Jesus Trusts Us To Do What He Can Do

Jesus Sends out the Twelve Disciples

Empowering Your Little Disciples: Continuing the Lesson of Jesus’ Trust at Home

It’s easy to look at our children—the ones who still need help cutting their pancakes or finding their shoes—and forget that they are world-changers in training. This week in Sunday School, we dove into Matthew 10, where Jesus sends out his twelve disciples to do the very things they had seen Him do. It’s a powerful reminder for us as parents that our children aren't just the "future" of the church; they are empowered right now. The core truth we explored is this: Jesus trusts us to do what he can do.

This mission isn't just a set of instructions; it’s built on the beautiful foundation of John 3:16: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” Because God’s love for the world is so massive that He gave us Jesus, Jesus now trusts your child to carry that same life-changing love into their schools, onto their sports teams, and into your neighborhood.

The Bible Story: Miracles and Missions

In Matthew 10, Jesus gave His disciples the authority to perform the same breathtaking miracles He had been performing. He didn’t just give them a message to speak; He equipped them with His own power to act. He specifically instructed His friends to:

Jesus was incredibly honest with His followers. He didn’t promise it would be easy. He warned them that they might face arrests, threats, or even that people would call them names and hate them. However, He told them not to be afraid. He promised that God would give them the right words to say in tough moments and assured them that while people might be unkind, no one could ever hurt their souls. This gave the disciples the confidence to stand tall as they shared His love.

"Copy the Leader" Home Edition

To help your child internalize how the disciples followed Jesus’ example, play a mirroring game. Act out these motions and have your child copy you exactly. This helps them visualize the authority Jesus gives us.

The Lesson: The disciples were ordinary people, but when Jesus passed the baton of His power to them, they could do extraordinary things. Just like in the game, we must wait on and rely on the power He passes to us to run our "lap" of loving others. Jesus trusts us to do what he can do.

We often try to be "good" or "kind" using only our own strength, but we eventually run out of steam. To show why we need Jesus' help, grab one uninflated balloon and two fully inflated balloons.

First, toss the uninflated balloon to your child and ask them to keep it in the air. It falls flat immediately—it's impossible! Then, toss out the fully inflated balloons and see how long they can "keep it up."

The Lesson: The uninflated balloon is like us trying to do big things on our own. But when we are filled with Jesus’ power, we can "stay up" and do what we were meant to do. In John 14:12, Jesus even says that those who believe in Him will do "greater works" than He did! We must be filled with His Spirit to live and love like Him.

Dinner Table Talk: Deepening the Connection

Spark a conversation over a meal with these questions: