Review:
Matt. 1-2 Birth of Jesus
Matt. 3-4 Jesus' victory over human weaknesses
Matt. 5-7 Sermon on the Mount
Matt. 8-11 Jesus' Authority
Matt. 12-15 Response of the Nation to Jesus' Message
Young Children:
Activity:
Jesus chose to teach many lessons through stories. Choose 3 of the stories mentioned in this week's Bible reading and talk about them with your family. Explain the meaning of the stories to your young children. Children's songs that relate to this week's reading include:
"Peter and John in a Sailboat"
"Jonah"
Discuss with your little ones why Sunday is a special day.
Young Men and Women and Adults:
1. Why did people begin to oppose Jesus?
2. Why did Jesus choose to deliver his lessons in the form of stories? (Matt. 13:10)
3. Each family member should pick one or two of the lessons Jesus gave in the passages for this week and retell or rewrite them in your own words.
4. What are the "life" lessons evident in each story? (In other words how can we use the truths found in these stories to help us in our everyday life?)
5. Pharisees were concerned with the Law and keeping it to the most minor detail. Was this wrong? (Matt. 9:14; 23:16-19)
6. Could we today be so concerned with minuscule points of the New Testament that we miss the big picture? Could someone have the entire Bible memorized and yet not be acceptable?