Through the Bible in 2020

After Stephen was killed for standing up for Jesus, a great persecution began. It wasn’t safe to be a follower of Jesus, so many believers moved. Wherever they went they told others the truth about Jesus. One man was determined to stop all this talk about Jesus; his name was Paul (also known as Saul). He got permission to throw believers in jail, but one day he had an unexpected encounter that changed his life!

Today’s Lesson - “Paul Meets Jesus”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eRXq-cKmr0 (Teaching Kids About Jesus - animated)

Lesson Overview:
Acts 9:1-9 - Paul had gotten permission to go to Damascus to find more Christians and bring them to prison in Jerusalem. However, on the way, Jesus met him. A light shined so brightly that it knocked Paul to the ground; then Jesus asked him, “Saul, why are you persecuting me?” When Saul asked who the voice belonged to, Jesus told him, “It is me, Jesus, whom you are persecuting!” After Paul asked Jesus what he wanted him to do, Jesus told him to go to Damascus and wait. When the light went away, Paul discovered he was blind and had to be led into the city by his friends.

Acts 9:10-16 - Ananias, a believer living in Damascus, had a vision from Jesus. He was told to go and pray for Paul so that he could once again see. Ananias was scared of Paul; he had heard all about him. But Jesus told him to go because Paul had a special job to do that Jesus was giving him. So Ananias went.

Acts 9:17-22 - Ananias placed his hands on Paul and prayed for him; immediately Paul could see again. Paul, who had been praying the whole time he was blind and refusing to eat, was so thankful to God. He got up, was baptized and then had something to eat to regain his strength. Over the next days Paul ended up going out into the city of Damascus, but rather than arresting Christians, he began telling people how to become one because he now believed that Jesus was the Messiah!

This week’s verse:
John 8:32 - “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Paul hated the Christians because he thought they were telling lies about God. What he didn’t know was that he was the one who was wrong. Jesus met Paul and corrected him. Once Paul knew the truth, he couldn’t stay quiet! How should we behave when we know the truth about Jesus? Sometimes we’re tempted to stay quiet because we don’t want other people to tease us. But we need to be like Paul–telling everyone we know the truth!
~Pastor Jane

Theme Verse for 2020:
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16+17

Through the Bible in 2020

Last week, we talked about the fact that there were many people–especially the religious leaders–who refused to acknowledge the miracles that Jesus did as proof that He was the Messiah. They decided it wasn’t good enough for them to just ignore Him; they put plans in motion to have Him killed! What they didn’t realize is that this was God’s plan too...
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Today’s Lesson - “Jesus Fulfills God’s Plans”

The Reason Jesus had to die
Jesus is arrested, crucified and resurrected for younger children - 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL8R158Ujp4
Jesus is arrested and is crucified for older children - 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h6J_BOtqQA
For older children / parents - Understanding the Need for the Messiah 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dEh25pduQ8

Lesson Overview:
Today’s story doesn’t make any sense unless we go way back to the beginning, to Genesis 1-3. Remember what happened? God made the world ‘very good,’ but He also created the first people with the option to obey Him or disobey Him. Unfortunately, they chose to disobey and the God’s very good Creation was infected with sin, which poisoned everything!
God promised Eve that one of her children, would eventually bring about the destruction of the serpent–he’s the one the convinced Adam and Eve to disobey God–and would provide a way for people to once again enjoy the kind of life God had made them for. That future child, the Messiah–Rescuer, was Jesus.
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But He didn’t come the way people expected–He wasn’t rich, a mighty warrior or conquering king...at least not yet. He was born to a virgin, grew up in a poor family and when He was old enough began to spread the news–He was the Messiah, but rather than rescuing the people from human rulers–the Romans, He had come to rescue them from sin. But that meant He had to die in our place!

When someone breaks the law the punishment is a fine or jail time; when someone disobeys God and sins, the punishment is eternal spiritual death. Jesus, who had never sinned in His life and had no sin to pay for, chose to take the punishment for our sins. If we believe this to be true and decide to have a relationship with Jesus as our Rescuer, we can live forever with Him in heaven!
(John 3:16)

This week’s verse:
Romans 10:10- “For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith in Jesus that you are saved. ”

Jesus had to die to make all things right and very good again; it was the only way we wouldn’t haven’t to take the punishment ourselves. We can be forgiven of the bad stuff we do and become a child of God. Jesus is still in the process of making all things new and when He comes back as He promised He’s going to complete the job! That’s right, He’s alive, today! But that’s a story for next week... ~ Pastor Jane

Theme Verse for 2020:
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16+17