For this week’s lesson, Pastor Jeremy has a story to share with you.
“I remember one of the worst feelings from elementary school in the 1980’s was being chosen nearly last for a dodgeball game in gym class. Seriously everyone in a line and two fifth grade students picking dodgeball players like they we’re stacking an army with gladiators. Being left in the line with only a couple other kids was a horrible feeling.
Ahhh, then the short-lived life of athletic dominance that a pretty early development allowed me. Being 5’7 in middle school was awesome (still being 5’7’’ in my middle 40’s not so much,) and allowed me to experience the other side of being one of the first dodgeball gladiators chosen to go to gym class war. The middle school experience was way more awesome than the elementary.
This walk down memory lane is what came to mind when thinking about our Big Idea today:
You’re chosen to be in God’s family.
All kinds of people from our kids to other parents spend a lot of time trying to prove they are “good-enough” to be picked by Jesus, but we really don’t need to. We can’t be good enough, even our best day, our acts are like filthy rags according to God’s word through Isaiah (64:6).
But even though we can’t be good enough, Jesus chose us to be in His family. The apostle Paul explained it when he said that “Even though we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Rm 5:8). It’s only really when we know how much Jesus loves us, and that we understand that He chose us to be in His family that we can really begin to love people and do the same kind of things that He did while on earth for people. (Mk 3:35)”
Isn’t it awesome knowing that God chose you? To learn more about this, you can watch this week’s episode of the Journey Today Show here.
After the video, you can use the attached materials to help take your family deeper into the lesson:
I hope you are encouraged knowing that you have been chosen to be in God’s family, and so you are never alone. I pray that this provides you incredible comfort as you go through your week.
Jennifer Foley is the Children's Ministry Leader at Abundant Life.
