Week 24 - Have Compassion on Others

Overview

This week we are teaching a BIG PICTURE lesson. We can try to show love and kindness to people, but unless we know why it’s important, we’ll probably mess up—especially to people who we don’t like. Jesus is very different than us. He knows everything about everybody. He knows all our good qualities and all the ways we mess up. He knows our sinful hearts, but he loves us just the same. If we allow Him to, He takes all our problems for Himself and gives us a new healthy life in Him. Jesus loves everybody—don’t forget—way more than we could love a pet!

What should be more important: my needs or others’ needs? Philippians 2:4 “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”
How should I love others? Romans 12:10 “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another.”

Schedule

Registration in the foyer
Truth Group Opening - Songs & Rules, Dismiss Tiny Trackers
Truth Group Bible Lesson - Jesus the Healer
Game Time - Chair Ball
Restroom Break
Training Time & Snack
Special Story & Review Questions
Dismissal

Lesson - Jesus the Healer - Matthew 9

Read Entire Lesson

Game Time - Chair Ball

Set up: At each end of the gym, the three-point line will be marked with cones. Inside the cones, a teacher will stand on a chair holding a 5-gallon bucket over their head.

Gameplay: The kids will be divided into two teams. The Referee will toss a couple balls into the gym. Each team will try to get a ball into their leader’s bucket by tossing it from outside the 3-point line. However, no one is allowed to move their feet while holding a ball. They must pass the ball to someone else on their team or try to toss the ball into a bucket.

Scoring: The teachers may move their bucket around to try to catch the balls, but they must remain on their chair. Once a ball gets into the bucket, the referee will come get the ball from the teacher and then toss it to the other team.

Winning: Whichever team has more points after 10 minutes wins!

Training Time

Group Activity: Have everyone make shadow puppets of a dog. Bring a flashlight for even more fun! Once they’ve figured out how to do it, have them hold up their shadow dogs and repeat the main point a few times until they can say it by themselves: “Jesus loves everybody—don’t forget—way more than we could love a pet!” Then have the kids pair up in groups of two and say the main point to each other:“Jesus loves everybody—don’t forget—way more than we could love a pet!” Then ask one of the kids to explain what the main point means using their own words.

Group Discussion: Go through Matthew 9 and try to answer the questions:

What did the ruler want Jesus to do? (Matthew 9:18)
What disease did the woman who interrupted Jesus have? (Matthew 9:20)
What did the woman want to do to Jesus? (Matthew 9:21)
What did the minstrels (funeral mourners) and people at the rulers house do when Jesus said that the girl was only sleeping? (Matthew 9:23-24)
What happened after Jesus brought the girl back to life? (Matthew 9:25-26)
What did Jesus tell the blind men to do after He gave them their sight? (Matthew 9:27-30)
Did the blind men obey Jesus (Matthew 9:31)
What did Jesus feel in his heart when He saw the multitudes and crowds of people? (Matthew 9:36)
What is something that Jesus wants us to pray to God? (Matthew 9:37-38)

Group Prayer: Pray and ask God to help you love people with compassion like Jesus did. Pray that God would send more people—even you—to go show His love to people who need it.

Special Story

We'll save snack time for the Special Story. I'm going to tell a story about our family's first dog "Hudson the Missionary Beagle." He had a problem with running away, and one night, during a storm, he ran away and came back miserable.

Afterward, I'm going to let the kids (and/or teachers) tell stories about their pets. In between the stories, I'll ask questions about how people can be like pets, and how Jesus loves people with compassion WAY MORE than we could ever love a pet.