er oins A School Bible Sudy Guide for Juniors/Teens GraceLink School Curriculum A ublicaion of he School/Personal Minisries Dearmen, 2014 General Conference of Sevenh-day Adveniss, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Sring, MD 20904-6600, U.S.A. All righs reserved. No ar of PerPoins : Bible Sudy Guide for Juniors/Earlieens may be edied, alered, modified adaed, ranslaed, reroduced, or ublished by any erson or eniy wihou rior wrien auhorizaion from he General Conference of Sevenh-day Adveniss. The division offices of he General Conference of Sevenh-day Adveniss are auhorized o arrange for ranslaion of PerPoins : Bible Sudy Guide for Juniors/Earlieens, under secific guidelines. Coyrigh of such ranslaions and heir ublicaion shall remain wih he General Conference. Sevenh-day Advenis, Advenis, and he flame logo are regisered rademarks of he General Conference of Sevenh-day Adveniss and may no be used wihou rior auhorizaion from he General Conference. PerPoins arwork is coyrighed 2014 by he General Conference Cororaion of Sevenh-day Adveniss. Unless oherwise noed, exs are from he Holy Bible, New Inernaional Version, coyrigh 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by ermission. All righs reserved worldwide. Scriures credied o ICB are quoed from he Inernaional Children s Bible, New Cenury Version, coyrigh 1986, 1988, 1989 by Tommy Nelson, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee 37214. Used by ermission. Texs credied o NKJV are from he New King James Version. Coyrigh 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by ermission. All righs reserved. PerPoins (ISSN 1096-1100), Vol. 78, No. 4, fourh quarer 2014. Published four imes er year, mailed quarerly January, Aril, July, and Ocober by he Review and Herald Publishing Associaion, 55 Wes Oak Ridge Drive, Hagersn, Maryland 21740, U.S.A. Tex coyrighed 2014 by he School Dearmen, General Conference of Sevenh-day Adveniss, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Sring, Maryland 20904-6600, U.S.A. Posmaser: Send address changes o PerPoins, Review and Herald Publishing Associaion, 55 Wes Oak Ridge Drive, Hagersn, MD 21740. Periodicals osage aid a Hagersn, Maryland. Single coy, US$9.45 lus osage. One year, Unied Saes: US$25.20; Canada and foreign: US$32.24. Prices subjec o change wihou noice. Prined in U.S.A.
EDITOR BONITA JOYNER SHIELDS EDITORIAL SECRETARY DANIELLA VOLF ASSOCIATE EDITOR ANDREA NAGY EDITORIAL ASSISTANT KATHLEEN SOWARDS CURRICULUM SPECIALIST LYNDELLE BROWER CHIOMENTI WORLD SABBATH SCHOOL DIRECTORS JONATHAN KUNTARAF GARY B. SWANSON GENERAL CONFERENCE ADVISORS GEOFFREY G. MBWANA ELLA SIMMONS CONSULTING EDITOR ELIAS BRASIL DE SOUZA CREATIVE DIRECTOR BRYAN GRAY DESIGN REVIEW AND HERALD DESIGN CENTER SUBSCRIBER SERVICES STEVE HANSON ILLUSTRATIONS STEVE CREITZ, LARS JUSTINEN JUSTINEN CREATIVE GROUP THE POWERPOINTS WRITERS AUDREY BOYLE ANDERSSON VASANTH KHANDAGLE KATHLEEN BEAGLES TOYA KOCH JACKIE BISHOP LINDA KOH DEEANN BRAGAW CAROL MABERLY LINDA CARLYLE VIKKI MONTGOMERY DWAIN ESMOND TANDA MOYER RENÉ EVANS JONATHAN MUSVOSVI KATHY GODDARD REBECCA O FFILL LUANA GREULICH VIRGINIA SMITH BECKY GRICE GARY SWANSON JUDI HEWES EILEEN DAHL VERMEER PAT HUMPHREY DEENA WAGNER NANCY IRLAND MARY WONG NOELENE JOHNSSON RAY ZEEMAN JOHN KAKEMBO Secial hanks o Bailey Gillesie and Suar Tyner of he John Hancock Cener for Youh Evangelism a La Sierra Universiy for iniial work in lanning he GraceLink curriculum, and o Paricia A. Habada for coordinaing he rojec and seeing i o comleion. THE POWERPOINTS PUZZLISTS ROSIE CENTRONE KEN STILES NERILIE HUMPHRIES JOHN HUDSON TINER God s Grace Resores Us er oins 3 YEAR C QTR 4
So he did wha he Lord had old him. He wen o he Kerih Ravine, eas of he Jordan, and sayed here (1 Kings 17:5). Wha is he longes ime you can remember wihou rain? A week? A monh? A coule of monhs? A year? Close your eyes and imagine wha i would be like if no rain came for hree years. Tha is jus he siuaion ha he eole of Israel were facing in he days of Elijah he rohe. Thinking of You Key References: 1 Kings 17:1-16; Prohes and Kings, cha. 9,. 119-128; The Bible Sory, vol. 5,. 12-25; Our Beliefs nos. 18, 11, 3 age 18. er oin 1 conens God s daily care eaches us o rus in His grace. E lijah seed ou of his small home. His hear ached. The beauy of he woods, he rolling hills of he mounains of Gilead, could no bring him eace. Elijah grieved because he eole of Israel, his eole, had rejeced God. In he nearly 100 years since he reign of King David he Hebrew eole had been led by heir kings ino idol worshi. N hey acually believed ha heahen gods like Baal gave hem all he blessings of life. One nigh Elijah heard from God. Elijah. Yes, Lord. Elijah, I wan you o go o King Ahab wih a message. Yes, God. Elijah didn hesiae o do wha God asked him o do. Traveling nigh and day, he walked from his home eas of he Jordan River o Samaria. He walked hrough he beauiful counryside unil he reached he caial ciy. A he alace of King Ahab, Elijah didn ask ermission o see he king. He walked as he guards on duy sraigh ino he hrone room and sood before an asonished Ahab. Raising his hand above THINKING OF YOU Answer me, Lord, answer me, so hese eole will kn ha you, Lord, are God, and ha you are urning heir hears back again (1 Kings 18:37). Have you ever had quesions abou somehing and hen had i roved o you beyond he shad of a doub? Tha s exacly wha God did for he eole of Israel, o urn heir hears back o worshiing Him. Firs Fire, Then Rain Key References: 1 Kings 18:1-40; Prohes and Kings, cha. 11,. 143-154; The Bible Sory, vol. 5,. 26-34; Our Beliefs nos. 3, 17, 18 (OCT. 4 ) 12 age 19. er oin 2 13 God uses evens in our lives o urn our hears o Him. I n he hird year of he drough, God soke o Elijah once again: Go and resen yourself o Ahab, and I will send rain on he land (1 Kings 18:1). Again Elijah immediaely obeyed God s command. He sared he long walk back o Samaria and King Ahab s alace. H differen he land looked n afer hree years of famine. The ground was hard and cracked. Elijah covered his mouh and nose agains he swirling, bling dus. He walked hrough villages in which fresh mounds of sones covered newly buried bodies. Surely, he hough, surely n he eole will be ready o reurn o God. King Ahab was ersonally searching he counryside for asure for his royal animals. The famine had even reached he alace. FIRST FIRE, THEN RAIN The Lord is no sl in keeing his romise, as some undersand slness. Insead he is aien wih you, no waning anyone o erish, bu everyone o come o reenance (2 Peer 3:9). Have you ever rayed for somehing and no goen an answer righ away? Tha haened o Elijah righ afer he had exerienced an insan answer o rayer when fire came dn from heaven on Moun Carmel. This ime, hever, he rayed seven imes before he go an answer. A Promise Ke Key References: 1 Kings 18:41-46; Prohes and Kings, cha. 12,. 155-166; The Bible Sory, vol. 5,. 35-37; Our Beliefs nos. 10, 18, 3 (OCT. 11) 20 age 32. er oin 3 21 God always kees His romises. A fer God answered Elijah s rayer on Moun Carmel by sending fire from heaven, he eole realized ha Baal was a false god. The rohes of Baal, hever, refused o acce Jehovah as he rue God. Even wih he evidence of he burned-u alar, hey would no recognize he er of God. Because of his, Elijah commanded ha hey be killed. No one rohe of Baal escaed. Then Elijah old he king o go and ea, because he knew a grea rain was coming. Bu Elijah didn so o ea and res; he wen o he o of Moun Carmel and looked a he sky over he Medierranean Sea. I was blue. There were no clouds. Elijah heard no hunder. Swirls of dus rose from he barren sides of he mounain ridge. Wihered lans ben in he wind. Bu Elijah believed ha God would send rain o he land as He had romised. Wihou any evidence of rain, Elijah believed rain would come, and had old he king o reare. Elijah bed dn wih his face o he ground and rayed for God s eole. A grea miracle had occurred ha day on Moun A PROMISE KEPT Kee your lives free from he love of money and be conen wih wha you have, because God has said, Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). Have you ever sood nex o a busy highway or a building sie where here were los of noisy machines? H easy was i o alk o someone? Did you need o shou or whiser? Elijah discovered God s er in boh he erful, loud evens and he sill, quie whiser. Running From God Key References: 1 Kings 19:1-18; Prohes and Kings, chas. 12, 13,. 155-176; The Bible Sory, vol. 5,. 38-43; Our Beliefs nos. 7, 3, 11 (OCT. 18) 26 age 33. er oin 4 27 God is always wih us, even in discouraging imes. A fer more han hree years of drough, i rained. Queen Jezebel wasn imressed. Elijah had killed all 450 of he rohes of Baal and sared a siriual renewal in Israel. The eole had reurned o Jehovah God. Jezebel refused o believe in Elijah s God. She boldly declared ha Elijah mus die. A messenger sen from Jezebel walked quickly bringing news o he rohe. The servan said, I have come from Queen Jezebel. She sends his message o you: May he gods deal wih me, be i ever so severely, if by his ime omorr I do no make your life like ha of one of hem (1 Kings 19:2). Elijah had faced hundreds of eole on Moun Carmel, all of whom blamed him for he misery caused by he drough and famine. He had faced he rohes of Baal. Elijah had sood agains he er of evil and drawn he eole back o God. Ye when Elijah go his message from Jezebel he forgo h God had aken care of him during he drough. He forgo abou ravens bringing him food. He forgo abou flour and oil lasing for hree years. He forgo abou he fire ha fell from heaven revealing God s er. Elijah seemed o forge abou he er of God. Jezebel hreaened him, and Elijah ran for his life. Bu God did no forge His servan. Finally Elijah fell aslee on he hard ground. He waned o die. A sof hand ouched his shoulder. Elijah jumed awake, hinking one of Jezebel s servans had found him. Bu a kind face looked a him. God had sen an angel o His frighened servan. Ge u and ea, he angel said, oining o a loaf of bread and a jar of waer. Elijah ae RUNNING FROM GOD Key References: 1 Kings 19:15-18; 2 Kings 2:1, 11; Mahew 17:1-5; Prohes and Kings, cha. 17,. 217-228; The Bible Sory, vol. 5,. 55-60; Our Beliefs nos. 11, 17, 9 The Lord makes firm he ses of he one who delighs in him; hough he may sumble, he will no fall, for he Lord uholds him wih his er oin hand (Psalm 37:23, 24). Running Wih God Have you ever fel ha you had messed u so badly ha hings would never be he same again? Did you wonder if here was any hoe for he fuure? Elijah ran from God, asked o die, bu ended u going o heaven in secial ransoraion sen jus for him. (OCT. 25) 34 age 46. 5 35 God forgives our failures and hels us join Him in His work P icure Elijah a he mouh of he cave, ondering in amazemen h God had soken direcly o him. He undersood ha running away from Jezebel was no ar of God s lan. God had waned him o say and break he er of he worshiers of Baal. Running away hadn been he smares hing he d ever done. No doub he fel a lile ashamed of his acions. Bu Elijah didn si hinking abou himself for oo long. He had work o do. God had said, Go back he way you came. God sill had work for Elijah o do. N Elijah would be running wih God insead of away from Him. Elijah drew his cloak around him. Maybe he smiled o himself. He could almos feel he joy of he Lord giving him srengh. He sood u and headed back he way he had come back ard Israel and Jezebel. As he looked around he could see God s love and grace in everyhing. When he had been running away, everyhing was sill dry and brn and dead from he long drough. N waer was leniful. The land was green again. He was no afraid anymore. He was going o be doing God s work again. RUNNING WITH GOD Key References: Nehemiah 1; 2; Prohes and Kings, cha. 52,. 628-634; The Bible Sory, vol. 6,. 104-110; Our Beliefs nos. 21, 11, 17 Bu be sure o fear he Lord and serve him faihfully wih all your hear; consider wha grea hings he has done for you (1 Samuel 12:24). wer oin Nehemiah s Journal Living wih eole you don kn very well is no easy. Asking for favors from eole you don kn very well is even harder. Our sory his week demonsraes h God gives us he er o serve Him and winess for Him no maer h difficul i may be. If Nehemiah would have wrien a journal abou his exeriences, his sory migh have read somehing like his: o (NOV. 1) 40 age 47. 6 41 Wherever we are, we serve when we share wha we kn abou God. 26h day, Kislev, Year 20, Susa, Persia anani came from Judah oday. He and his friends said he walls of Jerusalem are broken dn and he gaes are burned. A lo of he former residens have reurned. They are suffering oo. They have no roecion wih he walls dn. H could his have haened? I haven been able o ea since hey old me. H 29h day, Kislev, Year 20 I can ea. I can slee. I can only cry and ray abou Jerusalem. I ry no o look disressed while a work. 30h day, Kislev, Year 20 Today I confessed o God he sins of Israel, including my sins and hose of my family. We have aced very wickedly ard Him. We have disobeyed His laws. I asked God o forgive us. I claimed His words. He has romised ha if His eole reurn o Him and obey Him, He will bring hem back o heir homeland. I rayed ha God would give me he courage and he chance o alk o King Araxerxes oday. I rused ha God would insire he king o all me o go back and build u Jerusalem. NEHEMIAH S JOURNAL Key References: Nehemiah 2; 3; Prohes and Kings, cha. 53,. 635-645; The Bible Sory, vol. 6,. 111-114; Our Beliefs nos. 14, 17, 11 I aeal o you, brohers and sisers, in he name of our Lord Jesus Chris, ha all of you agree wih one anoher in wha you say and ha here be no divisions among you, bu ha you be erfecly unied in mind and er oin hough (1 Corinhians 1:10). Building Plans Think abou a fire drill. Do you hink ha all he deails and racices were a wase of ime? Anyone who has escaed alive from a fire robably doesn feel ha way abou having a well-rehearsed lan o avoid disaser. Le s coninue o visualize Nehemiah s journal. (NOV. 8) 48 age 60. 7 49 We serve God bes when we work ogeher wih a careful lan. 4h day, Av, Year 20 m glad I ook my midnigh ride before I old he ciy leaders abou my lan o rebuild he wall. Because I had all he facs ogeher, hey are convinced ha his is God s will. The cooeraion of he riess has really heled move his rojec forward. They and he nobles have beauifully organized hemselves. The nobles have organized he eole ino comanies. Each comany is resonsible for rebuilding a secion of he wall or one of he gaes. Mos of he comanies are made u of family, ciy/disric, or rofessional grous. One man who has no sons brough his daughers o hel build. The merchans, goldsmihs, and Temle servans are he mos acive of he rofessionals. Some eole, esecially he riess, have aken resonsibiliy for rebuilding near heir homes and in heir disrics. All he grous work side by side, and where one grou ends is work, anoher one sars. There is no a secion on he wall where someone isn working. Everyone is cooeraing exce he Tekoie nobles. Some Tekoies do hel, bu mos of hem won lif a finger. I don undersand heir aiude. The work would go so much faser wih heir hel. We need every hand we can ge and wih he way everyone else is working, we ll ge he work done. Eliashib, he high ries, has been a ireless worker. He even consecraed he Shee Gae ha he has aken I BUILDING PLANS 55 4 (NOV. 15) 54
Our Beliefs nos. 8, 11, 10 125-128; Our Beliefs nos. 22, 17, 12 The Bible Sory, vol. 7,. 13-17; Our Beliefs nos. 5, 4, 11 vol. 5,. 282-286; The Bible Sory, vol. 7,. 23-26; Our Beliefs nos. 23, 5, 4 Sory, vol. 7,. 27-42; Our Beliefs nos. 4, 3, 10 Key References: Mahew 2:1-15; The Desire of Ages, cha. 6,. 59-67; The Bible Sory, vol. 7,. 47-56; Our Beliefs nos. 1, 18, 8 When our enemies heard ha we were aware of heir lo and ha God had frusraed i, we all reurned o he wall, each o our n work (Nehemiah 4:15). Has anyone ever oked fun a you for doing wha was righ or ried o force you o so doing i? Have you ever We can rely on God s srengh o fel discouraged and waned o give u? Tha is jus h use us o serve. some of he Jews and Nehemiah fel when hey were rebuilding he wall around Jerusalem. Read on o discover wha haened. 30h day, Av, Year 20 eroin back o life from hose heas of rubble burned as hey are? (Nehemiah 4:2). Then Tobiah sared saying ha even a fox could climb u and break dn he wall. I couldn le his ass. I rayed loud enough for hem o hear me: Hear us, our God, for we are desised. Turn heir insuls back on heir n heads. Give hem over as lunder in a land of caiviy. Do no cover u heir guil or blo ou heir sins from your sigh, for hey have hrn insuls in he face of he builders (verses 4, 5). As usual hey skulked away, bu I kn hey ll be back. We can le hem so us. You would hink hey wouldn be so subborn, esecially since I have a commission from he king. The wall is halfway u! The eole are willing o work hard, and I will do everyhing I can o hel hem coninue. Give raise o he Lord, roclaim his name; make knn among he naions wha he has done. Sing o him, sing raise o him; ell of all his wonderful acs (1 Chron icles 16:8, 9). Imagine yourself being seleced o serve as an elder in your local church. H would you handle church members who are no willing o serve God? Le s find ou h We serve God when we ell Elder Nehemiah handled he roblems he faced. ohers wha He has done for us. 24h day of Elul, Year 20, Jerusalem eroin eaching from he Book of he Law, hen we confessed our sins. This ook half he day. We worshied and raised God for he res of he day. The Levies shared a wonderful rayer ha old h God has blessed us from he beginning. They alked abou h God had led Abraham ou of Ur; h our ancesors suffered in Egy and h God led hem ou hrough he divided sea; h He led hem by a illar of cloud by day and fire by nigh; h He gave he law o hem, fed hem wih manna, gave hem waer, and heir clohes and shoes did Bu you are a chosen eole, a royal rieshood, a holy naion, God s secial ossession, ha you may declare he raises of him who called you ou of darkness ino his wonderful ligh (1 Peer 2:9). Think of a ime you were chosen for somehing secial. H did you feel? Today in our lesson God sends an We worshi God because He angel o ell Mary ha He has chosen her above all ohers o be he moher of His Son. Think of h Mary mus has chosen us as His n. have fel when he angel aeared o her and h she resonded o he angel s message. eroin had always dreamed of. She remembered when hey announced heir engagemen. Everyone was so leased. N here was so much o do geing ready for he wedding. Suddenly she became aware of someone in he room. A beauiful angel was here wih her, walking ard her. Mary was afraid. She began o remble. Her mouh was dry. She was no able o say a word. She jus looked in seechless amazemen. Coming over o her, he angel said, Greeings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is wih you. Mary sank o her knees. She was in shock. Wha did his all mean? Wha could an angel have o ell a young girl like her? The angel coninued, Do no be afraid, Mary; you have found Le he morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have u my rus in you. Sh me he way I should go, for o you I enrus my life (Psalm 143:8). Think of a ime you have been disaoined when lans We worshi you made didn work ou. You migh hen undersand God when we h Joseh fel when he discovered ha Mary didn rus His lan aear o be he girl of his dreams. Le s imagine heir for our lives. conversaion. eroin oseh looked u, and his hear began o bea a lile faser. Mary Jwas coming u he ah. His beauiful, beauiful Mary. Jus he sigh of her made him smile. I wouldn be long n unil he wedding rearaions were comleed, and she would finally be his wife. He had missed her he hree monhs she had been visiing her cousin in he hill counry. Mary walked slly, Joseh noed, no quickly and eagerly as she usually did. Mary! he called. She looked u and icked u her ace. When Mary arrived, her eyes and face shed ha she had an imoran message o share. Joseh mus have fel fear rickling somewhere near his somach. Somehing was wrong. He was sure of i. Mary looked around and observed he wooden objecs ha Joseh The sheherds reurned, glorifying and raising God for all he hings hey had heard and seen, which were jus as hey had been old (Luke 2:20). Think of a ime you heard some really good news. H We worshi God hard was i o kee i o yourself? H did you share i when we acce wih your friends and family? Read on o find ou h he gif of His Son. angels and sheherds shared he good news hey heard. When you have finished he sory, hink h you can sread he same good news oday. eroin Joseh s worksho was alking abou i. The older cusomers moaned and groaned; he younger ones hough i would be grea fun o make a journey back o where heir families had come from, meeing disan cousins and making new friends. Tha evening Joseh genly broke he news o Mary; hey would have o make he journey o Behlehem, since hey were King David s descendans. Everyone had o go back o he lace ha heir family had come from. In a few days everyhing was acked and ready o go. They would make he journey slly, caming along he way. Mary couldn walk he 80 miles, and even riding on a donkey was uncomforable. Hever, Joseh did his bes guiding he donkey o avoid he bums in he road. I was evening when hey finally arrived in Behlehem. All he inns were full. They rudged from one inn o he nex, bu no one had any room for hem. The innkeeers were sorry, bu hey were full. The Lord will guide you always; he will saisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will srenghen your frame. You will be like a well-waered garden, like a sring whose waers never fail (Isaiah 58:11). Did you ever wonder wha o do or which way o go? H helful would i have been o have had a guide? In We worshi God his sory, several eole received guidance from God. when we foll Try o icure heir exeriences... His guidance. eroin firs. You jus may have somehing his ime, relied he second. He urned o his scrolls. According o Balaam s rohecy, a sar shall come ou of Jacob, and according o he wriings of Daniel, he ime for he Messiah s coming should be near (see Numbers 24:17 and Daniel 9:25, 26). The scholars from eas of Judea coninued heir sudy and discussion far ino he evening. Tha nigh hey fell aslee hinking abou he sar, he rohecies, and he baby King who was o be a Savior for all naions. God age 61. 63 age 74. 69 age 75. 77 age 88. 83 age 89. 91 age 102. 97 8 God s Figh Key References: Nehemiah 4; 5; Prohes and Kings, cha. 53. 635-645; The Bible Sory, vol. 6,. 115-120; anballa is furious. Today he wen hrough he ciy roaring, Wha Sare hose feeble Jews doing? Will hey resore heir wall? Will hey offer sacrifices? Will hey finish in a day? Can hey bring he sones 9 Giving God he Credi Key References: Nehemiah 9; 13:1-22; Prohes and Kings, cha. 56,. 661-668; The Bible Sory, vol. 6,. he wall is finished. The feasing and celebraing are over. Today we Though abou more solemn hings. As is our cusom, we fased, wore rough clohes, and u dus on our heads. We lisened o he GOD S FIGHT (NOV. 22) 62 10 God s Choice Key References: Luke 1:26-56; The Desire of Ages, cha. 10,. 98; cha. 15,. 145; ary was working inside, enjoying he coolness. I was so ho Mouside in he middle of he day. As she worked she hough abou Joseh. He was so loving and kind, jus he kind of husband she GIVING GOD THE CREDIT (NOV. 29) 68 11 A Change of Plans Key References: Mahew 1:18-25; The Desire of Ages, cha. 3,. 31-42; The SDA Bible Commenary, GOD S CHOICE (DEC. 6) 76 12 Joy o You and Me Key References: Key Texs: Luke 2:1-20; The Desire of Ages, cha. 4,. 43-49; The Bible o doub he whole n was buzzing wih he news. The emeror NCaesar Augusus had issued a decree ha here should be a census of all he counries in he Roman Emire. Everyone who came ino A CHANGE OF PLANS (DEC. 13) 82 13 Dreams, Journeys, and a Sar s darkness gahered, some scholars caugh a glimse of he Anew sar hey had firs noiced he nigh before. Look! There i is again. I looks as if i is beckoning o us, saying Foll me, said he JOY TO YOU AND ME (DEC. 20) 90 DREAMS, JOURNEYS, AND A STAR (DEC. 27) 96 Parens! See he back of he book for a secial Parens Page o go wih each lesson.
ourbeliefs 1The Word of God The Naure of Man I believe ha God insired hrough he 7 I believe ha Jesus made eole in Holy Siri every wrier of he Bible. Everyhing wrien in he Word of God is rue, and can hel me live a hay and healhy life. 2 The Godhead I believe ha he God who loves me is One God manifesed in hree ersons he Faher, he Son, and he Holy Siri. Each works hard o each me h o live a beer, more meaningful life. 3 God he Faher I believe ha God he Faher is he er ha kees me and every oher creaure in he universe alive. He is kind and forgiving, and will never leave me. 4 God he Son I believe ha Jesus, God he Son, creaed his world and everyhing good in i. Two housand years ago, He came o his earh as a baby, grew u, and lived a sinless life. He hen died on he cross so ha I could someday live forever wih Him in heaven. 5 6 God he Holy Siri I believe ha God he Holy Siri seaks o me hrough ha sill, small voice I hear in my houghs whenever I feel afraid, sad, or lonely. He ells me ha everyhing will be all righ. The Holy Siri also ries o each me righ from wrong by making me feel guily when I sin and joyful each ime I choose o obey God s laws of love. 6 Creaion I believe ha Jesus creaed everyhing in six days and hen resed on he sevenh day. When He finished making he rees, animals, oceans, mounains, and eole, Jesus looked around a all ha He had done and said joyfully, This is very good! he image of God. Each enjoys he freedom o hink and ac any way hey choose. Even hough sin and bad choices have brough ain and suffering o many, we re sill children of God. Wih he hel of he Holy Siri, we can care for each oher jus as God cares for each one of us. 8 The Grea Conroversy I believe ha Saan is a real being who wans o desroy us all. He works hard each day o bring sin ino our lives. God wans us o live each day wih joy, hainess, and love. God and Saan are fighing for conrol over our lives and our fuures. To hel us overcome sin, Jesus sends he Holy Siri and loving angels o guide and roec us. 9 Life, Deah, and Resurrecion of Jesus I believe ha Jesus lived a erfec life in order o sh us ha i s ossible o overcome sin. He died on he cross so I won have o lose my heavenly home because of my sins. Then, God he Faher raised Jesus from he dead o sh h He ll someday raise me from he dead if I die before Jesus reurns. 10 The Exerience of Salvaion I believe ha when I all Jesus ino my hear, He hels me change from a sinner o a child of God, ready o live forever in heaven. He eaches me h o be like Him as I read my Bible and foll he loving guidance of he Holy Siri. Because of Jesus, I can feel confiden ha I m forgiven and ha here s a home waiing for me in heaven. 11 Gring in Jesus I believe ha when someone invies Jesus ino heir hear, changes sar o haen. Wha hey read, wach on elevision or on he Inerne, ea, and lisen o, and he laces hey go, even he words hey say, will change. The ages of he Bible will become like a exbook for living, and hey will alk o Jesus hroughou each day. These changes kee haening, day afer day, unil Jesus comes. 12 The Church I believe ha my church is a lace where eole who love Jesus can raise Him ogeher wih joy and aniciaion. I s like aending a fun family reunion each week. Jesus loves His church and lisens o every word soken and every song sung. 13 The Remnan and Is Mission I believe ha before Jesus comes he second ime, some eole in my church will choose sin over salvaion. Those who say faihful o Jesus and o wha he voice of he Holy Siri ells hem o do are called he remnan, and hey will work exra hard o bring he love of God o he world. Though he remnan may be small in number, hey will accomlish grea hings for God so ha Jesus can reurn. 14 Uniy in he Body of Chris I believe ha any church whose members worshi God should welcome eole from any naion, who seak any language, and whose skin is any color. We re all equal in God s sigh. H we look and h we sound makes no difference. We re all children of he same heavenly Faher. 15 Baism I believe ha when I m baized, I m elling everyone ha I love God and wan o live my life in service o Him. Baism is like being buried as a sinner and hen rising u o live a new life for Jesus.
16 The Lord s Suer I believe ha when Jesus ae His las meal wih His disciles righ before He was crucified, He augh us somehing wonderful. He said ha he grae juice (wine) reresened His silled blood and ha he bread reresened His broken body. When I arake of The Lord s Suer a church, i hels me remember he sacrifice Jesus made for me on he cross. 17 Siriual Gifs and Minisries I believe ha God has given us secial alens ha we can use o serve Him. We each enjoy differen skills such as music, reaching, eaching, ar, giving Bible sudies, visiing he sick, or making eole feel welcome when hey visi our church. Each siriual gif is imoran o God s work. 18 The Gif of Prohecy I believe ha he eole in God s church have needed hel kning h o live and wha o look forward o in he fuure. So God invied a woman named Ellen G. Whie o be His rohe and rovide guidance, insrucion, and correcion for His eole. Her wriings also hel us undersand he imoran lessons found in he Bible. 19 The Law of God I believe ha God s Ten Commandmens conain he bes rules for living. Each is designed o roec me from sin and hel me love God and ohers beer. Each reresens h much God loves me and h He wans me o live a hay, healhy life. Obeying he Ten Commandmens is like saying I love You o God and ohers. 20 The I believe ha God creaed he sevenh day (Saurday) o be a holy day. He commands me o res, worshi Him, and do secial work for Him on ha day as a way of shing Him and ohers ha I believe He is he Creaor of all good hings. God s holy begins a sundn on Friday and ends a sundn on Saurday. 21 Sewardshi I believe ha everyhing belongs o God: he rees, he flers, he animals even me. God has asked me o ake care of wha He creaed and o roec all hings from harm even me. So I will cherish God s creaures and creaion. To sh Him h roud I am o be His seward, I ll faihfully reurn a ihe (10 ercen) of my ime, alen, and money. I wan God o bless his world and everyhing in i even me. 22 Adaed from God Loves Me 28 Ways By Charles Mills Chrisian Behavior I believe ha anyone who loves Jesus should alk, ac, ea, work, and lay differenly from hose who love Saan. Everyhing I do should sh ohers ha Jesus lives in my hear and ha I m doing my bes o live by His rules of love. Marriage and 23 he Family I believe ha in order for us o undersand he joy of living in heaven, God invies us o creae families here on his earh. Our heavenly Faher wans our earhly homes o be safe laces where we learn abou His love and forgiveness. When we love our brohers and sisers, arens and grandarens, uncles and auns, we re exeriencing a beauiful examle of wha i will be like o live in heaven wih everyone who has chosen o love and obey God. 24 Jesus Minisry in he Heavenly Sancuary I believe ha God insruced Moses and he children of Israel o build a emle in he wilderness o exlain wha Jesus is doing righ n in heaven. In he wilderness he riess offered o God animal sacrifices for he forgiveness of sins and ronounced judgmen on hose who chose o do evil. Tha s wha Jesus is doing righ n in heaven. He is our heavenly ries who forgives us, cleanses sin from our hears, and finally welcomes us home o heaven. 25 The Second Coming of Jesus I believe ha one day soon Jesus is going o reurn o his earh and invie everyone who has chosen o love and obey Him o heaven. When He comes, hose who hae Him will be desroyed. Bu everyone else, even he faihful who have died in he as, will leave his dark world and send eerniy wih Jesus. 26 Deah and Resurrecion I believe ha Jesus can raise eole from he dead. He did i before, raising Lazarus and he wid s son, and He will do i again when He comes he second ime. So even hough some of my family members are aslee in heir graves, I ll see hem again because of he er of God over deah. 27 The Millennium and he End of Sin I believe ha someday sin and sinners will be gone forever. Even hose who died haing God will fully undersand he lies ha Saan old hem, and will agree ha God s judgmen is jus. Wihou God s resence o shield hem from harm, Saan and every sinner will be comleely desroyed by fire. 28 The New Earh I believe ha afer Saan and sinners are desroyed, my heavenly Faher will creae a brand-new world for us o enjoy. There will be no deah, no ears, no ain, no suffering. All, will be eace and love. Bes of all, I will enjoy his wonderful world forever ogeher wih my family and all who love God. 7
biblical ime line Is your life exciing and fun every single day? Probably no! Bu everyone exeriences cerain evens ha are memorable and even lifechanging. Being born is cerainly one of hose major evens in life! Saring school, erforming your firs music recial, learning o read, going on a mission ri, invening a game ha your friends love o lay, or commiing your life o Jesus by being baized may be oher evens you remember. Somehing erribly sad may also have haened ha you can forge. The Bible is a lile bi like your life. Even hough i conains many sories, and all of hem can each us somehing abou God and His love for us, only a few of he Bible sories conain evens ha are boh memorable and life-changing. Those evens were urning oins in he hisory of God s eole. Once hey ook lace, everyhing was differen aferward. Six of hose life-changing sories are illusraed in he six icures you see bel. Very likely you can look a hem and figure ou wha Bible sories hey reresen. The six icures form a Bible-icure ime line ha can hel you make sense of he whole, big Bible sory. 1600 900 900 CREATION THE FLOOD THE EXODUS FROM EGYPT THE CAPTIVITY IN BABYLON Wihou i none of us would be here. Tha cerainly changed everyhing forever! The world is very differen n from wha i was like before he Flood. Afer God s eole were led ou of Egy, hey became a naion. They were no longer jus individual families and ribes. God s eole wandered far from he friendshi God waned o have wih hem, so He sen hem ino caiviy in Babylon. Evenually hey were able o reurn home, bu never again did hey have heir n king. They were always under he er of some oher kingdom. 8
3A Promise Ke Key References: 1 Kings 18:41-46; Prohes and Kings, cha. 12,. 155-166; The Bible Sory, vol. 5,. 35-37; Our Beliefs nos. 10, 18, 3 The Lord is no sl in keeing his romise, as some undersand slness. Insead he is aien wih you, no waning anyone o erish, bu everyone o come o reenance (2 Peer 3:9). Have you ever rayed for somehing and no goen an In your Bible Sudy Guide you will find each weekly School lesson marked as o where i fis in he big Bible sory. Today we live beween he firs coming and he second coming of Jesus. We live very close o he Second Coming! As you become more familiar wih fiing he individual sories ino he icure ime line, you will beer undersand he Bible as one big sory and become closer friends wih Jesus. And when you see h he small sories fi around he six bigger sories, hen he Bible will become even more meaningful o you. Hoefully you will realize more han ever ha you are ar of he big Bible sory! answer righ away? Tha haened o Elijah righ afer he had exerienced an insan answer o rayer when fire came dn from heaven on Moun Carmel. This ime, hever, he rayed seven imes before he go an answer. A fer God answered Elijah s rayer on Moun Carmel by s fire from heaven, he eole realized ha Baal was a fal The rohes of Baal, hever, refused o acce Jehovah as God. Even wih he evidence of he burned-u alar, hey wou recognize he er of God. Because of his, Elijah command hey be killed. No one rohe of Baal escaed. Then Elijah old he king o go and ea, because he knew a rain was coming. Bu Elijah didn so o ea and res; he wen o of Moun Carmel and looked a he sky over he Medierra Sea. I was blue. There were no clouds. Elijah heard no hunder of dus rose from he barren sides of he mounain ridge. Wihe lans ben in he wind. Bu Elijah believed ha God would sen o he land as He had romised. Wihou any evidence of rain, El believed rain would come, and had old he king o reare. Elijah bed dn wih his face o he ground and rayed fo God s eole. A grea miracle had occurred ha day on Moun 600 2000 1000 THE FIRST COMING OF JESUS A las he Messiah, Jesus, for whom God s eole had been waiing housands of years, came o his earh o rescue us from he er of sin. From hen on, he message abou His love and salvaion began o go o he whole world. THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS This is he las major even foreold in he Bible. When Jesus comes, He will ake us o heaven and end sin and suffering forever. 9
dear suden You are a gif from God, and He loves you very much! If he Lord kns each sar by name and makes sure ha i is in he roer lace each nigh (Isaiah 40: 26), h much more imoran are you? No every erson is alike. Look around you. Everyone has differen color eyes, hair, skin, and build (all, shor, big-boned, and hin). We all learn differenly. Some eole learn by lisening, ohers by sigh, and sill ohers by ouch. Some eole use all hree ways o learn. Regardless of h you learn, he Lord wans you o love Him and serve Him wih all your hear. You do ha when you ray, learn abou Him (in your lesson sudy), alk abou Him o ohers, and do wha is righ. Here is a grea ruh you should kn abou he Lord: Jesus isn rimarily concerned abou h well you can read or wrie, or even h well you can seak. Wha Jesus cares abou mos is h much you love Him and wan Him in your life. The greaes accomlishmen in your life will be o sh ohers h much God has blessed your life. In school you use differen ways o ge he informaion ha you wan. Use hose same ways o learn more abou he Lord: Use your comuer, ipod, or ipad o hear or sudy your lesson. Or have your arens read your lesson o you. Use he Bible on CD, or he audio odcas of your lesson a www.junioreroins.org/ odcas.h?channel=1. I does no maer which way you ge he informaion, as long as you are gring and mauring in he Lord. Think abou his when you mee Jesus face o face: He is no going o ask o see h well you wrie somehing. He will no ask you o read anyhing. His only ursui is o read your hear o see h much you love Him. He wans o send eerniy wih you! This Bible sudy guide is abou... God s grace, which enables us o rus in Him, kning ha He will rovide for us regardless of our circumsances. Revealing God s love by serving, because God s love comels us o miniser o he needs we see around us, rusing God and sanding srong when oressed. Worshiing God, who gave us His Son, by exressing our graiude for he greaes gif of all ime God s Son, born o be our Savior. Our resonse o God s grace, which insires us o give of ourselves o Him and o ohers. Welcome o PerPoins abou God s grace. God s grace is er. I s he unlimied, for-sure, forever er ha finds you and fills you u wih everyhing you need o live a full and wonderful life in Him. 10
H o use his Bible sudy guide These lessons, including he sory, are o remind you of wha you sudied from he Bible in School he week before. They include ideas for living wha you learned. Oher ideas hel you communicae wih God hrough rayer, reading from your Bible, and reflecing on wha you read. Tha is h o gr your n relaionshi wih Jesus. These sories and aciviies aren like a school lesson for you o sudy before a es. Acually, a big ar of your School lesson is he sudy you do from he Bible and he discussions you have wih your eachers in School. Maybe you don have a School class ha sudies he lesson. Or maybe you wan o kn he Bible sory before you ge o School. If ha s so, why don you read for yourself he Bible exs and references lised a he beginning of each sory? Or beer ye, read hem wih an adul for Friday nigh worshi. You migh even hink u some quesions as you read. Be sure o wrie hem dn so you can ask your eacher on morning. Mos imoran, lease ake ime o read, ray, and reflec on Jesus every day. Ask Him o hel you aly wha you sudy o wha you do in real life. I isn only wha you kn wih your head, bu i s also wha you kn wih your hear, ha hels you be a srong, gring Chrisian. Hay gring in Jesus! The Edior PS: Wrie and ell us h you re gring in Jesus. School/Personal Minisries Dearmen 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Sring, MD 20904 GRACE God hels us undersand grace. (LESSONS 1 THROUGH 5) Elijah fed by God. Fire falls on sacrifice. Rain comes as romised. Elijah runs for his life. Elijah is aken o heaven. SERVICE We reveal God s love by serving. (LESSONS 6 THROUGH 9) Nehemiah reurns o Jerusalem. Peole hel rebuild he ciy. Nehemiah faces challenges. Israel renews covenan. WORSHIP We raise God for His greaes gif. (LESSONS 10 THROUGH 12) Angel Gabriel visis Mary. Joseh russ he angel. Jesus is born. GRACE IN ACTION God reveals His love and roecion. (LESSON 13) Dreams guide Wise Men and Joseh. 11