2018-2021 Cycle
“The Mission Begins”: Preschool & Kids Leader Training for Unit 29, Session 3—The Good News
I have been looking forward to this session for a long time. About four years ago as we developed the scope and sequence for this cycle of The Gospel Project, this session stood out because it gives teachers the opportunity to walk through the gospel using Romans—sort of a Romans Road session. Yes, we talk …
Continue Reading“The Mission Begins”: Weekly Leader Training—Unit 29, Session 2: Trusting in Christ in Life and Death
Stephen’s sermon is a tour de force of biblical interpretation. In response to charges raised by the Jewish leaders against him, he explained his claim that Jesus fulfilled the purposes of the law and the temple, thus casting Jewish laws and customs in a different light. First, Stephen reminded them of God’s promise to Abraham …
Continue Reading“The Mission Begins”: Preschool & Kids Leader Training for Unit 29, Session 2—Stephen’s Sermon
If you are a little older—more “experienced”—like I am, you can remember a time before passwords. Do you remember those pre-Internet days when the only things we had to remember were locker combinations in school and perhaps a four-digit pin once in a while? How things have changed. Now, we have tons of passwords for …
Continue Reading“The Mission Begins”: Weekly Leader Training—Unit 29, Session 1: Living Generously
It is easy to read the story about Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 and be afraid that God might strike you dead if you aren’t generous enough. That’s not what’s going on here; this was a desire for the appearance of sacrificial giving and deceit to accomplish the look. God was not a passive …
Continue Reading“The Mission Begins”: Preschool & Kids Leader Training for Unit 29, Session 1—Ananias and Sapphira
Sometimes I wish they had broken chapters in the Bible up differently. Keep in mind that chapters and verses are not part of the inspired Scriptures. They are later additions to make it easier for us to find what we need. Many times, the chapter and verse designations make sense. But not always. Such as …
Continue Reading“The Mission Begins”: Weekly Leader Training—Unit 28, Session 4: Pursuing Godly Living
When a man and woman mutually agree to date for the purpose of getting to know one another, for a season it could appear that the two are inseparable. Their days are probably filled with text messages, phone calls, and many dates in between—some planned, others spontaneous. Whether they like it or not, the two …
Continue Reading“The Mission Begins”: Preschool & Kids Leader Training for Unit 28, Session 4—Living Like Jesus
Growing up, I never cared for soccer. At all. I thought it was boring. And there was no way I was going to play that boring game because it shared a season with the best game around—baseball. But something made all of that change. I still enjoy baseball, although not as much as I used …
Continue Reading“The Mission Begins”: Weekly Leader Training—Unit 28, Session 3: Showing Christ in Times of Trials
Peter addressed his letter to a very specific audience: believers described as chosen people and also exiled people. In a world where those who are chosen, elected, and selected often reap the benefits of preferential treatment and due honor, it may seem odd that Peter associated being chosen with living as exiles. The word exile denotes that …
Continue Reading“The Mission Begins”: Preschool & Kids Leader Training for Unit 28, Session 3—Faithful in Hard Times
The heart of Peter’s epistle written to the early church which was likely enduring, or about to endure, Roman persecution at the hands of Nero can be found in the second chapter: 11 Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and exiles to abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul. 12 Conduct …
Continue Reading“The Mission Begins”: Weekly Leader Training—Unit 28, Christmas Session: The Word Became Flesh
With the first portion of John’s prologue speaking about the Word’s eternal divinity (“the Word was with God, and the Word was God”) and cosmic activity (“all things were created through him”; “that life was the light of men”), why is the middle portion concerned with John the Baptist (vv. 6-9)? The Old Testament pointed …
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