Learning English Through Stories

Jesus healed a blind man. The man had been blind from birth. The man's neighbours took the man to the Pharisees. Now it happened that Jesus had healed the man on a Sabbath. Some of the Pharisees declared that Jesus was not from God. Others did not think that an ordinary sinner could do such a miracle. The Jewish leaders called in the man's parents. Later they called in the man a second time.

There was a huge crowd following Jesus - the men alone numbered five thousand. Jesus asked Philip, "Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?" Andrew told Jesus that there was a young boy with five barley loaves and two fish. Jesus had everyone sit down. Then he took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and passed them out to the people.

Jesus was on His way to Galilee. He sat down to rest beside the welk that Jacob had dug many centuries earlier. Around noon, a Samaritan woman came to draw water.

1. Listen for who the characters are. 2. What seems to be the main topic of conversation? 3. What was said about "birth" or about "life"? Who was a. Jewish b. a religious leader c. a teacher d. sent from God e. a doer of miracles

In this episode there are several characters. Choose one character and write in point form what that character does. After that, listen to the episode again to figure out 1. What is the problem? 2. How was the problem solved?

As you listen, answer these 4 questions: Who was there at the very Beginning? What is special about the life in Him? How did the people in His own land treat Him? Tell a few things about the word.

This is a famous passage about Love. It is about perfect Love...that is the love that comes from God. If we do many great things without love they are nothing more than a noisy gong. Love is patient and kind. It is never jealous or rude. It doesn't keep track of wrongs. It always protects, it always trusts, it always hopes. It never gives up. Love never fails.

Acts 5:12-34 The apostles performed many miracles. The believers met regularly in the temple courts. No one dared to harm them. People brought out the sick people out to the street on beds and mats so that Peter's shadow might fall across them as he walked by. Great numbers of people came from the villages around Jerusalem. The high priest and religious leaders became extremely jealous. They arrested the apostles and put them in chains and threw them in jail. The Lord sent an angel during the night. The angel supernaturally opened the gates and brought them out.

The apostles, that is Peter and John, were teaching the people. The priests and teachers of religious law had them arrested. It was evening so the trial started the next morning. The leaders asked the apostles, "By what power and in whose name have you done this?" Peter, now filled with the Holy Spirit answered them boldly, "Are you asking about the crippled man that was healed? Only Jesus has the power to save!" The leaders were amazed how brave Peter and John were. They knew they were ordinary men with no special training.

Every day a crippled man was carried and put by the Temple Gate. One afternoon, Peter and John were coming close. The man asked them for money. Peter did not have any money to give. He looked at the man intently (closely). He said, "In the name of Jesus get up and walk!" As Peter took the man by the hand, the man's feet and ankle bones were healed and strengthened. He stood up and began to walk. The people who saw him walking were absolutely (totally) amazed.

Pentecost is a special holiday for Jews. There were people from many nations in Jerusalem. The disciples and some others were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like a roaring wind came from heaven. They saw what looked like flames of fire above each other's heads. The Holy Spirit filled everyone. They spoke in other languages. The other people in the city came running to see what was going on. They heard people speaking their languages--- Persian, Greek, etc. How could people from Galilee speak their language?

Jesus tells His disciples not to leave Jerusalem until the Father sends them the Holy Spirit. The disciples still ask Him about when He will free Israel. Jesus tells them that they will be filled with power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them. He also tells them of specials things they will be able to do. Jesus' last words to them are a loving blessing. He is taken up to heaven in front of their eyes. Two men dressed in white ask them why they are looking up in the sky. The apostles return to Jerusalem full of joy.

Jesus tells His disciples that soon He will go away. Peter wants to come with Him. Peter even says that he would die for Jesus. Jesus tells the disciples He is going to prepare a place for them. When it is ready He will come back for them. They ask about His Father. Jesus tells them that if they know Jesus they know the father.

Jesus tells us to do good to those that hate us. He expects us to pray for those who are mean to us. If we are kind just to our friends, we are no better than corrupt officials. We need love with an exceptional love. That way, we will reveal the character of the Father. If we depend on God, He will help us love in this radical way.

Before the Crucifixion, Peter had declared that he would die for the Lord. Jesus had told the disciples to meet Him by the Sea of Galilee. Instead of waiting for Jesus, Peter decides to go fishing. He and the disciples don't catch anything. Early in the morning, they see someone on the shore. Jesus asks Simon Peter three times if he loves Him. Each time Peter answers that He is Jesus' friend.

When the disciples tell Thomas that they have seen Jesus, he doesn't believe them.

Early in the morning, Mary Magdalene and the another Mary went to the tomb. Suddenly there was a huge earthquake. An angel rolled away the stone that was blocking the entrance to the tomb. Jesus was not in the tomb. The angel told the women to tell the disciples to go to Galilee to meet Jesus there. The soldiers went to the city to tell the priests what happened. The priests and leaders bribed the soldiers to say that the disciples stole Jesus' body.

The soldiers led Jesus to Golgatha. They nailed Him to a cross. Two thieves were also crucified. One of them shouted rude insults at Jesus. The other told the other to stop. He asked Jesus to remember him in His Kingdom. At noon several unusual things happened.

The officers take Jesus to the High Priest's house. Peter follows to see what happens. He joins the guards who are inside the courtyard by a fire. Three people come up to him and say that he was with Jesus earlier.

When Jesus tells the disciples that they will desert Him, Peter insists that he is ready to even die with Jesus. Jesus takes Peter, James and John to pray with Him. He is very troubled. The three disciples keep falling asleep instead of praying. Judas arrives with the Roman soldiers. He kisses Jesus. The soldiers grab Jesus and arrest Him. Peter takes out his sword and cuts off the ear if one the men. Jesus heals the man's war. The disciples run away.

On the night before Jesus would be killed, Jesus tells the disciples to do to remember Him. He took the thin bread and thanked God for it. He said, "Take this bread. Eat it. It is My Body. I am giving it to save you. Do this in Remembrance of Me. After supper, Jesus lifted a cup of wine. He said, "This is my blood. It will be poured out to forgive the sins of many. This is the new covenant, the new promise that God is making through my death. The next time we drink this wine together, we will be at the special banquet in God's kingdom realm."

Vocabulary: return; influenced; protested; example Jesus washed and dried the disciples feet. When He came to Peter, Peter protested. Jesus tells the disciples that they should do as He did. They should follow His example. At the end He says: "put into practice what I've done for you. You will experience a life of happiness filled with amazing blessings.

John and Charlotte Henderson were recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records. They celebrated their 80th anniversary in 2019. At that time, they were living in a retirement community in Austin Texas. They met in a zoology class at the University of Texas.

The priests were planning how to kill Jesus. Judas met with them and agreed to help them. The day of Passover arrived. Two disciples go to Jerusalem and prepare the Passover meal. Jesus and the other disciples come in the evening.

The lessons are now leading up to Jesus' crucifixion (death). Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a colt. The people call Him king. They put their coats and branches on the road where the colt will walk. Jesus weeps over Jerusalem because they had not recognized that God had come to save them.

Martha and Mary send Jesus a message about Lazarus. He is very sick. Jesus waits a few days before He returns. By then, Lazarus has been dead for four days.

An important man give 3 servants 3 month's salary. Each servant earns different amounts with what was given to him. When the man comes back, he is very please with the first 2 servants and rewards them. He is angry with the third servant.

Jesus sends disciples two by two to do what He has been doing. First, He sent the Twelve to places in the Galilee. Later, He sent out 72 disciples. He gives the disciples detailed instructions. Before they leave, Jesus gives the disciples authority over unclean spirits and over sicknesses. When the disciples return they are very excited because the demons obeyed them when they used Jesus' Name.

Two men go to the temple to pray. One is a proud religious leader and the other a tax collector. The religious leader is glad that he is better than others. He fasts twice a week and gives part of his money to the temple. The tax collector feels unworthy to even look up to heaven. He cries out for mercy from God . Jesus asks which one had his sins forgiven. The He says that the proud will be brought low, and the humble will be lifted up.

Jesus told this story to those who were very sure that they were righteous. There are two people in the story: a proud religious leader and a miserable tax collector. The first person is glad that he is so much better than other man. The other person feels unworthy to even look up to heaven.

While Martha was working hard to prepare a beautiful meal for her guest, Mary sat listening to Jesus. Finally, Martha asked Jesus to tell Mary to help. Jesus gives Martha an interesting answer. What does it mean?

Jesus takes a blind man out of the village. Then he puts saliva on his eyes. At first the man does not see clearly. Jesus puts His hands over the man's eyes a second time.

How will the father react when he sees his son? How will his older brother feel about the party the father makes for the younger brother?

The religious leaders did not like that Jesus spent time with tax collectors and unsuitable people. Jesus answers them by telling three parables. The third parable is about a son who asks for his inheritance before the father even dies. He goes off to distant land. Soon he runs out of money. He gets a job with a local farmer.

Nicodemus comes to see Jesus all alone after dark. Jesus tells him he needs to be 'born again'. Nicodemus doesn't understand how this is possible for a grown man.

Nicodemus, a religious leader, came to talk with Jesus at night. Jesus tells him he needs to 'be born again'. He needs to be born of the spirit. By accepting what Jesus did on the cross for us, by faith we can become new creations spiritually.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd. The sheep know His voice. Jesus calls His sheep by name and leads them. He gives His sheep a rich and satisfying life. He protects His sheep. He is willing to die for them. A hired hand, this an employee will run away if he sees a wolf coming. Also if a Shepherd loses a sheep, he goes looking for it and is overjoyed when he finds it.

Here we continue with the day on which the disciples experienced a scary storm on the way to meeting with the madman with 1000s of evil spirits. When Jesus returns to the Jewish side of the lake, Jairus begs Him to come and heal his daughter. In the crowd surrounding Jesus is a woman who has been bleeding for many years. She thinks,"If I just touch His clothes, I will be healed."

God finally sent the promised Rescuer. He, who had created everything, came to earth as small baby. He came to save us from evil. Was he born in a grand palace? Who were the first people to hear the amazing news?

When asked, "Who is my neighbour?" Jesus told the story of a man who was hurt very badly and left half dead by the side of the road. Three strangers came by on that road.

In a field near Bethlehem, shepherds were watching their sheep. Suddenly, an angel appeared to them. The angel told them,"Today, the Messiah has been born in Bethlehem. You will find Him lying in a manger." Then the angel was joined by thousands of other angels. They were singing: "Glory to God in the highest, Peace on earth and hope to all men." The shepherds hurried to Bethlehem. They found Mary and Joseph and the baby.

As soon as Jesus and the disciples stepped on land, a man came running to them. He was controlled by evil spirits. He lived in a cemetery. He suffered a lot and cut himself with sharp stones. He bowed in front of Jesus. The spirits in him knew Jesus was the Son of God. The spirits asked Jesus, "Have you come to torment us? We beg you --- don't send us to the bottomless pit." " Let us go into the pigs." Jesus commanded the demons to come out of the man and to go into the pigs. The entire herd of pigs ran into the lake. The herdsmen fled to the town and told everyone what happened. The people came out to meet Jesus. They begged Him to leave.

When Joseph is sleeping, an angel tells him to not be afraid to marry Mary. Everyone had to be counted, so Mary and Joseph travelled to Bethlehem. When they got there, there was nowhere to stay. They had to stay in a stable... which is where the cows and other animals stayed.

The angel Gabriel comes to Mary. He tells her that God has chosen her to be the mother of a special baby. This is confusing for Mary because she isn't married. The baby will be holy and will be called the Son of God. Mary will name him Jesus. He will be very great and His Kingdom will never end. Mary's older relative is also pregnant. Mary visits Elizabeth. The moment Mary speaks, the baby in Mary's womb jumps and kicks with joy.

As soon as the 5000 were fed, Jesus told the disciples to go to the other side of the lake. Jesus said good-bye to the people and went up the mountain to pray. The disciples were far out on the lake. Suddenly it became very windy. At 4 in the morning, Jesus went to them walking on the water. When the disciples saw him, they were terrified.

John, Jesus' cousin was beheaded. When Jesus heard this news, He went away privately by boat to be alone with His disciples. But the crowds found out where He was going and followed Him. Jesus saw the huge crowd and He had compassion for them. Jesus continued to teach them and healed their sick. When it started to get dark, the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Send the people away to the villages and farms to get food. There is nothing to eat here in the middle of nowhere." Jesus told them, "You feed them." The disciples replied, "All we have is a boy with five loaves and two fish! Or are you expecting us to go and buy enough food for this whole crowd?" There were 5000 men there besides the women and children.

Jesus and his disciples got in the boat to go to the other side of the lake. Jesus was very tired. He fell asleep at the back of the boat. Suddenly the sky darkened and the wind howled. The waves were very high. The boat was in danger of sinking. The disciples were very frightened. They woke Jesus up. Jesus asked them, "Where is your faith?" Jesus got up and commanded, "Be still!" Instantly, the storm died down.

Jesus said to the crowd, "Consider this, A farmer was planting grain. The seeds fell on different soils... some on a hard path, some on rocky ground, some where there were weeds, and some on good fertile soil. The seed is the Word of God. The different kinds of soil are the hearts of the people hearing the Word. The people who fully embrace the message will bear good fruit.

Simon, a Pharisee, invited Jesus to have dinner with him. A woman, who had lived a sinful life, heard that Jesus was there. She went to see Him. She brought with her a beautiful alabaster jar. The jar was filled with an expensive perfume. She knelt behind Jesus at His feet. She was weeping and her tears fell on Jesus' feet.

Jesus taught the people many things. He uses a story to help them understand. He said, "It doesn't do any good to just call me 'Lord, Lord!' Let me describe the person who truly follows me. He listens to My words and does what I say. He is like a man who chooses the right place to build a house and then lays a deep and secure foundation. Even if the rain pours down, and the rivers flood and the winds rage, the house stands firm. The house is unshaken by the storm, because it has been built wisely on the right foundation. But the person who has heard my teachings but ignores them is like a man who builds his house on sand, without laying any foundation.