LEARNING FROM THE KIDS
- Key Verse
- "Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:4)
READ TODAY'S PASSAGE-
READ THE CHAPTER
Central Truth
True greatness comes from a servant's heart, not from prestige or position.
Reflections
I have the privilege of working at Watermark as the Coordinator for Starting Blocks, the church's Sunday ministry for infants to kindergartners. Before coming to work at Watermark, my job was to homeschool our three kids. As you might guess, I enjoy spending time with children and am passionate about the importance of teaching and training them well. I find there is so much I can learn from kids and their perspectives. Here are a few classic quotes from my own kids:"When people don't know Jesus, do they have to go up hill?" (Her way of asking if people who don't know Jesus have to go to hell.)
"I don't think I have any sin I have not told you about, Mommy. But if I have, I am sorry."
"I still wonder why women have those humps. Maybe it is so you can tell them apart from men if their hair is cut short."
I am not sure what I learned from that last one. It just makes me laugh.
Jesus knows that there are a lot of things adults can learn from children. In this passage He uses a child as an example of humility. The disciples are in the midst of arguing about which one of them will be greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus wants them to understand that in His kingdom, greatness is measured by the manner in which you serve those around you, rather than by your position or affiliations. We are able to achieve that kind of greatness only when we stop being concerned about either our personal prestige or where we are in relation to others.
This is definitely an area in which I need to grow. Too often, I am more concerned about what the people around me are thinking about me than I am about the people around me. I need to get my perspective focused on Jesus and His opinion of Me. At that point I am free to love and serve others from a "childlike" heart. That is when true greatness starts.
Discussion Questions
1. Think about the last time you were with a large group of people. Were your thoughts focused more on yourself or the needs of those around you?2. What is Jesus' opinion of you? If you do not have a biblical answer, memorizing one or more of the following passages would be a helpful exercise: Ephesians 1:3-8, Colossians 1:21-22, John 15:15, or Zephaniah 3:17.
3. Do you want to be great in the kingdom of heaven? If so, how are you using your time, talents, and resources to serve others?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What is temptation?
2. What wrong things are you tempted to do?
3. Who can help you when you are tempted?
Comments
The views expressed under “Comments” are solely
those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Watermark Community Church.
Rick Walls
March 5, 2010 07:05 AM
The only opinion Jesus has of any of us is LOVE...if you are being deceived into believing otherwise then your walk is most likely performance based. Consider these two verses as you ponder the opinion question. John 14:20 Galations 3:20 Blessings
Kendra
March 5, 2010 08:02 AM
A perfect passage for you! I'm still laughing. Thanks for sharing your passion for training up children with all of us. You are definitely having an eternal impact on all our families!
Bill
March 5, 2010 08:58 AM
I didn't think much about Jinger's second question until I saw Rick's comment and thought "Now what does he mean by that?". After puzzling for a while I finally decided to look up the definition of opinion. "A belief or conclusion held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof." OK - doesn't apply. Jesus has sure and certain knowledge. "A judgment or estimation of the merit of a person or thing." Probably close to what Jinger was getting at although Jesus doesn't have to estimate - He knows. Still not sure what Rick was getting at - but it sure encouraged me to think a little harder! Thanks Jinger for reminding me to be more concerned with what Jesus knows than with what the world thinks of me.
Mark McLaughlin
March 5, 2010 10:43 AM
I'm convinced I should never wash my feet in the sink, that's for sure! And I agree with Rick's statement but think Ephesians 2:4-9 would be stronger scriptural support. Thanks for bringing the Word Jinger! Bob Dylan sang a song back in his "Christian" days called, "you gotta serve somebody." You either serve yourself or others. A correct knowledge of what God did for us and Jesus' opinion of us will free us to serve others for sure. Ata girl!
Martha
March 5, 2010 12:57 PM
Love it Jinger! Great job. So what do you think - time to develop a lesson where the kids are teaching the adults? Christ believes the children have got humility down pat - let the adults learn from the children. The kids in my group could also teach on a multitude of topics such as faith, kindness, compassion, respectfulness and what it is to love.