Title: House Rules: God’s Kids and Their Kids

Main Text: Matthew 19:13-15 (ESV) 13 Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, 14 but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And he laid his hands on them and went away.

Preaching Point: God’s kids must value and welcome children, in part, because their humility and trust display the very qualities God expects from everyone who belongs to His Kingdom.

Teaching Points:

1. Parents: Make Jesus Your Kids’ Number One Priority (V. 13a)
2. Church: Seize Every Opportunity to Teach Our Kids More About Jesus (VV. 13b-15)
3. Grasp The Childlike Nature of Saving Faith (VV. 13b-15)

Application Questions:

1. Write down one observation or application you found helpful from this week’s sermon.
2. Read Deuteronomy 6:4-9. If you are a parent with kids at home, what practical steps can you take to ensure that, as far as it depends on you, Jesus truly becomes your children’s number-one priority?
3. In what situations might you say that Jesus is your top priority, while your daily decisions and habits reveal that He is not?
4. Read Psalm 78:1-8; 2 Timothy 3:14-15; and Proverbs 22:6. Why must we as a church seize every opportunity to teach our kids more about Jesus?
5. What wrong attitudes could you adopt toward children that resemble the disciples in Matthew 19:13 rather than Jesus’ attitude in 19:14-15?
6. Read Matthew 18:1-4 and 1 Corinthians 3:18-19. How does thinking about the nature of children help clarify your understanding of the humility and dependence involved in saving faith?
7. How does being part of a church filled with children help you see aspects of the gospel and saving faith that might be harder to grasp in a congregation without many kids?