What's the Covenant All About?
| Session | Focus | Scripture |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The Bible (Part 1) | The Bible tells the story of God's saving acts. | Acts 8:26-40; Q&A 9 |
| 2. The Bible (Part 2) | The Holy Spirit tells me the Bible is the true Word of God. | Psalm 119:9-11, 97-105; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Q&A 10, 11, and 12 |
| 3. The Covenant Established | We are included in God's covenant promises. | Genesis 8:15-19; 9:1-17; 12; 17; Q&A 13 and 14 |
| 4. The Covenant Renewed | We keep the covenant by loving and obeying God. | Exodus 19; 20:1-21; 24:1-8; Q&A 13 and 14 |
| 5. The Covenant Extended | The Holy Spirit works in our hearts and lives to bring people to faith in Christ and include them in God's covenant. | Acts 2; Q&A 15 and 16 |
| 6. The Covenant for You | God's covenant promises are for us and for all who believe in Jesus. | John 4:1-42; Q&A 17 |
Dear Family Text
Thanks for sending your young teen to church each week to spend time in God’s Word with his or her peers. Here’s what we’ll be exploring together in the following weeks:
Session 1: The Bible (Part 1). Acts 8:26-40 (Philip Shares God’s Word with the Ethiopian Traveler)
Session 2: The Bible (Part 2). Psalm 119:9-11; 97-105; 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (How the Bible Was Written)
Session 3: The Covenant Established. Genesis 8:15-19; 9:1-17; 12; 17 (God’s Covenant Revealed through the Fall, Noah, and Abraham and Sarah)
Session 4: The Covenant Renewed. Exodus 19; 20:1-21; 24:1-8 (The Ten Commandments)
Session 5: The Covenant Extended. Acts 2 (Pentecost)
Session 6: The Covenant for You. John 4:1-42 (The Samaritan Woman at the Well)
Pass It On
Here are some ideas to help you have faith-building conversations at home:
- Dig out your “first Bible” (or maybe the first Bible your child was given). Look it over together and share any special inscriptions that are inside. Talk about the occasion that the Bible was given, who gave it, and so on. Point out your favorite Bible verse or a story in Scripture that’s meaningful to you.
- Talk with your son or daughter about who has been an encouragement to you as you’ve grown in faith over the year. Highlight a few things you’ve learned from the people you name.
- If your young teen has been baptized, share some memories from that special day (a picture, a gown, and so on). Talk about your decision to have him or her baptized and what it meant to you. Remind your child that he or she is included in God’s covenant because of the faith that you have in God. If you’ve made a public profession of faith (or confirmation), share how old you were at the time and how you made the decision to do so. Explain that professing your faith was a way of “claiming” God’s covenant promises for yourself.