CHILDREN'S MINISTRY MESSAGE FROM LORI HERSON, JULY 12, 2020

The benefits of following Jesus are wonderful: justification from sin, lifelong sanctification, and adoption into the family of God. But following Jesus also comes at a price. People had waited so long for the promised Messiah to come into the world, so many were eager to follow Him. Yet as Jesus taught, He urged people to consider the cost of being His disciple.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus explained to one disciple that following Him might involve giving up worldly comforts. He told another disciple that following Him should be higher priority than anything else—even one’s commitment to his parents. (See Matt. 8:18-22.) In Matthew 16 and Luke 9, Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”

Jesus shared two examples in Luke 14 of people who must count the cost of doing something. If a person is building a tower, he must first calculate the cost. If he begins the project and is unable to complete it, onlookers will ridicule him. In a similar way, a king counts the cost of going to war before sending out his army. If he is not able to oppose the enemy, he doesn’t foolishly send out a small group to fight a larger group. Instead, he seeks peace.

Many who wanted to follow Jesus changed their minds. Jesus even asked the twelve disciples if they wanted to turn away as well. Peter answered, “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).

Jesus taught that following Him is not easy. It requires commitment and sacrifice. When we trust in Jesus, we give Him complete control of our lives. True life is found in Jesus, who gave up His life to rescue us from sin and death. He is worth it.

Paul acknowledged the difficulty of following Jesus in 2 Corinthians 4 but kept his eyes on eternity: “For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory” (v. 17). As you share with your kids, emphasize that following Jesus is not not easy, but He is worth it.

FAMILY STARTING POINTS

● Babies and Toddlers

○ Many people wanted to follow Jesus.

○ Jesus told people they must love Him most of all to follow Him.

○ People who follow Jesus will have life with Him forever.

○ Following Jesus means letting Him be in charge.

○ Jesus taught about God.

● Preschool

○ Jesus taught that following Him is not easy.

○ What did Jesus teach when He was on earth? Jesus taught about God and His kingdom.

● Kids

○ Following Jesus is not easy, but He is worth it.

○ What did Jesus teach when He was on earth? Jesus taught about God and His kingdom. He taught that all Scripture is about Him.

UNIT KEY PASSAGE

● John 14:25-26 (Preschool: John 14:26)