Prayer (5 Minutes)
- Have each family member complete this sentence in prayer: "Dear God, thank you for my friend(s) who help me by..."
Song (5 Minutes)
Catechism (5 minutes)
Have everyone read aloud simultaneously or allow everyone to try to answer before revealing the answer.
Q35: Since we are redeemed by grace alone, through faith alone, where does this faith come from?
A: From the Holy Spirit. (Titus 3:4–6)
A: From the Holy Spirit. (Titus 3:4–6)
Questions from: https://newcitycatechism.com/. Go there to start from beginning or to read more.
Scripture (5 Minutes)
Mark 2:1–12 (NLT)
When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”
But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”
Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”
But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”
Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”
Depiction of Men Carrying Friend to Jesus
Discussion (5-10 Minutes)
You can lead through a teaching or use the following questions to start a discussion:
- How do you think the paralyzed man felt being lowered through the roof?
- Why do you think Jesus forgave the man's sins before healing him?
- What does this story tell us about Jesus's power and authority?
- How can we be like the four friends who helped the paralyzed man?
Lent Challenge (5 minutes)
What is Lent?
Lent is a 40-day period before Easter when Christians prepare their hearts for celebrating Jesus' death and resurrection. Just as Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness, we use these 40 days to draw closer to God through prayer, fasting, and focusing on Jesus.
FAMILY ACTION STEP
Each week, discuss as a family what you could either GIVE UP or TAKE UP during Lent to grow closer to God. Work through the following as a family.
GIVE UP:
TAKE UP:
Lent is a 40-day period before Easter when Christians prepare their hearts for celebrating Jesus' death and resurrection. Just as Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness, we use these 40 days to draw closer to God through prayer, fasting, and focusing on Jesus.
FAMILY ACTION STEP
Each week, discuss as a family what you could either GIVE UP or TAKE UP during Lent to grow closer to God. Work through the following as a family.
GIVE UP:
- What takes up a lot of our time or attention?
- What might we pause or set aside to create more space for God?
- How could we use that extra time or attention to focus on Jesus?
TAKE UP:
- What new habit could help us grow closer to God?
- What act of service could we add to our daily routine?
- How could we be more intentional about our faith this week?
Closing Prayer (3 Minutes)
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us Jesus, who has the power to both heal our bodies and forgive our sins. Help us to be faithful friends who bring others to you, just like the four men in this story. Give us faith to believe that you can do amazing things in our lives. In Jesus's name, Amen.