Welcome to God's Kingdom
Theme Verse (Series)
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
Matthew 6:33 (NIV)
Week One Memory Verse
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." -- Mark 10:14b (NIV)
"Good morning, Explorers!
Has anyone ever packed a suitcase before?
Where were you going?
Maybe to Grandma's house?
The beach?
On vacation?
Today I brought my suitcase because we're starting an exciting adventure together.
But here's the funny thing…
We're not getting on an airplane.
We're not taking a train.
We're not riding a bus.
We're going somewhere even more exciting.
We're beginning a journey through God's amazing Kingdom!"
"And every great explorer needs something very important."
"Does anyone know what this is?"
"That's right!
It's a passport.
A passport tells people where you belong and helps you travel to new places.
Today, every one of you is receiving your very own Kingdom Explorer Passport!"
"But before we start collecting stamps and visiting exciting places, I want to tell you about someone very special."
"One day, Jesus was spending time with lots of people.
Some people thought Jesus should only spend time with important people.
But Jesus had something different in mind.
He told a story about a shepherd who had one hundred sheep.
One sheep wandered away.
Now the shepherd still had ninety-nine sheep.
Wouldn't that be enough?
No!
The shepherd loved every single sheep.
So he went looking.
He searched...
and searched...
and searched...
until he found the one that was lost.
Then he picked up the sheep, carried it home, and celebrated!"
"Jesus told that story because that's how much God loves us.
God knows your name.
God loves you.
God wants you.
God welcomes you."
Closing prayer:
"Dear Jesus,
Thank You for knowing each of us by name.
Thank You for loving us.
Thank You for welcoming us into Your family.
Help us welcome others with the same kindness and love that You show us.
As we begin this adventure together, help us discover more about You every week.
In Jesus' name,
Amen."
.png){kind=small}