POINT 4 – FULLY FOLLOWING HIM.
(***Begin by reading this summary. I encourage you to open your Bible to Numbers 14 and place the summary inside your Bible as you read along. We want our kiddos to know that this truly is the word of God, not just a story.***)
***(Numbers 14 v. 20-24) Moses asked the Lord to forgive the Israelites for not going to take the land as He had said. The Lord told Moses, “Yes, I will forgive the people as you have asked, but I tell you the truth, as surely as I live and as surely as the Glory of The Lord fills the whole earth, I make you this promise: none of the people I led out of Egypt will ever see the land of Canaan. They saw my glory and the great signs that I did in Egypt and in the desert. But they disobeyed me and tested me 10 times. I promised their parents, grandparents, great-grandparents that I would give them that land. But none of those people who turned against me will ever enter that land! But my servant Caleb was different and had a different spirit. He follows me fully. So I will bring him into the land that he has already seen, and his people will get that land.”
We read that God told Moses that Caleb had a different spirit AND followed Him fully. And, that was why he was able to enter the promised land later in time. Having an overcoming spirit means that we not only have a different spirit, but that we FULLY follow God. Ask: What does it mean to fully follow God? (Allow your child to answer) Explain that fully following God means that we submit to God. We allow Him to have control and authority over us. We live as He has told us to in the Bible. Just like following the leader, we follow God in everything that we do.
In Matthew 16:24-25 the Bible says, “‘Then Jesus said to his followers, “If any of you want to be my follower, you must stop thinking about yourself and what you want. You must be willing to carry the cross that is given to you for following me. Any of you who try to save the life you have will lose it. But you who give up your life for me will find true life.” Following Jesus is not easy, but He promises that we will have life if we follow Him. He also promises to be with us always. The Bible says that He is a lamp to our feet. He will guide us and lead us step by step, we just have to trust him and follow Him. 1 John 4:4 says, greater is He that is IN us, than the enemy that is in the world. Because we belong to God, we have already won. We have to choose to believe Him and follow Him fully. We have to follow Him and His truth when we are at home with our family, at church, at school, at our friends, house, on the ball field or on the court. No matter where we are or who is with us.
Discussion Questions
- Have you ever done something you were told to do even if you didn’t understand why you were doing it? (Allow your child to answer) If you did, you had faith and trust in the person that told you to do it.
- Name a person that you would do anything they tell you to do, because you fully trust in them.
- Do you think it is hard sometimes to follow Jesus? How and why? (Allow children to answer)
- Do you think that you fully trust in Jesus? How? (Allow your child to answer)
- Are there ways that you think you can follow Jesus better, or trust Him more? What are they and how? (Allow for answer)
Scripture memory verse:
“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” – I John 4:4 NKJV
Prayer: Jesus, we thank you for the example you have given us during your life here on earth. We thank you that we can read in the Bible about your life to know how we should follow you. Holy Spirit we ask you to help us follow you fully. With all that we are and in every area of our life. Help us to follow what you speak to our minds and our hearts. Let us not doubt you. We ask you, Holy Spirit, to give us the same overcoming spirit that Caleb had. We receive it now, in the name of Jesus. Amen.