Newsletter 75.
Newsletter 75.
New 'Special Blogs'.
The next three of these 'Special Blogs' (Nos. 9 to 11) are now in place. The remainder will be available for viewing shortly.
Already Available.
1. Creation. www.ms-creation.blogspot.com 2. Christmas. www.ms-christmas.blogspot.com 3. Easter. www.ms-easter.blogspot.com 4. The Bible. www.ms-bible.blogspot.com
5. Prayer. www.ms-prayer.blogspot.com 6. Hearing from God. www.ms-hearing.blogspot.com 7. The Ten Commandments. www.ms-tencommandments.blogspot.com 8. John 3.16. www.ms-john316.blogspot.com
9. Teaching Memory verses. www.ms-memoryverses.blogspot.com 10. Gospel Illusions. www.ms-gospelillusions.blogspot.com 11. Object Lessons (using natural laws). www.ms-objectlessons.blogspot.com
Coming soon.
12. Lessons involving balloons. www.ms-balloons.blogspot.com 13. Lessons involving fire. www.ms-firelessons.blogspot.com
Maurice Sweetsur
Contents.
T.T. 50 - The Church.
O.L. 36 - The fair distribution of food.
Story - Jesus for tea.
T.T. 51 - The road of life.
Ice breaker - Colour trick.
Kids and love.
"Little Johnny" funnies.
Teaching tip 50 - The Church.
It never ceases to surprise me that, even among children that regularly attend church, there is a general lack of knowledge as to what the church actually is. Many have little idea of why they go to church (other than their parents take them), how the church started, or what it's function in society is. But don't take my word for it! If you teach Sunday school, ask your children 1. Why they come to church? and 2. What does the church do? I think you may be surprised by their answers (or lack of them!).
When teaching on the function of the church, I always begin with it's origin and early development as described in "Acts". I then ensure that the children realise that the church is not a building. Rather it is made up of PEOPLE - who have all put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. I then ask the two questions mentioned above. Here is how I answer them.
Why go to church?
1. God tells us to (See Hebrews10.25).
It is a question of obedience. If Jesus is Lord of your life, that means that you are obedient to him. You can hardly say "Jesus, you are my Lord, but I am not going to do what you tell me!" Of course not. You would be contradicting yourself. If that was your attitude, then Jesus wouldn't really be Lord of your life.
"I enjoy going to church regularly, but even if I didn't, I would still go - because Jesus is my Lord, and I have to be obedient to him. Most of you children probably come to church or Sunday school because your parents bring you, or send you along. But when you are older, you will have to decide for yourselves. But if you are serious about living for Jesus, then regular church attendance should be a priority."
2. To meet together as a family / team.
Everyone who has put their trust in Jesus is now part of God's special family. And families meet together, and do things together. It would be a very strange family indeed if the members hardly ever saw each other, or never did things together, like sharing a meal!
Another way of looking at this is to realise that now we are all part of God's team to help bring about His Kingdom on earth.
"Suppose I were to tell you that I was a soccer player. You might reply, "You are, which team do you play for? Manchester United? Real Madrid?" If I replied "I don't actually play for a team", you would say "Oh, come on teacher, you can't be a soccer player and not play for a team." And you would be quite right. In the same way, you can't really be a true Christian and not be part of a local team, or church."
Imagine many coals burning brightly together. Suddenly one of the individual coals falls away from the fire. What will happen to it? Answer. It will burn less and less brightly until eventually it goes out and becomes cold. That is a typical 'picture' of the individual Christian who comes away from the Church and tries to live for Jesus on his own. He will grow cold, and probably give up his faith altogether. We all need the help, support and encouragement of other church members. In the Bible, there is no such thing as an "Individual Christian".
3. To help find God's plan for your life.
God has a special plan for each one of you which is far more wonderful than any plans you may have for yourselves. By going to church, you will meet people who will help you discover what God wants you to do with your life.
4. To help you on your way to heaven.
God wants us all to live with him in heaven. However, our journey to heaven can be a long and dangerous one. We have enemies who don't want us to get to heaven, but by going regularly to church, we can find out how to beat them.
What does the church do?
1. Worship God.
The word 'Worship' is derived from the word 'Worth'. God is indeed worthy of all we can give him. Without God, we would have nothing. In fact we wouldn't even be alive. Everything we have comes from Him. Christians realise this and meet together to give back to God a little of what He has already given us. This might include thanks, praise, love, money, etc.
2. To continue the work of Jesus.
A. Telling others about Jesus.
Jesus wants EVERYONE to know about Him, and what He did for us all on the cross. And He has chosen His church (every believer) to spread this GOOD NEWS throughout the whole earth. It is exciting to be part of this because Jesus promised that when every group of people have heard this GOOD NEWS, then He will return to earth and set up His Kingdom.
B. Demonstrating God's love.
It is no good telling people that God loves them if, at the same time, we don't demonstrate His love by helping others in whatever ways we can.
Jesus loves everyone, but when He was here on earth, He was particularly concerned for the poor, the sick, the weak, the oppressed and the elderly. As part of His church, we should likewise be especially concerned for these groups.
Although the church is not perfect, and has made mistakes, generally, over the last 2,000 years, it has been effective in demonstrating God's love to the world. Much of what is good in society today has been started by the church. Examples include many early schools, universities, hospitals, and organizations such as the scouts, guides, boys and girls' brigades.
It has also been the church that were first to speak out against evils in society such as slavery, child labour and racism.
The church is not only concerned with what is happening in it's own neighbourhood or even country. It also has a good record of sending resources (including people and money) to help the needy in "poor" countries. You may have heard of agencies such as World Vision and Tear Fund which are involved in this.
As someone once said "The church is the only organization which exists for the benefit of it's non members."
Note. You may wish to conclude by giving a few examples of what your church is doing to reach others for Jesus and help meet their needs.
The following object lesson and story are ideal for complementing your teaching on what the church does.
Object Lesson 36 - The fair distribution of food.
Many children believe that there are starving people in some countries because there is a world-wide food shortage. Here is an illustration to help children understand that the problem is not one of food shortage, but rather one of unfair or unequal food distribution.
Preparation. Get a piece of cardboard, and write on it the letters and numbers as shown below :-
A = 1
B = 2
C = 3
D = 4
E = 0
Cover each number with individual small pieces of card or paper.
Next, get as many pieces of plain paper as their are children in your group, write on each one A,B,C,D, or E. Ensure you have far more E's than the other letters, and the total of the corresponding numbers add up to the total number of children. For example, if I have 30 children in my group, I will write out three A's (total = 3), three B's (total = 6), three C's (total = 9), three D's (total = 12) and eighteen E's (total = 0). Fold the papers over, and place in a box.
Get a bag of sweets (lollies / candies ), just enough for one per child.
Presentation. Produce your sweets, box of folded papers, and prepared card. Announce that you are going to share the sweets with the group, according to what is written on the paper each child is about to receive. Let each child choose a paper and unfold it to reveal the letter.
Ask "Who has got an 'A'?" Take the cover off the number next to your 'A' to reveal a '1'. "You will all get 1 sweet."
"Who has got a 'B'? ------------------------- You will all get 2 sweets."
"Who has got a 'C'? ------------------------- You will all get 3 sweets." ( By now, those with an 'E' will be getting excited).
"Who has got a 'D'? ------------------------- You will all get 4 sweets."
"Who has got an 'E'. More than half the children will put their hands up in eager anticipation. Remove the last cover. ------------------ "Oh dear! You will get no sweets!"
After the 'groans' have died down, ask the children if they think it fair that some children should get 3 or 4 sweets while many others will get none? Even those children due to get 3 or 4 sweets will usually agree that this is not a fair way of sharing. Ask the children if they can think of a fairer way of sharing the sweets? Mention that you have just noticed that the total number of sweets is the same as the number of children present. The children should soon come to a consensus that a better way of sharing out the sweets is for each child to get one each. State that you agree with them. and distribute accordingly.
Conclusion. "In some countries many boys and girls go to bed hungry every night because they don't have enough food to eat. The problem is not because of a world food shortage, but rather an unequal distribution of the ample food that is grown. As Christians, we should be thinking of ways in which we can make this distribution more fair, and ensure that everyone gets enough food to eat."
Story - Jesus for tea.
The following story has been around for many years in various forms. The following is the version I use.
A lady once had a dream. In that dream, her telephone rang, and the voice at the other end said "this is Jesus. I am coming for tea with you this afternoon at 4 p.m."
The lady was highly excited at the thought of Jesus coming for tea with her. But then she thought "What can I give Jesus to eat? I know, I will bake him my favourite chocolate cake. Everybody likes that." And then she remembered that her house needed a tidy up. So she set to work making the cake and cleaning up the house.
At 3.30 p.m. the doorbell rang. "Oh no" the lady thought, "Jesus has come early and I still haven't finished vacuuming the carpet - and my cake is still in the oven." On opening the door, the lady discovered that it wasn't Jesus calling, but rather a man and his wife. Politely, the wife asked "I wonder if you could help us out? My husband lost his job a few months ago, and as we hadn't got enough money to pay the rent on our home we were evicted this morning. We have nowhere to stay, no money for food, and it is bitterly cold out here. Could you possibly give us a few dollars so that we could go and get a warm cup of coffee from McDonalds? The lady replied "I would like to help you, I really would, but I just can't spare you the time. I have Jesus coming for tea at 4 p.m. and I am not ready for him yet. Why don't you go and ask some of my neighbours? I am sure one of them will be able to help you. The lady closed the door and finished off her cleaning.
At 3.45 p.m. the doorbell rang again. "Oh no" the lady thought "Jesus is early. I have finished my cleaning, but my cake is still in the oven." This time the caller wasn't Jesus, but a young girl shivering in the cold in her thin, threadbare clothes. She said "It is bitterly cold out here and my clothes are so thin. I wonder if you have any old clothes you could let me have that would be a little warmer than these?" The lady thought for a moment, then said "I do have some warm clothes in my attic that I think would fit you really well. But I don't have time to look for them right now because I have Jesus coming for tea shortly, and the cake I am making him isn't finished yet. If you come back tomorrow though, I will have plenty of time to look out the clothes for you." The lady closed the door and finished making the cake. Now she was ready for Jesus.
At 4 p.m. the doorbell rang for the third time. "Just as I thought" said the lady to herself, "Jesus is right on time." This time, however, a young boy stood on her doorstep. "Please can you help me" he said, "I have had nothing to eat all day, and I am very hungry. I wondered if you would give me a little food?" The lady replied, "I have just taken a chocolate cake out of the oven. I am sure you would enjoy it - - - - but, I'm sorry I can't let you have a slice right now. Jesus is coming to have tea with me very soon. I have made this cake for him, and I couldn't possibly offer it to him with a slice already missing. If you come back tomorrow though, you can have all the cake that is still left." The lady shut the door and began to wait for Jesus' arrival.
At 4.30 Jesus still hadn't arrived. At 5 p.m. the lady was still waiting. At 5.30 she began to think that Jesus wasn't going to come. At 6 p.m. her telephone rang. The voice at the other end said "This is Jesus." "Oh Jesus" replied the lady "Where have you been? You were supposed to come for tea with me this afternoon. Why didn't you come?" Jesus replied "But I did come. In fact I came three times - and each time you sent me away with nothing!"
CONCLUSION.
If Jesus were to come into this classroom while you were all eating your lunch and say "I am hungry", I am sure that you would all jump up and say to him something like "Jesus, please share some of my lunch. I will be delighted to give you some." If, however, a stranger were to come into the classroom and say "I am hungry", would you all still be so willing to share your lunch with him? Probably not. You may say "Why should I share with you?", or "Why don't you go and get your own lunch?"
Jesus taught us that if we give to others, we are actually giving to him. But if we refuse to give to others who are in need, we are refusing him (Matthew 25. 34-36). I have news for you. Jesus is not going to visit you in person. But as you go through life you will meet many people in need that you could help. Remember therefore, if you do give to them, you are actually giving to Jesus, but if you refuse to help them you are really refusing Jesus.
Teaching tip 51 - The road of life.
Preparation.
Take a piece of cardboard and draw the "road of life" on it (Unfortunately I have not been able to upload this diagram from my computer. Email me if you would like a copy - mnmsweetsur@xtra.co.nz ). Show it to your class.
Presentation.
"I call this my "Road of life". Everyone is on a journey through life and, as you can see, this road has three lanes.
The left hand lane (marked Good) is travelled by the good people. Those who try hard to be good and kind to others. They try to avoid doing anything wrong and would never deliberately hurt anyone. They probably believe in God, and may well go to church every week.
The centre lane (marked Middle) is travelled by most people. They do a few good deeds, but usually only towards their family and friends. They don't do anything really bad, but will sometimes act selfishly, tell a few lies and cheat others if they think it will benefit themselves.
The right hand lane (marked Bad) is travelled by criminals, those who set out to hurt or rob others.
But do you notice? All three groups of travellers are heading in the same direction - towards Death and Destruction! Because of the selfish nature we are all born with, we are all heading for an eternity without God. But God doesn't want us to go that way. He wants us all to spend eternity with Him in heaven. And, as you can see, He has provided a way for us to get there through His Son, Jesus. Jesus says "I am the way." You will also note that God has provided signs along the way to help us find our way to Jesus, and then to heaven. Some of God's signs may include His wonderful creative acts that are all around us, an unexpected act of kindness by someone towards us, or a word of direction or encouragement from a Christian parent or friend.
Do you notice something interesting about this road of life? The exit to heaven is on the right. Next to the "Bad " lane! Many people think that those travelling on the "Good" lane are the most likely to get to heaven. That is not true. It is just as easy for a "Bad lane" traveller to come to Jesus as it is for a "Good lane" traveller. In fact, some times it is easier for those on the "Bad" lane. This is because those on the "Good" lane are sometimes too proud to come to Jesus. They think that God will accept them because of their good deeds. But they are mistaken. Nobody can be good enough. Conversely, those on the "Bad" lane are often aware of their sins and realise that they nees Jesus to forgive them.
So, no matter which lane you are travelling along, remember that the only way to heaven is through Jesus."
Ice breaker - Colour trick.
Look at the chart below, and QUICKLY say the COLOR, not the word:
YELLOW
ORANGE
BLUE
BLACK
GREEN
RED
YELLOW
PURPLE
RED
ORANGE
GREEN
YELLOW
Kids and love.
WHAT EXACTLY IS MARRIAGE??
"Marriage is when you get to keep your girl and don't have to give her back to her parents."Eric, 6
HOW DOES A PERSON DECIDE WHOM TO MARRY??"
You toss a coin and heads means you stay with him and tails means you try the next one."Kelly, 9
WHAT'S THE PROPER AGE TO GET MARRIED?
"Eighty-four, because at that , you don't have to work anymore, and you can spend all your time loving each other."Carolyn, 8"
Once I'm done with kindergarten, I'm going to find me a wife."Bert, 5
WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE??"On the first date, they just tell each other lies, and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date."Martin, 10
WHAT IS FALLING IN LOVE IS LIKE?
"If falling in love is anything like learning how to spell, I don't want to do it. It takes too long."Leo, 7
WHAT ROLE DOES GOOD LOOKS PLAY IN LOVE?"
It isn't always just how you look. Look at me. I'm handsome like anything and I haven't got anybody to marry me yet."Gary, 7
CONFIDENTIAL OPINIONS ABOUT LOVE
"I'm in favour of love as long as it doesn't happen when 'The Simpsons' are on TV."Anita, 6
"Love will find you, even if you are trying to hide from it. I have been trying to hide from it since I was five, but the girls keep finding me."Bobby, 8
SOME SUREFIRE WAYS TO MAKE A PERSON FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU
"Tell them that you own a whole bunch of candy stores."Del, 6
"Don't do things like have smelly, green sneakers. You might get attention, but attention ain't the same thing as love."Alonzo, 9
"One way is to take the girl out to eat. Make sure it's something she likes to eat. French fries usually works for me."Bart, 9
"Little Johnny" funnies.
1. A new teacher was trying to make use of her psychology courses. She started her class by saying, "Everyone who thinks you're stupid, stand up!"After a few seconds, Little Johnny stood up.The teacher said, "Do you think you're stupid, Little Johnny?"No, ma'am, but I hate to see you standing there all by yourself!"
2. At Sunday School they were teaching how God created everything, including human beings. Little Johnny seemed especially intent when they told him how Eve was created out of one of Adam's ribs.Later in the week his mother noticed him lying down as though he were ill, and asked, "Johnny what's the matter?"Little Johnny responded, "I have a pain in my side. I think I'm going to have a wife."
New 'Special Blogs'.
The next three of these 'Special Blogs' (Nos. 9 to 11) are now in place. The remainder will be available for viewing shortly.
Already Available.
1. Creation. www.ms-creation.blogspot.com 2. Christmas. www.ms-christmas.blogspot.com 3. Easter. www.ms-easter.blogspot.com 4. The Bible. www.ms-bible.blogspot.com
5. Prayer. www.ms-prayer.blogspot.com 6. Hearing from God. www.ms-hearing.blogspot.com 7. The Ten Commandments. www.ms-tencommandments.blogspot.com 8. John 3.16. www.ms-john316.blogspot.com
9. Teaching Memory verses. www.ms-memoryverses.blogspot.com 10. Gospel Illusions. www.ms-gospelillusions.blogspot.com 11. Object Lessons (using natural laws). www.ms-objectlessons.blogspot.com
Coming soon.
12. Lessons involving balloons. www.ms-balloons.blogspot.com 13. Lessons involving fire. www.ms-firelessons.blogspot.com
Maurice Sweetsur
Contents.
T.T. 50 - The Church.
O.L. 36 - The fair distribution of food.
Story - Jesus for tea.
T.T. 51 - The road of life.
Ice breaker - Colour trick.
Kids and love.
"Little Johnny" funnies.
Teaching tip 50 - The Church.
It never ceases to surprise me that, even among children that regularly attend church, there is a general lack of knowledge as to what the church actually is. Many have little idea of why they go to church (other than their parents take them), how the church started, or what it's function in society is. But don't take my word for it! If you teach Sunday school, ask your children 1. Why they come to church? and 2. What does the church do? I think you may be surprised by their answers (or lack of them!).
When teaching on the function of the church, I always begin with it's origin and early development as described in "Acts". I then ensure that the children realise that the church is not a building. Rather it is made up of PEOPLE - who have all put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. I then ask the two questions mentioned above. Here is how I answer them.
Why go to church?
1. God tells us to (See Hebrews10.25).
It is a question of obedience. If Jesus is Lord of your life, that means that you are obedient to him. You can hardly say "Jesus, you are my Lord, but I am not going to do what you tell me!" Of course not. You would be contradicting yourself. If that was your attitude, then Jesus wouldn't really be Lord of your life.
"I enjoy going to church regularly, but even if I didn't, I would still go - because Jesus is my Lord, and I have to be obedient to him. Most of you children probably come to church or Sunday school because your parents bring you, or send you along. But when you are older, you will have to decide for yourselves. But if you are serious about living for Jesus, then regular church attendance should be a priority."
2. To meet together as a family / team.
Everyone who has put their trust in Jesus is now part of God's special family. And families meet together, and do things together. It would be a very strange family indeed if the members hardly ever saw each other, or never did things together, like sharing a meal!
Another way of looking at this is to realise that now we are all part of God's team to help bring about His Kingdom on earth.
"Suppose I were to tell you that I was a soccer player. You might reply, "You are, which team do you play for? Manchester United? Real Madrid?" If I replied "I don't actually play for a team", you would say "Oh, come on teacher, you can't be a soccer player and not play for a team." And you would be quite right. In the same way, you can't really be a true Christian and not be part of a local team, or church."
Imagine many coals burning brightly together. Suddenly one of the individual coals falls away from the fire. What will happen to it? Answer. It will burn less and less brightly until eventually it goes out and becomes cold. That is a typical 'picture' of the individual Christian who comes away from the Church and tries to live for Jesus on his own. He will grow cold, and probably give up his faith altogether. We all need the help, support and encouragement of other church members. In the Bible, there is no such thing as an "Individual Christian".
3. To help find God's plan for your life.
God has a special plan for each one of you which is far more wonderful than any plans you may have for yourselves. By going to church, you will meet people who will help you discover what God wants you to do with your life.
4. To help you on your way to heaven.
God wants us all to live with him in heaven. However, our journey to heaven can be a long and dangerous one. We have enemies who don't want us to get to heaven, but by going regularly to church, we can find out how to beat them.
What does the church do?
1. Worship God.
The word 'Worship' is derived from the word 'Worth'. God is indeed worthy of all we can give him. Without God, we would have nothing. In fact we wouldn't even be alive. Everything we have comes from Him. Christians realise this and meet together to give back to God a little of what He has already given us. This might include thanks, praise, love, money, etc.
2. To continue the work of Jesus.
A. Telling others about Jesus.
Jesus wants EVERYONE to know about Him, and what He did for us all on the cross. And He has chosen His church (every believer) to spread this GOOD NEWS throughout the whole earth. It is exciting to be part of this because Jesus promised that when every group of people have heard this GOOD NEWS, then He will return to earth and set up His Kingdom.
B. Demonstrating God's love.
It is no good telling people that God loves them if, at the same time, we don't demonstrate His love by helping others in whatever ways we can.
Jesus loves everyone, but when He was here on earth, He was particularly concerned for the poor, the sick, the weak, the oppressed and the elderly. As part of His church, we should likewise be especially concerned for these groups.
Although the church is not perfect, and has made mistakes, generally, over the last 2,000 years, it has been effective in demonstrating God's love to the world. Much of what is good in society today has been started by the church. Examples include many early schools, universities, hospitals, and organizations such as the scouts, guides, boys and girls' brigades.
It has also been the church that were first to speak out against evils in society such as slavery, child labour and racism.
The church is not only concerned with what is happening in it's own neighbourhood or even country. It also has a good record of sending resources (including people and money) to help the needy in "poor" countries. You may have heard of agencies such as World Vision and Tear Fund which are involved in this.
As someone once said "The church is the only organization which exists for the benefit of it's non members."
Note. You may wish to conclude by giving a few examples of what your church is doing to reach others for Jesus and help meet their needs.
The following object lesson and story are ideal for complementing your teaching on what the church does.
Object Lesson 36 - The fair distribution of food.
Many children believe that there are starving people in some countries because there is a world-wide food shortage. Here is an illustration to help children understand that the problem is not one of food shortage, but rather one of unfair or unequal food distribution.
Preparation. Get a piece of cardboard, and write on it the letters and numbers as shown below :-
A = 1
B = 2
C = 3
D = 4
E = 0
Cover each number with individual small pieces of card or paper.
Next, get as many pieces of plain paper as their are children in your group, write on each one A,B,C,D, or E. Ensure you have far more E's than the other letters, and the total of the corresponding numbers add up to the total number of children. For example, if I have 30 children in my group, I will write out three A's (total = 3), three B's (total = 6), three C's (total = 9), three D's (total = 12) and eighteen E's (total = 0). Fold the papers over, and place in a box.
Get a bag of sweets (lollies / candies ), just enough for one per child.
Presentation. Produce your sweets, box of folded papers, and prepared card. Announce that you are going to share the sweets with the group, according to what is written on the paper each child is about to receive. Let each child choose a paper and unfold it to reveal the letter.
Ask "Who has got an 'A'?" Take the cover off the number next to your 'A' to reveal a '1'. "You will all get 1 sweet."
"Who has got a 'B'? ------------------------- You will all get 2 sweets."
"Who has got a 'C'? ------------------------- You will all get 3 sweets." ( By now, those with an 'E' will be getting excited).
"Who has got a 'D'? ------------------------- You will all get 4 sweets."
"Who has got an 'E'. More than half the children will put their hands up in eager anticipation. Remove the last cover. ------------------ "Oh dear! You will get no sweets!"
After the 'groans' have died down, ask the children if they think it fair that some children should get 3 or 4 sweets while many others will get none? Even those children due to get 3 or 4 sweets will usually agree that this is not a fair way of sharing. Ask the children if they can think of a fairer way of sharing the sweets? Mention that you have just noticed that the total number of sweets is the same as the number of children present. The children should soon come to a consensus that a better way of sharing out the sweets is for each child to get one each. State that you agree with them. and distribute accordingly.
Conclusion. "In some countries many boys and girls go to bed hungry every night because they don't have enough food to eat. The problem is not because of a world food shortage, but rather an unequal distribution of the ample food that is grown. As Christians, we should be thinking of ways in which we can make this distribution more fair, and ensure that everyone gets enough food to eat."
Story - Jesus for tea.
The following story has been around for many years in various forms. The following is the version I use.
A lady once had a dream. In that dream, her telephone rang, and the voice at the other end said "this is Jesus. I am coming for tea with you this afternoon at 4 p.m."
The lady was highly excited at the thought of Jesus coming for tea with her. But then she thought "What can I give Jesus to eat? I know, I will bake him my favourite chocolate cake. Everybody likes that." And then she remembered that her house needed a tidy up. So she set to work making the cake and cleaning up the house.
At 3.30 p.m. the doorbell rang. "Oh no" the lady thought, "Jesus has come early and I still haven't finished vacuuming the carpet - and my cake is still in the oven." On opening the door, the lady discovered that it wasn't Jesus calling, but rather a man and his wife. Politely, the wife asked "I wonder if you could help us out? My husband lost his job a few months ago, and as we hadn't got enough money to pay the rent on our home we were evicted this morning. We have nowhere to stay, no money for food, and it is bitterly cold out here. Could you possibly give us a few dollars so that we could go and get a warm cup of coffee from McDonalds? The lady replied "I would like to help you, I really would, but I just can't spare you the time. I have Jesus coming for tea at 4 p.m. and I am not ready for him yet. Why don't you go and ask some of my neighbours? I am sure one of them will be able to help you. The lady closed the door and finished off her cleaning.
At 3.45 p.m. the doorbell rang again. "Oh no" the lady thought "Jesus is early. I have finished my cleaning, but my cake is still in the oven." This time the caller wasn't Jesus, but a young girl shivering in the cold in her thin, threadbare clothes. She said "It is bitterly cold out here and my clothes are so thin. I wonder if you have any old clothes you could let me have that would be a little warmer than these?" The lady thought for a moment, then said "I do have some warm clothes in my attic that I think would fit you really well. But I don't have time to look for them right now because I have Jesus coming for tea shortly, and the cake I am making him isn't finished yet. If you come back tomorrow though, I will have plenty of time to look out the clothes for you." The lady closed the door and finished making the cake. Now she was ready for Jesus.
At 4 p.m. the doorbell rang for the third time. "Just as I thought" said the lady to herself, "Jesus is right on time." This time, however, a young boy stood on her doorstep. "Please can you help me" he said, "I have had nothing to eat all day, and I am very hungry. I wondered if you would give me a little food?" The lady replied, "I have just taken a chocolate cake out of the oven. I am sure you would enjoy it - - - - but, I'm sorry I can't let you have a slice right now. Jesus is coming to have tea with me very soon. I have made this cake for him, and I couldn't possibly offer it to him with a slice already missing. If you come back tomorrow though, you can have all the cake that is still left." The lady shut the door and began to wait for Jesus' arrival.
At 4.30 Jesus still hadn't arrived. At 5 p.m. the lady was still waiting. At 5.30 she began to think that Jesus wasn't going to come. At 6 p.m. her telephone rang. The voice at the other end said "This is Jesus." "Oh Jesus" replied the lady "Where have you been? You were supposed to come for tea with me this afternoon. Why didn't you come?" Jesus replied "But I did come. In fact I came three times - and each time you sent me away with nothing!"
CONCLUSION.
If Jesus were to come into this classroom while you were all eating your lunch and say "I am hungry", I am sure that you would all jump up and say to him something like "Jesus, please share some of my lunch. I will be delighted to give you some." If, however, a stranger were to come into the classroom and say "I am hungry", would you all still be so willing to share your lunch with him? Probably not. You may say "Why should I share with you?", or "Why don't you go and get your own lunch?"
Jesus taught us that if we give to others, we are actually giving to him. But if we refuse to give to others who are in need, we are refusing him (Matthew 25. 34-36). I have news for you. Jesus is not going to visit you in person. But as you go through life you will meet many people in need that you could help. Remember therefore, if you do give to them, you are actually giving to Jesus, but if you refuse to help them you are really refusing Jesus.
Teaching tip 51 - The road of life.
Preparation.
Take a piece of cardboard and draw the "road of life" on it (Unfortunately I have not been able to upload this diagram from my computer. Email me if you would like a copy - mnmsweetsur@xtra.co.nz ). Show it to your class.
Presentation.
"I call this my "Road of life". Everyone is on a journey through life and, as you can see, this road has three lanes.
The left hand lane (marked Good) is travelled by the good people. Those who try hard to be good and kind to others. They try to avoid doing anything wrong and would never deliberately hurt anyone. They probably believe in God, and may well go to church every week.
The centre lane (marked Middle) is travelled by most people. They do a few good deeds, but usually only towards their family and friends. They don't do anything really bad, but will sometimes act selfishly, tell a few lies and cheat others if they think it will benefit themselves.
The right hand lane (marked Bad) is travelled by criminals, those who set out to hurt or rob others.
But do you notice? All three groups of travellers are heading in the same direction - towards Death and Destruction! Because of the selfish nature we are all born with, we are all heading for an eternity without God. But God doesn't want us to go that way. He wants us all to spend eternity with Him in heaven. And, as you can see, He has provided a way for us to get there through His Son, Jesus. Jesus says "I am the way." You will also note that God has provided signs along the way to help us find our way to Jesus, and then to heaven. Some of God's signs may include His wonderful creative acts that are all around us, an unexpected act of kindness by someone towards us, or a word of direction or encouragement from a Christian parent or friend.
Do you notice something interesting about this road of life? The exit to heaven is on the right. Next to the "Bad " lane! Many people think that those travelling on the "Good" lane are the most likely to get to heaven. That is not true. It is just as easy for a "Bad lane" traveller to come to Jesus as it is for a "Good lane" traveller. In fact, some times it is easier for those on the "Bad" lane. This is because those on the "Good" lane are sometimes too proud to come to Jesus. They think that God will accept them because of their good deeds. But they are mistaken. Nobody can be good enough. Conversely, those on the "Bad" lane are often aware of their sins and realise that they nees Jesus to forgive them.
So, no matter which lane you are travelling along, remember that the only way to heaven is through Jesus."
Ice breaker - Colour trick.
Look at the chart below, and QUICKLY say the COLOR, not the word:
YELLOW
ORANGE
BLUE
BLACK
GREEN
RED
YELLOW
PURPLE
RED
ORANGE
GREEN
YELLOW
Kids and love.
WHAT EXACTLY IS MARRIAGE??
"Marriage is when you get to keep your girl and don't have to give her back to her parents."Eric, 6
HOW DOES A PERSON DECIDE WHOM TO MARRY??"
You toss a coin and heads means you stay with him and tails means you try the next one."Kelly, 9
WHAT'S THE PROPER AGE TO GET MARRIED?
"Eighty-four, because at that , you don't have to work anymore, and you can spend all your time loving each other."Carolyn, 8"
Once I'm done with kindergarten, I'm going to find me a wife."Bert, 5
WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE??"On the first date, they just tell each other lies, and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date."Martin, 10
WHAT IS FALLING IN LOVE IS LIKE?
"If falling in love is anything like learning how to spell, I don't want to do it. It takes too long."Leo, 7
WHAT ROLE DOES GOOD LOOKS PLAY IN LOVE?"
It isn't always just how you look. Look at me. I'm handsome like anything and I haven't got anybody to marry me yet."Gary, 7
CONFIDENTIAL OPINIONS ABOUT LOVE
"I'm in favour of love as long as it doesn't happen when 'The Simpsons' are on TV."Anita, 6
"Love will find you, even if you are trying to hide from it. I have been trying to hide from it since I was five, but the girls keep finding me."Bobby, 8
SOME SUREFIRE WAYS TO MAKE A PERSON FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU
"Tell them that you own a whole bunch of candy stores."Del, 6
"Don't do things like have smelly, green sneakers. You might get attention, but attention ain't the same thing as love."Alonzo, 9
"One way is to take the girl out to eat. Make sure it's something she likes to eat. French fries usually works for me."Bart, 9
"Little Johnny" funnies.
1. A new teacher was trying to make use of her psychology courses. She started her class by saying, "Everyone who thinks you're stupid, stand up!"After a few seconds, Little Johnny stood up.The teacher said, "Do you think you're stupid, Little Johnny?"No, ma'am, but I hate to see you standing there all by yourself!"
2. At Sunday School they were teaching how God created everything, including human beings. Little Johnny seemed especially intent when they told him how Eve was created out of one of Adam's ribs.Later in the week his mother noticed him lying down as though he were ill, and asked, "Johnny what's the matter?"Little Johnny responded, "I have a pain in my side. I think I'm going to have a wife."
posted by Maurice Sweetsur @ 2:29 AM
