Helping Friends Find Worth
Month 7: Who Am I? · Loving Others
Today's Scripture
Read together: Mark 10:13-16
13 Now people were bringing the little children to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them, and the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 14 But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and told them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And He took the children in His arms, placed His hands on them, and blessed them.
Memory Verse
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!”— 2 Corinthians 5:17 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Nehemiah 5-7
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Nehemiah finishes the wall in just 52 days, and even enemies admit the work was done with God's help.)The Heart of It
In Jesus' day, children were often treated as unimportant. People thought they were too small to matter and too little to bother the great Teacher. So when parents brought their kids to Jesus, the disciples tried to shoo them away. But watch what Jesus did. He was "greatly displeased" with the disciples. He said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them." Then He did something tender. He took them in His arms, put His hands on them, and blessed them. To everyone else, those children were nobodies. To Jesus, they were treasures. He saw worth where others saw a bother.
This whole month we've learned that we have worth because God made us and remakes us in Christ. So here is today's question. What do we do with that? The answer is, we help our friends discover the same worth. There is almost always someone near you who feels like the kids the disciples pushed away. Maybe it's the kid sitting alone at lunch, or the one who gets teased, or the new student who knows no one, or the sibling who feels left out. You can be the one who does what Jesus did. You can notice them, welcome them, and speak kindly to them. You don't have to fix everything. A smile is huge. So is an invitation to play, or sitting beside them, or saying, "I'm glad you're here." These little things mean so much to someone who feels invisible. When you treat people as precious, you show them a little picture of how Jesus sees them.
Around the Table
Some people thought kids were too little to matter. But Jesus hugged them and blessed them! Who can you make feel special and welcome today?
Let's do it: Think of one kid who seems lonely. Plan one kind thing to do for them tomorrow. Maybe a smile, a hello, or sharing a toy.
Jesus noticed the ones everybody else ignored. Who at your school or church might feel pushed away right now?
Let's talk: What's one specific thing you could do this week to help someone feel like they matter?
Jesus gave dignity to the people His culture thought were least important. That was a bold, surprising thing to do. Loving others well often means going out of your way for the overlooked, not the popular.
Let's go deeper: It can cost something with your friends to be kind to the outcast. When have you held back because of what others might think? What would Jesus have you do instead?
💬 Conversation Starter
When was a time someone made you feel really welcome and important? How did it feel — and who could you do that for?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Someone might ask, "Why should everyone be treated as equally valuable?" We can kindly explain that human worth doesn't depend on age, or ability, or popularity. It comes from being made and loved by God. That's why Jesus welcomed even the "unimportant" children (). Christianity gives a solid reason to value every person. And reminds us to show that value in how we speak, not just in what we argue.
For Dad · Go Deeper
Your kids learn what people are worth largely by watching whom you notice. Jesus' indignation in this passage is striking. He was angry that anyone would treat a child as a low priority. That should reframe how we view interruptions. The small person tugging your sleeve is not a distraction from the important work. Very often that small person is the important work. Beyond your home, your children are watching how you treat the cashier, the awkward neighbor, and the person who can do nothing for you. A father who consistently dignifies the overlooked raises kids who instinctively do the same. And here's the mission angle for Volume 3. Helping a hurting friend find their worth in God is often the first sermon they'll ever believe. Love opens ears that arguments can't.
Draws on: Tony Evans, Raising Kingdom Kids.
Let's Pray Together
"Jesus, thank You for welcoming the little ones everyone else ignored. Help us notice the people around us who feel small or left out, and show them they matter to You. Make our family a place where everyone feels welcome. In Jesus' name, amen."
Jesus treated the overlooked as treasures. So I'll help someone near me feel how much they matter.