The Gospel Project for August 25-31, 2013-Family Devotional

Unit 12, Session 3: Solomon’s Sin Divided the Kingdom

1 Kings 11–12

Christ Connection: King Solomon’s sin led to the division of Israel. Every king failed to lead God’s people perfectly. God’s people needed a better king, a perfect king! Through David’s family, God would send His own Son, Jesus Christ, to be King over God’s people forever. Jesus would lead the people perfectly back to God.

Adult Connection Point:

Jesus conforms believers to His image through the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit will complete God’s work in us (Eph. 1:13-14). In this passage, Paul used the illustration of a royal seal. Paul said we are sealed with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is an inward mark of God’s ownership of believers. The Holy Spirit continues to work in us, keep us, comfort us, and guide us.

The day is coming when the Spirit will complete His work in us. As believers, we have not yet experienced the fullness of God’s kingdom. God has a plan and a purpose. One day we will be sanctified—made holy as God intended.

Family Devotion:

Materials: empty soda bottle, water, hot glue, newspaper sheets or sheets of plain or construction paper

Before the devotion, fill a soda bottle with water and hot glue the cap so it is permanently sealed. Set the bottle aside for later.

Invite your family members to each take a sheet of paper and tear it down the middle in one rip. See if anyone was able to tear the paper perfectly (this should not be possible). Say: “When Solomon sinned, God planned to tear the kingdom away from his family. As a matter of fact, God planned to divide Israel so that only two tribes remained in Judah and the other 10 moved north and would be called Israel. Kind of like you tore your paper unevenly, God planned to tear the kingdom of Israel because of Solomon’s sin.”

Ask: “How does sin affect our relationship with God?” Encourage kids to answer.

Produce the sealed bottle and ask one of your kids to open the bottle. This will most likely be impossible to do because you sealed the bottle.

Read Ephesians 1:13-14 aloud. Say: “When a person becomes a Christian by trusting in Jesus, God sends the Holy Spirit to make that person’s relationship with God just like the seal on this bottle—unbreakable. God’s Spirit works in people to comfort us, guide us, and make us like Jesus.”

Lead a prayer asking the Holy Spirit to guide the members of your family and make them like Jesus. If anyone in your family is not a believer, pray that God would save him.

Discovery Club Teachers Needed

Discovery Club Teachers Needed!

The Following Dates Need DC Teachers for 2013!

September 1

December 1

December 15

December 29

Plan to serve the Lord this Fall with your gifts and talents in Discovery Club! Contact Elizabeth Horne, Elizabeth@BBCLife.org, to sign up for Discovery Club as we finish 2013 strong!

Awana Kick Off 2013-2014

Awana 2013-2014 Kick Off

August 21 from 6:00-7:30 pm

Registration Opens at 5:30 pm

Ages 3-5th grade

Join us for a fun kick off night with inflatables, popcorn, and lots of fun!

Please note the new ending time of 7:30. Please be on time picking up and dropping off your children.

For more information, check out BBCLife.org/Awana

And download the Awana registration form from our website!

The Gospel Project Devotion-August 18-24, 2013

Unit 12, Session 2: Solomon Built the Temple

1 Kings 6:1–8:66

Christ Connection: Because God is holy, only the priests could approach God—and only if they followed specific instructions. Ordinary people had no direct access to the holy presence of God. Jesus changed all that. By His death on the cross, Jesus took away our sin. We can approach God intimately and individually when we trust Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Adult Connection Point:

First Corinthians 6:19-20 says that our bodies are a sanctuary, or temple, of the Holy Spirit. What does the Holy Spirit do? The Holy Spirit will not leave the Christian alone. He promises to purify us, to clean up our mess, and to get rid of the garbage polluting our lives. (See 1 Cor. 6:9-11.) Before we came to Christ, we chose our own way. The only way for us to be made clean is through the blood of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Family Devotion:

Materials: cereal boxes, index cards or playing cards, drinking straws, or other items that could be used for construction

Place the supplies in the middle of a table or on the floor. Challenge your family to build a structure that will stand on its own. Once the family builds the structure, talk about what items make it strong or able to stand on its own.

Discuss various elements of worship. Talk about singing. Sing the key passage song from the family app. Talk about giving. Share your family’s strategy for giving back to God through your local church. Talk about listening to a pastor’s sermon, which helps people understand the Bible. Encourage your kids to have a daily time where they read their own Bibles.

Say: “In the Old Testament, the temple was a very important place because God’s presence was there. Churches are important today because believers meet together to worship God there. But God is with believers everywhere. When you trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit is with you always.”

Finally talk about prayer as being a part of worship. Say: “Prayer is talking and listening to God. We can talk to God anytime and anywhere.” Invite your family to pray silently.

The Gospel Project Devotion-August 11-17, 2013

Unit 12, Session 1: Solomon Asked for Wisdom

1 Kings 2:1-4,10-12; 3:1-15

Christ Connection: King Solomon could have asked for earthly treasures, but he asked for wisdom to lead God’s people. God created people to do His will. Jesus provided the ultimate example by completely trusting God with His life. Jesus gave up His own life to die on the cross for our sins so that God could bring us back to Himself.

Adult Connection Point: 

“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth.” (John 14:16-17)

Jesus completely trusted God with His life and obeyed Him perfectly, even to the point of death on the cross. Jesus told the disciples that the Father would send a Counselor—the Holy Spirit—to be with them, and with us, forever. This Spirit of truth, who gives wisdom, is in the “renovation” business. God the Spirit is the One who is making us new. He is the One who is forming us into the image of Christ.

Family Devotion:  

Materials: paper, marker, envelope,

Before you begin your devotion time, write the phrase Wisdom comes from God! on a piece of paper. Place it in an envelope, and hide the envelope in a place no one would ever look.

As you begin your devotion, tell your family that you have hidden a message somewhere and they need to find it. Allow them to look for a few minutes, and then secretly tell one of your children where to find the envelope. Instruct her to bring it back to the room.

Once she returns with the envelope, ask her to open the envelope and read the message. Define wisdom as “learning how to live each day in a way that is pleasing to God.”

Say: “God gives us wisdom to live in ways that please Him. When Solomon prayed for wisdom, Solomon wanted God to teach him how to make good choices for the kingdom—choices that would please God. When people have wisdom, they trust God completely to meet their needs and to guide them on the right paths.”

Pray, asking God to give your family wisdom. Pray that everyone in your family would use his God-given wisdom to honor God.

The Gospel Project Devotion: August 4-August 10, 2013

Unit 11, Session 6: David Sinned and Was Restored

2 Samuel 11:1–12:14; Psalm 51

Christ Connection: When David sinned against God, God forgave him, but sin always comes with a price. God spared David’s life, but David’s son died. When we sin, we can receive God’s forgiveness because God sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the price for our sin. Jesus died the death we deserve so that we could be made right with God.

Adult Connection Point:

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the fulfillment of the Old Testament priesthood. Whereas the former priestly ministry was temporal, the ministry of Christ is eternal (Heb. 7:23-25). Whereas the blood of bulls and goats could never atone for sin, the blood of Christ was sufficient (10:4,10). Whereas the Levitical priests stood daily to signify that their work was never complete, Christ sat down at the right hand of the Father (10:11-12). Whereas sacrifices were offered daily, Christ has offered one full and final offering (10:14).

As Christians, we are called to mirror Jesus in His priestly role. The Bible calls us a royal and holy priesthood (1 Pet. 2:5,9). We do not function as priests by offering sacrifices but rather by carrying out two duties: reconciliation and intercession.

As the Levitical priests would lift up the sacrifice of a beast for all to see, so we lift up the gospel and proclaim the sufficiency of Christ for a lost and dying world. Additionally, as Christ intercedes for the people as the great high priest, so we are called to a life of intercession for the world. We pray for others, weep for their salvation, and run with arms outstretched to the places where humans need God’s merciful response.

Family Devotion:

Play a game of “David Says” in which participants only do what “David” says to do. They do not do it if an instruction does not begin with “David says.” Recall last week’s devotion in which David was called a man after God’s own heart. Help your family recall that David was loyal to God.

Say: “Even though David wanted to obey God, he did not live a perfect life. David sinned. He needed God to take away his sin. In our game we followed the person giving the instructions. Did you always obey perfectly? We all have sinned, but Jesus died on the cross to take away our sin. When we trust in Him, God forgives us.”

Play the game again, and end with a responsive prayer; say a word or phrase and your family echoes your words and phrases.

 Sing a praise song of your choosing or use the key passage song from the family app.