“The Story and The Song” Lesson 2

  For this second lesson of three in September, we will continue to talk about the Bible and the story “The Story and the Song” found on pages 12-17 of The Jesus Storybook Bible (Free copies of this book at church or buying online).
     You and your family are invited to think, learn, read, and pray around our selected story.
     Children: As I said last week, “The Story and The Song” is a celebration of the Bible and how important it is to us.
     Please start this week by orally reading the story out loud, alone or with a family member or friend. Check out the pictures (illustrations) as you read. Pictures add lots of information. You could draw your own illustrations!
     The Old Testament is a collection of thirty-nine books about the history of our religion, which is called Christianity. The main message of the Old Testament is the prophecy, or prediction, of the coming of a messiah (a savior) to redeem mankind from sin. In short, the Old Testament is about the coming of Jesus. The Old Testament was Jesus’ only Bible and makes up 75 percent of our Christian Scripture, our sacred writings and beliefs.
     The New Testament is a collection of twenty-seven books about Jesus’ life on earth. The main message of the New Testament is about Jesus’ earthly mission to do the will of God. The will of God is that all Christians should love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind” and also to “love our neighbor as yourself.”
     Our one and only God is in both the Old and New Testaments. The book of Hebrews (Old Testament) begins: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,” but in these last days (The New Testament) He has spoken to us by his Son.
     The very God who spoke through Old Testament prophets like Moses and Isaiah spoke through Jesus too!
     If you have any questions or comments, please share with Pastor Steve through this blog.
     Adults: Biblical references for this story are Psalm 19 and Hebrew 1.
     As promised, our discussion about the Bible will continue, this time with a closer look at the New Testament.
     The New Testament reveals Jesus in the flesh to us. We learn in the book of John that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. God is revealed in a new light to his people and that is as a father. In the New Testament we see the children of God (often called Christians) which are now Jew and Gentile receive the Holy Spirit.
     There are 27 New Testament books. They are Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, and Revelation.
     The New Testament Canon (A canon is a collection or list of sacred books accepted as genuine) can be sorted into four main categories:   
     The Four Gospels - The first four books of the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, make up the Gospels. Each of these books shares Jesus’ ministry, life, and gives a different viewpoint on events that occurred. These books were eyewitness testimonies of the life of Jesus Christ.
​ The Acts of the Apostles - The Acts of the Apostles is one book written by the apostle Luke that follows right after the gospels. It gives an account of the growth and spread of the early church.
     The Epistles - There are a total of 21 epistles (this word means "letter") in the New Testament. These are epistles or letters written primarily by the apostle Paul, who wrote fourteen of them. Each of these letters Paul writes has had an impact on the body of The Church whether it has influenced culture in an area or has been an encouraging letter to another believer.
     The Book of Revelation - The Book of Revelation is a book at the end of the New Testament written by the apostle John. The book was written through prophetic visions that John received about the return of Jesus Christ and the end times.
     As with the children, Pastor Steve will respond to anyone’s comments or questions.
~This week’s prayer: Thank you Lord for the gift and love of your sacred Word, the Bible. Amen
     Next week there will be one more online lesson for this month about the Bible. Sunday School will meet in person on September 22, 2024, after church services from 11am – 12 pm. We will enjoy a snack, oral read and discuss the story, and end with a craft. All ages are invited to attend, so put it on your calendar. J
Enjoy the mellow weather,
Margo Greer

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