Read Mark 9:38-50 with your family.

One of the things churches find hard to remember is Jesus never asked anyone to follow a belief system. Jesus never asked anyone to sign a faith statement. Jesus never told anyone to memorize a bunch of theories about God and then repeat them to prove someone ‘believes’.

No… all Jesus did was ask us to love each other, and follow him.

Today’s story reminds us that other people can share the love of God too, they don’t have to all come from the same church or even the same belief system. God doesn’t put those kinds of boundaries on us.

This lesson also reminds us that it is a ‘sin’ (which means: turning away from God) to try to interfere with anyone’s relationship with God. Our ‘sin’ is stoping others from showing God’s love.

We only get to intervene when people are being hurt. We don’t have the responsibility or the right to interfere with the ways others are trying to make it better for others.