While he was a prisoner on the island of Patmos, the apostle John had an amazing vision of heaven. Jesus told John to write down everything he saw. John saw things that will happen when Jesus comes back to earth.
In the final chapters of the Book of Revelation, John described a vision of the new heaven and the new earth. He wrote about the beauty of the New City—the New Jerusalem. The streets will be pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the city wall will be adorned with precious stones. The city will not need the sun or the moon because God’s glory lights up the city. There will be no darkness, and nothing evil will ever come into the city. There will be no sadness, crying, or pain. Even though there will be no sun or moon, there will be no darkness because the glory of God will be its light. The Lord will reign forever and ever. What an amazing place heaven will be!
Even with John’s descriptions, we can’t imagine exactly what it will be like when Jesus returns. Use this session to emphasize what we do know, using the unit big picture question and answer: What is the hope of the church? The church looks forward to Jesus’ return when He will make all things new.
The promised return of Christ should fill believers with hope, strengthening them to persevere through the trials of this life and remain faithful to the Lord. When Christ returns, those who trust in Him will be with Him and enjoy Him forever. God will undo every bad thing caused by sin—no more death, no more pain, no more tears.
Christ’s return should also give believers a sense of urgency to share the gospel with the world. It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes! (Rom. 1:16) Jesus is coming soon. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
*Devo from Pastor Brian, from The Gospel Project.
#JesusJams for today!
---> And here's this week's story!!
Christ Connection: Jesus promised to come back to earth soon. When Jesus returns, those who trust in Jesus will be with Him and enjoy Him forever. God will undo every bad thing caused by sin—no more death, no more pain, no more tears. Jesus is making all things new.
If you have a bible at your house, you'll be turning to Revelation 21. If you don't have a Bible, that's okay! CLICK HERE!
OPTION 1: Bible Verse Activity Instruct the kids to line up, all facing forward. Give the first kid in line a ball. The first kid will hold the ball, say the first word of the key passage, and pass the ball over his head to the second kid in line. The second kid will hold the ball, say the second word of the key passage, and pass the ball over his head to the third kid in line. Continue until the entire key passage has been recited. The ball should keep moving from the first of the line to the back of the line and back up to the first of the line (like the First and Last). Continue playing as time allows. Mix up the kids in different line order so they recite different words of the key passage.
Say • Jesus is the First and the Last. He is the Living One. One day, Jesus will return and rule over the entire world. He will destroy evil, sin, and death. Jesus will make all things new and reign for eternity.
OPTION 2: Perfect design Discuss what makes a good amusement park. Form pairs of kids. Provide each pair with paper and a pencil. Challenge them to design their version of a perfect amusement park. Invite them to name their park. When the pairs are finished designing, encourage them to share their designs with the class.
Say • Those sound like amazing theme parks! As much fun as those designs would be, the Bible tells us about an even better place to live: the new earth. When Jesus returns, He will fix everything sin has broken and make the world perfect again. The Bible calls this the new earth. Today, we will learn more about it.
OPTION 3: Ready for company Invite the kids to help make a list of things they or their families do to prepare for dinner guests. Write the list on the whiteboard or on a large piece of paper. Be prepared to offer some examples, such as cleaning their homes, vacuuming their carpets, making dinner, setting the table, and so forth.
Say • We do a lot to prepare for dinner guests. Those preparations help our guests feel comfortable when they arrive. In today’s Bible story, Jesus urged the church to be prepared for His return. What are some things we can do to be prepared for Jesus to return and make all things new?
UNIT QUESTION:
UNIT VERSE:
THE GOSPEL PRESENTATION:
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