As we enter the 483rd week of quarantine, I think it would be a wonderful idea to revisit several verses in the Bible that help to paint a full picture of the gospel. Feel free to bust out your Bible and walk through these verses as a family. I have included some questions to go along with each verse.
Note: This is a lot to go through all at once. It would be very cool to spread the verses and accompanying questions over several days this week. If you have a time of day set aside to read the Bible with your family, you can easily incorporate these verses into your devotional.
Verse 1: Revelation 4:11
“You are worthy, our Lord and God! You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power. You are worthy because you created all things. They were created and they exist. This is the way you planned it.”
Question: This verse tells us that God is the creator of all things. Can you name something you are thankful for that God created?
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Verse 2: Romans 6:23
“When you sin, the pay you get is death. But God gives you the gift of eternal life because of what Christ Jesus our Lord has done.”
Question: “Sin” is when we make a choice to think, say, or do something that God would not want us to think, say, or do. But Jesus has done something to rescue us from our sin. Can you think of a time when you made the wrong choice to sin? What has Jesus done to rescue you from that sin?
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Verse 3: Ephesians 2:8-9
“God’s grace has saved you because of your faith in Christ. Your salvation doesn’t come from anything you do. It is God’s gift. It is not based on anything you have done. No one can brag about earning it.”
Question: This verse talks about God’s gift of being saved. Can you think of the best gift you have ever received? How do you think God’s gift of salvation compares to the gift you are thinking of?
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Verse 4: 1 Peter 3:18
“Christ died for sins once and for all time. The One who did what is right died for those who don’t do right. He died to bring you to God. His body was put to death. But the Holy Spirit brought him back to life.”
Question: Why is it so important that Jesus died for our sins? And why does it matter that he rose from the dead?
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Verse 5: Romans 10:9-10
“Say with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord.’ Believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. Then you will be saved. With your heart you believe and are made right with God. With your mouth you say that Jesus is Lord. And so, you are saved.”
Question: This verse tells us that if you believe in Jesus (not just know in your head, but truly believe in your heart) and say to him that you want him to be the Lord of your life, you will be saved. What does it mean to have Jesus become the Lord of your life?
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What you just read is called the gospel!
Simply put, the gospel is the true story of God’s big plan to save us from our sin and bring us back into a relationship with Him. Because of our sin, we are separated from God and need rescuing… but we can’t do it on our own.
God sent His Son Jesus to show us the way. He lived a perfect life without sin and died as our sacrifice. He took the punishment that we deserved!
But he didn’t stay dead. He rose again after three days. Because he rose from the dead, we know that God’s mission was successful. His plan worked, and Jesus conquered death and sin, giving us a way back into that perfect relationship with God.
This is the gospel, the good news! And it’s worth sharing!
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Verse 6: Matthew 28:19-20
“So, you must go and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And you can be sure that I am always with you, to the very end.’”
This is one of the last things Jesus commanded while he was on earth. He tells us to go and make disciples, to go and tell.
You see, if we believe that what Jesus did for us really happened, and we know that giving our lives to him is the only way to get back into relationship with God, then it’s our job to go and tell others about this good news.
Question: Can you think of an opportunity you’ve had to share about Jesus, either by your actions or your words?
Tyler English