Splink
» Emptiness of Pleasure
1
Temporary or Eternal?
Items needed: 10 post-it notes for each child
Pencils
Give each child 10 post-it notes and explain that he or she is to label things throughout the house as temporary or eternal (using a T or an E). Eternal things will last forever, while temporary things will eventually break or only last a short time.
When finished ask:
What did you find more of—temporary or eternal things?
What did you find more of—temporary or eternal things?
Look at some of the things your children listed as temporary and talk about what will probably happen to them.
What did you find that was eternal? (Probably only the Bible and a person)
If we count on things that are temporary to make us happy, we will be disappointed. Things can bring us pleasure . . . for a while. But things will eventually break or we will lose interest in them. The only real pleasure comes from knowing and having a friendship with God!
2
Just Keep Running
Items needed: bubble solution or ingredients to make your own
(There are several “recipes” at http://bubbleblowers.com/homemade.html - the best solutions seem to have glycerin in them, but sugar or Karo syrup also works well.)
1/2 cup of dishwashing liquid (Dawn or Joy)
2 cups of water
2 teaspoons of sugar
1/2 cup of dishwashing liquid (Dawn or Joy)
2 cups of water
2 teaspoons of sugar
Mix the solution and place in a shallow pan. Experiment with a variety of homemade bubble wands: pipe cleaners bent into interesting shapes, cookie cutters, yogurt lids with the centers cut out, etc.
See who can make a bubble last the longest.
Bubbles are fun, but they only last for a little while. When you catch them, they pop right in your hand. God gave us things to enjoy, but they will all pass away some day. The things that matter most are things that will last foreverr—having a friendship with God.
*Eiffel Plasterer once designed a special bubble solution, created a bubble (enclosed it in a glass jar) that lasted for an incredible 342 days!
3
The Prodigal Son
Act out the story of the prodigal son—someone who chased after pleasure. Assign parts (father, two brothers, friends, pigs) One person (the reader) can read the story from Luke 15:11-32 while the others act out the different parts.
How did the prodigal son (son who demanded his inheritance and left home) waste his money? (On temporary things—food, drink, people, and things to make him happy)
What happened to the things he spent his money on? (They were all gone)
What really mattered at the end of the story? (Coming home to his father; having a relationship with his father)
God, the Father, wants to have a relationship with us. A friendship with God is better than anything else in the whole world!
