Galatians 3:26-28, New International Reader's Version
26 So in Christ Jesus, you are all children of God by believing in Christ. 27 This is because all of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. You have put him on as if he were your clothes. 28 There is no Jew or Gentile. There is no slave or free person. There is no male or female. That’s because you are all one in Christ Jesus.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV) Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Objects:
Photos of diverse people to show children how people are different. Select photos that suggest skin tone, money (affluence), where people live (big city versus wide-open country), other nationalities/countries, and so on. Be prepared to reinforce the reasons you selected the photos.
Message:
I have some photos I want to show you. (Show the children the photos.) These photos are of many different people. Did you see two that are alike? (Allow children to respond with “no.”)
What things make people different from one another? (Allow children to respond.) Those are all excellent examples of how people differ from one another. Some people have dark skin, while others have lighter skin. Some people are rich with money, while others have less money and may be called poor. Some people live in big cities, while others live in small towns. Some people even live in a different country. Can you think of other differences? (Allow children to provide examples.)
Differences aren’t bad, but sometimes those differences can hurt people. That is especially true if we tell ourselves that one group of people is better than another. Differences are sometimes unfair. Today’s scripture passage tells us that during the apostle Paul’s life, many people believed that free people were better than slaves and that males were better than females. We live in a country where everyone is free, but during Paul’s lifetime, sometimes people owned other people as slaves. That is a difference that is unfair.
In those days, people used their beliefs as an excuse to treat men and free people better than women or slaves. But Paul said that when we follow Jesus, everything changes. When we believe in Jesus, we put on Christ. We have put on Jesus as if he were our clothes. That sounds a little strange, but if you think about it, when we are Christ-followers, we should look like Jesus. We should do things that resemble Jesus. I wonder if you can give examples of how we can “put on” Jesus to show the world that we are followers of Christ. Let’s see if we can develop five ways to show others we are Christians. I will count on my fingers. Who can tell me one way to show others a new way to live and work together because we are Christ-followers? What is a new way to treat people well? (Allow children to name five ways to treat people well.) Those are excellent ways to treat others and show them how much Jesus loves them.
We are all created differently. No two of us are the same. Even twins are different in some way. But as Paul reminds us, “There is no Jew or Gentile. There is no slave or free person. There is no male or female. That’s because you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Christ Jesus makes us into one people before God.
Jesus teaches us new ways to live and work together – ways to treat everyone well.
You all did a fantastic job naming five ways to treat everyone well. This week, think of other ways to practice being “one in Christ” with those who are different from you. Ask your mom, dad, or even Pastor (insert the name of your pastor) for their ideas. But thinking of new ways to treat people well is just the beginning. The next step is to do it. Live life this week by putting on Jesus so that all the world will see that you are a follower of Jesus.
Prayer:
Loving God, although all your children are different, you have made us into one family through Christ. Teach us to look past our differences and find ways to serve you together. Amen.
Between the Sundays: Family Conversation Starters
We have added conversation starters to each children’s message series to help spark conversations within families during the week. We encourage families to use these questions to guide them through conversations and subject matter discussed during the worship service, including the children’s messages on Sundays. These conversations will reinforce learning and nurture faith formation for the entire family.
Discuss as a family what part of “putting on” Christ (like clothes) might be the most challenging for each person to serve Jesus. Are there different responses from different family members? Wonder together why that might be.
As a family, find new ways to treat all people with the love of Jesus. At each table setting, place a paper placemat. Throughout this week, each time you sit in that seat, write on the placemat a new way you showed others that you “put on” Jesus. Incorporate those ways into your daily prayers. During the meal, talk with your family about how doing what Jesus calls you to do makes you feel. Was there an example you would like to share?
Discuss as a family what it means to be one with Christ Jesus.