Matthew 22:34-46

 ³⁴ Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. ³⁵ One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
 ³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” ⁴¹ While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, ⁴² “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”   “The son of David,” they replied. ⁴³ He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,
   ⁴⁴ “‘The Lord said to my Lord:
   “Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
   under your feet.”’
   ⁴⁵ If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” ⁴⁶ No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Materials: Bag with opening or slit in  lining.  Lots of slips of paper with items written on them such as:  share toys with my brother, help my mom around the house, be nice to my little sister, etc.  A slip of paper with Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind written on it.  A slip of paper with "Love your neighbor as yourself written on it. (note:  leave the two slips in the bottom of the bag; when you put the many slips in the bag, put them in the lining--so that they are between the outside and inside of the bag.)


Message:  Good Morning!  I'm sure glad you are here today.  I need your help with something.  Have any of you ever been told to 'be good'?  You have?  Then I'm sure you can help me out.  I was thinking about all of the things that I should do to be good and I started writing them down last night.  Here are some of the things I wrote. (Show them the stack of slips).  Here's one:  'Share my toys with my brother'.  And, 'Be nice to my friends'.  And, 'Help out around the house.'   Those would be good things to do, wouldn't they?  Can you think of any others?  [solicit answers from the children and add them to yours] "Share my trains"?  That's a good one!  'Share my cookies'--that's a very good one.

I sure have a big stack here, don't I?  I think I'll put these in the bag and take them home with me so I can study them later. [put them in the liner of the bag].  Being good is hard sometimes isn't it?  Do you think I can always do all the things that are on those slips of paper?  You know, i don't think so either.  I wonder if i can't do all of those things, if we could tell which ones are the most important.  Let's take them out of the bag again to see if we can tell which ones are the most important. Okay?

Hey, look at that! [show the kids that the bag is now empty except for two slips].  There are only two slips left in the bag.  This one says:  'Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind.  This other one says 'Love your Neighbor as yourself.'

There's only two left to remind us that God loves us, even when we can't always do the 'right' thing.  And what he wants us to do is to love each other--and he will help us do that when it is hard for us.  He will help us to share and care and help and to show love to one another.

Let's say a prayer about that.  Repeat after me:
Dear God,
We thank you for showing us your love. Help us to show our love for you.  Help us to share and care and help and love each other because you love us.
Amen