Peak
1
god’s greatness
discipleship guidebook
BUY ONE—GIVE ONE If you purchased this Guidebook through Pro2ge.com, you empowered us to donate an identical Guidebook to another family. Thank you for partnering with God’s people around the world!
2
PRO GÉ SUMMIT
Peak 1 Guidebook—God’s Greatness Copyright © 2014 by Through the Bible Publishers Requests for information should be addressed to: Through the Bible Publishers, PO Box 270930, Fort Collins, CO 80527 ISBN: 0-86606-854-6 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without prior permission of the publisher. Pro2gé, SUMMIT, EQUIPT, and “2 grow 2gether” are trademarks of Through the Bible Publishers. www.Pro2ge.com Printed in the USA 1 2 3 4 5 / 18 17 16 13 14
GOD’s GREATNEss GREATNESS This Guidebook Belongs to:
Peak
1 2 grow 2gether™
Welcome to PeAk 1 Prepare for an incredible journey! Your Mission: Reach your peak potential as Jesus’ disciple. Your Journey: This Peak 1 Guidebook launches you along twelve Trails— with activities and exercises that will help you know, love, serve, and experience God. Five additional Peak Guidebooks in the Pro2gé SUMMIT series continue your adventure and take you to the very top!
2
God’s Greatness
God’s word
God’s son
Peak 1
Peak 2
Peak 3
God’s church
God’s kingdom
God’s champions
Peak 4
Peak 5
Peak 6
BLAZE Your TRAILS The twelve Trails included in this Guidebook advance you toward the summit of a victorious life with Jesus. Your expedition is carefully mapped out to establish a solid foundation, build valuable life skills, and experience victorious living. Each Trail leads you through one of the growth areas below.
N bible knowledge bible knowledge Tackle the most Tackle important the most important Bible topics—so Bible you topics—so will you will know God intimately. know God intimately. (pages XY these unpack all (pages 230-31 unpack topics) these topics)
bible knowledge
christian character christian Examine traits of godly people—incharacter order to
Tackle the most important Bible topics—so you will know God intimately.
W
love God passionately. Examine traits of people—in (pagesgodly XY outline this part of yourorder journey) to love God christian character passionately. Examine traits of godly (pages 232-33order outlineto this people—in part of your journey) love God passionately.
achievement project awards (pages XY unpack all Explore exciting activities awards these topics) —to experience life fully! Explore exciting (pages XY explain how activities—to this works) experience life fully! (pages 236-37 explain how this works)
E
(pages XY outline this part of your journey)
faithful conduct achievement awards faithful faithful conduct conduct Learn and practice vital Explore exciting activities Learn and Learn practice and practice vital vital “life-skills”—so you can —to can experience life fully! “life-skills”—so life skills—so you can you serve Godserve selflessly. (pages God serve selflessly. God selflessly.XY explain how
this works) (pages XY identify (pages XY identify these skills) (pages 234-35 identify these skills) these skills)
S
3
Contents For Parents and Caregivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 How to Earn SUMMIT Achievement Awards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Your Bible Memory Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Meet Your Trailmates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 How to Use This Guidebook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Supreme Lord
T
R UA
nI Lit 11
VIRtues of the soul Virtues and Vices Wise vs. Foolish Creative vs. Unimaginative Virtue Review
T
R A
UnI L 2 it 1
How to worship Show God Worth Worship One-on-One Worship Together Worship by Serving
T
RA IL 3 Un it 1
faith journey
T
nI Lit 41
Cardinal virtues Courageous vs. Cowardly Self-Controlled vs. Impulsive Just vs. Corrupt Virtue Review
T
R A
UnI L 5 it 1
T
RA IL 6 Un it 1
4
15 19 23 27
31 33 37 41 45
49 51 55 59 63
67 Know God Intimately Love God Passionately Serve God Selflessly Trust God Daily
R UA
13 Who Is God? What Is God Like? What Can God Do? (He Saves) What Can God Do? (He Sets Apart)
How to pray
69 73 77 81
85 87 91 95 99
103 Honor God with Praise Examine Your Life Ask and Request Thank God for Blessing You
105 109 113 117
T
R UAnI L 7 it 1
T
R A
UnI L 8 it 1
T
RA IL 9 Un it 1
T
R UA I
nLit110
T
R A
UnI L 1 1 it 1
T
RA I L 12 Un it 1
family plan
121
Marriage 123 Husbands and Wives 127 Fathers and Mothers 131 Children 135
heavenly virtues Trusting vs. Doubtful Hopeful vs. Despairing Loving vs. Hateful Virtue Review
How to love god Heart and Soul Mind Strength Love Your Neighbors
creation science Wonders of the Universe Wonders of Life Wonders of People Wonders of Design
personal virtues Good vs. Evil Honest vs. Deceptive Pure vs. Immoral Virtue Review
How to follow god’s plan
139 141 145 149 153
157 159 163 167 171
175 177 181 185 189
193 195 199 203 207
211
God’s Plan for the Universe 213 God’s Plan for Every Christian 217 God’s Plan for You (Knowledge) 221 God's Plan for You (Character and Conduct) 225
SUMMIT—Your Six Peaks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 Project Awards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 Notes / Prayer Requests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238 Good News for Kids!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239 Track Your Peak 1 Progress. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
5
for parents and caregivers SUMMIT is a guided, mentoring adventure that equips disciples for life. To ascend the rigorous terrain and reach the spiritual heights that God intends, your child needs a map and a mentor—God’s Word and you. For children to develop a lasting relationship with Jesus, showing them how is essential. To become a solid disciple of Jesus Christ, your son or daughter needs your help! Where are today’s Christian kids? Children today: • … KNOW more about video games than they know about God. • … LOVE peer approval more than they love Jesus. • … SERVE themselves before they consider the needs of others. Unless you are actively engaged in your own child’s spiritual formation, the outlook is bleak. In this generation as never before, cultural gravity relentlessly pulls children down—and they are stumbling. Statistics warn that eight of every ten Christian kids are adopting the world’s values. What can you do? Prepare your child for the opportunities and challenges ahead. Each Peak Guidebook in the SUMMIT series has been designed for that specific purpose. Pages 229-37 overview your journey together. It’s your job to help your child cling to the Lord, the Rock. SUMMIT guidebooks (along with a Bible) are designed to take you to the top—together. No other training or resources are necessary. Discipleship is the one thing that your child really needs. You can do this!
6
How can your child reach the “summit”? All kids need to experience the energizing vitality that springs from minds, hearts, and bodies stretched to their full potential. Achieving balance is the key to your child’s overall development. One simple Bible verse summarizes Jesus’ childhood: “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52). The Lord grew intellectually, physically, spiritually, and socially. True discipleship links these dimensions—growth in knowledge, in character, in conduct and experience. These intentional pursuits will help your child grow into a balanced disciple of Jesus Christ. He or she will: • … KNOW God intimately—develop a reservoir of Bible knowledge. • … LOVE God passionately—display Christlike character in every area of life. • … SERVE God selflessly—demonstrate faithful conduct that honors God and helps people. Those dimensions will enable your son or daughter to EXPERIENCE God fully. He/she will discover creative talents and practical skills while engaged in exciting hands-on activities and service projects. SUMMIT interweaves these elements: knowledge + character + conduct + experiences. They will build your child into a disciple for life!
7
1 tinU
how to earn summit achievement awards
As you navigate all 12 Trails to complete this Peak Guidebook, you’ll gain plenty of elevation! Along the way, you can earn exciting Medals and Achievement Awards. “trail marker” Awards At the end of each Trail, your Guidebook shows a “trail marker.” That means you have earned a red, blue, or green trail marker token! “Bible verse” awards Each time you memorize 12 Bible verses, you earn a silver Star Medal. Learn more about the Bible Memory plan on page 10. “project” Awards Select the projects and activities you want to complete during each Trail. Get started today with an Outdoor adventure, Home project, or Community experience that interests you. Eighteen different Project Award topics offer you a wide variety—more than 100 different projects and activities in all! Each group includes basic, intermediate, and advanced projects. Home
Community
• Wildlife • Recreation
•Personal Care •Food and Nutrition
•Field Trips •Citizenship
• Camping • Nature
•Family Care •Hobbies
• Hiking • Survival Skills
8
WIL
DL I F E
•Life Skills •Fixing and Building
PE
R RS ONAL CA
E
Outdoor
•Church •Fine Arts
CIT
•Health and Safety •Technology
I Z ENS H I P
Your Plan: The order in which you complete the Project Awards is up to you. You’ll learn practical skills, discover creative talents, try handson activities, and complete service projects. Just think—one of those experiences might lead to a lifelong hobby, a part-time job, or even a meaningful career! Each time you complete six activities, you earn a new Medal for your Shield. Choose one of these three suggested plans: 1. Go Wide: Rotate between groups—Outdoor, Home, and Community. Begin with one group—such as Home. To earn the Personal Care Medal, complete six projects from the list of options. When you’re done, select a Community category—maybe Field Trips—and tackle six more projects. Then move to the Outdoor group and choose a topic that interests you. 2. Go Deep: Focus on one group—Outdoor, Home, or Community. Perhaps you like Outdoor activities. Begin with one of the basic topics (such as Wildlife) and complete six projects to earn your Wildlife Medal. When you’re done, go to Recreation and tackle six more projects. Then go to the intermediate level (Camping or Nature). 3. Go Random: Move between groups. For more variety, you may want to engage in projects that interest you most. Complete one project from six different topics to earn a General Medal. “Peak” awards When you complete each Peak Guidebook, you earn a gold SUMMIT Flag medal. After earning all six flags, you join an elite group of disciples— the Summiteers. WI
PE
R RSO NAL CA
Peak 1
LDL IFE
E
Join the online community of kids who are earning Achievement Awards: Pro2ge.com/awards
9
Your bible memory plan SUMMIT includes an exciting Bible memorization program to equip you for the journey ahead. The name EQUIPT comes from this vital verse: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NASB).
As you ascend this Peak, select one of these Bible memory tracks*: Trail Key Verse On this track, you’ll memorize one verse that captures the main truth for the entire Trail. Review this Bible verse each week for four weeks. When you move on to another Trail, you will learn a new verse. After you reach the top of this Peak, you will earn one silver Star Medal for the 12 Trail Key verses you have memorized. Trail Verses On this more rigorous track, you will memorize a new Bible verse every week—four verses for each Trail. Each time you finish three Trails, you will learn 12 verses and earn one Star Medal. After you summit this Peak, you will have four Stars for the 48 Bible verses you memorized.
*Download Memory Verse cards at Pro2ge.com/BibleMemory This formula will help you memorize Bible verses better: T + R + V + R. T = Topic (what the verse is about) R = Reference (where it is in the Bible) V = Verse (the exact words of the verse) R = Reference (repeat)
10
God Is Supreme Deuteronomy 4:39 Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.
meet your trailmateS Dee, Cy, and Paul are faithful friends who (along with their dog, Chip) love to explore God’s creation. Dee + Cy + Paul + Chip = discipleship! While hiking the peaks and valleys of the American Southwest, the kids meet a zany prospector who guides them along the trails.
Hi, I’m Prospector Pete. My mule, Balaam, and I are mighty pleased to meet you.
I’m Paul—ready to hit the trails!
Cy here. This will be a fun-tastic adventure as we discover God’s greatness!
My name is Dee. I can’t wait to see what God will teach us.
11
How to Use this Guidebook Peak
1
god’s greatne ss
disciple ship guidebook
This Guidebook will lead you through exercises and activities that will help you thrive as a disciple of Jesus. Check out these tips for success: • Plan it out—Establish a schedule that works for you. Choose a convenient 20- to 30-minute time block to work through one Trail segment each week. At that rate, you’ll finish one Trail every month and this Guidebook in one year (with four “vacation” weeks).
• Together, or solo?—If you are a young hiker, you’ll probably want Mom and/or Dad to work through these activities with you. If you’re older, you can travel on your own. Either way, keep your parents in the loop about your progress. • Trail Check—The last page of each Trail segment includes:
Big Idea: a summary of what you’ve learned.
Prayer: talk with God about what’s on your heart.
Memory Verses: the Trail Key Verse and four Trail Verses See page 10 for more information.
Family Time: an activity or project you can all do together.
• Decode—Many activities use Morse code. Find the decoder on the inside-back-cover of this Guidebook. Before long, you’ll know Morse code like a pro! • Check the Web—To enrich your journey, find additional information, achievement awards, and memory verse cards at Pro2ge.com/SUMMIT. You can also find a few sample answer keys to get started.
12
T
SUPREME LORD
RA IL 1 Un it 1
13
Trail 1 • SUPREME LORD Knowing the True God In the Scriptures, a person’s name often describes his or her character. The same is true of God’s names. God has two primary Old Testament names— Elohim and Yahweh. Elohim means “mighty One with supreme authority.” Yahweh is God’s personal name. Yahweh means “I AM.”
People are important to God. It is amazing to realize that though God is independent and needs nothing, He wants a relationship with you! The Lord wants you to know who He is, what He is like, and what He can do.
N W
E
S
N W
E
S
What Can God Do? (He Sets Apart)
Who Is God?
N W
E
S
N W
E
S
What Is God Like?
What Can God Do? (He Saves)
“If you have a big God, you have small problems. If you have a small God, you have big problems. It is as simple as that. When your God is big, then every seeming problem becomes an opportunity. When your God is small, every problem becomes an obstacle.” —Walter A. Henrichsen; Disciples Are Made—Not Born
14
N
E
S
Who is God ?
TR
W
A IL U ni1t.11
List things that make you “who you are”—names, nicknames, and roles.
Try to discover what your name means.
Have you ever wondered, “What are the three most important things to know about God?” • God is One!—There is only one true God (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). • God is Supreme!—He reigns over everything (1 Chronicles 29:11). • God is Loving!—He cares about people (Jeremiah 31:3).
ä What do you like best about yourself?
15
Supreme Lord
You are one-of-a-kind. No one is exactly like you.
The Trinity The Bible reveals that God exists as three-in-one or the Trinity—Father, Son (Jesus), and Holy Spirit. Match each member of the Trinity to the description:
Father •
• died to forgive sins and rose to give new life (Romans 5:8)
Son •
• lives in believers, strengthening them to be holy (Ezekiel 36:27)
Spirit •
• adopts believers into His own family (John 1:12-13)
Understanding the Trinity can be confusing. This comparison might help: We have one sun, but it has three different jobs. (Find a decoder on the inside-back-cover of this Guidebook.) 1. The sun’s ––• •–• •– •••– ••
– –•––
keeps the planets in place.
(God the Father created and rules the universe.)
2. The sun’s
•–•• •• ––• •••• –
helps you see.
(God the Son is the “light of the world.”) 3. The sun’s
•••• •
•–
–
energy helps things grow.
GOD Son
ä Why is it important to get to know who God really is?
16
is
ot is n
is
no
(God the Spirit enables believers to grow in their faith.) The sun’s gravity, light, and heat all come from one source. One sun has three different functions. Similarly, one God exists as three distinct Persons.
is
t
Father
is is not
Spirit
God’s Roles God has many different names and roles. Look up each Bible verse and write one truth about who He is. God the Heavenly Father:
Creator (Hebrews 11:3)
King (Psalm 47:7-8)
God the Obedient Son:
Word of God (John 1:1-2, 14)
Savior (1 John 4:14)
God the Holy Spirit:
Companion and Comforter (John 14:16-17)
Guide (John 16:13)
ä What is your favorite name or role of God?
17
morse code decoder The code puzzles in this Peak Guidebook use Morse Code. Way back in 1876, Samuel Morse invented the very first electronic communication system. After nearly 200 years, Morse code is still used every day! It is a method of transmitting text electronically as a series of tones, lights, or clicks. Dots (• short bursts) and dashes (– longer pulses) combine to represent letters and numbers. As you use the decoder to solve word puzzles, you'll quickly learn Morse code. You may want to memorize the entire alphabet!
|D
•––– –
1
••–– –
2
•••– – ••••–
3
–•••• – –••• –––•• 6
7
8
4
––––•
9
•••••
5
–––––
10
J
– |•••| |••–|•••– • – |•– –|• | U T | • | S V | –| | R –– | W | Q
X
•–•|––•|•••• |• |•|• • |•– –•• |G| H •| | |E| F I|
–|––••| •–|–• – • ••| |– – –• | Z • A | | • – B| – |Y C
|K
|
|•– •–| – M|N |– | O | L| | P •| ––
–– –• •–••| | |–––
Title
You’re not alone. Xy big idea. • Bible Passage X-Y
The challenge and responsibility of raising godly children can be overwhelming. Whether you are just beginning in the faith or more advanced in spiritual training, the SUMMIT series will encourage, empower, and equip parents and caregivers to disciple kids. You can do this! Lead your children (ages 6-12) through a deliberate progression of foundational truths, character traits, and practical skills. Each Peak Guidebook is a one-year journey:
• Peak 1 – God’s Greatness • Peak 2 – God’s Word • Peak 3 – God’s Son
• Peak 4 – God’s Church • Peak 5 – God’s Kingdom • Peak 6 – God’s Champions
Buy One—Give One.
For every Peak Guidebook you purchase through Pro2ge.com, we’ll donate an identical Guidebook to another family. Thank you for partnering with God’s people around the world!
ISBN 0-86606-854-6
9
780866 068543
RGCP1—Peak 1: God’s Greatness
2 grow 2gether™ Pro2ge.com 800.284.0158
©2014 Pro2gé All rights reserved • Printed in the USA This material may not be reproduced in any form. Print Date: September 2014