Newsletter 34.
Newsletter 34 from Maurice Sweetsur
Contents.
Teaching tip 22 - The lost son.
Play - The lost son.
Four gifts from the Father.
Story - A modern Prodigal.
Game 1 - The Forgiveness game.
Game 2 - Forgiving others.
Web sites for children.
Things kids say.
Sobering Blessings.
Thanks to all of you who take the time to comment on my Newsletters. It is always encouraging to know that my lessons are of benefit to others and are being used in different situations and locations. The response to my last Newsletter was greater than usual. It seems like 'The lost sheep' is a popular story! This month I have shared some ideas on a similar parable - The lost son. I hope that you will all find something here to enhance your ministry to children.
It is also gratifying to know that my puppet play "What is Easter all about?" is still being widely used. It is posted on a number of Internet sites, but one of them (Dramatix) asks people to notify the author if they are intending to perform their play. Many people emailed me around Easter time to say that they had or would be using it.
I have been asked if, by sharing so many of my lessons, Christians (in New Zealand) are less likely to invite me to present a Children's programme at their church or organisation - because they now teach the lessons themselves? I think the answer is "no" (but even if it were "yes", the important thing is that good Christian lessons are shared, not who actually shares them), because my 'invited' Children's presentations usually contain many illusions using specialised equipment (plus a mixture of ventriloquism, puppet plays, fun stories and balloon modelling). I have not shared about these illusions in my Newsletters, simply because very few of you will have the necessary equipment to carry them out. I do share some illusions from time to time (see my object lesson site), but only those using inexpensive materials such as paper or rope. The majority of lessons that I share with you are born out of years of experience in taking regular Primary school and Sunday school classes.
Maurice Sweetsur
Email: mnmsweetsur@xtra.co.nz
Web sites: All Newsletters - http://mauricesweetsur.blogspot.com/
Object lessons - http://objectlessons.blogspot.com/
Teaching tips - http://teachinglessons.blogspot.com/
Teaching tip 22 - The lost son.
Play - The lost son.
Here is a play based on Jesus' famous parable of the lost son (sometimes called the prodigal or the wasteful son). I use it with my classes, having first retold the parable itself. The play is set in the present time and has four scenes, involving four actors - the father, the younger son, the older son and a home help. There is a narrative to introduce each scene. I select a good reader to do this, or sometimes do it myself with a slightly younger class.
This play is more suitable for 9 year olds and upwards. I usually do it as a radio play by recording the children as they read their parts, and conclude by playing it back to the whole class. Prior selection of the younger son and the servant will enable you to personalise the play by inserting their names into the script.
Note. For younger children this could be used as a puppet play.
Scene 1.
Narrator. This is a play about a patient father and his wasteful son. The first scene takes place in a house somewhere near ____________ (name of local street) in ___________ (name of local town or city).
(Younger) son. Hi Dad.
Father. Yes son.
Son. Is it true that when you die, I will get half your money?
Father. Yes son. Your brother and you will share my savings in the __________ bank.
Son. Well I can't wait until you die. I want my share now.
Father. Why is that son?
Son. I am tired of school and living around here. I want to go to downtown _____________ (name of nearest large city) and really party - in the Night clubs, casino and all-night bars.
Father. If that is what you really want, here is your share of the money.
Son. Gee. Thanks Dad. You are really quite a cool dude after all.
Scene 2.
Narrator. True to his word, the wasteful son went to the bright lights of downtown ____________ and really partied - drinking, gambling and party-going. He made many friends who helped him spend his money. However, after a few months, all his money had gone - and now his so-called friends didn't want to know him.
Unemployment was high in ____________, and the wasteful son had no money, no job, nowhere to live and very little food to eat. Eventually, he managed to gat a job selling hot dogs from a wheelbarrow.
Son. Hot dogs. Hot dogs. Get your hot dogs here.
Woe is me. Business is bad. Woe is me. Woe is me. WOE IS ME.
I am a fool. I have nowhere to live, no money, no friends, my clothes are dirty and torn, and I only have hot dogs to eat. Even my father's home help is better off than I am. I should never have left home. I know! I will return to my father. I am no longer worthy to be called his son, but perhaps he will give me a job in his lolly shop.
Scene 3.
Narrator. So the wasteful son returned home, wondering what type of reception he would get from his father. He thought that his father would probably be very angry and tell him to clear off. But as he neared home, he saw his father running towards him.
Footsteps.
Son. Father, I have sinned against you and against God. I am not worthy to be called your son.
Father. My son. My son. You have come home. Oh what joy you have given me. You were dead to me and now you are alive. You were lost and now you are found.
Son. But father, I am not worthy to be called your son.
Father. The only thing that matters is that you have come home. We must have a celebration party to welcome you home. Miss _______. Miss _______ .
Home help. Yes sir.
Father. My beloved son has returned home. Make sure he has everything he needs. Give him the best coat, put a ring on his finger, shoes on his feet, and invite all my friends round for a celebration homecoming party.
Home help. Whatever you say sir. Come with me Master _______ . I will get your old room ready for you.
Scene 4.
Narrator. The older son, however, was not as forgiving as his father. As he returned home from working in his father's lolly shop, he heard the sound of joyful music.
Older son. Miss _________ . What on earth is going on?
Home help. Your brother has returned home and your father is jumping for joy. He has given him a bicycle, a computer, a play station, and a big bag of his favourite lollies. He is now having a big celebration party, and he wants you to join them.
Older son. No way! It sounds as though Dad has really gone crazy. Send him out to me please.
Home help. Whatever you say.
Footsteps.
Father. Yes son. What do you want?
Older son. Dad, have you gone completely crazy? That rotten brother of mine has dared to come home, and instead of sending him away, you have welcomed him back as though he had never done any wrong, It is just not fair.
Father. Son, you are with me always, and whatever is mine is yours also. But your brother was dead to me and now he is alive again, he was lost and now he is found. It is only right that we should celebrate his return.
Conclusion.
Narrator. Just like the forgiving father in this play, our heavenly Father waits patiently for his lost children to return home. And when we do, he welcomes us gladly. All our sins are forgiven and forgotten and there is much rejoicing in heaven.
Four gifts from the Father.
In this parable, the father welcomed his son home by giving him four gifts. These gifts each had special significance in 'Bible' days, and they also have their spiritual equivalents for us today as children of our heavenly Father.
1. The best robe (coat). The son had just come from the pigsty. He must have looked and smelled awful. However the father didn't ask his son to clean himself up first. Rather he put the best robe over his dirty clothes. This reminds us that our Father doesn't ask us to clean ourselves up before we come to Him. No, He accepts us just as we are. The Bible in fact talks about a 'Robe of righteousness' which we are given to cover our sins, just as that robe covered the dirty clothes of the son.
2. The ring. This would almost certainly have been the father's 'signet' ring, which would have then enabled his son to conduct business on his behalf. In much the same way, we are given the 'Name of Jesus' to enable us to receive blessings from heaven. That is why we pray "in the Name of Jesus". When we do this, it is just as though Jesus were praying on our behalf.
Imagine your dad giving you his credit card, enabling you to go to the shops and buy whatever you wanted, crediting it all to your dad's account! What a wonderful blessing it is to have 'The Name of Jesus'.
3. Sandals. In 'Bible' days only slaves or servants did not wear sandals or shoes. That father did not want anyone to mistake his son for a servant. No, he wanted everyone to know that this boy was part of his family, he was his beloved son. In the same way, when we put our trust in Jesus and come to the Father, He doesn't make us His servants. No, he makes us his sons and daughters, of whom he is very proud.
4. The prize (fatted) calf. Meals were very important in 'Bible' days. If someone invited you to share a special meal with them, they were in fact inviting you to enter into a covenant relationship with them. By so doing they were in effect stating that all they had was now equally yours. By sharing the prize calf with his son, the father was restoring all his previous rights and privileges of sonship. Everything the father had now also equally belonged to the son. In the same way, God has entered into a covenant relationship with us through Jesus. All the riches of heaven are now rightfully ours, as His children.
Story - A modern Prodigal.
I sometimes use the following true story to complement my teaching on the lost son. I came across it on the Internet sometime ago. Unfortunately I cannot recall the source so, as I will have to retell it here from memory, I cannot vouch for the accuracy of some of the details.
A girl from Glasgow (I will call her Agnes - a good Scottish name!) was unhappy living at home under the rules of her parents. One day she informed her parents that she was leaving home and going to make her own way in the world. Her parents loved their daughter dearly and were very disappointed to hear of her decision. However they saw that Agnes was determined to leave, so didn't try to stop her.
Thus Agnes left her parental home to 'lead her own life', and severed all connections with her parents. She never went back to visit them, never wrote, never phoned and never even sent them a Christmas card. Agnes' parents had no idea where their daughter was or how well she was doing with her new found 'freedom', but they continued to love her and long for her return. The years passed, and the father died. The mother, however, continued to long for the return of her daughter.
Meantime, Agnes has made a series of bad choices. She had chosen the wrong friends, and soon found herself living a lifestyle of alcohol, drugs and gambling. After a number of years Agnes found herself completely destitute, with no job, home or money. Each evening she would go along to a 'soup kitchen' run by a Glasgow church for homeless people.
One evening Agnes happened to glance at the church notice board and saw a photograph of a little elderly lady. She thought "That lady looks rather like my old mother", so she went to have a closer look. To her amazement, it was a photograph of her mother, with a simple message underneath which read. "Agnes, please come home, I still love you." Agnes could hardly believe what she was reading "My mother still loves me and wants me to come home, despite how I have treated her" she thought. Suddenly, just like the lost son in the Bible story, Agnes realised what a fool she had been leaving home, cutting off all communications with her parents and making all those bad lifestyle choices. She determined that she had to go home and see her mum immediately.
It was late in the evening and the buses had stopped running, and of course Agnes couldn't afford a taxi. Thus Agnes walked quite a number of mile all the way back to her old home, arriving in the early hours of the morning. Her first instinct was to knock on the door, but then she thought "No, that might frighten my mum if she hears knocking on the door at this time of the night" Agnes then instinctively reached for the doorknob and turned it. To her amazement, the door swung open.
Agnes began to worry. "Why was the door unlocked at this time of the night? Perhaps burglars have got in? Perhaps something has happened to my mum?" Making her way quickly to the bedroom, Agnes found her mother asleep in her bed. Waking her up, Agnes announced "Mum, it's me, Agnes. I saw your note. I have come home."
Mother and daughter embraced, then Agnes asked "Mum, I thought something bad had happened to you. Why did you leave the front door unlocked?" Her mother replied "Agnes, I have never locked the front door since the day you left - just in case one night you decided to come home!"
Conclusion. No matter how far our wrong choices take us away from Father God, his door is always open to us.
Game 1 - The Forgiveness game.
Here is a good game to use with your 'lost son' story, or indeed any teaching concerning God's desire to forgive our sins.
This is based on the popular game 'Simon says' (You give out instructions to the children prefaced by "Simon says". For example, Simon says - - - stand up - - - jump - - - - stop jumping - - - - put your hands on your head - - - - etc. etc. However, if you give out an instruction without prefacing it with "Simon says" and the child carries it out, he/she is eliminated).
When I play this game, I use 'Jesus says' rather than 'Simon says'. I explain to the children that if they do something wrong and are thus eliminated, I will put a X on the back of their hands. They then have to remember what it was that they did wrong. Begin the game. After a few children have been eliminated, suspend the game and ask the 'eliminated' ones what they did wrong. If they remember and confess their 'wrongdoing', rub off their X and allow them to rejoin the game. (Those that don't confess their 'wrongdoing' remain out of the game). Explain that in much the same way, if we confess our wrongdoing to God, he will always forgive us, wipe out our sin, and give us a fresh start. Continue the game in the same way for as long as you wish.
Game 2 - Forgiving others.
The father in the lost son story was eager to forgive, but the older brother was not. Explain that if we want God to forgive us when we do wrong, we must forgive others that have done wrong to us (Matthew 6. v. 14, 15). (For more on this, see Teaching tip 12 - The Lord's prayer, Newsletter 24). Forgiving others usually seems an easy thing to do - if we actually have nobody we need to forgive! However, if we do have somebody we need to forgive, we usually find it is a hard thing to do.
In much the same way the following game sounds very easy to do, but when they actually try it out, most children find it hard.
Give each volunteer two round inflated balloons. All they have to do is keep the balloons up in the air for 30 seconds. (They are not allowed to hold on to the balloons or let them rest on their hands, but must keep them bouncing). If one of the balloons hits the floor - or any other object - within the 30 seconds, they have failed. You will probably find that most children are unable to do this 'simple' task.
Web sites for children.
Here are five web sites that you could safely encourage your children to visit :-
http://www.toyboxtales.com/index.html.
http://www.whitsend.org/imagine/index.html.
http://www.kingscall.org/
http://www.kidsranch.org/
http://hikidz.com/
Things kids say.
We were having Sunday dinner at Grandmother's house.
Everyone was seated around the table as the food was being served. When our son received his plate, he started eating right away.
"Son, wait until we say our prayer," his mother reminded him.
"I don't have to," the little boy replied spryly.
"Of course you do," his mother insisted, "we say a prayer before eating at our house."
"That's at our house," The youngster explained, "but this is Grandma's house and she knows how to cook!"
========================
An exasperated mother, whose son was always getting into mischief, finally asked him, "How do you expect to get into Heaven?"
The boy thought it over and said, "Well, I'll just run in and out and in and out and keep slamming the door until St. Peter says, 'For Heaven's sake, Jimmy, come in or stay out!'"
===============================
My son Zachary, 4, came screaming out of the bathroom to tell me he'd dropped his toothbrush in the toilet. So I fished it out and threw it in the garbage. Zachary stood there thinking for a moment, then ran to my bathroom and came out with my toothbrush. He held it up and said with a charming little smile, "We better throw this one out too then, 'cause it fell in the toilet a few days ago."
===============================
A Sunday School teacher asked her pupils, "Now, children, do you all say your prayers at night?"
A little boy answered: "My MUMMY says my prayers."
"I see," said the teacher, "and what does your Mummy SAY?"
Replied the little boy: "THANK GOD HE'S IN BED!"
===============================
One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out, in contrast on her brunette head.
She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, "Mommy, why are some of your hairs white?"
Her mother replied, "Well, every time you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white."
The little girl was silent for a while, and then said, "Poor Grandma. You must have been a very, very bad girl."
===============================
The child was a typical four-year-old girl -- cute, inquisitive, bright as a new penny. When she expressed difficulty in grasping the concept of marriage, her father decided to pull out his wedding photo album, thinking visual images would help. One page after another, he pointed out the bride arriving at the church, the entrance, the wedding ceremony, the recessional, the reception, etc.
"Now do you understand?" he asked.
"I think so," she said, "is that when mommy came to work for us?"
Sobering Blessings
(Author unknown)
If you woke up this morning
with more health than illness,
you are more blessed than the
million who won't survive the week.
If you have never experienced
the danger of battle,
the loneliness of imprisonment,
the agony of torture or
the pangs of starvation,
you are ahead of 20 million people
around the world.
If you attend a church meeting
without fear of harassment,
arrest, torture, or death,
you are more blessed than almost
three billion people in the world.
If you have food in your refrigerator,
clothes on your back, a roof over
your head and a place to sleep,
you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank,
in your wallet, and spare change
in a dish someplace, you are among
the top 8% of the world's wealthy.
If you hold up your head with a smile
on your face and are truly thankful,
you are blessed because the majority can,
but most do not.
If you can read this message,
you are more blessed than over
two billion people in the world
that cannot read anything at all.
You are so blessed in ways
you may never even know.
( Give thanks to God! ).
Contents.
Teaching tip 22 - The lost son.
Play - The lost son.
Four gifts from the Father.
Story - A modern Prodigal.
Game 1 - The Forgiveness game.
Game 2 - Forgiving others.
Web sites for children.
Things kids say.
Sobering Blessings.
Thanks to all of you who take the time to comment on my Newsletters. It is always encouraging to know that my lessons are of benefit to others and are being used in different situations and locations. The response to my last Newsletter was greater than usual. It seems like 'The lost sheep' is a popular story! This month I have shared some ideas on a similar parable - The lost son. I hope that you will all find something here to enhance your ministry to children.
It is also gratifying to know that my puppet play "What is Easter all about?" is still being widely used. It is posted on a number of Internet sites, but one of them (Dramatix) asks people to notify the author if they are intending to perform their play. Many people emailed me around Easter time to say that they had or would be using it.
I have been asked if, by sharing so many of my lessons, Christians (in New Zealand) are less likely to invite me to present a Children's programme at their church or organisation - because they now teach the lessons themselves? I think the answer is "no" (but even if it were "yes", the important thing is that good Christian lessons are shared, not who actually shares them), because my 'invited' Children's presentations usually contain many illusions using specialised equipment (plus a mixture of ventriloquism, puppet plays, fun stories and balloon modelling). I have not shared about these illusions in my Newsletters, simply because very few of you will have the necessary equipment to carry them out. I do share some illusions from time to time (see my object lesson site), but only those using inexpensive materials such as paper or rope. The majority of lessons that I share with you are born out of years of experience in taking regular Primary school and Sunday school classes.
Maurice Sweetsur
Email: mnmsweetsur@xtra.co.nz
Web sites: All Newsletters - http://mauricesweetsur.blogspot.com/
Object lessons - http://objectlessons.blogspot.com/
Teaching tips - http://teachinglessons.blogspot.com/
Teaching tip 22 - The lost son.
Play - The lost son.
Here is a play based on Jesus' famous parable of the lost son (sometimes called the prodigal or the wasteful son). I use it with my classes, having first retold the parable itself. The play is set in the present time and has four scenes, involving four actors - the father, the younger son, the older son and a home help. There is a narrative to introduce each scene. I select a good reader to do this, or sometimes do it myself with a slightly younger class.
This play is more suitable for 9 year olds and upwards. I usually do it as a radio play by recording the children as they read their parts, and conclude by playing it back to the whole class. Prior selection of the younger son and the servant will enable you to personalise the play by inserting their names into the script.
Note. For younger children this could be used as a puppet play.
Scene 1.
Narrator. This is a play about a patient father and his wasteful son. The first scene takes place in a house somewhere near ____________ (name of local street) in ___________ (name of local town or city).
(Younger) son. Hi Dad.
Father. Yes son.
Son. Is it true that when you die, I will get half your money?
Father. Yes son. Your brother and you will share my savings in the __________ bank.
Son. Well I can't wait until you die. I want my share now.
Father. Why is that son?
Son. I am tired of school and living around here. I want to go to downtown _____________ (name of nearest large city) and really party - in the Night clubs, casino and all-night bars.
Father. If that is what you really want, here is your share of the money.
Son. Gee. Thanks Dad. You are really quite a cool dude after all.
Scene 2.
Narrator. True to his word, the wasteful son went to the bright lights of downtown ____________ and really partied - drinking, gambling and party-going. He made many friends who helped him spend his money. However, after a few months, all his money had gone - and now his so-called friends didn't want to know him.
Unemployment was high in ____________, and the wasteful son had no money, no job, nowhere to live and very little food to eat. Eventually, he managed to gat a job selling hot dogs from a wheelbarrow.
Son. Hot dogs. Hot dogs. Get your hot dogs here.
Woe is me. Business is bad. Woe is me. Woe is me. WOE IS ME.
I am a fool. I have nowhere to live, no money, no friends, my clothes are dirty and torn, and I only have hot dogs to eat. Even my father's home help is better off than I am. I should never have left home. I know! I will return to my father. I am no longer worthy to be called his son, but perhaps he will give me a job in his lolly shop.
Scene 3.
Narrator. So the wasteful son returned home, wondering what type of reception he would get from his father. He thought that his father would probably be very angry and tell him to clear off. But as he neared home, he saw his father running towards him.
Footsteps.
Son. Father, I have sinned against you and against God. I am not worthy to be called your son.
Father. My son. My son. You have come home. Oh what joy you have given me. You were dead to me and now you are alive. You were lost and now you are found.
Son. But father, I am not worthy to be called your son.
Father. The only thing that matters is that you have come home. We must have a celebration party to welcome you home. Miss _______. Miss _______ .
Home help. Yes sir.
Father. My beloved son has returned home. Make sure he has everything he needs. Give him the best coat, put a ring on his finger, shoes on his feet, and invite all my friends round for a celebration homecoming party.
Home help. Whatever you say sir. Come with me Master _______ . I will get your old room ready for you.
Scene 4.
Narrator. The older son, however, was not as forgiving as his father. As he returned home from working in his father's lolly shop, he heard the sound of joyful music.
Older son. Miss _________ . What on earth is going on?
Home help. Your brother has returned home and your father is jumping for joy. He has given him a bicycle, a computer, a play station, and a big bag of his favourite lollies. He is now having a big celebration party, and he wants you to join them.
Older son. No way! It sounds as though Dad has really gone crazy. Send him out to me please.
Home help. Whatever you say.
Footsteps.
Father. Yes son. What do you want?
Older son. Dad, have you gone completely crazy? That rotten brother of mine has dared to come home, and instead of sending him away, you have welcomed him back as though he had never done any wrong, It is just not fair.
Father. Son, you are with me always, and whatever is mine is yours also. But your brother was dead to me and now he is alive again, he was lost and now he is found. It is only right that we should celebrate his return.
Conclusion.
Narrator. Just like the forgiving father in this play, our heavenly Father waits patiently for his lost children to return home. And when we do, he welcomes us gladly. All our sins are forgiven and forgotten and there is much rejoicing in heaven.
Four gifts from the Father.
In this parable, the father welcomed his son home by giving him four gifts. These gifts each had special significance in 'Bible' days, and they also have their spiritual equivalents for us today as children of our heavenly Father.
1. The best robe (coat). The son had just come from the pigsty. He must have looked and smelled awful. However the father didn't ask his son to clean himself up first. Rather he put the best robe over his dirty clothes. This reminds us that our Father doesn't ask us to clean ourselves up before we come to Him. No, He accepts us just as we are. The Bible in fact talks about a 'Robe of righteousness' which we are given to cover our sins, just as that robe covered the dirty clothes of the son.
2. The ring. This would almost certainly have been the father's 'signet' ring, which would have then enabled his son to conduct business on his behalf. In much the same way, we are given the 'Name of Jesus' to enable us to receive blessings from heaven. That is why we pray "in the Name of Jesus". When we do this, it is just as though Jesus were praying on our behalf.
Imagine your dad giving you his credit card, enabling you to go to the shops and buy whatever you wanted, crediting it all to your dad's account! What a wonderful blessing it is to have 'The Name of Jesus'.
3. Sandals. In 'Bible' days only slaves or servants did not wear sandals or shoes. That father did not want anyone to mistake his son for a servant. No, he wanted everyone to know that this boy was part of his family, he was his beloved son. In the same way, when we put our trust in Jesus and come to the Father, He doesn't make us His servants. No, he makes us his sons and daughters, of whom he is very proud.
4. The prize (fatted) calf. Meals were very important in 'Bible' days. If someone invited you to share a special meal with them, they were in fact inviting you to enter into a covenant relationship with them. By so doing they were in effect stating that all they had was now equally yours. By sharing the prize calf with his son, the father was restoring all his previous rights and privileges of sonship. Everything the father had now also equally belonged to the son. In the same way, God has entered into a covenant relationship with us through Jesus. All the riches of heaven are now rightfully ours, as His children.
Story - A modern Prodigal.
I sometimes use the following true story to complement my teaching on the lost son. I came across it on the Internet sometime ago. Unfortunately I cannot recall the source so, as I will have to retell it here from memory, I cannot vouch for the accuracy of some of the details.
A girl from Glasgow (I will call her Agnes - a good Scottish name!) was unhappy living at home under the rules of her parents. One day she informed her parents that she was leaving home and going to make her own way in the world. Her parents loved their daughter dearly and were very disappointed to hear of her decision. However they saw that Agnes was determined to leave, so didn't try to stop her.
Thus Agnes left her parental home to 'lead her own life', and severed all connections with her parents. She never went back to visit them, never wrote, never phoned and never even sent them a Christmas card. Agnes' parents had no idea where their daughter was or how well she was doing with her new found 'freedom', but they continued to love her and long for her return. The years passed, and the father died. The mother, however, continued to long for the return of her daughter.
Meantime, Agnes has made a series of bad choices. She had chosen the wrong friends, and soon found herself living a lifestyle of alcohol, drugs and gambling. After a number of years Agnes found herself completely destitute, with no job, home or money. Each evening she would go along to a 'soup kitchen' run by a Glasgow church for homeless people.
One evening Agnes happened to glance at the church notice board and saw a photograph of a little elderly lady. She thought "That lady looks rather like my old mother", so she went to have a closer look. To her amazement, it was a photograph of her mother, with a simple message underneath which read. "Agnes, please come home, I still love you." Agnes could hardly believe what she was reading "My mother still loves me and wants me to come home, despite how I have treated her" she thought. Suddenly, just like the lost son in the Bible story, Agnes realised what a fool she had been leaving home, cutting off all communications with her parents and making all those bad lifestyle choices. She determined that she had to go home and see her mum immediately.
It was late in the evening and the buses had stopped running, and of course Agnes couldn't afford a taxi. Thus Agnes walked quite a number of mile all the way back to her old home, arriving in the early hours of the morning. Her first instinct was to knock on the door, but then she thought "No, that might frighten my mum if she hears knocking on the door at this time of the night" Agnes then instinctively reached for the doorknob and turned it. To her amazement, the door swung open.
Agnes began to worry. "Why was the door unlocked at this time of the night? Perhaps burglars have got in? Perhaps something has happened to my mum?" Making her way quickly to the bedroom, Agnes found her mother asleep in her bed. Waking her up, Agnes announced "Mum, it's me, Agnes. I saw your note. I have come home."
Mother and daughter embraced, then Agnes asked "Mum, I thought something bad had happened to you. Why did you leave the front door unlocked?" Her mother replied "Agnes, I have never locked the front door since the day you left - just in case one night you decided to come home!"
Conclusion. No matter how far our wrong choices take us away from Father God, his door is always open to us.
Game 1 - The Forgiveness game.
Here is a good game to use with your 'lost son' story, or indeed any teaching concerning God's desire to forgive our sins.
This is based on the popular game 'Simon says' (You give out instructions to the children prefaced by "Simon says". For example, Simon says - - - stand up - - - jump - - - - stop jumping - - - - put your hands on your head - - - - etc. etc. However, if you give out an instruction without prefacing it with "Simon says" and the child carries it out, he/she is eliminated).
When I play this game, I use 'Jesus says' rather than 'Simon says'. I explain to the children that if they do something wrong and are thus eliminated, I will put a X on the back of their hands. They then have to remember what it was that they did wrong. Begin the game. After a few children have been eliminated, suspend the game and ask the 'eliminated' ones what they did wrong. If they remember and confess their 'wrongdoing', rub off their X and allow them to rejoin the game. (Those that don't confess their 'wrongdoing' remain out of the game). Explain that in much the same way, if we confess our wrongdoing to God, he will always forgive us, wipe out our sin, and give us a fresh start. Continue the game in the same way for as long as you wish.
Game 2 - Forgiving others.
The father in the lost son story was eager to forgive, but the older brother was not. Explain that if we want God to forgive us when we do wrong, we must forgive others that have done wrong to us (Matthew 6. v. 14, 15). (For more on this, see Teaching tip 12 - The Lord's prayer, Newsletter 24). Forgiving others usually seems an easy thing to do - if we actually have nobody we need to forgive! However, if we do have somebody we need to forgive, we usually find it is a hard thing to do.
In much the same way the following game sounds very easy to do, but when they actually try it out, most children find it hard.
Give each volunteer two round inflated balloons. All they have to do is keep the balloons up in the air for 30 seconds. (They are not allowed to hold on to the balloons or let them rest on their hands, but must keep them bouncing). If one of the balloons hits the floor - or any other object - within the 30 seconds, they have failed. You will probably find that most children are unable to do this 'simple' task.
Web sites for children.
Here are five web sites that you could safely encourage your children to visit :-
http://www.toyboxtales.com/index.html.
http://www.whitsend.org/imagine/index.html.
http://www.kingscall.org/
http://www.kidsranch.org/
http://hikidz.com/
Things kids say.
We were having Sunday dinner at Grandmother's house.
Everyone was seated around the table as the food was being served. When our son received his plate, he started eating right away.
"Son, wait until we say our prayer," his mother reminded him.
"I don't have to," the little boy replied spryly.
"Of course you do," his mother insisted, "we say a prayer before eating at our house."
"That's at our house," The youngster explained, "but this is Grandma's house and she knows how to cook!"
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An exasperated mother, whose son was always getting into mischief, finally asked him, "How do you expect to get into Heaven?"
The boy thought it over and said, "Well, I'll just run in and out and in and out and keep slamming the door until St. Peter says, 'For Heaven's sake, Jimmy, come in or stay out!'"
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My son Zachary, 4, came screaming out of the bathroom to tell me he'd dropped his toothbrush in the toilet. So I fished it out and threw it in the garbage. Zachary stood there thinking for a moment, then ran to my bathroom and came out with my toothbrush. He held it up and said with a charming little smile, "We better throw this one out too then, 'cause it fell in the toilet a few days ago."
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A Sunday School teacher asked her pupils, "Now, children, do you all say your prayers at night?"
A little boy answered: "My MUMMY says my prayers."
"I see," said the teacher, "and what does your Mummy SAY?"
Replied the little boy: "THANK GOD HE'S IN BED!"
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One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out, in contrast on her brunette head.
She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, "Mommy, why are some of your hairs white?"
Her mother replied, "Well, every time you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white."
The little girl was silent for a while, and then said, "Poor Grandma. You must have been a very, very bad girl."
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The child was a typical four-year-old girl -- cute, inquisitive, bright as a new penny. When she expressed difficulty in grasping the concept of marriage, her father decided to pull out his wedding photo album, thinking visual images would help. One page after another, he pointed out the bride arriving at the church, the entrance, the wedding ceremony, the recessional, the reception, etc.
"Now do you understand?" he asked.
"I think so," she said, "is that when mommy came to work for us?"
Sobering Blessings
(Author unknown)
If you woke up this morning
with more health than illness,
you are more blessed than the
million who won't survive the week.
If you have never experienced
the danger of battle,
the loneliness of imprisonment,
the agony of torture or
the pangs of starvation,
you are ahead of 20 million people
around the world.
If you attend a church meeting
without fear of harassment,
arrest, torture, or death,
you are more blessed than almost
three billion people in the world.
If you have food in your refrigerator,
clothes on your back, a roof over
your head and a place to sleep,
you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank,
in your wallet, and spare change
in a dish someplace, you are among
the top 8% of the world's wealthy.
If you hold up your head with a smile
on your face and are truly thankful,
you are blessed because the majority can,
but most do not.
If you can read this message,
you are more blessed than over
two billion people in the world
that cannot read anything at all.
You are so blessed in ways
you may never even know.
( Give thanks to God! ).
posted by Maurice Sweetsur @ 3:14 AM
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