252 Groups April 2, 2017, Week 1 Small Group, 2-3

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1 252 Groups April 2, 2017, Week 1 Small Group, 2-3 Feet First Bible Story: Feet First (Jesus Washes the Disciples Feet) John 13:1-17 Bottom Line: by serving them. Memory Verse: Don t do anything only to get ahead. Don t do it because you are proud. Instead, be humble. Value others more than yourselves. Philippians 2:3, NIrV Life App: Humility putting others first by giving up what you think you deserve. Basic Truth: I should treat others the way I want to be treated. Social: Providing Time for Fun Interaction (Small Groups, 15 minutes) Plug In What You Do: Talk with the kids and compare stories of the dirtiest, smelliest, or grossest jobs anyone has ever done. (Examples could include: really dirty dishes, pet mishaps, storm damage, food that got left out, etc.) What You Say: [Transition] Let s head to Large Group to hear how God shows us humility by performing the work of a humble servant and washing some really dirty feet. Lead your group to the Large Group area The rethink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Adapted by (jpaganini/mbcloudoun/4.16). 1

2 252 Groups April 2, 2017, Week 1 Small Group, 2-3 Groups: Creating a Safe Place to Connect (Small Groups, 25 minutes) 1. Bible Review Read Philippians 2:3 - This verse tells us not to do anything just to get ahead. What are some things we do to get ahead of others or to put ourselves first? (Be the first in line; try to get out of doing something we re responsible for; put all the best people on your team for a game or sport) Why do we think we deserve things? Why is it so hard to give them up to serve others? Why do you think Jesus washed the disciples feet? What was their reaction? What do you think would have been your reaction? Read John 13:1 What are some ways that Jesus showed His disciples love during His ministry here on earth? What are some ways that Jesus shows us love now? Read John 13:2-3 Who had the devil already tempted? Read John 13:4-5 What did Jesus do before He returned to the Father? How did Jesus action show humility? Who typically performed this task in Jesus time on earth? Think about the disciples feet. Where do you think they had been? What had they been doing? What did they smell like? Read John 13:6-8 What did Jesus mean when He told Simon Peter that he would understand later? What was Jesus doing or what was He about to do? Why couldn t the disciples share life with Jesus if He didn t wash them? What does everlasting life have to do with washing feet? Does Jesus have to wash us too? Why or why not? Read John 13:12-14 How can we follow Jesus example of washing feet today? How can we show humility to others and serve them selflessly? Read John 13:15-17 If a servant is not better than his master then why did Jesus, the Lord, wash his disciples (his students ) feet? Jesus sent His disciples as messengers to the world after Jesus had returned to the Father. What were the disciples supposed to say? If we have accepted Jesus, we can be Jesus disciples too. Does Jesus have a message for us to share with the world too? What is it? How can we share that message with others? * 2. What s Your Footprint? (memory verse activity) What You Need: Bibles, Service Footprint strips Activity Page, markers, tape What You Do: Give each child a Bible. Lead the kids to help each other look up this month s memory verse using the tips below. Read the verse aloud together. Finding verses with 2 nd and 3 rd graders: Guide kids to open their Bibles to the front and find the table of contents. (Hold up a Bible opened to the table of contents to show the kids what the page looks like.) When they find the table of contents, lead them to find Philippians in the list under New Testament. When the kids find Philippians, lead them to look at the page number beside the word. Explain that the number tells them on what page they can find the book. Help the kids find the page. When they find Philippians, explain that the big numbers on the page are the chapter numbers. Help them find chapter 2. Explain that the small numbers are verse numbers. Help them find verse 3 in chapter The rethink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Adapted by (jpaganini/mbcloudoun/4.16). 2

3 252 Groups April 2, 2017, Week 1 Small Group, 2-3 Briefly unpack the concept of humility putting others first by giving up what you think you deserve. Invite kids to tell how Jesus showed humility in today s story, and then encourage them to share how they can show humility by putting others first. Give each kid a Service Footprint strip, five additional paper strips, and set out the markers. On each footprint, direct them to write or draw a way they can value others more than themselves by serving them, even if the service is something they don t like to do. [Make It Personal] (Write or draw a few ways you will serve others. Include a way you can serve that goes beyond what you like to do.) Guide each kid to make their strips into a paper chain. Encourage kids to take their paper chains home as reminders to serve others as Jesus served His disciples. What You Say: The last part of Philippians 2:3 says: Be humble. Value others more than yourselves (NIrV). What do you think that means? (Pause.) In today s story, how did Jesus show humility and value others more than Himself? (Pause.) Yes! Jesus deserved to be treated like a king. But instead of acting like a king and expecting someone to wash His feet, He served His disciples and washed their feet! Every day you can find ways to show humility by serving others, too. (Encourage kids to share some of the ideas they put on their footprints.) Why do you think God wants us to value others more than ourselves? (Pause.) Yes! When you put others first by serving them, you show them what Jesus is like and how much He loves them. So here s the thing to remember: [Bottom Line] by serving them. 3. Lemon with a Twist (review the Bible story) What You Need: Bibles, lemons What You Do: Divide students into smaller groups of six to eight students. Give each group a Bible and ask them to turn to today s Bible story found in John 13:1-17. Tell students to brainstorm the twists and turns, the high and the low points, the sweet and the sour that they can find in the story. Instruct students to line up, and then have everyone sit down in the line. Hand a lemon to the first person in each line. Explain that in this game they can t use their hands. They should put them behind their backs or sit on them if they feel tempted. Challenge them to pass the lemon down the line and back to the first person using only their feet. If the lemon touches the ground, then they have to start over. Tell them that while passing the lemon, each person should also share one thing they remember about the story. (Note: The story doesn t have to be told in order.) What You Say: That was a crazy game of Pass the Lemon! Jesus washed the disciples feet and if He hadn t already proved it before He proved that He puts others first. He s willing to do anything even wash feet like a servant would instead of expecting others to serve Him. That s why we define humility as putting others 2016 The rethink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Adapted by (jpaganini/mbcloudoun/4.16). 3

4 252 Groups April 2, 2017, Week 1 Small Group, 2-3 first by giving up what you think you deserve. If we love Jesus, then we want to be more like Him. And He left the Holy Spirit behind so that if we believe in Him, then we have that power inside us too. That means [Bottom Line] by serving them. Pray and Dismiss What You Need: The kids paper chains from What s Your Footprint?, dry erase board, dry-erase marker What You Do: Guide kids to gather around you. Use the conversation below as a guide to lead kids into prayer. What You Say: Jesus the Son of God, the King of the universe got down on His hands and knees and did what a servant would normally do: He washed His disciples dirty, stinky, yucky feet! Jesus gave up what He deserved having someone wash HIS feet and washed His disciples feet instead. Every day you can choose to give up what you deserve (write deserve on the dry-erase board) and serve (erase the de from deserve ) others, too. You can take out the trash even if it s not your job, you can brush your sister s hair even if it means you won t have time to play your video game, or you can do the dishes after supper instead of doing what you want. Jesus said: I have given you an example. You should do as I have done for you (John 13:15, NIrV). Jesus wants you to choose to serve others and put them first, just like He chose to serve His disciples and put them first. We can say it this way: [Bottom Line] by serving them. Let s pray. (Guide kids to hold their paper chains as you pray. Ask God to help the kids choose to value others by serving them.) As adults arrive to pick up, encourage kids to use their paper chains to remind them to put others first by serving them The rethink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Adapted by (jpaganini/mbcloudoun/4.16). 4

5 What to Do: Print on colored paper and cut apart; 5-6 strips for each kid. Service Footprint (NIrV) April 2017, Week 1, Small Group The rethink Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

6 READ PHILIPPIANS 2:4 DAY 4 What s the one job around your house that no one wants to do? Taking the trashcan to the curb? Cleaning the bathrooms? Scooping out the litter box? (Ew.) The fact is nobody wants to do those kinds of things. But someone has to do them. And if you re the one who ends up doing them when no one else will, how does that make you feel? Frustrated. Angry. Unappreciated. When we only think about ourselves it divides us from the people we love instead of bringing us together. But God s way is so much better! He wants us to be humble enough to look for ways to help and put others first. So don t just focus on yourself. Look out for the good of the people around you. You can do the dirty job that no one wants to do. You can be the first one to apologize and make things right with a friend. You can help someone who s different from you. DON T WAIT! Think about that one job no one wants to do... and just do it! THINK ABOUT IT: 1. When you do something around the house, do you sometimes hope people will notice and you ll get the credit? 2. How is serving different? 3. When you serve and put other people first, how can that affect the way they act in return? READ PHILIPPIANS 2:3 DAY 1 Do you think it s easy to be humble? Is it easy for you to give up your way and put other people first? Umm... probably not! It s a lot easier to demand what you want. It s a lot easier to complain about what s fair. It s a lot easier to spend your time trying to make yourself look good in the eyes of other people. But God doesn t want us to do what s easy. He wants us to be different. He wants us to be humble. Humility is putting others first by giving up what you think you deserve. And Jesus gave us the ultimate example of what humility really looks like. Here s a great way to put humility into action. Tomorrow, see if you can spend the day asking questions and really listening to the answers. Instead of making the day about you, ask the people you meet about their lives. You could ask... How s your day going? If you could eat at any restaurant, what would it be? What s tough in your life right now? What makes you the happiest? THANK questions to show others how important they are to you. THINK ABOUT IT: 1. How would it make you feel if someone asked you those questions? 2. Do you think most people expect others to take an interest in their lives? 3. Why should following Jesus make us want to be interested in others? 1 2ND - 5TH

7 READ JOHN 13:14-15 DAY 2 READ ROMANS 12:10 DAY 3 What if before you went to sleep tonight, you asked your brother or sister to wash your feet? HA! Can you imagine what they would do? It s amazing to think about Jesus washing His friends feet. It was His way of humbling Himself and serving them. And it was His idea not theirs! They couldn t believe He would want to do such a thing. He showed them with His actions how much He valued them. Jesus was setting an example for His friends and for us. It doesn t necessarily mean that we need to go around washing each other s feet, but it does mean that Jesus wants us to serve others by putting them first. We need to follow Jesus with our actions, not just our words. THINK of ways to put other people first. Try putting yourself in the place of a servant. THINK ABOUT IT: 1. Why do you think Jesus wanted to show such a clear example of serving? 2. Why did it make the disciples uncomfortable when He washed their feet? 3. Why do you think Jesus actually told His friends he was setting an example for them? Soccer is a team sport. You can t do everything by yourself. Before a player can score, she needs a great set-up from her teammates. You ve got to pass to win. How about some other sports? How do the players put each other first in order to be successful? Basketball: Football: Volleyball: Cheerleading: We need to do the same thing for the people around us. Instead of trying to take the glory for ourselves, we should serve them with humility and set them up to win. ASK God to help you have an attitude of humility with your friends and family. THINK ABOUT IT: 1. Do you naturally think about setting up your friends and family to win? 2. What is an example of setting up your friends or family to win? 3. Why is it important to pray about having a humble attitude?

8 PUTTING OTHERS FIRST BY GIVING UP WHAT YOU THINK YOU DESERVE. M E M O RY V E R SE Don t do anything only to get ahead. Don t do it because you are proud. Instead, be humble. Value others more than yourselves. Philippians 2:3, NIrV 1 Jesus Washes the Disciples Feet John 13:1-17 PUTTING OTHERS FIRST BY GIVING UP WHAT YOU THINK YOU DESERVE. M E M O RY V E R SE Don t do anything only to get ahead. Don t do it because you are proud. Instead, be humble. Value others more than yourselves. Philippians 2:3, NIrV 1 Jesus Washes the Disciples Feet John 13:1-17 by serving them. by serving them. 2 Jesus Praying in the Garden Matthew 26: Jesus Praying in the Garden Matthew 26:36-56 by letting go of what I want. by letting go of what I want. 3 Jesus is Crucified, Buried, and Resurrected John 18:12 20:23 3 Jesus is Crucified, Buried, and Resurrected John 18:12 20:23 because Jesus put me first. because Jesus put me first. 4 The Great Commission and Ascension Matthew 28: The Great Commission and Ascension Matthew 28:16-20 by doing what Jesus said. by doing what Jesus said. 5 Humility of Jesus Philippians 2:3-8 Put others first. 5 Humility of Jesus Philippians 2:3-8 Put others first.

9 M O R N IN G TIME M O R N IN G TIME D R IVE TI ME D R IVE TI ME ME AL TIME ME AL TIME Ask a kid: Name all the places you go where you feel like you re the best or most important? What are some places you wish you were number one? Ask a kid: Name all the places you go where you feel like you re the best or most important? What are some places you wish you were number one? Ask a parent: What was your first... pet? Concert? Word? Job? Family vacation? Ask a parent: What was your first... pet? Concert? Word? Job? Family vacation? B ED TIME B ED TIME Read John 18:12-20:23 together as a family. Talk about the times when it is hardest to show humility and put others first. What do you think motivated Jesus to show humility by laying down His life for us? Every day we have the opportunity to show humility, out of love, for others. Brainstorm some fun and creative ways you can show humility to the people around you. As a family, pray that God would help you notice more opportunities to show humility. And then give you all the courage to act on it. Read John 18:12-20:23 together as a family. Talk about the times when it is hardest to show humility and put others first. What do you think motivated Jesus to show humility by laying down His life for us? Every day we have the opportunity to show humility, out of love, for others. Brainstorm some fun and creative ways you can show humility to the people around you. As a family, pray that God would help you notice more opportunities to show humility. And then give you all the courage to act on it. PA R ENT TIME PA R ENT TIME As a parent, it can feel like all day, every day is a lesson in putting our kids first. And most of the time we do it with little to no recognition. But humility isn t just about the serving. It s about the attitude behind it and love that motivates it. This month, work on going above and beyond to do things for your children with a humble heart and not a tired, reluctant or frustrated one. As the most powerful people in the house, we have the opportunity to set the tone for what serving others in humility looks like. Because our kids are more than just the recipients of our humility, they are observers of it, and taking cues on how to do it themselves. As a parent, it can feel like all day, every day is a lesson in putting our kids first. And most of the time we do it with little to no recognition. But humility isn t just about the serving. It s about the attitude behind it and love that motivates it. This month, work on going above and beyond to do things for your children with a humble heart and not a tired, reluctant or frustrated one. As the most powerful people in the house, we have the opportunity to set the tone for what serving others in humility looks like. Because our kids are more than just the recipients of our humility, they are observers of it, and taking cues on how to do it themselves. This month, at the start of each week, have every family member pick the name of another family member, to be their designated target in Project: Humility. The goal is to look for and then act on ways, where everyone can put the needs of their person first that week. Try to be as secretive as possible, and by the end of the week, see if each of you can guess who had who as their target. Remember, the key to humility is attitude! So encourage everyone in the family to serve willingly and happily! While driving to school, waiting at the bus stop, have your child think through the people in their lives whom they could show humility towards. Who can they put ahead of them? And then, most important, how do they plan on showing humility to their classmate? For more ideas, visit Studio252.tv This month, at the start of each week, have every family member pick the name of another family member, to be their designated target in Project: Humility. The goal is to look for and then act on ways, where everyone can put the needs of their person first that week. Try to be as secretive as possible, and by the end of the week, see if each of you can guess who had who as their target. Remember, the key to humility is attitude! So encourage everyone in the family to serve willingly and happily! While driving to school, waiting at the bus stop, have your child think through the people in their lives whom they could show humility towards. Who can they put ahead of them? And then, most important, how do they plan on showing humility to their classmate? For more ideas, visit Studio252.tv