September 25, 2016

NT 39 Jesus on the Road to Emmaus

Reference: Luke 24:13-35

Story Summary:
   Two of Jesus' disciples were walking to a place called Emmaus. As they were walking, Jesus appeared among them, but God kept the disciples from recognizing who he was.
   As they walked, they told Jesus about the things that had happened in Jerusalem, about how Jesus had died, and about how some women had said he appeared to them. Jesus, of course, already knew about this since he was the person these things happened to.
   As they walked, Jesus taught the two disciples that the Christ, God's special savior, had to suffer to save his people. He started from the first books of the Bible and taught all the way through the end of the Old Testament. As he taught, the two disciples' hearts burned inside them.
   When they stopped, Jesus started to go on further. But the disciples begged Jesus to stay with them. As they ate together, God opened their eyes. They recognized Jesus and, just like that, Jesus disappeared before their eyes.
   The two disciples ran back to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples that they had seen the risen Lord.

Big Idea and Motions: The whole Bible points to Jesus.
Whole - gesture your arms in a wide circle
Bible - open your hands like opening a book
Points - point your index finger into the palm of your other hand
Jesus - form a cross with your forearms

Verse / Motions: John 5:39, ESV - You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me...
Search - pretend to look around the room through binoculars
Scriptures - open your hands like a book and look back and forth at them
Think - tap your brain
Eternal life - draw a ∞ in the air
Bear witness - make your hands talk like puppets
Me - point to yourself

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Who were the two disciples in Jesus’ story? // Cleopas and his wife, Mary
Where were they walking? // To Emmaus
Who joined them on their walk? // Jesus
Why didn’t they know it was Jesus? // God kept them from recognizing him.
What were they talking about? // How Jesus had died, some women had said they saw him risen
What did Jesus teach them about? // How the Bible talks all about the Christ.
How did the disciples’ hearts feel when Jesus talked to them? // Like they were burning inside.
What happened when they ate bread with Jesus? // They recognized Jesus, then he disappeared
After they saw Jesus disappear, what did the disciples do? // Ran back to Jerusalem to tell the disciples
Who does the whole Bible point to? // Jesus

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - http://goo.gl/kFDrwP
Resources - http://goo.gl/bfsdXO

September 18, 2016

NT 36 Peter Denies Jesus

Reference: Luke 22:54-62

Story Summary:
     Before Jesus was arrested, he told his disciples that God's enemies wanted to get them. But one of the disciples, Peter, said that he was willing to go to prison and death with Jesus. But Jesus said to Peter, "Before the rooster crows today, you'll say three times that you don't know me."
     When Jesus was arrested, the disciples ran away, but Peter followed Jesus from far away. He sat in a courtyard near where they were holding Jesus. A female servant said of Peter, "This man was with Jesus." But Peter said he didn't know him. A little while later, someone said to Peter, "You're one of Jesus' disciples." But Peter yelled, "No, I'm not!"
     Still later,  another person said about Peter, "This fellow must have been with Jesus!" But Peter cursed at the man and said, "I don't know what you're talking about!" After Peter denied Jesus for a third time, a rooster crowed. Jesus looked at Peter, and Peter began to weep.
     After Jesus rose from the dead, he went to Peter. He forgave Peter for the three times he said he didn't know Jesus.

Big Idea and Motions: Believe in Jesus to be forgiven.
Believe - Pretend to grab a rope in front of you with both hands.
Jesus - Make a cross with your forearms
Forgiven - hold one palm facing up and pretend to brush something off that palm with the fingertips of your other hand

Verse and Motions: Ephesians 4:32, ESV - ...forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Forgiving - hold one palm facing up and pretend to brush something off that palm with the fingertips of your other hand
One another - hold up one finger
God - point up
Christ - make a cross with your forearms
Forgave - same as above
You - point to another person

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Who was Peter? // One of Jesus’ disciples.
What did Jesus say Peter would do? // Say he didn’t know Jesus three times.
What happened to Jesus at the beginning of the story? // He was arrested.
How many times did people ask Peter if he knew Jesus? // Three.
What did Peter say to these people? // I don’t know him, I don’t know what you are talking about.
What happened after Peter said he didn’t know Jesus the third time? // A rooster crowed.
What did Peter do after Jesus looked at him? // Began to cry.
Did Jesus forgive Peter for saying he didn’t know him three times? // Yes.
What did Jesus do to pay our punishment? // Died on a cross.
How can we be forgiven by God? // Believe that Jesus died and rose again for our sins.

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - http://goo.gl/agGWbB
Resources - http://goo.gl/mjN8Bi

September 11, 2016

NT 35 Jesus is Betrayed

Reference: Matthew 26:47-56

Story Summary:
   The chief priests, elders, and Pharisees wanted to arrest Jesus. Judas, one of Jesus’ disciples, came to them. He agreed to betray Jesus for 30 silver coins.
   Judas thought this was secret, but at the last supper, Jesus made it clear that he knew what Judas had done. Sometime during that meal, Judas left. He went and got a crowd of men with swords and clubs. Jesus and the rest of the disciples went to the garden of Gethsemane.
   After Jesus prayed in the garden, Judas arrived with the men to arrest Jesus. Peter pulled out a sword to protect Jesus. He swung his sword and chopped off one of the men’s ears. Jesus healed the man and told Peter to put his sword away. "Don't you know I could call my Father and he'd send 70,000 angels to fight these men?" Jesus hadn't come to fight these men or even run away.
   Judas' men arrested Jesus and Jesus let them. All of the eleven other disciples, including brave Peter and his sword, ran away, leaving Jesus all alone.

Big Idea and Motions: Jesus bravely went to the cross to save us from our sins.
Jesus - form a cross with your forearms
Bravely - put your hands on your hips and stand boldly
Cross - form a cross with your forearms
Save - do the baseball “safe” sign
Us - point to yourself with two thumbs
Sins - two thumbs down

Verse / Motions: Mark 10:45, ESV - For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Son of Man - form your arms into a cross (because Jesus is the Son of Man)
Not - wag your index finger “no” with your other hand on hip
Be served - point to yourself with two thumbs
Serve - point to another with two index fingers
Give - pretend to hand a box to another
Ransom for many - cross your wrists (like they’re in handcuffs), then break them apart and gesture your arms in a wide circle

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Who wanted Jesus arrested and killed? // The Pharisees, Chief Priests, and Elders
Who secretly agreed to betray Jesus? // Judas
How much did they pay Judas to betray Jesus? // 30 silver coins
What signal did Judas use to show the men who Jesus was? // A kiss
Who did Judas come with? // A crowd with swords and clubs
What did the men come to do? // Arrest Jesus
What did Peter do? // Use his sword, chopped off a guy’s ear
What did Jesus do with the ear? // Healed the man
What did Jesus say he could do if he wanted to escape? // Call for 70,000 angels
What did the disciples do when Jesus was arrested? // Ran away

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - http://goo.gl/ppFe3U
Resources - http://goo.gl/H3dEGL

September 4, 2016

NT 34 Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

Reference: Matthew 26:36-46, Luke 22:43-44

Story Summary:
   After the last supper, Jesus and the disciples went to Gethsemane, a garden of olive trees. Jesus took three of his disciples, Peter, James, and John, and went further into the garden. "Keep watch," Jesus said, before going off to pray.
   Jesus prayed to God the Father. "If it's possible, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Still, may your will be done." Jesus was asking God the Father if there was any way to avoid the sufferings of the cross.
   After praying, Jesus returned to the three disciples. He found them sleeping. He told them to watch and pray, so they could endure the upcoming temptation. Once again, Jesus left and prayed the same thing, asking God to remove the cup of suffering he was about to endure. Still, he ended his prayer telling the Father to do what he wanted, not what Jesus wanted.
   For a second time, he returned and found the disciples sleeping. He left and prayed the same prayer
a third time. As he prayed, his sweat was like drops of blood because he was so troubled. God saw Jesus' trouble and sent an angel to comfort him.

Big Idea and Motions: Jesus suffered to save us from our sins.
Jesus - form a cross with your forearms
Suffered - pound one fist on top of another
Save - do the baseball “safe!” sign
Us - point to yourself with two thumbs
Sins - two thumbs down

Verse / Motions:  1 Peter 3:18, ESV - For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God...
Christ - form a cross with your forearms
Suffered - pound one fist on top of another
Once - hold up one finger
Righteous - two thumbs up
Unrighteous - point to yourself with those two thumbs
Bring us to God - pretend to hold a box, then lift it to the sky

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Where did Jesus go after the last supper? // The garden of Gethsemane
What three disciples did Jesus take with him? // Peter, James, and John
How did Jesus feel? // Sad and troubled
What did Jesus tell the disciples to do? // Keep watch
What did Jesus pray? // Take this cup of suffering, do what you want, not what I want
What was the “cup of suffering”? // The punishment for sins Jesus was about to endure
What were the disciples doing when Jesus returned? // Sleeping
How many times did Jesus pray his prayer? // Three
Because Jesus was so troubled, what happened to his body? // His sweat was like drops of blood
Who did God send to comfort Jesus? // An angel

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - http://goo.gl/DHlquj
Resources - http://goo.gl/ooth4z