We start to hear stories from an early age. Whether it’s the Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Cinderella, The Lord of the Rings, or a Batman comic book, similar themes stick out. A villain, some sort of conflict, someone who needs saving, and a hero. Likewise, we can see how in some way or another, almost every story points back to the one God wrote when He sent His Son to die on the cross for our sin. This week, we spent time specifically praising the Lord for the Gospel – the original story of a villain, a conflict (sin), someone who needs saving (all of us!), and by God’s grace, a hero.
MEMORY VERSE: “Yet I am confident I will see the Lord's goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord." Psalm 27: 13-14
Jesus came down from heaven to earth and lived a perfect life. That means He never sinned. Are any of us perfect? Definitely not! We are all sinners. We all think, say, and do things that don’t please God. We are separated from God and deserve to die for our sins. But God LOVES you! Romans 5:8 says, “But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Even though Jesus was perfect, He was arrested and killed on the cross. Then, when it didn’t seem like anything good could come out of this sad situation, God raised Jesus from the dead! JESUS IS ALIVE! His death paid the price for your sin and mine. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, He offers us salvation, which is rescue from the punishment, power, and presence of sin. When we ADMIT that we are sinners, BELIEVE that Jesus died for us, and CONFESS that He is Lord of our life, we are saved! We can have eternal life with God! That really is the best true story ever.
* Check out our vision for parents and how to use these activities each week.
The good news of our good God isn’t just for us on Easter…it’s for everyone, every day of the year! Practice sharing the gospel with each other as a family. If you don’t know where to start, start here! Read each verse and ask the question that goes with it.
What is SIN? - Romans 3:23
ANYTHING WE THINK, SAY, OR DO THAT DOES NOT PLEASE GOD
What is SALVATION? - Romans 6:23, 5:8
RESCUE FROM THE PUNISHMENT, POWER, AND PRESENCE OF SIN
How can I be saved? - Romans 10:9
A-B-C – ADMIT you are a sinner, BELIEVE Jesus paid the price for your sins, CONFESS Jesus is Lord of your life
What is your favorite story and why? It could be a true story or a made-up story. How do you see God's story reflected in it? No story can perfectly echo the Gospel, but how do you see it show up in other popular stories that you know or have heard?
This Easter, all elementary kids went home with The Biggest Story tract. Read it together as a family before bed. Thank God for Easter and the way His story is in every story. Thank Him for His patience, love, and free gift of salvation.
Have you ever noticed that every story points to the Gospel story? Next time you are reading a book or watching a movie as a family, talk through these questions to help you see how every story points to the Gospel!
Lord, thank you so much for sending your son, Jesus, to die on the cross for my sins so that I will live in Heaven with you one day!
Next week, we will continue in the month of April with our character trait, PATIENCE. We will be talking about trusting and waiting for God in all things!
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