Psalm 135.1-7,13-14
v.13 “Your name, O LORD, endures forever” What does the name Jesus mean? It means Savior. God be praised that His name endures!
Zechariah 10.1-11.3
For younger children read at least Zechariah 10.6b “I will bring them back because I have compassion on them” and repeat it so that it might be written on the heart. You might also ask “How did Jesus have compassion on us?” Jesus had compassion on us when he died on the cross. Remind them that God loves to bring us back to him like we love to be welcomed home with a big hug.
For older children you could read and discuss this about Zechariah 10 – “This is a vast difference between the OT kingdom of Israel and the kingdom restored by the Messiah. Luther described the former as weak because it was based on Israel’s obedience. Of the latter he said: ‘This kingdom is founded on God’s mercy without our own goodness or merit, and therefore it will stand fast to all eternity.’ Like Israel, we all fall short of God’s glory. Because of His compassion, He called Israel back to Him and likewise keeps calling us. – Holy Spirit, move me to exclaim with gratitude and awe in my heart, ‘The LORD…is good, for His steadfast love endures forever (Ps 136.1). Amen.’” The Lutheran Study Bible
2 Timothy 3.1-17
For younger children read at least 2 Timothy 3.16 and repeat it so that it might be written on the heart. You might also ask “Can God lie?” No, of course not! Since all the Bible is God’s Word we can trust everything we read in it.
For older children you could focus on the list of dark things in 1-5 compared with the list of light things in 10. What dark things are easy for you to fall into? What light things do you want the Spirit to help you pursue.
Write it on the heart verses – Zechariah 10.6b and 2 Timothy 3.16
Small Catechism for the week: Table of Duties – What hearers owe their pastors – Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over yours souls as men who will give an account. Obey them, so that they may do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no benefit to you. Hebrews 13.17
Small Catechism question for the day: Can we disobey our leaders? Acts 5.29 – But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”