If you're listening to God's Big Story, a podcast for kids. Every week we teach the Bible, sing the Bible, and talk about what it means with a friend or two. I'm your host Anna, and I'm here with my co-host Matt. Howdy friends! Wow, it's been so fun learning about the life of Jesus with you, Matt. You too, Anna. And I learned from Dr. Wiggles P. Wobblebottom that we're doing theology together as friends. And it has been the best. We sure are, Matt. I'm so excited and I know you are too because we're going to do something different with our show today. We call it... Wrap Up and Review! We've learned so many amazing things this season that our brains just might explode. So, in case you feel the same, we thought we'd spend this episode talking about what we've learned, answer a few listener questions, and of course, playing a review game. I am so excited! Let's get started. Is everybody ready? Set... Let's go! Here at God's Big Story, we love the Bible, and we want you to know it and love it too. In fact, we have something we say each week to remind us that the Bible is true. Have you learned it yet? Great! Then let's say it together. The Bible is God's true word. It is from God and about God and it is true. That's right! We've been looking at a part of the Bible, God's true word, called the New Testament. Can you say New Testament? Great job! The New Testament has a total of 27 books. But we've mostly been reading from four of those books called the Gospels. The Gospels are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These four books tell us all about the life and ministry of Jesus. That's right, Matt. And remember, Dr. Wobblebottom also taught us that the word ministry is just a fancy word for work. So you could say we've been learning about the life and work of Jesus from the four Gospels found in the New Testament of the Bible. God's true word. Wow! Not only are you right, but you sounded really smart, Matt. Why, thank you. I've learned quite a lot from the Bible lately and from our special guest, too. Oh, man, yes! We've had some great guests. I'd say you and I have some pretty awesome friends. Let's see what we've learned. History, theology, coaching, fishing. Oh, and we even heard from a doctor, which really came in handy after your rollerblading incident. It's true. And my knee feels better than ever. You know, I think one of my favorite parts lately was singing a song at the end of each episode. You know, God is good, always good. God is always good. Well, that is a joyful noise. Maybe we save that for later. Hey, before we get to our listeners' questions, Matt, did you have any questions that you didn't get answered? Hmm, let me think about it. Well, I was wondering about the Holy Spirit. You know that Jesus promised to send before he went back to heaven. Are we going to hear more about him? We sure will. That's where we'll start next week by learning all about the Holy Spirit, the church, and the return of Jesus. Whoa, I can't wait. I think that's all I've got for now. Well, since you and I don't have any other questions, how about we answer some questions from our listeners? Let's do it. We've had some great questions from our listeners. Maybe you have some of the same questions, too. If so, listen closely, and we'll do our best to answer them for you. Our first question comes from Emma. Our producer, Brad, is going to help us out by playing our questions for us. Let's hear it, Brad. I don't know how God exists before time. Did he just make himself? I don't know how he was there. Can you answer this question, please? What a great and important question, Emma. I bet a lot of kids and maybe even a lot of grown-ups have the same question, Emma. It's really important for us to remember that God is not like us. That can be really hard to understand because we are not Him. There are certain things about God that are only true about Him. For one thing, unlike everything that God created, God has no start and no end. That means before God made everything, like animals, stars, grass, people, and time, there was God and no one made God. Close your eyes and think about no start and no end. It's really hard, but the Bible, God's true word, tells us that God has always been and will always be, and we can trust Him even when it's hard for us to understand. Thanks for your question, Emma. We hope that was helpful. Now, you can try reading Genesis chapter one with your family tonight to hear more. Okay, Brad, looks like we have a question from Henry next. Fire away. How did sin enter the world and how did it enter in your hearth? Another great question. The Bible tells us that sin entered the world through one man, Adam. Henry, do you remember that Adam and Eve were the first man and woman that God made? In Genesis chapter three, we learn that a crafty serpent entered God's good garden and tricked Adam and Eve by telling them a lie. He said that if they ate of the tree God told them not to, they would become like God. Adam and Eve believed the serpent and they ate the fruit because they thought it would make them just like God. But like we learned from Emma's question, there is only one God, the Creator of all, and no one can be just like him. He is in charge of everything and he makes the rules, which is good because he is good and he knows what's best. When Adam and Eve sinned, God's good world and all that he made broke. Even all the other humans that came after Adam and Eve. So, Henry, because every human who's ever lived comes from Adam except Jesus, that means that all of us, every man, every woman, every boy and every girl are born sinners. We all say, think and do things that are different from what God wants and we all love other things more than God, which is sin. That's why we need a Savior and that Savior is Jesus. Thanks for listening, Henry, and for asking such an important question. If you would like to know more, read Genesis chapter 3, Romans chapter 3, or even the second half of Romans chapter 5 from the Bible with your mom or dad. Next up, we have a question from Cole. Why do we go to church? Yes, I love this question, Cole. Did you know that everyone who has ever loved and trusted Jesus is part of God's family? God saves us into a family because following Jesus is something we cannot do alone. We need each other to learn, grow, and be more like Jesus. And God has given each of His family members special gifts and talents to love and serve each other, our neighbors, and the world with. So, to answer your question, Cole, we go to church because we want to be with God's family, worshiping God, and loving and serving one another, our neighbors, and the world. Wow, what a great reminder, Anna. We need each other. It's such a comfort to know that God saves us into a family. If you'd like to learn more about the church, try reading the book of Acts together, or at least the very end of chapter 2. Okay, we're on a roll. Are you guys still with us? Good, because our next question comes from our friend Thomas. Let's hear what Thomas has to say. Um, how does God love us? Thomas, we're so glad you know that God loves us. God does love us because God is love. If you mean how does God love us with like what kind of love, or what is God's love like? I'd say, hmm. You know how sometimes we show love to one another, and other times we don't? Well, that is never true of God. He is always loving because He is love. God loves all people. He loved them before they were born, before He even made the world, and His love for them doesn't stop. In fact, the Bible says God loved us so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to come and die to save sinners. So, if you ever start feeling like God may not love you, remember Jesus and how God sent Him to save sinners, just like you and me. It's so good to remember that God loves all people. We recently learned that God's plan for growing His family is to use His followers, everyone who knows, loves, and trusts Jesus. God's plan for His followers is to go and tell others the good news of the Gospel. Some people who feel called to go to another country specifically to tell other people about Jesus are called missionaries. Our last question is about missionaries and comes from our friend, Rose. Are there missionaries in every country? Rose, do you remember when our friend Laura, the missionary, was on the show? She reminded us that everyone who loves and trusts Jesus is a missionary. So, wherever there are people who love and trust Jesus, there are missionaries. People sent to spread and share the good news that Jesus came to save sinners, from our neighborhoods and workplaces to schools. Sadly, there are still people all over the world who have never heard of Jesus. Laura told us how those are called unreached people groups, and there are many people who still don't love and trust Jesus. But no place or group of people is too far away to reach or save. God has promised to bring people from every people group into His family, and He is sending missionaries to tell those people the good news about Jesus until the day when Jesus returns to make all things new. Anna, that was so much fun! Our listeners asked such great questions and thoughtful questions. You know something? What's that? They're all theologians, you know, because they're thinking about God. I am so encouraged, Anna. Now, we should pray for our friends, for Emma, Henry, Cole, Thomas and Rose, that they would love and trust Jesus and grow in their love for the one true God and tell others the good news about Him. Father, thank you so much for Emma, Henry, Cole, Thomas and Rose. Thank you that you made them, that you know them, that you love them. Thank you that you gave them minds to think about who you are, and that you sent Jesus to save sinners just like them. I pray that by your Holy Spirit, you would open up their minds to understand who you are and give them hearts that want to love you and trust you most of all the days of their life. In Jesus' name, amen. Hey, families! What if your kids sang their way through Scripture and actually remembered it? That's the joy behind Sing the Bible, a brand new weekly devotional that helps kids learn 52 key Bible verses through music. From the creative songwriter Randall Good Game of Slugs and Bugs, this beautifully illustrated hardcover sets a new verse to a song each week, along with a short devotion to help kids dig a little deeper into God's Word. Each chapter even has a QR code you can scan with your phone to watch a video and learn the song as a family. A perfect way to make Scripture part of your weekly rhythm. So whether in the car, around the table, or before bedtime, Sing the Bible turns God's Word into joyful worship and real learning. It's perfect for families with elementary-aged kids who love to sing and grow in their faith. So grab your copy of Sing the Bible, 52 Bible verses for kids to learn and sing wherever books are sold, or visit harvestshousepublishers.com backslash Sing and start singing God's Word together. Hey listeners, it's Matt. If you're looking for another Kids and Family podcast that's rooted in a Christian worldview, check out Welcome to Hope Springs. It's the newest audio drama from the Augustine Institute, the award-winning team behind the adventures of Nick and Sam and the Trials of St. Patrick. Set in the fictional mountain town of Hope Springs, the story follows a close group of friends who spend their days at the old depot until an innocent prank sparks a mystery that stretches across the entire town. Created by award-winning writer Paul McCusker, it's packed with humor, adventure, and really thoughtful moments of friendship, courage, and faith. It's the kind of show that sparks imagination without screens, and it's perfect for listening together in the car or at home. Don't miss out. Follow Welcome to Hope Springs on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Alright, now that we've answered listeners' questions, it's time to play a game to see what you've learned. You know it, you love it, and we call it 5 Second Fly-Through Review. Okay everybody, let's play our game. You know how it works, but this time we're mixing it up, true or false style. We're going to ask you some questions, and you'll have 5 seconds to decide whether what we said is true or false. When the timer runs out, we'll shout out our answers together and see if you got it right. Okay everybody, are you ready? Here we go! Question number 1. True or false? Jesus' special friends and followers were called the tax collectors. False! They were called disciples. Question number 2. True or false? A miracle is something amazing that doesn't normally happen that shows God's power. True! Question number 3. True or false? Jesus sank when he walked on water. False! Jesus walked on the water. It was a miracle. Question number 4. True or false? Jesus loved the woman at the well. True! Question number 5. True or false? When the children came to Jesus, the disciples welcomed them. False! They told them to go away, but Jesus welcomed them. Last question! Question number 6. True or false? Jesus died on the cross. He was raised from the dead after 3 days. True! How did you do? Did you learn something new about God today? Did you learn something new about God today? Or were you reminded of something good, true or beautiful that you already knew? Well, we hope so, but now it's time to live like it's true. This week, try sharing your answers with a family member or friend. Maybe over dinner. As we finish up our time together, let's worship God through a song that reminds us that God is good. God is good, always good. God is always good. God is good, forever good. God is forever good. God is forever good. God is good, always good. God is always good. God is always good. Always good, God is always good God is good forever good God is forever good G-O-O-D is our G-O-D G-O-O-D is our G-O-D G-O-O-D is our G-O-O-D G-O-O-D is our G-O-O-D God is good, always good God is always good God is good forever good God is forever good God is good, always good God is always good God is good forever good God is forever good A voice voice You are good And your love endures forever Always good And your love endures forever Forever and ever and ever and ever And ever and ever and ever and ever You are good And your love endures forever Always good And your love endures forever Forever and ever and ever and ever And ever and ever and ever and ever Forever and ever and ever and ever And ever and ever and ever and ever You are good Thanks for listening to God's Big Story. All of the stories we learned here are from the Bible, which is really just one big story about one big God. For more information or details about the show, be sure to check out this episode's description. Tune in next time to God's Big Story. We'll see you again soon. Bye!
