Preschool

The Basic Truth we are teaching your preschooler this month is…

“Jesus wants to be my Friend Forever”

This week we’re using the story of the Healing Lepers from Luke 17:11-19.  The simplicity we see in how Jesus helped the lepers is a truth we want our kids to remember.  Jesus helps us when we ask for help.  There is so much more to this story that I want you to see…

When Jesus encountered the lepers they cried out to him to help them.  Now, it’s likely that this isn’t the first time they’d asked for help from someone that might heal them. In fact, according the laws laid out in Leviticus, any one dealing with an ailment is to see the priest first.  The priest functioned much like a doctor at that time.  The priest would identify the ailment, provide instructions for healing and deem that person ‘unclean’ until the ailment went away.  Once the ailment goes away the person returns to the priest.  Upon examination the priest will deem the person ‘clean’ and he is allowed to re-enter the village/city.  For a leper, the ailment rarely goes away.  So we can assume these 10 lepers had been ‘unclean’ and therefore living outside the city for a long time.  Isn’t it interesting what Jesus told them to do?  He just said, “Show yourself to the priest.”  He didn’t ‘treat’ them.  He didn’t examine their wounds.  He didn’t spit on the ground and make mud as in our last story.  He simply told them to report back to the priest.  And they went.

This took some faith.  They weren’t healed yet.  They were still leprous.  It made no sense.  Did they wonder about that?  Did they look at each other quizzically and think, “Does this guy understand that when we go to the priest with this leprosy he will still say we’re ‘unclean’?!?”  We don’t know.  The text doesn’t elaborate on that.  What we do know is that they went.  And upon going, they were healed.  As they went.  As they walked toward the temple.  As they took action.  Stepping forward in faith, they were healed. 

Make it Personal by allowing your kids to see how you strive and grow.  Where is Jesus challenging you to step out in faith?  Where do you hesitate because the solution isn’t obvious? 

Just like in this story, we want kids to know that Jesus wants to help everyone.  Check out your Small Talks when you pick up your preschooler for a creative activity as you drive in the car.

Elementary (K-3^rd & Club 45)

We’re focusing on Courage for the next few weeks. 

Courage is being brave enough to do what you should do even when you’re afraid. 

We’re pulling from the story of Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego in Daniel 3 to show kids how “God is with you when you do the right thing”.

Teaching our kids to do the right thing is something every parent wants.  However, living that out can be a challenge.  What if the “right thing” is inconvenient?  What if the “right thing” means you don’t get what you want?  What if doing the “right thing” gets you hurt?  Remember that our kids learn more from what we do than what we say. 

When we have a choice of doing what’s right versus doing what’s convenient… we have a teachable moment.

When we have a choice of doing what’s right versus doing what’s easy… we have a teachable moment.

These moments are huge!  And they shape the character of our children.  I can remember I wasn’t allowed to watch the Dukes of Hazard as a kid.  Why?  Because they Duke brothers were running from the law, and that’s not right… no matter how corrupt the law might be.  That shaped my character.  I remember returning a $.13 bow that stuck to one of our grocery bags because we didn’t pay for it and we won’t keep something that we didn’t pay for.  That’s shaped my character.

Make it Personal and allow your kids to see how you strive to grow.  Share a moment when you had the courage to do something simply because it was the right thing to do.

Imagine the End by focusing on the issues that will make a lasting impact.  Watch for moments where you can demonstrate for your child that doing the right thing is more important than anything else.