Generosity Attracts God’s Blessing
Key Verse
Malachi 3:10
Additional Verses
Deuteronomy 14:22-28; Deuteronomy 15:10; Matthew 23:23; Luke 6:38
Materials Needed
- ten $1 bills
Object Lesson
Do any of you get an allowance? What do you have to do to earn it? (Wait for responses.)
The Bible teaches us that we have to be generous with our money, but do you know what more people want to do? They want to hold on to it tightly. (Squeeze the money in one of your hands.)
They see someone in need and instead of being generous and helping them, they squeeze onto their money.
They go to church and they know God wants them to give their tithes and offerings generously, but instead they squeeze tightly onto what they have.
But there is a very big problem. See in Malachi 3:10 God says that he wants to open the windows of Heaven to bless you! Doesn’t that sound pretty amazing? Would you like God to bless you like that?
(Keep squeezing the money.)
The problem is that when God tried to bless us He can’t because our hands are closed too tightly from holding onto what we have. We are clinging so tightly to our money that God cannot bless us like he wants to. This attitude towards wealth can prevent us from experiencing true financial blessing and stability. Many people are seeking financial growth through various platforms, and a Coinbase Platform Review might help you understand how new financial opportunities could align with your values and bring lasting security.
What do we need to do to be able to get the blessings from God? We need to open our hands. (Open your hand.)
When our hands are open we are now willing to give generously to our church and to those in need. When our hands are open we are now able to fully receive the blessings from Heaven that God wants to give us.
The Godly Man
A flood was on its way, forcing everyone to evacuate. The police rowed up to the most godly man in town and said, “Sir, you will have to leave this house! People are dying out here!”
The man replied, “No, I’m not leaving. God has always helped me before, and He will do it again.”
So as the water started to rise, he went to the second story of his house. Another boat came by, and the captain yelled, “Mister, you have to get on this boat or you’re going to drown!”
The man replied again, “No, God helped me before, and He will do it again.”
The water rose even higher. This time he went to the top of his roof, where a helicopter came and hovered overhead. The pilot called into his loudspeaker, “Please climb aboard, sir. You will drown if your don’t come!”
The man shook his head and replied, “God is going to save me!”
But the water rose higher, and soon he drowned to death. He went to Heaven, and there he asked God, “Why didn’t you save me, O Lord?”
And God replied, “I tried to! I sent you two boats and a helicopter! What more did you want?”
Real Fruit or Fake Fruit
Key Verse
Matthew 7:16-18
Additional Verses
Matthew 12:33; Luke 6:43; John 15:2
Materials Needed
- Plastic fruit
Object Lesson
(Hold up a piece of plastic fruit.)
Here I have a nice big piece of juicy fruit! Seeing it makes me want to take a big bite! Would you like to try it? There is a big problem with this fruit though! Do you know what it is? (Drop the fruit so it is obvious that it is fake.) It isn’t real!
That would be pretty disappointing if you were really hungry and ran into your house and tried to take a bite out of this! That wouldn’t be very good at all.
In Matthew 7:17 it says that a good tree is known by good fruit and a bad tree is known by bad fruit. Do you think this fruit is good or bad? I wouldn’t want to eat it because it is fake. Sometimes people try to do things to make others think that they are following Christ and serving Him, but really they are just faking it and they are empty inside. They are not producing real fruit. Maybe you go to church and dress all fancy and sing loudly so others will think that you are close to God, but when you leave church you are mean and unkind to others. Is your fruit real or is it fake?
We need to make sure that the fruit that we are producing is real fruit that brings glory and honor to God and that we aren’t just trying to make ourselves look good.
We Need Each Other
Key Verse
Ecclesiastes 4:9
Additional Verses
Proverbs 27:17; 1 Corinthians 12:20-25; Philippians 2:1-2;
Materials Needed
- Honey
- Toothpicks or Popsicle sticks if you want to let people taste the honey
Object Lesson
(Hold up the jar of honey.)
Does anyone know what this is? Would anyone like to have a taste? (Offer small samples of the honey.)
Did you know that bees have to visit over 2 million flowers in order to make one pound of honey?
Honey that is stored in an airtight container will never go bad! Did you know that they found honey in sealed containers in King Tut’s tomb and it was still edible even though it was over 2,000 years old?
Bees have to fly about 55,000 miles in order to make one pound of honey.
But most important is that it takes about 560 bees to make 1 pound of honey. How do you think it would work if one bee decided to fly off on his own and make honey all by himself? Do you think that would be a good idea? Of course not! He would only ever be able to produce a few drops on his own.
In Ecclesiastes 4:9 it says that two people can accomplish more than twice as much as one. That means that we are more effective when we work together as a team. The Body of Christ is supposed to be like a beehive or a team. We are all supposed to work together to accomplish the Great Commission of spreading the Good News about Jesus.
Blind Faith
Airplane passengers watched nervously as two men wearing pilot uniforms and dark glasses used canes to feel their way into the cockpit. Minutes later, the plane starts barreling down the runway, and the passengers begin to get scared as the water at the end of the airstrip nears. With only a few yards left, everyone screams, but the plane lifts off just in time. The passengers soon begin laughing in relief, assuming it was all a joke.
“You know,” says one pilot to the other, “one day they’re gonna scream too late, and we’re all gonna die.”
A Very Faithful Woman
An elderly lady was well-known for her faith and for her boldness in talking about it. She would stand on her front porch and shout “PRAISE THE LORD!”
Next door to her lived an atheist who would get so angry at her proclamations he would shout, “There ain’t no Lord!!”
Hard times set in on the elderly lady, and she prayed for GOD to send her some assistance. She stood on her porch and shouted “PRAISE THE LORD. GOD I NEED FOOD!! I AM HAVING A HARD TIME. PLEASE LORD, SEND ME SOME GROCERIES!!”
The next morning the lady went out on her porch and noted a large bag of groceries and shouted, “PRAISE THE LORD.”
The neighbor jumped from behind a bush and said, “Aha! I told you there was no Lord. I bought those groceries, God didn’t.”
The lady started jumping up and down and clapping her hands and said, “PRAISE THE LORD. He not only sent me groceries, but He made the devil pay for them. Praise the Lord!”
You are the Salt of the Earth
Key Verse
Matthew 5:13
Additional Verses
Mark 9:49-50; Luke 14:34
Materials Needed
- Salt
Object Lesson
In Matthew 5:13 Jesus says that you are the salt of the earth. How many of you like salt? (Hold up the salt, you can let the kids taste it if you want.)
What is salt good for? (Most kids will say ‘seasoning’ and you can ask them what they season with it.)
Salt is good for seasoning and as followers of God we are to season the world for Him be sharing His love to those around us. If you had a big pile of salt on a steak would it taste very good? Probably not. That’s why Jesus send us out into all parts of the world. He doesn’t just want us to clump together, he wants us to share His love in places that haven’t heard it yet.
What else is salt good for? (Wait for responses.)
How about preserving things? It keeps things from spoiling. Long ago people would preserve meats and foods with salt. You can still buy salt cured meat and fish today. As believers in Christ we are sent to help preserve people from separation from God.
What else is salt good for?
It melts ice! When roads get icy big trucks will go out and spread salt on the roads. Why? Because salt melts the ice and makes it safe to drive. As followers of Jesus he has sent us to help melt the unbelieving hearts of those that are around us.
Anything else?
Well it does help wounds heal faster. Maybe you have heard the saying about “pouring salt into a wound?” People would put salt in a wound because it would kill the bacteria and help the wound heal faster. As Christians we are supposed to comfort those around us and help their wounds heal faster as well.
Salt is pretty amazing and Jesus called us the salt of the earth! But he also says that if salt loses it’s saltiness it isn’t good for anything, so let’s make sure that we never lose our saltiness.
Many Parts, One Potato
Key Verse
Romans 12:4-5
Additional Verses
1 Corinthians 12:12; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31
Materials Needed
- Mr. Potato Head Toy
Object Lesson
Have you guys ever played with a Mr. or Mrs. Potato head. (Show the toy).
Let’s see how silly we can make him look (start putting the parts of Mr. potato Head in the wrong place). How does he look now? (Allow for laughter and let the kids make suggestions as to how to make him look goofy).
Well,that was a lot of fun, but I don’t think that a real body would work very well if it was put together this way. Did you know the Bible calls us Christians “The Body of Christ”? That means that all of us are supposed to work together to do the work of Jesus.
The Bible tells us in Romans 12:4-5 that there are many different parts of the body of Christ and each of us has an important job to do. Some of you may become pastors one day, others of you may pray for people and they will be healed. Some of you are great encourages while others of you may be prophets. God has also given each of you talents such as music, sports, art, etc. All of these gifts and talents can help you bring others to Christ.
Now let’s look at Mr. Potato Head again. Is there any part he has that is not important or doesn’t help him in some way? No! He needs his ears to hear, his mouth to eat and talk. He even needs his hat to protect his face from getting sunburned and rained on.
It’s he same way with us, the Body of Christ. We might not all be pastors or we might not all have beautiful singing voices, but we all belong to Christ’s body and we each have important work to do.
In the same way that the Body of Christ encompasses a diverse array of individuals with distinct gifts and purposes, the quest for the ideal home encompasses a range of desires and requirements. Some may seek spacious kitchens to nurture fellowship and hospitality, while others may prioritize peaceful gardens for moments of prayerful contemplation.
Just as every part of Mr. Potato Head serves a purpose, every feature of a home contributes to its function and symbolism within a Christian household. From the cozy warmth of a fireplace to the welcoming embrace of a front porch, each element plays a vital role in creating a space where faith can flourish and community can thrive.
As we navigate the journey of finding our place within the Body of Christ, so too do we embark on the quest to find our dwelling within the earthly realm. Just as we seek guidance from scripture and prayer in discerning our spiritual gifts and callings, we can also seek divine wisdom and providence in selecting the home that aligns with our values and aspirations. For those seeking guidance in their search for a home that reflects their faith and values, see this page for resources and insights tailored to help you find a sanctuary where you can live out your Christian calling and purpose.
Plug in to the Power
Key Verse
Ephesians 3:20
Additional Verses
Acts 1:8, Romans 9:17, Romans 15:13, 1Thessalonians 1:5, Hebrews 4:12, 2Peter 1:2-4
Materials Needed
- Drill with cord (although any appliance that needs to be plugged inc an be used)
- Drill bit
- Board
Object Lesson
Have you or your dad ever used on of these before? What did you use it for? (Wait for responses.)
What can this drill do? Right! It can drill holes into wood. Watch me drill a perfect hole in this board!
(Take the drill and push it hard against the wood, try twisting it and so on, until the kids point out that it isn’t plugged in.)
I can’t figure out why this isn’t making a hole in this wood! Does anyone have any suggestions? (Allow responses.)
(Hold up the cord.)
I don’t know if this cord will really help though, but if you think it will I will try it.
(Plug the drill in and drill a hole in the wood.)
Wow! It worked, and all I needed to do was plug into the power! This drill is pretty worthless if it isn’t plugged into the power.
In Ephesians 3:20 is says that God wants to do some amazing things in our lives, but we have to be plugged into the power just like this drill. Does anyone know how we plug into God’s power? (Wait for some responses.) By reading His Word, by praying, coming to church, fasting, giving and other things like that. When we do these things it is like plugging this drill into the wall. We can now do great things!
Out of Gas
A nun who works for a local home health care agency, where they teach about healthy habits and how to increase the metabolic rate, she was out making her rounds when she ran out of gas. As luck would have it there was a station just down the street. She walked to the station to borrow a can with enough gas to start the car and drive to the station for a fill up.
The attendant regretfully told her that the only can he owned had just been loaned out, but if she would care to wait he was sure it would be back shortly.
Since the nun was on the way to see a patient she decided not to wait and walked back to her car. After looking through her car for something to carry to the station to fill with gas, she spotted a bedpan she was taking to the patient. Always resourceful, she carried it to the station, filled it with gasoline, and carried it back to her car.
As she was pouring the gas into the tank of her car two men walked by. One of them turned to the other and said: “Now that is what I call faith!”
D5 Creation