Conversation Starters: Encourage One Another

Posted by Karah

CONNECTION POINT: People should help others know about Jesus.

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: New parents certainly love their infant children, but they want to see them grow and mature. That child cannot grow without the assistant of the parents and other caring adults. It’s the same regarding our growth as Christians. We need each other. We have the opportunity to challenge and encourage others to grow spiritually and be all they can be in Christ.

Concept: Encourage One Another

Preschool

Acts 13

LIFE POINT: God told Paul and Barnabas to go and tell people about Jesus in other places. The Antioch church sent them out as missionaries. Paul and Barnabas got into a boat and sailed to an island called Cyprus. They taught the people there about Jesus. Next, Paul and Barnabas went to a different part of Antioch. They went to the synagogue. The synagogue was a place where people went to worship God. The people in the synagogue asked Paul and Barnabas to speak, so Paul began to teach about Jesus. The people asked Paul and Barnabas to come back the next week. Paul and Barnabas went back to the synagogue the next week. Almost the whole city had gathered to hear what Paul was teaching about Jesus. Paul and Barnabas continued to be missionaries and tell
people about Jesus in many different places.

LIVE IT OUT: Find some information on missionaries to share with your child. You might have a missionary from your church. Help your child write a thank-you note to the missionary. Be sure to
pray for the missionary before you send the note.

Kids

Acts 13

LIFE POINT: God’s Spirit said to the church people in Antioch, “Set apart Barnabas and Paul for My work.” The church men obeyed. They prayed for Barnabas and Paul and sent them off. The men traveled to Cyprus. The men went to the synagogue to tell the people about Jesus. One official wanted to hear Paul’s message. Another man tried to keep the man from listening. He told them that Jesus had risen from the dead. The people begged Paul and Barnabas to come back the next week. When Paul and Barnabas came back, the whole town was there! Some people were jealous. They did not want anyone to believe Paul’s message. Paul said he would preach to people who were not Jews. The people of the city made them leave their town, and God led Paul and Barnabas to the next city.

LIVE IT OUT: Research, or help your child research, well-known missionaries (ex. David Livingstone, Jim and Elizabeth Elliot, or Amy Carmichael). Talk about their lives and what they had to sacrifice to tell others about Jesus. Start with Paul and his missionary journeys in the Book of Acts. Paul literally carried the story of Jesus throughout the known world.

Students

Acts 11:19-26

THE POINT: Encourage people in their relationships with Christ and other believers.
• When have you seen something go viral?
• Why do we sometimes avoid certain groups of people when sharing the gospel?
• What are some advantages in doing God’s work together?

Discuss the following quote:

“If you are a leader, you should never forget that everyone needs encouragement. And everyone who receives it…is changed by it.” ¹ —John C. Maxwell

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: Talk honestly with your student about the ways that you have been encouraged by the Holy Spirit. Consider how the Spirit may be encouraging your student this week.
• COMMUNITY: Ask your student if he or one of his friends is facing difficulties at home or at school. Pray with your student this week over those difficulties.
• CULTURE: Be intentional this week about encouraging your student with words, notes, and actions. Go beyond the home and encourage others you meet to develop a culture of encouragement.

 

¹. John C. Maxwell, “John C. Maxwell Quotes,” BrainyQuote [online], [16 November 2016]. Available from the Internet: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/johncmaxw600868.html.

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