Week 1

Your View of the World

Have you ever tried on a pair of glasses that did not belong to you? Things look very different, don't they? Like looking through different glasses, every person looks at the world in a certain way. We call this a worldview. The way we see our world affects how we live and the choices we make. So what you believe is very important. Some people think the world happened for no reason—it just appeared out of nowhere in one big poof! Others are not sure how it came to be, and don't really know why they are here. The very first verse in the Bible gives us the correct glasses that fit perfectly, and through which everything looks crystal clear. Let's answer three important questions about this verse.

When?

"In the beginning ..." This takes us back to the very beginning—before anything was, the beginning of time! Close your eyes and be as quiet as you can for ten seconds. That's what it was like in the beginning. It was dark and empty.

Who?

Look at the next word in this verse: "In the beginning, God ..." It was dark and empty, and God was there. He was in the beginning before time even began! Have you ever wondered where He came from, or how He got there? Even though it's hard to understand, the Bible tells us He was just always there. In the beginning was God.

What?

In the beginning, what did God do? He created the sky and the earth. Wow! So out of darkness and emptiness, He made the whole world! What a wise, creative, amazing God we have.

Dear Jesus, thank You for creating the world we live in. You are so great and You are so amazing. My favorite part of Your creation is.... Amen.

Now that you understand this verse, you have a worldview! You know how we got here, and when you see a beautiful sunset, you know who painted it. As you begin memorizing your first verse this week, you are putting God's Word in your heart and mind. His Word—the Bible—is there for you, and it will never go away.

Say these words out loud:

God's Word is for me and to me, it is in me and working through me, and just like His love, it goes on and on forever!

Week 2

What Is the Gospel?

This week's verse is the most famous verse in the Bible. It is sometimes called the gospel, or the good news. God gave His only Son, Jesus, so that those of us who believe in Him could live forever with Him one day in heaven. Now that is good news!

Why Did God Do This?

The first part of the verse tells us exactly why God gave His Son. "For God loved the world so much ..." He did it because He loves us! Do you know how deep the ocean is? Do you know how wide it is from the east to the west? (It would be like starting to walk one way and never stopping!) That is how much God loves you. And do you know the best part about His love? It never ends. No matter what you do or where you go, God will never stop loving you. God loves the world so much.

What Did God Do?

The second phrase in this verse tells us what God did. "He gave His only Son." That means that God has one Son, and He let Him die on a cross—for you and for me, to save us from our sins. You would have to love someone a whole lot to give up your own son, right? And Jesus, God's Son, chose to follow and obey His Father and died on a cross.

Who Did He Do This For?

The next part of this verse says, "Whoever believes in Him may not be lost, but have eternal life." That means that if you believe in God, and if you believe that Jesus died for you, God has promised you life forever in heaven! He did this for you.

God loves you so much that He gave His only Son, and if you believe in Him, you will never be lost and you will have eternal life! And that is the gospel.

Dear God, thank You for loving me. Thank You for giving Your only Son for me and for Your promise of heaven. I believe in You! Amen.

Let's say it together:

God's Word is for me and to me, it is in me and working through me, and just like His love, it goes on and on forever!

Week 3

Sin and Grace

We have learned that God loves us and sent His Son to die for us. We have also learned that if we believe in Him, He will forgive our sins and give us the promise of heaven. This week's verse is about how we can receive God's gift of grace—even though we don't deserve it.

A Thing Called Sin

The Bible tells us that we all have sin in our lives (Romans 3:23). Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever stolen anything? Have you ever said something that was unkind? Maybe you have not done something, even though you knew you should have. These are all sins. When we do these things, we often feel sad inside. And because we sin and God is perfect, we can't ever be good enough to get to heaven on our own. Our sin actually separates us from God. Because of that sin, we deserve to be punished.

Your Punishment

Here comes some good news: Have you ever heard of the word grace? Grace is getting something that you don't deserve. It would be like going to the principal's office after getting in big trouble. But instead of being punished, the principal gives you a big hug and says, "I'm going to be punished in your place." The principal saved you from your punishment and gave you grace. Even though we sin, God saves us from our punishment (being separated from...