Cornelius

Cornelius 

Wednesday, May 1st & Sunday, May 5th

Key Passage: Acts 10

Basic Truth: God's salvation is for all who believe in Jesus.

Memory Verse: For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile- the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be save". Romans 10:12-13

Think About it:

People across America delight in belonging to organizations - fraternities, clubs, circles, teams, unions, associations - each with some particular appeal.  And a measure of exclusiveness adds to the attraction.

God sees each and every one of us as guilty sinners, facing the fury of His righteous wrath.  But He, through the sacrifice of His Son, now opens the door to forgiveness and eternal blessing to each one who believes His Word.  When we believe, we receive permanent membership in the unique and most exclusive society of all - those redeemed by the shed blood of our Savior.  “You have come to God, the Judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant…” (Hebrews 12:23-24).

Pray that this lesson would cause your students to treasure the precious message of salvation.

Ask it:

All Levels

Q: What does it mean to be saved?

A: To be rescued from eternal punishment and receive eternal life.

Grade 1-2

Q: Why did Cornelius need to hear about Jesus?

A: God loves all people, but faith in Jesus is the only way to have eternal life.

Q: What did Peter tell Cornelius?

A: Can students retell the important facts about Jesus: He is God, He died to pay for our sin, He was raised again, Anyone who trusts Jesus as the way to be forgiven will live with God forever...

Q: How did God tell you about Jesus?

A: Encourage students to tell about how they heard about Jesus. 

Grade 3-4

Q: Why is it wrong to judge others?

A: God is the only rightful Judge and according to His standard people are all sinners and equally unworthy.

Q: Peter could only see the outward appearance, but what does God look at? 

A: God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7b)

Q: Did Peter have the right to say the Gentiles were "bad"? Do we have a right to say that someone is bad and shouldn't be rescued by God?

A: No, Peter didn't and we don't either! We need to see that all people were created by God, belong to the same God, are loved by God, and have all sinned and are separated from by. God's grace is our only hope. 

Grade 5-6

Q: What sets believers apart as God's people?

A: Those who are saved are called to be different in the way they live. The new life we have in Jesus causes an entirely new lifestyle. 

Q: How will loving one another identify us as God's people? 

A: It's not a natural way to respond to others! Don't you think people would notice if we loved each other the way Jesus loves us?! John 13:34-35

Q: It's not easy to live this way! How can we live as God has called us to? 

A: God gives all believers a new power or way to live according to His plan. This power we have is the Holy Spirit. The work of the Holy Spirit is not just seen in outward behavior. The power of God changes people's hearts and motives so that our whole lives are transformed- totally changed!

Family Activities:

1) Discuss ways we can demonstrate unacceptance of others. Why is such behavior wrong? How does excluding others indicate pride in our lives? 

2) Use a concordance to find verses of how much God loves you. How will knowing His love help us to love others?