Rules to Live By

Do you enjoy playing games? (Pause for responses, and invite children to shout out their favorite games.) 

I especially enjoy getting together with family or friends and playing games. Sometimes we play card games or board games. This is one of the games I like to play. (Show the game.) Before we play, we always explain the rules so everyone will know how to play the game. (Invite kids to share some of the rules to the game you showed them.) 

Have you ever played a game with someone who didn't follow the rules? Touch your nose if your answer is yes and touch your ears if your answer is no. (Pause for responses.) Do you always follow the rules? Touch your nose if your answer is yes and touch your ears if your answer is no. (Pause for responses.)

There are rules we must follow in the game of life, too. I have the rulebook right here. (Hold up the Bible.) To really enjoy life the way God intended, it is important to follow His rules in the Bible.

During Jesus’ time on earth, religious leaders liked to sit around and discuss the law. They would sometimes ask Jesus questions about the law to try to trick Him into saying something that would cause people to turn against Him. One day, they were questioning Jesus, and He answered them with one good answer right after another. One Jewish teacher asked Him, "Of all of the commandments, which is the most important?"

Jesus answered him, "The most important one is this, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' "

There are a lot of rules in this book. It may sometimes be difficult to remember all of them. If we can just remember to obey the two commandments that Jesus said were the most important, all of the rest would follow. Then we would enjoy life the way God intended it.

Dear God, please help us to love You with all our hearts and to love others as we love ourselves. In Jesus' name, amen.