Opening Prayer

Dear Jesus, help us listen to your Word today. Make us one family who loves each other. Amen.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:10-18

Paul wrote a letter to a church that was fighting. Some people said, “I follow Paul!” Others said, “I follow Apollos!” And others said, “I follow Peter!” They were picking teams like it was a game.

Paul asked them a question: “Has Jesus been cut into pieces? Was Paul nailed to the cross for you? Were you baptized in Paul’s name?” No, no, and no!

Then Paul said something surprising: “The message about Jesus dying on the cross sounds foolish to some people. But to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.”

What This Means

Imagine if our family started picking teams at dinner. Eberley says, “I’m on Mom’s team!” Sonja says, “I’m on Dad’s team!” Dahlia and Freddy pick sides too. Pretty soon nobody wants to pass the potatoes to the other team. Dinner becomes a mess.

That’s what was happening in Paul’s church. Everyone was picking their favorite teacher and fighting about who was best.

But here’s the thing—none of those teachers died for them. Only Jesus did that. And Jesus isn’t cut into pieces. He’s one Lord for everybody.

Paul also says something strange: the cross looks foolish to the world. Think about it—if you wanted to save everybody, would you let yourself get killed? That sounds like losing, not winning!

But that’s exactly how God works. He doesn’t save us with big muscles or clever tricks. He saves us by giving himself up for us. What looks weak is actually the strongest power in the universe. What looks foolish is actually the wisest plan ever.

Let’s Talk About It

Eberley: Why do you think people were picking favorite teachers instead of just following Jesus? Do we ever do something like that today—maybe picking our favorite pastor, or church, or Christian celebrity? What’s wrong with that?

Eberley: Paul says the cross looks foolish to the world. Why would someone think God dying on a cross is a dumb idea? What does it tell us about how God works differently than we expect?

Sonja: The church people were fighting. What were they fighting about? How do you think that made Jesus feel?

Sonja: Paul asked, “Was Paul nailed to the cross for you?” What’s the answer? Who was nailed to the cross for us?

Dahlia & Freddy: Were the church people being nice or mean to each other? Who died on the cross for us—Paul or Jesus?

Remember This

Jesus brings us together—we don’t pick teams.

Closing Prayer

Thank you, Jesus, that you died for all of us—not just some of us. Help us not to fight with each other or pick teams. When we start to argue, remind us that we all belong to you. You hold us together. Amen.

Memory Verse

“Has Christ been divided?” — 1 Corinthians 1:13