can eat?” Philip said, “Two hundred coins would not be enough money to buy just a tiny bit of food for each person!” Andrew, another disciple, brought a little boy to Jesus. “This boy has five loaves of bread. He has two fish. But how could that feed so many people?” The people sat down on the grass. There were 5,000 men! Jesus took the bread. He gave thanks to God for it. Then Jesus started giving food to the crowd. Everyone had as much to eat as he wanted! The disciples filled 12 baskets with left-over bread!

LIVE IT OUT: Talk with your child about the ways that Jesus helps meet the needs of your family. Include spiritual needs as well as physical needs. Make a list together. Pray together thanking God and Jesus for meeting the needs of your family.

Students

Genesis 22:1-14

THE POINT: We can trust God to meet our needs.
• What’s one of the toughest things you’ve been asked to do?
• What are the purposes of tests in our lives?
• When have you been tested to trust God when His provision wasn’t apparent?
• How can our actions and attitudes show others that we serve the God who provides? Discuss the following quote:

“It is not hard to obey when we love the one whom we obey.”(1)—Saint Ignatius

LIVE IT OUT: Encourage your student to take practical steps to take his or her faith and Live It Out. Here are some ways you can encourage your students to live out their faith with Christ personally, in community, and in their culture:
• CHRIST: Pray with your student this week for the desire and strength to live with a dependence on God to provide for his or her needs.
• COMMUNITY: Sometimes we all need to depend on fellow believers for help. Be sure your student knows specific people he or she can reach out to for help.
• CULTURE: Tell your student ways in which you have seen and trusted God during big leaps of faith. Encourage him or her to be ready to jump in faith and obedience to God when the opportunity comes.

(1)“Saint Ignatius Quote,” Brainy Quote [online], [accessed 27 August 2017]. Available from the Internet: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/s/saintignat204692.html.


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Conversation Starters: Jesus Teaches

Posted by Karah

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: The Bible gets a lot of respect in America—at least superficial respect. Eighty percent of adults consider the Bible a holy book, but few read it. Even among Christians, only 11 percent read the Bible daily, and 34 percent rarely read it. Many of us pay lip service to the Bible but miss out on the joy and abundant life that comes from applying its truth to our lives.

Concept: Jesus Teaches

Preschool

Luke 1:26-38; Matthew 1:18-24

LIFE POINT: Mary was a young woman who obeyed God. She was going to be married to Joseph. God sent an angel to talk to Mary. The angel said, “Do not be afraid. God has chosen you to be the mother of a special baby, God’s Son.” He told her that this was part of God’s plan. Mary did not understand. The angel said, “God can do things that people think are impossible.” Mary said, “I will do what God wants.” One night when Joseph was sleeping, God sent an angel to him in a dream. The angel said, “Do not be afraid to marry Mary. Her baby is God’s Son. You will name Him Jesus. He will love people and teach them about God.” Joseph remembered the dream when he woke up. He did as the angel said. Joseph married Mary. Joseph and Mary waited for the special baby, Jesus, to be born.

LIVE IT OUT: Remind your child that God chose Mary and Joseph to be Jesus’ family. Talk about your family and how members cares for others. Help your child make a book of family members by drawing on individual sheets of paper and stapling the pages together.

Kids

Luke 1:26-38; Matthew 1:18-24

LIFE POINT: Mary, who lived in the town of Nazareth, was visited by an angel. “Be happy,” the angel said. “God is with you.” Mary wondered what kind of greeting this was. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. You will have a son and you will call Him Jesus. He will be God’s Son.” Mary wondered how this could happen. The angel said, “God’s Spirit will come to you. The one born to you will be the Son of God.” Mary answered that she would obey God. Joseph wondered what to do. He knew he was not the father of Mary’s baby. As he slept, an angel came to him. “Joseph, don’t be afraid to marry Mary. Her baby is God’s own Son. You are to name Him Jesus. He will save His people from their sins.” Joseph took Mary for his wife. When the baby was born, Joseph and Mary named Him Jesus.

LIVE IT OUT: Help your child memorize the Bible verse, Matthew 1:21. This verse contains the angel’s words to Joseph. God committed Jesus to the family of Joseph. Help your child understand that God chose a family for Jesus because that is His plan for all children.

Students

Mark 4:1-9

THE POINT: Obeying Jesus’ teachings leads to productive living.
• What’s the best way for you to learn something new?
• What are the benefits and challenges of using stories to reveal truth?
• Where do you see each of these soils represented in our culture?
• What kinds of “fruit” should be evident in our lives when we obey Jesus’ teaching? Discuss the following quote:

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” (1) —Robert Louis Stephenson

LIVE IT OUT: Encourage your student to take practical steps to take his or her faith and Live It Out. Here are some ways you can encourage your students to live out their faith with Christ personally, in community, and in their culture:
• CHRIST: Take the time this week to ask your student how he or she is rooting out bad habits, while strengthening good habits to grow better in his or her relationship with Christ.
• COMMUNITY: Discuss ways you and your student can purposefully plant seeds of discipleship in your community this week.
• CULTURE: When spreading seeds of discipleship, we have to reach out to people around us and connect in ways that make sense to them. Discuss how you and your student can better relate to the culture around you and spread the gospel.

(1)Robert Louis Stephenson, “Robert Louis Stephenson Quotes,” Brainy Quote [online], [accessed 23 May 2017]. Available from the Internet: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/robertloui101230.html.


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Conversation Starters: Right Here, Right Now

Posted by Karah

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: Some Christians can be enthralled with the idea of doing great things for God in exotic locales. While that type of mission is needed, the first place God calls us is often not across the world but across the street. Christ calls us to represent Him right where we are. The hardest ministry may be among those who know us best, but those same people are the ones most impacted by the way Christ has transformed us.

Concept: Right Here, Right Now

Preschool

1 and 2 Peter

LIFE POINT: Peter was one of Jesus’ disciples. He knew that Jesus was God’s Son. Peter learned many things about God. He learned how God wants us to live and make right choices. Peter taught people about Jesus. He wrote some letters to the people he had taught. Peter wrote, “I am writing to you who love Jesus. I want to remind you about the things that Jesus did and said so that you will remember them. Remember that the words in the Bible are not people’s words; they are God’s words. You should love one another and follow what Jesus taught. Keep learning about Jesus. He is our example of how we should live. This will help us make right choices.” The people read the letters from Peter. The letters Peter wrote are part of our Bible.

LIVE IT OUT: Talk about right and wrong choices with your child. Name some things your child may do or be tempted to do. Help him identify which are right choices and which are wrong. Comment that God wants people to make right choices.

Kids

1 and 2 Peter

LIFE POINT: Peter was a friend and disciple of Jesus. He learned many things about God and how God wants people to live. After Jesus went back to heaven, Peter taught many people about Jesus. He wrote letters to the people he had taught. He wanted to remind them of the things he had taught them. Peter wrote: “I am a disciple of Jesus. I am writing to you who love Jesus. I know you have heard many stories about Jesus. I want to teach you the things Jesus taught me so you will always remember them. Husbands and wives should love each other. We should obey the laws of the government. Let others see you doing good things. You should love one another and obey the truth that Jesus taught. Keep learning about Jesus. He is our example of how we should live.” These letters are part of our Bible today.

LIVE IT OUT: What do you teach your child about making choices? Start giving your child freedom to decide certain things on her own. Learning to make right choices is integral to learning and growing into adulthood. Practicing these choices will help your child make the ultimate choice to follow Jesus.

Students

Mark 5:1-2, 8-15, 18-20

THE POINT: You don’t have to go far to share your transformed life in Christ.
• Who is a classmate you’re glad you’ve gotten to know?
• How would you describe the man in the tombs?
• When have you observed a dramatic transformation in someone’s life?
• How can you use your own story of transformation to share the gospel?
Discuss the following quote:

“The fear of man strangles us, because we can never please everybody; but the fear of the Lord frees us, because it challenges us to live and serve for an audience of One.” (1)
— Paul Chappell

LIVE IT OUT: Encourage your student to take practical steps to take his or her faith and Live It Out. Here are some ways you can encourage your students to live out their faith with Christ personally, in community, and in their culture:
• CHRIST: Pray with your student this week specifically thanking God for your freedom from sin.
• COMMUNITY: Discuss sin with your student and acknowledge that it can be hard to overcome on our own. Talk about the sin in his or her life and develop a plan to overcome it.
• CULTURE: Share with your student how you have faced past sins and now live freely without the bondage of sin.

(1)Paul Chappell, “24 Paul Chappell Quotes,” Christian Quotes [online],[accessed 23 November 2016]. Available from the Internet: http://www.christianquotes.info/quotes-by-author/paul-chappell-quotes/.


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