Conversation Starters: Life in the Church
Posted by Karah
CONNECTION POINT: The Holy Spirit helps people serve Jesus.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: American culture focuses on the individual. Businesses seek to cater to our individuality and give us what we want. The Christian life, on the other hand, is not about the individual. When a person comes to Christ, that person also comes to Christ’s body: the church. Therefore, to serve Christ, we serve His body. Serving the church and the needs of fellow believers is serving Christ.
Concept: Life in the Church
Preschool
John 21:1-19
LIFE POINT: One night Peter, John, and some of the other disciples were fishing in the Sea of Galilee. They fished all night but had not caught any fish. A man standing on the shore asked the fishermen, “Don’t you have any fish?” The men told Him they did not. The man told the men to put their net over the right side of the boat. After they did what the man said, their net was filled with fish. It was heavy and they could not lift it into the boat. They had caught 153 fish. John realized the man was Jesus. Peter jumped into the water and swam to shore. The other men followed in the boat, pulling the net full of fish. Jesus told them to bring Him some of the fish. Jesus was cooking fish and bread. He invited His friends to eat breakfast with Him. After breakfast, Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him. Peter told Jesus he did love Him. Jesus told Peter to love others and tell them about Jesus.
LIVE IT OUT: Help teach your child that showing love for Jesus means showing love to others. Encourage your child to think of a family friend or neighbor and plan a kindness for that person. You could gift some food or give a card drawn by your child. Be sure to share with the person that Jesus loves him or her.
Kids
Acts 1:4-11
LIFE POINT: Jesus taught His disciples many things after He rose from the dead. He told them to stay in Jerusalem to wait for the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “When you have power from the Holy Spirit you must tell others about Me everywhere. You must tell about Me in Jerusalem. You must tell about Me in Judea. You must tell about Me in Samaria. You must tell about Me all over the world!” Jesus stopped talking. While the people watched, Jesus was lifted up into the sky. He disappeared into a cloud. The people stood looking at the sky. Two men dressed in white robes said, “Why are you looking into heaven? This Jesus, whom you saw taken into heaven, will come back in the same way.” Then the disciples went to Jerusalem to wait for the Holy Spirit as Jesus had commanded.
LIVE IT OUT: Does your child understand who the Holy Spirit is? If your child is a Christian, the Holy Spirit lives in her. Look at an online Bible (ex. Blue Letter Bible) and search for verses that tell about the Holy Spirit and how He ministers to people.
Students
1 Peter 4:7-11
THE POINT: We love Christ by serving His church.
• What has been your most memorable church experience?
• When have you seen prayer impact someone’s life?
• What are the challenges and benefits of maintaining love for one another over time?
• How can we ensure that our service results in glorifying God rather than ourselves?
Discuss the following quote:
“Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork [pitch] are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord…”¹—A. W. Tozer
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 the gifts and talents of your student and determine how he or she can use them for God’s glory.
• COMMUNITY: Combine your own spiritual gifts with those of your student to prayerfully impact your community and the kingdom.
• CULTURE: Combine your prayers with your student’s for three specific people that are lost to the gospel and need His love and grace in their lives.
¹. A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God (New York: Ichthus, 2014) 64.
Posted in Just For Parents | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Conversation Starters, Ridgecrest Summer Camps