Trick or Treat?

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Text (Mark 12:29-31) "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 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 is no commandment greater than these." (New International Version)

Thought Starters
Did you get any candy this past week? Have your parents taken any? Did your parents check your treats? Do you hide yours?
Did anybody play any tricks on you while you were out? Did you get scared?

Did you know there is kind of a Trick or Treat story in the Bible?

Peter told Mark about a time when the Pharisees were trying to trick Jesus with questions. They were trying to get him to give wrong answers. Jesus was ready for them. The Pharisees asked Jesus to pick out his favorite Commandment from God’s ten best ways to live. By picking his favorite he would leave nine important ones out.

Jesus handled their trick with a treat for all of us. He said (read Mark 12:29-31 or tell the story of his answer).

Jesus treated us to Two special Commandments, "Love God above all, and Love our neighbors as we love ourselves." By doing this we will follow all of Gods Commandments.

The Pharisees went away knowing they received perfect answers to all their questions and were disappointed they couldn’t trick Jesus.

Next time someone mentions "Trick or Treat," remember Jesus answered the Pharisee’s trick with a treat for you and me. Love God above all and Love one another.

Hymn "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty"¾Joachim Neander

Prayer- Dear Jesus, Thank you for your answer to the Pharisee’s trick. We will love God above all and one another too. Amen

William Bode, Director of Children’s Ministries