PHOTO CAPTION: Good news for today, tomorrow and forever!
Good or bad, news seems to change rapidly. What’s news today, is old tomorrow and let’s face it, it seems that often we hear more bad news than good. We hear or read about that massive car pile-up or the drunk driver who veered off the road and hit a pedestrian. We hear about the earthquake that left thousands homeless and many injured. We hear about war breaking out around the world or all the “dirt” that can possibly be dug up about various political candidates. We hear all these things and yet by tomorrow, it will be old. We will be looking for another sensational story to whet our appetites and cause us to complain about how bad the world is. Even when we do hear good news about a sensational rescue or a kind person who helped a neighbor above and beyond the usual, it’s soon forgotten and we are on to other things. News simply doesn’t last.
But I have some forever good news to share with you that is just as good tomorrow as it is today. Want to hear it?
My good news is this, Jesus is forever. We may not see Him or walk with Him in bodily form now as His disciples did. Jesus did die, rose from the dead and returned to heaven. He went there to prepare a place for us so that someday we could be with Him forever. Though we can not see Him with our natural eye, we know He is with us because He promised He would be. He promised to be with us and to send His Spirit to not only be with us, but to reside within us. The Spirit of the living God, our Savior and Lord, lives within us. The Spirit is not something we can see either, yet the Spirit is very real. He gives us strength. He hears us when we pray. He loves us and I believe we can sense His presence, sometimes more so than other times, still we know He is there because He promised to be with us.
I don’t know about you, but I am very grateful for Jesus. I’m grateful that He is alive and I’m grateful, He sent His Spirit to be with us. That is forever good news and it is good news worth sharing.
Jesus wants us to share that good news with those around us, our friends, family, people we work with or people we meet as we walk through our day. Jesus is the only forever good news that I know of. When we’ve lost hope look up. News usually isn’t very uplifting and life sometimes gives us stressful, sad, hard times to walk through, yet we can look up and hang on to the best news of all times. Jesus is alive. He is with us. His Spirit is with us and His power is available to us as we trust in Him. That’s good news for today, tomorrow and forever.
Do you now someone who needs hope? Maybe someone who has had too much bad news lately and needs some encouragement. Share this good news with them. There is simply no other friend, no other Savior, no one like Jesus.
PARENT PRAYER:
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for sending your Spirit to be with us always. You have been so faithful to me through the years, through the good and the bad times, the hard news and the good news. Life is constantly changing. but you never change. You are alive and you are forever. You walk with me encourage me, strengthen me and you are my best friend. You heal when I am sick. You take my hand when I’ve lost hope. You create in me a refreshing garden in those dry, barren places of my life as I give them to you. You guide, give wisdom and you love me like no other. Show me how I can share that love with my kids, grandkids and others. I don’t have the strength to love like you do so love through me. Give me opportunities to share with my family and others this forever good news that you are alive and want to be our forever friend. I welcome you as my forever friend. Amen
SHARE YOUR GOOD NEWS
* Do you have some good news? Please share it. Good news is meant to be shared and it encourages us as we share and hear good news. Don’t be shy, share your good news with someone today or let them share their good news with you.
* Some good news about Jesus -
He is alive and well.
He is a good friend.
He is eternal
.
He hasn’t stopped doing miracles – maybe you haven’t seen a miracle in your life or perhaps you just didn’t recognize it, but Jesus is still in the business of doing miracles. Ask Him to open your eyes to see what He is doing in your life.
* Ask your family at dinner or bedtime, “What is the best thing that happened to you today?” Celebrate with them.
You might wish to ask, “What is the worst thing that happened?’ too. Help your child to see that life is a mixture of both good and bad and that bad doesn’t last forever. Depending on the age of your child, you may even wish to take it a step further and talk about ways of turning the bad into good. EX: How can they turn a bad test score into a better one?
* Write down your good news and thank God for the good things that are happening.
Kid’s Section
SHARE A STORY: Jesus Returns to Heaven Mark 16:14-20, Luke 24:50-53 24:50-53 20 Luke 18:15-17
Jesus’ friends were very happy. Jesus was alive and well! He died on a cross and was placed in a tomb, but He didn’t stay dead! He was alive! They had seen Him.
One day, Jesus’ friends went up on a mountain with Him. (Climb, climb, climb.) Jesus said, “I am going back to heaven now, but I will send my Spirit to be with you always. My Spirit will help you tell the good news about me to people everywhere; all around the world.” (Show inflatable globe.) Jesus wanted everyone to know that He was alive. He wanted them to know that He would be their forever friend if they believed in Him.
When Jesus finished talking to His friends, He lifted up His hands, (Lift hands.) blessed them and then rose up into the clouds. (Stand up, raise hands and release balloon.) Jesus’ friends were happy that He was alive. They waited for Jesus to send His Spirit just like He had promised and Jesus did. He sent His Spirit to be with His friends always. Jesus’ friends went everywhere telling everyone the good news about Jesus. They said, “It’s true! The Lord has risen. Jesus loves you and wants to be your forever friend.”
Jesus is alive today and His Spirit is with you everywhere you go too. You can’t see His Spirit, but you can know that He is with you. He hears you wherever you are and whatever you are doing.
You can tell your family and friends that Jesus is alive and wants to be their forever friend. Jesus wants people around the world to know about Him. He wants them to know that He loves them and wants to be their forever friend.
What are some ways we can share the good news about Jesus with others? (Draw pictures, send a note or e-mail, invite someone to church, pray for others.) What can you tell your friends about Jesus? (Jesus is alive! Jesus loves you. Jesus hears our prayers. Jesus wants to be your forever friend.)
KNOW: Jesus wants me to tell others about Him.
TALK ABOUT: Sharing good news. Who can I share Jesus with? Who can I tell?
ASK: Who wants to be your forever friend? Jesus!
AND DO: Share the good news about Jesus.
MEMORIZE: John 3:16 – (Hands open like holding a book.)
God – (Point up.)
So loved – (Give self a hug.)
The world – (Make w’s with fingers & roll hands around each other.)
That He gave – (Extend hands out like giving.)
His only Son – (Pretend to rock a baby.)
PRAYER:
Dear Jesus,
I’m glad that you are alive and that you sent your Spirit to be with me. Help me be a good friend and share you with others so that they can have you as a forever friend too. Amen
Faith Steps and More 