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Object: A list of rules, or a sign with rules you might see at a pool or school. Feel free to use this list if you wish.


Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them. (vv. 15-16)

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) I have another story for you today, are you ready? (Let them respond.) Great!

First of all, (show your list — you can download this list if you wish), who can tell me what I have here? (Let them respond. Read a couple of them if it helps get started.) It’s a list of rules, right? (Let them respond.) I wonder where you might have seen some rules like these before? (Read a couple of the rules and let them respond.) These are some rules we might see at school, or at home, or at church, aren’t they? (Let them respond.) Sometimes it seems like we have a lot of rules, doesn’t it? (Let them respond.) And sometimes, it can be kind of hard to follow all of the rules, can’t it? (Let them respond.)

Our story today is about a time when some people tried to use a rule to get Jesus in a lot of trouble. In Jesus’ day, there were a lot of rules and laws about what people had to do to make sure God loved them. There were laws about what you could wear, what you could eat, where you could go, how you could cut your hair, who you could talk to, who you could touch, and lots of rules about things like marriage. And if you broke any of those rules, you got in a lot of trouble.

So, one day, Jesus was talking to a group of people when a bunch of Pharisees came to see him. The Pharisees loved rules and had lots and lots of them. They asked Jesus a question about divorce because they had so many rules about divorce that no matter what Jesus said he would break one of those rules and get in trouble. They were trying to trick him, weren’t they? (Let them respond.) Instead of coming to learn from Jesus, they came to try and trick him and get him in trouble.

But Jesus knew what they were trying to do. And he knew all of their rules, too, so he answered them very carefully, and the Pharisee’s trap did not work. After the Pharisees left, Jesus saw a bunch of children who were playing in the house. He picked up one of the children and put her on his lap and said to his disciples, “If you really want to follow me and be in God’s kingdom, you won’t be like the Pharisees and try to trick people and get them in trouble, but you will be like these children and just follow the rules and be nice to each other.”

You know, sometimes we adults get really busy, and we argue with each other about rules, and sometimes we even use our rules to try and trick and hurt other people. I hope you will pray for us so we can remember to be more like you and remember that God loves each one of us and just wants us to love each other, too. Can you try to remember to pray for us like that? (Let them respond.)

And, I hope you will remember how much God loves you, and how much God wants us to show everyone around us how much we love them, too.

Let’s have our prayer and ask God to help us remember to do the things God wants us to do to take care of each other.

Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for reminding us how much you love us. Please help us remember that you love all of the people you have created and help us let the people around us know that we love them just like Jesus loves us. Amen.