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NOTE TO PARENTS: Each of the main points can be taught/discussed over different days throughout the week.
MORE FROM THIS LESSON:
POINT #2 – PARTICIPANTS OF PERSUASION
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POINT #3 – CALLED TO LIBERTY
Serve – to work for, serve in a humble manner
Bite – cause personal harm, bite or tear with teeth
Devour – to cause extensive destruction or destroy utterly; consume completely
Consumed – to destroy or consume
READ
“For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.” – Galatians 5:13-15 NLT
The Apostle Paul tells us that we have been CALLED to live in freedom/liberty. What do you think he means when he says we have been CALLED to live in freedom? (Allow your child to answer: invited) It also means the proper name of something. For instance, your name is _(child’s name)________. That is your proper name that people call you. Jesus has also given us a proper name. He says we are FREE. So, you are FREE ___(child’s name)__. It’s a part of who we are when we ask Jesus to be in our life. He says we are free! We are free to make our own choices that agree with His word and His truths, which we find in the Bible. We are free from limitations and restrictions that the enemy would try to put on us. We can go where Jesus says we can go, and we can do what Jesus says we can do. We are free from oppression, from unjust, mean and cruel authorities. We are free to live for Jesus!
Paul also tells us that we should use our freedom to serve each other in love. We should serve our parents, our brothers and sisters, our friends, our community with love. Jesus tells us to love our neighbor just as we love ourself. What are some ways that we love ourselves? (Allow your child to answer) These are also the same ways we should love others around us. We should never try to hurt others, or be mean to others or ignore the needs of others. When we do that, we are not loving them, we are biting, devouring and destroying others. Jesus doesn’t want us to do that, ever. He wants us to take good care of each other here on earth. Just as He would.
Discussion Questions
- What are some ways that you can love and serve your parents?
- What are some ways that you can love and serve your brother(s)/sister(s)?
- What are some ways that you can love and serve your friends and family?
- What are some ways that you can love and serve your community?
Scripture Memory Verse
“For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” – Galatians 5:14 NLT
Prayer
Jesus, we want to love each other and others that way that you do. We know that your love is good and pure and perfect. Holy Spirit, we ask you to help us remember that we are to love and serve our neighbors as we do ourselves. We ask for you to help us see what others need, and if we can meet that need, help us to be obedient to do so. We ask for creative thoughts and ideas to flood our minds and hearts about how we can do our best to love our neighbor just as we love ourself. Help us to never desire to be mean or hurtful to others, but to only show others Your love for them. We love you so much Jesus! We pray all of this in your beautiful name. Amen.
Application/Activity
*Use some of the answers your children provided in the discussion questions to help provide them opportunities to love and serve others. Help them put their thoughts and ideas into action!
Worship Song
“Do Life Big”