Unit: Do What God Says
Session Title: Joash and the People Gave Offerings
Life Point: People can honor God by giving Him offerings.
Unit Verse: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:5
Weekly Bible Verse: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:5
Bible Passage: 2 Chronicles 23:11, 13; 24:1-14
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Game: Giving Game
For this lesson you will need a second-timer and a white board or chalkboard. You will also need someone from your class who spells and writes well who can be the scorekeeper.
Divide your class into 2 teams and have them sit in 2 separate areas of the room. Say the fol-lowing: 2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “God loves a cheerful giver.” This verse doesn’t say God loves a grumpy giver or a bored giver. It says God loves a cheerful giver. Why do you think God wants us to give cheerfully? (Wait for responses. Clarify with the following: When we give with a cheerful and joyful heart, we are going to be blessed and the person who is receiving the gift is going to be blessed.) 2 Corinthians 9:7 is an easy verse to memorize so we’re going to play a fun game to make sure you have it inside your heart and mind for your whole life.
Continue saying: You are divided into 2 different teams. I am going to take turns asking a child from each team something they might give to a certain person. You will have to answer with 2 words formed from the initials of your own name. For example, I might ask, “David Johnson, what would you give to your grandma?” David might respond with “dandy jacks.” Sarah Craw-ford might say “seven cantaloupes.” You will have 7 seconds to come up with an answer. If you are successful, you will come forward and stand on your side where you team is sitting. My scorekeeper will write your answer on the board so it cannot be used again. Once I have asked every student the gift they would give, I will then have each of you who were able to give me a gift according to your initials to recite 2 Corinthians 9:7. For every team member who says the verse correctly, they will earn 50 points for their team. We will then start all over, but on the next round you will have to give a new answer that hasn’t been used. After 5 rounds, the team with the most points wins. Now let’s play!
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Craft: Tithing Jar
Use baby food jars to make a tithing jar. The picture gives instructions on how to make do this craft. We don’t have baby jars in the Children’s Resource Room so you would have to bring the jars from home.
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Game: Coin Toss
Place an empty bucket on the floor and use masking tape to make the starting line where they will stand when it’s their turn to play the game. Place the bucket about 12 inches from the starting line. Let each child put their feet on the starting line and try to toss a penny into the bucket. Give 3 turns each.
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Craft: Our Gifts to God Collage
Have a poster board or large sheet of butcher paper and write at the top Our Gifts to God. Have students cut things out of magazines that they would like to give to God.
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Object Lesson: Tithing and M&Ms
I gave each child 10 M&Ms in a little Ziploc bag. I told them to eat 9 of their M&Ms and save one. While they ate their M&Ms, I told a story from the Friend Magazine about a boy who spent all of his money before he paid his tithe and how he repented of it. After the story I told them that they now had to pay their “tithe.” I collected their last M&M – it was a hard thing for most of them to give up that last M&M (some had saved their favorite color for last). Some children even couldn’t help themselves and ate that 10th M&M. Then I told them I was going to do an experiment and that they had another chance. I gave them another bag of 10 M&Ms and col-lected their “tithe” first. It was much easier to give it first and this shows how tempting it would be to keep it for yourself if that is all you had left. We discussed how it would be easier for them in their own lives if they always paid their tithe first before spending the rest of their money. It turned out great and I have a feeling it is one of those lessons that will stick in their minds for a long time, even the younger children got it. (Don’t forget to put up an allergy alert!)
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