Season: Prophets
Episode 8: “John the Baptist – The Prophet Who Knew Jesus Best”
Today’s Bible Bite: Matthew 3

Video Story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NMHOLPWeTM (God’s Story: John the Baptist)
“He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the LORD’s coming!” (Matthew 3:3)

For hundreds of years the prophets had been telling people God’s messages. One of the messages was a promise that God was going to send someone to rescue them; the rescuer was known as the Messiah. Jesus was the Messiah! But one of the prophets, Isaiah, also told people that God would send a special prophet before the Messiah came to prepare the people for his arrival. That was John!

John was…how to say this nicely…a little different. He lived in the wilderness for a time; he ate bugs and honey; he wore itchy clothing made from camel hair and had a belt of leather. John didn’t care. He knew that he had a job from God. He needed to let people know that the Messiah was about to come any day and they needed to get right with God. Many people didn’t like his message because he didn’t worry about tradition; he told them exactly what God told him to say. That annoyed people. John didn’t care.

But one day something happened that John really did care about. As he was baptizing people, Jesus came and asked John to baptize him. This was a big deal and John didn’t feel he was good enough, but Jesus told him it was exactly what God wanted him to do. And so John baptized Jesus, the Messiah, the long promised rescuer…and God was pleased.

Think about it...
• John the Baptist was given a job even before he was born. Which of the prophets told people about John?
• John ate bugs and honey, wore camel hair clothing and a leather belt, and lived in the wilderness. How would you like to live like that?
• John told people that they needed to say they were sorry to God and be baptized. Why was this important?
• John obeyed God, but when Jesus came to be baptized John hesitated. Why did John not want to baptize Jesus?
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Prayer: Thank you, God, that John obeyed you and cared more about what you wanted than what others thought. Help me to always do what you want me to, no matter what other people think.

Season: Prophets
Episode 7: “Anna – A Prophet Who Saw the Messiah”
Today’s Bible Bite: Luke 2:22-40

Video Story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leN-xNrkjbo (God’s Story: Anna & Simeon)
“Anna gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.” (Luke 2:38)

Unlike most of the prophets that we read about in the Old Testament, Anna was a prophet in New Testament times—that means that she was alive after Jesus was born. As a young woman, her husband had died; they had only been married for seven years. In the story, Anna was already 84 years old, and had spent her time in the Temple serving God, praying and fasting day and night, ever since she had become a widow. We don’t know exactly how long she had been doing this, but it is safe to assume that this had been her life for about sixty years!

She was a prophet which meant that God gave her messages to share with the people. One day he gave her an extra special one—the Messiah had finally arrived. For years, the prophets had promised that God was going to send the Messiah, a rescuer. The people had waited…and waited…and waited! But the day finally arrived when Jesus’ parents brought him to the Temple and Anna was able to tell everyone that he had finally come. God had fulfilled his promise.

Think about it...
• Anna and Simeon both heard God speak. Has God ever talked to you?
• When Jesus’ parents took him to the Temple Anna and Simeon both knew that this was no ordinary baby. How did they respond?
• Both Anna and Simeon were getting quite old. Do you think they ever gave up looking for the Messiah?
• Sometimes God’s promises take time. Why is it so hard to wait sometimes?
• Anna told everyone that the Messiah had come. Do you think others believed her?
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Prayer: Thank you, God, for answering Anna and Simeon’s prayers. Thank you that Anna was able to share this wonderful message, “Jesus has come!” Help me to tell others your amazing message, “…and he’s come back!”

Season: Prophets
Episode 6: “Jeremiah – The Prophet No One Listened To”
Today’s Bible Bite: Jeremiah 1, 38

Video Story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSK36cHbrk0 (Bible Project – for adults and older children)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1f5erbw-TQc (Superbook – God visits Jeremiah)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64GYd0_ALX8 (Sharefaith Kids – Jeremiah in the Cistern)

“So these officials went to King Zedekiah and said, ‘Sir, Jeremiah must die! That kind of talk will undermine the morale of the few fighting men we have left, as well as that of all the people. This man is a traitor!’” (Jeremiah 38:4)

God chose Jeremiah to be his prophet and to deliver his messages when Jeremiah was just a young man. God warned Jeremiah that people were not going to like what he had to say, but God would be with him. During Jeremiah’s day, the people had turned their backs on God and were worshiping lots of different idols. God decided to allow Babylon to capture Judah; he wanted the Israelites to realize that they needed him. By refusing to obey only him, they were telling God they didn’t need him and so he allowed the Babylonians to capture the city.

Before they did, however, Jeremiah had warned King Zedekiah about what God was going to do and advised the king to cooperate with the Babylonians. The Babylonians were going to take charge of the whole of Judah and many of the surrounding nations, but God would rescue his people from them again. They would be captives in Babylon for seventy years, but would then be allowed to come back when God punished the Babylonians.

The king, others leaders and the people did not want to hear what Jeremiah said. They were very mean to him. At one point, he was put in a cistern with no food. Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, an important court official, heard what had happened to Jeremiah and he arranged for him to be rescued from the mud in the cistern. God made certain that Jeremiah didn’t die, stuck in the mud, from starvation or worse. No matter how much people didn’t like his message, Jeremiah always only ever told the message God gave him to share.

Think about it...
• God chose Jeremiah to be his prophet and warned him that it was not going to be an easy job. How would you like it if God gave you a job like Jeremiah’s?
• Jeremiah’s job was to give the king and the people of Judah God’s messages. What was the message?
• The people didn’t want to surrender to the Babylonians. They got really angry with Jeremiah. What did they do?
• God sent a group of men to rescue Jeremiah. Did the attempt to kill Jeremiah silence him?
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Prayer: Thank you, God, for Jeremiah’s bravery and willingness to speak for you, even though others didn’t want to listen. Help us to be brave, too. Help us to obey you no matter what others might say or do.

Season: Prophets
Episode 4: “Isaiah – Knew the Future”
Today’s Bible Bite: Isaiah 38-39; 2 Kings 20

Video Story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0A6Uchb1F8 (Bible Project – Isaiah 1-39 – for parents and older children)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TzdEPuqgQg (Bible Project – Isaiah 40-66 – for parents and older children)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wRLMXfyajU (Two Fish Talks)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJZ3q76hkig (Sharefaith Kids)

“Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ‘Listen to this message from the LORD of Heaven’s Armies: “The time is coming when everything in your palace—all the treasures stored up by your ancestors until now—will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left,” says the LORD.’” (Isaiah 39:5-6)

King Hezekiah was very sick and God told the prophet, Isaiah, to tell King Hezekiah that he would soon die and should get everything in order. But Hezekiah didn’t want to die—he was only 39 years old. He prayed and cried out to God. So, God gave Isaiah a new message, to tell King Hezekiah that he would allow him to live for 15 more years. King Hezekiah did get better and lived another 15 years…just like Isaiah had said, because as God’s prophet, Isaiah only told people what God told him to say. They could trust him.

After King Hezekiah got better, an envoy of Babylonians came to wish him well. The king wanted to impress his company, so he showed him all the treasures of Judah. But this didn’t please God; Hezekiah should have been more concerned with trusting God, not trying to make friends with the Babylonians. God then sent Isaiah to the king with a new message. The Babylonians would one day come and take everything that Hezekiah had shown to them, but it would happen after Hezekiah was gone. Isaiah’s words didn’t come true right away, but about one hundred years later, the Babylonians came and did exactly what Isaiah had warned about—they conquered Judah, took away all the treasures and even took away captives to serve the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar.

Think about it...
• King Hezekiah was very sick and Isaiah told him he was going to die. How would you respond if someone came to you with that news?
• God agreed to give the king fifteen more years to live and even gave him a sign. What sign did God give Hezekiah that Isaiah was telling him the truth?
• Isaiah always told others what God told him to. Do you think Isaiah had an easy or hard job?
• Sometimes Isaiah’s job was no fun because people didn’t like his messages, but Isaiah knew it was more important to tell the truth than to just tell people what they wanted to hear. When do you find it hard to tell other people the truth?
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Prayer: Thank you, God, for listening to Hezekiah. His story reminds us that you listen to us when we pray. Thank you that Isaiah was willing to tell people the words you gave him. He lived in a time when lots of people didn’t want to hear about you, just like we do today. Help us to always be willing to tell others about you, just like Isaiah did.

Season: Prophets
Episode 4: “Huldah – Advisor to the Nation”
Today’s Bible Bite: 2 Kings 22:1-20

Video Story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krgh2_-ykm0 (Grace Link – “Hidden Treasure”)

“So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to the New Quarter of Jerusalem to consult with the prophet Huldah.” (2 Kings 22:14a)

King Josiah was one of the really good kings of Judah. His grandfather and father had done many wrong things, but when Josiah became king at the age of eight, he began to clean up the mess they had made. He got rid of many of the idols and repaired God’s Temple. While the Temple was being repaired, they found the lost book of the Law. Josiah was very excited to have this book, but when he heard what it said he realized that the nation of Judah was in big trouble. They hadn’t been obeying God like they were supposed to.

He sent some men to the prophet Huldah and she explained what was going to happen. God was going to bring about the punishments that were listed in the book of the Law on the nation for disobeying him, but because Josiah loved and served God with his whole heart, it would not happen while he was king. The men told King Josiah what Huldah had told them and Josiah determined to help the people worship God even more than before. He believed Huldah who gave him God’s message and continued to obey God all his life.

Think about it...
• King Josiah wanted to please God and repaired the Temple. What did they find at the Temple?
• The book of the Law contained God’s message to his people. Why did King Josiah tear his robes when he heard it read to him?
• King Josiah needed some advice. Who did he ask to advise him?
• Huldah told the king what God told her. What was her message?
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Prayer: Thank you, God, for giving Judah a wise king who knew to seek good advice. Thank you for Huldah and how she was willing to deliver your message to the king. Help us to be like Huldah—always listening to you and willing to tell people the truth even when it’s hard