Psalm 53
The fools who say, “There is no God” also are, “in great terror, where there is no terror!” What a great gift it is to know that there is a God and one of his most consistent messages to us is “Do not be afraid!”
Job 14.1-22
For younger children read at least Job 14.1 and repeat it so that it might be written on the heart. You might also talk about the sobering truth of this short life as an encouragement. Today is not a day to be wasted. We only have so many days. Rejoice in Christ’s grace and go live boldly!
For older children you could discuss this note – “Job expresses the hope of forgiveness and life, but struggles with an overwhelming awareness of God’s heavy hand upon weak and sinful human beings like himself. In other words, Job has focused on the condemning power of God’s Law, rather than on the forgiving and renewing power of the Gospel. We are like that when we suffer. We tend to see only the anger and condemnation, but we fail to see that even in the darkest hour, God is a God of forgiveness and love. on the cross, Christ suffered not only inscrutable pain physically, emotionally, and mentally for us, but He also suffered hellish spiritual anguish. Through Him we enjoy God’s love, now and eternally.” The Lutheran Study Bible
John 6.41-59
For younger children read at least John 6.55 and repeat it so that it might be written on the heart. You might also ask, “How do we feast on Jesus as the Bread of Life?”
For older children you could discuss this – “To ‘have’ God, you can easily see, is not to take hold of Him with our hands or to put Him in a bag like money or to lock Him in a chest like silver vessels. Instead to ‘have’ Him means that the heart takes hold of Him and clings to Him. to cling to Him with the heart is nothing else than to trust in Him entirely. For this reason God wishes to turn us away from everything else that exists outside of Him and to draw us to Himself.” The Large Catechism
Write it on the heart verses – Job 14.1 and John 6.55
Small Catechism for the week: What is the benefit of this eating and drinking? These words, “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins,” show us that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given us through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.
Small Catechism question for the day: What blessing is given in the Sacrament of the Altar? Colossians 1.22 He has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before Him.