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
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
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But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.
Peter Heals Aeneas and Raises Dorcas
32Meanwhile, Peter traveled from place to place, and he came down to visit the believers in the town of Lydda. 33There he met a man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years. 34Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up, and roll up your sleeping mat!” And he was healed instantly. 35Then the whole population of Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas walking around, and they turned to the Lord.
36There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas*). She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor. 37About this time she became ill and died. Her body was washed for burial and laid in an upstairs room. 38But the believers had heard that Peter was nearby at Lydda, so they sent two men to beg him, “Please come as soon as possible!”
39So Peter returned with them; and as soon as he arrived, they took him to the upstairs room. The room was filled with widows who were weeping and showing him the coats and other clothes Dorcas had made for them. 40But Peter asked them all to leave the room; then he knelt and prayed. Turning to the body he said, “Get up, Tabitha.” And she opened her eyes! When she saw Peter, she sat up! 41He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he called in the widows and all the believers, and he presented her to them alive.
42The news spread through the whole town, and many believed in the Lord. 43And Peter stayed a long time in Joppa, living with Simon, a tanner of hides.
Have you ever had a friend who was so sick that you wished you could just make them better? Have you ever had a plant die that you wanted to try and fix? These are things that you can’t do because you don’t have the power to control them. Today’s passage shows us 2 stories where people didn’t have the power to change a situation, but God did!
In both of our stories, God used Peter to perform 2 miracles. A miracle is something wonderful that only God can do. The miracles we see in Acts 9:32-43 are the healing of a man who couldn’t walk and a lady who had died be raised back to life! Those are some incredible miracles—and something that only God could do. Who else in the Bible did wonderful miracles like these 2 stories? Jesus! Learn more about what these stories teach us about God by reading similar stories where Jesus performed miracles!
Step 1—Read the stories: Read Acts 9:32–35 (Aeneas) and Acts 9:36–43 (Tabitha).
Step 2—Read what Jesus did
Step 3—Compare them
For each pair of stories, answer these questions:
Wonder
Take a moment and just think—what is the most amazing thing God did in what we just read? What’s the most amazing thing God has done in your life? Thank God for that.
Confession
Sometimes, when life is hard or scary, we forget that God is in control. Is there something you’ve been worried about that you haven’t trusted God with yet? Give that worry to God.
Gratitude
Tabitha loved people by using what she had—her hands, her time, her skills. Think of one person in your life who loves you like that. Thank God for them.
Ask
Peter prayed before anything else happened. Is there something in your life—or someone you love—that needs a miracle only God can do? Take a moment to pray for them and that God will do a miracle.