Children’s Bible Program – Level 3: NT Lesson 15 “Establishing Congregations (Part 1)”

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Featured Passage: Acts 16-17

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NT-L3L15 Establishing Congregations pt 1Download/Print

God started His Church in Jerusalem with over 3,000 people baptized on the same Pentecost when Jesus Christ sent the Holy Spirit. As the apostles continued to preach the gospel, and news of Jesus Christ’s resurrection traveled, the church quickly grew.  Though many of the original followers came from the areas around Jerusalem, a growing number of people from other regions and nations were also interested in learning about Christ and following God’s way. The apostle Paul and some others traveled near and far to cities all around Asia minor to teach the people about God’s way and to set up congregations for the brethren. Their mission was exciting, but also rather dangerous.

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Discuss:

  1. After being in Jerusalem for a conference with the other leaders in the church, what reason did Paul have to go on another trip (Acts 15:36-41)? 
  2. Who was Timothy? Why do you think Paul wanted Timothy to come with him?
  3. What were the people in Philippi doing by the riverside on the Sabbath? Who did Paul and Silas meet from that group of people?
  4. Why were Paul and Silas arrested in Philippi? What were Paul and Silas doing in the prison that night? What do you think caused the jail keeper to become a believer? 
  5. To what city did Paul and Silas go to after leaving Phillipi? How did the Jews there respond to the gospel message? What did they accuse Jason and the other Christians of doing (Acts 17:6)? 
  6. When Paul taught in Berea how did the people there receive the truth? What can we learn from their example?
  7. When Paul spoke to the people in Athens, how did he introduce the true God? Why do you think he took this approach? 
  8. Imagine that someone asked you something about your beliefs. What are some ways you could answer them? Have you ever had to explain what you believe to someone? Are you always going to be able to explain things the same way? Why or why not?
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Memory Challenge:

Acts 17:30-31 

“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

Children’s Bible Program – Level 2: NT Lesson 15 “Philip Preaches the Gospel”

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Featured Passage: Acts 8

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NT-L2L15 Philip Preaches the GospelDownload/Print

After Stephen was killed the Christians began to be persecuted more than ever before.  A young man named Saul received permission from the authorities to hunt down Christians and put them in prison. Many of the Christians began to move to other places to get away from the persecution in Jerusalem. The Apostles stayed in the area, continuing to preach the good news. Philip, a recently ordained deacon, was one of those who went out from Jerusalem preaching the gospel, making an impact everywhere he went. One day, an angel spoke to Philip and sent him on a very particular mission.

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Discuss:

  1. What is persecution? What was Saul doing to the Christians?  
  2. What was the name of the magician who had astonished the people of Samaria? Why was he following the Apostles? What did Peter tell him? 
  3. Where did the angel tell Philip to go? Whom did he meet? How was he able to catch up with him? 
  4. What part of Scripture was the Ethiopian reading when Philip overtook the chariot? What is it in this passage that Philip could use to preach the gospel? 
  5. How did the Ethiopian respond after Philip explained the passage? 
  6. Where did Philip go after he left the Ethiopian? How did he get there? What do you think he did when he got there?
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Memory Challenge:

Acts 8:12 

“But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.”

Children’s Bible Program – Level 1: NT Lesson 15 “The Lost Son”

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Featured Passage: Luke 15

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NT-L1L15 The Lost SonDownload/Print

The Jewish leaders didn’t like the fact that Jesus spent so much time teaching and eating with sinners. Jesus had told two parables to them about lost things – the parable of the lost sheep, and the parable of the lost coin. He wanted to explain to them how much God loves every person and how happy He is when someone who is sinning decides to repent and start following Him. There was one more parable Jesus wanted to tell the people listening about something, or someone, who got lost.

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Discuss:

  1. Who are the characters Jesus talks about in this parable? 
  2. What does the younger son decide to do? How do you think the father felt when he made this decision? 
  3. What happened to the son? 
  4. What did the son decide to do after he got the job feeding pigs? 
  5. How did the father react when he saw his son coming home? How did the older son react? 
  6. Who does the father in the story represent? 
  7. How do you think God wants us to react when someone decides to repent from their sins to follow God’s way?
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Memory Challenge:

Luke 16:32

“It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.”

Course Spotlight: Prophecies of Christ’s Crucifixion

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Did you know that the Old Testament has multiple prophecies relating to Christ’s crucifixion? Check out how these prophecies were fulfilled in the New Testament!

Course Spotlight From God’s Feast Days: Passover
Learn more!

Assembly Summary: Be Patient and Trust in God

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Author: Juliette McNair | Student, Living Education 2021

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 44 seconds.

Mr. Weston began his Living-Ed Assembly with a personal story. In his fourth year of marriage, he and his wife were using handed-down furniture. They were given a chair which they decided to re-cover rather than buy a new one. After a few months of saving, they chose material for their chair. But, looking around their living room, they realized their re-covered chair would clash with the curtains. They really needed to replace their dining room chairs and table, and even the furniture in the other rooms was not really what they had wanted. Mr. Weston said, “We started thinking about all the things we didn’t have. We were thinking, It will be forever before we have everything we want.”

“Most of life is still ahead!”

 Mr. Weston said that what he and his wife hadn’t understood was that most of life was still ahead of them. “When I go back and look at my life, the greatest aspiration I had after being sent into the field ministry was to become a minister pastoring a couple of churches… I never thought I would be anything beyond that.” He said, “Right now, you are in the preparatory phase for what comes after.” Decades of marriage, kids, homes, and successful careers are still ahead for most young people. “In the Assembly today, I’m going to discuss patience and the need to trust God in directing your life.”

Joseph distinguished himself.

Joseph’s brothers, antagonized by their father’s favoritism and Joseph’s dreams, sold him into slavery when he was only seventeen. While God was with Joseph in Egypt (Genesis 39:2), Joseph was proactive. When he was falsely accused and thrown into prison, “he didn’t allow himself to wallow, but he did what he had to do.” Joseph didn’t focus on what he didn’t have—Mr. Weston reminded the students that having everything does not bring happiness. He quoted Dennis Prager from The Rational Bible: Exodus:

In many ways, gratitude is the most important of all the good character traits. It is the most indispensable trait to both happiness and goodness. One can neither be a happy person nor a good person without gratitude. The less gratitude one has, the more one sees oneself as a victim… As for happiness, if you think of all the people you know, you will not be able to name one who is ungrateful and happy. The two are mutually exclusive.

– DENNIS PRAGER

Joseph distinguished himself for thirteen years. Rather than worry about what he couldn’t accomplish, he focused on what he could do. Eventually, he achieved success and his power was second only to the Pharaoh.

“Joseph had no idea what God planned for him.”

“God exalted Joseph, but He did so on His schedule.” Joseph’s journey from slavery to leadership in Egypt was rocky. Yet, Mr. Weston explained, “God had a long-term plan for Joseph, the sons of Israel, and for all mankind.” God used Joseph to prepare for the institution of the Passover, providing for Ancient Israel and foreshadowing the sacrifice that would cover every human being’s sins. “You have no idea how God is going to use you in the future.”

“Joseph was a big picture person.”

Genesis 45:1-5 recounts the emotional confrontation between Joseph and his brothers. Mr. Weston said, “They must have been terrified, knowing what they had done.” While Joseph reminds them of what they had done to him, he also understood God’s larger purpose. Joseph said, “Do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.” Mr. Weston explained, “God allows some things to happen for a period of time to give people a chance to repent and change.”

A Matter of Trusting God

In Mark 10:29-30, Christ explained that those who leave their possessions, families, and previous lives for His sake would “receive a hundredfold now in this time… and in the age to come, eternal life.” Mr. Weston finished reading the scripture and said, “I can stand here and say that I can see this in my life. We must learn to trust that God will prosper us if we do what we should do.” He said specifically to the students, “This is an educational phase for you—you’re doing what you should be doing. There’s a lot of life ahead of you. Don’t become impatient and think you have to have it right now.” Mr. Weston inspired the students to be thankful and to do their part as Joseph did. “Be patient and trust in God.”

This post is part of our new series of student-written content for LivingEd-Charlotte. These summaries cover topics originally presented by our faculty and guest speakers in our weekly Forum and Assembly. For more Assembly-related content check out our Second Thoughts posts.

Forum Summary: We’ve Got to Own It

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Author: Juliette McNair | Student, Living Education 2021

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 23 seconds.

Dr. Scott Winnail, the pastor of several congregations in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, spoke to the Living-Ed students over WebEx. Dr. Winnail was the Dean of Faculty and Executive Vice President of Living University. He assisted in the transition of LU into Living Education and taught the Living-Ed Christian Living course for the first few semesters. He said, “It’s a treat to talk to you. I chose to talk about a subject I hope I can make relatable to you at this stage in your life.” He asked the students how they had been leaders in the past and what leadership roles they aspire to have. Leadership is a fundamental component of life—even for young people. Dr. Winnail explained, “God is looking to us to be leaders so He can use us.”

“Leaders must own everything in their world.”

Dr. Winnail referenced the book Extreme Ownership How U.S. Navy SEALS Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. The book shows leaders and aspiring leaders how to have a positive influence on everyone around them. Willink wrote, “Leaders must own everything in their world. There is no one else to blame.” Dr. Winnail asked the students, “Does that sound extreme? We can’t control everything and everyone else, but we have way more sway than we might think.” In his forum, Dr. Winnail pulled two principles from Extreme Ownership about how Christians can take ownership in their lives.

“There are no bad teams, only bad leaders.”

The first point was illustrated in a story from Willink and Babin’s book. In a SEAL training exercise during Hell Week, groups of men were assigned to inflatable boats and went through a series of races. A crew-leader directed each group. After a few rounds of these races, one team continued to place first while another team regularly placed last. The head instructors then switched the leaders of these teams. The originally winning team maintained relative success—the team had learned how to work together, even under the poor leader. The former losing team with the good leader placed first consistently. Dr. Winnail used the account of David’s census of Israel as an example of ownership in leadership. David admitted he had sinned, took responsibility for his mistake, and didn’t blame Joab or his team for his failure (1 Chronicles 21:8). Dr Winnail said, “Effective Godly leaders own up to their mistakes.” Good leaders don’t blame their team but lead their team to be better.

“Good leaders check their ego.”

The authors of the book wrote, “Implementing Extreme Ownership requires checking your ego and operating with a high degree of humility.” Good leaders don’t feel threatened by those under them and are willing to listen to advice. According to Josephus, Moses was a general and powerful political figure in Egypt. Yet Moses listened and took Jethro’s advice on governing Israel (Exodus 18:24). He was “very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3). Dr. Winnail said, “He was meek, teachable, and approachable. He was willing to check his ego and not pull rank.” Romans 12:3 reads, “For I say… to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think… as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” Dr. Winnail pointed out that God gives gifts to each person differently—we are not God’s gift to mankind.

We’ve Got to Own It

“We don’t know all the future leadership roles we might have, and, frankly, we don’t even know all the roles we are in now.” Dr. Winnail said, “We have to own the truth. We have to own the Work.” God is watching for young leaders who will step up and take ownership of everything within their world. Christian leaders now are part of something far greater—in the millennium, Dr. Winnail reminded, they will teach leadership and ownership to those who will be leaders later during the Great White Throne Judgement. “In a world in which so many people want to blame others,” Dr. Winnail concluded, “we’ve got to own it.”

This post is part of our new series of student-written content for LivingEd-Charlotte. These summaries cover topics originally presented by our faculty and guest speakers in our weekly Forum and Assembly. For more Assembly-related content check out our Second Thoughts posts.

God’s Spring Festivals – Part 2: Feast of Unleavened Bread

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Artist: James Mitchell – Kingston, Jamaica

The second festival on God’s Holy Day calendar

that immediately follows the Passover is the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This festival is also often called the Days of Unleavened Bread as it goes for seven days. Just like Passover, the Days of Unleavened Bread remind us of events that happened in the past. This festival reminds us of the events in Exodus, when God brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt, yet these special days are meant to teach us some important spiritual lessons as well. What does God want us to learn from this Feast of Unleavened Bread that will help prepare us to be in His family? Wait and see!

Spring-Festivals-Part-2-ULBDownload

How it works:

This Study Guide is written for the purpose of helping parents teach their children vital Biblical topics in a focused, easy-to-follow format. Each section is not meant to be taught in one lesson, rather the topics are organized so parents can choose specific areas of focus and gear lessons toward the learning styles and ages of their children. Each topic is presented in a straightforward manner with accompanying verses for study. The main study should always come from the Scripture itself, while these lessons can act as a guide for reading passages from the Bible. Each lesson packet includes memory verses, questions for meaningful discussion, and activities (added at the end of the packet). Also, though some things may be labeled as Level 1, 2, or 3, the activities, questions, and scriptures for memorizing can be used to fit the needs and learning levels for children of all ages. Enjoy!

God’s Spring Festivals – Part 1: Passover

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Artist: James Mitchell – Kingston, Jamaica

“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

‘Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: “The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.”’” (Leviticus 23:1-2). In that incredible moment, God announced that He wanted His people to keep His feasts and to keep them every single year! Through these special feasts, or holy days, He wanted to teach His people the wonderful and exciting plan He has for every human being that has ever lived! Each year, God’s feasts give us time to reflect on God’s plans while also giving us a reason to celebrate! God set up the feast calendar so the first feasts in His plan happen in the springtime. Like the season of spring where the flowers and trees begin to grow again after a long, cold winter, God knew it would be the perfect time to begin a perfect plan. 

Spring-Festivals-Childrens-Lesson-Part-1-PassoverDownload

How it works:

This Study Guide is written for the purpose of helping parents teach their children vital Biblical topics in a focused, easy-to-follow format. Each section is not meant to be taught in one lesson, rather the topics are organized so parents can choose specific areas of focus and gear lessons toward the learning styles and ages of their children. Each topic is presented in a straightforward manner with accompanying verses for study. The main study should always come from the Scripture itself, while these lessons can act as a guide for reading passages from the Bible. Each lesson packet includes memory verses, questions for meaningful discussion, and activities (added at the end of the packet). Also, though some things may be labeled as Level 1, 2, or 3, the activities, questions, and scriptures for memorizing can be used to fit the needs and learning levels for children of all ages. Enjoy!

Programa Bíblico para Niños – Nivel 3: Lección 15 “Dios declara los Diez Mandamientos”

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Pasajes Destacados: Éxodo 19:12–25; 20:1–26

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Los hijos de Israel se prepararon por tres días para venir ante Dios. Cuando Dios se acercó a la montaña, hubo truenos y rayos; la montaña tembló y el suelo donde ellos estaban parados se sacudió. ¡Hubo un despliegue impresionante del poder de Dios conforme Él descendía a la montaña! Y el pueblo observaba el estruendo y los relámpagos y temblaron. La cima de la montaña parecía estar en llamas mientras Dios declaraba los Diez Mandamientos con voz de trueno. El despliegue era para mostrar a los israelitas cuán poderoso era Dios, y para que lo recordaran y lo obedecieran. Los israelitas estaban tan abrumados por el poder de Dios que suplicaron a Moisés que pidiera a Dios que ya no les hablara directamente, porque temían por sus vidas. Dios pidió a los israelitas que guardaran los Diez Mandamientos, y ellos estuvieron de acuerdo.

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Discusión:

  1. Explique a sus hijos que los Diez Mandamientos continúan vigentes (Mateo 5:17-18).
  2. ¿Por qué es importante el mandamiento de guardar el día de reposo o sábado?
  3. Explique que los Diez Mandamientos fueron dados por Dios para nuestro bien y no son una carga (1 Juan 5:3).
  4. Discuta las repercusiones positivas de guardar los Diez Mandamientos. ¿Cómo sería el mundo si nadie mintiera o si nadie tomara lo que no le pertenece? ¿Cómo se transformaría el mundo si todos pusieran a Dios primero y lo amaran?
  5. Discuta la relación entre la obediencia a los Diez Mandamientos y la paz que la humanidad desea. Ayude a sus hijos a comprender que el quebrantar las leyes de Dios es lo que conduce a la infelicidad que experimenta la humanidad. Use un ejemplo como robar o mentir para demostrar esto.
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Para Memorizar:

Éxodo 20: 1–17

Los Diez Mandamientos (El texto completo y sin resumir).

Programa Bíblico para Niños – Nivel 1: Lección 15 “Noé, el arca y el Diluvio”

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Pasajes Destacados: Génesis 6:13–22; 7:1–20; 2 Pedro 2:5

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Siguiendo las instrucciones de Dios, Noé inmediatamente comenzó a construir un arca para salvar de la destrucción a su familia y a los animales terrestres. Noé debió haber trabajado en la construcción del arca por muchos años y es posible que la gente se burlara de él por construir un barco en tierra firme mientras les decía a las personas que se arrepintieran de sus pecados. Al final, solo ocho personas entraron en el arca: Noé y sus hijos Sem, Cam y Jafet y las esposas de todos ellos. Dios envió siete parejas de cada animal limpio al arca, machos y hembras, para que pudieran preservar sus vidas. También envió dos de cada animal inmundo, un macho y una hembra, así como siete parejas de aves, machos y hembras. Después de que Noé, su familia y todos los animales estuvieron adentro, Dios selló la puerta del arca. A los siete días comenzó a llover. Las aguas de debajo de la tierra brotaron y la lluvia del cielo fue derramada ¡durante cuarenta días y cuarenta noches! El agua subió tanto ¡que cubrió las montañas! Solo los del arca sobrevivieron.

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Discusión:

  1. Pregunte a sus hijos por qué Dios destruyó todos los animales terrestres, aves y seres humanos. Pregunte por qué Dios salvó a Noé y a su familia.
  2. Pregunte a sus hijos cuántas personas estaban a bordo del arca y quiénes eran.
  3. Explique a sus hijos que durante el tiempo en que estaba construyendo el arca, Noé estaba advirtiendo la gente sobre el Diluvio que vendría. Dios les estaba dando la oportunidad de arrepentirse y salvarse. Enfatice la misericordia de Dios al querer que las personas sean salvas.
  4. Explique a sus hijos qué hace a los animales “limpios” o “inmundos”. ¿Por qué Dios le dijo a Noé que metiera al arca más animales limpios que inmundos? Quizá usted desee utilizar esto como una oportunidad para hablar sobre las leyes de los alimentos escritas en Levítico.
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Para Memorizar:

2 Pedro 2:5

“[Dios] no perdonó al mundo antiguo, sino que guardó a Noé, pregonero de justicia, con otras siete personas, trayendo el diluvio sobre el mundo de los impíos“.