Key Ideas
Faith Fact
I can accept God’s forgiveness.
Faith Verse
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)
Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
Question of the Day: Why should we show mercy to others?
Read about It
Read: John 8:1–9
Some religious leaders brought a woman caught sinning to Jesus. The Law said her life could be ended because of what she had done. The leaders came before Jesus to test Him and see what He would say should happen. Instead of responding to the Pharisees’ anger and accusation, Jesus stayed mostly silent and wrote in the dirt. After Jesus told the religious leaders that the person who had never sinned should be the first one to throw a stone at her, they all left.
Jesus’ way of handling this reminded the Pharisees that they needed to show mercy. What is mercy? Mercy is showing another person forgiveness or compassion when they have done something wrong. Maybe you’ve seen someone break a rule, and you want them to be punished. But like Jesus, Christians need to see people as more than rule breakers; we need to see them as people who deserve the kind of mercy we have received. Jesus loves others just like He loves us. If His forgiveness has changed us for the better, we should offer that same mercy to others.
Talk about It
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Question 1. What was the punishment for the woman caught in sin? Answer 1. Her life could be taken by stoning. (John 8:5)
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| Question 2. What is the definition of mercy in your own words?
Answer 2. Answers will vary.
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| Question 3. Has someone ever shown mercy to you? Explain.
Answer 3. Answers will vary.
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| Question 4. Why did all the Pharisees put down their stones and leave?
Answer 4. They couldn’t respond to Jesus’ challenge. (John 8:7, 9)
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Question 5. Why should we show mercy to others? Answer 5. We should show mercy to others because God has shown mercy to us. |
Pray about It
Dear Jesus, I am so thankful for the mercy that You have shown to me. I know I didn’t earn it or deserve it. Help me to see others through Your eyes and show them mercy when they do wrong. Help me to see others as children of God created in His image. They are special and important to You, so they should be special and important to me, too. I love You, Jesus. Amen.