Philippians 2:4

Friday:	Philippians 2:4
Bible Lesson:	Footsteps of Service: We should serve God by serving others.
Memory Verse:	Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interest of others. Philippians 2:4

Explanation: Looking to Someone's Interests

Let's say you and your little brother are home alone while mom's at the grocery. There is enough ham for one sandwich, and you and your brother are both hungry. Somebody has to wait for mom to get home with more food. If you're looking to your own interests, what are you going to do? Swipe the ham, make the sandwich, and take a big bite. You're bigger and faster than your little brother. Problem solved, right?

But if you're looking out for the interest of your brother, you make the sandwich, put on the ketchup that he likes, and tell him that you'll wait for mom. You might even get him a glass of milk. Mom left you to look out for your little brother while she's gone: so it's your responsibility to look out for his interests. That means you're taking care of what he needs.

[Show the verse and read it aloud.]

So this verse says that you can look out for yourself, but you should also look out for others. In the church, we're supposed to take care of each other, and not just selfishly get everything we can for ourselves.

We should be memorizing verses on our own, but we can help others to learn them too. We can pray for ourselves, but we should pray for others as well. When they ask for song requests, we can ask for songs we like, but we should sing the songs other people like too.

Game: Hot Potato

Read the verse through a couple of times, as a group, then introduce an object that you call a potato. Explain that each person must say the next word of the verse, before they can pass on the hot potato. Run through the verse one time for practice, passing the potato around, then introduce the timer.

The goal for each child is to avoid having the potato when the timer goes off, but you have to say the next word of the verse before you can pass the potato on to the next person. (At the end of the verse, say the reference, and then the next person starts at the beginning again.) Use short times on the timer and run through the verse as many times this way as possible. (If the group is too large, split it up with a potato for each group; you can still have just one timer.) Leave the card with the verse displayed until you think the kids know the verse, then try removing it. If someone has trouble with a word, you can help them after a few seconds.

Announcement: Verse Points

Tomorrow, when you come to Bible School, if you can say your memory verse without looking, you can earn points for your team's score. Each person who can say the verse can earn 200 points. So, if you want to help your team win more points, go home and practice your verse a few times. Don't forget the reference! On your way out the door tonight, you will be given a slip of paper with your verse on it. Don't lose it, because if you learn your verse, your team gets 200 more points!

You can say your verse for points tomorrow when you check in at the registration table.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.