The Word On The Street

Bible Reading: John 11:1-48

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Dec 06, 202010:42

MIRACLES: Jesus Raised Lazarus To Life

Jesus showed his power over nature by calming the storm while he was on the boat, by feeding 5000 people, by helping fishermen catch a ridiculous amount of fish and by walking on water. He showed his power over Satan by casting out demons. He showed his power of sickness by healing people.

In this episode you will find out that his power doesn’t stop there! He has even more power than that.

Think of a good friend - Someone you enjoy being with, someone whom you’re really familiar with? You go to their house, you know their family, you have spent a lot of time with them?

Imagine they get sick, really sick.

What would you do? Would you:

take them to the hospital
Pray for them
Make them stay in bed
All of the above?

Did you choose D) all of the above?

Say you tried to all of those things but the doctor that you needed at the hospital was on away and didn’t get back in time and your friend ends up dying.

How would you feel? Sad? Angry? Disappointed?

I think I would feel really angry at the doctor for being away.

Jesus has power over death.

Jesus cares about us very deeply. He cried for his friends.

Jesus can raise people back to life again on earth. Why doesn’t he raise everyone to life again? Why do we have to die at all? Why can’t we all die when we are old and ready to pass on?

Jesus can raise everyone to life again but not here on this sinful earth where Satan is wreaking havoc.

In verse Jesus spoke to Martha and said, “I am the one who raises the dead to life! Everyone who has faith in me will live, even if they die. And everyone who lives because of faith in me will never really die. Do you believe this?”

Discussion Questions:

Mary and Martha saw that their brother was sick and they sent a message to Jesus to let him know. When something bad happens what is it that you do first?
How do you feel, knowing that God, who has so much power that He can bring people back to life again, love YOU, cares about YOU and can take YOU to his Father’s House?
Are you going to go to The Father’s House? How will you get there?

Contact…

Bible Verse: Luke 17:11-19

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Nov 29, 202011:56

MIRACLES: Jesus Heals 10 Lepers

Jesus was well known by now for healing people. He had healed Peter’s mum who was in bed with a temperature, he had healed many blind people, and he was quite famous. In this episode we look at the time Jesus healed 10 people with leprosy and how important it is to be grateful to God for everything he has given us.

Gratitude is so important.

I was shocked when I had my first baby that when he was learning to talk, many of the mums insisted their babies use their manners - please and thank you - when they couldn’t hardly even say anything.

God isn’t worried about manners and doing right by societies rules. Being polite.

He wants us to genuinely be grateful.

It has been proven to change the way our brain works.

You breathe without thinking about air going in and out. You walk without thinking about one leg moving forward and then the other one.

You can feel how fortunate you are and appreciate good things that happen to you during the day without having to force your mind to think about it. This is called a habit.

The average person thinks negatively 80% of the time and only 20% of their thoughts are positive.

I spent last Saturday finding lego pieces for Banjo who is 6. There was one piece that took me ages and when I found it he exclaimed, “Finally!” I was expecting, “Thank you!” The same situation can have 2 different thoughts.

Glass half full vs glass half empty.

Get into the habit of being grateful.

A good way to do this is to pray to God every night thanking him for at least 3 things that you’re grateful for that day. Writing them down helps even more too.

Bible Verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Who are we to thank? Who is the one who provides? .

Bible Verse: James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father who created all the lights in the heavens.

Discussion Questions:

Are you in the habit of thinking grateful thoughts or do you think ungrateful thoughts more naturally?
What are you going to start doing that might help you have a more grateful heart?
Who are we to be thankful to? Why is it important to remember who we are to be thankful to?

Contact…

Bible Verse: Matthew 14:22-32

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Nov 22, 202011:25

MIRACLES: Jesus Walks On Water

Have you had swimming lessons before?

Is swimming something you enjoy doing?

In Australia we swim a lot because it is hot here.

There are over 10 million swimming pools wold wide with Australian’s building more domestic swimming pools (per capita) than any other country.

Jesus didn't swim in this story, although he could have if he had wanted to!

Do we doubt? Doubting is the opposite of having faith.

Peter fixed his eyes on Jesus and started walking on water.

He started doubting when he looked away from Jesus. He looked at how strong the wind was and got scared and started sinking.

But he called out to Jesus. Let's call out to Jesus when we need help. Jesus came to Peter, stretched out his arm and pulled him up.

What about the other disciples? Did they have a go, too? It is better to give it a go than stay in the boat.

The disciples saw Jesus feed 5000 men and then went on a boat, rowing hard against the wind all night, and then they saw Jesus walking on the water towards them as if he was walking on hard ground and they didn’t know who Jesus was. The men saw all this and believed, saying, "Jesus is the son of God!"

Not everyone who saw the miracles of Jesus believed.

The Pharisees saw many amazing miracles too, and yet they wanted to believe Jesus was sent from Satan.

Judas saw all of these amazing things first hand, and still chose to reject Jesus as the saviour.

Who is Jesus? Jesus is God the Son. He was sent to earth by the Father to save us from our sins and these miracles prove that Jesus is not someone to ignore. We need to pay attention to these true stories and let them alter our lives.

Discussion Questions:

If you were one of the disciples, and saw Jesus feed 5000 men and then went on a boat, rowing hard against the wind all night, and then saw Jesus walking on the water towards you as if he was walking on hard ground, who would you think Jesus is?
How does that effect your life?

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Bible Verse: John 6:1-15

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Nov 15, 202009:56

MIRACLES: Jesus Feeds 5000

Join Anna in this episode as she retells the story of one of the most amazing days in history - the day Jesus, with just 5 small loaves and 2 fish, fed 5000 men, not counting women and children, and had plenty of food left over as well!

Jesus provided for the people that day, and he cares for them and their needs.

He cares for you and your needs. He cares about all the things you care about.

Discussion Questions:

What would you say to Jesus if you were Phillip and were asked about feeding the people?
What is it that you need? Pray to God now and ask him for it.
Do you think he will give it to you? Why/why not?

Contact…

Bible Reading: Mark 4:35-41

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Nov 08, 202011:04

MIRACLES: Jesus Calms The Storm

Join Anna as she discusses the bible passage about Jesus calming the storm. Jesus insists that his disciples put their faith in him. Discuss the episode together using the questions at the end, and as a family get you thinking and relating at a deeper level.

There is always something to learn when Jesus performs a miracle and this story is no different!

What is faith?

Complete trust or confidence in someone or something.

Do you have faith that the sun will come up in the morning? Easy!

Do you have faith that you will have enough water to drink? In Australia - easy!

Having faith can be easy, but it is hard when you can’t see it.

Have you ever put your faith in something?

Every day when you get in the car!

When you sit on a chair that you have never sat on before, you are having faith that it will hold you up. Why?

We have faith that the sun will come up every morning.

What did Jesus want the disciples to have faith in?

They have seen Jesus heal the paralytic man, what else can he do?

Jesus is capable of anything.

Luke 1:37 “Nothing is impossible for God!”

Jesus is God but the disciples are still working that out.

We know that Jesus is God so we can have faith that he is capable of anything.

Discussion Questions:

Imagine you were one of the disciples in the boat in the storm, what do you think you would be thinking and feeling?
When you are feeling afraid, what is happening and how could having faith in Jesus make it better?
Do you find it easy to have faith in Jesus? Why/why not?

Contact…

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Nov 01, 202013:06

MIRACLES: Jesus Casts Out Demons

Tune in to this episode to find out the basics about Satan, his demons and who is more powerful than them!

In many stories and movies there is a goodie and a baddie. The main character is usually good and there is a villain who is a bully, mean and nasty and we always hope that the main character beats the villain by the end of the narrative.

Good vs evil. It is like a big fight. A war.

The bible has a similar story.

The goodie is God. He is loving, kind, caring and all things pleasant. God’s side has the Father, the Son Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Angels and any humans who want to believe in Him.

The baddie we meet very early on, Satan. Sometimes he is referred to as the Evil One, or Lucifer. He isn’t like the cartoons with a pitchfork, horn and a goatie. He is mean and nasty and wants everyone to join his side, and not follow God. On Satan’s side there is the devil, named Satan, and his group of evil spirits. Because their aim is to encourage people to follow them instead of God, they will try any trick to do it.

Satan’s trick at the moment in Australia is to convince people that there is no such war going on at all. That there is no spiritual world. Many people do not believe in spirits.

Spirits are real but we do not have to be scared if we trust in God.

Bible Verse: James 4:7

Bible Verse: 1 John 4:4

He uses different tricks all around the world, in different areas and in different times, to achieve his goal. In Israel, when Jesus was alive, Satan got his evil spirits to take over different people’s bodies.

Bible Verse: Mark 5:1-20

How did Jesus cast the evil spirits out of that man? Because God has more power than Satan.

Bible Verse: Mark 3:22-25

We do not need to worry about Satan. We need to believe that he exists and that he is very bad but we don’t need to worry about him.

God is stronger than Satan.

God has a plan to win the war against Satan.

If we believe in God and that Jesus has taken our sins away on the cross, then we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us. This means that there is no way that the evil one can come in.

Discussion Questions:

How do you feel when you hear about Satan?
As this is the first episode that has really addressed Satan specifically, I am sure you have heaps of questions. Share any questions that you might have.
Pray to God together now, asking God to protect you against Satan.

Contact…

Bible Reading: Mark 2:1-12

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Oct 25, 202012:44

MIRACLES: Jesus Heals a Paralytic Man

Tune in to find out how much power Jesus has - power over sickness! Yes, even Covid-19!

Have you ever been sick? Have you had to go to hospital?

If you were really ill, but didn’t know how to get better, wouldn’t you want to try everything?

Some people do not like that Jesus has this power! They think he is an ordinary man.

Jesus is God. He is proving this by performing miracles. God can forgive sins and people can’t. We can forgive other when they wrong us but not sins because they are things people do that wrong God.

Jesus can forgive sins because he is God.

Why did Jesus tell the man that his sins were forgiven? He was clearly there to be healed?

Jesus saw that the man’s biggest problem was his sins.

Your biggest problem are your sins too.

What do you worry about? People being mean to you at school, where you are going to sit in class, who you will play with? Your sins are a bigger problem than those things.

Maybe you have even bigger problems than that - you might have cancer, you might be paralysed too, you might not have anywhere to live or maybe you have no food. Your sins are still your biggest problem.

Discussion Questions:

Why are our sins a bigger problem than not being able to walk, than cancer or any other disease?

Contact…

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Oct 18, 202012:47

MIRACLES: The Miraculous Catch of Fish

Today’s episode is about fish.

Do you like fishing?

Jesus is teaching crowds at Lake Galilee.

Jesus uses Simon’s boat as a stage for teaching.

Then they row out to the deep water and catch fish.

Then something amazing happens!

Luke 5:1-11 “Jesus was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret,[a] teaching the people as they crowded around him to hear God’s message. 2 Near the shore he saw two boats left there by some fishermen who had gone to wash their nets. 3 Jesus got into the boat that belonged to Simon and asked him to row it out a little way from the shore. Then Jesus sat down[b] in the boat to teach the crowd.

4 When Jesus had finished speaking, he told Simon, “Row the boat out into the deep water and let your nets down to catch some fish.”

5 “Master,” Simon answered, “we have worked hard all night long and have not caught a thing. But if you tell me to, I will let the nets down.” 6 They did it and caught so many fish that their nets began ripping apart. 7 Then they signalled for their partners in the other boat to come and help them. The men came, and together they filled the two boats so full that they both began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw this happen, he knelt down in front of Jesus and said, “Lord, don’t come near me! I am a sinner.” 9 Peter and everyone with him were completely surprised at all the fish they had caught. 10 His partners James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were surprised too.

Jesus told Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you will bring in people instead of fish.” 11 The men pulled their boats up on the shore. Then they left everything and went with Jesus.”

Have you ever tried to tame an animal? Or teach your pet to do a trick? Jesus can tell all the fish to go to a certain area of a lake and they do!

Why did Jesus help Simon, James and John? He proved who he is - someone who gets power from God.

They weren’t exactly sure who he was at that point but were sure enough of Jesus that they left everything to follow Jesus. They dropped their nets on the beach and left everything.

Following Jesus means being Jesus’ student. The disciples lived with Jesus and travelled with Jesus, listened to him teach the crowd and were also taught privately by Jesus. They left their families and their homes to be Jesus’ students.

Discussion Questions:

If you were fishing all day with a professional fisherman and caught nothing, and then a stranger who had never fished before came into the boat and told you how to catch more fish than you’d even seen before, what would you think?
If Jesus asked you to follow him in the same way he asked Simon Peter, what would you do?
How does Jesus want us to follow him in 2020?

Oct 11, 202011:15

MIRACLES: Jesus Turns Water To Wine

Miracles are supernatural events that occur because of God’s power.

If you haven't listened to it already, I recommend you check out this episode on Jesus' miracles from May 2020 as an introduction to this series on miracles!

Jesus performed miracles to show that he had the power of God.

Today’s episode tells the story about the first miracle. Jesus has already been baptised by John and he has chosen some disciples but he hasn’t shown who he is and what he can do.

Bible Reading: John 2:1-12

How much wine did Jesus make? 6 stone jars. Apparently each stone jar could fit 80L of liquid or 20-30 gallons. That is so much that I couldn’t even hold it! Jesus didn’t just make a little bit of wine - he made a crazy amount.

Why would he make so much? Maybe to prove that this wasn’t just a little bit in the water jars that was forgotten about. Maybe to show that he can. Maybe so that people would start talking about him?

Have you ever been embarrassed? I have never felt more embarrassed than when I swam the 50m freestyle race doing breaststroke.

Jesus saved this couple from embarrassment.

He cares about our feelings even if they’re silly, like my swimming race.

As a mum, I think lots of things my kids get upset about are silly, but it means a lot to my kids so I make it mean something to me because I love them. My daughter Lucy cares a lot about her hair and getting it just right but I think it looks great however it is done but I try to care because I know it is important to her.

God cares about us and our feelings, our embarrassments, because he loves us.

Discussion Questions:

Have you ever felt embarrassed? Share your most embarrassing story.
How do you think Jesus turned the water into wine?
If you had known Jesus when he was a boy and had thought he was just a regular guy and then saw him do this miracle, what do you think you’d be thinking?

Contact…

Bible Verse: Philippians 1:27

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Oct 04, 202009:49

Q. How Did I Come To Know Jesus?

How did I come to know Jesus?

This episode is a personal one!

The story about how someone becomes a Christian is called a testimony and today I am going to share mine with you.

Some people’s testimony’s involve a dramatic change - one day they do not believe in God and then something drastic happens in their life and they just have to believe in God.

Other people come to know Jesus gradually, slowly putting their trust in him bit by bit until they look back to some time in the past and remember that they used to not believe in God at all but now they are very strong in their faith.

That is the case for me. There wasn’t a date I could give you where I prayed a prayer to become a Christian, but a series of events that built up my faith over time.

In this episode I am going to tell you about some of those events that shaped what I believe today.

My life is not like a pizza, divided up into segments like sport, church, school etc.

The whole of my life is defined by me being a Christian.

Tune in to hear the whole story!

Discussion Questions:

If you are sitting in the car with a Christian adult - a parent or grandparent I am guessing, ask them the same question that I just answered: Ask them - how did you come to know Jesus?
For the kids - Share an experience or 2 that you think has helped you get to know Jesus.
How much do you know Jesus? A little bit or a lot? And are you keen to get to know him more? Chat about how you will do it.

Contact…

Listen first to the episode “Why Does God Let Bad Things Happen?”

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Sep 27, 202012:22

Q. Why Did God Let Covid-19 Happen?

God didn’t want us to be his toys, but his friend.

God doesn’t MAKE bad things happen but he does let them happen.

God could stop it. He has the power to do anything.

Bible Verse: Luke 1:37 “Nothing is impossible for God!”

God has power over sicknesses.

But God chooses not to do some things.

eg God chooses not to sin.

He chooses not to hate people when they hate him.

People were wondering similar things in Jesus’ time regarding why people were born with ailments. It was generally assumed in society at the time that it was sin that caused certain people to have bad things happen to them in their lives.

Bible Verse: John 9:1-12

So many people in life think that it is about having a fun time and doing things that make you laugh; being happy.

This is not true.

Life is about getting your enjoyment from God no matter what the circumstances. (Listen to this episode on What Is The Meaning Of Life? from last week if you haven't already!)

God says that many bad things will happen in life. Expect it. In the world you will have tribulation (troubles).

Bible Verse: John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

This is a sad verse and a happy one. We will have troubles but it will end up good in the end. God wrote the beginning and the end of the world.

Do you ever sneak to the last few pages of a book to find out how it ends?

I’ve read the back of the book and it all works out in the end!

Discussion Questions:

Why do you think God let Covid-19 happen?
If you knew someone who was doubting that God is a loving and kind God because of all the horrible things that have been happening this year, what is one thing you might say to them that would encourage them to keep on having faith in God?

Contact…

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Sep 20, 202010:55

Q. What Is The Meaning Of Life?

In today's episode Anna tackles the biggest question of all - What Is The Meaning of Life?

This question springs from other questions:

Why Did God Make People?
What is God’s purpose for us being here?
What is the purpose of life?
What is the Meaning Of Life?
Why Did your parents want kids?
Why Did I want kids?

People are different from all the rest of God’s creation because we have been made in God’s image.

Genesis 1:26-27 “God said, “Now we will make humans, and they will be like us. We will let them rule the fish, the birds, and all other living creatures.” So God created humans to be like himself; he made men and women.”

What is God’s image like? This verse says that God’s image is just like us. I think that refers to our spiritual nature rather than our earthly bodies. We have a higher level of thinking.

An old quote about the meaning of life is this: “The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever.” CS LEWIS

TO GLORIFY means to acknowledge and reveal the majesty and splendour of God by your actions. We can do that by praising him or by living in a way that is pleasing to him.

Enjoying is a word that comes from JOY or Happy or Content and is enjoying something is to take delight or pleasure in it.

So our reason for being here on earth is to take delight and pleasure and happiness in God. A very pleasant instruction to do!

Bible Verses about glorifying God by enjoying Him forever:

Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart. (Psalm 32:11)
Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones; Praise is becoming to the upright. (Psalm 33:1)
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; For You will judge the peoples with uprightness and guide the nations on the earth. (Psalm 67:4)
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. (Psalm 100:1–2)
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)

If we remember these things and glorify God by enjoying him, then we will be content.

Discussion Questions:

Parents: why did you have kids
Think about people you know. What do you think they would say if you asked them “What is the meaning of life?”
Because of the more complicated language used in this episode I want you to discuss the meaning of the quote - The purpose of life is to glorify God by enjoying him forever. What do you think this means?
What is one thing you could start doing today that can help you enjoy God?

Contact…

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Sep 13, 202013:15

Q. Why Does God Let Bad Things Happen?

Today’s question is Why Does God Let Bad Things Happen?

This is something that many people struggle with and if you can’t get your head around it now that’s fine - some things become clearer over time and when we get to Heaven we will understand everything.

I found this verse today that I think is helpful to keep in mind when learning about things that we struggle to understand:

1 Corinthians 13:12:

“Now all we can see of God

is like a cloudy picture

in a mirror.

Later we will see him

face to face.

We don’t know everything,

but then we will,

just as God completely

understands us.”

We will understand why God does things the way he does as we dig deeper and deeper into our learning about Him and as we read and learn more and more about what he has already done here on earth.

Huge questions that many people cannot understand and then often stop trusting in God

Some people think:

God can’t be a caring God to let someone I love go through cancer
God can’t be a caring God to stop people from going to Heaven when they die
God can’t be a loving God to allow famines and starvation on the earth

Why do bad things happen? Sin.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. God planned earth to be full of all things good.

In the first episode titled GREEN I talk about how perfect God’s creation was - there was nothing wrong with it at all - it was GOOD!

What happened?

Adam and Eve ate the fruit and that was the beginning of sin. Every single person got sin because they were born from someone sinful - just like you get your genes from your parents, you get sin from your parents. This sin is called “original sin.”

Q. Why does God Let Bad Things Happen?

This question leads to many other questions:

Why Did he allow sin to enter the world?
Why did God put the tree in the garden in the first place?
Why was the snake/Satan allowed to enter into the garden?

It was God’s way of giving Adam and Eve a choice to obey him or not.

God doesn’t want to control us - he wants us to be able to choose whether we obey Him or not, because loving him would not be real if he forced us to do it. Harry Potter Fans may remember Tom Riddle’s mum forcing a man to love her. It isn’t real if it’s forced.

But we know now, that God will not let anyone into Heaven. If somebody keeps saying in their lives that Jesus is not real, that he is made up or is just a regular man that someone made stories up about, they will not be allowed to enter into eternal life. This is because they have not had their sins removed from them through having faith in Jesus.

Everyone has a chance but some people waste their chance.

Discussion Questions:

Do you like playing imaginative games alone or do you prefer to spend time with other people who have their own opinions and thoughts?
Why do you think God doesn’t want to control you?
How do you feel about being able to have choices in life rather than being controlled?

Contact…

Some people think they won’t go to Heaven if they are not baptised with water, but that’s not true. Remember the man next to Jesus on the cross? Luke 23:39-42

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Sep 06, 202009:19

Q. Why Do People Get Baptized?

Baptism. It is a strange thing Christians do with water.

Why Do People Get Baptised?

What is Baptism? It is an outward sign of something happening inside.

What does the bible say about baptisms?

Phillip baptized a man in the Jordan River - Acts 8:26-40

Many people think that this means that young and old can get baptised. What do you think? A whole household got baptized - Acts 16:30-34

Jesus was baptised - Matthew 3:13-17

Jesus commanded the disciples to baptise people in Matthew 28:19-20

Pastors say special things before and during the baptism:

Welcoming you into the church
Baptising you in the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit
Usually there are specific things church leaders say and ask the church to support the person in their Christian walk eg. “Do you turn to Christ as Saviour? I turn to Christ” and “ I baptise you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

Why Do People Get Baptised?

To announce to everyone they know that their sins have been washed away.

Discussion Questions:

Have you been baptised or have you seen anyone get baptised? If yes, tell all about what happened.
What rules and policies does your church have around baptisms - ie sprinkling, full emersion, babies baptised or dedicated, teens confirmed or baptised?
If you haven’t been baptised, would you like to be? Why/why not?

Contact…

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Aug 30, 202010:36

Q. Why Did Jesus Give Us Communion?

Why Did Jesus Give Us Communion?

What is communion? What is the Lord’s Supper, the Eucharist, Breaking of bread?

Matthew 26:26-30

This wine is my blood and this bread is my body is not literally that, but is a symbol.

Some people think that the wine and the bread literally changes to become Jesus body and blood.

What do you think?

My experiences taking communion

Communal cup and plate
walk up the front of church and kneel
small cups and bread passed around
Some churches let children take communion
some churches just pray for the children
some wait until a child has chosen to be baptised
some churches require you to be a member of their gathering

After Jesus died, people believed and started calling themselves Christians. Instead of going to the temple to worship God they began meeting together and called these meetings ‘church’ which means assemble.

In these meetings, they began taking part in communion, or the Lords Supper, and we still do it today.

Paul noticed some problems with the way the Corinthian church were doing it and wrote them a letter with some better ways to have communion:

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Why Did Jesus Give Us Communion? To remember him. As an outward sign of something happening inside of us - we are accepting the wine and the bread outwardly and inwardly, we are accepting Jesus body broken and his blood shed for our sins.

How Should We Take Communion?

Only if we believe in Jesus and have become a Christian.
With respect for Jesus and what he did for us on the cross.
Reverently

Discussion Questions:

Do you think Jesus was saying a metaphor when he said the wine was his blood and the bread was his body, or do you think it really was and is during communion?
Talk about your church - How does your church do communion? When does your church allow people to start taking communion? What rules does your church have around communion?
Is taking communion something that you would be interested in doing? Why/why not?

Contact…

Bible Reading: Exodus 20:1-17

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Aug 23, 202010:21

Q. Do You Have To Obey The 10 Commandments To Be A Christian?

Join Anna in this episode to discover what the 10 Commandments are for, whether you have to obey them to be a Christian, whether it is good to obey them and what they tell us about the nature of God.

If you believe in Jesus and have repented for your sins then you are a Christian and we Christians want to live our lives pleasing God because we are thankful that he saved us.

Many people think being a Christian means obeying heaps of rules.

Long ago, God told Moses 10 rules, called the Ten Commandments, and wrote them on 2 stone tablets for him and told everyone to obey them.

Last episode I talked about other religions and how they have to do good things to get to their version of heaven.

Do we have to do good words to get to Heaven?

Isn’t that what the 10 commandments are all about?

This episode is about why God gave his people these rules and what it means for us.

These rules show us that we fall short and are sinful.

If there were no rules at school then you would never know if you were doing anything wrong.

God knew that no one could keep all these rules perfectly

It brings us to repentance once we realise we need saving from our sins

So Do You Have To Obey the 10 Commandments to Be A Christian?

No, it is impossible.

What does Jesus say about the 10 Commandments?

Bible Reading: Mark 12:28-34

Jesus summarises the 10 Commandments by saying we are to LOVE GOD and we are to LOVE OTHERS.

Bible Reading; John 14:15

Jesus says that if you love him and do what he commands and what he commands is The Ten Commandments. We only need to try to obey these if we love Jesus.

So should we still try to obey the 10 Commandments today, 3000 years later?

Yes.

But remember that you will fail and God will forgive you. He know that and just wants us to do our best to show him that we love him, to show him we are thankful for his salvation.

Discussion Questions:

How do you feel about rules? Are they necessary or could you live without them? Why/why not?
What do you think about God’s 10 Commandments?
What would you say to someone who said to you that being a Christian is just about following commandments?

Contact…

In this episode Anna discusses the difference between Christianity and other religions and talks about how you can decide on which one you think is right (because you want to choose the right one, not just the one that you like the sound of).
There are nearly 8 billion people on earth, in 195 different countries, and so there are a range of different beliefs.
What does the word “religion” mean? The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.
30% of Australians do not believe in any superhuman power at all, and 18% of Americans do not believe in any religion at all. A few hundred years ago this would have been considered foolishness, as the spiritual realm was so obvious in their society.
What is similar about Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism? Working in this life by doing good things to get eternal life after death.
Christianity and Islam both believe in a creator God who we can pray to.
How is Christianity different from the other religions?
Christian God is knowable, loves and cares for us and doesn’t want us to work to get to heaven, as we couldn’t work enough! Grace/Works
So how do we know which religion is the ‘right’ one?

Learn about them
Pray to God to show himself to you
Have faith

After Jesus fed 5000 people and walked on the water he got quite a lot of people following him around, wanting to know more.
Jesus preached to all the people who were following him but some found it hard to understand. Many turned away and stopped following and listening to Jesus.
“Jesus then asked his twelve disciples if they were going to leave him. Simon Peter answered, “Lord, there is no one else that we can go to! Your words give eternal life. We have faith in you, and we are sure that you are God’s Holy One.” John 6:67-69
One thing all these religions have in common is they all say that you have a decision to make in your life - what to believe.
You have your life to choose and then you have no more time left.
Discussion Questions:

Share your thoughts or questions about the other religions you know about or have heard about today.
Is there anything that makes sense or sounds good to you? Is there anything that sounds crazy? Why/why not?
Talk about faith. Do you find it hard or easy? Have you had any times where your faith has been tested?

Contact…
Facebook: @thewordonthestreetpodcast
Instagram: @thewordonthestreetpodcast
Website: thewordonthestreetpodcast.com
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Aug 16, 202011:19

Q. What About Other Religions?

Aug 09, 202010:45

Q. Do You Have To Go To Church To Be A Christian?

This episode answers a common question many Christians ask about church - DO I HAVE TO GO?

To properly answer this question, we also need to know why churches exist, what they're for and what the bible says about it all.

Church is not a building, although people often refer to the building where the meeting is as ‘church’.

The word actually means assembly. Not school - getting together!

In our modern English Bibles, the word “church” is supposedly translated from the Greek word “ekklesia” which simply means: people assembled.

Why is it good to get together?

What does the bible say about church:

Hebrews 10:24-25 Be regular at meeting together. It is for your benefit - to love others (encourage others and be encouraged).

1 Corinthians 14:26 What would be good things to do together as Christians?

1 John 1:6-7 It is a given that if we become Christians and live in the light then we will share our lives with one another. Other versions say that we will have fellowship with one another, which means spend time together as friends.

God commands us to love him and to love our neighbours - everyone we come in contact with.

He especially wants us to love other Christians. The bible often says, “love one another” and is talking to believers.

What influences you? School friends, TV shows, family? God wants us to influence one another. This is WHY anyone would want to go to church.

Bible Verses about Influence:

So do you have to go to church to be a Christian?

The prisoner on the cross next to Jesus never did and he went to heaven.

If there’s no church where you live you can’t go.

If you can’t physically get to church that makes it hard too doesn’t it?

No, you do not have to go to church to be a Christian, but God wants us to be a part of a church for our benefit - because it is good for us.

Discussion Questions:

What are the main things or people who have influenced you in your life so far?
If you don’t go to church, why/why not?
If you do go to church, what do you like and dislike about church?
What things can you do at your local church that can encourage others?

Contact…

Leave me a Voice Message: https://anchor.fm/annaware/message

Aug 02, 202012:13

Q. What's So Good About The Bible?

I quote the bible in every episode because it’s so important!

The bible is the most important book to every Christian.

Why is it so important?

The Bible is important because it is God’s Word.

The Bible is the way God communicates with us and tells us things - 2 Timothy 3:16

Each author who wrote part of the bible was inspired by God.

The bible is a living book - Hebrews 4:12

The Holy Spirit is working in us when we read the Bible. Satan does not want us to read this book. Often I don’t want to read it, but I will happily read any other novel. There is a spiritual battle going on about reading this book.

The bible teaches us things - Romans 15:4

If we read the bible, it will make us grow stronger and it will improve us.

What proof is there that the bible is true?

It was written down by different people who didn’t know one another or read each other’s writings, but still wrote down the same things
Things that were written down by believers were also written down by a journalist, Josephus, who did not even believe in God
If someone were to make this up, the story would have been different eg. Women would not have been the first to Jesus’ tomb, because they were not considered reliable witnesses in those days. If someone made it up, they would have said that the men were the first to the tomb.

After Jesus died people didn’t read much, and so stories were passed down the generations by word of mouth.

There was a few pieces of writing that were not genuine. They were written at a later date by authors pretending to be Jesus’ disciples.

One book that was said to be written by the disciple Thomas was excluded because there were things written in there and in a language that showed that Thomas hadn’t actually written the book at all.

Do not add or take away anything from the bible - Revelation 22:18-19

Discussion Questions:

Do you like reading the bible? Why/why not?
What things to you think you might learn by reading the bible?
Pray to God, asking him to help you to read The Word more.
Is there anything that you have read in the bible that you don’t understand? Maybe you can ask your parents about it now, or if there’s heaps you could write a list, or you could email me and ask.

Contact…

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Jul 26, 202012:59

Q. What's So Good About The Holy Spirit?

We begin a new series focusing on answering important questions about God, the Bible, the Holy Spirit and other things you may have wondered about before!

This episode answers the questions What's So Good About The Holy Spirit?

There are 7 main things that make the Holy Spirit such an awesome gift from Jesus:

1. The Holy Spirit opens our minds to understand God - and helps us become Christians, is involved in cleaning us from our sin and helps us be born again - John 16:7-11

2. The Holy Spirit is always with us - 1 Corinthians 3:16, Psalm 139

3. The Holy Spirit helps us pray if we don’t know what to say - Romans 8:26-27

4. The Holy Spirit helps us and comforts us - John 14:16-17

5. The Holy Spirit gives us gifts - 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

6. The Holy Spirit produces fruit in every person he lives in - Galatians 5:22-26

7. The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom - 1 Corinthians 2:7-13

Discussion Questions:

Which part about the Holy Spirit appeals to you the most?
Think about a time when you were aware that the Holy Spirit was there for you. Share your experiences together. Maybe the parents might have more stories to share for this one!
How do you get the Holy Spirit to live in you?

Contact…

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Jul 19, 202010:60

RACISM For Kids - Black Lives Matter

BONUS EPISODE:

BLACK LIVES MATTER!

This BONUS episode explains from a Christian perspective RACISM, in a simple and clear way for kids to understand, especially white kids who have no idea of what black people have to endure.

Over the last month there have been a lot of people talking about how Black Lives Matter and I thought it would be helpful to spend an episode talking about that.

They are not saying that black lives matter more than others, they are saying that people need to care about black lives as much as people care about white lives.

What do people mean when they say Black Lives Matter? They are asking to be treated respectfully, in the same way white people treat other white people. Is this a fair ask? Yes.

They have treated poorly for hundreds of years and are slowly, bit by bit, being treated better but still not equal to white people.

African Americans were brought to America from Africa as slaves just as indigenous Australians were captured and forced to do slave work. They weren’t allowed to be a part of normal society, go into shops or restaurants or allowed to vote. Things are getting better but there is still a way to go before they get equality.

What happened to start off these event? What happened to George Floyd?

Bullying definition - Bullying is ongoing, deliberate intentions to cause harm to somebody.

Black people experience bullying from white people every day.

Research has shown that people who watch bullying are encouraging the bully and those who stand up to the bullying get change to happen.

What can we do?

What did Jesus do?

When Jesus was alive, it was the poor, the sick, those who couldn’t walk or see as well as tax collectors who were bullied. Jesus loved them. He ate with them, he cared for them and he told them about how they could have eternal life, the best way to love someone ever.

What does the bible say?

The Bible says that all lives matter.

Which lives need our love and care the most? Those who are suffering, those who are bullied, those who are asking for it, those who God puts in our paths.

What can we do?

Do not be a bystander. Stand up for those who are being mistreated. Look for those who are suffering and asking for help and love them.

Pray for courage to take a stand.

Because Black Lives Matter to God and so black lives need to matter to us too.

Discussion Questions:

What does God think about racism and what do you think about racism?
Have you experienced racism before? Share your stories.
What is something you can do to show that you support the black lives matter movement?

Contact…

That Day the Holy Spirit came like tongues of fire is called The Day of Pentecost. Since then we have had the Holy Spirit living in us if we are Christians. Read along with me in Acts 2.

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Jul 12, 202009:26

JESUS LIFE: His Gift Of The Holy Spirit

Have you ever had to say goodbye to someone you loved, and knew that you weren’t going to see them again for a very long time? Did they leave something with you - a gift or a letter maybe - as something to remember them by?

In today’s episode we are going to look at what Jesus left behind when he left the earth and went up to Heaven. It was the Holy Spirit, which is the most amazing and generous gift to us that we could ever ask for. But what is it? Well, it is actually not an it! It’s a HE. The Holy Spirit is actually God is spirit form - without a human body, free to live with any person who welcomes Him.

Would you think having God living with you all the time would be awesome? I know I do! I have welcomed Him into my heart and not only am I now never alone, but I have the God of the universe looking after me every minute of every day!

Have you ever received a gift that you had never seen before? You have no idea what it does, how to use it and whether it will even be useful or fun, or maybe it will just be something that you don’t even want or need! You couldn’t be bothered to read the instructions and work out what it does and end up putting it on the shelf and never use it. But the person who gave it to you was so excited about it - all the features! They think you are absolutely going to love it because they have one too and they use it all the time! Imagine if you did that when you were given an iPad or a playstation. That would be crazy!

I reckon the Holy Spirit can be a bit like that. He is an amazing gift from God, so incredibly valuable and useful, sent to us to look after us. Some people bother to get to know him. They take the time to work out what He is here for and what we can do in order to appreciate and utilise the gift and it is awesome!!!

But other people who become Christians don’t fully understand what the Holy Spirit is, and they don’t bother trying to learn about it. They live their lives ignoring him and don’t get all the benefits of having the God of the Universe present in their lives.

Discussion Questions:

What do you think makes the Holy Spirit the best gift Jesus could ever have given us?
What can you do to get to know the Holy Spirit?

Contact…

Leave me a Voice Message: https://anchor.fm/annaware/message

Jul 05, 202011:07

JESUS' LIFE: His Return

Jesus died and went to heaven but he is coming back in the same way he left - coming through the clouds! But when is this happening, how is it happening and WHY?

There are a lot of prophecies that give us clues to all these answers, although we will not know all the details until the time comes.

The second coming is the beginning of the end. Jesus will come back, those who have had their sins washed away will go to heaven and for those who don’t its going to be sad.

It is good to know these details as it helps us to be prepared. Jesus wants us to be prepared for his Second Coming like house owner’s are prepared for a thief in the night.

Matthew 24 has so many details about what Jesus’ Return will be like!

No one will know when exactly, but there will be wars, famines and earthquakes.

It will be like the times of Noah, when the people were living their lives normally before the flood, and then the rains came and surprised everyone.

Jesus will bring Christians together from all over earth and bring them to Heaven. I know I'm going, are you?

If you aren't sure if you are a Christian and want to know how to become a Christian, make sure you listen to the episode on Becoming A Christian.

For any parents wanting some direction in how to help your kids get to know Jesus, I have created a document that you can download for free. In it, you will discover 7 things that you can implement today that you can do to help your kids get to know Jesus. You can find this document at: thewordonthestreetpodcast.com/helpyourkids

Discussion Questions:

Chat about what you think the end of the world is going to be like when Jesus comes back.
Talk about whether you want Jesus to come back, giving your reasons for and against.
Jesus could come back any moment. What do you need to do to get ready for his return?

Give me Your Questions

If you have any questions about anything that you hear on the podcast or want me to chat about something in particular, please let me know!

Contact…

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Jun 28, 202012:31

JESUS' LIFE: His Ascension

In this episode Anna talks about all of the things to do with Jesus leaving the earth and going back to Heaven.

Jesus Ascension refers to Jesus going up to heaven and the definition of ‘ascend’ go up or climb OR rise or move up through the air.

What were Jesus’ last words here on earth and why were they so important?

Matthew 28:16-20 Jesus' eleven disciples went to a mountain in Galilee, where Jesus had told them to meet him. 17 They saw him and worshiped him, but some of them doubted. Jesus came to them and said: “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth! 19 Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 20 and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.”

Read Acts 1:3-11 This awesome passage explains exactly how Jesus went to Heaven.

Discussion Questions:

How would you feel if you were one of the disciples watching Jesus float up into the sky?
If you knew that you were going to die soon, what would be the last thing that you would say and to whom?
Do you remember what Jesus’ last words were? Why would Jesus choose those things as his final words?

Do you have any questions that you would like answered in an upcoming episode? Please ask away, contact details below!

Contact…

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Jun 21, 202010:05

JESUS' LIFE: His Resurrection

This episode we continue on our journey exploring the key parts of Jesus' time here on earth and we finally reach the climax - Jesus' Resurrection!

Our sins have been dealt with and Jesus got punished for them instead of you and me. Was that it? Is that all? No Way!

Jesus died and took away our sins on the cross but he didn’t have to stay that way! Because he was sinless and because he was God, he was resurrected. This is a word that means to bring something that is dead back to life again. Jesus was dead but was brought back to life again, only this time it was not to live a normal life and die again at a ripe old age. This time Jesus was alive again but a bit magical. Not like magicians playing tricks but truly miraculous.

In this episode join Anna as she reads through the bible passages that tell all about what happened over the 40 days after Jesus died. Read along at the following locations in the Gospels:

Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in him will never die? Really? Well, our bodies will die, but our spirits will not - we will get new, heavenly bodies and we will live forever, without dying! How awesome is that?!

To listen to the episode on Eternal Life, head on over to THE GOSPEL STORY: Yellow Episode

Discussion Questions:

What are your thoughts about Jesus’ resurrection? Is there anything that you find hard to believe?
What do you have to do to make sure you can be resurrected to heaven too? Is that something that you want? Is there anything that worries you or scares you?

Contact…

Jun 14, 202012:51

JESUS LIFE: His Death

In this episode we delve right into the bible to find out exactly what happened on the day Jesus died, as written down by Jesus' disciples in the Gospels.

To hear all about WHY Jesus died, listen to the episode on THE GOSPEL STORY: Red from 30th March 2020.

In this episode we hear the details written in the Scriptures by John, Luke and a little from Matthew. The story covers EVERYTHING and is a little longer than normal, but sooo comprehensive. I hope you enjoy!

John 19:19 "Pilate ordered the charge against Jesus to be written on a board and put above the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” 20 The words were written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. The place where Jesus was taken wasn’t far from the city, and many of the Jewish people read the charge against him. 21 So the chief priests went to Pilate and said, “Why did you write that he is King of the Jews? You should have written, ‘He claimed to be King of the Jews.’” 22 But Pilate told them, “What is written will not be changed!”"

Luke 23:26-27 “As Jesus was being led away, some soldiers grabbed hold of a man from Cyrene named Simon. He was coming in from the fields, but they put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. A large crowd was following Jesus, and in the crowd a lot of women were crying and weeping for him.

John 19:23 “After the soldiers had nailed Jesus to the cross, they divided up his clothes into four parts, one for each of them. But his outer garment was made from a single piece of cloth, and it did not have any seams. 24 The soldiers said to each other, “Let’s not rip it apart. We will gamble to see who gets it.” This happened so that the Scriptures would come true, which say,

“They divided up my clothes
and gambled
for my garments.”

The soldiers then did what they had decided."

Luke 23:32 “Two criminals were led out to be put to death with Jesus. 33 When the soldiers came to the place called “The Skull,”[d] they nailed Jesus to a cross. They also nailed the two criminals to crosses, one on each side of Jesus.

Dying on the cross was a common death in those days. What makes Jesus' death different? What makes is so amazing that it was written about by even non-believers? We talk about it lots because it was different in that:

Jesus didn’t deserve it
He is God’s son
God deserted his only son on the cross
He took our sins with him on the cross

Discussion Questions:

Do you have any questions?
What are your thoughts about all this?

Jun 07, 202012:54

JESUS LIFE: His Friends

In this episode I want you to understand how Jesus chose his friends. He related to a lot of people and was pretty popular with many of them, because he was miraculous. But heaps of people didn’t like him, because he was popular but also because he was changing God’s laws a bit. We know that he IS God, and so could do that, but some of the people felt like he was disrespecting God. I can kind of relate a bit to that.

If you were Jesus and had to choose some people to be your disciples, which kind of person would you choose?

Someone who is funny and does crazy stuff to make you laugh?

Would you choose the educated scholar who has been to university and spent years studying the bible?

Would you choose a priest? Or a doctor? or someone else who has proven that they are educated?

Or would you choose someone who is well loved by the community? Someone who is generous with their belonging, who gives to the poor and looks after those in need?

What about someone with power? Someone who has lots of servants or soldiers to boss around? Or someone with lots of money?

Jesus did not choose any of these types of people to become his disciples. He chose 12 men who would tour around Israel with him, listen to him teach and who would be trained by Jesus for approximately 3 years.

We aren’t told the occupation of all of the disciples Jesus chose, but we do know that he chose at least 4 fishermen. We also know that he chose a tax collector (which was the career of a scam artist in those days, collecting money for the government and then collecting heaps extra for themselves!) He also chose zealot, which was the term used in those days to refer to a political activist.

Here’s the story of Jesus asking Peter, Andrew, James and John to be his disciples from Matthew 4:18-22:

“While Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw two brothers. One was Simon, also known as Peter, and the other was Andrew. They were fishermen, and they were casting their net into the lake. Jesus said to them, “Come with me! I will teach you how to bring in people instead of fish.” Right then the two brothers dropped their nets and went with him. Jesus walked on until he saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat with their father, mending their nets. Jesus asked them to come with him too. Right away they left the boat and their father and went with Jesus.”

Jesus also spent a lot of time with people who were not popular!

Matthew 9:10-17 says “Later, Jesus and his disciples were having dinner at Matthew’s house. Many tax collectors and other sinners were also there. 11 Some Pharisees asked Jesus' disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and other sinners?” Jesus heard them and answered, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do. Go and learn what the Scriptures mean when they say, ‘Instead of offering sacrifices to me, I want you to be merciful to others.’ I didn’t come to invite good people to be my followers. I came to invite sinners.”

Discussion Questions:

Would you say you are more like a Pharisee or a tax collector? Why/Why not?
What are the character traits that you look for in a friend?
Are you a good friend and what can you do to be a better friend?

May 31, 202010:00

JESUS' LIFE: His Parables

When Jesus taught the crowds he often told them stories about every day life. These stories had a deeper, heavenly, spiritual meaning and are called Parables. This episode is a great introduction to what parables are and why Jesus used them in his teaching.

And hundreds of year before Jesus was even born, Matthew remembers that a prophet wrote about parables:

Jesus used stories when he spoke to the people. In fact, he did not tell them anything without using stories.

35 So God’s promise came true, just as the prophet[b] had said,

“I will use stories
to speak my message
and to explain things
that have been hidden
since the creation
of the world.”

Matthew 13:34-35

And it came true! Jesus did use stories to explain his messages and he had a very good reason for it too!

Jesus told parables so that those with the right heart could hear and understand but those with the wrong heart - those who don’t like to hear new things - would not understand and might leave Jesus alone.

We know this because Jesus’ disciples actually asked why Jesus often used stories to speak to the people. Jesus’ reply was written down in the bible in Matthew 13:13-17

"Jesus said, “I use stories when I speak to them because when they look, they cannot see, and when they listen, they cannot hear or understand. 14 So God’s promise came true, just as the prophet Isaiah had said,

“These people will listen
and listen,
but never understand.
They will look and look,
but never see.

All of them have
stubborn minds!
Their ears are stopped up,
and their eyes are covered.
They cannot see or hear
or understand.
If they could,
they would turn to me,
and I would heal them.”

16 But God has blessed you, because your eyes can see and your ears can hear! Many prophets and good people were eager to see what you see and to hear what you hear. But I tell you that they did not see or hear.”

If you want to understand Jesus’ parables, you can ask God to give you a brain for understanding!

We are also super blessed to be living in a time where we actually have the answers! Sometimes Jesus would tell the crowds the stories and even the disciples were confused. They knew that Jesus would explain the parable to them later, so they wait until they are in safe company and ask for an explanation. These explanations were written down for us so that we don’t have to guess what each story is about! It is like having a maths text book with the answers in the back and you’re allowed to look! How awesome is that!?

Later on in the year I will create some episodes for you - telling you some more of Jesus’ parables and what message Jesus wanted us to get from them!

Discussion Questions:

If you were listening to Jesus tell the parables 2000 years ago, do you think that you would have understood what he was talking about?
How do you think the people who didn’t understand the parables felt? What would you do if you were there and didn’t understand the parables?
Pray and ask God for an open mind that can understand the parables and Jesus’ teachings.

May 24, 202009:46

JESUS' LIFE: His Teachings

Jesus was a teacher. 2000 years ago they didn’t have schools like we have, or even universities or churches. It was all very different. I love learning how to do new things by watching Youtube videos and by listening to podcasts. That’s how I learnt how to make this podcast!

In Jesus’ day, there was no Youtube or podcasts. There were no TVs or radios or even electricity or microphones. People would stand up on street corners and speak what they wanted to teach in a really loud voice, and if you were walking past and thought that what they were saying was interesting then you’d stop and listen.

I have hung out with some indigenous christians and they do something similar. The Christians will meet together in a park with chairs and microphones and will speak really loudly about Jesus. They hope that some of the people in the nearby homes might hear the gospel and come out and ask if they can become Christians.

Anyway, Jesus had been doing lots of miracles and so everyone was talking about Jesus. He was big news! So not only did sick people want to come and be healed, but other people wanted to come and see sick people being healed. Even though there was no tv or newspapers, the news spread quickly and soon crowds began following Jesus wherever he went. Not just people from the town he was in, but people from the nearby towns as well!

He thought going out of town, into the desert and lonely places would be better - more space and only those who were really keen would come out to hear him. There were no microphones back then either so I am not sure how the thousands and thousands of people could hear him, but they must have!

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21

If I lived back then when Jesus was alive and wanted to teach these things people would probably have laughed at me. They definitely wouldn’t have believed me. They might have even taken me to jail because I was saying things that weren’t the same as what God had taught Moses. That would be saying that their hero Moses was wrong. But because Jesus was teaching these different teachings - the man who did all the miracles - the people listened. Many found themselves understanding, agreeing and wanting to follow Jesus.

Not all of them though. Some of the people listening realised that Jesus was changing the laws Moses had given them and they didn’t like that. They didn’t recognise Jesus as being the Messiah even though all the clues from the prophets were there. Those people did not like that Jesus was popular and they plotted to get rid of Jesus. Jesus knew what was happening and had to be very careful with what he did and what he said.

Sometimes these people would ask Jesus a question, hoping to trick him into saying something that might mean they could take him to jail, but Jesus was not tricked. He spoke very carefully and often asked them questions in return, stumping them at their own game.

Jesus taught so many things and the disciples (plus others!) wrote it down even though writing was really hard back then, because they thought this stuff was important. Since then the letters and writings had been written and rewritten so they wouldn’t perish, and later they were translated into our own language so we can read it. To have these books about Jesus - the gospels - to have access to any time we like is such an amazing blessing.

Discussion Questions:

Do you like learning new things? Why/why not? Talk together about how you like learning - do you like watching YouTube like I do, or reading books or do you like people explaining things to you?
Mum/Dad, what is one thing you have learned from Jesus’ teaching that really struck you as being really memorable and why?

May 17, 202009:19

JESUS' LIFE: His Miracles

In today’s episode we are going to be looking at Jesus’ miracles. Why did he do them and what did he do?

Being a human meant that he would’ve needed to go to the toilet, he ate and slept like any other human, but he actually didn’t have to. He could’ve chosen to create all his meals out of thin air, he could’ve magicked a flying carpet to transport him around and he could’ve prevented himself from dying - forever!

Remember John 1:2, which says that “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” Jesus is above the laws of science. He created science! And while Jesus was on the earth he did some amazing things!

Being one of Jesus’ disciples must’ve been amazing. Every day they were witnessing incredible events like this! And any time one of them would get a sniffle or a sore throat they’d probably go and ask Jesus to heal them and he would!

Why would Jesus do these miracles?

It was another way that Jesus showed the people who he was. Only the creator of the world could do the things that Jesus was doing.

If Jesus had said “I am the messiah. I am God’s son.” If Jesus had said that he would have gotten arrested. So he had to show them that it was true. He showed the people that he was God’s son by performing miracles. The miracles also meant that the people gave Jesus respect. They listened to his teachings and were curious, asking themselves questions like - Who is this man? Where did he get his power from? How does what he say fit in with what God has said in the past? Should we believe what he says and follow him?

There is another reason why Jesus did these miraculous things - to fulfil another prophecy about him.

Long before this time, the prophet Isaiah in 35:3-6 said,

"Then will the eyes of the blind be opened

and the ears of the deaf unstopped.

Then will the lame leap like a deer,

and the mute tongue shout for joy.

Water will gush forth in the wilderness

and streams in the desert.”

We don’t see many miracles these days. Often we use science to try and work out a reason why it wasn’t a miracle. I think that God doesn’t need to use miracles. Jesus used them to let everyone know that he was God. What do we need them for now?

When I was a kid I was taught that Jesus could do amazing miracles. I was also taught that if you ask, seek and knock the door will be opened to you, meaning if you ask for something from God then he will answer your prayers. But you have to have faith the size of a mustard seed… so one night before bed I prayed for a packet of Minties, which were the best chewy mint lollies in the world in the 90s. I believed with all my heart and when I woke up in the morning I ran to my shelf where I fully expected the lollies to be, and to my disappointment, they were not there! I was devastated! I didn’t understand! Did God not hear me? Of course he did, he’s God. “Why didn’t you answer my prayer?” I prayed, over and over.

I didn’t understand straight away, and it was a long time before I understood, but there has to be a good reason for God to do things. We may not always know the reason, but he is God and he is perfect and has the best reasons for doing everything he does.

All Jesus’ miracles were spectacular and were done to show the people, and us today even, that He really is God. He is powerful, he is awesome and he is God.

Discussion Questions:

If you were there and saw Jesus doing some of the miracles, what would you think about him?
If you could ask Jesus to perform a miracle today what would it be?
Pray for your miracle, you never know, he may want to say yes and give you what you want.

May 10, 202012:20

JESUS' LIFE: His Unusual Birth

We are beginning a new series today on Jesus and a heads up - I try and explain the Virgin Birth! I use the term 'mating' instead of saying 'sex' and speak in very general terms. I want you to know this because there may be questions about the birds and the bees, although I can imagine that many children will find my explanation sufficient. I do hope I haven't thrown anyone in the deep end but this is one part of the story of Jesus' birth that I just couldn't skip over!

After looking at the gospel over the previous episodes I am sure that you have realised that I think Jesus is pretty awesome. He is the most important part of what Christians believe and is what differentiates us from other religions.

Jesus is so awesome and he did so many things while he was here on this earth and the bible has 4 whole books dedicated to all the things he did and said, and so with this series, my hope is to give you an overview. What I hope we can chat about together will be to really discover who he is and what he came for.

I’ll tell you stories about his miracles, things he did with the disciples, I will share stories about his teaching, his parables and about what life was like when he lived, because it was over 2000 years ago and the world was very different back then.

We are going to start today by looking at his arrival, which was certainly spectacular! We celebrate Jesus’ arrival at Christmas every year, and you might know lots about the nativity story already, but let me tell it again. I don’t think even parents get sick of hearing this! This story is taken from the beginning chapters of both Matthew’s gospel and Luke’s.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem after travelling for 4-5 days to get there to be counted. He had some fantastic visitors while he was there - shepherds and wise men, and was given expensive but unusual gifts for a baby.

Angels communicated with Mary, Joseph and the wise men and saved Jesus from coming to harm from the jealous King Herod. After they were counted, Joseph, Mary and little baby Jesus didn’t end up going home to Nazareth for quite some time. They travelled to Egypt, leaving sneakily in the middle of the night, and they stayed there until it was safe and the jealous King Herod passed away.

There was no newspaper or internet to find out news in those days, but there were angels! An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him that they could go home because King Herod was dead and no longer a threat. So finally the little family got to go back home to Nazareth to live.

Discussion Questions:

What do you think the job of an angel is? Are they around anymore? Do they like earth? Do they eat, drink and sleep?
There was one big boss in this whole story, in control of every single thing that happened. Who do you think that was?
So if God was in control, why would he have worked out the story to be like this - with Jesus being born in a manger and visitors not being family members but wise men and shepherds?

May 03, 202011:46

BEING A CHRISTIAN: Having a Relationship With God

God created us to have a relationship with him, but ever since sin came along we have not really been able to do it properly. God wanted us to relate with him perfectly but we can’t because of sin!

This is the first time I have recorded an episode since my Granny died.

She knew Jesus and lived her life trying to please him.

She read her bible, prayed and sang songs to God and about God. She loved to sing hymns (songs with heaps of verses written a long time ago.)

Why did God create us? To have a relationship with him - a strong friendship, for us to be his BFF!

Can we still do that while we are sinful? Yes, kind of. That is what we are going to look at today!

What can we do to show God we love him while we are here on earth? We can love him in a few different ways.

The 5 Love Languages are:

Physical touch (can’t hug God so can’t do this one)
Gift Giving (we can spend our money on things God would like, such as gifts to the poor or to the church)
Words of Affirmation (we can chat with God and tell him how good he is!0
Acts of Service (we can spend our time doing things for God)
Quality time (he is always with us and can come with us wherever we go!)

Devoting yourself to prayer and bible reading is essential in communicating with God!

Psalm 139:7-10 “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

We won’t be perfect at loving God while we are here on earth, but we must try our best. If we fail God will forgive us. In Heaven we will be able to do this perfectly!

Discussion Questions:

Think of someone who is your friend. What do you like about them?
Do you want to have a relationship with God? If yes, what do you want to do more of to make that relationship better?
One for the parents: Share what things you do in the day to build a relationship with God, and are there any things you wish you were better at doing?

Apr 26, 202013:51

BEING A CHRISTIAN: Kids Sharing Jesus

Did you decide you wanted to become a Christian at the end of the last episode?

If YES - welcome to the universal church, your name has been written in the book of life and whenever you do end up dying, you get to spend eternity with God and with me!

I’ll be praying for you because living as a Christian, trying to please God, love others and not sin is hard, although it is very rewarding.

If you said NO, you didn’t want to become a Christian - that’s totally fine - keep listening and learning and thinking, there is no rush. Just remember, if you don’t accept Jesus you reject him.

As a Christian, living for God, one of the most important jobs he gives us is telling other people about the gospel. Evangelism

Why? So they can go to heaven too!

Imagine what it will be like when you get to heaven.

Your friends aren’t there because you didn’t tell them.

Why wouldn’t you tell your friends? You were too shy to invite them to church. You enjoyed going to kids groups at church with the kids there and didn’t need any more friends at church, so you decided to not invite them. You had told yourself that they would have been too busy to come anyway - playing soccer and dancing and learning musical instruments.

Bible verse: How are your friends going to become Christians? In the bible, in Romans 10:13,14 Paul wrote, “All who call out to the Lord will be saved. How can people have faith in the Lord and ask him to save them, if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear, unless someone tells them?”

Why don’t I like sharing the gospel - I avoid arguments

3 Things You Can Do to Share The Gospel:

Memorise the gospel story by heart and tell them
Invite them to a church event
Pray

One final thing you could do is tell them about this podcast! If your friend hears the gospel in these episodes then they might be able to call out to the Lord and be saved!

Also write an apple podcasts review. You could actually help lots of other people - kids and parents who don’t know you - to hear the gospel and become Christians by sharing this podcast, by leaving a review, by subscribing and following us on social media. All these things help the rankings of the show and enable the algorithms to rank us more highly, boosting our downloads, which means even more people may come to know Jesus. Just imagine how cool that is - to help people you don’t even know! I can imagine you getting to heaven and finding out heaps of people are there because of a review you wrote out in 2020 on itunes!

Discussion Questions:

What things make you hesitant to share the gospel?
Who do you want to share the gospel with?
Kind of like a role play - can you practise saying out loud what you would say to the person you just mentioned in the second question.
I have an additional challenge, and if you’re listening to this a month or a year or even several years after I have posted this, I would love you to still do this challenge: Make a short video of yourself explaining the 5 parts of the gospel story and upload it to our facebook group. It can be as elaborate or as amateur as you like - we are not professionals here and there will be no mark. By doing this, we can get encouraged by you and you can get some practise!

Apr 19, 202007:13

BEING A CHRISTIAN: How to Become a Christian FOR KIDS

If you believe all of the parts of The Gospel Story, (there's an eBook about it here if you want to read about it) then you have a decision to make. You can choose to become a Christian or you can choose to ignore God and not be a Christian.

Just because you believe the story doesn’t make you a Christian

There are 2 parts to being a Christian.

Becoming a Christian
Living like a Christian

BECOMING A CHRISTIAN

Believing in The Gospel Story
Repenting - Saying Sorry for your sins and really being sorry. 180 degrees turn-around
Bible Verse: 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Accept the Holy Spirit
Bible Verse: ACTS 2:38 “And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

LIVING LIKE A CHRISTIAN

Everyone who becomes a Christian must change the way they live.

We love God and want to please him so we will want to stop sinning as much as possible, as a way of thanking Him.

Paul saw some people keep on sinning because they thought Jesus death could just clear away their sin anyway and it didn’t matter, so he wrote to them and said, “Should we keep on sinning, so that God’s wonderful kindness will show up even better? No, we should not! If we are dead to sin, how can we go on sinning?” Romans 6:1-2

If we stuff up and sin, and keep on sinning, but we are trying our best, God knows our hearts and forgives us. We can come to him and repent again and again, and he will keep forgiving us.

Bible verse: It is hard. Even Paul says in Romans 7:19 “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing."

MOVING HOUSE ILLUSTRATION

Have you ever moved house? Becoming a Christian is a bit like moving house. There are 2 parts: actual moving day and then decorating

Part 1 is easy, and I know heaps of people who have done part 1 and moved house, but part 2 takes a lot more time and effort.

Why is part 2 harder? We have sin in us

We will never be perfect but will keep working towards it, bit by bit, because we love God and are grateful for all he has done for us.

We will be perfect at part 2 when we get to heaven!

Discussion Questions:

Do you believe in everything from the Gospel Story? (quick summary)
Do you want to change your life, stop sinning as much as you can and start living for God?
If you said yes to both of those questions, and if you haven’t done this already, you might like to pray a prayer, asking God to forgive you for your sins and to give you the Holy Spirit. Doing this will make you a Christian. Your mum or dad would probably be pretty keen to do this with you if you wanted to.

Apr 12, 202012:50

The Gospel Story #5: YELLOW

Nobody really likes to talk about death. There is nothing good about dying. Or maybe there is? In this episode I am going to talk about it. Why? Because even though it isn’t a super-fun topic, it is actually a really important one.

When you die and you believe Jesus took your sins, then you get to be with God and you will have nothing to fear. Here’s why:

You will not be alone - God will be there and he loves you to infinity and beyond
There is no sin there - no other people will be mean, hurtful or bullying you at all
You know what it is not like - not sad, painful, lonely, depressing
You know what you will feel - happy, joyful, content, bliss
You know a bit about where you will be - A new Earth - Paradise
Eternal life with God! That is what God created us all along for! I still have heaps of trouble imagining what it is ultimately going to look like, but know that it is going to be excellent and very worthwhile, because we are promised that it will be in the bible.

How do I know all of this? The bible of course! Here is an awesome bible passage for you from the last book of the bible, Revelation 21:1-4, written by Jesus’ disciple John who saw heaps of things that are to come in the future. He says:

"I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had disappeared, and so had the sea. Then I saw New Jerusalem, that holy city, coming down from God in heaven. It was like a bride dressed in her wedding gown and ready to meet her husband. I heard a loud voice shout from the throne:

God’s home is now with his people. He will live with them, and they will be his own. Yes, God will make his home among his people. He will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying, or pain. These things of the past are gone forever.”

Now there is one more sad thing to mention before the end of this episode and I would rather not talk about it because it is not a good thing. I am referring to the question about what happens to the people who don’t believe in Jesus and that Jesus was able to take away our sins on the cross. What happens to those people when they die?

If you don’t believe in Jesus and don’t think you need your sins to be taken away then you will not be allowed to enter into eternal life with God. He has reserved places especially for people who believe in Him. If you don’t believe in him then you will not be let in.

The other place people go when they die is usually referred to as Hell, but is really just a place where God is not. If God is loving and free of sin, then I can imagine a place without God would be horrible. The bible refers to it as ‘eternal destruction’ in 2 Thessalonians 1:9. So for those people this earth right now is the best existence they are ever going to get, but for us we are blessed with a perfect Eternal Life with God to look forward to!

But we don’t have to be worried, because Jesus said some comforting words to his disciples that we can take comfort in too.

Jesus said to his disciples, “Don’t be worried! Have faith in God and have faith in me. There are many rooms in my Father’s house. I wouldn’t tell you this, unless it was true. I am going there to prepare a place for each of you. After I have done this, I will come back and take you with me. Then we will be together.” John 14:1-3

Discussion Questions:

Share any concerns you may have about dying.
Are there any things that you heard today that make you excited?
What 3 words would you use to describe God to someone who has never heard of him?

Apr 05, 202008:48

The Gospel Story #4: RED

Jesus. This is what this episode is about.

He is God. He is also God's Son.

It sounds complicated, let me explain...

God has 3 parts that are all God, 3 different roles. God The Father, God The Son, Jesus, and God the Holy Spirit.

The Father sent Jesus to be born, and we celebrate God the Son becoming a human at Christmas. Jesus grew up, proved he was God by doing amazing, miraculous things and teaching amazing things as well, and then he died on the cross, pinning all of the world’s sins there with him. Jesus had no sins, which meant he could take the punishment we should have got because we had sinned, and he did it. Remember how there are consequences for disobeying God? This was the consequence, and Jesus did it so we won’t have to. The reason why God chose to do it like that was because when Jesus did it, he could come back alive again and go to heaven because he is God and perfect and holy!

So our sins have been paid for. The sins of the whole world! It doesn’t matter how bad your sins are or how many you have done! Remember back to the beginning, when God created everything? He loves his creation and thought it was worth going through all that terrible suffering in order to get rid of the sin and make us his friends again.

Amazing hey!!!

We know this because a verse in the bible, John 3:16 says “16 God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and have eternal life.”

Remember in the White Episode (Episode number 2) when I talked about clean, white paper with no smudges on it? Imagine every time I sin is like I get out a big black marker and scribble all over the clean, crisp paper. Sometimes my sin is just one little smudgy scribble, sometimes it is a huge dark blot. Whatever the sin is that’s on our lives it needs to come out to get to heaven right?

Imagine that Jesus is the AMAZING MIRACULOUS ERASER, which not only erases out the small smudges and lead pencil marks but can rub out all of the massive black blobs that are there. There is actually no sin that Jesus can’t rub out and get rid of. Through his death, Jesus got rid of them all!!! How absolutely excellent is that?!??

2 Corinthians 5:21 says that “God put the wrong on him, Jesus, who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.”

1 Peter 3:18 says that “Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He went through it all—was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God.”

Believing in Jesus, the amazing and miraculous eraser, is what makes me a Christian. Jesus is the reason why I get up in the morning, why I know that I am going to get eternal life after I die from this earth, and he is the reason why I am making this podcast. I believe in the fact that Jesus died for me and it has changed everything about my life!

Discussion Questions:

Imagine getting into trouble at school and being given a detention but one of your friends works out a way for you to play and says that they would like to do your detention for you. How would you feel?
Chat about the worst sins you can think of and talk about whether you think God is capable of forgiving them.

Contact…

website: thewordonthestreetpodcast.com

Mar 29, 202011:53

The Gospel Story #3: BLACK

This episode is called Black, and I think you will know what I am talking about with this one. SIN.

Sin is the thoughts and actions and not doing things too, that goes against what God wants us to do. It is kind of like being naughty, but when you are at home and you’re naughty and get into trouble that is because you are doing thinks your parents don’t want you to do. Sin is doing things God doesn’t want you to do, whether it is on purpose or even if it is an accident.

Adam and Eve did this in the Garden of Eden and we do it all the time. We all sin, every single person in the world, I know because it says so in the bible, in Romans 3:23 it says, “ALL HAVE SINNED.”

The sin is a bit like drawing on paper. Think about a fresh, clean sheet of white paper, without any smudges or wrinkles or drawing on it. It is perfect, a bit like people when God first created them. Now imagine a big black marker drawing all over it, creasing it and putting holes in it. That marker is the sin. The paper is no longer perfect, just like when people sin, we are no longer perfect and holy either. Even if the marker only did one small dot, it still wouldn’t be perfect. Some people do heaps of sinning and other people do only a bit, but just one tiny sin is enough to stop us from being perfect and holy for God. Sin is not just like a little hiccup - it is a MASSIVE problem.

It is ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT that God does not have any sin in Heaven or in Him.

In the Bible Isaiah the prophet says in Isaiah 59:2, “Your sins are the roadblock between you and your God.”

Adam and Eve just did one small thing and no longer could they hang out with God in the Garden of Eden. They actually had to leave the garden and go and find their own food and water and shelter. God made them clothes from animal fur and was really sad to have to punish them.

When God hears that his people have disobeyed him, he does the same as what any parent does when their kids do the wrong thing - he gives them a punishment. For example, the snake gets his legs taken off him, Adam and all men will have to work hard to get food and women will have to go through pain in childbirth.

What happens when you do the wrong thing?

What happens when we sin against God? We can't spend eternal life with God in Heaven when we die! We will have to go to a place without God, a place we often call Hell.

After sin came into the world it meant that life can never go back to how it was in the Garden of Eden, into that perfect, holy life with God. Sin is a BIG DEAL. It is a huge problem for God and for all of us, his creation, his creatures. It is such a massive problem that it is needed to be talked about.

I can't just leave it there on such a negative note, so I will let you know that there is good news - God has already worked out a way to get rid of this sin that separates us from him!

Discussion Questions:

How do you think Adam and Eve felt when God turned up after they had sinned and eaten the fruit?
Do you think you would have eaten the fruit if you were there?
Is there something you do that makes God sad that you find really hard not to do? If you want to you can pray about that now and ask him to help you!

Mar 22, 202009:41

The Gospel Story #2: WHITE

One thing that happened at the end of each day of creating was, “God looked at what he had done and saw that it was good.” At the end of all of his creating, at the end of the 6th day Genesis 1:31 says, “God looked at what he had done. All of it was VERY good!”

When someone asks you how you are, or how was your day, what do you say? GOOD! Sometimes we say it so often that we don’t even think about the real answer and we don’t even mean it. But when God looked at what he had done and saw that it was good, he wasn’t talking about GOOD in the same way we talk about Good. He was referring to his creation being perfect. As being untainted. His creation could not get any better!

Have you worked out why this episode is called “White”? It is because fresh snow, or clean white paper is a bit like what it was like in the beginning - perfectly clean and holy, everything was good, just as God wanted it to be. God especially wanted a perfect friendship with people, with us, and it was in the Garden of Eden that the friendship was perfect.

When I try to explain to my kids how much God loves them, I really struggle, because it is just so so so much!!! And when I say that he loves them even more than I do, I don’t want them to think that I mustn’t love them very much. But God actually loves you more than your parents. In fact, it was God who decided he was going to make you before he even created the world, and it was God who decided who your parents were going to be! Crazy huh?! I know that it is hard to believe, especially when your parents tell you that they love you to infinity, or as far as the moon and around the stars. But remember, God made those stars, and he is massive so that means that he is able to love in a MASSIVE way!

So why would God create you and love you so much? Because he wants to have a friendship with you. One where he can hang out with you all day every day and you will never have to be lonely. He wants to hang out with you in the same way that he hung out with Adam and Eve in the garden - perfectly and without sin.

Tune in to hear more about why God thought his creation was GOOD!

Discussion Questions:

What is God like? Discuss all of God’s attributes that you can think of with your family.
God doesn’t love you because you are good at soccer or swimming, or because you are kind. Talk together about the reason why God loves you.
What do you think you could do that would stop God from loving you?

About me…

My name is Anna Ware and I am a mother, wife and teacher and I have a passion for explaining biblical concepts to children. I love camping, swimming, running, reading and chocolate and I pray that I can help parents to have the courage to engage with their kids in the big conversations.

Contact…

website: thewordonthestreetpodcast.com

Mar 15, 202008:25

The Gospel Story #1: GREEN

Hello and welcome!

We are going to cover the gospel first, and I have always understood the gospel easily using the Jesus Colours, or the Colours of Life - Green, white, black, red and yellow. I find it is easier to remember what I believe and easier to explain by using these colours, and I am hoping that you will find it all easier to remember by using these colours too!

Have you ever created something AWESOME?

Every single kids bible I have ever read starts with God’s creation, and goes through each of the days and what God created and when. If you’ve ever read it, you will know that the world was created in 7 days, although on the last day technically he rested. On the other days he created the land, the water, the plants, the planets and all the animals in the water, the sky and on the land. And finally he created us - people!

The first 7 verses of the whole Bible go like this:

Genesis 1:1-7

In the beginning God
created the heavens
and the earth.

The earth was barren,
with no form of life;
it was under a roaring ocean
covered with darkness.
But the Spirit of God
was moving over the water.

God said, “I command light to shine!” And light started shining. God looked at the light and saw that it was good. He separated light from darkness and named the light “Day” and the darkness “Night.” Evening came and then morning—that was the first day. God said, “I command a dome to separate the water above it from the water below it.” And that’s what happened. God made the dome and named it “Sky.” Evening came and then morning—that was the second day.”

And it keeps going like this until he had created everything!!! How powerful is God?! He created all these things with just his voice! AMAZING!

God designed the whole world intricately, down to every detail! He is super powerful and he is awesomely creative! We know that because we can read it later on in the bible, in Romans 1:20, where the apostle Paul says,

"God’s eternal power and character cannot be seen. But from the beginning of creation, God has shown what these are like by all he has made.”

Have you worked out why this first part of the gospel is green? Yes, because a lot of what God created is green - the leaves, grass, bushes. When we think of nature, we typically think green, and so that is the colour that can help us remember this section!

In every episode, I am going to finish up with some questions.

It’d be awesome to hear some of your answers, so if you’re keen to share what you come up with, pop on over to our facebook group or Instagram to join in the conversation!

So here are the questions, I won't play thinking music for you, you can remember them or you can pause me after I’ve asked each one then hit play again when you're ready for the next one!

Discussion Questions:

Have you ever created anything that you were so proud of and loved so much?
What is one of your favourite things that God created?
Why is important to believe that God is the creator?

Contact…