Back to School / God wants us to be kind

WELCOME NEW KINDERGARTEN KIDS!

K-Gr.6 Class

Story found in Matthew 5:13-16

Jesus wants to go into the world and for us to take him with us. He doesn’t want us to stay bottled up like salt in a salt shaker, and he doesn’t want us to hide our light. He needs us to take his light into the world and spread his love like salt over food. That’s why Jesus sent his Holy Spirit to dwell within us – so we can be Jesus to the people in our lives – and our schools.

Here are three practical ways we can be Jesus in our schools.
1. Make wise choices

When the school year begins, you’re going to be faced with tough choices every day. You’re going to face peer pressure. You’re going to be tempted to do the wrong thing. And the older you get, the tougher those temptations will become. It’s not easy to resist peer pressure and temptation, but I want you to know you’re not alone. After he was baptized, Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan.

Read Matthew 4:1-4

Three times, Satan came to tempt Jesus. Three times, Jesus turned him away with scripture. It’s not easy to do the right thing, especially when doing so may cost you friends or popularity. But you can resist temptation. If you study the scripture, memorize it, and spend time with God in prayer, you will be able to make the right choice every time. It may not make you popular, but it will preserve your reputation – and a good reputation is worth far more than popularity.

2. Be a friend to those who are alone. If I had to guess, I would say this is a scarier thing to ask than saying no to temptation. You know who the friendless kids are in school. They’re quiet. They’re odd. They’re different. They get picked on by other kids. They sit alone and wait for the school bell to ring so they can escape.

Some may say these people don’t matter, but in God’s eyes everyone has value. Every person has a name. They all have likes and dislikes, hopes and dreams, strengths and weaknesses. And they all have a desire for friendship.

Jesus told a parable about these students.

Matthew 25:34-40

When you look at Jesus’ life, he spent his time with the sick, the friendless, and the lonely. He went to the woman at the well, who no one would talk to. He went to Zacchaeus, the tax collector who everyone hated. He touched lepers and blind men and others with crippling diseases. How can we call ourselves his followers if were not willing to be friends with a lonely kid? Maybe this applies not only in our hallways, but also among the chairs in this room.

3. Be ready to share Jesus with someone who needs him. It might be that lonely kid. It might be a kid who tries to lure you into temptation. It might be your best friend. During this school year, God’s going to present you with an opportunity to share him with someone else. When that moment comes, be ready. Be ready to tell them you love Jesus. Be ready to tell them how you became a Christian, and how God has changed your life. Be ready to invite them to church or even invite them to become a Christian themselves. Some of you may be thinking, “That should have been first on this list!” But here’s the thing: when the time comes for you to tell someone about Jesus, your reputation as a person who makes wise choices and is a friend to the friendless will make your story all the more real. You won’t just be another person saying, “Jesus loves you.” You will have proven this by showing them over and over that Jesus loves you and them by your actions.

There’s an old saying: Preach the gospel at all times; when necessary, use words. It’s not enough to tell people Jesus loves them. We need show others his love. It needs to become tangible.

I don’t know what challenges you will face this coming school year, but I know there’s no better way to prepare for those challenges than to take Jesus with you. Commit yourself to being Christ in your school. Commit to making wise choices and being a friend to the friendless. And prepare yourself to share the gospel with those in need. You may be the only Jesus your classmates ever see. I pray that you will make Jesus proud with your words and your actions this year!

Junior / Preschool Class

God Wants us to be kind
Joseph In The Well     Genesis 37:18-30

On Sunday your child learned that GOD WANTS US TO BE KIND. Children heard a Bible story about Reuben’s attempt to be king to Joseph (Genesis 37:18-30)

Help me learn this:
“Be kind to each other” Ephesians 4:32
Ask Me:
– How do you think Joseph felt when his brothers weren’t kind to him?
– When has someone been unkind to you?
– What can our family do to show kindness?

 Family Fun:
– Think of people your family could express kindness to. Work together to bake something, create a card, and then deliver your goodies.
– Sing this song with your child to the tune of “I’ve got the joy, joy,joy,joy”

            I know that God wants us all to get along

            All get along, all get along

            I know that God wants us to all get along

            All get along today.