Honour of Kings - Bible Curriculum Book II

Honour of Kings - Bible Curriculum Book II Getting to Know the Bible - New Testament Copyright 2014 Matthew B. Gerwitz / Honour of Kings All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any commercial manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author and/or publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Homeschooling parents may copy this book for use among multiple children in the same household only. You may not copy it and give it to others. Published in the United States of America August 2014 Published by: Matthew B. Gerwitz / Honour of Kings Haines City, Florida ISBN # Cover Designed by Matt Gerwitz Artwork Provided by: Bible illustrations Sweet Publishing (http://sweetpublishing.com) made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. 2

Table of Contents INTRODUCTION...4 LESSON 1 - Birth of John The Baptist...5 LESSON 2 - Birth of Jesus...9 LESSON 3 - John Baptizes Jesus...13 LESSON 4 Jesus Tempted by Satan...17 LESSON 5 Jesus Turns Water to Wine...20 LESSON 6 Jesus Cleanses the Temple...23 LESSON 7 Through the Roof...26 LESSON 8 The Beatitudes...29 LESSON 9 Calming the Storm...33 LESSON 10 Jesus Feeds 5,000...36 LESSON 11 Walking on Water...39 LESSON 12 The Good Samaritan...42 LESSON 13 The Prodigal Son...45 LESSON 14 Lazarus Raised From the Dead...48 LESSON 15 The Last Supper...51 LESSON 16 The Crucifixion...54 LESSON 17 The Resurrection...57 LESSON 18 The Day of Pentecost...60 LESSON 19 Stephen: Deacon and Martyr...63 LESSON 20 Saul's Conversion...66 LESSON 21 The Unknown God...69 LESSON 22 Paul Shipwrecked at Melita...72 LESSON 23 The Faith of Abraham...75 LESSON 24 Building a Stronger Faith...78 LESSON 25 Running the Race...81 LESSON 26 Spiritual Gifts...84 LESSON 27 Love Is...87 LESSON 28 Joyful Giving...90 LESSON 29 Used by God for His Glory...93 LESSON 30 Sowing and Reaping...96 LESSON 31 The Gift of Salvation...99 LESSON 32 The Armor of God...102 LESSON 33 Hold Fast to Faith...105 LESSON 34 Faith Is Required to Please God...108 LESSON 35 Faith and Works...111 LESSON 36 Submission to Authority...114 LESSON 37 Witnesses of the Word...117 LESSON 38 John Sees the Revelation...120 LESSON 39 The White Throne Judgment...123 LESSON 40 The New Heaven and Earth...126 3

INTRODUCTION Thank you for purchasing the Honour of King's Bible series; we appreciate your support of our company. Before you begin there are couple of things you should know: 1. The curriculum is a six book series divided into three subject categories: Getting to Know the Bible - Old Testament (ages 4 to 10) Getting to Know the Bible - New Testament (ages 4 to 10) Foundational Doctrines of the Bible I (ages 10 to 14) Foundational Doctrines of the Bible II (ages 10 to 14) How to Study the Bible I (ages 14 to 18) How to Study the Bible II (ages 14 to 18) 2. Each set of two books is designed to be covered at least once during the age-appropriate years. Each individual book includes 40 lessons suitable for a full school year. Lessons are intended to be completed weekly; feel free to go faster or slower as needed. 3. Each lesson consists of: The Bible text printed out so lessons can be taught without need for a copy of the Bible (encouraging your children to follow along in their own Bibles is a good idea) A series of age-appropriate comprehension questions A series of age-appropriate application questions A selection of age-appropriate vocabulary words A set of age-appropriate hands-on exercises to teach the Biblical principle learned (The questions and vocabulary are just a guideline - you may use them as you see fit.) Note: all Scripture is taken from the KJV1611 version of the Bible published in 1769. Text is altered only to replace some of the old English words with their modern equivalents. But: no punctuation has been changed no sentence structure has been changed no phraseology has been changed we have only changed words like thee, thou, wont, sitteth, walkest, etc. Our purpose here is to make reading the Scriptures feel and sound more natural as it's read. However, make no mistake that we are 100% committed to the King James 1611 version. If you find any words you believe should not be altered because the modern equivalent is not appropriate, let us know. EXAMPLE: "God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying," (Romans 11:2) BECOMES: "God has not cast away his people which he foreknew. Know you not what the scripture says of Elias? how he makes intercession to God against Israel, saying," (Romans 11:2) 4

LESSON 1 - Birth of John The Baptist Summary for Parents As we established in Book 1 of this series, the point of these lessons is to teach your children the basic stories of the Christian faith. Teaching these stories is fundamental in helping them understand who God is. The first story of John the Baptist opens up the wonders of the New Testament. You may want to focus on John's birth having laid the foundation for the birth of Jesus. It's as though John was given to mankind as a way to show God's promise of a Messiah would indeed come to pass. He was born to tell the rest of the world that Jesus was on his way. You might also explain how some people don't believe God's promises despite the evidence clearly in front of their faces. Luke 1:5-23 5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. 8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, 9 According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, Fear not, Zacharias: for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elisabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you shall have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. 15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. 16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. 17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. 18 And Zacharias said to the angel, How shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. 19 And the angel answering said to him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak to you, and to show you these glad tidings. 20 And, behold, you shall be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because you believe not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. 21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he tarried so long in the temple. 22 And when he came out, he could not speak to them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned to them, and remained speechless. 23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. 5

More than 2,000 years ago there was a husband and wife known as Zacharias and Elisabeth. Zacharias was a Jewish priest who took his turn serving in the temple in Jerusalem before returning to his own home. He and his wife had no children, and both were rather old. But God had great plans for them. One day, as Zacharias was ministering in the temple, an angel by the name of Gabriel came to visit him. Gabriel told Zacharias that Elisabeth would give birth to a baby boy; a baby boy who would be filled with the Holy Spirit and who would grow up to be a messenger of God. The angel explained that this boy would eventually be a prophet who would help turn the hearts of some of the people back to God. Now, understand that Zacharias and Elisabeth had both been praying for quite a while that God would give them a child. And also keep in mind that Gabriel specifically told Zacharias his prayer had been heard. Unfortunately, Zacharias didn't believe what Gabriel was telling him. He asked Gabriel to give him a sign to prove his message was true. Well, Gabriel gave him a sign alright. But probably not the sign he was looking for. Gabriel told Zacharias that he would not be able to speak again until his son was born. Try as he might, Zacharias could not make the words come out of his mouth from that point forward. Luke 1:57-64 57 Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. 58 And her neighbors and her cousins heard how the Lord had shown great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her. 59 And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. 60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. 61 And they said to her, There is none of your kindred that is called by this name. 62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. 63 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marveled all. 64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, and praised God. When the time came that Elisabeth's baby was born, she gave birth to a son just as Gabriel had said. Eight days later they took the boy to the temple to have him circumcised before the Lord. And while the people of the town wanted to name him after his father, his mother insisted his name should be John. After all, those were the instructions Gabriel gave Zacharias nine months earlier. The townspeople insisted that John could not be the boy's name, because no one else in his family had ever been given that name. But they agreed to ask Zacharias. Because he could not yet speak, Zacharias asked for a writing tablet on which he wrote, His name is John. That act of faith and obedience led to Zacharias being able to speak once again. And in so doing, Zacharias praised God for what he had done. 6

Comprehension Questions - ages 4 to 6 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. What was the name of Zacharias' wife? (Elisabeth) Why did Zacharias and Elisabeth pray for a child? (they had no kids) What did Gabriel say about their prayers? (God heard them) Was Elisabeth to have a boy or a girl? (a boy) What name did Gabriel say the boy should have? (John) Comprehension Questions - ages 7 to 10 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Why did Zacharias doubt the angel Gabriel? (both he and his wife were old) What was John's job to be when he grew up? (he was to be a messenger of the Lord) What would his message do for some of the people? (turn their hearts back to God) How was John to be successful in his job? (by being filled with the Holy Spirit) What did it take for Zacharias to be able to speak again? (faith & obedience in naming his son) Application Questions - ages 4 to 6 1. Do you think not having kids made Zacharias and Elisabeth sad? Why or why not? 2. Do you remember what Zacharias' job was? (priest) Do you think he expected his son to be a priest as well? (yes) 3. Do you think Zacharias and Elisabeth were okay with John being a messenger instead? Why or why not? (hopefully, they were happy knowing John was doing what God created him to do) Application Questions - ages 7 to 10 1. How to you think Zacharias and Elisabeth might have felt after praying so many years for a child? (answers will vary; sadness, perhaps a belief that God no longer cared about them) 2. Is it understandable that Zacharias would doubt the angel Gabriel? Why or why not? 3. In that position, do you think you would have doubted or believed? Explain. 4. What was it about Zacharias' naming his son John that enabled him to speak again? (by naming him John, Zacharias was demonstrating obedience and faith) Vocabulary Words - ages 4 to 6 Vocabulary Words - ages 7 to 10 priest - a man who worked in the Temple dumb - unable to speak barren - unable to have children tarry - spend a long time at something gladness - happiness glad tidings - good news ordinance - a statute or law incense - a spice used during religious ceremonies kindred - extended family, incl. ancestors marvel - to wonder about, be surprised by 7

Hands-On Activities option #1 Talk with your kids about what it would be like if their grandparents announced they were having a baby. Some kinds might think it strange, others might be fine with it. After discussion, have each child write up a fictional birth announcement as though it were written nine months before the baby's birth. In other words, this is a prophetical birth announcement. The announcement should include the name along with an explanation of why that name was chosen. option #2 Play a game with your kids that involves not speaking for a specific amount of time. It helps to have each child take his turn, rather than everyone being silent all at once. This drives home the point that Zacharias had to find other ways of communicating even while everyone around him was talking as normal. It's interesting to see what creative things your kids come up with. 8

LESSON 2 The Birth of Jesus Summary for Parents This lesson deals with the miraculous birth of Jesus through the Virgin Mary. How much you discuss the idea of Mary's virginity will probably depend on the level of understanding your children possess. However you decide to discuss it, try to find a way to help your kids understand what a miracle it was. For younger children, you might explain Mary's virginity as simply not having a husband, further explaining that God intended for children to be born via both husband and wife. He made an exception in this case, choosing to work a miracle by having Mary gave birth to a baby before she was married. Luke 1:26-37 26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, you that are highly favored, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary: for you have found favor with God. 31 And, behold, you shall conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give to him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then said Mary to the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God. 36 And, behold, your cousin Elisabeth, she has also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing shall be impossible. Do you remember the Angel Gabriel from our last lesson? Well, he was a busy guy. Just six months after visiting Elisabeth, he was sent to visit another young lady by the name of Mary. He had a special message for her as well. Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph at the time of her visit. However, their wedding was still planned for sometime in the future. Gabriel's visit came with the news that Mary would have a baby even though she and Joseph had not yet been married. This was troubling to Mary, for obvious reasons. She asked Gabriel how it would be possible for her to have a baby without having a husband. 9

Gabriel told Mary that God would do a miracle by giving her a baby even though she had no husband. That baby was to be named Jesus. Gabriel also told Mary that Jesus would grow up to be the King of Israel, following another great king you might remember from the old testament: David. Finally, Gabriel told Mary about her cousin Elisabeth who, despite being very old, was also very close to having a baby herself. He told this story to show Mary that God was capable of all sorts of miracles. As he said, nothing is impossible with God. Luke 2:1-7 1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. Very near to the time when Jesus was supposed to be born, the government required every adult man to return to the town where he was born in order to pay his taxes and register for the census. Being that Joseph was from the town of Bethlehem, he returned there along with Mary. There were a lot of people in Bethlehem at that time. While in Bethlehem, Mary went into labor and eventually gave birth to Jesus. However, there were no houses or hotels for Mary and Joseph to stay in. So Jesus was born in a stable alongside various farm animals. The Bible goes on to tell us that Jesus was visited by a group of shepherds who had also been visited by an angel while they were in the fields with their sheep. The angel told them to go to Bethlehem where they would find Jesus wrapped in his birth clothes and lying in a manger. When they got there, they found it to be just as the angel had said. Comprehension Questions - ages 4 to 6 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Who was the angel that visited Mary? (Gabriel) Who had he visited earlier? (Elisabeth) What did Gabriel tell Mary? (she would have a baby) What did Gabriel say the baby's name should be? (Jesus) Who was Joseph? (Mary's future husband) Were they married at the time Gabriel visited? (no) Who visited Jesus after his birth? (the shepherds) 10

Comprehension Questions - ages 7 to 10 1. How long after visiting Elisabeth did Gabriel visit Mary? (six months) 2. How were Elisabeth and Mary related? (they were cousins) 3. Joseph and Mary were engaged to be married. What does that mean? (though not yet married, they were promised to each other) 4. Were they yet married when they traveled to Bethlehem? (no) 5. Where was Jesus born? (in Bethlehem, in a stable) 6. Who told the shepherds to go to Bethlehem? (an angel) Application Questions - ages 4 to 6 1. Do you think Mary was surprised to see Gabriel? Why or why not? 2. Why do you think Gabriel was sent to tell Mary about her baby? (so that she would know it was God who gave her the baby, even though she wasn't married) 3. Why do you think Gabriel told Mary about Elisabeth? (to show her that God can do anything) 4. Do you think the angel who appeared to the shepherds was also Gabriel? Why or why not? (Scripture doesn't say, but sometimes it's fun to speculate) Application Questions - ages 7 to 10 1. Do you think it was a problem, in that culture, for Mary to have a baby without being married? Explain. 2. Why do you think Joseph took Mary to Bethlehem even though they were not yet married? (suggestion: so he could be there if the baby decided to come??) 3. How did Joseph and Mary end up in a stable? (no room in the inn) Do you think there was no available space or was it just a matter of the innkeeper not wanting to deal with a pregnant woman? (no right or wrong here, just food for thought) 4. List all of the things that made Jesus' birth unusual? (Mary and Joe not married; Jesus born while they were on the road ; no room in the inn; shepherds being visited by an angel) 5. Does this tell you anything about God? (He doesn't do things the way we would do them) Vocabulary Words - ages 4 to 6 Vocabulary Words - ages 7 to 10 Hail - Hello, be happy! salutation - a greeting throne - the chair a king sits on fear not - don't be afraid decree - an order, a law espoused - engaged to be married favored - [in this case] given a special honor blessed - [in this case] to be thought of highly know not a man - I am not married lineage - a family line 11

Hands-On Activities option #1 If you have a Christmas manger scene you trust with your children, have them set it up and reenact the birth of Jesus. Scripture gives us very few details, so let them use their imaginations. No need to correct them unless they imagine something totally outside the bounds of Scripture. This exercise allows them to really think about the miracle that happened. option #2 Just like the kids wrote up a birth announcement in the last lesson, have them write out an engagement announcement for two imaginary people. Then have them imagine some sort of problem that would delay the wedding for a year. Talk about what it would be like to wait a whole year in light of solving the problem they imagined. Use this to demonstrate Joseph's grace in waiting until after the birth of Jesus to wed Mary. 12