Even Small Acts Of Honesty Can Be Huge
Back in 1997 a Brinks armored truck was involved in a crash. It ended up dumping hundreds of thousands of dollars onto a street in Miami, Florida. Witnesses and spectators rushed to the scene — not to help, but to steal! Onlookers, grabbing fists of cash from the street, sidewalk, and gutters, ran from the area, never to be seen again. Others simply found cash and coin after the fact, not knowing when or how the money was deposited there. Police, in desperation, put out an offer of amnesty for any who would return their take of the dumped payload.
Only two people steppef forward:
MIAMI (CNN) -- A mother of six and a school boy are the only ones to have returned money they found in the street after an armored truck overturned in a Miami neighborhood Wednesday.
Only Faye McFadden, who returned $19.53, and 11-year-old Herbert Tarvin, who gave back 85 cents, took advantage of a police offer of amnesty for anyone returning money by last weekend.
Little Herbert said that he had to "do the right thing and turn the money in becuase it doesn't belong to me."
Eighty-five cents. Eighty-five cents out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Doesn't sound like much, does it? And yet it might as well have been millions. Herbert didn't "steal" the change he recovered from the street; he simply found it there. But his heart was to do the right thing.
Sometimes "the right thing" comes in small acts of obedience. It's in the daily, small gestures of honesty and obedience that character is forged.
“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much" (Luke 16:10, ESV).
"His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master'" (Matthew 25:23, ESV).
"You shall not steal," (Exodus 20:15, NIV).
Parental Dependence
CHILDREN'S LESSON:
In my back yard are some very small trees. When they were first planted they needed lots of care. They had to be watered and fertilized. They were not strong enough to even stand on their own. Sometimes the wind blows very hard so they need a stake in the ground to support them.
Boys and girls, that's why God has given you a Mom and Dad that want you to grow up in the Lord Jesus Christ. Just like your parents held your hand when you were learning to walk, you still need their support to grow spiritually. Your parents help you know right from wrong. Your parents may even make you do chores, homework and perhaps even Scripture memory. All of these things are like that stake in the ground; they help you grow up to be a strong follower of Jesus.
"Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it" (Proverbs 22:6).
Expanding Spiritually to Look More Like Jesus
Object Lesson/Game: Growing to Be More Like Jesus
Materials:
- Balloons
- Music
Procedures:
1. Begin with a discussion about our earthly father vs. our heavenly father. Our earthly father is the father of our physical bodies, Heavenly Father is the father of our spirits.
2. What are some ways that you are like your earthly father (physical attributes, personality traits, talents, etc)?
3. Can you become like your heavenly father? YES!!! How? BY READING THE BIBLE, PRAYING, COMING TO CHURCH, LEARNING GOD’S WORD, ETC.
4. Show the children a balloon and explain that just like a balloon grows with each breath of air, we can also grow and expand spiritually as we learn about God and follow his ways.
5. How does the balloon change as you blow into it? IT GETS BIGGER; IT LOOKS PRETTIER, YOU CAN PLAY WITH IT NOW; ETC.
6. Explain that one of the ways we allow our heavenly father to help us grow is by memorizing Scripture. Review our two Bible verses: John 3:16 & Romans 10:13.
7. Play a game with the kids – Tell the children that when the music starts, they are going to work together to keep the balloon in the air. When the music stops, the child (children) with the balloon(s) will practice saying one of the verses. You can use 2 or 3 balloons so that many kids get a turn. Play several rounds as time allows.
To wrap things up – remind children that even though we might look and even act like our earthly father, as Christians, our job is to become more like our heavenly father. Pray that God would fill us with his love so we can become more like him.
"... until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13).
And here is a snack idea to reinforce the lesson …..
Materials:
- Ziplock bags
- Containers on each table of the following:
• Sour Patch Kids – Represents the kids (a little sweet, a little sour)
• Raisins – Our grandparents, teachers, etc (older and wiser, and maybe even wrinkly)
• Pretzels – Our earthly parents (wrap their arms around us, loving, filling)
• M&M’s – God’s influence on our lives (sweetness, makes everything else worthwhile, brings color)
Procedures:
1. Remind children that they are a child of God and because of that, their life can be sweeter and more satisfying. Tell the kids that today they are going to make a special trail mix to show all the people and things in their life that help make it wonderful.
2. Pass out a ziplock bag to each child.
3. Explain each part of the snack before the child is allowed to add it to their bag, going through each element one by one.
4. Pray and pass out water. Enjoy a yummy treat!