Intermediate Level, Block 10—Spread and Propagation
Week 95
Sharing the Good News about Jesus
Point to Emphasize: We can be those who follow our parents as they share the good news about Jesus wherever they go.
Reference Reading: Acts 6, 8, 11
Memory Verse: Those therefore who were scattered went throughout the land announcing the word as the gospel. (Acts 8:4)
Story Sample
In the book of Acts, we learned many things that had happened with the first believers. They were Jews who practiced all the Jewish things, just like everyone else. But once they heard the good news about Jesus and became believers in Jesus, they were no longer the same. These new believers began another kind of living and began gathering together with the others who had received the good news. This made the ones who were still Jews really angry! The ones who did not follow Jesus decided to treat the new believers badly. Sometimes these unbelieving Jews were cruel to the believers.
It became very difficult for the new believers to live in the city of Jerusalem, so they began to move away. They scattered and moved to other cities and other countries. As they moved away, what do you think they were bringing with them and giving to others? The good news about Jesus! They started out being followers of Jesus, and then they became sent ones to bring the good news about Jesus to the whole earth! So, they were willing to leave their own country. They were willing to give their all, to go to other places, so that the good news about Jesus would be heard throughout the entire known world.
The same is happening among us today. Recently, there were a lot of people being forced to leave their own countries and to live in Germany. These people’s hearts were open to hear the good news about Jesus. A lot of them wanted to receive Bibles and wanted to hear more about Jesus. A family I know that lived here in the states heard what was happening in Germany, and they felt they needed to move to Germany. So they sold their house, their cars, and their furniture and they only took with them what would fit in their suitcases. They also started to learn German and to study the culture and way of living there. At first, the children were sad to leave their other family members and friends behind, but soon they were happy they could go with their parents. [Share a personal story of migrating or a story from a family you know.]
Have you heard of some families that have moved? If your parents decide to move to other countries to share the good news about Jesus to others, will you be willing to go with them? The process of moving to a different city or country is not always easy. It might involve leaving your friends and family, selling a lot of the things your family owns, learning to eat different foods, or learning a new language. It’s really not so easy. On the other hand, children of the families that have moved would tell you what a great experience it was to have grown up in a different country.
Without a doubt, for those who are willing to move, God is always with them every step of the way. It is awesome to see that those who are willing to move are doing exactly what the followers of Jesus had done 2,000 years ago. It is a privilege to follow our parents when they decide to move to different cities, states, and even countries to bring the good news about Jesus to others. In this way, even as children, we can participate in what was started in the book of Acts!