Love God. Love Your Neighbor. (Matthew 22:36-40)

For the Blessing of the Backpacks, Pastor LyAnna Johnson swaps her usual sermon for an extended, fully conversational kids' time built around the two greatest commandments. She walks through the Greek word agape, a love that costs something, and stretches the idea of "neighbor" from the solar system down to the person in the next seat, landing on a simple definition: whoever we can reach out and touch, as long as they say it's okay. It's a warm, practical send-off into the new school year, full of small, doable ideas (learning names, sharing a pencil, saving a seat) for loving the people who are about to become new neighbors and classmates. Sermon date: August 16, 2026