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
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
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Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.
The Believers Share Their Possessions
32All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. 33The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. 34There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them 35and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.
36For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. 37He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles.
Acts of the Apostles 5
Ananias and Sapphira
1But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. 2He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest.
3Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. 4The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!”
5As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified. 6Then some young men got up, wrapped him in a sheet, and took him out and buried him.
7About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8Peter asked her, “Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?”
“Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.”
9And Peter said, “How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too.”
10Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened.
Have you ever shared something really important with a friend—maybe a favorite toy, a snack, or even a secret? Sharing can feel hard sometimes, especially if what we have feels really special to us. But when we love someone deeply, we often want to share with them.
In Acts 4:32–5:11, we get a picture of what life was like for the very first believers after Jesus went back to heaven. God had saved them, filled them with the Holy Spirit, and brought them together as a brand-new family. Today, we’re going to put on our “Bible detective hats” and carefully observe what God shows us about this community.
As you read Acts 4:32–5:11, look closely and answer these questions:
For older kids, ask them to point to the verse number where they found each answer. Encourage them to explain how the verse answers the question.
Take a few minutes after your observations to discuss what you learned from the passage. Use the questions below: