METRO DISTRICT
CI T Y S QUARE
FAMILY ADVENTURE GUIDE DISCOVERING NEW TESTAMENT HEROES OF THE FAITH
AS YOU NAVIGATE THROUGH THIS ADVENTURE GUIDE, BE SURE TO LOOK FOR WAYS YOU CAN DISCOVER HOW TO:
BE A P.I.L.O.T. P I L
PREPARED I WILL ALWAYS BE READY TO SERVE GOD
INVOLVED I WILL GIVE GOD MY BEST
LOVING I WILL PUT GOD AND OTHERS FIRST
O
OPEN TO GOD
T
TEAM PLAYER
GOD’S WAYS ARE HIGHER THAN MY WAYS
GOD WORKS THROUGH US
SKYLAND
FROZONE
THE BADLANDS
THE RAINFOREST
THE PLATEAUS METRO
OCEANA
YOU ARE HERE
THE UNDERGROUNDS
MEET MAGGIE MAGPIE Maggie Magpie is a master detective who can solve almost anything especially with Jesus’ help. Her street smarts and high-class attitude make the District of Metro a natural habitat for her famous adventures and escapades. With class and pizzazz, Maggie’s umbrella can help her navigate tricky situations and do almost anything. She’s inquisitive with an oldfashioned charm, confident, smart, orderly, and neat. Join Maggie Magpie on her quest through City Square as she discovers a world of heroes in the faith.
METRO DISTRICT
CI T Y S QUARE
DISCOVERING NEW TESTAMENT HEROES OF THE FAITH Have you ever played “Follow the Leader” with a friend? The rules are to do whatever the leader does in order to stay in the game. As a Christian, we follow our leader – Jesus. By following after Him, we are able to do what is right and honor God. Jesus gives us the perfect example to follow through His life. There are many incredible people in the Bible who followed after Jesus and have set an awesome example for each of us. We like to call them heroes of the faith because their faith in Jesus is heroic! Through our series, we are learning about how they came to be known as heroes and what we can learn from their life.
GO VERSE THIS SCRIPTURE IS OUR THEME VERSE AS WE VENTURE THROUGH THE CITY SQUARE! “When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” John 8:12, NIV
1
THE UNLIKELY HERO - ZACCHAEUS GO ANSWER
Following Jesus makes me more like Him
BIBLE STORY
Luke 19:1-10
In Luke 19:1-10, we read the story of Zacchaeus who went from a hated tax collector to an obedient giver. Zacchaeus starts us out with the perfect example of what it looks like to put Jesus first and follow after Him.
Family Discussion Questions Use these questions to spark family discussion time! •
In which city does our Bible story take place?
•
What type of tree did Zacchaeus climb? Why did he climb it?
•
What was Zacchaeus’ job?
•
Where did Jesus want to stay that day?
•
Who did Jesus say He came to save?
•
How much of his goods did Zacchaeus promise the poor?
CAN YOU PICTURE IT!
at you think it Draw a picture of wh cchaeus looked like when Za to see Jesus. climbed up the tree
WHO WERE TAX COLLECTORS? In Bible times, tax collectors were hated because of their dishonesty. No one enjoyed paying taxes, but these collectors would cheat people by telling them to pay more than they owed and then keep the extra for themselves. When Jesus changed Zacchaeus’ heart, he immediately repented of his sins. Zacchaeus gave half of his possessions to the poor and paid back 4 times the amount of money he cheated from others.
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
Can you spot the 10 differences between the 2 pictures of Maggie?
EARN CAN I L WHAT E HE LIF FROM T ? S U E A CH OF ZAC
SOAP: S cripture | O bservation | A pplication | P rayer Grab your SOAP journal and follow along with this week’s Bible reading.
MON
TUE
WED
THUR
FRI
Galatians 2:20
Ephesians 2:10
John 3:30
Romans 8:28-29
1 John 2:6
2
THE TWELVE HEROES - THE DISCIPLES GO ANSWER
Following Jesus takes obedience
BIBLE STORY
The Gospels
When Jesus was ready to start His earthly ministry, He selected twelve guys to do life and ministry with Him. These guys are known as the twelve disciples. They followed Jesus everywhere and saw incredibly, miraculous things! God used them to continue spreading His love with the world. Read about their incredible adventures in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John! Ask your parents! Ask your mom or dad about a time when they were obedient to something God told them. What happened? Was it easy to be obedient?
WORD FIND PETER
AND REW
Can you find all 12 of the disciples’ names below? JAMES
MATTHEW
JOHN
JAM ES
PH IL IP
JUDAS
BARTHO LOM EW
SIMON
THOMAS
TH A D D EU S
T U C J H R Z R U L K W S J Z S H N D O U W S U E D D A H T U U O O U E A H O A I J A M E S I E M M N U E M K E T H F F S Z L D A D W E D V R T N Z K W A M I S S S T C R S A D U J F N H O J Z A Y R C Z M D R G D C Y O A M H R B N Q I Z O G L Z Z I A T V S O W Z K R Y A B J L T M O P H I L I P R Z W D N D N M A J K T I V A E E U X W E M O L O H T R A B R O I W E M O E O M A T T H E W N L R K S J H U L N X G N K Y B V P L K H S I O Y U A Y M Z V T A G E D T J F H I D P E T E R
FISHERS OF MEN? ing along the shore of “One day as Jesus was walk saw two brothers— the Sea of Galilee, He and Andrew—throwing Simon, also called Peter, they fished for a a net into the water, for them, ‘Come, follow living. Jesus called out to to fish for people!’ me, and I will show you how their nets at once and And they left 20, NLT followed Him.” Matthew 4:18-
“Then He called the crowd to Him along with His disciples and said: ‘Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me.’” Mark 8:34, NIV WHAT CAN I LEARN FROM THE LIVES OF THE
12
DISCIPLES?
SOAP: S cripture | O bservation | A pplication | P rayer Grab your SOAP journal and follow along with this week’s Bible reading.
MON
TUE
WED
THUR
FRI
Romans 15:5
Deuteronomy 28:1
Romans 10:5
Deuteronomy 10:12
Hebrews 5:8
3
THE SERVANT HERO - MARY + MARTHA GO ANSWER BIBLE STORY
Following Jesus means I put Him first Luke 10:38-42
STRAIGHT FROM GOD’S WORD: Check out the story of Mary & Martha from Luke 10:38-42…
As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Family Discussion Questions Use these questions to spark family discussion time! • What does it mean to put Jesus first? • Who was putting Jesus first in the story – Mary or Martha? • Have there been a few times when you have put something or someone ahead of Jesus in your life? What was it? • What are a few ways you can put Jesus first this week?
DID YOU KNOW? The three lands of Metro are City Square, Central Station, and Megatropolis.
WHAT CAN I LE ARN FROM THE LIFE OF MA RY? WHAT CAN I LE ARN FROM THE LIFE OF MA RTHA?
PUT JESUS FIRST
There can be many things in life that try to take the #1 spot in our life. What are a few things that you can be tempted with to put ahead of God? Think about them and write or draw them below.
DOUBLE PUZZLE
First, unscramble each of the clue words. Next, copy the letters in the numbered boxes to the boxes below with the same number to reveal the hidden phrase! ROMET
5
GEMAIG IPMEGA
10 1
GIFWONLOL SESJU
4
8
MARY NAD HARMAT
9 7
2 11
3
NARSTVE 12
6 1
2
3
4
5
6
2
7
8
9 10 11 12
CLUE WORDS: METRO, MAGGIE MAGPIE, FOLLOWING JESUS, MARY AND MARTHA, SERVANT
SOAP: S cripture | O bservation | A pplication | P rayer Grab your SOAP journal and follow along with this week’s Bible reading.
MON
TUE
WED
THUR
FRI
Matthew 6:33
Colossians 2:6-9
1 Peter 3:15
John 14:6
John 1:3
4
THE COURAGEOUS HERO - STEPHEN GO ANSWER
Following Jesus takes courage
BIBLE STORY
Acts 6:8-15, 7:54-60
In the book of Acts we read about Stephen, an incredibly courageous follower of Jesus. After Jesus died, many Christians were imprisoned and even put to death because of their belief in Jesus. Stephen was actually stoned to death for being a Christian. Before he died, he was able to stand before the high council to tell about all God had done in his life. The Bible tells us that his face looked like the face of an angel as he talked. Family Discussion Questions Use these questions to spark family discussion time! • • •
How does it make you feel to think about suffering because you are obedient to what Jesus has asked you to do? What are some things Jesus asks us to do that may cause others to insult us? Do you think you would have had courage like Stephen if you were in the same situation?
Stephen may have been stoned to death, but he was not alone as he suffered. He saw Jesus in heaven waiting for him. Stephen left his life on this earth and went to heaven to spend eternity with his Savior, Jesus. You and I can be comforted that, if we are followers of Jesus, the Holy Spirit lives inside of our hearts. Whatever God asks us to do while serving Him on this earth we will have the power to do because His Spirit lives inside of us! “But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And he told them, ‘Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!’” (Acts 7:55-56, NLT)
FILL IN THE BLANKS
Can you fill in the missing words of the Go Verse from memory?
“When Jesus
again to the people,
He said, ‘I am the
of the world.
Whoever
Me will never
walk in but will
, the light of
.’”
John 8:12, NLT
ACT IT OUT
Let’s think of a few situations where you may have to stand up for God… • Someone at your school is spreading rumors about one of the unpopular girls. How would you stand up for God and do the right thing? • The other children are making fun of a Christian. They ask you, “You aren’t a Christian, are you?” How would you stand up for God? • If you cheat at the board game you will win. No one will ever know. How will you stand up for God and do the right thing? • Your best friend wants you to go to the movies instead of going to church. How would you stand up for God and do the right thing? WHAT CAN I LEARN FROM THE LIFE OF STEPHEN?
SOAP: S cripture | O bservation | A pplication | P rayer Grab your SOAP journal and follow along with this week’s Bible reading.
MON
TUE
WED
THUR
FRI
Psalm 27:14
1 Corinthians 16:13
James 5:8
1 John 2:28
Mark 6:50
5
THE BAPTIZING HERO - JOHN THE BAPTIST g to share
GO ANSWER
Following Jesus gives me somethin
BIBLE STORY
Luke 1; Matthew 3:1-17
John the Baptist waited for Jesus’ coming. While he waited, John told people about Jesus and all He had done in his life. He preached about God’s love and baptized many people who believed. When we are a follower of Jesus, it means that we have a job to do – tell others about Jesus! The change that has taken place in our life should be shared with others. “Following Jesus gives me something to share.” Family Discussion Questions Use these questions to spark family discussion time! • • •
In which river did John the Baptist baptize people? Read Mark 1:5-6 to see how many interesting things you can find out about John the Baptist. What does it mean to repent of your sins?
WHAT IS BAPTISM? Baptism is a way to show others what God has done in your life. It’s like a “show and tell” of all God has done! It’s a way to show others that you belong to God and are following after Him.
DO YOU WANT TO BE BAPTIZED? Talk to your Go Kids Pastor for information on how to get signed up for the next Water Baptism Milestone Class!
ALL SCRAMBLED UP!
Can you unscramble each of the words / phrases below? PSBMAIT EVOD DJONAR VERIR NHJO HET STBPATI YM YSORT AANTLSOIV ANSWERS: BAPTISM, DOVE, JORDAN RIVER, JOHN THE BAPTIST, MY STORY, SALVATION
Tell Your Story! John the Baptist had been waiting for Jesus to come. While waiting, he told anyone who would listen about God. This is the same thing that Jesus wants each of us to do as we wait for His Second Coming. Matthew 28:19 says, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Just like John the Baptist, it’s our job to tell others about Jesus! WHAT CAN I LEARN FROM THE LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST?
SOAP: S cripture | O bservation | A pplication | P rayer Grab your SOAP journal and follow along with this week’s Bible reading.
MON
TUE
WED
THUR
FRI
Matthew 28:19
1 John 5:11
Psalm 71:15-16
Mark 5:19
Psalm 66:16
6
THE ADVENTUROUS HERO - PAUL GO ANSWER BIBLE STORY
Following Jesus is the greatest adventure Acts, Galatians
Have you ever had something happen that changed your whole life? This could be something like moving to a new state or getting a new baby brother or sister. Both of those are things that would definitely change everything! Paul had a few situations in his life where things were changed in a big way, but none larger than when he encountered Jesus. In Acts chapter 9, we learn about Paul’s life taking a full 180 degree turn as he went from wanting to kill God’s people to helping spread the good news of Jesus around the world!
WHAT IS A MISSIONARY?
about Jesus! A missionary is someone who tells others
ENTURE! LET’ S GO ON AN ADpVan d can a tri You’re going on gs with you. in th 3 only take e e? Draw a pictur What do you chos e. as e the suitc of each item insid
HELP MAGGIE DISCOVER MORE ABOUT THE LIFE OF PAUL Read Acts 9:1-43. Inside each box write a fact about Paul and then color the picture of Maggie!
WHAT CAN I LEARN FROM THE LIFE OF PAUL?
SOAP: S cripture | O bservation | A pplication | P rayer Grab your SOAP journal and follow along with this week’s Bible reading.
MON
TUE
WED
THUR
FRI
1 Timothy 6:12-14
2 Corinthians 2:14
Jeremiah 33:3
Matthew 4:19
Psalm 16:11
7
THE GREATEST HERO - JESUS GO ANSWER BIBLE STORY
Following Jesus is the best decision ever The Gospels
We are finishing out our series with the GREATEST HERO OF ALL TIME! Jesus not only has the ability to do anything, He has the ability to change us from the inside out!
Family Discussion Questions •
What makes Jesus the greatest hero?
•
How has Jesus changed your life so far?
•
What does it mean when we say that “following Jesus is the best decision ever”?
CAN YOU QUOTE IT?
memory! Close your eyes and say the Go Verse from it! Next, see how fast you can say
FILL IT IN:
Can you complete this week’s Go Answer?
Following
is the
DESIGN YOUR OWN SUPERHERO! N YOUR DESIG
MASK! DESIGN YOUR CAPE!
UR LOGO! DESIGN YO WHAT CAN I LEARN FROM THE LIFE OF JESUS?
SOAP: S cripture | O bservation | A pplication | P rayer Grab your SOAP journal and follow along with this week’s Bible reading.
MON
TUE
WED
THUR
FRI
John 8:12
John 3:16
2 Corinthians 5:17
John 8:31-32
Ephesians 5:1-2
CITY SQUARE REVIEW Each week, we’ve discovered a new, amazing reason for us to be INVOLVED as we follow Jesus. See if you can correctly fill in the missing words from each week’s Go Answer.
FOLLOWING JESUS MAKES FOLLOWING JESUS TAKES FOLLOWING JESUS MEANS FOLLOWING JESUS TAKES FOLLOWING JESUS GIVES ME FOLLOWING JESUS IS THE FOLLOWING JESUS IS THE
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