This Kids Korner article is from GenMin National Coordinator Jeffrey Broadnax.
I recently returned from a trip of a lifetime to the Holy Land, where my wife and 18 friends and colleagues walked the in the footsteps of Jesus, Peter, Paul, Mary Magdalene, Abraham, Rahab and many other of our biblical heroes. The most asked question upon my return was, “What was your favorite part?” It’s nearly impossible to answer that question because there were so many great moments to choose from.
Was it riding on a first-century style boat on the Sea of Galilee? How about walking down the road of the triumphal entry? What about visiting Magdala, which used to be a blip on my biblical roadmap, but now has such incredible significance as a... Read the article
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Readings: Psalm 118:14-29 • Acts 5:27-32 • John 20:19-31 • Revelation 1:4-8
This week’s theme is Jesus is our Lord and our God. Psalm 118 tells the Lord is God. Acts 5 shows the faith of the apostles who said they must preach the risen Lord who is alive and exalted. Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, we read in Revelation. He is the one who is, who was, and who is to come. This week’s sermon focuses on Thomas, the first disciple to recognize Jesus as Lord and God.
Thomas the Eighth Day Believer
Suggestion: Share a time when you thought nothing good could come out of a situation, or a time you were full of doubt. Ask the members if they want to share a time of doubt or when they lost hope. Ask if they can imagine what the... Read the article
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Readings: Acts 10:34-43 • Psalm 118:1-2; 14-24 • 1 Cor. 15:19-26 • John 20:1-18
This week’s theme is Christ is Savior for all. The Psalmist starts off by reminding us God's love endures forever. The Lord has become our salvation. In Acts 10 Peter shares the hope of salvation with Cornelius and other Gentiles, telling them that everyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness. Paul refers to Jesus as the 2nd Adam in his letter to the believers in Corinth. "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive." In John we read the story of the resurrection---He is Risen!
Resurrected for ALL
Introduction: The sermon is short to allow for other readings, drama, songs, etc. Have someone begin the service by reading John... Read the article
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Readings: Isaiah 52:12-53:12 • Psalm 22:1-31 • Heb. 4:14-16; 5:7-9 • John 18-19
This week’s theme is The Passion. One suggestion is simply to read the passages from a modern translation with a bit of discussion and a prayer after each reading. Isaiah shares the prophecies about Jesus’ sacrifice. Psalm 22 is the Psalm Jesus quotes and is about God’s deliverance. Hebrew talks about Jesus being our High Priest, and the two chapters in John share Jesus’ arrest, trial, death and burial. The service below can be done with a meal, with snacks or just on it’s own. It is a candle service.
Good Friday
Suggestion: This service works best with a 16 people or more. With a smaller group, members may need to read more than one... Read the article
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Readings: Exodus 12:1-14 • Psalm 116:1-2. 12-19 • 1 Cor. 11:23-26 • John 13:1-17, 31-35
This week’s theme is The New Covenant. Exodus reminds us of the first Passover, when the unblemished lamb was killed and the blood saved those in the household. The Psalmist reminds us that God has heard our cry and has inclined his ear toward us. Precious is the death of his Son, the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Paul reminds the church at Corinth of the sacraments Jesus introduced to the new church. The sermon focuses on the New Commandment to love one another.
Holy Thursday - Dinner and Discussion
John 13-17
Suggestion: Plan a congregational meal or some nice finger foods the members can share later in the service. The goal is to for... Read the article
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Readings: Isaiah 50:4-9 • Psalm 31:9-16 • Philippians 2:5-11 • Luke 22:14-23:56
This week’s theme is The Liturgy of the Passion. The prophet Isaiah talks about God giving strength in the midst of adversity as this prophecy refers to Jesus’ passion. The Psalmist also refers to Jesus’ passion as he reminds us of Jesus’ faithfulness in God’s deliverance. Paul reminds the church at Philippi to put on the mind of Christ, and this week’s sermon takes us through the details of Jesus’ last day.
Hand in Hand with Jesus
Luke 22:14-22 (NRSV)
Today is called Palm Sunday and it pictures the day Jesus walked down from the Mount of Olives and many greeted him with palm leaves and shouts of praise. As he descended, Jesus stopped... Read the article
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Readings: Isaiah 43:16-21 • Psalm 126:1-6 • Phil. 3:4b-14 • John 12:1-8
This week’s theme is We have a new beginning in Christ. Psalm 126 talks about how God restored Zion and gave Israel great hope. In his letter to the church in Philippi, Paul says everything he had is dung compared to what he has in Christ. In John we read about Mary anointing Jesus, which Jesus calls the greater thing. This week’s sermon focuses on the words of God in Isaiah, “See, I am doing a new thing.”
Our Do-Over with Jesus
Introduction
Have you ever heard of a mulligan? I’m not referring to an English stew made of whatever was left in the kitchen. According to the Urban dictionary and Wikipedia, “A mulligan is a second chance to perform... Read the article
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This article is written by Jeff Broadnax, Director of Generations Ministry and Assistant Regional Director.
When someone becomes one of the answers to your online banking “security questions,” you know they have made an impact in your life. Hollis Dane Mitchell was such a person. For years he was an answer to the question, “Who is your favorite high school teacher?”
But why Hollis Mitchell? Well, when I was a junior in high school, he was my Advanced Math teacher. I was a good student overall, but I was definitely an undisciplined and distracted student. My character might have reflected my Christian values, but my grades had begun to reflect my lack of discipline at this critical time in my high school career.
One day... Read the article
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Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him (Acts 8:30-31 NLT).
Whether it’s learning about Jesus or learning about how to lead, the truth is simple: people don’t know that they don’t know what they don’t know. Think this through a moment. This is called unconscious incompetence. When we ask someone to serve as a ministry leader or to head up a mission, it is vital to realize people don’t know what they don’t know, and they need instruction. Let’s look at two real scenarios from GCI members who shared new job... Read the article
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Dear Pastors and Ministry Leaders,
One of the greatest joys in ministry is developing other leaders. One of the greatest challenges many say they face is finding leaders to develop. One might ask, “Where do I find good leaders?” A reasonable response to this question would be, “Where are you looking, and what are you looking for?
The answer to these questions often reveals two things: First, it becomes very clear where many are not looking, and second, it becomes clear many are looking for what they term “natural born leaders.” This indicates some don’t grasp the truth about leadership---leaders are mostly made, rather than born, and it takes time to invest in and help develop leaders. The question of whether leaders are... Read the article
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