Today’s Reading:
Read Matthew 4:23-25, 8:14-17; Mark 1:21-39; Luke 4:31-34
Have a fun time playing the telephone game. Sit in a circle. Have one person think of a message to share. That person whispers the message to the person sitting next to them. That person then passes the message to the person sitting beside them. Continue until everyone has had a chance to hear the message. When the last person hears the secret, ask him or her to say it out loud. Was the message passed correctly? Sometimes the message can get distorted or lost in translation as we pass it along.
Jesus began his ministry in Galilee. He taught in the synagogues and people listened because He taught with authority. He knew what he was teaching about. He also was healing people from their sickness. Jesus was meeting the practical needs of the people of Galilee which was bringing them to hear His teachings so He could meet their spiritual needs as well. As Jesus taught and healed the people, the news about Him spread. Matthew 4:23 says, “Now Jesus began to go all over Galilee…” However, the news spread throughout Syria and “they brought to him all those who were afflicted…” (Matthew 4:25)
Jesus traveled all over the region to tell the people about God. The people also traveled to where Jesus was because the news had spread about all that He had done, and they wanted to be a part of it. Thankfully, different than the silly telephone game, the message about all that Jesus was doing was not misinterpreted! The people knew they could come and learn from Jesus and that He would heal their illnesses.
Application/Prayer:
The news about all that Jesus was doing was good news! Others heard about all that Jesus was doing and they wanted to know more. Is there anyone in your life that needs to hear the good news of all that Jesus can do for them? Ask God to help you find a way to share the good news of Jesus today!
Using the daily reading prompts from George H. Guthrie’s Read the Bible for Life, here’s how to use this devotional:
- Bring your Bible! Your kids need to see that everything you are reading to them or learning about comes from an actual Bible!
- Each day starts with a reading prompt. Read the selection as a family. If your kids are readers, encourage them to read along with you.
- After you’ve read the passage, read the short devotional thought that goes along with each passage.
- Prayer and application are important any time we read God’s word! After each devotional, there is a challenge to help apply what your family has read that day.
- There is a reading for six days of the week. The last reading of the week is a Gospel Conversation Prompt to help you connect the reading from the week with God’s plan for salvation.
Other Resources:
October memory verse coloring sheet
October Fill-in the blank activity