February 18, 2024
K-3rd Grade
4th-5th Grade
Story Focus: For week three, we turn to Matthew 5:41. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught, “Suppose someone forces you to go one mile. Go two miles with them.” To us, that might sound strange, but to those listening—not so much. Jesus’ listeners knew that a Roman soldier could force them to carry their pack for a full mile. Jesus said to go two! And in doing so, Jesus reminded His followers about the importance of going above and beyond in the way they chose to respond to others.
Bottom Line: Be kinder than you have to be. Often kindness can feel like an obligation. Because of that, we tend to do the bare minimum when it comes to being kind to others. What if we helped kids look at it differently? What if we helped them see that kindness can be extravagant and unexpected? It’s that sort of kindness that can change people’s hearts and show them how much God loves them.
Key Question: : When have you been surprised by kindness? We hear a lot about random acts of kindness, and it’s true; often the best kindness is the kind that feels completely random. We pray that this question will help preteens discover how they feel when someone surprises them with kindness. And when that happens, we hope to guide them to figure out the unexpected, surprising ways they can show kindness to the people in their life.
Memory Verse: “You are God's chosen people. You are holy and dearly loved. So put on tender mercy and kindness as if they were your clothes. Colossians 3:12, NIR
Kindness: Showing others, they are valuable by how you treat them.