All Roads Lead to Rome (Part 1)

Read: John 14:6; Acts 17:10-12

“It’s so pretty here!” Kennedy told her aunt and uncle as she gazed around the picnic area. She turned to her brother. “Don’t you wish we could live in the Rockies, Elliot?”

“It sure is nice,” Elliot said. “Look—I guess everybody likes this spot. There are paths coming here from all directions. It’s just like the city of Rome.”

“How is this like Rome?” Aunt Sue asked.

“Last week our pastor said that in the days of the Roman Empire, you could follow any road and it would lead you to Rome,” Elliot explained. “He said that’s like going to heaven. No matter what religion we follow, it will lead us to heaven if we’re sincere and do our best.”

Uncle Don frowned. “Perhaps all roads did lead to Rome, but all religions certainly don’t lead to heaven. The Bible has something to say about that.”

“That’s right,” said Aunt Sue. “If we want to know what’s true and what’s not, we can’t accept the word of any person—unless what they say agrees with what we read in the Bible. And in the book of John, Jesus says He is the way to heaven. We can only be saved from sin and have eternal life by trusting in Him.”

Kennedy looked doubtful. “I never heard our minister say that. Wouldn’t he know?”

“Yeah,” said Elliot. “He’s had lots of training, and he’s a really cool guy!”

“It doesn’t matter who he is or how nice he is,” Uncle Don said. “What matters is whether he teaches what God says in His Word. The book of Acts talks about the apostle Paul going to a city called Berea. When he preached to the people there, they checked the Scriptures to see if what he said was correct. That’s what we need to do too.”

“I never thought about that,” Elliot said. “I always thought whatever our pastor said was true, but I guess he could be wrong.”

Uncle Don nodded. “People can be wrong, but what God says in His Word is always right.” He pulled out his phone. “How about I show you some more Bible verses that talk about how Jesus is the only way to have eternal life?”

Elliot and Kennedy nodded and scooched closer.

–Harry C. Trover

How about you? Do you go to church to learn about God? Do you read books, watch videos, or listen to programs that talk about God? That’s great, but make sure what you’re learning agrees with God’s Word. If you’re not sure whether something is true, ask a parent or teacher to help you find it in the Bible. Follow the example of early Christians and study the Bible so you know what it says.

Today’s key verse: They received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Acts 17:11 (NIV)

Today’s key thought: Study the Bible