Jesus Demonstrates his Authority

Mark 1:21-28

Jesus and his followers went to Capernaun.  On the Sabbath day Jesus went to the synagogue and began to teach.  The people there were amazed at his teaching.  He did not teach like their teachers of the law.  He taught like a person who had authority.  While he was in the synagogue, a man was there who had an evil spirit in him.  The man shouted, “Jesus of Nazareth”  What do you want with us?  Did you come to destroy us?  I know who you are — God’s Holy One!”

Jesus said strongly, “Be quiet!  Come out of the man!”  The evil spirit made the man shake violently.  Then the spirit gave a loud cry and came out of him.

The people were amazed.  They asked each other, “What is happening here?  This man is teaching something new.  And he teaches with authority.  He even gives commands to evil spirits, and they obey him.”  And the news about Jesus spread quickly everywhere in the area of Galilee.

Discussion Questions

• Where did Jesus teach?  The synagogue
• Jesus was teaching different from their other teachers of the law.  What was different? Jesus taught with authority
• There was a man there that began yelling at Jesus.  Why was he yelling? The man was filled with an evil spirit.
• How did Jesus handle the evil sprit?  He told the evil spirit to be quiet and come out of the man.
• Why did Jesus do that?  Jesus loved that man and wanted him to be set free from evil.

Prayer

Dear God,

Thank you for teaching us that Jesus is all powerful.  He can do anything in our lives and we thank you for that blessing.    Amen

Bible Verse for January

“Come to me and rest.”

Adapted from Matthew 11:28

Home Connect

Celebrate that Jesus is strong and can do anything by doing an outdoor activity with your child, such as taking an evening walk to observe the night sky.  While you enjoy the evening, talk about the things that Jesus can do.  He made the moon and the stars, the seasons, the rain, and each one of us — all of creation.  Jesus can do anything..

Ask:

• Why does looking at what Jesus made help us know how strong he is?
• What are some things our family can ask Jesus to help us with?
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My Recipe Center

Make loving sandwiches with your child as a reminder that Jesus is strong.  Get a ready-made angel food cake, and cut it into thin slices.  Have your child mix a small jar of strawberry jam with a small container of soft cream cheese in a medium-sized bowl.  Spread the strawberry frosting on one slice of cake, and top with another slice.  Before eating the snacks, ask your child to try to separate the strawberry jam from the cream cheese!  Remind your child that no one but Jesus could separate the evil spirit from the man in the Bible passage.

Ask: 

• What happened when you tried to separate the strawberry jam from the cream cheese?

• What are some powerful things that Jesus can do?

• Say a prayer of thanks to our loving God who can do anything; then enjoy the snack together.

Daily Challenge

This week, your child learned that Jesus is strong.  Encourage your child to commit to one of the following  challenges.  Help your child weave faith into life this week and follow through on the challenges.

• Be on the lookout for powerful things such as trains, bulldozers, or planes.  Every time you see a powerful thing, say “Jesus is strong”, and thank Jesus for being strong for you.
• Try something you’ve never done before and ask for Jesus’ strength to help you.
•  Make up a poem or action rhyme about the amazing things that Jesus can do.  Do the poem or action rhyme for your family.

Disciples Follow Jesus

Mark 1:14-20 (paraphrased)

One day Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee.  It was actually a big beautiful lake and many men would try to catch fish there.

In fact,  if you were to walk along the beach you would pass boat after boat after boat.  With men working hard emptying their nets they used to fish with, getting ready to go back out to sea, or gathering all their fish together so they could take them to the store to sell them.

Jesus walked by many boats but stopped and watched some men at a particular boat.  These men were Simon (whose nickname was Peter) and his brother Andrew.  They were working very hard and were frustrated about not catching any fish the night before.

These men had actually met Jesus before, but only for a short time.  John the Baptist had introduced them to Jesus, just after Jesus was baptized.  The men knew that Jesus was the One who came to save us so we can go to Heaven.

Jesus went right up to their boat and asked them if they could put their boat out into the water a little ways.  He then climbed in, sat down and started teaching from the boat.  People walking along the shore and the men in their fishing boats stopped to listen.

After Jesus was done teaching He said to Simon, "Go out in deeper water and put your nets down into the water."  Simon answered, "Master, we've worked all night trying to catch fish and we haven't caught anything.  But only because you said so, I will let the nets down."

As soon as they had let the nets down, they caught so many fish the nets began to break.  They quickly waved for help to their friends in the boat next to them for help.  They began filling both boats with the fish they had caught but there were so many fish that the boats started to sink.

Simon Peter bowed down to Jesus and said, "Lord you shouldn't be near me I am sinful."  All the men were amazed at what Jesus had done: Simon, Andrew and their friends in the other boat James and John.  Then Jesus said to all of them, "Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men."

What happened next was quite amazing!  What do you think you would do if Jesus said that to you?  Maybe instead of fishing- you're playing with a friend.  Jesus comes to you and says, "Come, follow me."  Maybe you would say, "Just a minute, we're not quite done playing yet."  Or maybe you would walk your friend home, tell your parents your leaving, clean up your toys...

Well these men immediately left everything they were doing and went with Jesus.  They left their boat, their nets, and all the fish they caught.  They left without a worry in the world, they somehow knew they could trust Jesus.

 Discussion Questions

• Who did Jesus meet first at the Sea of Galilee?  Simon (Peter) and Andrew
• What did Jesus do? He sat down in the boat with them and began teaching
• What was he trying to teach? Jesus was telling them to follow him.  His ways are always better than ours.
• They put their boat out in deeper water as Jesus had asked, what happed next?  They caught fish after trying all night with not one catch.
• Who were the other two disciples Jesus ask to follow him in this story?  James and John

Prayer

Dear God,

Thank you for teaching us about the disciples.  Please help us to follow Jesus and share the good new with others.  Amen.

 Bible Verse for January

“God loves us so much he sent his Son, Jesus.”

Adapted from John 3:!6

Home Connect

The next time you need just a few items from the grocery store, turn the trip into a game of leading and following.  When you’re at the store, tell your child the items you need to buy, such as oranges.  Then have your child lead you to the produce section.  Your child can say, “Come, follow me” just as Jesus said to the disciples.  Follow your child as he or she leads you around the store.

Ask:

• What did you like about our leading and following game?
• What made our game like or unlike following Jesus?
• What are some good things that can happen when we follow Jesus?

My Recipe Center

Play a modified game of Follow the Leader as you and your child make fruit kebabs.  Cut up several types of fruit such as cantaloupes, bananas, grapes, or pineapples.  Put the fruit pieces on a skewer.  Have your child watch you and carefully follow you to make a kebab that’s similar to yours.  Then allow your child to make a kebab first and you can follow that pattern of fruit.  As you eat the treats, discuss these questions.

Ask: 

• We studied each other’s actions to make the fruit kebabs.  What ways is this like studying what the Bible says to follow Jesus?
• Why do you want to follow Jesus?

Daily Challenge

This week, your child learned that we can follow Jesus.  Encourage your child to commit to one of the following  challenges.  Help your child weave faith into life this week and follow through on the challenges.

• Have your mom or dad help you cut footprints out of paper and place them around the room — for each footprint, think of a way that you can follow Jesus.
• Tell your mom or dad what you can do to follow Jesus at home, at school, and on the playground.  Then do it this week!
• Jesus liked to tell people that he loved them.  Follow Jesus this week by telling your family and friends several times every day that you love them and so does Jesus.

Jesus Surprises Nathanael

John 1:43-51

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee.  He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.”  Philip was from the town of Bethsaida, where Andrew and Peter lived.  Philip found Nathanial and told him, “remember what Moses wrote in the law about a man who was coming, and the prophets also wrote about him.  We have found him.  He is Jesus, the son of Joseph.  He is from Nazareth.”

But Nathanael said to Philip, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

Philip answered, “Come and see.”

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him.  He said, “Here is truly a person of Israel.  There is nothing false in him.”

Nathanael asked, “How do you know me?”

Jesus answered, “I saw you when you were under the fig tree.  That was before Philip told you about me.” 

Then Nathanial said to Jesus, “Teacher, you are the son of God.  You are the King of Israel.”

Jesus said to Nathanael, “You believe in me because I told you I saw you under the fig tree.  But you will see greater things than that.”  And Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth.  You will all see heaven open.  You will see ‘angels of God going up and coming down’ on the Son of Man.”

Discussion Questions

• Jesus went into a town called Galilee.  Who did he tell to “follow me?”  Philip
• Philip then went to visit a man.  What was his name? Nathanael
• Who was Peter telling Nathanael bout? Jesus
• Jesus met Nathanael.  Nathanael wanted to know how he knew him.  How did he? Jesus told him He saw him under a fig tree.
• True or False.  Does Jesus know all of us?  True

Prayer

Dear God,

Thank you for knowing us.  Please help us to remember to share Jesus with others Amen.

 Bible Verse for January

“God loves us so much he sent his Son, Jesus.”  Adapted from John 3:!6

Home Connect

Show your child how to make a scrapbook.  Help your child find photos of himself or herself.  Include pictures of your child’s favorite toys, activities, and friends.  Be sure to include photos with family members, too.  Let your child decorate around the pictures with stickers and markers.  Remind your child that Jesus knows all about us — even more than what’s included in the scrapbook!

Ask:

• What does this scrapbook tell about who you are?
• What are other important things about you that Jesus knows?

My Recipe Center

Jesus knows us so well that he even knows what foods your child likes.  Work with your child to make a list of his or her favorite foods.  Offer to teach your child how to make one these favorites.  Let your child do as much of the measuring, mixing and cooking as possible.  Then say a prayer and eat the favorite food together as you tell each other, “Jesus knows all about us!”

Ask: 

• What is your favorite breakfast food?  Dessert?
• What kinds of things do you think Jesus knows about you?
• What do you know about Jesus?

Daily Challenge

This week, your child learned that Jesus knows us.  Encourage your child to commit to one of the following  challenges.  Help your child weave faith into life this week and follow through on the challenges.

• When you’re with your friends or brothers and sisters, tell each other your favorite things about Jesus.
•  Ask an adult you know at church to tell you something that Jesus has done for him or her.
•  Watch a movie about Jesus..

John Baptizes Jesus

Mark 1: 4-11

John was baptizing people in the desert.  He preached a baptism of changed hearts and lives for the forgiveness of sins.  All the people from Judea and Jerusalem were going out to John.  They told about the sins they had done.  Then they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.  John wore clothes made from camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist.   He ate locusts and wild honey.  This is what John preached to the people:  “There is one coming later who is greater than I.  I am not good enough even to kneel down and untie his sandals.  I baptize you with water.  But the one who is coming will  baptize you in the Holy Spirit“

At that time Jesus came from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to the place where John was.  John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River.  When Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven open up.  The Holy Spirit came down on him like a dove.  A voice came from heaven and said: “You are my Son and I love you.  I am very pleased with you.”

Discussion Questions

•  Who was baptizing the people from Judea and Jerusalem?  John
•  What did John wear? Clothes made of camel hair, a leather belt around his waist.
•  John told the people someone was coming to be baptized.  Who was it? Jesus
•  John said he baptized people with water but Jesus baptizes people with what? The Holy Spirit.
•  What did Jesus see when coming out of the water?  A dove

 Prayer

Dear God,

Thank you for the story of John baptizing Jesus.  We know that Jesus made God happy  by getting baptized. Please help us learn more about you.  Amen.

Bible Verse for January

“God loves us so much he sent his Son, Jesus.”  Adapted from John 3:!6

Home Connect

Take a few moments to tell your child how much you love him or her. 

Ask:

•  Who are people you love?
•  In what ways do you show these people your love?
•  What is something special you would give to someone you love?

Talk with your child about how God gave us his Son, Jesus, because he loves us so much. 

Have your child use yarn or string and thread beads to make a bracelet for a friend.  You  might want to check local craft stores for beads with letters on them and help your child spell out the friend’s name on the bracelet.  Go with your child as he or she gives the gift to the friend.  Remind your child that Jesus made God happy when he was baptized and by the way he lived his life.  We make God happy when we show love to others and when we tell others about Jesus.

My Recipe Center

The Holy Spirit descended from heaven to Jesus in the form of a dove.  Work with your child to make the following snack and retell the Bible story.  Mix several drops of blue food coloring into vanilla instant pudding in a large bowl.  Have your child place a circular shortbread cookie on the blue pudding as Jesus’ face, and add facial features using frosting or small candles.  Then stick two more shortbread cookies almost perpendicularly into the pudding to look like the wings of a dove.  Then let your child say a prayer of thanksgiving and enjoy the snack.

Ask: 

•  Why do you think what Jesus did made God happy? 
•  Why do you want to make God happy?
•  What can we do to show God that we love him?

Daily Challenge

This week, your child learned that God sent Jesus.  Encourage your child to commit to one of the following  challenges.  Help your child weave faith into life this week and follow through on the challenges.

• In the morning, pray for Jesus to help you obey your parents throughout the day.  A the end of the day, thank Jesus for helping you obey your parents.
• Ask Jesus to help you and your brother or sister clean your play area or living room and surprise your parents!
• Have your mom or dad help you make a treat for someone you know who is sick.  Ask Jesus to help the person feel better.