JOIN THE JOURNEY JR.
Families Abiding in Jesus together
With shorter reading assignments and kid-specific focus areas, Join The Journey Jr. is designed to help parents disciple their kids and engage with Scripture in the best ways for their age.
This month's memory verse
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
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Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.
Paul and Barnabas in Lystra and Derbe
8While they were at Lystra, Paul and Barnabas came upon a man with crippled feet. He had been that way from birth, so he had never walked. He was sitting 9and listening as Paul preached. Looking straight at him, Paul realized he had faith to be healed. 10So Paul called to him in a loud voice, “Stand up!” And the man jumped to his feet and started walking.
11When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in their local dialect, “These men are gods in human form!” 12They decided that Barnabas was the Greek god Zeus and that Paul was Hermes, since he was the chief speaker. 13Now the temple of Zeus was located just outside the town. So the priest of the temple and the crowd brought bulls and wreaths of flowers to the town gates, and they prepared to offer sacrifices to the apostles.
14But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening, they tore their clothing in dismay and ran out among the people, shouting, 15“Friends,* why are you doing this? We are merely human beings—just like you! We have come to bring you the Good News that you should turn from these worthless things and turn to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. 16In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways, 17but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts.” 18But even with these words, Paul and Barnabas could scarcely restrain the people from sacrificing to them.
Review from Monday the locations that were mentioned in Acts 14:1-7.
Read Acts 14:8-18. Then answer the questions below:
After healing the man who couldn’t walk, the crowd started saying that “the gods had come down” to the people. They called Barnabas and Paul by the wrong names—Zeus and Hermes, who were fake Greek gods! The people in Lystra had been taught to worship these fake gods—but they didn’t know they were fake. So when Paul and Barnabas did a miracle, they wrongly thought they were the Greek gods!
Oh no! That’s a problem! Paul and Barnabas were so upset that the people thought they were gods because there is only one true God—the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-seeing, Creator of everything! Paul and Barnabas immediately corrected the people—they told them about the one true God, his character, and what he does for his people.
Take a moment and underline the things that Paul and Barnabas say about the one true God in Acts 14:8-18. Then, play the Real or Fake God Sorting Game today to show the differences between our true God and the fake god.
After playing the game, take time to pray as a family.