Welcoming God's Kingdom Like a Child

May 03, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Nesting Dolls on Life’s Train

Jesus called children to Him while disciples tried to block them. He stopped everything to welcome the least expected. Like nesting dolls, we carry every version of ourselves—the curious child, the wounded teen, the striving adult—each layer shaped by love and loss. Jesus sees them all. [37:25]

God’s kingdom belongs to those who come as children: unguarded, trusting, undefended. Jesus didn’t dismiss the disciples’ concerns but redefined worthiness. Our value isn’t earned through productivity or perfection. It’s inherent, woven into us before we took our first breath.

You carry years of coping mechanisms, but your core remains: the child God knit together. What if you gently acknowledged one younger version of yourself today? Write a sentence thanking them for surviving. Which inner “doll” feels most neglected right now?

“Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.”
(Psalm 103:1-5, NIV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to help you greet one younger version of yourself with compassion.
Challenge: Write a one-sentence prayer to your 10-year-old self on a sticky note. Place it where you’ll see it.

Day 2: Scolded at Jesus’ Feet

Parents pushed through crowds to reach Jesus. Disciples rebuked them, deeming children unworthy of the Messiah’s time. But Jesus intervened: “Let them come.” He touched squirming toddlers and crying infants, blessing their sticky hands and runny noses. [48:25]

Jesus’ welcome disrupts human hierarchies. The disciples saw disruption; He saw discipleship. God’s kingdom isn’t a merit-based system but a love-saturated space where the “unproductive” are cherished. To receive it, we must shed performative faith.

How often do you dismiss your needs as “too small” for God’s attention? Today, voice one raw, childlike request in prayer—no spiritual jargon. When did you last let someone care for you without self-deprecation?

“People were bringing little children to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, He was indignant. He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me.’”
(Mark 10:13-14, CEB)

Prayer: Confess one way you’ve judged yourself or others as “unworthy” of grace.
Challenge: Text someone who feels overlooked: “Jesus sees you. I do too.”

Day 3: The Core Beneath the Crust

A baby enters the world fists curled, crying, wholly dependent. No pretense. No strategy. Just need. Jesus said the kingdom belongs to such as these—not because infants are morally pure, but because they can’t mask their hunger. [38:59]

We’re born knowing how to receive. Sin trains us to earn. Jesus’ invitation isn’t to childishness but childlikeness: rediscovering primal trust in a Parent who feeds without bargaining. Your core self still knows how to open empty hands.

What hunger have you been numbing with achievements, screens, or busyness? Set a timer for two minutes. Sit quietly, palms up, and whisper: “I receive.” What scares you about living unarmored?

“Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
(Luke 18:17, CEB)

Prayer: Thank God for the ways He’s provided for you this week, both mundane and miraculous.
Challenge: Eat one meal today without distractions. Taste each bite as a gift.

Day 4: Lip-Synching in God’s Choir

A girl stood mute in the choir, told her voice wasn’t good enough. For years, she believed lies: “Stay small. Hide.” But Jesus sings over the silenced. Psalm 103 declares He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve. [41:09]

Shame shrinks us; love expands. God’s mercy isn’t fragile, snapping under our failures. It’s a tidal force, pulling us back to our birthright: belonging. The disciples tried to shrink the kingdom. Jesus stretched it wider.

Where have you muted yourself to avoid judgment? Hum one line of a hymn or childhood song aloud today. What part of your story still feels “too messy” for church?

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor His anger forever. He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.”
(Psalm 103:8-10, NIV)

Prayer: Confess one lie you’ve believed about your worth. Ask God to replace it with truth.
Challenge: Sing one verse of “Amazing Grace” aloud, even if your voice shakes.

Day 5: Redemption’s Nesting Doll

A woman carried decades of pain like nested dolls. Yet at her core: the imago Dei, unbroken. Psalm 103 calls us to “forget not all His benefits.” Redemption isn’t erasing the past but retracing it with grace. [53:13]

Jesus didn’t dismiss the disciples’ rebuke; He redeemed it. Their exclusion became a teaching moment. God wastes nothing. Every hurt, every failure, becomes soil for new growth when surrendered to Christ.

What pain have you sealed away, fearing it’s beyond redemption? Light a candle tonight, symbolizing Christ’s light in your darkest memory. Which chapter of your story needs His “but God” intervention?

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
(2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to show you one past hurt He’s redeeming now.
Challenge: Write a letter to your future self: “Remember how God carried you through ________.” Seal and date it.

Sermon Summary

A congregation gathers around scriptures that point to a simple yet profound call: to remember who humans were made to be and to live from that core. Worship opens with songs and confession, then moves into readings from Psalm 103 and Luke 18, where Jesus welcomes children and insists that God’s kingdom belongs to those who receive it with a childlike heart. The island culture of welcome becomes a lens for understanding spiritual hospitality: genuine welcome refuses to judge outer shells and instead reaches for the vulnerable persons beneath.

A vivid image of human life emerges through the metaphor of nesting dolls. Each stage of life adds a layer to the outside, while earlier selves remain nested inside. Psychological language about internal parts helps name protective and wounded layers that form in response to hurt. Those inner children hold curiosity, trust, vulnerability, and love even when later experiences obscure them. Holding these parts before God invites healing rather than exile of memory.

The gospel scene with Jesus and the children reframes access to God. Children embody a posture of openness that resists the world’s pressure to perform, conceal pain, or earn belonging. Jesus rebukes those who would bar the children and declares that the kingdom belongs to people who welcome God’s realm like a child. This becomes an ethical and spiritual summons to cultivate curiosity, trust, vulnerability, and authenticity where fear and perfectionism once ruled.

Psalm 103 anchors the hope that God’s love perseveres through every nested layer. The psalmist’s repeated call to bless the Lord troubles any notion that the past must be abandoned to follow God; instead, God’s redeeming love travels with people through every life stage. The liturgical response reframes offering and prayer as moments to present the whole self to God. The congregation leaves with a blessing that names grace, abounding love, and the communion of the Spirit, sent out to practice a culture of welcome that reflects God’s redemptive presence.

Key Takeaways

1. Welcome mirrors God’s expansive love Genuine welcome reaches beyond surface behavior to honor the whole person. It refuses the world’s shorthand judgments and practices patient presence that allows inner wounds to be seen. Such hospitality models God’s redemptive attention and opens space for transformation. [31:29]
2. Humans are nested, whole and wounded Life accumulates layers that protect and scar, but the earliest self remains within. Naming those internal parts frees persons from pretending and invites compassionate integration rather than exile. Redemption seeks the buried curiosity and trust, not annihilation of the past. [37:47]
3. Children reveal simple kingdom access Childlikeness models a posture of openness, dependence, and undomesticated trust that resists performance. Jesus lifts children as exemplars because they receive relationship rather than earn it. Embracing that posture reorients belonging from achievement to grace. [28:14]
4. Bring inner parts to Christ Bringing wounded and protective parts to Jesus does not mean living in pain but trusting those parts to divine care. Such an offering names truth, allows God’s love to reorient identity, and invites repair. The practice cultivates courage to be authentically known. [49:45]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[07:48] - Call to Worship
[08:48] - Teaching the Song
[19:56] - Confession and Assurance
[25:23] - Psalm Reading
[28:14] - Gospel Reading: Jesus Blesses Children
[30:54] - The Culture of Welcome
[37:47] - Nested Parts and Inner Life
[49:45] - Bringing Parts to Jesus
[61:35] - Blessing and Sending

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Psalm 103:1-5 (ESV)
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Luke 18:15-17 (ESV)
Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

Observation Questions

In Luke 18:15-17, how does Jesus respond to the disciples’ attempt to keep children away from him? What does this reveal about his view of who belongs in God’s kingdom?
The sermon compares humans to nesting dolls, with layers formed by life experiences. What qualities does the “innermost doll” (our core self) hold, according to the teaching? [37:47]
Psalm 103 emphasizes God’s steadfast love and redemption. What specific actions of God does the psalmist highlight, and how might these relate to healing our “layered” selves?
The sermon mentions that “childlikeness models a posture of openness” rather than performance. What behaviors or attitudes did Jesus associate with children in Luke 18? [28:14]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus uses children as the example for how to receive God’s kingdom? What might “childlike” trust or curiosity look like in an adult’s spiritual life?
The sermon states, “Genuine welcome refuses to judge outer shells and reaches for the vulnerable persons beneath.” How does this idea challenge common cultural attitudes toward judging others? [31:29]
Psalm 103 says God “redeems your life from the pit” and “crowns you with steadfast love.” How might this promise speak to someone carrying layers of pain or self-protection?
The metaphor of nesting dolls suggests earlier selves remain within us. How does this align with the sermon’s claim that “redemption seeks the buried curiosity and trust, not annihilation of the past”? [37:47]

Application Questions

The sermon challenges us to practice a “culture of welcome” that mirrors God’s love. What is one practical way you could extend hospitality to someone’s “vulnerable inner self” this week, rather than judging their outward behavior? [31:29]
Reflect on a “layer” of yourself (e.g., a protective or wounded part formed in the past). How might you bring that part to Jesus in prayer, trusting it to his care instead of hiding or exiling it? [49:45]
Children in Luke 18 came to Jesus without pretense. What would it look like for you to approach God this week with childlike curiosity or dependence, setting aside the need to “perform” spiritually?
The sermon mentions that “fear of the Lord” in Psalm 103 is about awe, not hiding from God. Where in your life do you need to replace fear of judgment with awe of God’s redemptive love?
Think of a time when you felt pressured to hide your struggles. How could you create space in your relationships to practice authenticity, like the “inner child” who expresses needs openly? [39:43]
The psalmist urges us to “forget not all [God’s] benefits.” What specific act of God’s faithfulness from your past could you intentionally remember this week to renew your trust in his love?

Sermon Clips

31s

#WelcomeLikeJesus

“Jesus is seeing those the rest of the world overlooks, and he does this a lot in scripture. It makes me wonder what our world would look like if we demonstrated that same culture of welcome. If we saw the people society overlooks. If we work to understand people beneath what we see at the surface. If we worked to honor and love the little children in each other and importantly, if we learned to hear, honor, and value the little children in ourselves.”

44s

#IslandHospitality

“On islands, I'm not asked to posture, to be perfect, or to outcompete those around me to be seen as enough. I don't feel bogged down by or the sort of terminal individualism that I experience up stateside. And I wanna own that I'm not an expert on this island or on cruising culture, and I also wanna own that a lot of us, self included, have a life stateside as well. What I'm trying to share is the experience of welcome that I've received here because I think it aligns with the experience of welcome that Jesus invites us in to.”

35s

#VulnerableWithJesus

“And I understand that it may not be safe physically or emotionally to be trusting and vulnerable with all people. So please hear me. I do not want any us to put ourselves in unsafe spaces. But I'm wondering what our world would look like if we could start showing up that way again with Jesus. Curious, loving, trusting, vulnerable, and authentic. To be brave enough to really be who we are, all parts of us with Jesus.”

30s

#BringWoundsToJesus

“What would it look like to welcome the hurting parts we carry on the proverbial train of life and to trust them to the care of God? I'm not suggesting that we dwell in our pain or cling to the past, but I'm wondering what it would look like for each of us to actually see those other nesting dolls inside of us and to bring them to the feet of Jesus.”

29s

#ChildlikeFaith

“No matter how painful and scary or thrilling and wonderful any moment is, God's love is with us in it all. When we remember who we are at the heart of it, when we tap into that inner child, it's like we are sitting at the feet of Jesus. Let's turn to gospel scripture from today. In that, Luke says, people were bringing babies to Jesus so that he would bless them.”

30s

#ReverentLove

“When we hear fear the Lord in a psalm, it's not intended to say that we need to hide ourselves away from God because God is big, bad, and scary. A more accurate or helpful translation of fear in this context is more so a deep reverence or an awe or a sort of profound awareness of God's power that compels us to obedience. And God's power is one of redemptive love.”

24s

#Psalm103Hope

“Psalm one zero three is explicitly clear in the reminder that we are sinners, that we fall short. All of those nesting dolls do. That life piles on a lot of nesting dolls that confuse who we are at the core. But that psalm is equally clear that God is a God of redemption, a God whose love for us is unfailing.”

29s

#LookBeneathTheSurface

“She always felt less than. She judged her insides by everybody else's outsides. I think that's something a lot of us do. We look at the outermost nested doll of others, and we start to make assumptions about them. When in reality, we largely have no idea what they carry within them in the many layers between what we see and the core of who God made them to be.”

Ask a question about this sermon

St Croix Reformed Church Video This sermon · AI assistant

What does it mean to welcome God like a child?

How can we bring our inner parts to Jesus?

How does God's love remain amid personal trauma?

Welcoming God's Kingdom Like a Child

Devotional

Day 1: Nesting Dolls on Life’s Train

Day 2: Scolded at Jesus’ Feet

Day 3: The Core Beneath the Crust

Day 4: Lip-Synching in God’s Choir

Day 5: Redemption’s Nesting Doll

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Welcoming God's Kingdom Like a Child

Share