This month's memory verse

Romans 10:14-15

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

Listen to the Podcast

Want weekly retellings of our favorite Bible stories and conversation guides? Listen to the Join The Journey Jr. podcast with the whole family every Monday! 

Listen Now
Monday, Jun 22 Mon
Jun 22
Acts 14:1-7
 Tuesday, Jun 23 Tue
Jun 23
Acts 14:1-28
 Wednesday, Jun 24 Wed
Jun 24

 

 Thursday, Jun 25 Thu
Jun 25

 

 Friday, Jun 26 Fri
Jun 26

 

Try, Try, Again.

Key Verse | Acts 14:3

So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

Acts 14:1-7

Acts of the Apostles 14

Paul and Barnabas in Iconium

1The same thing happened in Iconium.* Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. 2Some of the Jews, however, spurned God’s message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas. 3But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders. 4But the people of the town were divided in their opinion about them. Some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles.

5Then a mob of Gentiles and Jews, along with their leaders, decided to attack and stone them. 6When the apostles learned of it, they fled to the region of Lycaonia—to the towns of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding area. 7And there they preached the Good News.

Footnotes

14:1 Iconium, as well as Lystra and Derbe (14:6), were towns in what is now Turkey.

Observing Iconium

Do you remember what it was like when you first started riding a bike? Share your what you remember about learning to ride a bike. Did you succeed the first time you tried? Did you ride a little way, then fall and try again? Did you have to try multiple times? What did that feel like?  

Paul and Barnabas had a similar experience of trying to share the gospel in different cities. Sometimes, the people listened and decided to follow Jesus. Other times, the people would kick them out of the city and reject the gospel. But they never stopped trying, just like when riding a bike. They didn’t give up. If the gospel was rejected they would keep trying until they felt it was time go to another place and share it again.

Today, read Acts 14:1-7. Follow the observation instructions as you read.

  1. Look at this map and point out where the cities are that are listed.
  2. Underline the locations in your Bible.
  3. Highlight all the verbs (action words) of the people in the city. Use different colors to show different people.
  4. Circle the verbs (action words) of Paul and Barnabas.

Discuss

  1. Who were the people in this story, and which cities did they visit?
  2. What did the people of Iconium do at first when Paul and Barnabas spoke? What changed?
  3. Even though some people were against Paul and Barnabas, how long did they stay and keep trying to share the gospel?
  4. What’s something you’ve had to keep trying at, even when it was hard or you wanted to quit?
  5. The crowd in Iconium got divided—some believed Paul and Barnabas, others didn’t. Why do you think people respond to the same message in different ways?
  6. Has anyone ever not wanted to listen when you talked about Jesus, or rejected something good you offered? How did that feel?
    Who/What gives you the courage to keep doing the right thing even when people don’t respond well?

Pray

  • Thank God for our missionaries who share the gospel with people every day.
  • Ask God to give you courage to keep trying, even after you fail or are rejected.
  • Thank the Holy Spirit for leading you when you are faced with difficult choices.

Every week, pick a day to pray for people around the world who haven’t heard about Jesus yet. The Joshua Project website posts a new unreached people group every day—pull it up at dinner, before bed, or on the way to school and pray for them together.

LAST WEEK
NEXT WEEK