Hebrews 13:16 says “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” (ESV) As parents and teachers, we sometimes forget that there are two types of sharing: the kind that is forced and sharing that occurs as a prompting of the heart. How many of us have said, “Here’s a treat–now go share that with your sister.” It’s good to introduce kids to the idea of sharing but for this act to be pleasing to God, it must be more than parental obedience. Sharing is a reflection of our heart, our willingness to please God and to love others. So how do we teach kid the difference? Try this object lesson and teach kids that true sharing comes from the heart.
Things you’ll need:
- Small Dixie cups
- Sour grapes (like green grapes)
- Packets of sugar
Prepare for this object lesson by placing two or three grapes in the cups. The grapes should be washed and ready to serve before you get to children’s church. Place the cups of grapes on a tray in your teaching area along with the sugar packets.
Teach: Pop a grape or two in your mouth and make a big deal of how delicious they are and how you could eat them all day long. Read the verse together and talk about sharing. Say, “Do you think I should share with you?” Of course the kids will say yes. Give everyone a cup of grapes but tell them to eat only one group. Ask them how it tasted. They will say sour.
Say, “When we share just because someone told us to, like our teacher or our mom or dad, then this is wha our sharing is like to God. God wants us to share with others and be happy about it. He wants us to think of sharing by ourselves. We should not have to be told to share what we have. God knows the difference between when you share because you have to and when you share because you want to. Let me show you the difference.” Take the sugar packets and sprinkle a dash of sugar on everyone’s sour grapes.
“Now can you tell the difference? My sharing grapes were sour before but now that I want to share, they are sweet! God knows the difference, even if no one else does. Share with others because you love them and you want to please God. That makes everything sweeter!”
Read more from Mimi by visiting her blog at Tools For Kids Church.
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