INTRODUCTION

FOREIGN VISITORS WORSHIP JESUS

BIBLE POINT - Anyone can worship Jesus.

KEY VERSE - “For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:12-13).

BIG PICTURE - By celebrating differences and seeing similarities in others, students will invite others to worship Jesus.

Foreign Visitors Worship Jesus

Matthew 2:1-12

Everyone wants to feel accepted and included. We all want to know we belong. But sometimes, people don’t treat others kindly if they are different in some way.

This week, we learned that God accepts everyone. God doesn’t judge people by how they look, where they’re from, how much money they have, or anything else on the outside. God loves each person for who they are, and that includes you, just the way you are.

GROWING IN TRUTH

PLANTING THE SEED

During the reign of King Herod, Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem. Magi came to Jerusalem from the east because they were following a bright star that was to lead them to a new king. “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?” they asked. “We have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him.” Well, as you can imagine, King Herod did not like the sound of that. After all, he was king over the Jewish people, and if a new king had been born, that meant that he would soon be out of a job. There was no way he was going to let that happen, so after he talked to his advisers on Jewish teaching to find out exactly where this birth was to take place, he said to the Magi, “Bethlehem is the place! Go and find this newborn king, and when you do, come back and tell me so I can go and worship him, too.” Something tells me King Herod had other plans for baby Jesus.

The Magi set out for Bethlehem, again following the bright star. The star shone right over Jesus. The Magi bowed down and worshiped Him and gave Him all sorts of gifts and treasures. When it was time for them to go, God warned them in a dream not to go back and tell King Herod where they had found the new King. Then they went home a different way.

BIBLE POINT

Anyone can worship Jesus.

KEY VERSE

“For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:12-13).

THREE-ARMED RACE

This is a three-armed race! Use a bandanna or a scarf to tie two of your family members together at one of each of their wrists. Now they are two people sharing three arms. Have them try to do everyday tasks such as folding clothes, tying their shoes, or making a bed. They’ll have to work together to finish the tasks. You could take turns and keep time for one another, or if you have an even number of people in your family, you could compete in teams.

Ask your family:

• When have you felt left out and not included?

• When have you made someone else feel left out and not included?

• What can we do to show the accepting love of God to family members and to others?

READY, SET, GROW!

This week, kids committed to getting to know someone better. Help your child grow in faith this week and follow through on this commitment!