K-GRADE 3 LESSON: Christians Care for One Another

Acts 2: 42-47 “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
These verses from the Bible show us the intense devotion that people in the early church showed toward God and each other. We can learn from that example. The people in the early church loved God wholeheartedly. That means they devoted their lives to loving God in everything they did. Re-read these verses and come up with a way to act out what the people in the early church did. You can pick just one of the sentences from the scripture. See if someone you are at home with can figure out what you are trying to act out.
The early church met often to worship, share fellowship, pray, learn, help, and bring others into God’s Kingdom. People spent their lives giving wholehearted devotion to God. He deserves this kind of devotion from us, too.
God wants us to be as wholehearted in our devotion to him as people in the early church were. God wants us to care for one another as they did. Let’s explore how we can do that.
Acts 2: 42-47 helps us to see what people today could do to be just as wholehearted in their devotion to God and as loving to one another as the people in the early church were.
Now, draw a picture of person (on a piece of paper) who’s wholehearted toward God. Be sure to include information in your drawing that shows what the person does.
• Why was it important that the early Christians shared with those in need?
(everyone could spend more time learning about God; they could help each other have faith.)
• Why did so many people want to be part of the early church?
(people were helping each other; people could see God’s love in the early church.)
• What can we do in our church to be more like the early Christians?
(we can listen to people’s prayer requests and pray for them; we can share our stuff with people who don’t have as much.)
• What specific things can you do personally to be more like the early Christians?
(sing praise songs; visit kids from children’s church and talk about God; help a friend in children’s church who needs help with homework or something.)
People who love God find ways to express that love. God wants us to love him wholeheartedly and to share his love with one another. We please him when we’re loving towards others. Our lives should be filled with activities that show God how much we love him and are devoted to him.
• What are some things you do every weekday at the same time?
(get up and get dressed; eat dinner; go to school.) These things are part of your weekday schedule. We all do certain things about the same time every day. We plan the other things we want to do around these things. That’s our schedule, which helps us know what to do and when to do it in order to get everything done. What would be a typical schedule for you?
As we’ve learned, people in the early church planned every part of their lives around serving and worshiping God. They were wholly devoted to God. We can serve God with wholehearted devotion, too. Think of a way to express devotion to God in your schedule. For example, at mealtime, which is on every schedule, you thank God for your food. You may be able to spend time with other Christians at mealtime too.
• Why does God deserve our wholehearted devotion? (because God loves us; because God made us.)
• Why should we express this devotion throughout the week instead of just on this one day of the week?
(so we’ll remember all the time to worship God; so God will be first in our lives.)
God loves us all the time. He is our heavenly Father and our best friend. As members of his family, we should devote every day to loving and helping one another and getting to know our God.
As we finish up today, ask God to help you to help other Christians. You could say, “God help me help others by…” and complete that sentence.
? Heavenly father, thank you for lessons learned from the people of the early church. Thank you for their example of wholehearted devotion. Help us serve you with the same love. You deserve all we have to offer and more.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.