Thursday, April 5, 2012

Home Connection & Splink

Early Elementary
Today your student learned how Jesus had compassion on a widow whose
son had died. Jesus saw the woman crying and raised her son from the
dead. Jesus has perfect love. Your student learned that we are able to
show love and compassion to others as well. Use the ideas on the Home
Connection to connect what is learned at church to your daily lives.

Upper Elementary
Today your student learned how Jesus had compassion on a widow whose
son died. Jesus saw the woman crying and He raised her son from the dead.
Jesus has perfect love. Your student learned that we can show love and
compassion to others as well. Help your student learn Matthew 22:37-39.

Listen to God: Read Luke 7:11-23
Luke 7:11-23 records more examples of Jesus making time to show compassion to
others and make a difference in their lives. Once again, He set a powerful example for
His followers to emulate. While we can’t do what Jesus did here, there are thousands of
other things we can do to minister to people’s physical and spiritual needs. Compassion
is not merely feeling sorry for someone, but rather taking action. Lead your family
in a discussion of what compassion means. Remind them of times when your family
experienced or witnessed compassion being shown to someone.
Talk to God
Christ’s compassion led Him to act. Whether it was feeding a hungry
multitude or healing blind eyes, His compassion always prompted Him
to do something meaningful. We must do likewise. Lead your family in
prayer, asking God to reveal ways to show compassion this week. Ask
Him to help you demonstrate it within your home as well as to others.
Walk With God
Option 1: Schedule a time for your family to be involved with a ministry of compassion.
Possibilities include a local homeless shelter, a soup kitchen, a Boys and Girls Club,
cleaning the home or yard of an elderly widow, etc. Be creative and make this a
priority event. Encourage suggestions from family members as you make your
selection. After the activity, be sure to discuss the experience and how it felt to follow
the Lord’s example of compassion. In addition to this specific service project, look for
ways to show compassion on a regular basis. As you hear of needs, include your family
in following through by showing compassion. Ideas include writing a note of encouragement,
taking a meal, cleaning a house, purchasing a needed item, etc. Being intentional to act when
you hear of a need is a great way to foster a spirit of compassion.
Option 2: Mark 6:34 tells us when Jesus saw the large crowd, He was overcome with compassion
toward them because they were like a sheep without a shepherd. Gather your family together
to look up examples of God’s compassion in the Bible. Read John 11:28-44, Matthew 9:35-
38, Isaiah 40:9-11, and Exodus 14:10-18. After reading these passages, talk with your child
about ways God has shown compassion to your family. Discuss ways your family can show
compassion to others around you and find effective ways to accomplish this.
Week 5
April 1, 2012
D6 Family Theme: compassion
The Point: Christlike compassion takes action.

SPLINK

What is Compassion?

If your kids are old enough, interview 10 people and ask:
When you are sad, what makes you feel better?

Discuss the answers.

Read the story of Jesus showing compassion by raising a widow's son to life. (Luke 7:11-17)

Ask:
What is compassion? (Compassion means feeling sad for someone, but acting on the feeling by doing something to help. There are two parts to compassion—noticing and feeling the suffering of another person AND doing something to ease that suffering.)

How did Jesus and even the other people show compassion to the widow? (Jesus noticed her; He spoke kind words to her; He comforted her; He raised her son from the dead; the other people walked with her and even wept with her)

2

A Blues Bandaid

Items needed: slips of paper

Pencils

Bag to put paper slips in


Ask each family member to write on a slip of paper one situation where something bad has happened (anything—from crashing a bike to losing a favorite toy).



Put the slips in a bag and take turns choosing one. After each situation, ask:

How could you show compassion?

Compassion is noticing someone else's suffering and doing something about it.

3


Walk a Mile in My Shoes

Put everyone's shoes in a pile in the middle of the room. At a signal to go, ask everyone to grab a pair of shoes (not their own), put them on and, be the first to walk to a designated spot.



Ask:

Have you ever heard the saying, "Walk a mile in my shoes"?

What does it mean? (It means not to criticize someone until you have walked or lived in their situation; we don't know how someone feels if we haven't been in their circumstance.)

People need compassion, not criticism. We can't always know how or what they feel, but we can show them kindness and try to help them.

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