Big Idea: God makes earth more like heaven when we live with Jesus as our King.

Bible Passage: Matthew 6:5-13, (focus on: verse 10.)

Parent Prep: Although the 'Big Idea' this week is the same as the last one in this Lord's Prayer series, this time we are looking globally. This week we will think and pray through ways to 'bring the kingdom' to our world – and the role we all play in doing so.

Read Matthew 6:5-13 together in your Bibles, or read it in a children's version here, or watch it together here.

Talk 

Together, read Matthew 28:19-20. Talk about what 'nations' are. Using the map that you printed off for Sunday (or print and download here: World Map), choose a country or nation at random. You could stick your map up and throw a pen at it to see which it hits, or close your eyes and randomly choose, or even put it across the room and throw something small and see where it lands. However you choose your nation, colour in that country, and 'google' search the nation to find out who lives there and what their culture is like. Take note of the country's most popular religion and whether many people there know of Jesus. Does this country have a Bible in it's native language?

Listen

Ask children, does [this country] look like heaven/God's Kingdom? Does everybody obey Jesus and name Him King and Saviour there? Is there hurt, brokenness or pain there? Have children name where they see brokenness in the country you have researched. 

Ask children, do you think that God cares about those things? What do you think God, the King over everyone, wants to do about those things? Read Romans 10:14-15 together. God has chosen us, His people, to be the ones to go and tell others about the good news of Jesus. How can we be a part of God's plan for the whole world? Daniel shared in his message yesterday, there are 4 ways we are all involved in this mission: to Pray, Encourage, Give and Go.

Do 

  • Pray – Using the country you have chosen as a family, work out which direction it is in. Then, stand as a family to face that direction outside on the pavement or driveway. Trace around children's feet as they face the direction, and write the name of the country in the middle of the drawing. Commit as a family to stand in these feet spaces and pray that God's word would go forward and many people there would know and accept the good news of the gospel. 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news.'
  • Encourage – as a family, write and post a letter of encouragement to Daniel and Megan, or the Callows family as they serve God in Thailand. Alternatively, write a letter to your family's sponsor child(ren) together and include your favourite Bible verse to share with them.
  • Give – Talk with children about your family's budget, and how much is set aside to bless the work of overseas missionaries or people in need overseas. Ask children how they would feel about contributing to this giving work. What could they give to bless and further the work of the gospel in far away places? Remind children that just as Jesus took the small lunch of the boy with fish and bread and blessed thousands with it, Jesus can take whatever small amount they have and multiply it by His mighty power to bless many people.
  • Go- Did you know that according to a Barna study, most Baptist missionaries decided to do that work by the time they were age 11? Encourage children to seriously pray and ask God if this is work He has called them to, and that they would have the faith in Him to follow wherever He leads them. 

Have a great week, and we hope to see you soon!