Follow Up to Sunday Community Time

Adventurers (4th - 6th Grade)

This week I wanted to start with our oldest group of children the Adventurers Class (4th - 6th Graders) They just completed all their lessons on a chronological study for children of redemptive history.  The 40th lesson discussed these themes:

• God desires to save sinners through what Jesus has done on the cross.
• God has written all people into the story of the Bible - it has a personal message for each of us. (pg. 311)

You could discuss the following application question with your child as an extension from their lesson this past Sunday.

• "Review John 3:16-18 and 36.  How many responses are there to Jesus? What might rejecting Jesus look like? Read and talk about the following five examples.  Emphasize that unbelief and rejection of Jesus takes many different forms.
• A boy says he is not interested in the Bible - it's boring.
• A girl says she will wait until she is older to decide.
• A woman says the Bible is just a make-believe story.
• A man says Jesus is okay for some people-those who think they need help.
• A boy says he is sort of interested in Jesus, but he is interested in other things too, like sports - and those things are really important

Ask:  Do any of these examples sound like you?  Are you believing in Jesus right now?  If you are, how is this shown in your life?  Who do you believe Jesus is?  Are you depending on Him to forgive all of your sins and make you right with God?  Do you believe with all your heart that He will give you eternal like in heaven?  Do you feel at peace with God or do you feel as if He is angry at you? Rad and discuss 2 Corinthians 5:20-21;6:1-2"

(Children Desiring God Curriculum pg. 315)

Seekers (2nd - 3rd Grade)

The lesson this week was on Matthew  8:5-13 - A soldier's faith in Jesus

"For further discussion with your child you could explain the following: "We do not know how much the centurion understood about Jesus' ultimate identity. He probably did not understand how Jesus saw himself as the fulfillment of Israel's hopes. He certainly could not be expected to understand Israel's history and how Jesus fit into that history.  And this is a central point in this story:  as little as he knew compared with what the Jews should have known, he trusted Jesus to be able to heal his servant. And Jesus responded that the "subjects of his kingdom" (meaning the nation of Israel) would be left out of his kingdom, a kingdom where faith it the mark of inclusion, not ethnic identity". 

(Telling God's Story by Peter Enns pg 35-36)

Explorers (Kindergarten & 1st Grade)

  The Bible story used to teach this lesson was Philip Preaches to a Stranger (Acts 8:26-40) 

Aim:  To teach that the Holy Spirit will be with us when we are witnessing for Jesus.  

During the lesson they discussed how important it is to listen for God's voice.  The teachers shared how He will put thoughts into our minds.  They discussed how He always speaks to us through the Bible.

Sprouts (Preschool)

The preschool class discussed a Thanksgiving lesson.  

Psalm 100:4-5 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. 

Discuss with your children three reasons why we should say Thank You to God based on Psalm 100:4-5.

Then we made a Thankful Hand for each child.  The teachers discussed the different things we have to be thankful for and we listed them on the fingers:  Parents, School, Church, Jesus, Health.  Use these hands at home to encourage your young children to give praise to God for the many things they have to be thankful for each and every day.