JOIN THE JOURNEY JR.
Families Abiding in Jesus together
With shorter reading assignments and kid-specific focus areas, Join The Journey Jr. is designed to help parents disciple their kids and engage with Scripture in the best ways for their age.
This month's memory verse
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
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And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
38Peter replied, Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away*all who have been called by the Lord our God.
Peter shares the good news of the Gospel with everyone who was listening in Jerusalem. After the people heard Peter talking about Jesus, his death, and resurrection, and how he is now with God in heaven, they felt “cut to the heart.” They wanted to know more, to know Jesus! So, Peter tells them how they can respond to Jesus in verse 38. Peter shares the Gospel with everyone listening. Read Acts 2:38-39 again. Looking at these verses, what is the Gospel? What are the important parts of the Gospel and how do you share it?
The Three Circles Gospel is an easy way to learn and share the Gospel with others. Using the activity and guide below, practice sharing the Gospel.
Circle 1: God’s Plan
God made us to be close friends with him. He loves us and wants us to love and obey him back. But Adam and Eve said no to God, and that let sin in, breaking our perfect friendship with him.
Circle 2: Brokenness
Sin is doing, saying, or thinking things that do not honor God. It breaks our relationship with him. Then we try to feel happy with other things, like sports, being good, or great grades. But none of those things can fix our relationship with God.
Circle 3: Jesus
How can we fix our broken relationship with God? We can’t. Only Jesus can. Jesus came to earth, lived a perfect life, and willingly died on a cross to take on the punishment of our sin. And when Jesus came back to life, he defeated sin and death, giving us the ability to be close to God again. When we repent, or turn away from our sin, and trust in Jesus as our savior, God forgives us and makes our hearts new!
After trusting Jesus as Savior, we grow in faith by reading the Bible, praying, spending time with believers, regularly seeking God’s forgiveness for sins, and sharing the Gospel with others.
Today, learn more about the Gospel by completing the Three Circles Gospel activity. After completing the activity, take time to practice sharing the Gospel with your family. Take turns explaining each of the 3 circles and what they represent in the Gospel.
Challenge: Older children can challenge themselves by adding supporting Scripture to each of the 3 circles. Look up each of the verses below and assign each verse to the circle it represents best (2 per circle).