Week of December 18, 2016: Jesus was Born

BIBLE PASSAGE: Luke 2:1-20
MAIN POINT: Jesus was born to be God’s promised Savior.
KEY PASSAGE: Matthew 1:21
BIG PICTURE QUESTION: Why was Jesus born? Jesus was born to rescue us from sin.

Do you think it was just by chance that Caesar Augustus called for a census? Did it just so happen that Mary and Joseph were traveling to Bethlehem—the very place the Messiah was prophesied to be born? (Micah 5:2) God is in control of all things, which He showed by using a pagan emperor to bring about His plan.

After Jesus was born, Mary laid Him in a manger. A king in a manger! It was so unlikely. But Jesus was no ordinary baby. He was God’s Son, sent in the most humble of positions, “not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28).

Imagine the shepherds’ surprise when an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared. The Bible says that they were terrified! But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David” (Luke 2:10-11).

What a relief! This angel had come to bring good news. First, he proclaimed a Savior. The people of Israel were well aware of their need for a Savior. They made sacrifices daily to atone for their sin. Finally, a Savior had come who would be the perfect sacrifice for sin, once and for all.

This is the best news ever! An army of angels appeared, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors” (Luke 2:14).

When you share this story with kids, remind them that Jesus came because we needed Him. The purpose of Jesus’ birth was twofold: to bring glory to God and to make peace between God and those who trust in Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Week of December 11, 2016: Anticipating the Coming King

BIBLE PASSAGE: Isaiah 11:1-10
MAIN POINT: Isaiah prophesied about the coming Messiah.
KEY PASSAGE: Matthew 1:21
BIG PICTURE QUESTION: Why was Jesus born? Jesus was born to rescue us from sin.

Isaiah’s name means “Yahweh is salvation.” God called Isaiah to be a prophet when King Uzziah’s reign was ending—more than 700 years before Jesus was born. At the time Isaiah spoke to the people of Judah, the kingdom of Judah was very wealthy. But the people did not follow God. They worshiped false idols, cheated one another, and mistreated the poor.

Isaiah spoke to the people of Judah at a critical time in their history. After King Uzziah died, the people were afraid. They were vulnerable to their enemies, and their new king was less than ideal. Isaiah’s prophecies warned the people hope. He told of how God would one day rescue those who
were faithful to Him.that God would judge them, but Isaiah also spoke words of hope. He told of how God would one day rescue those who were faithful to Him.

Perhaps the most amazing of all are Isaiah’s detailed prophecies about Jesus—His birth and His suffering and death. Jesus Himself read from the Book of Isaiah, telling the people that He was the One the Scriptures spoke of.

Jesus fulfilled God’s promises spoken by the prophet Isaiah. God kept His promise to send a king from the family of Jesse, the father of King David. (Luke 3:23-32) The Spirit of the Lord rested on Jesus. (Matt. 3:16-17) He was filled with wisdom and understanding. (Luke 2:40) He came to bring salvation to all the nations. (Acts 13:47-48)

Isaiah’s prophecies from God did not speak just to the people of his time; they also speak to us. Hundreds of years before it happened, Isaiah told of how Jesus would be born and how He would suffer and die to take away the sins of His people. We look forward to the day when King Jesus will come back and rule forever. Jesus is the promised Messiah. He will make all of the prophets’ words come true.

Week of December 4, 2016: 16.3 Daniel Was Rescued

BIBLE PASSAGE: Daniel 6
MAIN POINT: Daniel was faithful to God, and God rescued him.
KEY PASSAGE: Daniel 2:20-21
BIG PICTURE QUESTION: How can we obey God? We trust God to give us strength to obey Him.

The fifth chapter of Daniel ends with the death of King Belshazzar when the Persians took over Babylon and Darius was put on the throne. Babylon was on the decline—no longer the powerful, prosperous empire it once was. By this time Daniel was an old man, probably in his early 80s. He served the new king as one of the three leading supervisors in the kingdom.

Daniel was very good at his job. So good, in fact, that King Darius planned to put him in charge of the entire kingdom. The other supervisors and governors were jealous of Daniel. They watched for him to do something wrong so they could complain to the king. Read Daniel 6:4. Daniel was “trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him.”

Through the malevolent persuasion of the king’s leaders, King Darius passed a law that no one could pray to anyone but him, the king, for 30 days. Daniel continued to pray to God. Even the king’s threat of death did not stop Daniel from praying. The jealous officials turned him in, and Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den.

Daniel was faithful to God—the true King—and God rescued Him. God’s protection of Daniel served to show all the people that the God of Daniel “is the living God, and He endures forever; His kingdom will never be destroyed, and His dominion has no end” (Dan. 6:26).

God also calls us to trust and obey Him no matter what. God sent His Son, Jesus, to rescue us from something much more dangerous than lions. Jesus rescues us from sin and death. Pray that through your faith, and that of the kids you lead, “may the name of God be praised forever and ever” (Dan. 2:20).

Week of November 27, 2016: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

BIBLE PASSAGE: Daniel 3
MAIN POINT: God was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fire.
KEY PASSAGE: Daniel 2:20-21
BIG PICTURE QUESTION: How can we obey God? We trust God to give us strength to obey Him.

Nebuchadnezzar built a tall gold statue and issued a new law: “When you hear music, you are to fall down and worship the statue.” The penalty for defying this law was severe. “Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire” (Dan. 3:6). So when music played, all the people bowed down and worshiped the gold statue. Well, almost everyone. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down and worship the statue. They loved and worshiped the one true God. Only He was worthy of their worship.

The Book of Daniel says that the Chaldeans—a group of astrologers and dream interpreters (see Dan. 2:2,4)—took this opportunity to go to the king and tell on Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But not even the threat of death could convince the three friends to renounce their loyalty to God.

As you teach, lead kids to consider the possibilities: God could keep the friends from being thrown into the furnace. Or, once in the furnace, God could keep them from being harmed. Or if they perished, God would receive them into heaven. The friends’ trust in God enabled them to stand firm no matter what—even as they were tied up and thrown into the fire.

Then something miraculous happened. Nebuchadnezzar saw four men in the fire! They were walking around, unharmed! The Lord not only rescued Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, He was with them.

On the cross, people mocked Jesus: “He saved others; He cannot save Himself!” (Mark 15:31). Jesus was not physically unable to save Himself. He chose to do His Father’s will, and His love for sinners kept Him there. Jesus chose not to save Himself so that He could save others.

Week of November 20, 2016: Daniel and His Friends Obeyed God

BIBLE PASSAGE: Daniel 1
MAIN POINT: Daniel obeyed God by not eating the king’s food.
KEY PASSAGE: Daniel 2:20-21
BIG PICTURE QUESTION: How can we obey God? We trust God to give us strength to obey Him.

God’s people had been warned. The prophets had come with messages from God: “Turn from your sin, and turn back to God!” But the people did not listen. The nation of Judah was consumed by idol worship; the kings did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. So God kept His word—He allowed His people to be taken from their land.

Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon, the strong and nation that overtook Judah’s capital of Jerusalem and brought God’s people from Israel to Babylon. Daniel was a young man in Judah when this happened. He might have heard about the prophet Isaiah’s warnings; now he witnessed their fulfillment. (See Isa. 39:5-7.)

King Nebuchadnezzar called for the best young men from Judah to be trained for service in the palace. Among these teens were Daniel and three of his friends. The chosen boys were given new identities—new names, new education, new culture. But Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah stayed faithful to the one true God and refused to make themselves unclean by eating the king’s food.

God blessed Daniel and his friends. Daniel’s obedience to God led to his favor with King Nebuchadnezzar, and Daniel’s life would be a testament to God’s control over all things. God remembered His people during the exile and promised to bring them back to their homeland and set up a new kingdom.

As you share this story with the kids you teach, explain that obedience is not always easy, but we trust God to give us strength to obey Him. Point out that Daniel lived about 600 years before Jesus—the perfectly obedient promised One. We can trust that Jesus will return someday to set up His kingdom forever.

Week of November 13, 2016: Ezekiel Told About a Future Hope

BIBLE PASSAGE: Ezekiel 37
MAIN POINT: God planned to bring His people back to their land and give them new life.
KEY PASSAGE: Ezekiel 11:19-20
BIG PICTURE QUESTION: Why should we obey God? We obey God because He loves us.

Ezekiel had a tough job: ministering to people who had rejected God and suffered the consequences. The exiled people of Judah were eager to blame God for their circumstances. “It’s not fair!” they argued. (See Ezek. 18:25.)

Ezekiel told the people that they were at fault for their exile; their faithlessness had provoked God’s wrath. The people were getting what they deserved. “I take no pleasure in anyone’s death,” God said. “So repent and live!” (Ezek. 18:32).

God gave Ezekiel a vision. In this vision, God showed Ezekiel a valley of dry bones. The bones represented Israel. Ezekiel prophesied that God would put tendons, flesh, and skin on the bones. He would put breath in them so they would come to life.

Ezekiel encouraged the exiles. Apart from God, they were dead. But God was offering them life. He would restore their future. “My dwelling place will be with them,” God said. “I will be their God, and they will be My people” (Ezek. 37:27).

We too are dead in our sin. (Eph. 2:1) Sin separates us from God because He is holy. We are apart from God’s presence. But God does not delight in our death. He is patient and wants us to repent and live!

Hundreds of years after Ezekiel died, God’s presence came to His people through Jesus Christ, Immanuel—meaning, “God with us.” Jesus is the source of life; He offers us living water. (John 4:10,14) If we do not drink of it, we will become like the dry bones. No life will be in us.

Christ changes that. Evangelical Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias wrote, “Jesus did not come into this world to make bad people good. He came into this world to make dead people alive.” Indeed, He does. God saves us by grace, making us alive with Christ through the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 2:4-5)

Week of November 6, 2016: Judah Was Taken into Captivity

BIBLE PASSAGE: 2 Chronicles 36:1-21
MAIN POINT: God sent Judah into captivity because of their sin.
KEY PASSAGE: Ezekiel 11:19-20
BIG PICTURE QUESTION: Why should we obey God? We obey God because He loves us.

Warnings had come from the prophets for decades. God patiently waited for His people to turn from their sin. The prophet Jeremiah spared few details when he warned Judah what would happen if they did not turn from their evil ways. (See Jer. 25:1-14.)

But the people of Judah did not change their ways. The kingdom had been declining for years, despite King Josiah’s efforts to prompt nationwide repentance. When King Josiah died, the people went back to their old ways, worshiping idols and disobeying the Lord.

The time of judgment had come. God used Nebuchadnezzar—the king of Babylon—to deport the people from Judah to Babylon where they would live in exile for 70 years.

Nebuchadnezzar went to Judah when Jehoiakim was king. He put Jehoiakim in chains and took him to Babylon. Jehoiachin became king, and Nebuchadnezzar came back for him too. Many of the people in Judah were taken, along with treasures from the Lord’s temple. Nebuchadnezzar put Zedekiah on the throne in Jerusalem.

The people of Judah were unfaithful to God. Zedekiah  rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, and God poured out His wrath on Judah. Nebuchadnezzar showed no mercy to the people of Jerusalem. The Babylonians set fire to the Lord’s temple and the king’s palace. They destroyed the wall around Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar’s armies carried most of the people away to Babylon as prisoners; only poor farmers were allowed to stay and work the land. The people were held captive in Babylon, serving the king for 70 years.

God did not abandon His people. The prophet Jeremiah told what would happen next: “The days are certainly coming ... when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah” (Jer. 30:3). God was going to save His people from captivity and raise up a new King—a foreverKing—from the line of David. (Jer. 30:9)

Week of October 30, 2016: Jeremiah Prophesied a New Covenant

BIBLE PASSAGE: Jeremiah 17:1-10; 31:31-34
MAIN POINT: God promised a new and better covenant.
KEY PASSAGE: Ezekiel 11:19-20
BIG PICTURE QUESTION: Why should we obey God? We obey God because He loves us.

Shortly after God had rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, He made a covenant with them at Mount Sinai. The terms of the covenant are found in Exodus 19. God said through Moses, “If you will listen to Me and carefully keep My covenant, you will be My own possession out of all the peoples, ... and you will be My kingdom of priests and My holy nation” (vv. 5-6). God’s people responded, “We will do all that the Lord has spoken.”

But the people did not do all that the Lord had spoken. The people had God’s law, but they were not able to obey Him because of the sinfulness of their hearts. God punished His people for their unfaithfulness, eventually sending the Northern Kingdom into exile. But God was faithful; He preserved two tribes, keeping His promise to establish David’s house forever.

The Israelites in Jeremiah’s day broke the covenant just like their ancestors before them. The prophet Jeremiah told about a new covenant. He prophesied about a coming day when God would forgive sin and write His law on the hearts of His people. This prophecy is fulfilled in Jesus.

Jesus did not come to get rid of the law. (See Matt. 5:17.) Through His sinless life, Jesus fulfilled the demands of the old covenant.

The new covenant promised that God would forgive sin. God forgives sin through His Son, Jesus. He changes our hearts and gives us power through His Spirit to obey His.

Week of October 23, 2016: God Called Jeremiah

BIBLE PASSAGE: Jeremiah 1
MAIN POINT: God chose Jeremiah as a prophet to the nations.
KEY PASSAGE: Ezekiel 11:19-20
BIG PICTURE QUESTION: Why should we obey God? We obey God because He loves us.

“I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born.” These words from Jeremiah 1:5 reveal a Creator who is sovereign, working out everything in agreement with the decision of His will. (Eph. 1:11) Jeremiah 1:5 ends with a specific call for a man named Jeremiah: “I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Jeremiah was the son of Hilkiah the priest. He lived just north of Jerusalem. Jeremiah’s ministry began when God called him. At that time, Josiah was king of Judah. Whom else did God call in the Old Testament? God called Noah to  build an ark (Gen. 6); He called Abram to leave his home (Gen. 12:1-4); He called Moses to lead His people out of Egypt (Ex. 3).

Each time God calls someone, He equips him or her to do His work. Like Moses, Jeremiah was hesitant: “Oh no, Lord, God! Look, I don’t know how to speak since I am only a youth” (Jer. 1:6). God assured Jeremiah: “I will be with you” (Jer. 1:8).

God called Jeremiah to be a prophet to Judah. Judah was deep in idol worship and other sins. God’s judgment was coming. Jeremiah’s job was to warn them. God gave Jeremiah two visions. The first—a branch of an almond tree—was a sign that God would keep His promise to send judgment, and He would do it soon. The second vision—a boiling pot—meant that God’s judgment was coming from the north. God would bring the Babylonians from the north as judgment on His people. Then God sent Jeremiah out to announce God’s declaration.

As you teach kids, help them connect Jeremiah’s ministry to the ministry of Jesus. God called Jeremiah to warn the people of the judgment for their sin. Jesus also came to tell people to turn from their sin. He didn’t just tell them about the punishment, He took the punishment on Himself.

Week of October 16, 2016: Joel, Prophet to Judah

BIBLE PASSAGE: Joel 1–3
MAIN POINT: God warned His people to repent before the Day of the Lord.
KEY PASSAGE: Joel 2:13
BIG PICTURE QUESTION: What is God like? God is slow to anger, merciful, and loving.

The prophet Joel spoke to the Southern Kingdom of Judah at a time when the nation faced a crisis. The land had been invaded by locusts; swarms of the insects had devastated the plants. Judah was also affected by a severe drought.

Joel looked back on these events and announced that these were not mere natural disasters—the Lord was judging the people for their sin.

In Deuteronomy 28, God told His people, “If you do not obey the Lord your God by carefully following all His commands and statutes I am giving you today, all these curses will come and overtake you ... You will sow much seed in the field but harvest little, because locusts will devour it” (vv. 15,38). That is exactly what happened.

These disasters were a wake-up call. Joel told the people to repent. He told them to fast. He told them to gather and repent together, crying out to God and asking Him to show them mercy. Then Joel looked ahead to the future. In essence he said, “You think this is bad? This is only the beginning!”

God’s judgment of Judah was not over. The Day of the Lord was coming, a day when God would show His strength through an invading army. For those who were not right with God, this was bad news. God’s power would be against them. So Joel implored them, “Return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in faithful love, and He relents from sending disaster.”

God had pity on His people and promised to restore them. God would rather forgive His people than punish them. He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for sins so people could be right with God. An ultimate Day of the Lord is coming, and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Week of October 9, 2016: Jonah, Prophet to Nineveh

BIBLE PASSAGE: Jonah 1–4
MAIN POINT: God showed mercy to the Ninevites.
KEY PASSAGE: Joel 2:13
BIG PICTURE QUESTION: What is God like? God is slow to anger, merciful, and loving

The Book of Jonah is not primarily about Jonah and a big fish. While those elements are important, Jonah’s account centers around the compassion of God, not only for the people of Israel, but for people throughout the earth—even Israel’s worst enemies!

God spoke to Jonah: “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because their wickedness has confronted Me” (Jonah 1:2). God is the judge of all the earth (Gen. 18:25) and He is sovereign over all the nations. Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, and the rulers of Nineveh were notoriously evil and cruel. No wonder Jonah ran the other way!

No one can flee from God’s presence. (Ps. 139:9-10) Through a storm and some time in the belly of a fish, God got Jonah’s attention. Jonah went to Nineveh. For three days, Jonah walked around the city. His message to the Ninevites was brief: “In 40 days Nineveh will be demolished!”

The people of Nineveh immediately repented, and God withheld His judgment. He passed over their sins and did not demolish the city. How did Jonah react? “Jonah was displeased and became furious” (Jonah 4:1).

God rebuked Jonah and prompted him to examine his heart. He left Jonah—and the reader—with a question to consider: “Should I not care about the great city of Nineveh?” (Jonah 4:11).

Jesus is greater than Jonah. (Matt. 12:41) Jesus came calling all sinners, Jews and Gentiles, to repentance. He didn’t only bring a message, He truly loved us. He submitted to God’s will with joy and laid down His own life for our sins. God shows His mercy in the gospel, forgiving those who trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior. God sends us out, like Jonah, to share the good news of salvation.

Week of October 2, 2016: Hosea, Prophet to Israel

BIBLE PASSAGE: Hosea 1–14
MAIN POINT: God loves people when they do not deserve it.
KEY PASSAGE: Joel 2:13
BIG PICTURE QUESTION: What is God like? God is slow to anger, merciful, and loving.

God sent the prophet Hosea to speak to Israel a message of God’s hatred toward sin and of His coming judgment. God also sent Hosea to bring a message of love—a love that never gives up. God used Hosea’s own life to show Israel what a never-gives-up kind of love looks like.

God told Hosea to marry a prostitute. He told Hosea that his wife would not be faithful to him. She would give birth to children who were conceived with other men. Still, Hosea obeyed God. He chose Gomer as his wife. Just as God said, Gomer was not faithful to Hosea. She went after other lovers. Can you imagine Hosea’s grief each time he found his wife with another man?

It would have been easier for Hosea to throw up his hands and say, “Enough! I’m done with you!” God’s people were no different than Gomer. They were spiritual adulterers. Their hearts chased after other lovers. They loved and worshiped idols, people and things that were not the one true God.

It would have been easier for God to throw up His hands and say, “Enough! I’m done with you!” But God’s love never gives up. He gave Hosea a love for his wife that compelled him to buy her back from the slave market after all she had done. In the same way, God sought after His unfaithful people even after all they had done. God paid a high price—the life of His Son, Jesus—to bring them back to Himself.

Remember to present the story of Hosea in an age appropriate way. God used Hosea’s unfaithful wife to show the people of Israel that they were unfaithful to Him. God gave Hosea a deep love; Hosea was willing to buy back Gomer even after all she had done. God’s love is deep, and it never gives up. He goes after His people and loves them back to Himself.

Week of September 25, 2016: Hezekiah, Judah’s Faithful Kin

BIBLE PASSAGE: 2 Kings 18–19
MAIN POINT: God answered Hezekiah’s prayer.
KEY PASSAGE: Hebrews 1:1-2
BIG PICTURE QUESTION: How many gods are there? There is one true God who alone deserves worship.

He’s a chip off the old block. Like father, like son. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. These idioms exist because sons tend to look and behave like their fathers. When it came to Hezekiah and his father, Ahaz, however, the two were far from similar.

When Ahaz was king of Judah, he did not respect God, God’s law, or God’s prophets. He worshiped idols. Ahaz “did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord his God” (2 Kings 16:2). He led the people away from God, provoking God’s wrath and anger.

Hezekiah, on the other hand, “did what was right in the Lord’s sight just as his ancestor David had done.” Hezekiah destroyed the places of idol worship and cleansed the temple. (See 2 Chron. 29.) The Lord was with Hezekiah, and Hezekiah prospered. Hezekiah was a faithful king who led the people of Judah to worship God like they were supposed to, but even good kings are sinners. His wealth and success led to pride. How did Hezekiah react when God said everything in his palace would be carried off to Babylon? “Who cares? I’ll be dead by then.”

Jesus is our faithful King who never sinned. Check out some of these definitions for the word faithful: “strict or thorough in the performance of duty”; “true to one’s word, promises, or vows”; “steady in allegiance or affection”; “loyal”; “constant”; “reliable, trusted, or believed”; “adhering or true to fact, a standard, or an original”; “accurate.”

Jesus completed His work—the redemption of sinners. He said on the cross, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). Jesus is faithful over God’s house as a Son. (Heb. 3:6) His obedience is steadfast. (Isa. 50:4-10) “Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8). One day Jesus will return to make all things the way they are supposed to be. (Rev. 1:1-6)

Week of September 18, 2016: Isaiah Preached About the Messiah

BIBLE PASSAGE: Isaiah 53
MAIN POINT: God said the Messiah would be a suffering servant.
KEY PASSAGE: Hebrews 1:1-2
BIG PICTURE QUESTION: How many gods are there? There is one true God who alone deserves worship.

The Book of Isaiah contains four Servant songs—poems about the servant of God. (See Isa. 42:1-4; 49:1-6; 50:4-9; 52:12–53:13.) In these poems, the prophet Isaiah describes God’s plan of redemption. We see a vision of the promised Messiah, the innocent substitute who would suffer for the sake of sinners. Through Jesus, God brings sinners back to Himself.

The fourth and final Servant song is found in Isaiah 53. In this passage, Isaiah provides an answer to these questions: How can a just God justify the ungodly? How can He declare innocent those who are guilty? How can He treat bad people as though they are good? How can He love people like us?

A just God can’t just look the other way. He doesn’t say, “Don’t worry about it,” or “No big deal.” That’s cheap grace. Sin against a big God is a big deal. God didn’t just forgive our sins, He dealt with them. And this grace was costly. The price? God’s own Son.

Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecies of a Suffering Servant. People assumed God had cursed the Suffering Servant for His own sins. But no; Jesus was sinless. So why did He suffer? Isaiah wrote that He was pierced because of our transgressions and crushed because of our iniquities. His punishment is what brought our peace. The Suffering Servant died the death we deserve. When we trust in Jesus, our sins are wiped away—paid for by His blood—and His righteousness is credited to us.

When Christ’s work on the cross was finished, God rewarded Him. “For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9-11).

Week of September 11, 2016: God Called Isaiah

BIBLE PASSAGE: Isaiah 6

MAIN POINT: Isaiah saw the holy God in His glory.

KEY PASSAGE: Hebrews 1:1-2

BIG PICTURE QUESTION: How many gods are there? There is one true God who alone deserves worship.

King Uzziah’s death marked the end of an era. His reign had been long and prosperous. Uzziah became king when he was 16, and he reigned over Judah for 52 years. Uzziah had listened to the prophet Zechariah; he feared God, and God made him prosper. But Uzziah’s pride got the best of him. (See 2 Chron. 26:16.) God struck Uzziah with leprosy. Then Uzziah died.

Under Uzziah’s leadership, God’s people had turned away from the promises of God and trusted in the promises of the world around them. God had promised to bless the entire world through Abraham’s family, but God’s people were rebellious. Instead of blessing, they set themselves up to receive God’s judgment.

But God’s plans and promises were not thwarted. God sent the prophet Isaiah to preach a message of hope. Even though God was going to correct His people through judgment, His purpose was one of grace through which God would receive glory. God planned to send a Messiah who would bring salvation to the world.

Isaiah 6 opens with Isaiah worshiping in the temple. Then God gave Isaiah a vision. Isaiah saw God sitting on a throne. Yes, in the year that King Uzziah died, God was sitting on the throne. God was reigning over the universe. The magnitude of God’s holiness made Isaiah realize the magnitude of his own sin. His response? “Woe is me!”

God extended His grace to Isaiah. He took away Isaiah’s guilt. God passed over Isaiah’s sins because He was going to send Jesus to pay for them. In His death on the cross, Jesus paid for the sins—past, present, and future—of those who would trust in Him. When we trust in Jesus, God says to us the words Isaiah heard: “Your guilt is taken away. Your sin is atoned for.”

Week of September 4, 2016: Elisha and Naaman

BIBLE PASSAGE: 2 Kings 5
MAIN POINT: God healed Naaman’s skin disease.
KEY PASSAGE: Hebrews 1:1-2
BIG PICTURE QUESTION: How many gods are there? There is one true God who alone deserves worship.

Everyone gets sick at some point in his or her lifetime ... often many times! Illness is probably no stranger to the kids you teach. In today’s Bible story, Naaman—a commander for the Syrian army—was really sick. He had leprosy, a skin disease that was likely disfiguring and isolating. Without a cure, Naaman would face great suffering. But help came from an unlikely source: a young slave girl.

The people of Israel and Syria were often at odds with one another. The Syrians sometimes attacked the cities in Israel and plundered them. They took what they wanted, including people to work as slaves.

The young slave girl who served Naaman’s wife had been taken from her home in Israel. As an Israelite, the girl knew about the one true God. She was familiar with God’s prophets, including Elisha, who had performed miracles to help and heal people. The girl told her mistress that Elisha the prophet could heal Naaman. So the king of Syria sent a letter to the king of Israel, asking him to cure Naaman of his leprosy. But the king of Israel had no power to heal Naaman. The power to heal comes only from God.

Elisha called for Naaman. But what happened next was not at all what Naaman expected. Naaman expected Elisha to call upon the name of God, wave his hand over Naaman, and miraculously heal him. Instead, Elisha instructed Naaman to go wash in the river.

Naaman was upset! He could have washed in a river back home! But Naaman’s servants urged him to wash. He did, and God healed him.

Not all sick people will be healed on this side of heaven, but our physical maladies are symptoms of an even greater illness—sin. Jesus’ death and resurrection provided healing—forgiveness and eternal life—for those who trust in Him.

Week of August 28, 2016: Elijah Ran from Jezebel

BIBLE PASSAGE: 1 Kings 19
MAIN POINT: God revealed Himself to Elijah in a whisper.
KEY PASSAGE: Hebrews 1:1-2
BIG PICTURE QUESTION: How many gods are there? There is one true God who alone deserves worship.

The prophet Elijah had just witnessed God’s great display of power over the false god Baal. God had sent fire from heaven and then ended a long drought with a great rain. Elijah must have felt a sense of victory; the evil King Ahab could not deny the one true God. But trouble awaited Elijah in the form of Ahab’s wife, Jezebel.

When Jezebel heard what happened at Mount Carmel, she threatened to kill Elijah. Elijah ran away and hid in the wilderness. What a change Elijah experienced! He went from a man faithfully and confidently praying for God’s glory to be displayed at Mount Carmel to a man begging the Lord to take away his life. (See 1 Kings 19:4.)

God was merciful to Elijah. An angel of the Lord brought Elijah food and drink while he rested. Then Elijah traveled to Horeb for a personal encounter with God. Horeb—another name for Mount Sinai—was a familiar place in the history of Israel. It was the place where God gave the Ten Commandments to the Israelites and where Moses met with God.

After the events in 1 Kings 18, Elijah might have expected a grand display of God’s presence, but what he experienced was just the opposite. The Lord was not in the wind. The Lord was not in the earthquake. The Lord was not in the fire. God revealed Himself to Elijah in a voice, a soft whisper.

Elijah’s circumstances were difficult, but God didn’t leave him. God gave him Elisha, a friend and successor. God assured Elijah that he was not alone; there were 7,000 people in Israel who had not turned to worship Baal.

God’s prophets suffered, but their lives and messages pointed forward to the ultimate prophet, priest, and king—Jesus Christ—who suffered for the sins of the world. Jesus was hated and killed, but His death and resurrection brought victory for God’s people.

Week of August 21, 2016: Elijah Confronted Evil Ahab

BIBLE PASSAGE: 1 Kings 18
MAIN POINT: God defeated the prophets of Baal.
KEY PASSAGE: Hebrews 1:1-2
BIG PICTURE QUESTION: How many gods are there? There is one true God.

King Ahab was an evil king. In fact, “Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him” (1 Kings 16:33). The things that Ahab did made God angry. God wanted His people to be faithful to Him, but King Ahab led them away from God. God chose Elijah to get Ahab’s attention. In 1 Kings 17, Elijah told Ahab that a drought was coming. God prevented rain in the land for three years. For Ahab, a man who worshiped Baal—the false Canaanite god of rain and fertility—the drought sent a strong message about the one true God.

When God was ready to send rain on the earth, Elijah appeared to Ahab and instructed him to gather the Israelites and the prophets of the false gods at Mount Carmel. Elijah challenged the people to choose: Follow God or follow Baal. They couldn’t do both.

Elijah set up a challenge to prove who is the one true God. He faced off against the prophets of Baal. Each group prepared a bull on an altar and called on its deity to send fire from heaven. The prophets of Baal called and cried and cut themselves, but Baal did not answer.

Elijah poured water on and around his altar. He called to God, and God sent fire from heaven. Everything was burned up. The prophets could not deny that the God of Elijah is the one true God, and God sent a great rain to end the drought.

The false god Baal had no power. Only God—the one true God—has power to help His people and to save them. And He saves them through His Son, Jesus, whose name means “the Lord saves.”