Oct. 7, 2012 "The Bible is God's Message for Me"- Session 2 (conclusion)

In today’s class, the Fall session of extra Bible Curriculum material for 5th graders, Session 2,  was completed.    The lessons covered:

• topic #4 of "The Bible is God's Message for Me" (‘BGMM’), covering the major topic of Salvation and JESUS our Savior;  and also
• the first “On the Right Path” (‘OTRP’) topic -- that there is a Right Path, following Jesus, and they have to choose to either serve Jesus, or to follow “The Way of the World”.    

This class opened with remarks by Children’s Pastor Curtis Batchelder about focusing on Jesus, not being distracted, and his desire for the students to devote themselves to prayer.   Students from  Sixth grade were visitors in our class today.   The handout from last week was provided to those students (click HERE to view it), and a brief review of BGMM topic #4 and OTRP topic  #1 was given, for those students in particular.  

The lesson for today was the conclusion of  OTRP topic #1.    The class handout used today was the Session 2 Verses sheet that had been handed out a few weeks ago (click HERE to view it), concentrating on the verse Jeremiah 29:11.   In this verse, God promises us He will give us “a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).    This is our God-given destiny, for this life.  

Actually receiving the destiny that God has for us  starts when we Come to Jesus.  Then we can have assurance about our  identity as a believer - we are a child of God.   After that,  being (and staying) On the Right Path is the way to receive what God has planned for us.

Using the OTRP-diagram of the two paths in life, it was explained that there are a lot of side roads and detours on the other, worldly path, and some of them can lead to very evil things. On the Right Path, you follow Jesus; there are no detours on that path, and if we fall off or walk off the Right Path, God provides a way to get back.   God’s plans for our lives are good, will give us a sense of peace,  and will be what Jesus called “the abundant life.”     

The class ended with giving the Memory Verse assignments for next week and with the closing prayer.

The Emphasis Memory Verse will continue as a verse for reciting next week -- 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (HCSB),   On 10/14/12, this will be the final class  for reciting it.  The HCSB text is shown below:

13 Be alert, stand firm in the faith, act like a man, be strong. 14 Your every action must be done with love.  

Jeremiah 29:11 is  also assigned for next week., as Memory Verse.