Glow in the dark - Week 1
In the dark, a world of neon colors comes to life. Whether it’s the soft green of glow-in-the-dark stars or the bright colors of bioluminescent creatures, light can break through the darkness. When the world needed some light, God sent Jesus because he glows in the dark, and he can teach us how to shine with God’s light, too! In this five-week series through the Gospels, we’ll follow Jesus’ life leading up to Easter to see some of the ways he can shine bright in our lives. As we explore, we’ll see Jesus is the light in the darkness. We’ll also learn how we can choose Jesus and know God hears our cries while celebrating how Jesus died and rose again!
BIG IDEA: We can shine God’s light.
BIBLE: John 2:13–22; Matthew 5:14–16
MEMORY VERSE
Elementary: "The Lord is my light and salvation- whom shall I fear?" Psalm 27:1a (NIV)
Toddler Twist: "God is with me- I am not scared." Psalm 27:1
WATCH:
Preschool- teaching video
Elementary- teaching video
SONG: Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, and Light of the World
DISCIPLE:
Read Matthew 5:14–16 together. Use a flashlight and small handheld mirrors for each family member, to demonstrate light being reflected off each other.
God has given each one of us a light inside. It helps us stay close to God no matter where we are. We are asked to shine that light and not hide it.
If this flashlight represents Jesus and the light he gives to us, what good would it be in the darkness if we just turned it off and put it in a drawer somewhere?
Once I turn it on, it's definitely more useful. But it would shine even brighter if I shared this light with someone else (Point the flashlight at someone's mirror.) and that someone shared it with someone else (Have that person angle their mirror to get the light into another mirror.).
Let's see how many people we can share this light with.
All of our little lights shine so brightly that if we were on a hill, people would definitely see us! When they see us, they can follow that light straight to God. Following Jesus makes it possible for us to be a reflection of God's love. That's how we can shine God's light.
Pray: God, thank you for shining your light in our world. Help us to shine your light by reflecting your love and kindness wherever we go. Make us bold so that we may shine that light bright and not hide it. Amen.
DISCUSS:
What did Jesus find in the temple courts? People were selling cattle, sheep, and doves and exchanging money.
What did Jesus do about it? He made a whip out of cords and drove the people and animals away. He overturned the tables.
Why did these things upset Jesus? They were turning God's house into a market, and they were focused on the wrong things.
Read Matthew 5:16. Why should we let our light shine? So that others may see and know God.
What is one way you've seen someone shine God's light?
What are some things that might get in the way of shining God's light?
What is one way you can shine God's light this week?