Is It Easy or Hard?
Read some of the actions below (or make up some of your own) and ask the children to decide whether the action is hard or easy to do. Ask them to move to one side of the room if they think it is easy or to the other side if it is hard.
Some actions:
- Celebrate your birthday
- Stay up late
- Clean your room
- Do word problems in math
- Play video games
- Wash the dishes
- Obey your parents
- Be kind to others
- Eat broccoli
- Give to others
- Eat ice cream for dinner
It is not always easy to do the right thing. In fact, it may be hard to obey your parents or be kind to others, but it is still right to do it.
Read Ephesians 6:1.
What does this verse tell us to do? (Obey our parents.)
When we obey our parents, we are obeying God. God honors our obedience. Obeying is the right thing to do, even when you don’t feel like it! God is pleased when you obey.
Consequence or Reward?
Teach your children that obedience brings reward and disobedience brings consequences.
Give each child a specific task to do by a certain time. (No reminding, nagging, etc.) At the set time, reward the ones who obeyed (with a trip to the park, some ice cream, or something your children would enjoy). Don’t cave in if some chose not to obey. That is the whole point!
What was the consequence of your action? (A reward for obeying and a disappointing consequence for disobedience)
Read Joshua 6: 3-5. Joshua chose to obey God even though God’s instructions seemed a little crazy. We must obey God too!
There may not always be an immediate consequence for our actions, but it will come. Obedience brings reward and disobedience brings punishment – maybe not today or tomorrow, but it will come. God sees and will reward our obedience and punish our disobedience.
Tumble Down
Spend some time playing Jenga as a family. After playing a few times, read Joshua 6:15-21 to your child. Talk to your child about how God gave Joshua specific directions that seemed a little crazy.
Did Joshua obey God or come up with his own plan? Joshua obeyed God, and God honored Joshua’s obedience by helping him defeat the city of Jericho. Just like our Jenga tower tumbled down, God’s power brought down the city walls of Jericho.
Challenge each other to work extra hard to obey God. Pray together asking God to help each of you choose His ways instead of your own.