Welcome everyone to Large Group worship! Introduce today’s Connect Question. We are going to play a really fun game! Small Group Leaders, help me split up the kids into teams of 3. It’s okay if numbers are a little off. Have SGL’s help complete teams of 3 if needed. This game is called BANDAGE WARS! Tech: Cue Bandage Wars slide

Today in our Big God Story, we’re going to hear about someone who gets bandaged up…. So today, we are going to race against other teams to wrap one teammate up in a “bandage”! Each team will get one roll of toilet paper, and choose one person to be wrapped. The other 2 will have to work together to wrap them! The team who finishes their whole roll first wins! Pass out rolls. Instruct them not to start until you say go! Ready, GO!

At the end of the game, announce a winner. Roll out the BLUE trash can and have kids unbandage their teammates and throw the paper away. Have kids return to their seats and introduce the new Remember Verse Tech: Cue Remember Verse Slide

We have a new Remember Verse for this month… Lets all turn to the screen and read it together! Here is how God showed his love for us. He sent his one and only Son into the world so we could receive life through him. -1 John 4:9

Worship Time Tech: Cue Timeline video/slide

Today you spent some time thinking about your own neighbors and neighborhoods. What’s something that’s really cool about your neighborhood? Allow kids to answer. That’s great! Today we’re going to hear more about exactly who is our neighbor. Before we do, let’s pray together. Lead children in a Prayer of Release. Turn out lights. Tech: Begin Storytelling Video

Through the unexpected twist in his story, Jesus was making a point. The Jews thought priests were the best examples of how to live because they followed the Law of the Old Testament. However, Jesus wanted people to know He cared more about who a person was on the inside than what a person did on the outside.

The priest may have looked like a good guy, but he was more concerned about his job as a priest than he was with loving others. The priest may have seemed like he had it all together, but he didn’t love his neighbor because He had forgotten that God is love.

Jesus cares about who we are on the inside. He cares about what’s going on in our hearts. He cares that we love everyone—not just the people we naturally want to love. Here’s the good news: God created everyone—even that person who is so hard to love!

Sure, we may have a hard time loving them sometimes, but we can always go to God and ask Him for His help because God is love. In those moments, God reminds us of His great love for us and gives us the power to love others.

Now that you’ve heard the parable of the good Samaritan as an answer to the man’s question about who his neighbor was, I want to ask you the same question: Who is our neighbor? Allow kids to answer. That’s right—everyone! Tech: Cue Response Slide

Today we heard about how God is love. God showed us His amazing love by sending His Son, Jesus, into the world to die for our sins. Our sins had separated us and made us enemies of God. But Jesus showed us His perfect love on the cross and made the way for us to be brought into the family of God. He shows us how to love our neighbors and gives us the ability to care for our enemies.

Some things get in the way of our ability to love everyone. For instance, if we’re selfish, we might have a hard time sharing with others. Sharing is a really beautiful expression of love. Or, if we struggle with being too busy, we might not have time to care for others or spend time with God.

As we move into a time of response, you’ll get to go to the tables and choose a card. The cards say things like Selfishness, Pride, Worry, and Being too Busy. Sometimes these things get in the way of us being able to love others. When you find a card that you identify with, spend a moment praying that God will help you love others during hard times.

When you’re done praying, turn the card over and write “Created to Love” in the blank space underneath the words. Then you can pin the cards to the prayer wall before coming back to your seat. Release kids to Respond, and then dismiss by grade once kids are finishing up. Tech: Cue Response Music