SERIES DESCRIPTION
The connection between the determination and God’s character, as shown through God’s big story.
Throughout the Bible, we read about all sorts of people who showed determination in the face of hardship and difficulty. They relied on God’s strength to get them through it. Even Jesus Himself endured through the pain of the cross so that we would be able to have a forever relationship with God. When it comes to the situations in our own lives, God gives us the Holy Spirit to empower us to keep going, even when life gets difficult.
May Curriculum:
Week One (May 3)
Send Me on My Way
Bible Story: Send Me on My Way (Jesus’ Final Orders to His Disciples / Ascension) • Matthew 28:16-20; Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:1-11
Bottom Line: Keep going even when it seems impossible.
Key Question: What seems impossible to you?
Memory Verse: Let us not become tired of doing good. At the right time we will gather a crop if we don’t give up. Galatians 6:9 (NIrV)
Life App: Determination—Deciding it’s worth it to finish what you started
Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.
Key Question: What seems impossible to you? What seems impossible is often in the eye of the beholder. Preteens face all sorts of things throughout their week that feel impossible to them, from homework to extracurricular activities to something happening in their home life. As preteens start to identify what seems impossible to them, we pray they’ll also discover how they can trust God, keep going, and finish what they start.
We start off the month in Matthew 28:16-20, Luke 24:50-53, and Acts 1:1-11 as we help kids discover more about the final moments of Jesus’ life on earth. Before He went back to His Father, Jesus gave His disciples a huge mission: tell the world about Him. The message of Jesus was for everyone, and it was their job to get the word out.
Bottom Line: Keep going even when it seems impossible. A lot can seem impossible to a kid. From learning to tie their shoes to reading paragraphs out loud in class to memorizing those multiplication facts, kids will face all sorts of moments when they feel like everything is too hard, too big, or too long to finish. But that’s where God comes in. We pray that kids will start to understand that no matter what they face— impossible or not—they can trust God to help them through it.
Week Two (May 10)
Spirit Thing
Bible Story: Spirit Thing (The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost) • Acts 2:1-41
Bottom Line: God gives you what you need to keep going.
Key Question: What helps you keep going?
Memory Verse: Let us not become tired of doing good. At the right time we will gather a crop if we don’t give up. Galatians 6:9 (NIrV)
Life App: Determination—Deciding it’s worth it to finish what you started
Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.
Key Question: What helps you keep going? We all face moments when we wish we could give up. We need to have a plan for when that happens. We’ll help our preteens discover some solutions for the moments when they want to quit. When you have a plan, you’re more likely to follow through and finish what you start.
In week two, head to Acts 2:1-41 and find out how the disciples would have the strength to keep going and tell the world about Jesus. As the disciples were gathered together, the Holy Spirit came upon them and empowered them to preach with boldness. Peter preached the message of his life, and over 3,000 people put their faith in Jesus.
Bottom Line: God gives you what you need to keep going. When it comes to determination, kids might feel like they’ll never have enough of it to finish what they start. Thankfully, this isn’t something we have to face alone. We can rely on God to give us the strength we need to keep going.
Week Three (May 17)
Go the Distance
Bible Story: Go the Distance (Peter and John Are Taken to the Sanhedrin) • Acts 3:1–4:21
Bottom Line: Keep going even when it gets tough.
Key Question: What keeps you from finishing what you start?
Memory Verse: Let us not become tired of doing good. At the right time we will gather a crop if we don’t give up. Galatians 6:9 (NIrV)
Life App: Determination—Deciding it’s worth it to fin
Key Question: What keeps you from finishing what you start? Preteens don’t always understand why they want to quit. When you start to identify what keeps standing in your way, you can start to make a plan to overcome and finish. We pray that kids will start to see how they can trust God to give them the strength they need to keep going.
In Acts 3:1-4:21 we see that Jesus’ mission isn’t going to be that easy. Peter healed someone in the name of Jesus and caused quite a stir. Peter and John used this moment to share the message of Jesus. Soon though, the religious leaders arrested them and had them stand trial. Peter and John showed determination. They made it clear that no matter what happened to them, they would continue sharing Jesus with others.
Bottom Line: Keep going even when it gets tough. Even when we follow Jesus, we’re not promised an easy life. We are promised that God will be with us. Just because a situation we face is difficult, doesn’t mean it’s time to give up. We pray that kids will learn to lean into the power of God to find the determination they need to keep going.
Week Four (May 24)
Keep Holding On
Bible Story: Keep Holding On (Stephen) • Acts 6:1–7:60
Bottom Line: Keep going because God knows the end of the story.
Key Question: When were you scared but kept going?
Memory Verse: Let us not become tired of doing good. At the right time we will gather a crop if we don’t give up. Galatians 6:9 (NIrV)
Life App: Determination—Deciding it’s worth it to finish what you started
Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.
Key Question: When were you scared but kept going? When you remember how God has been faithful in the past, it helps you show determination in the future. We hope that as preteens remember how they kept going in the face of fear, they’ll find the courage to keep going and finish what they start.
In Acts 6:8 7:60, we find a somber moment in the life in the early church. Stephen, a church leader, was arrested and put on trial for teaching about Jesus. Even as he was being stoned to death, Stephen showed determination. He boldly shared how Jesus was the Savior God promised from the beginning. Stephen was willing to die for his faith because he believed that Jesus was truly the Son of God.
Bottom Line: Keep going because God knows the end of the story. When it comes down to it, most of our fear comes from being unsure of what will happen next. It’s all too easy to go to the worst-case scenario in the situations we face. Thankfully, no matter what difficulties we may face in life, we can trust that God will help us face them. God can give us the strength and courage we need to get through every moment.
Week Five (May 31)
I Need to Know
Bible Story: I Need to Know (Philip and the Man from Ethiopia) • Acts 8:26-40
Bottom Line: Keep going even when you have questions.
Key Question: What questions do you have?
Memory Verse: Let us not become tired of doing good. At the right time we will gather a crop if we don’t give up. Galatians 6:9 (NIrV)
Life App: Determination—Deciding it’s worth it to finish what you started
Basic Truth: I need to make the wise choice.
Key Question: What questions do you have? We want church to be one of the safest places for kids to ask questions about their faith. We pray this question will spark great conversations in Small Group. When you realize that everyone has questions about faith, you feel safer to ask your own.
We end the month in Acts 8:26-40, and discover a Jesus follower named Philip. An angel told Philip to travel toward the desert. On the way, Philip met an Ethiopian official who was reading the Jewish Scriptures. He had questions and asked Philip. Philip answered the man’s question and pointed him to Jesus. The official put his faith in Jesus and was baptized.
Bottom Line: Keep going even when you have questions. We’ll never know everything about anything, especially when it comes to our faith in God. In order to keep going, sometimes we have to ask questions about what we don’t know. We pray that kids will discover people in their life who they trust to ask hard questions about life and faith.