Hey friends, welcome to another week of Carpooling with Jesus. I'm Pastor Justin, and maybe you're on your way to school, finishing up breakfast, or just hanging out at home. I'm so glad you're here. This is going to be a great week. So take time for a deep breath, a big smile, and get ready to learn something awesome from God's word. Today, we're talking about something really important: honoring our parents. And before you start thinking, oh no, this is about chores, let's dive in together. Our verse today comes from Ephesians chapter six, verses one through three. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother. This is the first commandment with a promise, so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth. Hmm. Sounds like God is giving us some pretty clear instructions here. Let's break it down. The book of Ephesians was written by the Apostle Paul. He wrote it to encourage believers to live like Jesus and love others, including their family. In this part of his letter, he talks directly to kids, just like you. The word honor means more than just obeying. It means showing love, respect, and kindness to your parents, not just because you have to, but because it makes God happy and it helps your family be full of love. And here's something cool. This is the first commandment that comes with a promise. God says, when you honor your parents, things will go well for us and we'll enjoy a long life. That sounds pretty great to me. If Jesus were sitting right next to you, I think he'd smile and say, loving and listening to your parents isn't just about following rules. It's about showing love, just like I love you. Jesus knows that parents aren't perfect. I'm a parent. I know I am not perfect, but he also knows that God gave our parents a very important job, to love and take care of you. When you honor your parents, you're not just making them happy, you're making God happy too. And did you know Jesus himself honored his earthly parents, Mary and Joseph? Even though he was the Son of God, he still listened to them and respected them. Let me tell you a quick story about a boy named Melvin. Melvin was a super fun, energetic kid who loved basketball. But there was one thing he didn't love: cleaning his room. Every day his mom would remind him, Melvin, please clean your room. And every day Melvin would say, I will. But then he'd forget. One Saturday, Melvin was excited to go play basketball with his friends. He grabbed his ball and ran out the door, but then, uh oh, his mom stood there with the look. You know, the one I'm talking about, the did you clean your room look. Melvin groaned. Oh, but mom, it's just my room. No one else sees it but me and you. And maybe the dog. His mom smiled and said, Melvin, honoring me doesn't just mean doing what I ask when it's easy. It means listening and respecting, even when you don't want to. Melvin sighed and he went and cleaned his room. And you know what? It actually felt good to do the right thing. When he finished, his mom gave him a big hug and a big kiss and said, thank you for listening. It means a lot. And that made Melvin feel awesome. So today, whether you're at school, at home, or really anywhere else, honoring your parents isn't just about following the rules. It's about showing love, just like Jesus does for us. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. Here's a question you can talk about together. Look at your parents and ask them, what's one way I can honor you today? And then see what they say. Have a great start to your week and I'll see you tomorrow on Carpooling with Jesus.
