Zondervan - Believe: Think, Act, Be Like Jesus

ZONDERVAN

Believe: Kids Edition

Copyright 2015 by Zondervan

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Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49546

ePub Edition May 2015: ISBN 978-0-310-74586-0

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Readers Version, NIrV. Copyright 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Cover and interior illustrations: Macky Pamintuan

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Table of Contents

Imagine it: the people of Israel dont believe in God or worship him. They have forgotten him. Then they crown as king a boy named Josiah, and everything changes. Josiah was only eight years old when he became king. (They made him a special throne so his feet could reach the floor when he sat!)

Josiah may have been young, but he was wise enough to love God very much. One of the kings men read Gods Word to Josiah. Gods people were not living the way God wanted them to. This made Josiah so sad that he started to cry. He wanted his people to love God again. Young King Josiah gathered the people to hear Gods Word as he had. The people promised to follow God again. Then Josiah burned everything in the nation that did not honor God.

Second Kings 23:25 tells us: There was no king like Josiah either before him or after him. None of them turned to the LORD as he did. He obeyed the LORD with all his heart and all his soul. He obeyed him with all his strength. You can be a mighty leader for God, just like King Josiah. No one is too young to lead others to God. But you have to follow him with all your heart, soul and strength. And to do that, you have to know what you believe in the Bible. This book will help you with that.

Remember that believe is an action word. That means God doesnt want you to just believe in your head that his Word is truth; he wants you to believe it with your whole heart so that it changes how you live your life and relate to your family and friends. He wants to put the extra in your ordinary so you can live an extraordinary life in Christ. The possibilities are limitless with God for those who simply BELIEVE!

Randy Frazee
General Editor

To be read by the parent or teacher:

One of the greatest needs in a childs life is for parents, extended family, and leaders and teachers to pass on the Christian faith to them. Each child should clearly know what they believe and why. They should know how to practice their faith and have an understanding of Gods vision for them. Believe: Kids Edition is designed to assist you in accomplishing this heartfelt objective.

Scripture

Believe: Kids Edition includes the actual words of the Bible. This is not one persons or one churchs words on these important, life-altering topics. The Bible text alone is our source of teaching on each of these beliefs. Believe: Kids Edition contains portions of Scripture that were thoughtfully and carefully excerpted from the Bible because they specifically explain the belief. Each belief is described using at least one Old Testament and one New Testament story from the Bible. The Scripture text used in Believe: Kids Edition is taken from the New International Readers Version (NIrV).

Book Sections

As you and your child read Believe: Kids Edition, you will read three ten-chapter sections:

THINK. The first ten chapters are about the key Beliefs of the Christian life. Together they answer the question, What do I believe?

ACT. The second ten chapters discuss the key Practices of the Christian life. Together they answer the question, What should I do?

BE. The final ten chapters contain the key Virtues of the Christian life. Together they answer the question, Who am I becoming?

Chapter Features

Each chapter contains several elements to guide you through your Believe: Kids Edition journey.

Tips for Enjoying Believe: Kids Edition

To get the most out of reading this book, try these tips:

1. Read each chapter with the child. Older children may want to read independently, but be available for questions.

2. Encourage the child to ask you questions or make comments and observations about what they have read or heard.

3. Discuss the questions at the end of the chapter. Sharing thoughts with others is a great way to dig deeper.

4. Pray with the child at the end of your study time.

The Believe project is a comprehensive Bible engagement plan for an entire family or church. To check out all the available resources, go to www.believethestory.com for more information.

KEY QUESTION:

Who is God?

KEY IDEA:

I believe the God of the Bible is the only true God Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

KEY VERSE:

May the grace shown by the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. May the love that God has given us be with you. And may the sharing of life brought about by the Holy Spirit be with you all.

2 Corinthians 13:14

THINK ABOUT IT

Everything starts with God. He has always existed. This might be hard to understand, but its a fact. If we want evidence, all we have to do is look at the birds and the trees, the mountains and the oceans. We can see evidence of God in his creation. How could anyone not believe?

The Trinity Is There at Creation

Rain is water. Ice is water. Steam is water. All three forms of water are still water. Similarly, God is God. Jesus is God. The Holy Spirit is God. God is actually three persons. We call this the Trinity. We see clues to the Trinity early in the creation story. The second verse of the Bible tells us the Holy Spirit was already on the scene. And Genesis 1:26 tells us that God said, Let us make human beings so that they are like us. Who is us? The Trinity!

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth didnt have any shape. And it was empty. There was darkness over the surface of the waves.