Living Like Jesus- Sunday January 3, 2021
Sunday January 3, 2021 (Vol 10, Unit 28, Session 5)
Hi-there parents. Happy New Year! Before you go through this lesson, please consider clicking the FriendshipKIDS blog link, under the "I'm New" tab above. Last week’s lesson is posted there and I encourage you to please take the time to go through it. It is about being faithful in hard times and I think our children can all benefit from a lesson in resilience and steadfastness. Then come back here for this week’s lesson in living like Jesus. The combination of the two will help our young ones to develop a deepening faith. So, head on over there and then we'll "see" you back here later. If you decide to combine the two, then you can do the memory verse and big picture question once, since they are the same, and focus on the lesson and bible time in each separately.
Welcome back! Or if you're new here, welcome! The following blog is here to be a tool for you to help your kids grow in their faith. Please feel free to use as much of it as you choose. You know your kids and are the best possible teacher for them. God has given you the power of the Holy Spirit to enable you to do more than you think possible (Eph 3:20).
If you would like to join us in person, we are excited to announce that Children's Church for Kindergarten through 5th grade and Preschool has resumed and is meeting during the 10:30 service. We would love to see you and your kids there!
Parent Devotional: This week’s lesson is found in 2 Peter 1.
Like his first letter, Peter’s second letter was written to believers in the early church who had experienced persecution and suffering. At this time, Peter was in a Roman prison. He was aware that his death was imminent. (See 2 Pet. 1:13-15.) Besides the outside threats to their faith, these believers were also confronted with false teachers within the church who tried to lead them away from the true gospel.
Peter warned against false teachers. In the opening chapter of his letter, Peter’s exhortation to live like Jesus gives believers a measure for making sure they are following the truth. The best defense against false teachers is a dedication to a knowledge of the truth. As you prepare to teach from 2 Peter 1, consider these two questions: How do we live like Jesus? Why do we live like Jesus?
First, God’s people live like Jesus through the power of Jesus (2 Pet. 1:3-4) and through personal application (2 Pet. 1:5-7). Not only is the Christian life marked by faith in Christ, it is characterized by goodness, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. These come from knowing Jesus, who calls us to Himself.
Second, God’s people live like Jesus to confirm their calling. (2 Pet. 1:8-11) If we claim to have faith but do not live like Jesus, we have forgotten what Jesus has done for us. Because God has credited to us Jesus’ righteousness, we strive to live in loving obedience to Him to show those around us that Jesus has truly changed our lives.
Soon after writing this letter, Peter was killed in Rome as Jesus had predicted. (John 21:18-19) Help kids grasp that Jesus lived a perfect life and died the death we deserve for our sin. When we trust in Jesus, God forgives our sins and changes our hearts. Jesus calls and empowers His followers to live like Him.
As we begin to explore this week’s lesson, take a moment to remember the verse from Deuteronomy about teaching your children the scriptures. Deuteronomy 6:9 says: "You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." Maybe you don't have time to sit and have an hour of Bible time all at once, or maybe your children are too young to sit for that long. Consider the key points of the lesson and ask God to give you opportunities to speak them into the hearts of your children throughout the week. Let the Bible become a part of your day to day. Be blessed this week my friends!
Each week we include songs, activity pages, the bible lesson video, memory verses and possibly a craft or 2. We pray this will help you find ways to engage your kids spiritually. It is written in script form from the K-2nd grade lesson so you can read directly from it or change it up to suit your children. Take some time to look at and print the activity pages as well as the additional activities and information (found in the links at the bottom of the page) also to review the lesson so you can make adjustments as needed. I have included the Bible and Discussion questions along with a breakdown of the Gospel in the Older Kids Activities pages and loads of activities and crafts on the Preschool Extra Activity Pages. Once you are ready,go ahead and start with these songs if you'd like or pick some of your favorite worship songs and then jump right in! Have fun! And remember, this does not need to be done in one sitting! Feel free to break it up over the course of the week. Please contact me if you have any questions or suggestions. I'd love to hear from you!
So, let's get started. I like to begin each week with Blessings and Bummers. Tell me, what have you seen the Lord doing in your lives this week? What have your greatest blessings been? How about your biggest challenges?
Parents share your blessings and bummers and encourage the kids to do the same.
Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Father God, Thank you. Thank you for providing for our needs. You are so good to us even though we don't deserve it! Thank you for continuing to bless us Lord. Thank you for being patient with us. Thank you for our friends as well as our families. Most importantly, we thank you always, but especially during the Christmas season, for sending Jesus to live a perfect life and die to pay for our sins. Thank you for raising Him from the dead and promising us life with you forever if we believe. Help us to appreciate all you do for us and to look to you in all that we do. In Jesus name, Amen. (please add to or customize prayer time to fit your family)
Praise the Lord for hearing our prayers!
Prompt kids to discuss who they consider their heroes and role models. Who do they want to be like when they grow up?
Say • It’s good to have kind, responsible, brave people to look up to, but there’s only one person who is the perfect example of how to live—Jesus! Jesus is God’s Son, and the only perfect human to ever live. When we put our faith in Him and obey His commands, we live as God wants us to. Can you think of some ways Jesus lived that we should try to copy?
Optional Session Starter Activity Pick one of two options, or do both, this is your party. These are found in the activity pages attached below.
Let’s review our big picture question and answer. How does the Holy Spirit help Christians? The Holy Spirit comforts us, shows us our sin, and guides us as we live for God’s glory. This means that when we face hard times, the Holy Spirit will help us feel better and persevere. When we are tempted to or choose to disobey God, the Holy Spirit will remind us the way God wants us to live. When we aren’t sure what to do, the Holy Spirit gives us wisdom to understand God’s Word and obey it to show God’s glory in the world.
It wasn’t long after God kept His promise to send the Holy Spirit that the apostles began doing mighty works through His power. The Holy Spirit gave Peter power to heal a man. He also inspired Peter to write letters to help believers. Last week we learned about a letter Peter wrote in which Peter encouraged believers who faced persecution. This week we will learn about a second letter Peter wrote that was inspired by the Holy Spirit. Our story today is called “Living Like Jesus.”
Peter wrote his second letter from a Roman prison. He knew about persecution! And what’s more, Jesus knew about persecution. Jesus’ death and resurrection made the way for us to live with God forever. It also made the way for us to live for God forever. The Holy Spirit lives with believers and helps us to glorify God in our thoughts, words, and actions. In fact, that’s been our big picture question and answer for these last few sessions.
How does the Holy Spirit help Christians? The Holy Spirit comforts us, shows us our sin, and guides us as we live for God’s glory. Peter wanted believers to know that living for God is what we are designed to do. Peter instructed believers to live like Jesus. That means we are to show to others the same love, mercy, forgiveness, and compassion that Jesus showed to us. Each day, the Holy Spirit will work through us to make us more like Jesus.
Jesus lived a perfect life and died the death we deserve for our sin. When we trust in Jesus, God forgives our sins and changes our hearts. Jesus calls and empowers His followers to live like Him. We cannot earn salvation by trying to live like Jesus, but when we have salvation through faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit allows us to live in ways that honor God.
Bible Time!
Distribute a Bible to each kid. Help them find 2 Peter 1. Point out that the key passage comes from this chapter. Remind the kids that Peter was a fisherman from Galilee; the Holy Spirit made him into a church leader.
Ask the following questions. Lead the group to discuss:
What did Peter say God has given us? (everything required for life and godliness, 2 Peter 1:3)
What should we have along with faith? (goodness, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, brotherly affection; 2 Peter 1:5-7)
Why did Peter want to remind believers of these things they already know? (he knew he would soon die, and wanted to affirm the truth again before he did, 2 Peter 1:12-14)
Why is it important to live for God? Help kids think through the God’s purpose for us. We were created to glorify and love Him. We cannot be truly happy apart from His plans for us. After faith in Jesus, our mission is to lead others to Jesus. If we say we love Jesus, and live as though we do not, our witness is ineffective.
What are ways we can grow in godliness? Guide kids to think about practical steps they can take to help them grow in their walk with Christ—such as reading their Bibles daily, gathering with other believers to learn about God, praying, and worshiping God. Remind kids that doing these things can’t save them but will help them grow in godliness if they are saved by grace through faith.
Who does the work of growing us in godliness? Discuss the combination between the Holy Spirit’s power to change us, and our responsibility to live for God. Help kids see that we cannot change ourselves, but that with the Holy Spirit’s power, we will be able to work towards loving and obeying God.
Say • Peter instructed believers to live like Jesus. We are called to live like Jesus too!
Let's move on. Take a look at our memory verse, 2 Peter 1:3, and say it together:
This key passage comes from Peter’s second letter. Through the Holy Spirit, we have everything we need to live godly lives that point others to Jesus.
Memory Verse Activity:
Invite volunteers to say the key passage from memory. Thank each kid for her efforts and encourage all the kids to continue working to memorize the key passage. Then direct the kids to stand in a circle. Say the first word of the key passage as you toss a tennis ball to another kid. When he catches the ball, he must say the next word and toss the ball to another kid, who will say the next word, and so on. Say the key passage multiple times in this way.
Say • Peter wanted believers all over the world to know that even in hard times, we have everything we need to live like Jesus. God loves us and wants our lives to glorify Him. When we have the Holy Spirit, He helps us. How does the Holy Spirit help Christians? The Holy Spirit comforts us, shows us our sin, and guides us as we live for God’s glory.
That's it for this week!
Let's pray:
Father, thank You for making us more like Jesus each day. Help us to see the ways You are working in our lives. Help us to be honest about the ways we still need to grow. Give us humble hearts that want to obey You. Give us boldness to live on mission. Amen.
Thanks for joining us! I hope to meet you here again next week!
Additional Activities and Information
