Kid-Zone Lessons 2024
 
 
February 2024 
 
 
January 2024 
 
 
 
 
                                                    Kid-zone Lessons 2023
December 2023
 
No kid-zone lesson
No Kid-zone 1 8 23
Is Christmas Really Over 01 01 23
 
 
                                                          Weekly Kid-zone Lessons 2022
 
No Church 12 25 22
No service for 10-9-22 due to Ian
No service for 10-2-22 due to Hurricane Ian
Let Your Light Shine Sun Am Kidzone Lesson 7 31 22
 
 
 
Weekly Kid-Zone Lesson 2020-2021
 
Thanks Living KZ Lesson Sun Am 11 21 21
No Service
Easter KZ Lesson 4 4 21
 
Freedom Isn’t Free July 5, 2020

Memory Verse: Luke 24:31 (NKJV)

31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.

Target thought: We can’t get so caught up in our circumstances that we don’t see Jesus.

Luke 24:13-18 (NKJV)

13 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.

17 And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you [b]walk and are sad?”

18 Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?”

Our Bible lesson today tells an amazing story about a day when someone important walked and talked with some men on the Road to Emmaus, but they didn’t even recognize Him. These disciples ?1. were so upset about all that had happened during the week of the crucifixion that they did not recognize that it was Jesus who was walking and talking with them.

Let’s see what that might have been like for the men on the Road to Emmaus.

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They were walking and talking with Jesus and did not recognize Him, they were so upset that Jesus had been crucified and that He didn’t set up His eternal Kingdom at that time. See that wasn’t what they wanted so they didn’t understand all of God’s plan.

They thought Jesus was a stranger and didn’t have a clue what had happened and what they were upset about. They thought He was the one who was confused. Jesus wanted them to know and understand, just like He was us to know and understand.  He said to them,” Do you find it so difficult to believe what was written by the prophets in the Scripture? It was predicted by the prophets that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering His time of glory.” He was teaching them that if they had read the scriptures, our Bible, they would have known and understood what was happening.

Jesus was trying to get them to remember what He had already taught them so that they wouldn’t be sad and so that they would understand the plans that Jesus and Father God had for them.

If you’ve heard this story before, you know the men were talking to Jesus even though they didn’t realize it. They came later to realize that it was Jesus who was talking to them when He went with them to eat.

 

These men on the road had just been through a hard time. They knew Jesus had been crucified so He would not have been their first guess of who they were talking to on the road. Jesus had to open their eyes to see it was Him. There are times in our life when Jesus has to open our eyes and help us to understand.

We need to make sure that even though in our life we may go through difficult or challenging times, that Jesus is always with us, that He will never leave us or forsake us. We need to spend so much time with Jesus that we hear Him when He talks to us, and He is always talking to us. We need to stay so close to Jesus that we hear, and understand that He is talking with us and guiding us.

Let’s pray Father in the name of Jesus we ask that You help us to stay so close to Jesus that we always know when He is talking to us. In Jesus name we ask. Amen.

  1. Why didn’t the men on the road to Emmaus recognize Jesus was walking and talking to them?
  2. Does Jesus want us to know and understand when He talks to us?
  3. What do we need to do so that we hear and understand Jesus?

Memory Verse: Luke 24:31 (NKJV)

31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.

Target thought: We can’t get so caught up in our circumstances that we don’t see Jesus.

Luke 24:13-18 (NKJV)

13 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.

17 And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you [b]walk and are sad?”

18 Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?”

Our Bible lesson today tells an amazing story about a day when someone important walked and talked with some men on the Road to Emmaus, but they didn’t even recognize Him. These disciples ?1. were so upset about all that had happened during the week of the crucifixion that they did not recognize that it was Jesus who was walking and talking with them.

Let’s see what that might have been like for the men on the Road to Emmaus.

Help families at home

Share premium lessons with families stuck at home with videos, daily discussions, and more…

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They were walking and talking with Jesus and did not recognize Him, they were so upset that Jesus had been crucified and that He didn’t set up His eternal Kingdom at that time. See that wasn’t what they wanted so they didn’t understand all of God’s plan.

They thought Jesus was a stranger and didn’t have a clue what had happened and what they were upset about. They thought He was the one who was confused. Jesus wanted them to know and understand, just like He was us to know and understand.  He said to them,” Do you find it so difficult to believe what was written by the prophets in the Scripture? It was predicted by the prophets that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering His time of glory.” He was teaching them that if they had read the scriptures, our Bible, they would have known and understood what was happening.

Jesus was trying to get them to remember what He had already taught them so that they wouldn’t be sad and so that they would understand the plans that Jesus and Father God had for them.

If you’ve heard this story before, you know the men were talking to Jesus even though they didn’t realize it. They came later to realize that it was Jesus who was talking to them when He went with them to eat.

 

These men on the road had just been through a hard time. They knew Jesus had been crucified so He would not have been their first guess of who they were talking to on the road. Jesus had to open their eyes to see it was Him. There are times in our life when Jesus has to open our eyes and help us to understand.

We need to make sure that even though in our life we may go through difficult or challenging times, that Jesus is always with us, that He will never leave us or forsake us. We need to spend so much time with Jesus that we hear Him when He talks to us, and He is always talking to us. We need to stay so close to Jesus that we hear, and understand that He is talking with us and guiding us.

Let’s pray Father in the name of Jesus we ask that You help us to stay so close to Jesus that we always know when He is talking to us. In Jesus name we ask. Amen.

  1. Why didn’t the men on the road to Emmaus recognize Jesus was walking and talking to them?
  2. Does Jesus want us to know and understand when He talks to us?
  3. What do we need to do so that we hear and understand Jesus?

Memory Verse: Luke 24:31 (NKJV)

31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.

Target thought: We can’t get so caught up in our circumstances that we don’t see Jesus.

Luke 24:13-18 (NKJV)

13 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.

17 And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you [b]walk and are sad?”

18 Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?”

Our Bible lesson today tells an amazing story about a day when someone important walked and talked with some men on the Road to Emmaus, but they didn’t even recognize Him. These disciples ?1. were so upset about all that had happened during the week of the crucifixion that they did not recognize that it was Jesus who was walking and talking with them.

Let’s see what that might have been like for the men on the Road to Emmaus.

Help families at home

Share premium lessons with families stuck at home with videos, daily discussions, and more…

GET ACTIVITIES TO SHARE

They were walking and talking with Jesus and did not recognize Him, they were so upset that Jesus had been crucified and that He didn’t set up His eternal Kingdom at that time. See that wasn’t what they wanted so they didn’t understand all of God’s plan.

They thought Jesus was a stranger and didn’t have a clue what had happened and what they were upset about. They thought He was the one who was confused. Jesus wanted them to know and understand, just like He was us to know and understand.  He said to them,” Do you find it so difficult to believe what was written by the prophets in the Scripture? It was predicted by the prophets that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering His time of glory.” He was teaching them that if they had read the scriptures, our Bible, they would have known and understood what was happening.

Jesus was trying to get them to remember what He had already taught them so that they wouldn’t be sad and so that they would understand the plans that Jesus and Father God had for them.

If you’ve heard this story before, you know the men were talking to Jesus even though they didn’t realize it. They came later to realize that it was Jesus who was talking to them when He went with them to eat.

 

These men on the road had just been through a hard time. They knew Jesus had been crucified so He would not have been their first guess of who they were talking to on the road. Jesus had to open their eyes to see it was Him. There are times in our life when Jesus has to open our eyes and help us to understand.

We need to make sure that even though in our life we may go through difficult or challenging times, that Jesus is always with us, that He will never leave us or forsake us. We need to spend so much time with Jesus that we hear Him when He talks to us, and He is always talking to us. We need to stay so close to Jesus that we hear, and understand that He is talking with us and guiding us.

Let’s pray Father in the name of Jesus we ask that You help us to stay so close to Jesus that we always know when He is talking to us. In Jesus name we ask. Amen.

  1. Why didn’t the men on the road to Emmaus recognize Jesus was walking and talking to them?
  2. Does Jesus want us to know and understand when He talks to us?
  3. What do we need to do so that we hear and understand Jesus?
 

Guaranteed Forever: Safe In His Hands KZ Lesson Sun Am 4/26/2020

Memory Verse: John 10:28 (NKJV)

28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

Target Thought: No one or nothing can ever separate us from God.

Have your parents ever bought something because it had a lifetime guarantee? like a hammer or a cooking utensil? Sometimes the guarantee will say, “If this tool or utensil ever fails to provide complete satisfaction, return it for free repair or replacement.”

That is great, isn’t it? Even if you break the hammer, all you have to do is take it back to the store and they will either fix it or give you a new hammer.

Wait a minute! What if you lose the hammer? This guarantee doesn’t say that they will replace the hammer if you lose it. What if someone steals it? I guess if you lose the hammer, or someone breaks into your garage and steals it, you are out of luck.

Wouldn’t it be great if something was guaranteed to last forever — and was guaranteed that you couldn’t lose it and nobody could steal it? Well, there is!

Jesus has promised everlasting life to those who trust and believe in him. Listen to his guarantee!

“My sheep hear my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never die!”

Is it guaranteed that no one can steal it? It sure is!

Jesus said, “No one can snatch them out of my hand.”

Eternal life that you can’t lose and no one can take it away. That’s a guarantee that no one can match!

Let’s read about God’s love for us and what He has promised us in His Word. we already know that God is not a man that He can lie, so we know that we can always depend on and trust everything that He promises!

 

Romans 8:28-35 (NKJV)

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 

29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 

30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 

32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 

33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 

34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Father God is more than able through the redemption that we have because Jesus is our Savior to keep us protected, provided for and safe in His hands no matter what the circumstances are once we have committed our life to Him

We know that God loves us, that He is for us, and that He is able to keep us in His hands, we also know that He had never given us a spirit of fear but power, love and a sound mind. Knowing all of this what is there ever to fear or worry about? NOTHING!

2 Timothy 1:12  (NKJV)

12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.

Dear Father, we thank you for your guarantee of everlasting life, Your perfect love, and for keeping us in Your Hands through Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ name we Thank you. Amen.

  1. Can we always depend on and trust in all of God’s promises?
  2. Is there anyone or anything that can separate us from God?
  3. What is there to fear or worry about?

 

 
The Fruitful Life KZ Lesson Sun Am 4/19/2020

Memory Verse: John 15:5 (NKJV)

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Target Thought: We produce good fruit for Jesus.

This morning we are going to learn how to have fruitful lives and how to bear good fruit in Jesus. 1. Jesus said you can tell a tree by the fruit it bears, lets read the scriptures for that:

Matthew 7:16-20 (NKJV)

16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 

17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 

18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 

20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

Jesus was teaching us here that a bad tree can’t bear good fruit and a good tree can’t bear bad fruit.

Apples are a good fruit, let’s learn some things about apples.

  • Apples not only taste good, they are good for you. Apples are fat-free, salt-free, cholesterol-free, and a good source of vitamins to help you grow.
  • There is an apple called a “Red Delicious,” but you may be surprised to know that there are over 7500 different types of apples in the world.
  • The top five apple-producing countries in the world are China, the United States, Turkey, Italy and France.

There are a lot of different ways to enjoy apples. For example, you might enjoy some apple juice or apple cider. Some children like to take applesauce in their school lunches. Have you ever had some tasty apple butter on your toast in the morning? Apple slices dipped in caramel are a delicious treat. My all-time favorite, of course, is apple pie!

I am sure that all of you know where we get apples. They come from apple trees. Well, what would you do if you planted an apple tree in your garden, watered it, and took care of it and it never produced any apples? It wouldn’t be much good as an apple tree, would it? The tree wouldn’t be called a fruitful tree would it? So bascially the tree would not be doing what God had created it to do, right?

Jesus told a story about a man who had a fig tree in his vineyard that didn’t produce any figs. For three years he waited for the tree to produce fruit — but still no figs. He went to the man who took care of the tree and told him to cut it down. The caretaker asked the owner to give him one more year to dig around the tree and fertilize it to see if the tree would produce some figs. The owner agreed to give the tree another chance.

Jesus taught us in Galatians what “good fruit” is, we know that we are to always bear good fruit. We should see these “fruits” in our lives everyday. Let’s review what they are.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is 2. love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness

23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

In telling this story about the fruit tree, Jesus was really talking about us – and about God. God has “planted” us on this earth and he expects us to produce the good fruit we just read about. good fruit in our life. When He doesn’t see these things in our life, He is very disappointed He is disappointed because He knows that good choices bring good consequences and bad choices bring bad consequences, — but He is always willing to give us another chance, and to help us.

Jesus wants to care for us and help us to be the kind of fruit-bearing children that God wants us to be. 3. If we will trust in Him, read his Word, pray, walk in love and forgiveness and be willing and obedient to all the things He has ask us to — He will help us to produce a lot of good fruit.

Dear Jesus, help us to have the kind of fruit in our lives that would be pleasing to our Heavenly Father. Amen.

  1. Did Jesus say that we could tell a tree by the fruit it bears?
  2. List the 9 fruits of the Spirit.
  3. Tell me at least 2 ways that we can bear good fruit.

 

 

Kid Zone Lesson Resurrection Sunday 4/12/2020

1 Peter 1:18-20 (NKJV)

18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 

19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 

20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you

        The newborn sacrificial lambs were wrapped in swaddling cloths as soon as they were born to protect them from blemish or injury because they had to be perfect in order to be a sacrificial lamb.

        The price here is not silver or gold but the precious blood of Jesus.

Hebrews 9:11-15 (NKJV)

11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 

12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 

13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 

14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 

15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

        Not of an earthly tabernacle made by hands of man out of earth’s created materials, as the tabernacle of Moses.

Romans 3:23-26 (NKJV)

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 

24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 

25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 

26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

        This means declaring not guilty; acquittal in the court of Heaven. Grace is the unmerited love and favor of God to man.

2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV)

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Colossians 1:19-22 (NKJV)

19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 

 

20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 

22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—

1 Peter 2:24 (NKJV)

24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

1 Corinthians 1:30-31 (NKJV)

30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 

31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (NKJV)

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 

18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 

19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 

21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

        We have been made new creations in Christ, as in never existed before.

Titus 2:14 (NKJV)

14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

Hebrews 10:16-18 (NKJV)

16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 

17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 

18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

Hebrews 9:15 (NKJV)

15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

Jeremiah 31:33 (NKJV)

33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Mark 14:24 (NKJV)

24 And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.

1 Corinthians 11:27-31 (NKJV)

27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 

28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 

29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 

30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 

31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.

1 Corinthians 11:23-25 (NKJV)

23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 

24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 

25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

 

The Road To Emmaus KZ Lesson Sun Am 4/5/2020

Memory Verse: Luke 24:31 (NKJV)

31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.

Target thought: We can’t get so caught up in our circumstances that we don’t see Jesus.

Luke 24:13-18 (NKJV)

13 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.

17 And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you [b]walk and are sad?”

18 Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?”

Our Bible lesson today tells an amazing story about a day when someone important walked and talked with some men on the Road to Emmaus, but they didn’t even recognize Him. These disciples ?1. were so upset about all that had happened during the week of the crucifixion that they did not recognize that it was Jesus who was walking and talking with them.

Let’s see what that might have been like for the men on the Road to Emmaus.

Help families at home

Share premium lessons with families stuck at home with videos, daily discussions, and more…

GET ACTIVITIES TO SHARE

They were walking and talking with Jesus and did not recognize Him, they were so upset that Jesus had been crucified and that He didn’t set up His eternal Kingdom at that time. See that wasn’t what they wanted so they didn’t understand all of God’s plan.

They thought Jesus was a stranger and didn’t have a clue what had happened and what they were upset about. They thought He was the one who was confused. Jesus wanted them to know and understand, just like He was us to know and understand.  He said to them,” Do you find it so difficult to believe what was written by the prophets in the Scripture? It was predicted by the prophets that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering His time of glory.” He was teaching them that if they had read the scriptures, our Bible, they would have known and understood what was happening.

Jesus was trying to get them to remember what He had already taught them so that they wouldn’t be sad and so that they would understand the plans that Jesus and Father God had for them.

If you’ve heard this story before, you know the men were talking to Jesus even though they didn’t realize it. They came later to realize that it was Jesus who was talking to them when He went with them to eat.

 

These men on the road had just been through a hard time. They knew Jesus had been crucified so He would not have been their first guess of who they were talking to on the road. Jesus had to open their eyes to see it was Him. There are times in our life when Jesus has to open our eyes and help us to understand.

We need to make sure that even though in our life we may go through difficult or challenging times, that Jesus is always with us, that He will never leave us or forsake us. We need to spend so much time with Jesus that we hear Him when He talks to us, and He is always talking to us. We need to stay so close to Jesus that we hear, and understand that He is talking with us and guiding us.

Let’s pray Father in the name of Jesus we ask that You help us to stay so close to Jesus that we always know when He is talking to us. In Jesus name we ask. Amen.

  1. Why didn’t the men on the road to Emmaus recognize Jesus was walking and talking to them?
  2. Does Jesus want us to know and understand when He talks to us?
  3. What do we need to do so that we hear and understand Jesus?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
The Fruitful Life KZ Lesson Sun Am 4/5/2020

Memory Verse: John 15:5 (NKJV)

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Target Thought: We produce good fruit for Jesus.

This morning we are going to learn how to have fruitful lives and how to bear good fruit in Jesus. 1. Jesus said you can tell a tree by the fruit it bears, lets read the scriptures for that:

Matthew 7:16-20 (NKJV)

16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 

17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 

18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 

20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

Jesus was teaching us here that a bad tree can’t bear good fruit and a good tree can’t bear bad fruit.

Apples are a good fruit, let’s learn some things about apples.

  • Apples not only taste good, they are good for you. Apples are fat-free, salt-free, cholesterol-free, and a good source of vitamins to help you grow.
  • There is an apple called a “Red Delicious,” but you may be surprised to know that there are over 7500 different types of apples in the world.
  • The top five apple-producing countries in the world are China, the United States, Turkey, Italy and France.

There are a lot of different ways to enjoy apples. For example, you might enjoy some apple juice or apple cider. Some children like to take applesauce in their school lunches. Have you ever had some tasty apple butter on your toast in the morning? Apple slices dipped in caramel are a delicious treat. My all-time favorite, of course, is apple pie!

I am sure that all of you know where we get apples. They come from apple trees. Well, what would you do if you planted an apple tree in your garden, watered it, and took care of it and it never produced any apples? It wouldn’t be much good as an apple tree, would it? The tree wouldn’t be called a fruitful tree would it? So bascially the tree would not be doing what God had created it to do, right?

Jesus told a story about a man who had a fig tree in his vineyard that didn’t produce any figs. For three years he waited for the tree to produce fruit — but still no figs. He went to the man who took care of the tree and told him to cut it down. The caretaker asked the owner to give him one more year to dig around the tree and fertilize it to see if the tree would produce some figs. The owner agreed to give the tree another chance.

Jesus taught us in Galatians what “good fruit” is, we know that we are to always bear good fruit. We should see these “fruits” in our lives everyday. Let’s review what they are.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is 2. love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness

23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

In telling this story about the fruit tree, Jesus was really talking about us – and about God. God has “planted” us on this earth and he expects us to produce the good fruit we just read about. good fruit in our life. When He doesn’t see these things in our life, He is very disappointed He is disappointed because He knows that good choices bring good consequences and bad choices bring bad consequences, — but He is always willing to give us another chance, and to help us.

Jesus wants to care for us and help us to be the kind of fruit-bearing children that God wants us to be. 3. If we will trust in Him, read his Word, pray, walk in love and forgiveness and be willing and obedient to all the things He has ask us to — He will help us to produce a lot of good fruit.

Dear Jesus, help us to have the kind of fruit in our lives that would be pleasing to our Heavenly Father. Amen.

  1. Did Jesus say that we could tell a tree by the fruit it bears?
  2. List the 9 fruits of the Spirit.
  3. Tell me at least 2 ways that we can bear good fruit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Spring Cleaning, Jesus Cleanses The Temple KZ Lesson Sun Am 3/22/20

Memory Verse: John 2:15 (NKJV)

15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables.

Target Thought: Jesus loved God and the house of God.

John 2:13-17 (NKJV)

13 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. 15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. 16 And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” 17 Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.”

The first day of spring was just a few days ago. Spring is such a wonderful time of the year. The temperature begins to warm and the world begins to take on a fresh new look. The trees start to put on leaves, the grass begins to turn green, and the flowers start to bloom. Everything is beautiful! There are other things that tell us that spring is here too. Another sign that spring is here is that many people have started their spring cleaning.

Let’s think about when we clean our house, some of the things we might use are a mop, a pail, sponges, floor cleaner, window cleaner, paper towels, and dust cloths. Do your parents do any spring cleaning around your house? Spring is a good time to give your house a good going over and clean everything up and get rid of a lot of junk that you don’t need.

This morning I want to tell you about a time when Jesus did some spring cleaning. It was time for the annual Passover celebration, so Jesus traveled to Jerusalem. When he arrived in Jerusalem, Jesus went to the temple. He couldn’t believe his eyes. There in the temple area he saw people who were selling cattle, sheep, and doves for the people to use as sacrifices in the temple.

There were tables set up for money changers so that people could change their money to pay their temple taxes. It looked more like a carnival than a house of worship. The merchants that were there were cheating the people. They had turned the house of God into a robbers den! They did not respect God or His house, for them it wasn’t about honoring or worshiping God. It was just another place to cheat people and make a dishonest profit. That was what made Jesus so mad! He knew that they didn’t love God, His house or His people.

Jesus did not like what he saw. He was so angry that he made a whip from some rope and he drove the cattle and sheep and those who were selling them from the temple. He went to the tables of the money changers and turned them over, scattering coins all over the temple floor. To the ones who were selling the doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market.” Yes, I would say that Jesus did some spring cleaning in the temple that day!

As we think about Jesus cleansing the temple, we should also think about some other cleaning that needs to be done. We are going into the season of Resurrection Sunday. When we became born again, when we accepted Jesus into our heart as our Savior, we became a new creation. Let’s read what the Bible said about this:

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

 When we became born again we were made new. We were cleansed from all of our sins, however sometimes we might let some old habits or old thinking or maybe even some old actions sneak back into our lives.  If this happens we need to do a heart check up to make sure that we are still living the way Jesus wants us to. It is a time to look inside ourselves and see if there is anything in us that needs to be changed. Are there some areas of your life where we need to do some ‘spring cleaning’?

We need to do a heart check up on a regular basis not just in the spring time. If we find there is something in our life doesn’t please Jesus, what should we do? Let’s find it in the Bible:

1 John 1:9 (NKJV)

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Just as Jesus cleansed the temple, we will clean and keep our temple clean. Remember the Bible said that we are the temple of the Living God.

Dear Jesus, we ask You to help us to do a heart check up and to repent, that we might be clean before You. In Jesus name we ask  Amen.

  1. Why was Jesus so mad at the merchants in the temple?
  2. What should we do on a regular basis to make sure we are clean before Jesus?
  3. If there is something in our life that isn’t pleasing to Jesus, what should we do?
 
A Fan Or A Follower Kz Lesson Sun Am 3/15/20

Memory Verse: Mark 8:34 (NKJV)

34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

Target Thought: Jesus and His Kingdom is our life.

Have you ever been a member of a fan club? A fan club is a group of enthusiastic supporters of a well-known person, music group, or a sports team. If you are a fan of a particular sports team, you might wear a t-shirt with the team name and a picture of their mascot on it. If you are a fan of a singer or a musical group, you might have their posters decorating the walls in your room.

One thing I have noticed about fan clubs is that the number of members in the club usually depends on how popular or successful the person or team is. If a sports team wins a lot of games, they will probably have a lot of fans. But if they start to lose, the fans usually fall away. (A few years ago the fans of one sports team went to the games with a brown paper bag over their head to hide their identity!) If a singer or music group has a lot of big hits, they will have a lot of fans, but if the hits stop coming, the fans will go away. Most people are only fans as long as things go well, as long as things go their way.

When Jesus was on earth, he had a lot of fans. As he traveled around performing miracles like feeding more than 5,000 people with five fish and two loaves of bread or healing a blind, there were huge crowds of fans everywhere he went. These people were only fans not necessarily followers, you see things were going their way. Let us ask our self where were the “fans” when Jesus was being beaten and crucified?

The difference between a fan and a follower is a fan is a fan only as long as things go their way and they get what they want. A true follower of Jesus is willing to lay down their life for Jesus the way He laid down His life us. A true follower of Jesus will keep the faith and be willing to serve Jesus even in difficult times, even when things are not going their way. Jesus and His kingdom will always be the first priority to them, the reason and way they live their life.

But do you know what? Jesus isn’t interested in having fans, He wants followers. One day he said to a crowd of people, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.”

What did Jesus mean when He said if you try to hang onto your life you will lose it? There are only two kingdoms for us to choose from, God’s Kingdom or satan’s. If we try to live only for ourself we are really living in satan’s kingdom, a kingdom of selfishness, pride, deception ….. every evil thing. When we live in God’s Kingdom He has every perfect and good thing for us, and life more abundantly!

To be a follower of Jesus means much more than being a member of his fan club. It means more than wearing an “I Love Jesus” t-shirt, a WWJD* bracelet, or a necklace with a cross on it.

It means to follow the teachings of Jesus every day. It means that Jesus is our way of life, in the good times and the bad. It means that we serve, believe, and obey Jesus in every area of our life. It means that Jesus and His Kingdom are our first priority, that we love Jesus with all of our heart, our mind and all of our strength. In other words, A fan is only fan when things go their way, a follower dedicates their entire life to Jesus. That is what separates a fan from a follower.

We can tell if people are a fan of Jesus or a follower. Some people if Jesus is popular at the moment they will say they are a Christian, but if it comes time for them to live for Jesus, sacrificing for Jesus or giving up something they want to do, they choose what they want, they choose for things to be their way. these people are “fans”. A true follower of Jesus will believe, sacrifice, obey and serve Jesus no matter if it is easy or if it takes the determination that Jesus had for us when He went to the Cross. If we are true followers of Jesus our life belongs to Him and not to us.

Father, help us to be more than fans — help us to be true believers and followers of Jesus. In Jesus’ name we ask, amen.

  1. Explain the difference between a fan or a follower.
  2. Tell me what God’s Kingdom has for us, satan’s kingdom?
  3. What do true followers of Jesus do?

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Trading Places KZ Lesson Sun Am 3/1/20

Memory Verse: Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)

19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Target Thought: We trust in Jesus

Have you ever wished you could trade places with someone? If you could trade places with anyone you chose, who would you choose?

  • A movie star?
  • A famous athlete?
  • Someone with a lot of money?
  • The homeless person that begs beside the road?

“Wait a minute,” you are probably thinking. “Who would dream of changing places with a homeless person who begs beside the road?” Well, it might not be what a person would wish for, but that is exactly what one person got in our Bible lesson today. It is the story of the rich man and Lazarus. (the Lazarus in the Old Testament)

There once was a rich man, expensively dressed in clothes of the latest fashion. He lived in a beautiful house and ate the very best food. He trusted in his riches and in himself. He thought (in his pride) that he was “self made man”, not needing God. We know that there is no such thing as a “self made man”.

We know that God has created us, He loves and provides for us, He has made a way for our salvation, that He has good plans for us for eternity and that God Himself holds our next breath in His Hand. However this man was selfish and greedy and he lived his life only to please himself . We know that either we live for God or we live for the devil, even if people fool themselves into thinking that they are living for themselves. There is only two kingdoms, and we get to choose which one we will spend our lives in, now and for eternity.

This poor man named Lazarus, all covered with sores, had been put outside the door of the rich man’s house. All he wanted was a meal from scraps off the rich man’s table. Dogs that passed by him stopped and licked his sores. Do you think the rich man ever offered to share the food from his table? Did he ever stop to offer Lazarus one of his nice suits of clothes that perhaps was in last year’s style? No way! He passed by Lazarus as if he wasn’t even there.

All sickness, disease and every evil thing is a part of the curse that came on the earth because of the original sin. However we know that we don’t ever have to live sick or poor, because Jesus has redeemed us from all the curse, let’s read:

Galatians 3:13 NKJV)

13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),

 

One day Lazarus died and was carried by angels up into Heaven to live in a place called Abraham’s bosom, or paradise. There he enjoyed all of the comforts that he never knew when he was on earth. He was happier than you can imagine. The rich man also died and was buried. Well, the place where the rich man went was really hot. I am sure you can guess where that was! He was miserable.

The rich man looked up into Heaven and saw Abraham with Lazarus standing by his side. He cried out, “Father Abraham, send Lazarus down and let him dip his finger in water to cool my tongue.” Abraham answered, “Don’t forget that when you were living on the earth you had all your good things and you never once helped or considered Lazarus. Now he lives in paradise and you live with the choice you made. And besides, there is a great fixed gap between us, and no one from either side can cross over.”

Lazarus believed in God and trusted Him. God sent his angels to take Lazarus to Heaven. When we trust in and believe God, all of our needs and every good thing will be provided for us. Father God is our faithful God. He loves us more than we can even understand.

The rich man, on the other hand, didn’t think he needed anyone. He sure didn’t need God. He had everything that he needed, and he surely wasn’t interested in living for God, At least, that is what he thought.

There is an important lesson to be learned from the story of the rich man and Lazarus. You and I choose where we will place our trust, and who we will live for. We can trust in God or we can trust in ourselves. If we put our trust in the wrong thing, we will find ourselves wishing that we could trade places.

Father, we trust in your unfailing love; our hearts rejoice in your salvation. In Jesus’ name we thank-you. Amen.

  1. Is there such a thing as a self made man? Explain.
  2. We know that we either live for ______ or we live for the ________.
  3. How much does God love us?

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Transfiguration of Jesus KZ Lesson 2/23/20

 Memory Verse: Matthew 17:5 (NKJV)

While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”

Target Thought: We are to hear Jesus and follow Him.

Matthew 17:1-13 (NKJV)

17 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”

10 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

11 Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. 12 But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

This experience for the disciples was something they had never experienced before. It made the disciples pretty terrified. How do you think that you would have felt? how would you have reacted?  What do you think made Jesus and His clothes turn white (vs2) ? I will tell you (1.) it was the Glory of God being manifested in Jesus.  Explain to me some ways the glory of God is manifested in us.

Then they saw Moses and Elijah, well-known servant of God that had lived in the old testament time. They didn’t know what to do, and then they heard God’s voice announce (2.)“this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased—listen to Him!” The disciples realized they were in God’s presence, and they fell flat on their faces in fear…,

The fear here doesn’t mean terror, remember God didn’t give us a spirit of fear but of power, of love, and of a sound mind. The meaning of the word fear here is an (3.) awesome reverent respect of God and who He is.  Jesus comforted the disciples and encouraged them to get back up. The disciples had caught a peek of who Jesus is, the anointed Son of God. Our Savior.

 

 

When Jesus came to Earth, it was sort of like He was God in disguise. He is truly and completely a human person, but He is also totally God. Many people had been waiting for the Messiah and wondering what He would be like. The disciples had wondered if Jesus was the One they had long awaited.

They thought He was. But this experience on the mountain took away any possible doubt. Seeing Jesus transformed and hearing God’s voice made them absolutely certain of who they were following. This was really and truly God. How do you think that made them feel? They were probably pretty relieved at knowing who Jesus is for sure…and they were also probably excited! I’ll bet they hurried to tell the other disciples, and couldn’t wait to spend more time with Jesus. Are we that excited? After all, we have more than just a peek. We know the rest of the story…Jesus not only lived as a human, but He died and rose again so that we could have life with God. He is really God, and became a person like us. Let’s pray:

Father God we ask you to help us to listen to and follow after Jesus, and help us to tell others about Him. In Jesus’ name we ask. Amen.

  1. What made Jesus’ face and clothes turn white?
  2. What did God the Father say about Jesus, and what are we supposed to do?
  3. Explain the meaning of the word fear in our lesson today.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Well Done Good and Faithful Servant KZ Lesson Sun Am 2/16/20

Memory Verse: Matthew 25:23 (NKJV)

23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

Target Thought: We offer our best to Jesus

Matthew 25:14-29 (NKJV)

The Parable of the Talents

14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’

26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.

29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 

Jesus told a parable about a master and three of his servants.  The master had to go away on a long journey, so he brought in his servants and gave each of them some money to be in charge of.  This way they could continue to run the business and make money while he was gone.

Jesus has entrusted us, His servants to be about our Father’s business.

So the master asked one of his most talented servants to come forward, and he gave that servant 1 talent.  Now this might not seem like a lot, but just wait.  That 1 talent was worth 20 whole years of work for him!  That’s like $351,936.00, 20 years of wages.

Then he called up a servant with even more talent and gave him 2 talents (2 coins). That was 40 whole years worth of pay!The most talented servant was given 5 talents (5 coins).  That is a full 100 years worth of work!  100!  

This was something new for these servants, to be trusted to take care of something so huge!  They didn’t go to school, they didn’t have fancy homes or a huge farm.  These were just basic servants, but the master knew they could be more and he trusted them with his talents.

Jesus isn’t in us making money for Him like this master was, Jesus is interested in us winning souls.

So what do we think they did with these talents?

Why don’t we ask them? (pretend) Let’s start with the last servant.  You were given 5 talents, and the master wanted you to use it to grow his business.  Can you name 5 ways you could have done that?  (Ask the class to help out if they can’t come up with all 5)  (example: buy seeds and plant them, buy cows and make cheese, hire weavers and sell cloth, etc.)

It looks like this servant used those talents in a great way!  By the time the master got back the servant had doubled the money (give 5 extra coins).  DOUBLED!  He now had 10 talents. The master was so impressed, he gave the servant even more talents.  He said “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21 NIV)

This servant just got invited to celebrate with his master.  A servant would normally be serving his master, not celebrating with him.  That was huge!

Let’s ask the next servant what they did.  You were given 2 talents, and the master wanted you to use them to grow his business.  Can you think of 2 ways you could have done that?  (trade business, loaned money for interest)

It looks like you were able to use those talents and you also doubled them.  You now have 4 talents!  And what do you the master said?  The same thing!  He was just as happy with this servant as he was with the first.  The first servant had more talents in the end, but what really mattered to the master was that the talents he gave them were used wisely.  So now there were 2 servants celebrating with the master.

Now let’s see how the first servant with the 1 talent did, he was so scared he might do something wrong that he decided to do nothing at all.  He took his talent and buried it so no one could find it.

When the master came back he asked the last servant what he had done with the talents.  But when the servant told him he chose to hide his talent out of fear the master became very upset.  The master gave him that talent for a reason, but the servant chose not to use it.  So instead of celebrating with the master and the other servant, he was sent away.

It’s pretty neat how Jesus used talents in this parable.  Because the master gave the servants talents in the form of money, but God gives us talents in the form of abilities. For your third question today I want you to tell me things that you can do to serve Jesus.

He made some people to be amazing singers, so they could worship and lead others in that same worship.  And He made some people good listeners so they could listen to the needs and struggles of others and help them. And He made some people strong and handy, so they could lend a helping hand to those that needed it, just like Jesus did.

God gave all of us talents, but they aren’t all the same.  Each one of us has different talents and different ways to use them.  And even though they are different, they aren’t better or worse than each other.  God just wants to see us use them instead of hiding them.  That’s why He gave them to us!  He wants us to use those talents to bring more people to him and to grow His kingdom.

I want you to try to find a way to use one of your talents this week to grow God’s kingdom.  It can be as simple as reading someone else a story or helping them pick up something they dropped.  It doesn’t have to be big, it just has to be for God.

We are not going to hide or bury our abilities; we are not going to be lazy or afraid. We are going to use everything God has given us including our time to serve Him. We want Jesus to say to us well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord. We certainly don’t want Jesus to be disappointed with us.

Let’s pray: Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus we thank-you for giving us abilities to serve You, help us to use them to further Your Kingdom. In Jesus name we ask. Amen.

  1. What has Jesus entrusted us with?
  2. What does Jesus want us to our abilities for?
  3. Name some things you can do for God’s Kingdom.
 
 

The Bible as our GPS KZ Lesson Sun 2/2/20

Memory Verse: 2 Timothy 3:16 (NKJV)

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

Target Thought: The Bible is the only true GPS.

Many times we hear instruction from God and we think I have heard that, I know that already, but God knows that we are leaky people and we don’t always practice in our daily lives what He has taught us, so in His mercy and love He reminds us. He does this so that we can have the best possible life and so that we can carry out His plans.

I appreciate that the word “inspiration” here literally means “breathed”.  All Scripture has been spoken or breathed by God Himself.   Communication is key to any relationship; it’s the way we get to know each other.  The Bible is one primary way God communicates to us about Who He is, His love for us, what’s best for us, etc.

2 Timothy 3:16 explains how the Bible can become God’s GPS for us in life.  It’s profitable for:

  1. teaching (telling us how to get to where we need to be),
  2. reproof or rebuking (telling us when we have taken a wrong turn),
  3. correcting (getting us back on track going the right direction), and
  4. training in righteousness (continuing to guide us towards God’s best for us)!

Some time when you are at home take out your GPS App on your phone and type in destination “Heaven”.  It will probably tell you  “No results.”  Only God’s Word of Truth can direct us there.  Have you or someone you were traveling with ever used a GPS and got bad directions or got lost? Why do you think that happened? Could it be because it is dependent on man and man’s information? The Bible is just the opposite it isn’t dependent on man, it came from God Himself through the Holy Spirit giving it o men to record. The information in the Bible came straight from God’s heart and never changes.

Jesus said it very plain and simple in John  14:6 – “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father but through Me.”  God not only told us the way, He came to earth to show us the way; He doesn’t want any of us to remain lost! Despite some popular opinions, there is only one way to Heaven and that is receiving Jesus as your Savior!

It’s important to read God’s Word daily.  And let’s not just read it and apply it in our own lives, but let’s share it with others so they can know the way back to the Father.

Even as believers in Christ though, we can sometimes lose our way and find ourselves on the wrong road or path.  God has given us the Bible to show us the way back to Him and how to enjoy this life He’s given us and find purpose in His plan for us.

Colossians 3:2 (NKJV)

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

When we meditate or think on God’s Word as it applies to our everyday life we will receive the answers and directions that we need for ourselves and for others. When we sincerely ask God He will answer us.

Where are you in life right now?  Are you heading towards God or away from Him according to your life choices?  Direction is important; it leads to a destination.  The great news is that if we miss the direction God has for us, we can turn around and run back to God!  The word repent means to turn away from sin  and turn to God.

Over and over in the Bible God calls us to “seek” Him.  He promises in Jeremiah 29:13 – “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”

Is your heart set on God?  Are you following His direction for your life?  Are you allowing His Word, the Bible, to teach you where you need to be; show you where you may have made a wrong turn; redirect you back to Him; keep you on the right path?

Our daily Bible readings are not meant to be just a few minutes spent with God and then walk away and leave Him there.  It is meant to remind us that He is with us wherever we go and help us recognize His presence and follow Him.

 As we go about our daily life, we will listen to what God is telling us and be reminded that God is with us and guiding us through His Word and presence through His Holy Spirit.

Let’s pray, Father in the Name of Jesus, we ask that help us to store Your Word in our heart so that it will always be our true GPS and that we will use it to follow You.

  1. Tell me one primary way God communicates to us.
  2. In what 4 ways is the Bible our GPS?
  3. Explain what repent means.

 

Mighty Man Of God: Joshua KZ Lesson Sun Am 1/26/2020

Memory Verse: Joshua 24:15 (NKJV)

15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Target Thought: Joshua chose to obey God.

Who can tell me what a hero is? A hero is someone who is courageous and brave. There are heroes and heroines in the Bible. All of them are brave, courageous, and more, but not always in the way you would expect. The hero in our Bible story today is Joshua. What makes him a hero? He served God with his whole heart. Serving God with your whole heart may not sound very heroic, but let’s look at the facts and see what you think when you have heard the whole story!

God had chosen Moses to lead the Israelites into the promised land. Unfortunately, Moses did not always obey what God told him to do. Because of this, God told Moses, “Because you did not trust me enough to do what I told you to do, you will not be the one to bring my people into the land I have given therm.” So, when it was time for the people of Israel to go into the land God had promised, God took Moses up to a mountain to see the Promised Land. He did this because He knew that Moses was about to die. Moses knew this too, so he asked God to give the people of Israel a leader. God already had someone in mind. God has everyday of our life planned. and He has a good and perfect plan. Father God has already equipped us to follow His plan. We just have to be willing and obedient, no matter how difficult it may be.

God knew that Joshua had the ability to be a wise leader, So God told Moses to put Joshua in charge while everyone was watching. “Have him stand before the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him.” (Numbers 27:19-20) Moses did what God told him to do. He presented Joshua to all of the people of Israel. Then Eleazar the priest laid his hands on Joshua and commissioned him to lead the people.

After Moses died, God began to speak to Joshua. God’s first words to Joshua were a reminder of what Joshua already believed about God. (remember the story about the 12 spies, 10 had and evil report and 2 had a good report of faith.) He said, “My servant Moses is dead.  This was a very difficult time for Joshua because he loved and respected Moses and he had been mourning Moses’ death and Joshua didn’t feel equipped to be the new leader for these people with such a tremendous important job for them to do.God had the answer for Joshua being afraid, Doesn’t He always have the answers we need? Here was God’s answer:   

Joshua 1:8-9 (NKJV)

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

This is our answer also if we are ever afraid or anxious about what God has called us to do.

Now then, I want you and all of these people to get ready to go across the Jordan River. I want you to go into the land I am about to give the people of Israel.” God told Joshua that all of the land was theirs—just as he had promised. It was finally time! And Joshua would lead the people into the land he trusted God was giving them forty years before! As God talked with Joshua, He told him, “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) So, just as God gave the orders to Joshua, Joshua gave the orders to the people. Joshua even encouraged the people as God had encouraged him, “Just be strong and brave.”

After Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan River into the land that God had promised them, they came to the city of Jericho. Jericho had high walls around it and the gates were shut tight because the people were afraid of the Israelites. But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you the city of Jericho. You and your fighting men are to walk around the town once a day for six days. On the seventh day, you are to march around the town seven times with the priests blowing their ram’s horns. When you hear the priests give one long blast on their horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse and you can take the town.” Joshua did as the Lord told him and the Israelites captured the town of Jericho.

All the people heard that the Israelites had captured Jericho and they were afraid. They knew God was helping Joshua and the Israelites. Joshua led the Israelites from city to city. They captured all the promised land. Joshua stood firm in his belief in God. He told the people, “But suppose you don’t want to serve God. Then choose for yourselves right now whom you will serve. You can choose the gods your people served or you can choose the gods the Amorites serve. After all, you are living in their land. But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” Because they saw Joshua’s strong faith in God, the people replied, “We would never abandon the Lord and serve other gods. For the Lord our God is the one who rescued us from slavery in the land of Egypt. He performed mighty miracles before our very eyes. As we traveled through the wilderness among our enemies, he preserved us. So we, too, will serve the Lord, for he alone is our God.”

Father, help us, like Joshua, to be strong in our faith and to obey what your Word commands. In Jesus’ name we ask. Amen.

  1. What caused Moses not to go into the promised land?
  2. What answer did God have for Joshua being afraid, is this our answer also?
  3. Who chooses Who we will serve as God?

 

It All Depends On The Dirt KZ Lesson Sun 1/19/2020

Memory Verse: Matthew 13:23  (NKJV)

23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

Target Thought: We will keep our hearts prepared to be good soil.

Matthew 13:1-9  (NKJV)

13 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

At this point the disciples had some questions about understanding this parable so Jesus began to explain it to them.

Matthew 13:18-23  (NKJV)

18 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

 

Have you ever planted anything? Perhaps you took some packages of seeds and planted a garden of vegetables. If so, you know that the type of soil that you have is very important to the success of a garden. If the ground is too hard, or full of rocks and weeds, you probably won’t have a very good crop of vegetables.

In our Bible lesson today, Jesus told a story about a man who went out and planted some seeds. This story that Jesus told is usually called “The Parable of the Sower,” but actually, the story is more about the soil than it is the sower or the seed. The seed that is sown is the  Some of the seed that was planted fell on the path where the ground was very hard. The seeds just lay on top of the ground and the birds came and ate the seeds. Some of the seed fell on rocky ground. The seeds sprang up quickly, but when the sun came, the plants dried up because they didn’t have good roots. Some of the seeds fell among weeds and plants grew for a little while, but the weeds took over and choked them out. Fortunately, some of the seed fell on good soil and the plants grew strong and healthy and produced a good crop.

In Jesus’ story, the 1. Word of God is the seed, and we are the soil. Often, when we come to church, the preacher is preaching the Word, ( 1. the Pastor or teacher is the sower)but we aren’t really paying attention. Perhaps we are thinking about what we are going to do that afternoon or about what we did yesterday. We are hearing the Word, but we are not listening. That is like throwing seed on the top of the ground. It won’t ever grow into anything in our life.

  1. The wicked one who comes to try to steal the Word from our heart is satan. Remember John 10:10?

There are other times when we hear the Word and we get excited about it, but then our excitement fades and we drift away. That is like the seeds that fall on the rocky ground. The plants spring up, but then die because the roots are too shallow.

Sometimes we hear the Word and we believe what it says, but we want to keep on doing the same things we have been doing. That is like planting the seed in with a bunch of weeds. I can tell you what will happen, the weeds will soon take over!

  1. When we hear the word, and we listen and try to understand what it says and put it into practice in our daily life, then we are like good soil. We are like soil where the seed takes root and grows and produces a plentiful harvest. That is the kind of soil that Jesus wants us to be. What kind of soil are you?

Dear Jesus, we want to good soil. Help us to listen to God’s Word and put it into practice in our daily life. In your name we ask. Amen.

  1. Explain to me what is the seed, what is the soil and who is the sower?
  2. Who is the wicked one who tries to steal the Word?
  3. How can we keep our hearts prepared to be good soil?

 

KidZone Lesson Plan Jan. 12, 20 

Jesus The One and Only KZ Lesson  Sun Am 1/12/20

Memory Verse: John 14:6  (NKJV)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Target Thought: Jesus is our REAL

It is a multi-million dollar business — selling cheap, imitation designer hand bags, sun glasses, and wrist watches on the street corner for just a few dollars. At first glance, an imitation Rolex® wristwatch might seem like a good deal. After all, a genuine Rolex® would cost thousands of dollars and the guy on the street corner is selling them for only $20! What’s the big deal? Who will know the difference? Well, after a few weeks, the imitation Rolex® no longer keeps time. Oh well, it still looks good, you can wear it as a bracelet. But soon then the finish begins to rub off and it isn’t very pretty. Suddenly, what seemed like a good deal no longer seems like such a good deal after all!

Buying a cheap imitation wristwatch might not be a great loss. After all, it only cost $20. But when it comes to your relationship with God, it is important to put your faith in the genuine article. There is a lot more at stake than $20.

There are a lot of false teachers who claim to know the way to heaven, but Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) There is always another false teaching to try to lure people away from the truth. If we study our Bible and learn the truth it will be hard for us to be deceived and tricked away from God.

When John the Baptist was preaching and baptizing, many people began to wonder if he might be the promised Messiah. John set them straight right away! “I baptize you with water,” he said. “But one is coming whose sandal straps I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” John knew that Father God had long promised a perfect Savior for us that not only would be the way to Heaven, but that redeem us from every part of the curse of sin and death.

Every evil thing that causes sickness, disease, heart ache, poverty, or any kind of pain and suffering is under the curse and we have been redeemed from it all because of the redemptive work of Jesus. Jesus has ended all of the bad under the curse and has done everything that needed to be done for us to have the abundant life.

As John was baptizing the crowds, Jesus himself came to John to be baptized. As Jesus was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit, descended on him like a dove. A voice from heaven said, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” It was the voice of God, the Father, announcing for all to know, “This is Jesus, my One and Only Son.”

Father God wanted everyone for all time to know that Jesus had come to be the sacrifice for us and reconcile us back to the perfect covenant relationship with Him. That is why we are not just saved from hell, but Jesus has restored to us the life of walking with Father God and having the abundant life.

Jesus being our Savior has brought more benefits to us than we can ever even image.  Because Jesus is our Savior we have become Children of God, joint heirs with Jesus. That means all Jesus has with Father God we have. The Bible teaches us  that we have more blessings and benefits, even more than we are able to think or ask.

People came to John to confess their sins and to repent. Jesus didn’t have any sin to confess and had no need to repent. So, why did he come to John to be baptized? He came to John to be baptized to set an example for us. Why do we need to be baptized? To follow his example and to tell the world that we have put our faith and trust in Jesus, the One and Only.

Father, help us to follow the example of Jesus in everything we do. In Jesus’ name we ask. Amen.
 
Here are some questions that you can ask.
  1. What is one sure thing that we can do to keep from being tricked by false teachers?
  2. Does Jesus being our Savior ONLY save us from hell?
  3. How many blessings and benefits do we have because we are Children of God?