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“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him…” – John 3:17

“Jesus expressed His compassion and proved His authority with miracles. He was reported to have calmed storms and walked on the sea. On two occasions, He took just a few loaves of bread and a handful of fish and multiplied them to feed thousands of people. Jesus gave sight to the blind, caused the lame to walk, and healed people of horrible diseases. He cast demons out of people, and He even raised people from the dead. For thirty years, Jesus had lived in obscurity. But now, He was demonstrating His power over the physical and the spiritual world, over life and death.” – The HOPE, Chapter 9
In the Bible, there are four words (two Hebrew and two Greek) that are translated as the word “miracle.” In each case, these words describe an intervention by God in which the ordinary course of nature is overruled, suspended, or modified.

The Bible records 35 miracles performed by Jesus during His three years of public ministry. These miracles range from walking on water to raising people from the dead.  A primary purpose (if not the primary purpose) of the miracles recorded in the Bible was as a sign that confirmed the presence or revelation of God. This is true of the miracles of God in the Old Testament as well as the miracles of Jesus. The miracles of Exodus 7–11 confirmed that Moses was speaking for God. In the New Testament, Jesus said that His miracles proved who He was and that God the Father sent Him (John 5:36). Jesus performed miracles so that people might believe He was who He said He was.
In his miracles Jesus demonstrated his power over all of creation (spiritual and physical) as well as his fulfillment of the Isaiah 61 prophecy which he read in the synagogue (61:1-2 and Luke 4:16-20).  He was indeed a powerful prophet of God, the Ultimate Prophet that God foretold in Deuteronomy 18:15,

“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.”

BIG IDEA: Jesus is a powerful prophet.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THIS WEEK’S VIDEO

MEDITATING ON THE WORD:

Deuteronomy 18:15
Isaiah 61
Psalm 78:24
Luke 4:17-19

SECTION VERSES:

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.’”   – John 14:6-7

LESSON VERSE:

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him,”      – John 3:17

PRAYER:

Thank God for sending Jesus as the greatest Prophet, powerful over all creation, who proved He is God himself.

DISCUSSION STARTERS:

• Read Isaiah 61:1-2 and Luke 4:16-20. Why do you think Jesus stopped reading the passage in Isaiah where he did?
• How did Jesus demonstrate his power?
• Why did Jesus demonstrate his power?

LIVE IT OUT!

• Think of some ways that your actions can show that God’s love is truly in you. Now do them!

– – –

ABOUT FAMILY QUEST: At Reston Bible Church, we firmly believe that parents are a child’s first and most important spiritual leader.  In order to support you that mission, we have created a parent devotional and some discussion starters to go along with each lesson your grade school age children are learning at Quest on Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that this material will help you to engage with your children around the topics they are learning on Sunday mornings, answer their questions, go deeper with them, and find real, day-to-day applications. We are honored to be able to partner with you in the critical task of sharing Christ with the next generation.

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” – John 10:10

Throughout the ages since Jesus walked the earth, many non-believers have tried to dismiss Jesus by saying such things as, “He was a teacher,” or “He was a powerful prophet.”  Their goal in making these statements is usually to deny the central claim of Christianity, namely that Jesus is God.  But we shouldn’t shy away from these statements because they are in fact true.  Jesus was a great teacher.  The greatest teacher ever.  A typical pastor preaches for 40 minutes today, but Jesus’ most famous sermon on the mount takes only about 15 minutes from beginning to end and is so profound that books have been written just about these few verses.  Jesus wasn’t just a lecturer either.  He was a “walk-along-the-way” teacher, a disciple-maker.

“And walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And they immediately left the nets, and followed Him.”

It has often been said that you aren’t really a leader unless people are following you, and you aren’t really a teacher unless your students are learning.  Jesus called and the disciples followed. As master teacher and disciple maker, Jesus would transform these simple men into men of spiritual power who would turn the world upside down.

BIG IDEA: Jesus is a great teacher.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THIS WEEK’S VIDEO

MEDITATING ON THE WORD:

Matthew 4:18-22
Luke 5:1-11
Acts 4:13
Matthew 5-7

SECTION VERSES:

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.’”   – John 14:6-7

LESSON VERSE:

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” – John 10:10

PRAYER:

Thank God for what He teaches us about ourselves, Himself, and how we can be with Him forever and live for Him.

DISCUSSION STARTERS:

• What is a disciple?
• How did Jesus teach? (Deut. 11:19)
• What did Jesus teach?
• Why did Jesus call the disciples?

LIVE IT OUT!

• Read the greatest commands (Mark 12:30-31)
• Come up with some ways you can obey them and write them down.

– – –

ABOUT FAMILY QUEST: At Reston Bible Church, we firmly believe that parents are a child’s first and most important spiritual leader.  In order to support you that mission, we have created a parent devotional and some discussion starters to go along with each lesson your grade school age children are learning at Quest on Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that this material will help you to engage with your children around the topics they are learning on Sunday mornings, answer their questions, go deeper with them, and find real, day-to-day applications. We are honored to be able to partner with you in the critical task of sharing Christ with the next generation.

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet he did not sin.”  – Hebrews 4:15

The practice of baptism as observed in this lesson had its roots in the washings that God instructed the Hebrew people to do for the purpose of purification (Leviticus 16:26, Leviticus 28, Leviticus 22:6, Numbers 19:7 and Numbers 19). Jesus, however, did not need to be purified. Perhaps this is why John, who knew Jesus from childhood, tried to prevent Jesus from being baptized and said to Him, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” (Matthew 3:14).

So if purification was unnecessary, what was the purpose of this baptism in the life of Jesus?

Most theologians agree that at least three things were accomplished by this event: identification, anointing and confirmation. In regard to identification, many believe that Jesus, the One who came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17), was identifying with John’s call to righteousness – to live according to the ways of God. Some, however, see yet another identification taking place in this event.
In baptism, Jesus was not only identifying with God in regard to His righteousness, He was identifying with you and me in our need for righteousness. Jesus came to offer Himself as our substitute in fulfilling the righteous requirements of God. This substitution began with His baptism and was completed at the cross.

The anointing in this event comes as the Spirit descends upon Jesus as a dove (Matthew 3:16). An anointing is an empowering from God to accomplish a specific mission. Jesus is about to step into three years of public ministry, culminating in an unparalleled act of suffering and sacrifice in order to conquer Satan, sin, and death. Jesus was anointed for this very purpose.

– Read more in The HOPE Project online study guide

Let’s help the children see this week how Jesus came to win the battle against Satan, sin, and death that Adam had lost. 

BIG IDEA: Jesus fulfilled the whole law for us.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THIS WEEK’S VIDEO

MEDITATING ON THE WORD:

Malachi 3:1
Matthew 3:1-4:11
1 Peter 2:22
Hebrews 7:26

SECTION VERSES:

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet he did not sin.” – Hebrews 4:15

LESSON VERSE:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”   – Isaiah 9:6

PRAYER:

Thank God that he laid down his glory, his power, and his life to become one of us, and fulfill the law for us.

DISCUSSION STARTERS:

• What did John call Jesus?
• Why did he call Jesus that?
• Why was Jesus baptized?
• Why did Jesus go to the desert?
• Define “tempt.”

LIVE IT OUT!

• Pray together
• Read Matthew 3 – 4:11
• Think of someone in your neighborhood you can bless this week and do it in Jesus’ name!

– – –

ABOUT FAMILY QUEST: At Reston Bible Church, we firmly believe that parents are a child’s first and most important spiritual leader.  In order to support you that mission, we have created a parent devotional and some discussion starters to go along with each lesson your grade school age children are learning at Quest on Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that this material will help you to engage with your children around the topics they are learning on Sunday mornings, answer their questions, go deeper with them, and find real, day-to-day applications. We are honored to be able to partner with you in the critical task of sharing Christ with the next generation.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  – Isaiah 9:6

The events associated with the birth of Jesus fulfilled numerous Old Testament prophecies given centuries before the events they described.  Let’s take a look at some of these ancient proclamations.

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23) In reference to the birth of Jesus, Matthew cited a specific prophecy from Isaiah made more than 700 years earlier.

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) Just as foretold, the virgin (Mary) indeed did conceive (Matthew 1:21) and bore a Son who is called Immanuel. This amazing event demonstrates God’s infinite knowledge and power. He is capable of foretelling the future with perfect precision, and He has the power to bring His prophecies to pass, even if that means a virgin would need to conceive and bear a Son.

Just as foretold, Bethlehem is the birthplace of the Christ:  “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;  For out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.” (Matthew 2:6; cf. Micah 5:2; John 7:42)

Most importantly, God’s chosen Messiah, in order to fulfill the roles of perfect Prophet, perfect High Priest, and perfect King, could only be God himself in sinless human flesh. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14)

Let’s point the children to God’s power and perfection in bringing his plan to pass just as the scriptures foretold, and how only He could fulfill all expectations of the coming Messiah.

BIG IDEA: The promised deliverer was God himself.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THIS WEEK’S VIDEO

MEDITATING ON THE WORD:

Matthew 1:18-25
Matthew 2
Luke 1-2

SECTION VERSES:

“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” – Genesis 12:3

LESSON VERSE:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”   – Isaiah 9:6

PRAYER:

Thank God for his Word and for sending Jesus to fulfill all of His promises.

DISCUSSION STARTERS:

• What does the name Yeshua mean?
• What is prophecy?
• How did Jesus’ birth fulfill prophecy?
• Why did the deliverer have to be without sin?

LIVE IT OUT!

• Invite a friend to Quest
• Begin setting aside an offering for the Missionary of the year.
• Think of someone you can bless and do it!

– – –

ABOUT FAMILY QUEST: At Reston Bible Church, we firmly believe that parents are a child’s first and most important spiritual leader.  In order to support you that mission, we have created a parent devotional and some discussion starters to go along with each lesson your grade school age children are learning at Quest on Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that this material will help you to engage with your children around the topics they are learning on Sunday mornings, answer their questions, go deeper with them, and find real, day-to-day applications. We are honored to be able to partner with you in the critical task of sharing Christ with the next generation.

“The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.” Psalm 19:7

CALLED TO WALK IN THE WAYS OF GOD

“…by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.”  – Romans 3:20

God promised that if the Hebrew people obeyed the law they would be blessed, but if they disobeyed the Law they would be punished. We also saw that God, knowing the Hebrew people would not be able to fully and consistently keep the Law, provided a way to cover their sin through the offering of sacrifices.

But there is yet another important aspect of the Law we must consider. Many people have the idea that the Law was given as a means for man to be right with God. But the Bible is clear (Romans 3:20) that no person can gain right standing (be justified) with God by keeping the Law. Think about it. If we could keep the Law perfectly (although we can’t), we would still be infected with the sin which was passed down to every person through Adam (see Lesson 18). Sin separates man from God. Even if you had never sinned, the sin in you would still separate you from God.

As we study the Bible, we learn that the Law is like a mirror – for both God and man. In the Law, we see a true reflection of God’s character. That reflection reveals that God is holy and righteous. But in the Law, we also see a true image of ourselves. Our inability to keep the Law reveals our inadequacy, for the Law clearly reveals that we do not measure up to God’s standard of holiness and righteousness. Something in us prevents us from measuring up, and according to Romans 3:20, that something is sin.  A mirror can be helpful to show you if your face needs washing. But it cannot be used to wash your face. No one in their right mind would take a mirror and rub it on their face to remove dirt. That requires a cleansing agent such as soap. So it is with the Law. The Law reveals sin, but it is not a cleansing agent. It cannot cleanse us from sin, but it can show us our need to be cleansed. It can create a sense of need for the promised Deliverer, the only One who can take away sin!
– Read more in the HOPE Project online Study Guide

BIG IDEA: God’s perfect law protects us and reveals our imperfection.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THIS WEEK’S VIDEO

MEDITATING ON THE WORD:

Exodus 20
Deuteronomy 30
Romans 3:23
Romans 6:23

SECTION VERSES:

“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” – Genesis 12:3

LESSON VERSE:

“The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.” Psalm 19:7

PRAYER:

Thank God for his gift of the Law which shows us our need of him, and for Jesus who empowers us to obey God.

DISCUSSION STARTERS:

• Why did Moses go to Mount Sinai?
• What did he get there? From whom?
• Why did God give us the 10 commandments?
• Were the Hebrew people able to keep God’s law perfectly? Are you?

LIVE IT OUT!

• Make an appointment to spend 15 minutes each day this week just being quiet and thinking about God and reading your verses.

– – –

ABOUT FAMILY QUEST: At Reston Bible Church, we firmly believe that parents are a child’s first and most important spiritual leader.  In order to support you that mission, we have created a parent devotional and some discussion starters to go along with each lesson your grade school age children are learning at Quest on Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that this material will help you to engage with your children around the topics they are learning on Sunday mornings, answer their questions, go deeper with them, and find real, day-to-day applications. We are honored to be able to partner with you in the critical task of sharing Christ with the next generation.

“Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.”  Exodus 14:13

The Exodus would become the event that defined the people of Israel and their relationship with God.  The Passover would become their most revered festival and continues in Jewish homes to this day.  After watching the video this week and meditating on the scriptures we’ve listed, take some time to consider the parallels between Israel’s Exodus from slavery in Egypt and your own Exodus from slavery to sin.  How did God show himself strong over the god’s that ruled your life before Christ?  What path to salvation did He open that appeared to be closed.  There are rich echoes of the first Exodus in our own.  What obstacles did He overcome in your life?

“If you want God to receive glory from your life, then be prepared for trials. He may very well allow an obstacle in your life that only He can overcome. In fact, the greater the obstacle, the more He is glorified when He overcomes the obstacle. And if He is calling you to be silent, then let Him fight for you. Like the Hebrew people you will discover that “The Lord is a warrior” (Exodus 15:3) who can make a way when there appears to be no way!” – The HOPE Project Study Guide

BIG IDEA: God will make a way.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THIS WEEK’S VIDEO

MEDITATING ON THE WORD:

Exodus 1-14
Matthew 26:26-29
John 1:29
Acts 3:22

SECTION VERSES:

“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” – Genesis 12:3

LESSON VERSE:

“Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.”  – Exodus 14:13

PRAYER:

Think of a friend, family member, or neighbor who is still in slavery to sin and ask God to rescue them.

DISCUSSION STARTERS:

• Why did God have Isaac’s people live in Egypt? (safety to grow into a nation, learn skills that would be useful in the Wilderness)
• How did God help the new nation?

LIVE IT OUT!

• Retell your salvation story to your children.  You may even want to write it down for the family record.

– – –

ABOUT FAMILY QUEST: At Reston Bible Church, we firmly believe that parents are a child’s first and most important spiritual leader.  In order to support you that mission, we have created a parent devotional and some discussion starters to go along with each lesson your grade school age children are learning at Quest on Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that this material will help you to engage with your children around the topics they are learning on Sunday mornings, answer their questions, go deeper with them, and find real, day-to-day applications. We are honored to be able to partner with you in the critical task of sharing Christ with the next generation.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28

Many Bible students believe that Joseph’s life foreshadows God’s promised Deliverer, who we will soon study in upcoming chapters of The HOPE. In fact, the similarities between Joseph and the promised Deliverer are truly amazing.

Consider that both Joseph and the promised Deliverer …
were sent by their fathers to their brothers – Joseph’s brothers hated him and sought to kill him, and the Deliverer’s own kinsmen rejected Him and sought to kill Him (see Genesis 37:13, John 7:3, Luke 20:47), had a robe that was taken from them (Genesis 37:23-24, John 19:24), spent time in Egypt (see Genesis 37:25-28, Matthew 2:14-15), were sold for the price of a slave (see Genesis 37:28, Matthew 26:15), were bound in chains (see Psalm 105:18, Genesis 39:20, Matthew 27:2), were tempted (see Genesis 39: 7-10, Matthew 4:1-11), were falsely accused (see Genesis 39:16-17, Matthew 26:59), were placed with two other prisoners, one of whom was saved and the other lost (seeGenesis 40:2-22, Luke 23:32-43), began their ministries at the age of thirty (see Genesis 41:46, Luke 3:23), were exalted by God after a season of suffering (see Genesis 41:41-43, Philippians 2:9-11), forgave those who harmed them (see Genesis 45:1-15, Luke 23:34), were sent by God to save many (Genesis 45:7, Matthew 1:21, Mark 10:45), understood that God turned evil into good (see Genesis 50:20, Romans 8:28), and brought reconciliation, one to his family, the other to the world (see Genesis 45:7-10; Romans 5:10).

In Joseph, we recognize the evidence of a purposeful divine influence guiding the events of his life. Like a leaf that has fallen into a great river, Joseph’s life was moved by the powerful flow of a divine current. And with each event that came into his life (even the difficult ones), Joseph submitted to that flow rather than resisting it. God used Joseph’s life to accomplish exactly what He had planned beforehand, bringing good to Joseph and to others, and glory to Himself.

For additional study and insight, check this out, from The HOPE Project online study guide.

BIG IDEA: God is at work, even in hard times.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THIS WEEK’S VIDEO

MEDITATING ON THE WORD:

Genesis 37, 39-50
Genesis 50:20
James 1:2-4

SECTION VERSES:

“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” – Genesis 12:3

LESSON VERSE:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28

PRAYER:

Pray that God would help you see how He is at work around so you can join him in his work.

DISCUSSION STARTERS:

• Was God with Joseph when bad things happened? How? When?
• How do you see God working in the story even when people make evil choices?

LIVE IT OUT!

• Think of way you can bless a person or family that is going through a hard time and then follow through.

– – –

ABOUT FAMILY QUEST: At Reston Bible Church, we firmly believe that parents are a child’s first and most important spiritual leader.  In order to support you that mission, we have created a parent devotional and some discussion starters to go along with each lesson your grade school age children are learning at Quest on Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that this material will help you to engage with your children around the topics they are learning on Sunday mornings, answer their questions, go deeper with them, and find real, day-to-day applications. We are honored to be able to partner with you in the critical task of sharing Christ with the next generation.

“Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.” – Romans 4:20-21

“Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” – Genesis 22:1–2

“And Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” And he said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.”   –Genesis 22:10–14

“And Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide.”  Our God is a promise maker and a promise keeper.  Most of us would like to think of ourselves as promise keepers, but the reality is that even the best of us cannot truly guarantee a promise.  Too many variables are outside of our control.  That is why we in the church have the tradition of tacking, “Lord willing,” onto the end our verbal commitments.  But with YAHWEH it is an entirely different case.  We have already learned that our God created all things from nothing, He is all powerful, all knowing, and unchangeable.  When God makes a promise you can take it to the bank.  Help the children this week to appreciate how deeply God can be trusted.

BIG IDEA: God is a promise keeper.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THIS WEEK’S VIDEO

MEDITATING ON THE WORD:

Genesis 12-22
Hebrews 11:8
James 1:17

SECTION VERSES:

“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” – Genesis 12:3

LESSON VERSE:

“Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”    -Romans 4:20-21

PRAYER:

Pray that God would help you show your trust by obeying His word more every day.

DISCUSSION STARTERS:

• When did Abraham and Sarah obey and disobey God?
• What problems have happened when you disobey?
• What did God promise Abraham?
• How did God keep his promise?

LIVE IT OUT!

• Think of an area where you haven’t obeyed God and go for it!  He’s a promise keeper!

– – –

ABOUT FAMILY QUEST: At Reston Bible Church, we firmly believe that parents are a child’s first and most important spiritual leader.  In order to support you that mission, we have created a parent devotional and some discussion starters to go along with each lesson your grade school age children are learning at Quest on Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that this material will help you to engage with your children around the topics they are learning on Sunday mornings, answer their questions, go deeper with them, and find real, day-to-day applications. We are honored to be able to partner with you in the critical task of sharing Christ with the next generation.

“Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” – Proverbs 19:20-21

PRELUDE TO THE PROMISE, PART 2 – BABEL “And they said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name; lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” – Genesis 11:4

“Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.” – Genesis 11:9

“The number of Noah’s descendants increased greatly, but they remained as one people.  They did not fill the earth as God commanded. Instead they built a city. Then they built a tower reaching to the heavens. God was not pleased. So God confused their language. Immediately there were at least 70 groups of people who could not speak with each other. Then God scattered these groups around the earth. And this was the beginning of the languages and nations of our world.” – The HOPE, Chapter 4

Recall from the previous lesson that when Noah and his family left the ark, God blessed them and told them to fill the earth (Genesis 9:1,7). However, instead of filling the earth, Noah’s family gathered in one place and built a city. And then they proceeded to build a tower that would reach into heaven (Genesis 11:4). Their motive was to make a name for themselves and to keep from being scattered over the face of the earth.

In Genesis 11:5-9 we see God’s response to their disobedience.  As a result of disobeying God, the very thing they were trying to avoid in Genesis 11:4 (being scattered) is the very thing that happened in Genesis 11:9 (they were scattered). God’s plan that they “fill” the earth would stand.

BIG IDEA: God’s plan will stand.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THIS WEEK’S VIDEO

MEDITATING ON THE WORD:

Proverbs 3:5-6
Genesis 10-11
Isaiah 14:27
Romans 8:28

SECTION VERSES:

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” -Genesis 1:1

“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.” -Genesis 1:31

LESSON VERSE:

“Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” – Proverbs 19:20-21

PRAYER:

Pray that God would help you show your trust by obeying His word more every day.

DISCUSSION STARTERS:

• Why was God not pleased with the Tower of Babel? (disobeyed command to “fill” the earth)
• Were God’s plans for filling the earth stopped? Explain.
• What are some hard commands to obey?

LIVE IT OUT!

• Go to Google Translate and translate John 3:16 into 1 or 2 languages.  Try to learn the pronunciation of one of them.

– – –

ABOUT FAMILY QUEST: At Reston Bible Church, we firmly believe that parents are a child’s first and most important spiritual leader.  In order to support you that mission, we have created a parent devotional and some discussion starters to go along with each lesson your grade school age children are learning at Quest on Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that this material will help you to engage with your children around the topics they are learning on Sunday mornings, answer their questions, go deeper with them, and find real, day-to-day applications. We are honored to be able to partner with you in the critical task of sharing Christ with the next generation.