the BIG plan

God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world. He sent his Son to save the world through him.” John 3:17

This is a picture of the tallest bridge in the world:

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It is called the Millau Viaduct and it is in France. The Millau Viaduct is 343 metres tall and is taller than the Eiffel Tower! It is a huge bridge, a massive bridge, a GIANT bridge!

But the Millau Viaduct is nothing compared to the bridge Jesus made between us and God. THAT is an amazing, wonderful, AWESOME bridge! In Kidventure this Sunday we learned about how we were disobedient and that disobedience (or sin) separated us from God. God didn’t like that at all! He created us to be close to him, not far away! So God sent the only person who was never disobedient at all, the only person who could crush all that sin for us – Jesus! When Jesus died on the cross to crush our disobedience he made a bridge between us and God so that we could be close to God again. Isn’t that amazing, wonderful, AWESOME news?!

We also talked about how pennies are like our hearts. Do our hearts stay sparkling clean all the time? What happens when we are disobedient and sin comes into our hearts? (the pennies/our hearts get dirty)

No matter how hard we may try to keep them clean or wash them up, we can never get them sparkling clean again. Do you remember how Melodie rubbed and rubbed and rubbed to get the penny clean? Did it get nice and clean in the end? (No, it didn’t)

Is there anything you can do to make your heart clean again? If you try to be good and do good things does that make your heart clean again? If you go to church does that make your heart clean again? If you feel really badly about being disobedient does that make your heart clean again?

The only thing that can make our hearts clean again is Jesus! Do you remember how shiny the pennies got when we put them in the bowl of vinegar and salt? They got clean right away! That’s how Jesus cleans our hearts, right away!

Because Jesus was never disobedient, never sinned even once, he’s the only one who can clean the disobedience from our hearts. Jesus didn’t come to tell us what bad people we are, he came to make us clean again and be a bridge to God for us. Isn’t it good news that God sent him to save us? Wow. God must love us A LOT!!!

Pray together and thank God that he sent Jesus to make our hearts clean. Ask him to help you be more obedient and kind and loving so we can be just like Jesus.

And just a reminder that you only have a couple more weeks to memorize John 3:16! You can do it!

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. ” John. 3:16

And for the youngest group:

“God loves me like crazy! He sent Jesus to save me!”

Now get out there and have a great week!