You Pick
Items Needed:
- Bags
- Kitchen utensils
Provide one bag with one kitchen utensil inside for each family member. Allow each person to choose his/her eating utensil for dinner (no touching to see what might be inside the bags). Each person must eat their dinner using ONLY the utensil he/she chose. (Hopefully, there will be some laughter!)
What would have made your choice easier? (Being able to see what was in the bags)
What are some choices we make each day? (What cereal to eat; what clothes to wear; what game to play; whether to yell at a sibling or speak kind words; whether to tell the truth or a lie; and lots more!)
Are there consequences to the choices we make? (Yes! Some consequences for wrong choices: we feel guilty; we get into trouble; we make the Holy Spirit sad; we hurt others; etc.) Even if it looks like there are no consequences, sin and wrong choices always hurt us. If we think we get away with doing wrong things, that is a worse consequence than getting caught because it might encourage us to sin more.
Choosing God’s way is the wisest choice we can make and the very best way to live.
What to Do If
Ask your children:
Will you always make wise choices? (Unfortunately, not!) What should you do when you make a wrong choice? (Tell God we sinned and ask Him to forgive us; try to make it right with others; tell others we are sorry if they were involved; etc.)
Parents, you might want to share what you do when you make a wrong choice. It is good for us to say, “I’m sorry I yelled at you. I’m sorry I lied.” And when they hear you asking God to forgive you, they will begin to understand God’s grace.
Jesus is bigger than our wrong choices. He forgives us and still loves us even when we fail to make right choices. He is always willing to help us make wise choices!
Stargazing
Items Needed:
- Blankets
- Flashlight
- Bible
Bundle up and take a blanket outside to look at the stars.
On a clear, moonless night, a thousand or more stars are visible. Five of our solar system’s eight planets, a few star clusters, a spiral galaxy, and the odd bright comet are visible, too. (Depending on the age level of your kids, Google stargazing for more tips or download a free app.)
With the invention of telescopes, many previously unknown stars were discovered. Galileo, using his homemade telescope, saw ten times more stars, up to 30,000.
Today, the Milky Way galaxy has been found to contain 200,000 million stars. If somebody could count three stars per second, after 100 years he would have counted less than five percent of this number!
Ask your children:
Who made the stars? (God/Jesus – Genesis 1:16)
How should we treat Someone who is so wise and powerful? (We should admire, respect, worship, be in awe of, etc.)
Jesus created the stars and deserves our worship. There is NO one like Him.
Flip on the flashlight and read Colossians 1: 15-17. Say a prayer of praise to God for His great wisdom and power. Ask Him to help us honor Him by making wise choices.
(Go to www.answersingenesis.org for more amazing star facts.)