What Can I Do? - Week 4
What’s your dream job? Do you want to be a pilot or astronaut? A teacher or musician? There are so many incredible jobs for us to pick from! God has given each of us special talents and skills that can help us discover what we want to do. But God gives us another job, too. It’s the chance for us to follow God right now! In this four-week series from the Gospels, we’ll read about Jesus starting out his ministry and how he invited his followers — and us — to listen to God’s voice, trust Jesus knows us, trust God’s plans for us, and include people who aren’t like us.
BIG IDEA: I can include people who aren’t like me.
BIBLE: Matthew 9:9–13; Psalm 111
MEMORY VERSE
Elementary: "I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13 (NIV)
Toddler Twist: "Jesus helps me do everything." Philippians 4:13
WATCH:
Preschool- teaching video
Elementary- teaching video
SONG: Super Duper Kid and Jesus I Will Trust You
DISCIPLE: Read Psalm 111
What reasons does this psalm say that we should praise God?
Verses 2–3 praise the things God has done.
Verse 4 tells us God is “gracious and compassionate.” That means God forgives and cares about us so much.
Verse 5 reminds us God provides us with the things we need.
Verse 9 says God saves us and keeps promises.
In today’s Bible story of Jesus calling Matthew, we see another reason we should praise God — God loves and includes everybody, even those who are different. God’s love is amazingly big and available to everyone!
Just like Jesus loved and called Matthew, he loves and calls each and every one of us to follow him, no matter how different we might feel. We can include people who aren’t like us, because that’s what Jesus does!
Pray: Jesus, thank you for being a friend to everyone, even people nobody else wanted to include. Teach me to be like you so that I can include people who aren’t like me. Because no matter how different we are, we are all identically loved by you! Amen.
DISCUSS:
What made Matthew unpopular with people in his community? (He was a tax collector.)
What did Jesus do that was so shocking to the Pharisees? (He ate with “tax collectors and sinners,” people who were not well-liked and considered outcasts.)
Read Matthew 9:12. Why do you think Jesus said this? (Possible answer: He wanted to show he was spending time with the people who needed him most.)
Read Psalms 111:4. How can we be gracious and compassionate toward others, like God is to us? (We can include others who aren’t like us!)
Do you recall a time when you felt excluded or left out?
Can you think of a time when you caused someone else to feel excluded?
Why do you think God wants us to include people who are different than us?