February 18th Lessons

9:00am DiscipleLand

1st-2nd grade 
Why We Got the Bible Lesson 10--The Bible Reaches North America

Joseph the manager—Genesis 41:33-57

God provides for people’s needs through the skills and talents of His followers.

Verse: 

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
    but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails."—Proverbs 19:21

Focus:

~Egypt had grain during the famine because of Joseph’s hard work.

~God wants His provision to reach all nations.

~David Brainerd reached Native Americans with God’s Word.

Inspire Action: David Brainerd —Missionary to Native Americans

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9:00am DiscipleLand

3rd-4th grade 
Powerful Messengers Lesson 10—Branching Out

Acts 15:36-16:10

 The Holy Spirit directs the steps of obedient believers.

Verse: “In their hearts humans plan their course,    but the Lord establishes their steps.”

--Proverbs 16:9

Focus:

~God works through conflicts and disagreements.

~God wants churches to be strengthened and grow.

~Believers can trust God for specific guidance as they seek Him.

Missionary Biography: John and Betty Stam—1934, Anhui Province, China

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10:45am TRU 1st-4th grade 

Main Focus: God Redeems
(Nehemiah--Nehemiah 1-4; 6-9)

Anticipate: The Great Wall of Prayer

Today, in The Big God Story, we will hear about how God’s people in Jerusalem first turned their hearts away and eventually received God’s redeeming love. The hearts of God’s people had hardened, but Nehemiah remembered God’s promise to save them. He asked God to save them and keep them safe from enemies by rebuilding Jerusalem's walls. The Israelites worked together and built a wall higher and stronger than ever. It had only taken them 52 days—when they had been in the process of rebuilding their city for 100 years! Let’s build a strong wall of
prayers to God to strengthen our faith and trust that God redeems the broken parts in our lives.

Worship with singing:  Youth Band
Game: Speedy Redemption Rock Paper Scissor
Memory Verse:

"Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." --Proverbs 19:21

In today's story, we learn more about Queen Esther who began her life as a normal, Jewish girl in captivity and found out God had prepare her to be Queen and to save all her people. It wasn’t easy. She had many choices to make and a lot of thinking to do to figure out how to deliver her message to the king. She had to be brave AND smart AND pretty.  Through out the book of Esther, even though there was no mention of God, we can see God's power at every turn.   This isn’t a girl story, it’s a GOD story! God was in control in every situation Esther had to face.  God is still in control today. 

RESPOND: Heart Puzzle

The pieces of the heart puzzle symbolize all the brokenness in us, our world, around us that only God can redeem. During trying times or times we witness the brokenness in our world, we may feel our hearts are broken, but we can always remember that our righteous God has mercy, grace, and the power and desire to redeem us because He is a loving, forgiving, patient God. Isn’t that something to be comforted by?

Bless:

May God redeem every part of our lives.  May our children tell others the story of how God has redeemed them.