Once upon a time, Lynn and her brother Lon found a lost puppy. It looked scared, so Lynn stretched out her hands, showing she wanted to help. The puppy trusted Lynn, wagged its tail, and hopped into her arms. Lon said, "Now we have to teach it to be a good puppy!"

Salvation: Believe

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

When the puppy trusted Lynn, it was like when we believe in Jesus. Jesus loves us so much and offers us the gift of everlasting life. We just have to believe in Him to get that free gift that we can never lose! 

Discipleship: Obey

“If you love Me, keep My commandments…” (John 14:15)

After the puppy trusted Lynn, Lon taught it how to be a good puppy. This is like when we obey Jesus' teachings. Jesus won't ever stop loving us, even if we mess up. But when we obey Jesus, it shows we love Him back! Being a good disciple is kind of like being a good puppy.

Kids Craft

Let's make Puppy Paws! You'll need paper, crayons, and scissors. Draw two paw prints. Color one to say 'Believe' and the other 'Obey.' Cut out the paws and stick them on your wall to remember that you have to believe in Jesus to get eternal life. Then after you’ve done that, you should follow Jesus’ instructions if you want to be a good disciple.

Game with Friends

Let's play "Believe and Obey!" Pick one friend to be ‘it.’ 

They will say something everyone else can believe and then say something everyone can obey. For believe they may say things like, ‘God loves you,’ or ‘the Bible is true,’ then everyone responds with ‘I believe it.’ 

For obey they may say things like, 'Hop on one foot,' or ‘Give a friend a high-five,' and then everyone obeys their commands. 

The friend that is ‘it’ can go three times before it’s someone else’s turn. 

This reminds us of the difference between believing in Jesus to get eternal life, and obeying Jesus to be a good disciple. 

Conclusion

Just like the puppy trusted Lynn and learned to obey Lon, we can trust in Jesus for everlasting life we can never lose. Then once we have eternal life, we can learn to obey His teachings because we love Him!

Kids Questions

How is believing in Jesus like the puppy trusting Lynn?

Can you remember a time when you listened and did what Jesus teaches?

What can you do each day to show Jesus you love Him by obeying His teachings?