The Gospel Project at Home: John's Ministry Began
- Apr 1
- 3 min read
Read Scripture
Read all or parts of Matthew 3:1-12; Mark 1:2-8; Luke 3:1-18; John 1:6-8,15,19-28 from your Bible or watch the Bible story video.
Preschool Bible Story Video
Elementary Bible Story Video
Talk About Scripture
No pilot would just jump in a plane and take off. Before they fly a plane, pilots have a special checklist—a list of important things to check to make sure the plane is safe and ready for the flight. Pilots check the engines, the fuel, the controls, and more. Every step is necessary to make sure they are prepared to fly.
John the Baptist wore simple clothes and ate simple food, but his message was very powerful. He told people to “repent,” which means to turn away from doing wrong and turn toward God. John’s message was like a checklist for our hearts. He helped people prepare and make sure their hearts were ready for Jesus—checking for anything that might get in the way of recognizing Him as the promised Messiah.
John’s message reminds us to get our hearts ready for Jesus. But no one can prepare perfectly on their own—because we all sin and do things that separate us from God. That’s why Jesus came! He died on the cross to take the punishment for our sins and rose again to give us new life if we repent and believe in Him.
John prepared the way for Jesus by calling people to repent of their sins. If we turn away from our sins and trust in Jesus, we will be saved.
Pray: Dear God, thank You for sending John to help people get ready for Jesus. Help us turn away from sin and follow You with all our hearts. Amen.
Learn Scripture
Preschool Scripture Music Video
Elementary Scripture Music Video
Family Prayer
Mornings: Ask God to help you recognize when you need to repent—to say you're sorry and turn away from sin. Pray for a heart that is ready and eager to follow Jesus today.
Evenings: Thank God for His forgiveness when you choose to sin. Thank Him for sending Jesus to pay the price for our sin and offer us forgiveness when we put our trust in Him.
Family Activities
For Fun: Create an obstacle course in the living room or outside. Be sure there are several obstacles scattered along the path. Divide the family into two teams and explain the goal of the race is to remove the obstacles as quickly as possible. Each player runs part of the course, removes one obstacle, and then tags the next runner to do the same until all obstacles are removed. Remind kids that God gave John the Baptist a special mission to prepare the way for Jesus.
To Serve: Use white paper sacks and battery-operated tealights to create lanterns. During the day, use chalk to write Bible verses or encouraging phrases like Jesus loves you on the sidewalk or driveway. Line the lanterns around the writings and invite neighbors to walk through the pathway that evening. Share the message that Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness and people can find hope and guidance in Him.
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