INTRODUCTION

BARNABAS ENCOURAGES CHRISTIANS IN ANTIOCH

Bible Point: Encourage each other to believe in Jesus.

Key Verse: “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” (Hebrews 3:13).

Big Picture: Encourage each other in faith.

Barnabas Encourages Christians in Antioch

Acts 11:19-26

You might look confident on the outside, but inside, it’s normal to wonder: Who am I? What am I good at? Do I matter? These questions are part of figuring out where you fit in the world, and they can feel overwhelming. This week, we’ll talk about the truth that your value isn’t just in what you do, but in who you are. Encouragement from others and from God can make a bigger difference than you think. Even if you don’t feel it right away, you’re not alone on this journey.

GROWING IN TRUTH

DAILY CHALLENGE

• Find someone else in our group who wants to do this challenge, and exchange phone numbers. Commit to sending a text daily this week to encourage each other.

• Ask your close friends about areas in which they feel discouraged. Offer words of encouragement, and pray for them.

• Make a card for someone who needs encouragement. Include a Bible verse you think will encourage that person in his or her faith.

FAITH JOURNAL

How can I become someone others think of as an encourager?

TALK WITH YOUR FAMILY

Watch one of your favorite sitcoms together as a family. Before the show starts, give everyone a piece of paper, a pen, and instructions to jot down a brief note every time they hear a character either encourage or discourage another. Afterward, discuss what you heard. Imagine together how the relationships and situations might have changed if all the discouragements were encouragements.

Then read Proverbs 15:1 together, and discuss these questions:

•How can gentle answers be encouraging?

• How can harsh words be discouraging?

• Which does our family tend to do more? Why is that?

• How can we be better about encouraging

one another?