We are continuing this week in 1 Kings chapters 16-18 with Elijah. Elijah was a prophet sent from God to speak truth, and he lived with boldness in the midst of a desperate and depraved generation. His story shows how he followed God when many others didn’t.

We start off the new year back in 1 Kings 12, with King Jeroboam and the Israelites again turning away from God. Sin and idolatry will always lead us away from God, but Jesus came as a sacrifice so we can have forgiveness for all of our sins. Thank you, God, for making a way to bring us back to you!

Summing up our unit on God’s mercy, we read in Luke 18 that Jesus told a story of a pharisee and a tax collector. While the pharisee looked down on the tax collector, the tax collector knew he had sinned and asked God for forgiveness and mercy. Everyone is a sinner who needs God’s forgiveness and mercy. We can cry out to God like the tax collector because of Jesus, who took the punishment for our sin.

5th Sunday is a day of fellowship, worship in main service, and fun! Join us as we take a break from our unit and watch Story Keepers Episode 3 (Owlegories for our younger kiddos)! Next week we tie up our unit on King Solomon.

In our unit study of King Solomon and the topic of mercy, we see that though God had blessed Solomon, Solomon continued to want more and more. This angered God, and the Kingdom would become divided. God’s people needed a better King. And we can be glad that later, God did send a better one - His own son, Jesus!

As we continue learning about King Solomon and the topic of mercy, we see that Solomon began to build a temple for the Lord. This is where God would meet His people and accept sacrifices. This points us to Jesus today, who offers us forgiveness, new life, and dwells within us if we trust in Him.

This weekend we begin our unit on King Solomon and the topic of mercy. Solomon, David’s son, was a wise king who wanted to do God's plan. Solomon wasn't perfect, but God had a plan to give His people a greater and wiser king-His Son, Jesus.