Family Growth Term 1 2019
WEEK 9 – Carry Your Cross
Big idea
Jesus says his kingdom is like a fantastic party to which he invites anyone who will come.
Bible passage
Luke 13:1-35
All Ages Activity
As a family or growth group brainstorm what the greatest party ever might be like. Discuss someone you would all like to receive an invitation from. Have kids discuss where the party would be thrown, the activities and kind of food that would be there. Once you’ve planned what you think would be the perfect party, how many of you would call the person who invited you and tell them you will come to their party? If we really could go to this party it would be exciting wouldn’t it?
Discussion:
READ LUKE 14:1
Who were the Pharisees? Pharisees were the religious leaders of Jesus’ time. They tried to obey all God’s laws to please Him. The Pharisees became so obsessed with laws that they’d forgotten that the thing God wanted most from them was for them to love Him and be friends with Him. They didn’t see God’s promised savior right in front of their own eyes. So Jesus told them another story.
READ LUKE 14:15-23
In lots of Jesus stories the people he was telling them to would often be represented in the story. Since Jesus was telling this story to the Pharisees, what characters in this party story do you think represents them?
The invited guests were a lot like the Jewish leaders who would not accept Jesus as the way to God. God was inviting them to be saved through His promised Savior but they made all kinds of excuses why they wouldn’t believe Jesus was the Son of God. These days people still make excuses to not follow Jesus. Even those of us who follow Jesus can get distracted instead of living for Jesus. What changes can you make so you don’t miss out the forever party that Jesus is inviting us all to?
Prayer idea
Dear God,
Thank you for showing us in this story that: your kingdom is like a fantastic party to which you invites anyone who will come.
I know I’m sometimes: like the Pharisees who got so busy trying to be good that they forgot to be friends with you.
Thankyou that Jesus: reminds us that being your friend is the most important invitation we could ever accept.
Please help me: not to get distracted from living for you and inviting people to your forever party too.
