We feel this pressure to make sure everyone is happy and feels happy all the time and tend to measure how good life is by how happy we are. A lot of times this causes us to suppress our feelings and emotions or even suppress other people’s. But when we are angry or sad or fearful, the best thing someone can do is not to fix us, but connect with us. Because the best moments in life don’t come when you are feeling happy, but feeling loved. Jesus knows this and doesn’t obsess over trying to fix us, but simply loves us where we are.
John 11:35 Jesus wept.
Never judge a book by its cover because Jesus wouldn’t want us to do that. We should really focus on a person’s character instead. He wants us to love other people (like our friends) the way He loved us.
John 13:34 – Love one another, as I have loved you.
Matthew 7:1-2 – Don’t judge other people, and you will not be judged. You will be judged in the same way that you judge others. And the forgiveness you give to others will be given to you (ICB).
Throughout the movie, Master Shifu is so focused on achieving inner peace on his own that he completely ignores Master Oogway’s teachings to him. However, as he begins to remember his teachings while training Po, Shifu realizes that peace isn’t something that we can obtain on our own. We cannot find true peace by our own efforts. That is why Jesus says that he is giving us His peace – a peace that can’t be found anywhere else – because His peace is so much better than anything we can try and find on our own.
You are special.
Throughout the movie, Po struggles with feeling like he’s a good enough Kung Fu Master. He compares his capabilities to the 5 and always feels like he’s falling behind. Then he gets the dragon warrior scroll and thinks it will give him special powers to make him a better warrior. But instead, there’s nothing!
Later, he learns the true meaning is that he has all the special skills he needs within himself, and because of who he is and his unique abilities, he is enough.
“Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.”
Romans 12:4-5 NLT
Sometimes new things and people are scary. Particularly when people look different than us and think different than us. However, God made everyone in his image, and with unique gifts and talents. Often, when we get to know people, and see them how God sees them, we realize how amazing and awesome they are. Woody learns this lesson about Buzz and Sid’s toys in making his way back to Andy.
We often tend to think that there are good people and bad people, and they just kind of stay that way. But the truth is, Jesus is in the business of changing hearts and leading people to him. Take Gru, for instance. He begins as a villain, but some kids change his outlook on life, and turn him into a softie. In the same way Jesus met Saul (a bad guy), and turned him into Paul (an immensely good guy). There is hope for all of us, no matter where we have come from and where we are going.
God created us to be in community with each other. |
In Hiccup’s town, it was the norm to be afraid of dragons and to fight them. Afterall, people and dragons are natural-born enemies. Or are they? Hiccup pushes back on this idea by treating the dragons with kindness and even befriending one of the scariest dragons of all. When he decides to love his enemies, things change for the better.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemies.’ But I tell you, love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you. If you do this, then you will be true sons of your Father in heaven. Your Father causes the sun to rise on good people and on bad people. Your Father sends rain to those who do good and to those who do wrong. If you love only the people who love you, then you will get no reward. Even the tax collectors do that. And if you are nice only to your friends, then you are no better than other people. Even people without God are nice to their friends.”
Matthew 5:43-47 ICB
Who has it been hard to love recently?
What can we do to love people better?
Throughout this movie and in these two clips especially, Mulan wanted to bring honor to her Father. She knew that he was getting older and not doing super well, so she decided to take his place in the Chinese army. We can honor our parents and even God in a similar way. Do we need to dress up and get ready for battle? No! However, we can be kind and show love and be a light to the world and the people around us.
Revelation 4:11 – Our Lord and God! You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power. You made all things. Everything existed and was made because you wanted it. (ICB)
Exodus 20:12 – Honor your father and your mother. Then you will live a long time in the land. The Lord your God is going to give you this land. (ICB)
You are enough because Jesus is enough. Mirabel feels inadequate because she doesn’t have a gift like the rest of her family members. What she doesn’t understand is that she has been made exactly how she should be to save her family. Much in the same way, we may not always have the gifts or talents that we would like to have, but God has formed us in the perfect way, in order to care for others and point them towards Jesus.
You are special enough for God’s love.
In Kids Ministry, we believe God extends grace—even in places we least expect it. This semester, we are watching clips from popular movies and relating them to Jesus! We believe that God is all around us, so we are dedicated to looking for Him in movies with the hope of seeing Him elsewhere because of this practice.
God created us in his image, to be very good, and even when we aren’t our best, God still loves us.