AUGUST 13
KNOW JESUS
As school is set to start, let’s go back to the basics. In this series, we discover what it looks like to explore God and be rooted in the fundamentals of the Christian faith. We use the 5 key concepts of Gateway Kids as a guide to awaken child-like wonder in following Jesus together. Knowing Jesus is not a concept to be grasped, but a person to be experienced.
Work through the following questions and scriptures on your own, and get together with your running partner, life group, or friends and family to talk through what you are learning.
In light of Pray First starting this week, where we are focusing our attention as a church on prayer, instead of our normal Digging Deeper structure, take the time with your spiritual running partners, family, or group to pray with and for one another. You can either go to our Pray First Journal and videos on the app to guide your time or use the guide below that will walk you through the Lord’s prayer.
Our Father, who is in heaven
Remember who you are praying to. Jesus uniquely addressed God as, “Father”, and as His beloved son, Jesus reveals the very nature of this God who is generous, self-giving, loving, patient, just. He is inviting us to know God and address Him with the same intimacy He experienced with the Father.
- Pray for God to remind you who He is as opposed to the false ways He is portrayed in the world around us and maybe even you have come to believe.
Hallowed be your name
We were created to be reflections of God’s image to the world, in other words, to bear (represent) His name, but that image has been damaged through sin.
- Pray for God’s name to be lifted up as holy, that is, set apart.
- Think of ways God’s name is mistreated and misrepresented in both our world and in our own hearts and lives, and ask that God’s name be honored in these areas.
Your Kingdom come, Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Jesus’ arrival on earth is the inauguration of God’s Kingdom- He came to reverse the curse of sin and death that wreaked havoc on His good creation. We who have trusted Christ have experienced this reversal, and yet, we are waiting for the completion of that in our hearts and in the world when He returns.
- Pray for God’s Kingdom to permeate the world more and more and that He would begin with us.
Now we turn to the things we need in order for us to live well in God’s Kingdom now:
Give us this day our daily bread.
It’s easy to view what we have as coming from our own efforts, but we need to be reminded that ALL that we have is from God and belongs to Him. This petition for DAILY bread should train us to think of our daily needs (food, water, shelter, relationships, work) as gifts and privileges that we have not, nor could not, earn. And, since this prayer is communal, we are to consider the daily needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ and how we might be the answer to their prayer for “daily bread.”
- Ask God for what you need today.
- Pray that we might grow in deeper dependence on God for our daily needs and be generous.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us
Forgiveness is a distinct marker of the Kingdom of God. Jesus absorbed our sin on the cross so that we might be treated as if we were innocent. It was the ultimate act of forgiveness. He intended us to receive that forgiveness and then for this gift to flow out into the lives of others.
- Acknowledge where you need forgiveness. Then, acknowledge ways others have wronged or hurt you and pray for the ability to release the need to make them pay for it in the same way that Jesus released us from that payment.
- Ask for God to deepen our awareness of our sin so that we know how great His gift of grace is. Then pray for that grace to spill out in the various spheres of our lives.
Side note: Forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation. You don’t have to be in a relationship with the person to forgive them. And, this is not easy to do, which is why Jesus knew we needed to pray this daily!
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
As Jesus faced temptation in the wilderness, we can expect to face this test of our faith, too. And as Jesus confronted evil in the wilderness, we can expect to battle evil as well. Jesus resisted this temptation and gives us the power to do the same. Following Jesus is very hard and we are going to be tempted to throw in the towel when things get tough.
- If there is an area of testing you are currently in, pray for the strength to endure and remain faithful to Christ.
- Pray that God might spare us from this kind of testing, but that if it does come, we might stand firm in our faith, trusting that God is with us and will deliver us.
NEXT STEPS
- Keep praying! Head on over to the Gateway church app to find our Pray First journal and videos!
FOR THE PARENTS
Families:
Hey, families! Here’s a look at what we’re covering with your kids so you can help them continue to grow at home during the week.
THIS WEEK
This week, kids hear about our second Key Concept: Know Jesus!
THE BIBLE: John 3:16
THE MESSAGE:
THE BIG IDEA: Jesus is the most important person in history.
ASK THIS
Because sometimes you and your kid need a conversation-starter that isn’t,
“So . . . how was church?”
Why do you think God gave us the Bible?
What are some small steps we can take to read the Bible on our own or as a family more often?
REMEMBER THIS
We have a different memory verse every week in this series! This week, your kids are memorizing the Bible verse:
2 Timothy 3:16, in case you want to work on them together.
Preschool: “All Scripture is God-breathed…”
Elementary: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives”
NEXT WEEK
Next week, we’ll explore the second Key Concept: Know Jesus!