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Obedience Has a True Reward

Put a small reward (food or candy) on one side of the room and line up kids on the opposite side. Share some actions and ask them to decide if it is a good or bad choice. If they think it is a good choice, they may take a step forward. If it is an bad one, they must take a step back. (Make sure you read more good choices so they can reach the reward.)

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Read your Bible every day.

Be patient with a younger sibling.

Listen to Mom or Dad.

Ignore the Bible’s instructions.

Talk to God when you need help.

Think you are smarter than everyone else.

Sneak around and watch a TV show you aren’t allowed to watch.

Say no when others want you to do something wrong.

THINK before you decide what to do.

Ask God for help making choices.

When they reach the reward on the other side of the room, share it and talk about making good choices.

God gave us the Bible to help us know how to obey Him. We must read His Word and obey the instructions from God. God rewards those who obey Him. We will learn to make good choices and receive God’s blessings instead of making bad choices and earning a consequence of disobedience.


Making Good Choices

Review the Bible verse, Psalm 105:4 students are learning. (This could be a prayer to pray with your kids at the beginning of each day to help them choose obedience.)

Every time your kids choose to obey, reinforce it with a smiley face sticker. If they are too old for stickers, a big smile and a simple word of praise can encourage them to make good choices.


Consequences

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 or to get ice cream or to do whatever your kids 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)

King Saul chose to disobey God, and the consequence from God was eventually losing his kingdom.

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.