Series Overview
Waiting to be picked by a team in grade school is agonizing. If you’re some of the last people chosen by a team, it means while everyone else is cheering, “Go team!” you’re probably thinking something like, “They don’t want me, and I don’t want to be here.” The truth is, we don’t all have the skills to hit home runs or run really fast. And that’s okay. What’s not okay is being unwanted. Thankfully, for all of us, Jesus wants everyone on His team! Jesus wants everyone everywhere to follow Him and be His friend forever. No matter what we can or can’t do, what we have done, what we look like, or where we live, Jesus is alive and He wants to be our friend…forever! And that kind of Good News makes us all want to say, “GO TEAM!”
Memory Verse
“I called you friends” – John 15:15, NIV
Week One (March 3)
Woman At The Well
Story Focus: Jesus Wants To Be Friends With Everyone, Everywhere | John 4:1-30
Key Question: Who wants to be your friend forever?
Bottom Line: Jesus wants to be your friend forever.
The woman at the well had made wrong choices + those choices left her walking to a well, all alone, in the middle of the day. Top that with the fact that she was from a town where the people were not friends with the people in the town Jesus was from. So, the woman was shocked when Jesus asked her for a drink of water. But soon, everything changed because Jesus told her that He is God’s Son. Jesus wanted to be her friend forever because Jesus wants to be EVERYONE’S friend forever.
Week Two (March 10)
Follow Me
Story Focus: Jesus Wants Everyone To Follow Him | Matt. 9:9-12; Luke 5:1-11
Key Question: Who wants to be your friend forever?
Bottom Line: Jesus wants to be your friend forever.
Jesus begins forming what would become His team of 12 disciples. Jesus din’t go to the religious leaders or the powerful political leaders to pick His team. No, instead Jesus went to a fishing boat where He asked Peter, Andrew, James + John to follow Him. Then Jesus went to a tax collector’s booth + asked a very unpopular Matthew to follow Him. Jesus chose 12 people, from different jobs + families, to follow Him + become His friend…the disciples. But, that’s not all of this story, because Jesus isn’t done yet! Jesus loves everyone + Jesus wants everyone to be His friend forever.
Week Three (March 17)
Washing Feet
Story Focus: Jesus Is A Good Friend | John 13:3-17
Key Question: Who wants to be your friend forever?
Bottom Line: Jesus wants to be your friend forever.
Jesus does something unexpected to show His friends, the disciples, what it looks like to be a good friend. He didn’t show them how to defend someone in battle or how to convince a person to stop doing wrong. Instead, Jesus got a bowl of water and a cloth. Jesus got on His knees and washed His disciples’ dirty, smelly feet. Jesus did this to teach them – and us – how to be a good friend. Every time we think of others and put them first, we are being a good friend like Jesus.
Week Four (March 24)
Palm Sunday
Story Focus: We Can Celebrate Jesus | Matthew 21:1-11, 15-16
Key Question: Who wants to be your friend forever?
Bottom Line: Jesus wants to be your friend forever.
As Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey, the people are so excited that they lay palm branches and coats on the road to make a special path for Jesus while they cheer and shout: “Hosanna, Hosanna! Yay, Jesus!” The people waved their palm branches in the air + celebrated Jesus. And we can celebrate Jesus today + everyday because Jesus wants to be our friend forever.
Easter (March 30/31)
Easter
Story Focus: Jesus Is Alive | Matthew 26:26-28:10
Key Question: Who wants to be your friend forever?
Bottom Line: Jesus wants to be your friend forever.
Jesus dies, is put in a tomb + comes back just like He said He would; so, we could be His friend forever. Yes, Jesus is alive + Jesus wants to be my friend forever. And Jesus wants to be your friend forever….every child’s friend forever…every-person-in-the-world’s friend forever!