Splink
» Staying Faithful
1
About to POP!
Items Needed: 2 balloons
Water
A lit candle
Students using the D6 curriculum learned about Joseph and many of the hard things he endured. Over and over, it says “God was with Joseph.”
Do the following experiment to start conversation about God’s presence in us, which can help us stay faithful through hard times.
Ask:
What do you want to do when bad things happen? (Get angry, feel sad, cry, etc.)
What do you want to do when bad things happen? (Get angry, feel sad, cry, etc.)
Do you feel like you will just explode?
Blow up a balloon and tie it. Hold it over the lit candle. POP! The balloon explodes!
Now take another balloon, and fill it halfway with water. Blow it up and hold it over the candle.
What do you think will happen? Will it explode, splashing water everywhere?
Continue holding the balloon over the candle (It won't break. WHY? The water in the balloon absorbs the heat from the candle. The balloon conducts heat very well, so the candle flame transfers heat to the water without harming the balloon.)
When we become Christians, God sends His Spirit to live in us. He will help us handle the hard things that happen. He will keep us from getting bitter when things aren't fair. He will keep us from exploding! Just as God was with Joseph and helped him, He will be with us and help us!
Ask:
What were some of the hard things Joseph went through? (His mother died, his brothers hated and wanted to kill him, he was sold as a slave, he was wrongfully put in prison)
What were some of the hard things Joseph went through? (His mother died, his brothers hated and wanted to kill him, he was sold as a slave, he was wrongfully put in prison)
Did Joseph become hateful or bitter? No! Why not? The Bible says that God was with Joseph, every step of the way. We must not think that bad things will never happen to us if we love God. Bad things that happen do not mean God doesn't love us or that He isn't strong enough to do something. Trouble and hard times are a part of living in this world. It wasn't God's fault that Joseph's brothers did wrong. It wasn't God's fault that Potiphar's wife lied so he was wrongly thrown into prison.
Being a Christian means that God is with us every day; in fact, He has promised to NEVER leave us. And best of all, He has promised to take those bad things and make something good out of them. The bad things that happened are not good, but God is so powerful that He can turn things around and work good out of them.
2
Rocky Road
Before prayer at bedtime, ask your child:
Are you going through a difficult situation?
Are you going through a difficult situation?
Are you having a hard time doing the right thing?
Do you need God's help?
Share with your kids about a hard time you had (a temptation that God helped you overcome, a trial where you felt distant from God, a time of need when you wondered if God was going to help you). Share with them what helped you get through it.
Pray for your child and then give him or her a big hug!
3
Lean on Me
Ask kids to see who can stand on one foot the longest. (Time them.)
Ask them to pair up and try it again with one person helping to support the other when he gets tired or off balanced. (Time them again.)
Ask:
Which way was it easiest? By yourself or with help?
Why was it easier to stand longer with someone supporting you?
Why was it easier to stand longer with someone supporting you?
How could we transfer this idea to living as a Christ follower?
Would it be easier if we did it alone or if we had others supporting and helping us?
What are some ways we can help one another? (Praying for each other, listening to each other’s problems, spending time with each other, encouraging one another with truth from the Bible, etc.)
