SUNDAY SCHOOL @ HOME – Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost/September 26, 2021

Bible Passage
Sharing God’s Love (Mark 9:38-50)

Today is the 18th Sunday after Pentecost.  During Pentecost, we grow closer to God and closer to one another. There are 8 Sundays left in the season of Pentecost.

 

In today’s gospel, Jesus’ disciples get upset because they see someone teaching about Jesus who isn’t part of their group.  It makes them angry and so they tell Jesus.

Watch today’s video and hear what Jesus had to say to them:

https://youtu.be/o8pMR_lhpik

 

Jesus wasn’t upset at all!  He needs everyone to teach others about God’s love.  Jesus wants others to believe in him and to experience God’s love.  Jesus wants everyone to share God’s love with others.  Jesus helped his disciples understand that he didn’t want them or anyone to try to stop someone from believing in him.  He didn’t want anyone to not have the chance to experience God’s love or to share it.  Everyone can help others have faith, whether we are young or old.

 

We can help others have faith by telling them about Jesus, but we can also help others have faith by sharing God’s love with them.  We can do that by being kind and honest and helping others.  We can do that by being a friend with someone who is lonely or doesn’t have any friends.  We can do that by sharing what we have with others, especially with those who don’t have what they need like when we give food to a food pantry.  We can share our talents – the things we are good at – with others.  There are so many ways to share God’s love!

 

One of the best things is that we don’t always have to share God’s love with others alone.  We can share God’s love with others as a family.  We can share God’s love with others as a congregation.  Our churches share God’s love in lots of ways.  How can you help?

 

Discuss

  • What are some ways you can help others have faith?
  • What is one way you can share God’s love with someone at school?
  • How can you help your church share God’s love with others?

 

Song

This Little Light of Mine.  Listener Kids.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKkbIZtqhyQ

 

Activity

The Bad Mood and the Stick by Lemony Snicket is read in the video below.  In this book we see a bad mood cloud that moves from person to person and a joy stick that moves from person to person.  Bad moods and joy can spread.  We can make the world a better place, like Bert who did something small and simple to change the town. When we share ourselves with the world, when we share God’s love with others, we can make the world a better place.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjryYgc_eAQ

 

 

Activity

Explore a way that you could join one of your congregation’s efforts to share God’s love with others and then do it!  You might talk with a pastor or deacon, look in the bulletin, call the church office, or ask someone else if you don’t know a way.

 

Closing Prayer

Jesus, thank you for your love for us which never ends.  Help us share your love with others.  Amen.

 

Pastor Dan Fugate, Assistant to the Bishop for Discipleship in the Indiana-Kentucky Synod, ELCA, put this lesson together for Sunday School @ Home.  There will be a new one for each Sunday as we continue through this COVID wilderness.  Contact him at [email protected].