Talk Together
Family conversations with God’s Word.
Who knows you best? Do they know your favorite color? The food you like to eat? The things that make you happy and sad? How did they get to know you so well?
When Paul became a follower of Jesus, he wanted to learn more about Jesus. It didn’t matter what he needed to give up or what hard times he faced. Paul loved Jesus and wanted to live a life that showed others how great Jesus was. Paul wanted to know and become more like Jesus. In fact, Paul told his friends in Philippi that knowing Christ was like running a race! Let’s read about it in Philippians chapter 3, verses 7-14. (Older children can read all of Philippians 3 this week!)
ESV
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith — that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:7-14)
When you run in a race, you move fast and focus on the finish line. Paul told the Philippians to get up every day and run the race. When you win this race, you don’t get a ribbon; you receive the prize of knowing, loving and serving Jesus. The more we know Jesus, the more we can rejoice!
But Paul didn’t want to be the only one to know Jesus; he wanted everyone to know Jesus as their Savior! Paul devoted his life to telling others about the gift of salvation Jesus gives to everyone who trusts in Him. Even when it put Paul in danger, he invited others to join him in running the race to know, love and serve Jesus. Paul even told people about Jesus when he was in prison! Let’s read about it in Acts chapter 16, verses 25-31.
ESV
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:25-31)
Despite being in jail, Paul and his friend Silas knew they could rejoice and worship God! When God miraculously opened the prison doors, Paul and Silas didn’t run away. Instead, they stayed and told the jailer how he could be saved! Paul and Silas knew the race they were running wasn’t to win earthly comfort or freedom. Rather, their goal was to know Jesus and help others learn more about Him. Because of Paul and Silas’s faithfulness, the jailer and his entire household believed in Jesus. Now they could rejoice too!