Simply Loved
Unit 3: Good News for Outsiders
Jesus Befriends Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10)
Bible Point: Jesus loves everyone.
“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” (John 13:34)
Purpose
Who would you consider to be a modern-day tax collector, someone with a bad reputation for ripping people off? Here’s the truth: Whoever you’re thinking of, Jesus loves that person in the same way he loves you.
Zacchaeus experienced Jesus’ 100 percent gracious love, and it changed his life. That’s because Jesus is in the business of heart transformation, and it can happen to anyone. He does it in your life, and he does it in kids’ lives, too.
Young children are told not to be mean. They’re learning how to share their world with others, and they’re sometimes upset by friends who haven’t figured it out yet. Look for opportunities to share Jesus’ love with your child when they need it the most, and encourage them to share that same love with others.
Prayer
God, please show me how to share your grace and unfailing love. In Jesus’ name, amen.
River Ridge Kids
Dig In to the Bible
· Read: Luke 1:5-25, 57-66
· In This Passage: Throughout his life, Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth, have prayed for a son. Now that they’re old, God tells Zechariah he will answer their prayers. Zechariah has a hard time believing God, but God gives them a son in just the right time for his plan.
· Bible Point: God hears our prayers…
· Application: …so we trust his timing.
· Summary Verse: “Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy” (Psalm 100:2).
Dig Deeper
· God hears our prayers. Younger kids often pray in earnest faith, never doubting God will answer. But at some point in their childhood, doubt can creep in. Prayer is no longer the first response, but the last resort. Kids see that God doesn’t always answer their prayers the way they want, so they think he’s not listening at all. Help kids see that God’s answers to prayer may look very different than we expect, but he’s never too late and he’s never wrong.
· Think About: What’s something you prayed about for a really long time? How can you see God at work—even if he didn’t answer in the way you expected?
Dig In to Prayer
· Pray that your kids would trust God to answer their prayers in the best way possible.
Be Bold
Is Jesus Really the Only Way to Heaven?
TODAY’S BIBLE BASE
Bold Bible Truth God is in charge. (Psalm 46:10)
“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’ ” (John 14:6)
• Not everyone will find the true path to heaven. Matthew 7:13-14
• Those who believe in Jesus will not suffer God’s judgment. John 3:18
• Jesus will never reject those who love him. John 6:35-40
• Everyone who believes in Jesus becomes a child of God. 1 John 5:1
