The Go-Between
Items Needed: two signs, one that says “God” and one that says “Man”
Ask for two volunteers. Put one on one side of the room and one on the other side. Give each a sign to hold.
Stand by the student holding the sign that says “God” and say something like this:
God is in Heaven, where everything is perfect. There is no sin in Heaven. If God allowed sin in Heaven, it would no longer be perfect. God set the standard.
Walk to the other side and stand by the student holding the sign that says “Man” and say something like this:
What does it mean to be perfect? Perfect means to never sin – not even one time. Could any of us be perfect if we tried really, really hard?
No! No one is perfect. Everyone sins. In fact, the Ten Commandments show us that we aren’t perfect. We can try to never break God’s rules, but we will fail. God knew we could never keep all His commands perfectly. That’s why God sent His Son to take our punishment for sin. We must try our best to love and serve Him by obeying His rules.
Who is Number 1?
After dinner, ask your children to bring a few of their toys to the table and organize them from most favorite to least favorite.
Why did you put _ in first place? (I love to play with it; I’ve had it a long time; etc.)
Why did you put _ in last place? (It’s old; I don’t play with it anymore; It’s kind of broken; etc.)
Spending time playing with a toy that you like is not a bad thing. But would it be a good thing if you spent ALL your time every day with that toy?
God gives us all things to enjoy, but it is possible to love things more than God (1 Timothy 6:17). When things, people, or events become more important to us than our relationship with God, they become an idol, something we love more than God. It’s okay to love things as long as we keep them in their proper place. The Bible says that we are to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind—with everything in us (Mark 12:30)! That means putting Him first before everything else (Exodus 20:3-4).
What can you do this week to put God first and show that you love Him?
Don’t Smile!
Play the game, “Honey, if you love me, smile.” Choose one person to be “it” and tell him that his goal is to get the others to smile. Instruct him to go to each person and say the statement, “Honey, if you love me, smile.” He can do anything to try and make the others smile, except touch them (funny faces, silly noises, jokes, etc.).
Every other person’s main job is to NOT smile. They are to remain straight-faced and say, “Honey, I love you, but I just can’t smile. (You might want to practice saying that a few times before you start the game, so they understand what they are supposed to do.)
See how long each one can go without becoming distracted and smile. (If someone smiles, pick a new “it” and continue the game.)
How did _ get you to smile? (He made funny faces; he told a funny joke; etc.)
Even when you knew what you were supposed to do (not smile), it was hard to do it. We know we are supposed to love God and keep His commands, but it is easy for us to be distracted and love other things more than God.
Read Exodus 20:1-6. What does God tell His people to do and not do? (Love God first; put God first; do not worship or bow down to idols; etc.)
The God who created the heavens and the earth is the only true God. Worshiping anyone or anything other than Him will lead us in a wrong way.