Satan Tricked Adam and Eve (Genesis 2-3)

God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the garden of Eden. He told them they could not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Satan, disguised as a serpent, came and urged Eve to eat from the tree and become like God, knowing good and evil. Eve wanted the knowledge Satan talked about. So, she took the fruit and ate it. Adam ate it too. When they ate the fruit, they understood the difference between good and evil and immediately felt shame. Disobeying God was a choice to sin. That sin immediately broke their relationship with God. God told them about the bad things that would happen because they sinned. But God also promised a plan to defeat Satan. We now know God's plan was to send Jesus to restore the relationship between people and God.

Daniel Chose God's Way (Daniel 1)

Daniel and his friends were taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. The king ordered that the young men who had been captured should be served the same food and drink as the king and be trained for three years. Then they would attend to the king.

Daniel asked if he and his friends could eat only vegetables and water. He wanted to follow God's plan with the foods he ate. Daniel and his friends were healthier and stronger than all the other men who had been eating the king's food! The friends chose to follow God's plan and God gave them knowledge and understanding. The king found the four friends even wiser than the other men who had been working for him.

The Rich Young Ruler (Mark 10:17-27)

Jesus is the One that God promised would come to fix the relationship between God and people. One day a rich man asked Jesus how to get to heaven. Jesus reminded the man of God's commandments. The man said he had kept those. Jesus said he needed to sell all his things and follow Jesus. The rich man went away sad. A person does not have to sell everything to get to heaven, but the rich man cared more about his things than following Jesus. Jesus said, "It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." The disciples asked, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus said, "It's impossible for human beings, but all things are possible with God." God sent Jesus to make it possible for all people to be saved.

John Wrote about Jesus (John 14:1-6; 18-20; Acts 19-12)

John was one of Jesus' disciples and closest friends. John wrote a book about what he had seen and heard. Jesus often told the disciples that He would be killed, but after three days He would be alive again. Jesus explained that He is the only way to have eternal life. Jesus was arrested and put on trial, then sentenced to death. Jesus was taken to a nearby hillside and nailed to a cross. After Jesus died, He was buried and a large stone was rolled across the opening of the tomb. Three days later, some women walked to the tomb. The stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty! Jesus is alive! Over the next forty days, many people saw the risen Jesus, talked with Him, and even ate with Him. Finally, Jesus returned to heaven.

Paul Encouraged the Ephesians (Acts 9:1-6; 19:1-10,21-31; 20:1; Ephesians 3:14-4:16)

Paul persecuted Christians before he learned that Jesus is God's Son. After that, Paul worked to tell people about Jesus. Paul visited a town named Ephesus. God did amazing things there. Many people became believers and stopped worshiping idols. Those who stil worshiped idols became upset, and there was an angry fight in the city. Later Paul wrote a letter to the church at Ephesus. Paul knew what life was like there. Believers in Jesus were persecuted, and people taught wrong things about Jesus. Paul reminded the believers that God loved them. He said believers should show God's love to others whether they agreed with them or not. Paul challenged the people to grow in their relationships with Jesus so that they would know God's truth and not be easily fooled.