The Gospel Project at Home: Solomon Built the Temple

Read Scripture

​Read all or parts of 1 Kings 6–8 from your Bible or watch the Bible story video.

Preschool Bible Story Video

Elementary Bible Story Video

Talk About Scripture

Do you get excited when your grandparents or another relative is coming to visit? To get ready for their visit, the whole family begins cleaning the house, preparing special meals, and making special plans to entertain them. You pull out all the stops to welcome them and spend quality time with them while they’re staying with you. 

When Solomon became king, the people of Israel spent seven years building a temple for God. The temple had cedar panels with ornamental flowers. The furniture and equipment were made of bronze, and everything inside the temple was covered in pure gold!  

Every detail of the temple was special. The people worked hard to prepare a place for God to come and dwell with them. It was worth their effort to have a place where they could spend time with God and know that He was with them!  

The first chapter of John describes Jesus like this: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) We no longer need to go to a temple to visit God because He came to us! All who believe in Jesus and trust in Him receive eternal life, which means we will dwell with Him forever and ever! 

Solomon built the temple, but he knew that the fullness of God did not live there. Jesus is the fullness of God, and He came to dwell on earth (John 1:14). Only those who trust in Him will be forgiven of their sin and live with God forever.                       

Pray: God, You created the universe and rule over everything, but You still love us and want to live with us. We praise You for giving Israel the temple to know that You were with them, and we thank You for the promise of eternal life through Jesus—to know that we can live with You forever! Amen.

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Learn Scripture

Preschool Scripture Music Video

Elementary Scripture Music Video

Family Prayer

Mornings: Thank God for your local church and the people who worship with you each week. Although we no longer need a building, we can thank God for the community and facility He gives us to worship Him. What are some ways you can support your local church?

Evenings: Thank God for the Holy Spirit who is God living with and in every person who trusts in Jesus. Praise God for sending His Spirit as a reminder of the promise of eternal life.

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Family Activities

For Fun: Look up some beautiful church buildings in your neighborhood or town and drive together to look at them. Discuss how the beauty of these buildings honors and glorifies God, but that we don’t need a beautiful building to meet with God. Because of Jesus, we can meet with God anywhere.

To Serve: Volunteer to clean inside or pick up sticks outside for your local church. As you work, talk with kids about how we no longer need a building to worship God. At the same time, we can work to make the building more beautiful to draw the attention of the community and introduce them to Jesus!

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