Bible Passage: Acts 9:1-25

Big Idea: Jesus transforms our whole lives.

On Sunday the kids learnt about Paul (also called Saul), and about Ananias. We learnt that Saul was  a Pharisee, a religeous leader, and hated Christians. He didn't think that Jesus Christ was the true Messiah. On the way to a town called Damascus, where Saul was going to arrest more Christians, a bright light suddenly shone all around Saul. Saul was blinded by the light, and a voice spoke to him. The voice told Saul that it was Jesus, the One he was persecuting when he was arresting Christians. It seemed like bad news for Saul. But God sent Paul a man named Ananias to help him, and Ananias helped him regain his sight. Jesus saved Paul from his sins and chose him to go on and spread the good news of Jesus.

Jesus does this for us, too. He transforms us, like Paul. He takes our sinfulness, forgives us and gives us a new life and a new way to live. And just like Paul, he chooses us to share this new life and love with others. 

Family Activity

Make a dark room, blanket fort or dark space. Sit in the dark space together and talk about how it would have felt for Paul when he was in the dark, all alone. Then, shine a bright light into the darkness. Talk about how Paul must have felt when He saw the light of Jesus on his journey. Talk about how good it is when light chases away darkness, and how light changes things in a dark room. Talk about how we are different once we meet Jesus too, just like Paul.

What are some ways we change after meeting Jesus? Can you think of anyone in your life who is different now that they trust Jesus? 

Ps. We used the example of a butterfly and a caterpillar to talk about transformation. If you see a butterfly this week, take the opportunity to talk about the transformation Jesus brings 🙂

Have a great week!

Bible Passage: Acts 10

Big Idea: Every person is important to God, and His gospel is for all people.

This week the kids learnt that Peter had a vision given to him by God. In the vision there was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven. In the sheet were all kinds of animals that Peter was not supposed to eat, according to Jewish law. A voice said to him, "God has made these clean, do not call them unfit to eat." The next day, a man named Cornelius sent for Peter, as an angel had told him to. So Peter went and met Cornelius. When Peter got to Cornelius' house, he explained that God does not consider some people better than others. God had sent good news to the Jewish people, the Israelites; and to the Gentiles – the non-Jews too. Cornelius and his relatives and friends were baptised in the name of Jesus. 

God showed Peter that just as there is no "clean" and "unclean" food, there are no "clean" and "unclean" people. The good news of Jesus (the Gospel) is for all people, and everyone is important to God.

Family Activity

How do we treat people who are different to us? What is one way that everyone is alike? How can we show love to everyone? Can you think of someone different to you? How are they different? How can we show that they are as important to God as we are? 

Consider eating a meal (cooked at home, or out at a restaurant) from another culture. Talk about how one day, Jesus will unite all people from all cultures and nations under His name, and His rule. 

Have a great week!

Big Idea: The Holy Spirit helps Christians follow Jesus and tell others His good news.

Bible Passage: Acts 8:26-40

This week the kids looked at the story of Philip, a disciple of Jesus, and how he shared the gospel with the Ethiopian official. Read this story together in Acts. 

We talked in Kidzone about how we, like Philip, can also share the good news of the Gospel. We said, disciples of Jesus can;

1. GET READY – If we want to be able to share God's word & His Big story, we need to KNOW GOD'S WORD. Philip was able to help the official read the scripture and understand it because He knew Jesus and understood He was the Messiah (the sent one from heaven.) We can get ready to share God's word if we know God's word and read it together. Try learning this easy GOSPEL explanation together:

gospelplanposter

2. GET SET – Philip listened to the Holy Spirit and talked to the official. We can get set to share the gospel when we are listening to God's Holy Spirit. We talked about how to LISTEN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT. Sometimes it's hard to tell whether it's our own thoughts or the Holy Spirit leading us. We talked about how Jesus says that those who follow Him are like sheep, and He is the good shepherd, and his people learn to know His voice, like sheep learn to tell the shepherd's voice. We can learn to know Jesus' voice when we read His words together in the Bible, and pray to Him together.

3. GO! Matthew 28:19-20 tells us it is our job as followers of Jesus to GO and tell others the hope we have in Jesus. 

So, this week, be in prayer together about how we can GET READY, GET SET, and GO together, like Philip, and share God's good news with others. 

Family Activity

Next Sunday (Sun Feb 11th) is our Baptism service, at NightChurch. Use the chance to bring your kids along and talk about baptism together, and about how we too, can make a decision to follow Jesus and be baptised just as the Ethiopian official was. (Check out the details on the church Facebook page for more info on the Baptism service this week.)

This week, our family Christmas activities center around a word we see a lot at Christmas time: JOY.

Watch this advent video from the Bible Project together as a family: 

https://thebibleproject.com/videos/chara-joy/

Then, if you like, check out the study notes for your family here: https://d1bsmz3sdihplr.cloudfront.net/media/Study%20Notes/adv03-sn-1-1.pdf 

Or, read together the following verses about JOY:

1. Psalm 65:11-12.

2. Psalm 104:15.

3.Jeremiah 33:11. 

4. See Proverbs 23:24-25.

Then, read the Christmas story again together, and take note, or circle with a red pen every time the word 'JOY' is used. Talk about why it is such great news and why we are filled with such joy at the celebration of Christmas time. Jesus really is JOY for the whole world. Talk about how we can share this joy with others, even if we don't have happy circumstances.

For your neighbours:

Make a list of all the things that bring your family joy at Christmas time. They can be Christmas-specific, or personal to your family. For example: Visiting grandparents, singing Christmas songs, making Christmas food together, swimming in the pool, looking at Christmas lights. Then, with your list, choose one thing that you can include a friend, neighbour or another family in on. How can you share your joy with them? Perhaps you can talk about how to choose joy and share joy with those who don't seem to have much happiness at Christmas time. (Some great projects here: Angel Tree project, Baptist World Aid, Compassion Australia)  Talk about how you can choose and share joy because of Jesus, even if Christmas isn't always a happy time.

Download the poster on finding and choosing JOY this Christmas, and stick it on the fridge!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD JOY POSTER

Hi there! 

This Christmas season we are posting activties to do together as a family, and with your neighbours/friends/communities to celebrate the holiday season together & spread the joy of Jesus. You can see the first set of activties in the last blog post in our Weekly Devotions. Here's week 2:

Family Activity

First up, (for your family)

Make or buy a Christmas stocking for each member of the family. Even a Christmas sock will do! Tie it to the door of each family member's bedroom, over the mantle, or in a place where they will be seen in your home. Then, give each person paper and a pen, and encourage them to write (or draw) as many kind, encouraging things that they love about each other family member, cut them out and stick them in the stockings. Consider finding encouraging Bible verses to include together. Continue to do this over the holiday season as a way to celebrate your family being together. When you read the Christmas story (Luke 2:1-20), talk about how great it is that we can be part of God's big family because Jesus came to rescue us.

Next up, (for your neighbours)

Choose family or friend(s) that you could take along with you to look at Christmas lights. Make a fun evening out of it, celebrating the journey together. Talk about how Mary and Joseph had to make a long journey to Bethlehem as a family before Jesus was born. Talk together in the car as you drive about your favourite parts about family road trips. Sing favourite Christmas songs and celebrate memories together. Here is a map of Brisbane's Western suburbs best Christmas lights, and a potenial route you can take to see them all as a family. 

https://www.familiesmagazine.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Brisbane-West-Christmas-Lights-Families-Magazine-2017-r3.pdf

Here's another great resource for family activities if you're looking for something to print out and stick on your dining table. It's Christmas Activity Bingo: http://media.focusonthefamily.com/fotf/pdf/magazine/christmas-bingo-2016.pdf#_ga=2.175216034.1077918216.1512956063-893932496.1428722572

Have a fun week!

Big Idea: We celebrate at Christmas time because Jesus came down from heaven to be 'God With Us' & save us from sin.

Bible Passage: Luke 2:1-20

This week the kids learnt that we celebrate at Christmas time because Jesus came to rescue us. God himself stepped into history as a baby born in Bethlehem, and began a rescue mission for all of creation. He came to be our Saviour & save us from our sins by His death on the cross. He came to be our true King and build a kingdom that will never end. And he came to be Immanuel – God with us, to show us the love of the Father, and how we should love one another and obey Him. This is why we can truly celebrate Christmas with real joy! "For God so loved the world, He gave His only Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not die but have eternal life." John 3:16

Family Activity

This Christmas season we will be suggesting Christmas-related family activities – so keep your eyes on the blog for great ideas on how to celebrate Jesus and love others in your neighbourhood together.

First up (for your family): 

Between now and Christmas, hide a nativity figurine of Jesus in the house somewhere. Each day, encourage the kids to try and find where it's hidden. The child that finds it gets to hide it for the next day. Use the moment to talk about how Jesus is the focus of Christmas, and that he came as a baby, into our world, and was "God with us" to resuce us. Find John 3:16 together and talk about how Jesus truly is the best gift of all time.

Next up (for your neighbours):

Hit up a grocery store and buy a few boxes of candy canes. When the kids are not looking, go outside (or inside, if weather doesn’t permit) and hide the candy canes in the trees, on bushes, all over the yard. Invite the kids (neighbors too) to find them. Enjoy hot chocolate and re-read the Christmas story (Luke 2:1-20) about the greatest gift ever given.

Big Idea: God, the perfect Father, sent His Son to earth so that we can be part of His Big Family.

Bible Passage: Luke 1:26-56

This week the kids learnt that Jesus the rescuer came down from Heaven, just as God promised. The prophets foretold of his coming in Isaiah 7:14 where it says He will be born of a virgin, and called 'Immanuel'. This is what happened in the Bible story. Mary was visited by an angel and was told she would be pregnant and give birth to God's promised Messiah. Because Jesus came, died and rose again, and paid for our sins, we are all welcome in God's big family when we believe in Him.  We celebrate Jesus at Christmas time because He has made a way for us to be called children of God – our perfect loving Father.

Family Activity

This week, reflect together on 'what makes a family'. Write a list of all the things that your family does for one another. (Care for, feed, protect, clean up, play & have fun etc). Then, look at this list and explain to children that because of Jesus' sacrifice, our Father in Heaven has welcomed us into His family. Explain how we can also do these things for others to show them they, too, are welcome in God's family. Choose one family together, that you can invite over for dinner between now and Christmas time, pray for them, and consider the ways you can show them that they are welcome in God's family. 

Have a great week! See you next week for our last week of the year, our Christmas party! 

Big Idea: The Holy Spirit helps us follow Jesus.

Bible Passage: Acts 6:8-7:60

This week the kids learnt that Stephen was persecuted and ultimately killed for loving and spreading the good news of Jesus. He told all those around Him that Jesus was God and the promised Messiah – the Jewish leaders around him were mad. Jesus also said that those who suffer for Him would be blessed (Matt. 5:11) We can face suffering and persecution in this life because Jesus suffered first. He gives us His Holy Spirit to help us.

Family Activity

This week, as a family, talk about a time it has been hard to talk to others about Jesus. What makes it hard? Talk about how Jesus knows how it feels to be bullied and hurt because he suffered for us. How does that help us when we feel lonely or hurt? How can we remember that Jesus is with us in times of suffering for Him?

Try this: Just as Stephen saw Jesus standing in Heaven for him, we can 'stand up' for Jesus. Choose one family member and have them stand. Make a circle around them and hold hands or lay hands on that person. Have each other family member pray for them that they would know that Jesus sees their suffering, and he cares, and know that His Holy Spirit is always with us. Encourage children to ask for this 'circle prayer' or 'standing prayer' whenever they feel weak or hurt. Let the circle you make around them be a reminder to them of the protection and love that surrounds them even when they feel alone.

Big Idea: Peter healded a man in Jesus' name. The Holy Spirit gave him the power.

Bible Passage: Acts 3:1-10; 4:5-31

This week the kids learned that the Holy Spirit gave Peter the power to heal a beggar, in Jesus' name. 

Peter’s healing the beggar was not magic; it was a miracle. Peter responded to the people who were amazed at what had happened. “Why are you amazed at this … as though we had made him walk by our own power?” The man wasn’t healed because Peter was a super-believer. Peter explained that it was by Jesus’ power the man was healed. The man’s healing made him happy and thankful.
He entered the temple and rejoiced! Consider the wonderful miracle of salvation. We are dead in our sin, and God makes us alive in Christ! How we should rejoice and give thanks to our Lord! 

Family Activity

As a family, think of someone you know, or someone in your family who is in need – it could be sickness, or any other kind of need. Make or choose & purchase together a 'get well' or encouragement card together for that person, to let them know you are praying for them. Then, grab a post-it and put that person's name on it, and put it on your fridge. Commit to praying for that person during this week as a family whenever you see it. Pray, that even if they aren't healed from their sickness or hardship right away, that God would be close to them and they too would know the joy of knowing Jesus as Lord & Saviour. 

Have a fun week!