Fa m i l y Fu n Fai Fa i t h Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.“ When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there. Matthew 19:13-14
(For the little ones)
Memor y V er se: Ma rk 12: 30 “… Y o u s hal l l o ve yo ur ne i g h b o r a s yo ur self. The re i s no o the r c o m m and m e n t g r e a t e r . . . ”
Wo r d s to r ememb er: “Yo u s hal l l o ve yo ur ne i ghb o r as y o u r s e l f ”
Did y ou kno w tha t Jes us w as b o rn as a b ab y j us t l i k e y o u ? G o d s e n t H i m t o u s, so tha t we co uld l e arn f ro m H i m ho w to d o w h a t i s r i g h t . S o m e t i m e s it ’ s hard to r emember w hat i s ri ght and w hat i s w r o n g , b u t w e c a n a l w a y s ask wh at Jesus wo uld d o ! In t h e Bible, the wo r d ‘ne i ghb o r’ m e ans al l the p e op l e t h a t y o u s e e aroun d yo u. J esus ha d a l o t o f ne i ghb o rs . S o m e o f t h e m l o o k e d like Him a nd talked li k e H i m , b ut s o m e o f the m w e r e a l i t t l e b it differ ent fro m Him.
Can y ou th in k o f a n y n e i g h b o r s t hat ar e a litt l e b i t d i f f e r e n t t han y ou ? Je su s t r ea ted all o f Hi s ne i g hb o rs the s am e w ay. H e t r e a t e d t hem with lo v e. D o you w ant to k no w w hy? H e d i d n ’ t l o o k a t t h e i r out side; He lo o ked at the i r i ns i d e — the i r he art. J us t l i k e t h e f i s h i n y o u r b ook, we all lo o k and ac t a l i ttl e d i f f e re nt, b ut Go d m a d e u s a l l t h e same on t h e inside.
When y ou ar e p l a y i n g w i t h o t h e r s , wh a t is s ome th ing t hat m a k es y ou so h a p p y ? W h a t i s s ome th ing th a t can m ak e y ou s a d ? T h e B i b l e t e l l s u s t h a t i f s o m e t h i n g m a k e s u s h a p p y , l i k e _ (_c_h_i l_d_’ s_ a_n_s_w_e_r_) _ w e s h o u l d s h a r e i t w i t h t h e p e o p l e a r o u n d u s . I f s o m e t h i n g m a ke s us sad, like _ (_c_h_i l_d_’ s_ a_n_s_w_ e_r_) _ w e s ho ul d try o ur b e s t no t t o d o t h a t . T h a t ’ s w h a t Je su s meant when He s ai d to H i s d i s c i p l e s i n the Bi b l e , “ Yo u s h a l l l o v e y ou r n eighbo r as yo urs e l f .” Y o u c an re m e m b e r th i s v e r s e a n d s a y i t o u t loud any time yo u want!
( F o r t h e OL D ER o n e s )
Memor y V er se: Ma rk 12: 30 “… Y o u s hal l l o ve yo ur n e i g h b o r a s yo ur self. T he re i s no o the r c o m m and m e n t g r e a t e r . . . ”
Did yo u kno w tha t Go d s e nt H i s s o n J e s us to Earth s o t h a t w e c o u l d h a v e a p e rfect ex ample o f ho w w e s ho ul d l i ve ? W he ne v e r w e a r e n ’ t s u r e w h a t t o d o o r say in a sit uati o n, w e c an turn to the Bi b l e a n d t h e s t o r i e s o f Je su s to light the wa y. W he n J e s us s ays , “Y o u s hal l l o v e y o u r n e i g h b o r a s y ou rself, ” he is ta lki ng ab o ut al l o f the p e o p l e th a t y o u s e e t h r o u g h o u t t he day. He do esn’t j us t m e an yo ur f am i l y and yo u r f r i e n d s .
Can y ou th in k o f s o m e e x a m p l e s of “ne igh bors “ in y our c om m u n i t y ? (e x: th e mai l man , s o m e o ne a t c hur c h, t he store, or s c hool) Je sus trea ted ev e ryo ne that H e e nc o unte re d t h e s a m e w a y . T h i s included peo ple w i th d i f f e re nt b e l i e f s , a b i l i t i e s , i l l n e s s e s , a n d ev en peo ple wh o tre ate d H i m p o o rl y. J e s u s t r a v e l e d a l l a r o u n d t eaching abo ut Go d ’s l o ve . H e w as ne ve r a f r a i d t o l e t p e o p l e s e e His co mpa ssio n f o r tho s e w ho w e re d i f f e r e n t f r o m H i m , a n d H e wasn’t embar rass e d o r s hy to m ak e ne w f ri en d s . Je s u s t a u g h t t h a t eve r y single per so n w as c re ate d the s am e o n t h e i n s i d e , a n d b e c a u s e G od loved them, He w o ul d l o ve the m to o . Eve n t h o u g h y o u r n e i g h b o r m ight lo o k differ ent f ro m yo u o n the o uts i d e , j u s t l i k e t h e f i s h i n y o u r b ook, they a re just li k e yo u o n the i ns i d e .
Can y ou r ec ite y o u r m e m o r y v e r se ? Now tha t we kno w h o w J e s us tre ate d p e o p l e th a t w e r e d i f f e r e n t f r o m Him , and we kno w t hat w e are al l c re ate d the s a m e o n t h e i n s i d e , w e can st a rt to pr actice b e i ng l i k e J e s us . W e c an s tar t t o l o v e o u r n e i g h b o r s as we lo v e o urselv es . H o w c an yo u p rac ti c e l o vi n g y o u r n e i g h b o r a s y o u love yo urself?
H av e y our c h i l d ( r e n ) f i n i sh t h e s e nte nc e s : • I wo uld b e hap p y i f s o m e o ne … • It wo uld hurt m y f e e l i ng s i f s o m e o ne … • I ca n sho w l o ve to s o m e o ne d i f f e re n t f r o m m e b y … • J esus love d e ve ryo ne the s am e b e c a u s e …