Bible Truths
- God wants to communicate with us. (Week 9)
- God has promised us eternal life through Jesus. (Week 10)
- We are sinners who need a Savior. (Week 13)
Bible Verse
He must become more important. I must become less important.
John 3:30 NIrV
Focus
God had announced the coming of His Son. He wanted to make sure the people were ready for His Son. God sends another prophet, John.
Day 1
Watch Birth of a Prophet from The Action Bible.
Day 2
Last week we learned about that the Old Testament prophets predicted the birth of Jesus. They also predicted the birth of John.
3A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. 5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
Isaiah 40:3-5 NIV
“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.
Malachi 3:1 NIV
Day 3
Today we are going to look Matthew’s account of John the Baptist.
1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.” 4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan.
Matthew 3:1-5 NIV
Now compare Matthew’s passage with what the Old Testament prophets wrote.
- How are the passages a like?
- How are are they different?
Day 4
Re-read the passage from yesterday. Notice how John is described. John was different. He didn’t live a town or home like others. He wandered around in the wilderness or desert preaching. He didn’t wear normal clothes or even eat normal food.
What was really different about John was his teaching. He was calling to people to God. Many thought he might be the promised One from God but he wasn’t. John knew that his purpose was to share God’s message and show others Jesus. John’s message was to repent from your sins and turn to God. Repent actually means to turn away or change directions. Have you done what John was preaching? Have you ever turned away from your sins to turn towards God? If you haven’t and would like to discuss it please leave a comment, message or call us.
Day 5
If you have turned away from your sins and have accepted God’s gift of salvation your life should show it. As a Christian we are called to share God’s love and our faith with others. That is why our church supports ministries like The Mission, Operation Christmas Child, Eagles Nest and Christian Motorcycle Association. Those ministries share God’s love and message of hope in both words and practical ways. It is also important to share God’s love with our family and friends. This week is there someone you know who needs to hear of God’s love. What is one why you can share with them?
Have a blessed week and keep growing in grace. — Dee