Remember
Breath Prayer
Breathe in: We are following Jesus
Breath out: In all of Life
Worship Theme: Jesus is Lord, the King of the world and the King of me! Following Him sets us free and brings us life, hope, and fills us with love.
Remember what we learned and put into practice last week?
Is anyone celebrating something that happened this week? Let’s share so we can all thank God together.
Is anyone struggling, feeling sad, lonely or scared? How can we pray for one another?
Practice the Following Jesus Liturgy (With our youngest kids only focus on the portion that we’re currently learning)
Leader: Because of the Gospel we receive the Gift. What is the Gift?
Kids respond:
We are forgiven
We are freed
We are filled with the Holy Spirit
We are found in the Father and formed in Family
Forever!
Reflect:
Explore Key Concepts
A disciple is someone who follows Jesus in all of life.
If God's people would trust and obey Him, God would protect them.
The whole earth belongs to God, but He has chosen us to be his special family.
God says, "I want you to live in a way that shows everyone what I am like so they can follow me too."
The most important thing of all is to love God more than anything else in the world, and to know that God loves us even more.
Read or Watch: Jesus Storybook Bible, "10 Ways to Be Perfect"
Discover through curious questions:
Ask the children what stood out to them. What did they like about the story? Was anything new or different than how they’d heard the story in the past? Allow the conversation to be led by their questions, insights, and wonderments.
Discuss:
Why did God give rules (or commandments)? What was his desire for the people?
Do you think the people could be perfect and follow God's rules? What would happen when they didn't follow God's ways?
Do you have rules in your home? Why do you think you have those rules? What happens when you break a rule? When you live according to the rules of the house how do you feel and how do others feel?
Respond: Listen and Obey
Experience: John 10:27
Follow the Leader: Practice Listening and Obeying
Read and Repeat: "My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me."
Listen and Obey activity:
Explain that when we listen to Jesus we may not be able to hear his audible voice, but we can know His heart, His ways, and His direction by reading the Bible and getting to know the Holy Spirit, who whispers to our hearts.
Level 1: A simple 'Simon says' activity to get everyone practicing and listening closely.
Level 2: Follow the leader. Have the kids follow you as closely as they can. Encourage them to mimic your actions as you lead them around the room. How do we follow Jesus, our King and leader? How do we know what He's doing or saying or where He's taking us? Take it up a notch and encourage the kids to mimic your emotions and your attitude as you lead them, not just your actions. Exaggerate your facial expressions to help them identify what you're feeling. Following Jesus isn't just about doing the right thing, it's also about feeling His heart and knowing what's He's thinking and feeling for those around us.
Level 3: Take turns choosing a leader from the group. You can get as creative as you want with this analogy. What does good leadership look like? Ex. A bad leader might run ahead and not wait for those following. Does Jesus take us into consideration or does He try to trick us and make things difficult? Jesus is a good leader that can be trusted. The possibilities are endless, have fun!
Encounter: PRAY and Worship
Read John 10:27 again
"My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me."
Imagine: If Jesus were sitting across the table from you what would he say? Let's listen together for the still, quiet voice of the Holy Spirit and see what He might be saying to us now.
What are some characteristics of His voice (Kind, strong, loving, patient).
Write down, draw, or share what you think the Good Shepherd is saying to YOU, His sheep.
Get up and sing! "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus"