DISCOVER INSIDE ISSUE 4: MARK, RUTH, GENESIS, ACTS, COLOSSIANS
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Find a time when you can read the Bible each day
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Find a place where you can be quiet and think
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Ask God to help you understand what you read
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Grab your Bible and a pencil or pen
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Read today’s Discover page and Bible bit
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Pray about what you have read and learned
We want to… • • • •
Explain the Bible clearly to you Help you enjoy your Bible Encourage you to turn to Jesus Help Christians follow Jesus
Discover stands for… • Total commitment to God’s Word, the Bible • Total commitment to getting its message over to you
Team Discover Martin Cole, Nicole Carter, Rachel Jones, Kirsty McAllister, Alison Mitchell, André Parker, Ben Woodcraft Discover is published by The Good Book Company, Blenheim House, 1 Blenheim Rd, Epsom, Surrey, KT19 9AP, UK. Tel: 0333 123 0880; Email: discover@thegoodbook.co.uk UK: thegoodbook.co.uk North America: thegoodbook.com Australia: thegoodbook.com.au NZ: thegoodbook.co.nz
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How to use Discover Here at Discover, we want you at home to get the most out of reading the Bible. It’s how God speaks to us today. And He’s got loads of top things to say. We use the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible. You’ll find that the NIV and New King James Version are best for doing the puzzles in Discover.
The Bible has 66 different books in it. So if the notes say…
Read Mark 14 v 1 …turn to the contents page of your Bible and look down the list of books to see what page Mark begins on. Turn to that page. “Mark 14 v 1” means you need to go to chapter 14 of Mark, and then find verse 1 of chapter 14 (the verse numbers are the tiny ones). Then jump in and read it!
Here’s some other stuff you might come across…
weird words Sprongpip These boxes explain baffling words or phrases we come across in the Bible.
Think! This bit usually has a tricky personal question on what you’ve been reading about.
Action! Challenges you to put what you’ve read into action.
Wow! This section contains a gobsmacking fact that sums up what you’ve been reading about.
Pray! Gives you ideas for prayer. Prayer is talking to God. Don’t be embarrassed! You can pray in your head if you want to. God still hears you! Even if there isn’t a Pray! symbol, it’s a good idea to pray about what you’ve read anyway.
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Coming up in Issue 4… Mark: God’s resue plan First off we get stuck into the final few chapters of Mark’s Gospel. We’ll see how Jesus was let down by his friends and killed by his enemies. It’s seriously shocking stuff — but none of it was a surprise to God. Jesus’ death was all part of God’s amazing rescue plan — a plan to rescue us too!
Ruth: The whole truth Imagine leaving your home country, friends and family, to go to a totally new place where you have no food, no job, and no husband! Sound tough? That’s exactly what Ruth did! But God was looking after Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi, and showing them how loving and kind He is. In this issue of Discover we’ll be reading their story in the little Bible book of Ruth. (Spoiler alert: it ends with a wedding!)
Genesis: Dreamer drama We dive into Genesis to meet Joseph: a man who proves that dreams really do come true… at least, they do if you’ve got God working things out behind the scenes! Joseph went from being his dad’s fav son… to being locked up in jail… to being the second-most-important man in Egypt! Through Joe’s good times and bad times, we learn that
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God is totally in control, and working for the good of His people!
Acts: Spreading the word Have you ever eaten a camel burger? Or a kangaroo steak? No? Well, Peter certainly hadn’t! Until he received a strange vision from God… It was all God’s way of telling Peter and the other apostles that the good news about Jesus wasn’t only for Jewish people — it’s for everyone, no matter where they’re from or what they eat! Once the apostles got that, there was no stopping them — they set sail on some epic journeys around the world to tell lots of people about Jesus! Read all about it in Acts!
Colossians: Just Jesus Finally, we get our heads into Colossians — a letter written by Paul to the Christians in Colossae, in Turkey. False teachers had been telling the Colossians that they needed to do extra stuff to be right with God. Paul is writing to warn the Colossians: “DON’T LISTEN!” Paul reminds them how amazing Jesus is, and says that all they have to do is trust in Him. It’s the same for us, too!
Ready to get started? Then turn this page...
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1 Mark 14 v 1-9
Mark: God’s rescue plan Welcome to issue 4 of Discover! Let’s jump into Mark’s book about Jesus. We join the amazing story of Jesus Christ, just a few days before His death.
Think!
Why did He die?
According to Jesus, why did Mary pour perfume on His body? (v8) Go back one letter (B=A, C=B, D=C etc) to find out.
What amazing things happened? Let’s find out...
Read Mark 14 v 1-2
The murder plan
weird words Passover and Festival of unleavened bread We’ll explain these tomorrow!
Chief priests and teachers of the law Religious leaders who hated Jesus
Alabaster White stone
Pure nard
Jesus’ enemies hated Him and wanted to get rid of Him. They were trying to find a way to have Him killed.
Read verses 3-9 This woman poured a whole jar of expensive perfume over Jesus’ head. She was showing how much she loved Him. Some people thought it was a waste of perfume and money (v4-5). But Jesus said it was a beautiful thing, which is why we’re reading about it 2000 years later (v9).
Do you love Jesus? How do you show your love for Him?
__ __ U P
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ Q S F Q B S F
__ __ N F
__ __ __ G P S
__ __ N Z
__ __ __ __ __ __ C V S J B M Jesus knew that He would soon die. Maybe His enemies’ murder plan would work.
God’s rescue plan! Amazingly, it was always part of God’s plan that Jesus would die. Not so that His enemies could get rid of Him, but so that Jesus could rescue His people.
A spiky plant
Indignantly Angrily
Rebuked her Told her off
The gospel
Pray! Thank God for His amazing rescue plan. Ask Him to help you show your love for Jesus by living to please Him.
The great news that Jesus can rescue us
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DAY 2
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Fest-of-all
Mark 14 v 12-16
In Jerusalem, 2000 years ago, the busiest and most important time of the year was the Passover festival.
Where’s the busiest place you’ve ever been?
1000s of people travelled to Jerusalem, some from other countries. The city was crammed with people.
________________ ________________ ________________ ________________
K
X
Z
K
Z
K
X
Z
K
A
Z
R
Z
Z
X
X
M
K
A
Z
X
C
N
A
X
J
R
K
A
K
K
X
Z
E
K
R
R
Y
K
A
T
Z
K
Z
I
Z
W X
X
X
Z
N
G
A
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__ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
Each family had to buy a perfect lamb, kill it and offer it to God as a sacrifice. (You’ll find out why tomorrow!)
________________
K
__
__ __ __
The man led them to a large room, all set up for the feast! The disciples must have been amazed when everything turned out exactly as Jesus had said.
________________
weird words Festival of unleavened bread A week-long feast that came after Passover
Customary Traditional
Each family needed a room so that the lamb could be cooked and eaten.
Jesus wanted to eat His last ever Passover feast with His friends, the disciples. But in the overcrowded city, where could they possibly find a room where they could eat it together?
Sacrifice Kill the lamb and offer it as a gift to God
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Read Mark 14 v 12-16
Jesus’ enemies were plotting to kill Him. Yet Jesus was in total control of everything. It was all part of God’s rescue plan.
Pray! Thank God that He is in control of everything. If you mean it, tell God that you want Him to be in charge of your life.
What did Jesus tell His disciples to look for? Cross out all the Xs, Zs and Ks, and follow the maze.
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Passover facts
Exodus 12 v 3-14
They were remembering a time 1500 years earlier, when God rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.
To rescue His people, God sent ten plagues on Egypt, but Pharaoh wouldn’t listen. Only after God killed the eldest son (firstborn) of all the Egyptians, did Pharaoh finally let the Israelites go. Jesus was going to celebrate Passover with His disciples. But what was this Passover thing all about?
weird words
Read the verses and fill in what the Israelites had to do.
3. Use the lamb’s bl_______
1. K_______ a l_______
They had to put the lamb’s blood on their door frames. No blood would mean death for the eldest son.
The lamb was killed instead of the firstborn son in each Israelite family. The eldest son could say: “That lamb died instead of me!”
Slaughter
The lamb’s death was a picture of what JESUS would do 1500 years later.
Gods of Egypt God would punish the Egyptians for worshipping fake gods
Ordinance Law
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o__________ the house and not kill the eldest son (v13).
Pray!
Quickly!
Remember and celebrate
But if there was blood there, God promised to p__________
Wow!
Commemorate
There were special instructions for how the lamb should be cooked and eaten. And the Israelites had to get ready for their escape from Egypt!
Read Exodus 12 v 3-6
Perfect
In haste
2. E_______ the lamb
Read verses 7 & 12-14
Without defect
Kill
Read verses 8-11
He would die on the cross to take the punishment we should get for our sins. So Christians can look to Jesus and say:
If you’re a Christian, thank God for sending Jesus to die in your place. Praise Him that on the day of judgment, He will pass over you and not punish you, because of Jesus’ death.
“He died instead of me!”
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Traitor!
Mark 14 v 10-21
Read Mark 14 v 10-11 Judas had gone behind Jesus and the disciples’ backs. He agreed to help Jesus’ enemies with their plan to murder Jesus! What a traitor!
Now read Mark 14 v 17-21 Judas
Jesus is eating His last ever Passover feast with His friends, the 12 disciples. Well, 11 of them are His friends...
When it was evening, Jesus and His twelve disciples came for the Passover meal. As they were eating, Jesus told His disciples: “One of you will betray me”. This upset the disciples. “Surely you don’t mean me!’ they all said. Jesus answered: “It is one of you twelve, one who dips his bread in the bowl with me.”
Fit all the bold words into the grid. The shaded boxes should spell out two words.
E A
weird words
E
The Twelve The 12 disciples. They were Jesus’ friends and were taught by Him.
Reclining at the table They lay on couches while eating a meal!
E
A
A
O
I
I
E
U
E
E
U E
E
E
E A
I I
Son of Man Jesus
Woe to... God will punish that person
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__ __ __ __ __ __
Even before Jesus was born, the Old Testament said that God would send someone to rescue His people. That person was Jesus. But the Old Testament also said that He would have to suffer and die to rescue us (Isaiah 53 v 5). Amazingly, it was all part of God’s rescue plan!
Judas did a terrible thing. He would be punished for it later. But Judas couldn’t stop God’s perfect plans. Nobody can! Instead, Judas himself became part of God’s great rescue plan!
E
U
E
God’s rescue plan!
__ __ __ __
Pray! Thank God that no one stops His perfect plans to rescue people.
Want to know more? For the free e-booklet Why Did Jesus Die?, email discover@thegoodbook.co.uk or check out www.thegoodbook.co.uk/contact-us to find our UK mailing address.
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Amazing meal deal!
Mark 14 v 22-25
Only a few hours before His death, Jesus used this meal to show His friends what He was about to go through for them...
Read Mark 14 v 22 When Jesus broke the bread and gave it to His disciples, He said:
“This is my ____________” What’s the most memorable meal you’ve eaten? ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________
So what did He mean? The broken bread was a symbol of Jesus’ body, which would be broken (tortured and killed) very soon. Eating the bread showed the disciples that they would share in the good that came from Jesus’ death for them.
Today we read about the most important meal... ever!
Blood gives life to our bodies. When Jesus died on the cross, He gave His life for others. Drinking the wine reminded the disciples that Jesus would give His life for them, so their sins could be forgiven.
Blood of the covenant (v24) A covenant is a promise. God promises to forgive people for the wrong things (sins) they’ve done. But only people who trust Jesus’ death to rescue them from the punishment they deserve.
Christians still eat bread and drink wine together to remember that Jesus died for them. This meal is called the Lord’s Supper or Communion.
Think & Pray! What can you do to remind you that Jesus died for you? _____________________________
weird words Fruit of the vine Wine
Kingdom of God Jesus wouldn’t drink wine again until He was with His Father God in His kingdom
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Read verses 23-25 What strange thing did Jesus say about the wine?
“This is my ______________” What did He mean now?
_____________________________ _____________________________ (Maybe you could make a poster of Romans 5 v 8.) Now ask God to help you fully understand why Jesus suffered and died.
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Stand and deliver
Mark 14 v 26-31
Read Mark 14 v 26-28 Jesus told His disciples that they’d all leave Him when trouble came. Just like sheep scattering when they’re scared! But Peter refused to believe it...
Read verses 29-31 How many times did Jesus say Peter would deny knowing Him? Did Peter believe Jesus? It’s night time on the Mount of Olives and danger is approaching for Jesus. Will the disciples face it with Jesus or run away?
YES/NO _______
But Jesus knew that His friends would all leave Him.
But Jesus also told them that He’d help them out in tricky situations. Use the backwards word pool to complete Jesus’ words from Mark 13 v 11.
nevig yloH yas tiripS emit tahw yrrow uoy Do not w___________ about w________ to say. Just s_____ whatever is g_________ you at the t_________. Because it is not y______ speaking, but the H_______ S___________!
Wow! When we’re being hassled or questioned about what we believe, we should speak out!
weird words Mount of Olives Large hill
Galilee Area where Jesus grew up
Disown me Pretend not to know Jesus
Insisted emphatically Peter said that he’d definitely not disown Jesus
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Standing up for Jesus can be really hard. We don’t want people to give us a hard time for going to church or believing in Jesus. So we find it hard to own up to being a Christian. Or we keep quiet when people say things against Jesus. Jesus had already told His followers that they should expect to get hassled for loving Him (it’s in Mark 13 v 9-11).
Jesus has given all Christians His Holy Spirit to help them tell people about Him!
Pray! Ask God to help you stand up for Jesus. Ask Him to give you the right words to say, and the courage to say them.
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Garden of grief
Mark 14 v 32-36
Read Mark 14 v 32-34 Jesus prayed with three of His disciples in a quiet garden called
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
GETH S E M A N E Why was Jesus upset? Peter would let Him down
A B C D E F G H I L M N O R S T U W Y
A B D F E F G H I L M N O R S T U W Y
weird words Abba
Judas was on his way with a group of soldiers He knew He was going to die very soon
All these reasons were bad enough, but there was something far worse that really hurt Jesus.
Jesus knew that His Father would punish Him for the wrong things people have done. He didn’t deserve to die, but it was the only way He could rescue us!
Use the code to reveal Jesus’ amazing prayer.
__ __ __
__ __ __ __
T W H A T N O __ __ __ __ __ LL __ __I __W I __ __ __ __ B U T W H A T __ __ __
__ __ __ __
YO U W I L L Jesus wanted to obey His Father God even though that meant He would have to suffer and die!
Action! Read verses 35-36 No wonder Jesus fell to the ground in distress. No wonder He asked God to “take this cup away from me”.
He was asking God not to punish Him. He knew it would be like drinking from a cup full of God’s punishment.
In your prayers, make sure you ask what GOD wants, not just what YOU want. Go on, try it right now...
Pray! Obeying God is soooo hard. Ask Him to help you live for Him and please Him more.
Daddy
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Dozing disciples
Mark 14 v 37-42
Jesus is in the garden of Gethsemane at night, praying to His Father God. Jesus is upset because He knows God will soon punish Him for people’s sins.
Three disciples were with Jesus that night. Who were they (v33)?
P __ __ __ __ Some people sleep through anything – alarm clocks, science lessons, church meetings. Are you feeling sleepy?
J __ __ __ J __ __ __ __ Jesus told them to keep watch while He prayed. Instead, they fell sleep!
JESUS
DISCIPLES
Talked to God (v39).
Kept falling asleep! (v40)
God heard His prayer and gave Him the strength He needed.
Disobeyed Jesus and were open to temptation (v38).
Like these three disciples, all Christians need to WATCH and PRAY. The devil is always trying to tempt us to do wrong. So we need to WATCH OUT for anything that might cause us to disobey God. And we need to PRAY, asking God to help us obey Him.
Then WAKE UP!!
Read Mark 14 v 37-42 and compare the three disciples with Jesus.
weird words Simon/Peter Both names refer to the same disciple! The one Jesus said would disown him three times.
Son of Man Jesus was both God’s Son and a human being!
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Think!
JESUS
DISCIPLES
What things are you tempted by? (eg: cheating at school, treating your parents badly)
Tired, weak and upset (v34).
They were very tired (v40).
___________________________
Really needed to watch and pray.
Really needed to watch and pray.
___________________________
Similar, but they acted in totally different ways
___________________________ ___________________________
Pray Ask God to help you to watch out for the devil’s temptations. Ask Him to help you to fight the things you wrote down.
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9 Mark 14 v 43-52
God’s plan gone wrong? Read Mark 14 v 43-52 What a disaster! At first sight, it looks like everything has gone wrong. Judas has turned against Jesus; Jesus has been captured; and Jesus’ friends have deserted Him. How could this be part of God’s rescue plan???
1. Judas the betrayer Jesus is in the garden of Gethsemane late at night. Suddenly, the silence is disturbed, as an angry crowd comes to capture Jesus...
Fill in the vowels (aeiou) to show what Jesus had said back in Mark 14 v 18.
One of y __ __ will b __ tr __ y m __.
Jesus was arrested by the angry mob even though He had done nothing wrong! But Jesus knew He had to be arrested, tortured and killed. It was all part of God’s rescue plan. The Old Testament Scriptures (Mark 14 v 49), like Isaiah, had said it would happen!
3. The disciples run away What did Jesus say back in Mark 14 v 27?
Y __ __ w __ ll __ ll f __ ll __ w __ y
Who came with the angry mob to arrest Jesus?
J __ d __ s
weird words Chief priests, teachers of the law and elders Religious leaders who plotted to have Jesus killed
Rabbi Teacher
Rebellion Battle against the people in charge
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Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray Him. It was all part of God’s rescue plan!
2. Jesus captured He was d __ sp __ s __ d and r __ j __ ct __ d by m __ nk __ nd, a man of s __ ff __ r __ ng, and familiar with p __ __ n. (Isaiah 53 v 3)
What happened when Jesus was arrested (v50)?
Everyone d __ s __ rt __ d him and fl __ d Jesus had said the disciples would desert Him, and they did! Yet it was all part of God’s great rescue plan!
Pray! Jesus had to suffer and die to rescue us from sin. Spend time thanking God for His perfect plan to rescue us.
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DAY 10
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The truth from Ruth
Ruth 1 v 1-5
Background info • Look up Judges 21 v 25. God’s people were doing what THEY wanted, not what GOD wanted. • The action begins in the country of Moab.
Today we start reading the great Bible book of Ruth.
• Moab was an enemy of God and God’s people, the Israelites. Time to meet the family...
Read Ruth 1 v 1-5
We’ll meet Ruth, her mother-in-law Naomi and the rich and powerful Boaz. And we’ll learn more about God and His perfect plan for His people.
Fill in the blanks to show what happened to Naomi’s family.
There was a
Judges God gave His people judges to lead them
Ephrathites From an area called Ephrathah
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Fill in the blanks to show how they had disobeyed God.
Elimelek and Naomi went to live in the country of M_______ (v1). Their sons married two M_____________ women (v4). That doesn’t sound so bad, but Moab was a no-go area for God’s people. The Moabites (the people who lived in Moab) didn’t love God and worshipped fake gods instead. Living in Moab would make it hard to keep living God’s way and serving Him.
Pray! What a depressing start!
weird words
But this family wasn’t perfect.
We live in a world where most people don’t live God’s way. Ask God to help you stand out as a follower of Jesus. Pray that you won’t give in and live for yourself like everyone else does. Pray that you would serve God and not go along with the crowd.
f____________ in Israel (v1). Naomi’s husband E________________ died (v3).
Tomorrow we’ll find out what happens next to the three widows...
Naomi’s sons M____________ and _________ion sadly died too (v5).
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