READ the Scripture: 1 Kings 12-13

TALK about the Scripture: Did you know there are more than 500 different types of approved road signs in the United States? Signs like stop signs, speed limit signs, and road hazard signs are all designed to keep people safe. Can you imagine the chaos if these signs weren’t there? Or even worse, think about what would happen if the signs were giving the wrong instructions—like telling you to “Go” instead of “Stop”!

Over and over, God instructed His people to remember His power and faithfulness. Instead of pointing the Israelites to the one true God, Jeroboam pointed the people away from God. Jeroboam led the people to worship false gods. Even after God sent a prophet to confront Jeroboam and his sin, the king continued to sin against God. Ultimately, his disobedience would lead to the destruction of his kingdom.

Like a bad road sign that leads to chaos, our sin leads us away from God and breaks our relationship with Him. Ultimately, our disobedience leads to eternal separation from God. Thankfully, even in our sin, God loved us enough to send Jesus as the One to rescue us and lead us back to God.

Christ Connection: Sin always leads us away from God. Jesus came to bring us back to God. Jesus is the true King who gave His life as a sacrifice so we can be forgiven of our sins. Jesus’ kingdom will last forever.

WATCH the Bible Story Video: Jeroboam Disobeyed God

LEARN the Scripture: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." - Deuteronomy 6:5

PRAY as a Family: Jesus, thank You for being the true King whose kingdom lasts forever. Your life, death, and resurrection has made a way for sin to be forgiven and brings salvation to all who believe in You. Help us to turn away from sin and to follow You. Amen.

APPLY what you've learned: Learn the big picture question and answer and practice asking and answering randomly throughout the week together.

Q: What is idolatry?

A: Idolatry is loving something else more than God.

READ the Scripture: 1 Kings 16-18

TALK about the Scripture: In 1975, the world was introduced to the Pepsi Challenge. As part of their advertising campaign, Pepsi set up blind taste tests in supermarkets where participants sipped from two cups—one containing Pepsi and one containing Coca-Cola. Not knowing which soda was in each cup, the participant would choose the drink they liked most. Interestingly, most of the participants chose the sweeter taste of Pepsi, but Coca-Cola continued to be the more popular and better selling brand. Guess that’s why Coca-Cola says you can’t beat the Real Thing!

When Ahab became king over Israel, all the people turned away from God and worshiped false gods. Even after God sent a drought and famine in the land, Ahab continued to let the people choose to follow false gods or the one true God. So, God’s prophet, Elijah, set up a test to show the people who is the one true God. As hard as the others tried to show the power of their gods, no one answered their prayers. When Elijah called on God, He sent fire from the sky that consumed the sacrifice, the wet wood on the altar, and even the dust around it! There was no doubt that He is the one true God!

Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good!” There is no one like God. As we read the Bible and see His power, His wisdom, and His love, we can worship Him because there is nothing as great as Him!

Christ Connection: The one true God is not like the false gods. We do not have to work hard to show God we love Him. Instead, He showed His love for us by sending His Son, Jesus. Jesus died to rescue us from sin, and He hears us when we cry out to Him.

WATCH the Bible Story Video: Elijah Served as a Prophet

LEARN the Scripture: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." - Deuteronomy 6:5

PRAY as a Family: God, there is no one like You! You are worthy of all our praise because You are the one true God. Help us to cry out to You when we need help and to trust in Your power to save.

APPLY what you've learned: Learn the big picture question and answer and practice asking and answering randomly throughout the week together.

Q: What is idolatry?

A: Idolatry is loving something else more than God.

READ the Scripture: 2 Kings 2

TALK about the Scripture: One of the most popular events in track & field is the 4 x 100-meter relay. Each team has four runners who each run 100 meters. Runners pass a baton to the next runner—hopefully without dropping it. The fourth and final runner for the team is the anchor. The anchor is typically the fastest and most experienced runner, and it is their job to finish the race for their team!

Just as God had called Elijah to speak His words to the people, God also called a man named Elisha to be His prophet. The work Elijah had started was going to be passed on—like a baton in a relay race—to Elisha. Elisha asked for the same spirit that had powered the work of Elijah, so God gave His Spirit to Elisha to finish his mission. The people saw that Elisha had the same spirit, and they believed Elisha was God’s prophet to share God’s words with them.

Before returning to Heaven, Jesus commanded His followers to carry on with the mission of making disciples and baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus passed the baton to His followers and told them to continue sharing the message of the gospel. All believers have this mission, and they have the Holy Spirit to help them. The Holy Spirit is God living with us and in us. The Spirit helps us to follow God and to carry on the mission of spreading the good news of Jesus to the world!

Christ Connection: God gave Elisha the same spirit that was in Elijah so Elisha could carry out his mission as a prophet. Years later, Jesus told His followers to wait for the Holy Spirit. God gives believers the Holy Spirit so they can share the gospel with the world.

WATCH the Bible Story Video: Elisha Served as a Prophet

LEARN the Scripture: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." - Deuteronomy 6:5

PRAY as a Family: God, thank You for giving Your Spirit to every believer to help them share the good news of Jesus. You give power and boldness to Your people so the world can know Jesus and believe in Him. Give us Your Spirit and help us to tell others about Jesus.

APPLY what you've learned: Learn the big picture question and answer and practice asking and answering randomly throughout the week together.

Q: What is idolatry?

A: Idolatry is loving something else more than God.

READ the Scripture: 2 Kings 4-6

TALK about the Scripture: To board an airplane, open a bank account, or even use your tickets to the amusement park these days, you must show proof of identification. Something like a driver’s license shows your full name and your picture so that the security agents in these places know that you are who you say you are.

There were many prophets in Elisha’s time, and not all of them were prophets of the one true God. It was hard for the people to know who was speaking the truth that God had given for the people. To help Elisha’s ministry, God gave Elisha the power to perform many miracles—like healing the sick, multiplying bread, and making an ax head float up from the bottom of the river! These miracles were proof that Elisha was a prophet of God just like he said.

While Jesus was in His earthly ministry, He performed many miracles. Jesus healed the sick, cast out demons, gave sight to the blind, and even raised the dead back to life! All of His miracles showed that Jesus is the Son of God. His miraculous works proved that everything He said can be trusted as truth.

Christ Connection: Elisha’s miracles showed that he was a prophet of the one true God and that God’s words were true. In a greater way, Jesus’ miracles show that He is the true Son of God.

WATCH the Bible Story Video: Elisha Performed Miracles

LEARN the Scripture: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." - Deuteronomy 6:5

PRAY as a Family: Jesus, You are the Son of God! We thank You for the miracles that prove You are who You say, and You can do all that You promise. Help us to trust in You as the Son of God and the rescuer who can save us from our sin.

APPLY what you've learned: Learn the big picture question and answer and practice asking and answering randomly throughout the week together.

Q: What is idolatry?

A: Idolatry is loving something else more than God.

READ the Scripture: Isaiah 44

TALK about the Scripture: Matty Benedetto is known as the creator of “Unnecessary Inventions”: a store, YouTube channel, and social media account. He invents products that no one needs because they have no purpose. His inventions include things like the Hoverbrella—an umbrella that attaches to a drone and the FurRoller—a contraption that covers your clothing in pet hair so you can pretend to be an animal lover. He has a lab full of useless inventions that never should’ve been made!

As we read through the history of Israel, we see the people turning away from God and worshiping idols. These idols were nothing but wood or metal. They had no power to help the people, much less the power to save them from sin. Even still, the people chose to worship useless things they had created instead of worshiping the God who had created them!

The Bible tells us that God is jealous for His people. It doesn’t mean He is jealous in a sinful way, because God is without sin. It means that God deserves all our worship, and He wants us to enjoy worshipping Him. God loves us so much that He doesn’t want us wasting our time making unnecessary inventions to worship; because of Jesus we can worship the one true God!

Christ Connection: God alone is worthy of our worship. He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross and save us from our sins. We can turn from our idolatry and evil ways to rejoice in the God who saves.

WATCH the Bible Story Video: We are to Worship God Alone

LEARN the Scripture: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." - Deuteronomy 6:5

PRAY as a Family: God, thank You for sending Jesus to die on the cross and save us from our sins. Help us to believe in Him. Give us the strength to turn away from the other things that want our worship and help us to give it all to You.

APPLY what you've learned: Learn the big picture question and answer and practice asking and answering randomly throughout the week together.

Q: What is idolatry?

A: Idolatry is loving something else more than God.