Big Idea: Our mission in life is to help others know who Jesus is by humbly walking with Him, fighting for justice, and showing kindness even when it is tough.

Parent Prep: This week is a special week where we take a break in our usual preaching series to focus on global missions. Talking about the global need for the gospel is a helpful way for our kids to see where they fit in God's big plan of salvation. It helps them lift their eyes beyond their small patch of the world. It helps put in perspective all that they have been blessed with, and what they can offer to help others. It helps inspire them to think big about their own lives, and imagine all the incredible ways God can use their faithfulness. It is far more exciting than what is often implicitly taught week-in, week-out to our kids who grow up in church about following Jesus. Much more than just being about 'being a good kid', knowing God has a mission for them brings their Christian faith to life and gives it purpose.
 

Read Micah 6:8 together. Then, watch this video as a family. 

Listen 

What do you think your 'mission' in life is? What do you think the most important part of following Jesus is? What do you think makes us 'good' to God?

Talk

Micah 6 is God saying to His people that He has done great things for them. Then He asks them to respond to His goodness. This is our mission in life: to respond to God's love and goodness.

And how do we do that? Is it by getting all the rules right? By being extra good kids? No. Micah tells us that our mission is:

  • To walk humbly, with God as our loving King. Like holding hands and going on a walk with mum or dad and spending time with them. That's how our God wants to walk with us through life.
  • To fight for fairness for others. Where we see injustice-  where there are poor, or hungry, or sad people, it is our mission to help them.
  • To love mercy. Mercy is 'loving-kindness'. It's showing kindness to all people. That's really hard. Especially showing it to those who don't deserve it. But Jesus says this is how people will know who He is. When His people love like He did. And Jesus loved and died for us "when we were still sinners" – rejecting Him. We need Jesus help to keep loving people who are mean to us and reject us.

Do

Our mission is to walk hand in hand with Jesus, fighting for others and showing loving-kindness to others. It's a tough mission, but we have the help of the Holy Spirit who gives us courage and strength. Together, write down places you see 'injustice' in the world, and challenge your kids to think of ways they could fight it. Maybe it's writing a letter to a sponsor child to encourage them that they are not forgotten. Maybe it's how lonley your grandparents have been in this season. You could Facetime them to remind them they are not alone. Maybe it's the way other kids treat someone at school. How can you show loving-kindess and justice to them? This is our mission, and we are sent by Jesus to fight hard to show His love. Pray together that God would help you be brave this week and take a hold of this mission as a family.