Hearing Jesus for Kids: Daily Bible Study for Kids

Have you ever been waiting for something so long that when it finally happens, it is almost hard to believe it is really here? For hundreds of years, God's people had been waiting for the promised rescuer. Today a wild, unexpected man shows up in the middle of nowhere with an urgent message: get ready, because Jesus is almost here.

Who was John, and why did he show up in the wilderness?

John was the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, the baby whose birth we already heard about, and he grew up out in the wilderness instead of the city. God's people had not heard from a prophet in four hundred years, and John looked and sounded like one of the old prophets, wearing camel's hair and a leather belt and eating locusts and wild honey. When God's word came to him, he went out preaching to huge crowds along the Jordan River.

What was John's message?

John's message was simple, even if it was hard to hear: repent, because the one you have been waiting for is almost here. Repent means to turn around, to go in a different direction. John told the crowds that if they were doing wrong things or thinking the wrong way, it was time to stop, because Jesus was coming soon. He gave very practical examples: if you have two coats and someone has none, give one away, if you are a tax collector, stop cheating people, if you have power, do not use it to push people around.

Was John the Messiah?

People started wondering if John himself might be the one they had been waiting for, but John made it very clear that he was not. He told them someone far greater was coming, someone so much greater that John was not even worthy to untie his sandals. John baptized with water, but the one coming after him would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. John was not the point. He was pointing the way to Jesus.

What does repentance mean for kids?

Repentance is like a spiritual U-turn. If you are riding your bike and realize you took a wrong turn, you have two choices: keep going and hope it works out, or stop and turn around and go back the right way. Most of us do not like to turn around, because it means admitting we got it wrong. But turning around is always possible, because of God's help. We do not have to pretend we are not going the wrong way. God already knows, and He wants to help us turn back toward Him.

Talk about it as a family.

What do you think makes it hard to turn around when you know you are going the wrong way? Is there something in your life right now where you know you have been heading in the wrong direction? What would it look like to ask God for help turning around?

A prayer to pray together.

God, thank You for sending people like John who told the truth and helped people get ready for Jesus. Help us to be honest with You about the places in our lives where we need to turn around. We thank You that we do not have to be perfect before we come to You, because You already knew that we could not be. Help us turn around when we need to, and remind us to ask You for help. Amen.

Coming up next. Next time on Hearing Jesus for Kids, the one John was talking about finally shows up at the river. That's Jesus.

Episode Reference: Luke 3:1-20

Faithful Every Day: Luke 2:41-52: Hearing Jesus for Kids

Have you ever felt like your parents just did not understand you? Today

What happened when Jesus stayed behind in the temple?

Every year Mary and Joseph traveled about sixty five miles to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival, usually with a big group of family and friends. One year, when Jesus was about twelve, they started the trip home assuming He was somewhere in the group. After traveling a whole day, they realized Jesus was not with them, so they went back to Jerusalem and searched for Him. They finally found Him in the temple, sitting with the teachers, listening and asking questions, and everyone who heard Him was amazed at how well He understood God.

What were the first words Jesus ever spoke in Luke's Gospel?

When Mary found Jesus, she said what any worried mother would say: Son, why have You done this? Your father and I have been searching everywhere for You. Jesus answered, Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I would be in My Father's house? He meant that the temple, God's house, was His Father's house. The Bible tells us that even then, Mary and Joseph did not fully understand what He meant, but Mary kept

What happened after that day?

Jesus went back to Nazareth with His parents, and Luke tells us He

What does this story teach kids about being faithful?

We might think that knowing who you are or what you are supposed to do means skipping straight to the big, important thing, but Jesus did not. He spent most of His life before ministry simply living ordinary days, growing up and being faithful in small things nobody else was watching. Those years were not wasted. They were the foundation for everything that came after. And even Jesus dealt with being misunderstood by His parents sometimes, which does not give us a reason to disrespect ours, but it is a normal part of growing up. In your own ordinary days, school, chores, even the moments you feel misunderstood, you can be faithful too, just like Jesus was.

Talk about it as a family.

Why do you think God designed it so Jesus spent eighteen quiet years

A prayer to pray together.

Jesus, thank You that You did not skip the ordinary years or the

Coming up next.

Next time on Hearing Jesus for Kids, we learn more about John and what happened in the wilderness.

God Hears Our Prayers: Luke 2:25-38: Hearing Jesus for Kids

Have you ever counted down the days until something exciting was about to

When Jesus was a baby, Mary and Joseph brought Him to the temple in

Who were Simeon and Anna?

Simeon was a man who loved the Lord, and the Holy Spirit was on him. God

What kept Simeon and Anna from giving up?

Simeon and Anna had both spent most of their lives waiting for something they could not yet see. What they were doing has a name: faithfulness. Faithfulness means believing God not only when it is easy, but also when it takes a long time or nothing seems to be happening. It is a little like planting a garden. You put a seed in the ground, and for a while, you cannot see anything happening at all. But a good gardener keeps watering it anyway. Simeon and Anna kept showing up and praying even when they had no idea when the answer would come, and because they kept showing up, they were there on exactly the right day.

Does God really hear our prayers, even when the answer takes a long time? Waiting can feel hard, and it can even feel like wasted time. But being faithful while you wait is never wasted. Even when nothing seems to be happening, even when you have prayed for something for a long time and have not seen the answer yet, God is not ignoring you. He sees every prayer. He sees every day you keep showing up, even when it is hard, and He wants you to keep showing up too.

Talk about it as a family.

What do you think kept Simeon and Anna from giving up while they waited?

A prayer to pray together.

God, thank You for Simeon and Anna, who did not give up. Thank You

Coming up next.

Next time on Hearing Jesus for Kids, we meet Jesus at twelve years old

God Sees You: Luke 2:1-20: Hearing Jesus for Kids

Have you ever felt kind of ordinary, like you would not be the one picked

Why did Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem?

The Roman rulers in charge at the time decided everyone had to return to their family's hometown to be counted, so Joseph, who was part of King David's family, had to travel to Bethlehem, and Mary went with him right before she was ready to have baby Jesus. When they arrived, the city was so crowded there was no room for them anywhere, so Mary and Joseph stayed with the animals. After a long trip, Mary gave birth to Jesus there, wrapped Him in a blanket, and laid Him in a manger, the container that holds food for animals.

Who did God tell first, and why does that matter?

That night, some shepherds were out in a field watching their sheep. Shepherds were not considered very important back then. They were often the youngest or weakest members of a family, and nobody would have trusted them with big news. But God did not send the announcement of His Son's birth to the rulers in town or the religious leaders in Jerusalem. He sent an angel to the shepherds in the field, and the sky filled with angels singing and praising God. The angel told them not to be afraid, that the Savior had been born, and that the news would bring joy for all people.

What did the shepherds do next?

The shepherds went quickly to Bethlehem and found Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus lying in the manger, just as the angel had said. They told everyone what they had seen and heard, and then went back to their fields praising God for how good He was. Mary knew this was something very special, that God had told the shepherds and that angels were celebrating her baby boy, and she held on to all of it like treasures in her heart.

What does this story teach kids about how God sees them?

God has a pattern of doing really big things in small, quiet, and even overlooked ways. The biggest thing that had ever happened, the birth of the Savior of the world, looked very small from the outside: a baby in a feeding trough, on a cold night, announced to a handful of shepherds nobody else paid attention to. If you have ever felt ordinary, like nobody would pick you for something special, the shepherds knew exactly how that feels, and God picked them anyway. God sees you, He knows where you are, and

Talk about it as a family.

Why do you think God chose the shepherds, the people nobody else paid

A prayer to pray together.

God, thank You for being the kind of God who shows up in ordinary

Coming up next.

Next time on Hearing Jesus for Kids, we visit the temple where two

Praising While Waiting : Luke 1:39-80: Hearing Jesus for Kids

Have you ever been so excited about something that you just wanted to

What happened when Mary visited Elizabeth?

Mary had just learned from the angel Gabriel that she was going to be the mother of Jesus, and the first thing she did was travel several days to see her cousin Elizabeth. The moment Mary walked in and called out to her, the baby inside Elizabeth, who would grow up to be John the Baptist, leaped for joy. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried out that Mary was blessed among women. Nobody had told Elizabeth who Mary was carrying. She simply knew, the moment Mary walked through the door.

What did Mary sing about?

Mary sang a song about a God who sees ordinary people, even when they do

What happened when Elizabeth's baby was born?

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months before going home. When Elizabeth's baby was born, the neighbors and family gathered to celebrate, expecting the boy to be named Zechariah after

Why could Mary praise God before she saw the outcome?

Mary had grown up learning about God and what He was like, and she knew Him well enough to trust Him even before she understood everything that was happening. It is a little like thanking someone for a gift before you even open it, not because you are pretending, but because you know the giver loves you and whatever is inside will be good. That is what Mary was doing. She trusted God so completely that she could praise Him in the

Talk about it as a family.

Is there something you are waiting on right now, something you are

A prayer to pray together.

God, You see the people who feel invisible. You keep Your promises

Coming up next. Next time on Hearing Jesus for Kids, a Roman man makes a special announcement that sets into motion the most important birthday in history.

Saying Yes to God: Luke 1:5-38: Hearing Jesus for Kids

Has anyone ever told you something was impossible? Today we start the

Who was Zechariah, and what happened to him? Zechariah was a priest in the temple in Jerusalem, and he had just been chosen for a job most priests only get to do once in their whole lives: going into the inner part of the temple to burn incense for God. While he was there, an angel named Gabriel appeared and told him something incredible. His wife Elizabeth, who was very old and had never had children, was going to have a son who would help prepare the way for Jesus. Zechariah asked the angel how he could know this would really happen, since they were both so old. Because he doubted, Gabriel told him he would not be able to speak again until the baby was born, and sure enough, when Zechariah came out of the temple, he could not say a word.

Who was Mary, and how did she respond?

A few months later, the angel Gabriel visited a young

What is the difference between Zechariah's response and Mary's response?

Zechariah was not a bad person. He was a good man who had served the Lord faithfully his whole life, but when impossible news came, he needed proof before he could believe it. Mary did not have proof either, but she said yes and believed God anyway. God was gracious to both of them. He did not give up on Zechariah, and He kept His promise. He also chose Mary, knowing she was young and that nobody important knew who she was.

What does this story teach kids about facing impossible things?

God does not wait until things look possible. He often works right in the middle of the impossible. All of us face things in life that seem impossible, situations where we cannot see how they will work out. In those moments, we get to make the same choice Mary made: wait until it all makes sense before saying yes to God, or say yes to God before we can see how it will all work out.

Talk about it as a family.

Which response do you think was harder, Zechariah's or Mary's? What do

A prayer to pray together.

Lord, thank You that You specialize in impossible things. Thank You

Coming up next.

Next time on Hearing Jesus for Kids, Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth

Paying Attention to Jesus : Luke 1:1-4: Hearing Jesus for Kids

Have you ever wondered if God really notices you? Today we start a brand new series through the Gospel of Luke, written by a doctor who investigated every detail about Jesus before writing a single word. Kids will learn who Luke was, why his story about Jesus can be trusted, and what it means to pay close attention to Jesus, because the more we pay attention to Him, the more we discover He has been paying attention to us the whole time.

This episode introduces Luke, the man who wrote this Gospel, and walks through Luke 1:1 through 4 to show kids why his careful, honest reporting means we can trust what he wrote about Jesus.

Who Was Luke?

Luke was a doctor. Doctors pay close attention to details, ask good questions, and do not guess, they investigate until they know for sure. That is exactly how Luke approached writing about Jesus. Before he wrote a single word, he went and talked to the people who were actually there: the disciples, the women who followed Jesus, and the people who watched Him teach, heal, and rise from the dead. Luke wanted to get the story right, because this was not just a good story. It was the most important thing that had ever happened.

What Makes Luke's Gospel Different?

Luke is the only writer in the whole Bible who was not Jewish. Every other book of Scripture was written by a Jewish author, but Luke was a Gentile, an outsider who would not have automatically been included in the story of God's people. And yet Luke wrote more of the New Testament than anyone else. He wrote two books, the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts, meant to be read together as one long story.

Luke wrote his Gospel to someone named Theophilus, whose name means lover of God. Bible teachers have long wondered if Theophilus was a real person Luke knew personally, and he may have been. But his name is also a reminder for us. Anyone who loves God and wants to know Jesus better can read these words and know they were written for them too, including your family.

One more thing sets Luke apart. He pays close attention to the people everyone else walked past: the poor, women, children, and people who looked different. Jesus kept stopping for those people, and Luke made sure to write it down.

Luke interviewed real eyewitnesses, people who were actually there with Jesus, and he paid attention to every detail of what they said. As we go through the Gospel of Luke together this season, kids will learn to do the same thing: pay attention to what Jesus says, what Jesus does, and who Jesus stops for.

God, thank You for people like Luke, who paid close attention and wrote things down so carefully that we can still read them today. As we go through this book of the Bible together, help us to really hear it. Help us notice what You notice and love what You love. We want to know You, Jesus, not just about You, but really know You. Amen.

Next time on Hearing Jesus for Kids, we get right into the story, and it starts with two pieces of news that seem impossible. You will not want to miss it.

Fishing With Jesus: John 21: The Gospel of John for Kids, Kids Daily Devotional, Daily Bible Study for Kids

In this episode of Hearing Jesus for Kids, Rachael teaches kids about what it means to go fishing with Jesus.

☆Have a question for Rachael? Ask it here: Ask Rachael a Question

☆To Learn More About Compassion International here: ➤  Sponsor a Child

☆You can find the Family Discussion Guide that covers today’s content on our Patreon: patreon.com/HearingJesus

☆The Hearing Jesus for Kids Podcast is a companion to the Hearing Jesus Podcast. Learn more at RachaelGroll.com

Hey friends, welcome to the Hearing Jesus for Kids Podcast!

Do you ever feel like you want to know more about the Bible but that it’s kind of hard to understand? Do you want to share your faith with your friends but have a hard time figuring out how to do that? Do you want to learn how to connect the Bible to your real life? Well then, this is the show for you.

My name is Rachael, and I am your host. I have been a Children’s Pastor for a long time, and one of my favorite things is helping kids learn how to understand the Bible. I think that sometimes people think that the Bible is just for adults, but God actually really wants kids to know about Him. So, on this podcast, we are going to learn all about God’s Big Story and how he shows Himself to us through the Bible. As we learn together what the stories in the Bible mean, we can learn how to live out our faith in our everyday lives. 

Believing in Jesus: John 20:19–31: The Gospel of John for Kids, Kids Daily Devotional, Daily Bible Study for Kids

In this episode of Hearing Jesus for Kids, Rachael teaches kids about what it means to really believe in Jesus.

☆Have a question for Rachael? Ask it here: Ask Rachael a Question

☆To Learn More About Compassion International here: ➤  Sponsor a Child

☆You can find the Family Discussion Guide that covers today’s content on our Patreon: patreon.com/HearingJesus

☆The Hearing Jesus for Kids Podcast is a companion to the Hearing Jesus Podcast. Learn more at RachaelGroll.com

Hey friends, welcome to the Hearing Jesus for Kids Podcast!

Do you ever feel like you want to know more about the Bible but that it’s kind of hard to understand? Do you want to share your faith with your friends but have a hard time figuring out how to do that? Do you want to learn how to connect the Bible to your real life? Well then, this is the show for you.

My name is Rachael, and I am your host. I have been a Children’s Pastor for a long time, and one of my favorite things is helping kids learn how to understand the Bible. I think that sometimes people think that the Bible is just for adults, but God actually really wants kids to know about Him. So, on this podcast, we are going to learn all about God’s Big Story and how he shows Himself to us through the Bible. As we learn together what the stories in the Bible mean, we can learn how to live out our faith in our everyday lives. 

Lost and Found: John 20:1-18: The Gospel of John for Kids, Kids Daily Devotional, Daily Bible Study for Kids

In this episode of Hearing Jesus for Kids, Rachael teaches kids about what it means to be lost and then truly found.

☆Have a question for Rachael? Ask it here: Ask Rachael a Question

☆To Learn More About Compassion International here: ➤  Sponsor a Child

☆You can find the Family Discussion Guide that covers today’s content on our Patreon: patreon.com/HearingJesus

☆The Hearing Jesus for Kids Podcast is a companion to the Hearing Jesus Podcast. Learn more at RachaelGroll.com

Hey friends, welcome to the Hearing Jesus for Kids Podcast!

Do you ever feel like you want to know more about the Bible but that it’s kind of hard to understand? Do you want to share your faith with your friends but have a hard time figuring out how to do that? Do you want to learn how to connect the Bible to your real life? Well then, this is the show for you.

My name is Rachael, and I am your host. I have been a Children’s Pastor for a long time, and one of my favorite things is helping kids learn how to understand the Bible. I think that sometimes people think that the Bible is just for adults, but God actually really wants kids to know about Him. So, on this podcast, we are going to learn all about God’s Big Story and how he shows Himself to us through the Bible. As we learn together what the stories in the Bible mean, we can learn how to live out our faith in our everyday lives.