Heart of the Matter

The Big Idea: God loves your "Inside You" most of all!

Think about this: Imagine you received a gift that was wrapped in the messiest, dirtiest paper you’ve ever seen. You might think, "Yuck!" But when you open it, there’s a brand-new, shiny toy inside! 1 Samuel 16:7 tells us that people usually look at the "wrapping paper" (the outside), but God looks straight at the heart.

He isn't worried if you aren't the tallest, the fastest, or if you made a mistake yesterday. He is standing at the door of your heart, knocking and waiting to come in (Revelation 3:20). When we let Him in, He makes us a "New Creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17). It's like having a clean slate every single day! Because He is always with us, we can be happy and talk to Him anytime, anywhere (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Family Activity: "Heart Art." Draw a large heart on a piece of paper. On the outside, write things people see (hair color, height). On the inside, write the "New Creation" things God sees or is building in you (kindness, bravery, love).