Conversation Starters: Unstoppable Impact
Posted by Karah
CONNECTION POINT: All people should have the opportunity to hear about Jesus.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: America is a very diverse country: cultures, ethnicities, worldviews, and preferences. It is our human nature to gravitate toward people who are more like ourselves, but the beauty of the gospel is that it is not only for people “just like me.” The gospel speaks to any culture, any time, and any place. In Acts 17, Paul gave us an example of communicating the gospel in a diverse culture.
Concept: Unstoppable Impact
Preschool
Exodus 13:17- 15:21
LIFE POINT: God chose Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into a new land. God gave them a cloud to guide them during the day. At night, He led them with fire to give light. The people of Egypt now were sorry they had let the Israelites go, so they came after them. The Israelites were afraid when they
saw all the horses and men coming toward them. God told Moses to stretch his hand over the Red Sea. Moses did what God said. The water separated. There was dry land before them with water on both sides. The Israelites walked on dry land to the other side of the Red Sea. Once everyone was across, God told Moses to stretch his hand over the waters again. This time the sea flowed back. Moses and the people sang a song to God. They were amazed at what God had done for them!
LIVE IT OUT: If possible, go for a nature walk with your child. Talk about the changing of the seasons and remind your child that God said the seasons would change. Possibly walk near a lake, river, ocean, or pond. Tell the Bible story of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea.
Kids
Exodus 13:17- 15:21
LIFE POINT: God led the Israelites to camp at the Red Sea. He led them with a tall cloud during the day and with a column of fire at night. Then Pharaoh decided to chase them with his army and chariots. God told Moses to lift up his staff and to reach out over the water. When Moses raised his staff, God caused the waters to part and make a wall of water on each side with a dry path in the middle. All the Israelites walked across the sea on dry land! The Egyptians followed the Israelites into the sea, but Moses lowered his staff and the waters came together. The Egyptians did not survive. When the people saw the great power of God, they trusted Him and believed in Him. Moses led the people to sing a song of praise to God. He praised God for His power and for His care. He praised God for the miracle He had performed.
LIVE IT OUT: Read Proverbs 3:5 together. Talk about what trust means. Ask your child what it means in this verse. Help your child understand that God is present in every situation and we can trust Him to help us.
Students
Acts 17:16-18, 22-23, 30-31
THE POINT: The gospel of Jesus Christ can impact any culture. What are some things that we worship like idols today? How can we use the things we have in common with others as an opportunity to share Jesus? Why are so many Christians comfortable with not sharing the gospel? Discuss the following quote:
“Every saved person this side of heaven owes the gospel to every lost person this side of hell. We owe Christ to the world—to the least person and to the greatest person, to the richest person and to the poorest person, to the best person and to the worst person. We are in debt to the nations.”1 —David Platt
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: Discuss with your student the needs that we all have in common. Pray that you will each become better at finding those connection points with others in order to share the gospel.
• COMMUNITY: Help your student create a list of people to reach out to this week and build connection points with. This can then lead to opportunities to share the gospel.
• CULTURE: Paul shared the story of Jesus by connecting with his audience. Help your student find places in the gospel that can create connection points with the people in his or her life.
1. David Platt, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream (Colorado Springs: Multnomah Books, 2010), 74.
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