Like most kids in elementary school, you probably studied inventors—those men and women who work tirelessly to bring us technology that changes our lives. From a movable type printing press which made it possible for the Bible to be published for the masses, to the Internet which now allows multiple translations of the Bible to show up in the palm of your hand. From figuring out how to harness electricity to creating a glass bulb which can light up the night. Inventors have spent countless hours on prototypes, mistakes, or even failures on their journey toward a breakthrough—that one moment when everything comes together making a theory into a reality.
Simply put: being an inventor takes a whole lot of endurance. But let’s face it—life in general takes a whole lot of endurance too.
The kids in your ministry have been in school for eight or nine months by now. They are tired of the classes, the schoolwork, and the tests. They’re ready for summer, yet they know they still have a few weeks left. Like you, we want them to finish strong. That’s one of the reasons why we’re taking the month of May to look more closely at endurance.
ENDURANCE is sticking with what you started even when it gets tough. When work gets tough, when exhaustion sets in on the soccer field, or when that science project just won’t come together, endurance is what gives us that extra something to keep us going until we finish what we began.
The believers in the early church faced all sorts of trials and suffering that could have easily made them question their faith and abandon the mission Jesus had for them. Yet, they remained strong. They endured through all of it because they had faith that everything they faced was worth it—knowing that more people would know the message of Jesus.
Our memory verse for the month is Galatians 6:9, NIrV: “Let us not become tired of doing good. At the right time we will gather a crop if we don’t give up.” When we have endurance, we can know that it will be worth it. We’ll experience the joy of finishing what we started.
In Week One’s Bible story, before Jesus ascended back into heaven, He left His disciples a huge task of telling the world about His life, death, and resurrection. It’s a big job, but He didn’t leave them without a helper. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and shared God’s story like they never had before! (Acts 1:1-10; Acts 2:1-41) Our Bottom Line is: I can stick with it because God will help me.
In Week Two’s Bible story, we find out that Paul and Silas were thrown in prison after they wouldn’t stop talking about Jesus, even when they were ordered to quit. Paul and Silas started singing, and God showed up for them in big way. (Acts 16:16-40) Our Bottom Line is: I can stick with it even when things don’t go my way.
In Week Three’s Bible story, we take a closer look at our memory verse for the month,Galatians 6:9. This is a great principle reminding us that even when things don’t go our way, if it’s something good, we will see a reward for our hard work and endurance. Our Bottom Line is: I should stick with it because it’s worth it.
In Week Four’s Bible story, we end our month with the special vision that God gives John on the Isle of Patmos. (Revelation 21:1-8, 22-27; 22:1-5) John assured us that God knows how His one big story will end. We get a tiny peek of what that will look like. And it will be amazing. Our Bottom Line is: I can stick with it because God knows the end of the story. We pray kids will find huge comfort in discovering that no matter what they face, God has it already worked out.
By Dan Scott ©2014 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. www.ThinkOrange.com *Used by permission.