THINK TOGETHER
What’s the best gift you ever received?
READ TOGETHER
Can you quote John 3:16? Do you know it by heart? It’s a great Bible verse to memorize and hide in your heart isn’t it? Here it is:
John 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 might be the greatest declaration in all of the Bible. It describes the greatest giver, God, giving us the greatest gift ever, Jesus!
Why did God give Jesus to us? Because he loves us so, so much. And God doesn’t just love people who love him back. He doesn’t love us just because we are nice and good. He doesn’t love us because we were his friends. John 3:16 says that God loved the world. When John writes about the world he doesn’t only mean all the people on earth. He means all the bad people, which is all of us. We are all born wanting to be our own god and wanting to do whatever we want to do. The Bible says that we are all born as God’s enemies, not his friends. And God loved us anyway! He sent Jesus anyway. And Jesus died for us anyway. Isn’t that amazing?
The greatest Giver gave us the greatest Gift and then made the greatest promise to us – whoever believes in him won’t perish but will have everlasting life.
You see that’s the great thing about a gift – you don’t have to do anything to deserve it. A gift is free. All you have to do is believe that it is for you and then receive it. And the gift of Jesus’ eternal life is the same way. You don’t have to earn it or deserve it, you just have to want it and receive it. Do you want Jesus’ eternal life? Do you want to live forever with God and with all the other people who love God? Me too.
Because of Jesus we can have eternal life.
With Jesus we can love others like God loves us.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Have your kids go find something that they received as a gift (sort of like “show and tell”). Contrast the gift with something they earn (like grades or money for doing chores). Talk about how they didn’t earn the gift, they just had to receive it.
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus, you are God’s greatest gift to us. Thank you for sharing your eternal life with us. Help me to love others the same way you love me. Amen.
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