GOD PLAYS NO FAVOURITES

2022 Theme: “Doing Life with Jesus”
Week 35: God Plays No Favourites
Weekly Bible Bite: Acts 10-11:18

Video lesson:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Kx_ioknMSA (LifeKids – Peter Visits Cornelius)

In the early days of the Church, shortly after Jesus had gone back to heaven, most of the believers were Jewish. For so long, they had been God’s specially chosen people and they assumed that faith in Jesus was just for them. But one day God changed all that!

Peter was on his roof waiting for lunch to be served when he had a dream. He saw a sheet lowered from the sky that was filled with all sorts of animals in it that the Jewish people had been told during the days of Moses that they were not to eat. But in Peter’s dream, he was shocked to hear God’s voice tell him to do just that…eat the things he thought were ‘unclean’ and unacceptable for Jewish people. But God responded that Peter was not to call anything ‘unclean’ that God had called ‘clean.’ Three times Peter saw this dream and it left him confused.

Upon waking however, he discovered that three men had come to invite him to the home of a Roman Centurion—a non-Jewish person. But this was a problem. Not only did Jewish people have rules about not being able to eat certain foods, they also had a rule that said they couldn’t visit in the homes of non-Jews. Just as certain foods had been considered ‘unclean’ some people were considered the same. But God told Peter to go with them, so he did. He must have been very confused and curious to understand what God wanted him to do.

When Peter arrived at Cornelius’ home, the Centurion told Peter that an angel had told him that Peter had a message he needed to hear. As Peter told them about Jesus, the Holy Spirit showed up for these non-Jews just as he had the Jewish believers. For Peter, God’s message was clear. Everyone was welcome in God’s family!

Family goal:
• Is there someone who is different from you that you can show God’s love to? What will you do?
______________________________
[Be sure to pick a measurable goal involving a task so that children will know when they have completed it.]

Weekly verse:
Acts 10:34-35, NLT – Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right. ‘

Family activities:
• Colour the picture of Peter and Cornelius.
• Colour the picture of the sheet filled with animals. Has God ever surprised you by asking you to do something, like he shocked Peter?
• Is there someone or a number of people who you have difficulty being kind to? Why not make a list and commit to praying for them everyday?

Prayer:
Thank you, God that you love everyone and that there isn’t anyone who can’t be part of your family. Thank you for including me. Help me to love other people well and show kindness to them so that they will choose to become part of your family as well.