Jesus Cares for His Church Family

Main Passage: Matthew 18:18-20

Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.

Big Idea: Jesus loves His church so much that He gives us ways to help each other follow Him better.

Question 1: What does Jesus say happens when we gather together in His name?

Leader Context: This question helps kids see that church isn't just a building — it's people meeting together with Jesus. The sermon emphasized that 'church' (ecclesia) means an assembly or gathering.

Expected Answer: Jesus says He is with us! When we come together to worship and learn about Him, He is right there with us.

If they say something off-topic (like 'we sing songs' or 'we eat snacks'): 'Those are great things we do at church! But look back at verse 20 — what does Jesus promise about Himself when we gather?'

Time estimate: 3-4 minutes

Question 2: Why does Jesus care so much about one sheep that wanders away?

Leader Context: Earlier in Matthew 18 (verses 12-14), Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep. The sermon connected this to church discipline — Jesus loves each person and wants to bring them back.

Expected Answer: Because He loves every single person! He doesn't want anyone to be lost. He's like a shepherd who goes looking for the one sheep that got lost.

If they say something off-topic (like 'sheep are cute' or 'I saw a sheep once'): 'Yes! But Jesus is using sheep to teach us something. If you had 100 toy cars and lost one, would you care? Jesus cares even more about people!'

Time estimate: 3-4 minutes

Question 3: How can we help each other follow Jesus better?

Leader Context: The sermon focused on church discipline as an act of love — helping someone who is sinning to come back to Jesus. For young kids, frame this as encouragement and gentle correction among friends.

Expected Answer: We can remind each other about what Jesus teaches. If a friend is doing something wrong, we can talk to them kindly and pray for them. We can also tell a grown-up if it's something serious.

If they say something off-topic (like 'we can share our toys'): 'Sharing is a great way to be kind! I'm thinking especially about times when a friend forgets to obey Jesus — how can we help them remember?'

Time estimate: 4-5 minutes

Activity: Draw Your Church Family

Instructions for Leader: Give each child a piece of paper and crayons. Ask them to draw a picture of people gathered together at church — it could be during worship, Sunday school, or a church meal. Encourage them to include Jesus in the picture (even if it's just a heart or a cross to represent Him).

As they draw, walk around and ask: 'Who is in your picture? What are they doing together? How do you think Jesus feels when He sees us gathered like this?'

Wrap-up: Remind the kids that every time we come to church, Jesus is with us. He loves us and wants us to love and help each other.

Time estimate: 5-7 minutes

Closing Prayer

'Dear Jesus, thank You for loving us so much. Thank You for being with us when we gather together. Help us to love each other and help each other follow You. Amen.'

Total estimated time: 15-20 minutes