Big Idea: Our God always keeps His promises.

Bible Passage: Genesis 12, 15, 17

This week the kids heard about God's plan to save the world. All of term 1 we talked about how God made the world, how sin destroyed God's perfect creation, and how God promised that He would make a way to put it right again by saving the world from our sin. This week we heard about Abraham, a man God chose to be a part of His plan.

God made Abraham a promise (or a 'Covenant'). He said that he would bless Abraham & give him children and a big family. This was a crazy plan, because Abraham was very old- too old to have children! But God said that Abraham would have more descendants than there are stars in the sky. God used the stars to demonstrate that this was something that only He could do, and that Abraham would need to trust Him. Isaiah 55:8 tells us that God's thoughts and plans are far beyond what we can understand, and that He is trustworthy, even when the plan doesn't make sense to us.

We know we can trust God, even when His plan doesn't seem to make any sense, because our God always keeps His promises! We know this is true because God did eventually bless Abraham with children, he became the 'father' of the nation of Israel. And our God did make a way to save the world through sin – in & through Jesus- just as He said He would. We can trust our God; He always keeps His promises.

Family Activity

This week, choose a clear night to stargaze together as a family. Use a telescope if one is available. Look for constellations together. Talk about how God made a promise to Abraham. See if you can think of as many promises from the Bible as there are stars in the sky. Tell children, our God always keeps His promises, and the stars help us remember His greatness.

Big Idea: Jesus died to to save me from my sin,  He gives me new life when I trust in Him.

Bible Passage: John 18-20

This week the kids heard the story of Easter (a few weeks early!). All term we have been in the book of Genesis, talking about how our God made the world in the very beginning. He made a perfect home for His children, and He made His children in His own image, and He loved them very much. We learned about how God's children disobeyed Him, chose not to trust Him and brought sin into the world. But our good God didn't abdandon his children, instead, He made a promise that one day He would save them and all of creation from sin and the brokenness it brings. 

The story of Easter teaches us that God kept His promise. After a very long time, God himself came to earth as a baby, and He was called Jesus. He lived as a man. He showed us what it was like to live with God as king and obey Him perfectly. He showed us what God's Kingdom looks like, by healing people, providing food for hungry tummies, and by forgiving sins. 

The death and resurrection of Jesus is the center of the whole Big Story of the Bible. It's the gospel. We deserve to die because of our sin, but Jesus died in our place. He paid the price for our sins. God was pleased with Jesus' sacrifice and raised Jesus from the dead to reign as King over all creation. We are only forgiven through Jesus. He gives us new life when we trust Him. 

Family Activity

This is to do over the holidays! During the Easter school holidays, see if you can find some time to cook these yummy Empty Tomb Cookies, and talk about each step of the Easter story as you make them together. For instructions, look here: http://faithfulprovisions.com/empty-tomb-cookies-2/

Have a happy holidays! We will see you all in Term 2.