Children's Faith Formation
Read Mark 1:9-15.
This is the first Sunday in Lent, the time in the church year when we prepare again to celebrate Easter. Lent is a 40-day time which begins on Ash Wednesday. During Lent we look at ourselves and what’s important to us and we turn toward God. At any time, but especially during Lent, we focus on turning our attention to God and putting God first in our lives. We remember how much God loves us – so much that Jesus gave his life on the cross and then because of God’s love, Jesus rose from death to new life.
In today’s gospel, we hear about Jesus’ baptism and how after he was baptized, Jesus was led out into the wilderness and he was tempted. What does it mean to be tempted? Let’s watch the video and explore temptation a little more:
Read:
Jesus was tempted, just like we are sometimes tempted to do something we know is wrong, but want to do it anyways because we want something or think it will be fun. Jesus is a person and so he was really tempted, but Jesus is also God and so he didn’t give into the temptation. You and I are often tempted. Sometimes we might be tempted to take something that doesn’t belong to us because we want it. Sometimes we might be tempted to make fun of someone who is different from us because we think it will make us seem better than them. Sometimes we are tempted to cheat because we haven’t studied and we don’t want to do bad on our test. Sometimes we give into our temptations and do the bad thing even though we know that it is wrong. During Lent, we take extra time to focus on God and remember God’s love for us. We try to always do the right thing, but when we mess up and do what we shouldn’t, then we turn to God and repent. We ask for forgiveness. We make things right. We don’t do that so God will love us. We do it because God already loves us and nothing can change that. Jesus taught others that God was near, to repent, and to believe in the good news.
Discuss
- Share a time when you felt tempted. What happened?
- Tell about a time you asked someone to forgive you.
- Tell about a time someone asked you to forgive them.
Song
You Forgive Me. LifeTree Kids.
Activity
Download the attached sheet with a simple candle outline on it. Write the month and day of your baptism (for example, mine is November 11) and then decorate the sheet however you would like. Hang it in your bedroom or wherever else you will see it every day. It can remind you of your baptism each day. Be sure to celebrate your baptismal birthday when the day rolls around. As we read about Jesus’ baptism today, let’s remember our own.
Activity
Take some time to learn about one of these great Christians: St. Nicholas, St. Patrick, Brigid, Hildegard, Francis, J.S. Bach, Sojourner Truth, Florence Nightingale, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, Chiune Sugihara, or Cesar Chavez. Use Google, Wikipedia, or other resources to learn more. None of them were perfect, but God was able to work in and through them.
Prayer
God, we thank you for the gift of your Son Jesus. Forgive us when we do what we shouldn’t do. Fill us with your Holy Spirit and work through us to share your love with others. Amen.
Pastor Dan Fugate, Assistant to the Bishop for Discipleship in the Indiana-Kentucky Synod, ELCA, put this lesson together for Sunday School @ Home. There will be a new one for each Sunday while we are unable to gather together physically in our congregational buildings. Contact him at dfugate@iksynod.org.