The Gospel Project Family Devotion-Week of 4/20-4/26

Volume 7 Adult/Kids Connections (SPR 2014) 

Unit 20, Session 2: Jesus’ Crucifixion and Resurrection 
Matthew 26:36–28:10; John 18:1–20:18 

Christ Connection: The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus is the center of the gospel. We deserve to die because of our sin, but Jesus died in our place. He was the blood sacrifice made once and for all for the forgiveness of sin. God was pleased with Jesus’ sacrifice and raised Jesus from the dead to reign as King over all creation. We are forgiven only through Jesus. (Acts 4:12) 

Adult Connection Point: 
The ultimate point of the story about Moses striking the rock was to anticipate Jesus—the struck Rock, the Savior by whose death the living water of eternal life has been abundantly provided. Surely those of us who have come to Jesus are now called to point others to Him. 

“Had the Lord remained on His throne in glory, He would never have been our Savior. That exalted head could not save apart from the pierced throne-crowned brow. That hand that held the scepter and that holds the seven stars could never save us were it not nailed to the Cross. And that glorious body, clothed in the clouds of heaven, the shekinah glory of God could never have been our Savior had it not been submitted to the ignominious shame of being naked and broken and nailed to the tree. We are saved by the smitten rock. We are saved by the sufferings of the Son of God.”  
–W. A. Criswell (1909-2002) [W. A. Criswell, “And That Rock Was Christ,” W. A. 
Criswell Sermon Library [online], 23 October 1955 [cited 16 May 2013]. Available from 
the Internet: www.wacriswell.com.] 

Family Devotion: 

Materials: paper, pencil, basket or bowl 

Direct your family to pray silently asking God to reveal a sin in each one’s life. Family members should then print this sin on a piece of paper, fold it and place it in a basket. (Preschoolers could whisper this in a parent’s ear, and the parent could print.) Keep these in the bowl until the end of the devotional. 

Recall the death and resurrection of Jesus by asking your children to remember parts of the story. Ask, “Why did Jesus have to die on the cross?” Challenge your kids to think of several reasons. Some answers could be: Because God loves us. So our sins can be forgiven. So we can have a relationship with God. So we can have eternal life. 

Remind your kids that God’s plan was coming to pass. He planned to bring us back into relationship with Him after the fall of Adam and Eve. After all these years, king after king, sacrifice after sacrifice, only Jesus’ death and resurrection could satisfy God’s dealing with sin and death. 

Read Matthew 28:5-6. Ask, “What is the good news of this Bible story?” The good news is that Jesus died and then rose from the dead! He now rules as King over all creation. 

Lead your family in a time of prayer, asking for forgiveness for each of the sins written down earlier. Thank God for sending Jesus to die for your sins so you can have a relationship with Him. 

Easter Thank YOU!

Thank you to everyone who worked so hard Easter Sunday Morning in BBC Kids to make everything happen! From the youth who hid eggs in a hot field, to making posters, and taking care of everything that needed to be done to our Youth Minister, Chuck, and Caleb Horne for roping off the egg area even after one of the spikes had been run over. 

Thank you to our awesome BBC Kids Sunday School leaders who faithfully taught the Gospel on Easter Sunday!

Thank you to everyone who sacrificed their time to serve in our nurseries and the leaders who taught a packed house in Discovery Club and Kid'z Zone.

Your service is greatly appreciated and great is the reward!

"He said to his disciples, "The harvest is great, but the workers are few."-Matthew 9:37

Thank you for being a willing working in the harvest of our children. You are having an impact on eternity!

Elizabeth J. Horne
Minister to Children
Ballardsville Baptist Church
Numbers 6:24-26

The Gospel Project-Family Devotion Week of April 13-April 19, 2014

Volume 7 Adult/Kids Connections (SPR 2014) 

Unit 20, Session 1: The Triumphal Entry 
Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:12-19 

Christ Connection: During Jesus’ triumphal entry, the people welcomed Him as King. Jesus was the Messiah spoken about by the prophet Zechariah: “Look, your King is coming to you; He is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). 

Adult Connection Point: 

The Jewish people offered sacrifices to God to make up for their sin. These offerings pointed forward to Jesus Christ, whose work purifies our hearts, cleanses our consciences, and frees us to do good deeds for His glory. Thankfully, the New Testament shows how Christ’s atoning work cleanses our consciences so we are freed to serve God on His mission. 

Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem to participate in the Passover, just one of the special festivals the Jewish people celebrated. He also knew what was ahead of Him as He entered Jerusalem. Hebrews 9:13-14 reminds us that Jesus offered himself up willingly as the Messiah: “For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much 
more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” 

Family Devotion: 
Guide your children to think of a person/athlete/celebrity they would like to act out. Think about how that person would make an entrance. For example, a pianist might enter the stage, bow, flip his coat tails, and then sit on a piano bench and play. Allow each family member to act out the chosen person while the family members guess the person.* 

Recall the Bible story from the gospels. Ask, “What Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in this Bible story?” Prophecies written down in Zechariah, the Psalms and Isaiah all came to pass in Jesus life—right down to the details of the mode of transportation as He entered Jerusalem. 

Remind your kids that God’s plan to offer His son, Jesus, as the sacrifice for all sin was moving forward. The people from the Passover festival crowded the streets to greet and praise Jesus. They shouted “Hosanna” to Him—even the children. If they didn’t praise Him, Jesus said the rocks would! 

Ask, “What title did the crowd give Jesus?” The crowds shouted, “Our king is here!” Jesus entered Jerusalem as a humble yet victorious King--victorious over sin and death. Yet, not everyone was happy with this King, but they could not stop God’s plan. 

Play one of the songs from this session and march around your home praising Jesus as King. Complete your time by praying and thanking God for sending Jesus as a sacrifice for your sins. 

*A preschooler could help you act out your celebrity. 

Easter Sunday Egg Hunt 2014

EASTER SUNDAY EGG HUNT!

Don’t forget that our annual church-wide Easter Egg hunt is THIS weekend after 2^nd service!

Be sure to bring an Easter basket to collect your Easter Eggs in!

There are Egg Maps available so you know where your child will be hunting eggs. Please help us by only letting your child hunt for eggs in their age’s section!

Babies, birth up to age 3: hunt in small playground area.

Preschoolers, age 4 to 5: hunt in large playground area.

Kindergarten to grade 2: outside, northside of church, side left field

Grades 3 to 5: outside, northside of church, side right field

*If it rains, we will distribute eggs in the Fellowship Hall.*

We are looking for parents, leaders, and teenagers to help hid eggs during the 10:45 service. If you are able to help hid eggs, please let Elizabeth Horne know.

Holy Week Devotion Correction!!!!!!

Holy Week Devotion Correction

Boy, Satan sure doesn’t want our kids studying His Word! Months of prepping for the Holy Week Devotions, and would you believe, I messed it up?!

You may have noticed that the stickers in your kit just don’t match the stickers on your devotion. Guess what? I didn’t notice! Oops!

So glad God’s Grace is big!

So here is an updated picture for your Holy Week Devotion! Feel free to adjust them as you see fit! And don’t forget to post pics of your kids on Facebook and Twitter to be entered to win the Easter Surprise.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me, Elizabeth@BBCLife.org or 502-222-9165.

Mrs. Elizabeth Horne

Minister to Children

Ballardsville Baptist Church

Numbers 6:24-26

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Holy Week Devotion 2014-Day 7

                                            Devotional #7

Jesus is Resurrected

Read: Matthew 27:57-65

Matthew 28:1-10

Matthew 28:19-20

For younger children only use the red statements in the Ask section, and then complete the Apply, Activity, and Pray.

Ask:

· What happened to Jesus’ body after he died? (27:59-60)

· A tomb is like a cave.

· What did the guard’s remind Pilate that Jesus said? (27:63)

· What did the guard’s do to make sure no one took Jesus’ body? (27:66)

· What happened during the earthquake? (28:2)

· Do you think you would have been afraid like the guards? Why or Why not?

· What did the angel say to the women? (28: 5-7)

· When Jesus met them what did he tell them? (28: 9-10)

· What did Jesus tell his disciples on the mountain of Galilee? (28: 19-20) Jesus told them to tell others about what God has done.

· Jesus wants us to tell others this amazing TRUE story.

Apply:

· Think of a friend you can invite over sometime next week.

· When your friends comes over show them the Easter wreath you made and share the Story of Jesus.  

Activity:

· Place the pieces inside of this envelope on the wreath circle like the picture shows.

· Have each member of your family share the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection using the Easter wreath you have created this week.

Pray:

  Thank Jesus for making a way for us to live in heaven with him by dying on the cross.

Holy Week Devotion 2014-Day 6

                                               Devotional #6

Jesus dies on the Cross

Read: Matthew 27:33-40

For younger children only use the red statements in the Ask section, and then complete the Apply, Activity, and Pray.

Ask:

· What was the name of the place where Jesus was crucified. (Vs. 33)

· Read Vs. 35. What do you think crucified was?  When the Bible says that Jesus was crucified it meant that they laid Jesus on the cross and put big nails in his hands and his feet.

· Do you think it hurt Jesus when he was nailed to the cross?

· What did the people who passed by Jesus say to him? (Vs. 40)

· Do you remember what John 14:6 said?

· Do you remember why Jesus let them nail him to the cross? Jesus let this happen because he knew he had to die to make a way for Christians to live in heaven with Him.

Read: Luke 23:44-47

· What was Jesus’ last words before he died? (Vs. 46)

· What do you think that means? It was Jesus’ way of telling God he is leaving his body on earth, but his spirit is going to be with him in heaven.

Apply:

· Have someone from your family get a cup of ice from the freezer. Place an ice cube in the hand of each member of your family. Tell them we are going to see how long you can hold that ice cube in your hand.

· After everyone has given up (or when you feel it has been long enough and need to call time) ask: How did the ice in your hand feel?

· Did it feel cold, was it uncomfortable, or did it hurt?

· Think about how much Jesus’ hands hurt when they put nails in it. We just had ice, and we were able to put down the ice if it got too cold, but Jesus had large nails that hurt him very badly. 

· When you think of the cross, think of the ice and that Jesus loves you so much he kept his hands on the cross.

Activity:

· Place the pieces inside of this envelope on the wreath circle like the picture shows.

Pray:

· Thank God that he kept his hands on the cross to make a way for us to go to Heaven.

Holy Week Devotion 2014-Day 5

Devotional #5

Soldiers Hurt Jesus

Read: Mark 15:16-20

*For younger children only use the questions in red in the Ask section, and then complete the Apply, Activity, and Pray.

Ask:

P What did the soldiers put on Jesus? (vs. 17)

P What were they yelling at Jesus? (Vs. 18) (The soldiers were not saying it in a kind way. They were being very mean to Jesus.)

P How do you think you would of felt if you were Jesus?

P What did they do after they were done with Jesus? (Vs. 20)

P Jesus was able to make the blind see and sick people well. So why do you think Jesus let his happen?

P Read John 14:6. Jesus let this happen because he knew he had to die to make a way for Christians to live in heaven with Him.

Apply: Optional

• Take play-dough and create a circle. It should look like a large ring or bracelet.
• Then break toothpicks into smaller pieces and stick them into the play dough. (It should look like a crown of thorns.)
• Have each person touch the crown of thorns and feel how it would hurt if it was put on your head and then pressed down.
• Remind everyone that Jesus loved us so much that he let the soldier place a crown of thorns on his head.

Activity:

• Place the pieces inside of this envelope on the wreath circle like the picture shows.

Pray:

• Thanking God for giving his son to us. Ask God to help you see that everyone was created differently but that we were all created for a purpose.