Conversation Starters- First Things First
CONNECTION POINT: When people put God first, they live in ways that honor Him.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: A lot of things vie for our attention, and many of them offer a good “sales pitch” why they should take priority. We also encounter the “tyranny of the urgent,” which screams for attention—now! No doubt we have many things that are important—family, work, and so forth—but only one thing takes priority over all these things: loving obedience to God.
Conversation Starters: First Things First
LIFE POINT: Paul and Barnabas traveled to many faraway towns. Sometimes they traveled on boats. Sometimes they walked. Everywhere Paul and Barnabas went, they taught people about Jesus. Paul and Barnabas went into the synagogue and told about Jesus. Many people listened to them and believed in Jesus. Some people did not like what Paul and Barnabas were teaching. They planned to hurt the men. Paul and Barnabas had to leave the city to be safe. But that did not stop them from telling about Jesus. Paul and Barnabas returned to the towns where they had been. They encouraged the people to continue to follow Jesus. After going to many different towns, Paul and Barnabas sailed back to Antioch on a boat. Everyone came to hear Paul and Barnabas tell about their trip. They told about all the people who believed that Jesus was God’s Son.
LIVE IT OUT: Print on a sheet of paper: Work together happily. Ephesians 6:7. Give your child markers, crayons, stickers, or watercolor paints to decorate the paper. Talk to her about Paul and Barnabas working together to tell people about Jesus.
LIFE POINT: Paul and Barnabas continued to travel to different cities, telling the people about Jesus. In each city they would go to the synagogue and talk about Jesus. Many of the Jews and many Greeks listened and believed that Jesus is the Son of God. But some Jews began to cause trouble for Paul and Barnabas. They wanted to hurt Paul and Barnabas, but the men learned about the plan and left to go to another city. When Paul and Barnabas were in Lystra, they healed a man who could not walk. The people thought Paul was God. Paul said, “I am a man. God gave me the power to heal this man.” Paul and Barnabas traveled to many towns, spreading the good news about Jesus. They returned to the church in Antioch that had sent them. They told about all the things God had done and all the people who had believed.
LIVE IT OUT: Has your child learned cooperation? Paul and Barnabas had to work together to accomplish the goal of spreading the gospel. Help your child learn the Weekly Verse, Ephesians 2:10. Pray with your child that he will continue to walk with God and do those good works created for him.
THE POINT: Always put God first.
• What’s the longest you’ve waited in line?
• What excuses do we make to delay our obedience?
• What do we lose by not putting God first?
• What benefits can we anticipate when we put God first in our lives?
Discuss the following quote:
“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” —John Piper
LIVE IT OUT: Encourage your student to take practical steps to take his or her faith and Live It Out. Here are some ways you can encourage your students to live out their faith with Christ personally, in community, and in their culture:
• CHRIST: Discuss some ways your student could develop a better relationship with Jesus. Help him or her to outline some steps to take.
• COMMUNITY: Help your student to identify any needs in the church or community that he or she could fill.
• CULTURE: Spend time with your student counting the many blessings that you have received and how those can be used to share Jesus with the world.