Not By Our Influence

π—–π—’π—‘π—‘π—˜π—–π—§


It’s time for some physical activities.Β  Think of some physical activity you can do with your kids.Β  If you are out of ideas, you can check out this page:Β 


https://www.familyfuntwincities.com/physical-activities-for-kids/


Physical activities are a great way to spend time as a family.Β  In our Bible story today, a man named Zacchaeus climbed a tree.Β  Let’s check out this story.Β Β 


π—₯π—˜π—”π—— π—§π—›π—˜ π—ͺ𝗒π—₯𝗗


Luke 19:1-10


Jesus and Zacchaeus


1 𝐻𝑒 π‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘‘ π½π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘β„Žπ‘œ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘€π‘Žπ‘  π‘π‘Žπ‘ π‘ π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘‘β„Žπ‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘’π‘”β„Ž. 2 𝐴𝑛𝑑 π‘π‘’β„Žπ‘œπ‘™π‘‘, π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘€π‘Žπ‘  π‘Ž π‘šπ‘Žπ‘› π‘›π‘Žπ‘šπ‘’π‘‘ π‘π‘Žπ‘π‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘’π‘’π‘ . 𝐻𝑒 π‘€π‘Žπ‘  π‘Ž π‘β„Žπ‘–π‘’π‘“ π‘‘π‘Žπ‘₯ π‘π‘œπ‘™π‘™π‘’π‘π‘‘π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘€π‘Žπ‘  π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘β„Ž. 3 𝐴𝑛𝑑 β„Žπ‘’ π‘€π‘Žπ‘  π‘ π‘’π‘’π‘˜π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘‘π‘œ 𝑠𝑒𝑒 π‘€β„Žπ‘œ 𝐽𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑠 π‘€π‘Žπ‘ , 𝑏𝑒𝑑 π‘œπ‘› π‘Žπ‘π‘π‘œπ‘’π‘›π‘‘ π‘œπ‘“ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘€π‘‘ β„Žπ‘’ π‘π‘œπ‘’π‘™π‘‘ π‘›π‘œπ‘‘, π‘π‘’π‘π‘Žπ‘’π‘ π‘’ β„Žπ‘’ π‘€π‘Žπ‘  π‘ π‘šπ‘Žπ‘™π‘™ 𝑖𝑛 π‘ π‘‘π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’. 4 π‘†π‘œ β„Žπ‘’ π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘› π‘œπ‘› π‘Žβ„Žπ‘’π‘Žπ‘‘ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘π‘™π‘–π‘šπ‘π‘’π‘‘ 𝑒𝑝 π‘–π‘›π‘‘π‘œ π‘Ž π‘ π‘¦π‘π‘Žπ‘šπ‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘’ π‘‘π‘œ 𝑠𝑒𝑒 β„Žπ‘–π‘š, π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ β„Žπ‘’ π‘€π‘Žπ‘  π‘Žπ‘π‘œπ‘’π‘‘ π‘‘π‘œ π‘π‘Žπ‘ π‘  π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ π‘€π‘Žπ‘¦. 5 𝐴𝑛𝑑 π‘€β„Žπ‘’π‘› 𝐽𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑠 π‘π‘Žπ‘šπ‘’ π‘‘π‘œ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘π‘™π‘Žπ‘π‘’, β„Žπ‘’ π‘™π‘œπ‘œπ‘˜π‘’π‘‘ 𝑒𝑝 π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘ π‘Žπ‘–π‘‘ π‘‘π‘œ β„Žπ‘–π‘š, β€œπ‘π‘Žπ‘π‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘’π‘’π‘ , β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘Ÿπ‘¦ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘’ π‘‘π‘œπ‘€π‘›, π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ 𝐼 π‘šπ‘’π‘ π‘‘ π‘ π‘‘π‘Žπ‘¦ π‘Žπ‘‘ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ β„Žπ‘œπ‘’π‘ π‘’ π‘‘π‘œπ‘‘π‘Žπ‘¦.” 6 π‘†π‘œ β„Žπ‘’ β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘Ÿπ‘–π‘’π‘‘ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘π‘Žπ‘šπ‘’ π‘‘π‘œπ‘€π‘› π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘π‘’π‘–π‘£π‘’π‘‘ β„Žπ‘–π‘š π‘—π‘œπ‘¦π‘“π‘’π‘™π‘™π‘¦. 7 𝐴𝑛𝑑 π‘€β„Žπ‘’π‘› π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘¦ π‘ π‘Žπ‘€ 𝑖𝑑, π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘¦ π‘Žπ‘™π‘™ π‘”π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘šπ‘π‘™π‘’π‘‘, β€œπ»π‘’ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘  π‘”π‘œπ‘›π‘’ 𝑖𝑛 π‘‘π‘œ 𝑏𝑒 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ 𝑔𝑒𝑒𝑠𝑑 π‘œπ‘“ π‘Ž π‘šπ‘Žπ‘› π‘€β„Žπ‘œ 𝑖𝑠 π‘Ž π‘ π‘–π‘›π‘›π‘’π‘Ÿ.” 8 𝐴𝑛𝑑 π‘π‘Žπ‘π‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘’π‘’π‘  π‘ π‘‘π‘œπ‘œπ‘‘ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘ π‘Žπ‘–π‘‘ π‘‘π‘œ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ πΏπ‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘‘, β€œπ΅π‘’β„Žπ‘œπ‘™π‘‘, πΏπ‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘‘, π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘™π‘“ π‘œπ‘“ π‘šπ‘¦ π‘”π‘œπ‘œπ‘‘π‘  𝐼 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 π‘‘π‘œ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘π‘œπ‘œπ‘Ÿ. 𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑓 𝐼 β„Žπ‘Žπ‘£π‘’ π‘‘π‘’π‘“π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘’π‘‘π‘’π‘‘ π‘Žπ‘›π‘¦π‘œπ‘›π‘’ π‘œπ‘“ π‘Žπ‘›π‘¦π‘‘β„Žπ‘–π‘›π‘”, 𝐼 π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘‘π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘’ 𝑖𝑑 π‘“π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘“π‘œπ‘™π‘‘.” 9 𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝐽𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑠 π‘ π‘Žπ‘–π‘‘ π‘‘π‘œ β„Žπ‘–π‘š, β€œπ‘‡π‘œπ‘‘π‘Žπ‘¦ π‘ π‘Žπ‘™π‘£π‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘› β„Žπ‘Žπ‘  π‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘’ π‘‘π‘œ π‘‘β„Žπ‘–π‘  β„Žπ‘œπ‘’π‘ π‘’, 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒 β„Žπ‘’ π‘Žπ‘™π‘ π‘œ 𝑖𝑠 π‘Ž π‘ π‘œπ‘› π‘œπ‘“ π΄π‘π‘Ÿπ‘Žβ„Žπ‘Žπ‘š. 10 πΉπ‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘†π‘œπ‘› π‘œπ‘“ π‘€π‘Žπ‘› π‘π‘Žπ‘šπ‘’ π‘‘π‘œ π‘ π‘’π‘’π‘˜ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘‘π‘œ π‘ π‘Žπ‘£π‘’ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘™π‘œπ‘ π‘‘.”


In today’s language, Zacchaeus would have been considered canceled by others.Β  As a tax collector, he was not liked by his countrymen.Β  They felt he was a traitor and looked down on him as a sinner.Β  But nonetheless, Jesus extended himself to Zacchaeus and Zacchaeus responded. Β  He repented and set out to restore fourfold whatever he defrauded and he gave away half of what he had to the poor.Β Β 


Cancel culture is nothing new. Jesus Himself experienced this. During His ministry on earth, He was gaining influence and many religious leaders felt threatened. They wanted to cancel Him, if not His influence, then His life through false witnessing and accusations.Β 


God teaches us to love others the way He loves us.Β  It means that we will not love a person more or treat him better just because he has a better status or can wield more influence.Β  At the same time, we will not love or treat a person less just because he does not have as much influence as others.Β  God wants us to love others regardless of their status or position in life.Β 


π—›π—¨π——π——π—Ÿπ—˜


Parent to Kid/s


2-6 years old

What did you like best about the story of Zacchaeus?


7-12 years old

Have you ever thought of yourself higher or lower than others? Why or why not?Β 


Kid/s to Parent:

How do we help someone being mistreated or looked down by others because of their status?Β 

How can someone use his status to help others?


Our culture today makes it easy to look at and treat others according to their status - whether a celebrity, royalty, powerful people in government or industry and even outcasts or losers. The higher one’s status is, the more importance you attach to that person and vice versa.Β  That was how Zacchaeus was treated. But Jesus does not look at us that way.Β  When He died on the cross for us, it was for everyone no matter their position in life.Β  He offered to take away the worst status we can have as sinners - because He loves us. May His love for you penetrate any label that has been attached to you by others or yourself.Β 


𝗣π—₯𝗔𝗬


Dear God, thank You because You love me regardless of my position or status in life. Open my eyes to see how I treat every single person I meet and teach me to love them the same way You love me.Β  Change my heart and mind to be more like Yours Lord Jesus. In Jesus’ name, amen.


π——π—œπ—¦π—–π—’π—©π—˜π—₯


Many kids today are stuck with their gadgets and don’t get enough physical activities. Do you think you will be ready and be able to climb a tree like Zacchaeus? There are many benefits to being physically active - better health, strong bones, deterrent for sickness and disease, better mood and self-esteem and even performing better in school.Β Β 


Make time for physical activities with your family.Β  While needing some thought and preparation, their benefits will outweigh the efforts and time required in preparing for them.Β Β Β Β 

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