Study the Most Important Things

Study – “The Most Important Things”

Week Four

Study Purpose: To introduce children to the three most important character traits of faith, hope and love and help them understand what each means for their lives.

Scripture: 1st Corinthians 13:13, Hebrews 11:6, Lamentations 3:24-25, Matthew 22:37-39

Suggested Length of entire study: five weeks

WEEK FOUR:

High Above is Love

Matthew 22:37-39 - “…You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-39 (ESV)

(talk to your children in first person words, like this…)

Can you think of what the most important thing in the whole entire world is? It is bigger than the mountains, higher than the skies and greater than the ocean. What is the very, very most important thing?

The Bible tells us what the very most important thing is! Remember our verse in 1st Corinthians 13:13? Let’s quote it together: 1st Corinthians 13:13 - “So now faith, hope and love abide, these three. But the greatest of these is love.” 1st Corinthians 13:13. The greatest thing out of everything is LOVE.

The whole Bible is a story about how God loves us. He loves us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross and give us a way for salvation! We’re going to talk about that more in months to come, but, for now, let’s talk about how we can honor God by being loving like Him!

One day when Jesus was on earth, a very important man came and questioned Him about what is the most important thing in the entire Law (which is the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, at the very beginning of the Bible). This man was not Jesus’ friend; in fact, this man was hoping to trick Jesus and get Him to say something that would cause problems. However, Jesus couldn’t be tricked; He answered the man’s question and simplified all of God’s commands down into three verses.

We are going to memorize Jesus’ answer this week!

The most important thing in the Bible is LOVE, and we show LOVE two ways: through loving God and loving people.

- Point One: We LOVE God, whom we cannot see, through faith (which is what we talked about a couple weeks ago). We love Him with all our hearts, souls and minds – which means, we LOVE Him with everything we’ve got!!! How can you focus on whole-heartedly, with your whole being, loving God today?

- Point Two: We are to LOVE people, whom we can see, like we love ourselves. How do you love yourself? (you take care of yourself; you are kind to yourself) How can you LOVE others like you LOVE yourself?

- Point Three: In this passage, Jesus said, “On these two commandments (loving God and loving people) depend all the Law and the Prophets” (22:40). In other words, the whole Bible depends on LOVE. Just like a couple weeks ago, we talked about how everything hinges on faith, the purpose and meaning of our whole lives depend on whether or not we LOVE. How can you LOVE like your life depends on it?

- Mommy Disciple Me! (What does this mean to me?): Our family chooses to be loving people. We choose to LOVE God with our hearts, souls and minds. We choose to LOVE others – starting with those sitting here with us and then extending to others. We live in a world with a lot of hate; we see it in the news and all around us. However, we are going to be a family who intentionally LOVES everybody God sends our way. This is Who We Are as a family.

Daily Question:

How can you LOVE God and LOVE others today?

Daily Prayer:

God, teach us how to be loving people – loving You and loving others! Amen!

Daddy Disciple Me Corollary: Immediately following His words about LOVE, Jesus said, “All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Tell about a time you got to sit on a rope swing. Talk about how much you enjoyed it, going back and forth, and up and down. The most important thing about that swing was not the seat or the ropes but the branch on which it hung. If that branch wasn’t strong, if it wasn’t strong enough to hold you and the swing, it might have broken and you would have fallen hard on the ground. (Maybe this did happen to you, and, if it did, tell the story!) The branch supported everything about the rope swing, making it strong and secure and lots and lots of fun. Jesus said that, out of all the things in the Bible, LOVE is the branch that supports everything. Love is the most important thing we do as a family. This is Who We Are. Pray for your family to be loving people.