You Have a Purpose!
Items Needed:
- Assortment of objects (kitchen utensils, items from the bathroom, and cleaning supplies)
Lay all the items on a table and invite the children to sort them into categories.
Ask them to explain why they chose certain categories.
One way to sort the objects is by their purpose. We might put a potato masher and a spatula in one category because we use them to help us cook. We could put a toothbrush and a washcloth in another category because they help us keep clean.
Just as each item is set apart for a specific purpose, we were created with a purpose.
Read 2 Corinthians 5:17. When we choose to believe in God, we belong to Him. We are a part of His family. The Bible tells us we are a new person. Our job as a follower of Christ is to try to live a holy life, following Christ’s example. How we live matters to God, and when we live a life of holiness we are “set apart.” We are set apart by God for a special purpose.
You did what?!
Brainstorm ways to serve others. Ask each family member to serve at least one person each day this week. Every night at dinner, let everyone share how they served others that day. Write the acts of service on slips of paper and collect them in jar.
Here are a few ideas:
- Smile at 3 people.
- Let someone go ahead of you in line.
- Ask the clerk what her favorite candy bar is and buy it for her.
- Eat lunch with someone who might not have many friends.
- Hold the door open for someone.
- Leave a kind note in a library book for the next person who reads it.
- Make and mail a card to an elderly person.
- Share a toy.
- Help without being asked.
- Leave a treat (or nice note) in the mailbox for your mail carrier.
When we choose to love and obey God, the Bible tells us we become a new person. Becoming a new person in Christ means we are set apart for His special purpose. Serving others and being kind are a couple ways to live a “set apart” life.
No More Excuses!
Items Needed:
- Paper or Styrofoam cups
- Marker
- Small ball or stuffed animal
One of the biggest reasons we don’t live out our purpose, choosing a “set apart” life, is because we make excuses. Challenge family members to think of excuses. Then discuss why these are bad reasons to ignore God’s purpose for us. (I don’t have enough time; I don’t know how; I don’t have any money; I am too young; I don’t really care; etc.)
Write each excuse on a paper or Styrofoam cup and stack them into a tower. Mark a standing point, and take turns seeing if family members can knock down the excuses with a small ball or stuffed animal.
Instead of making excuses, let’s encourage each other to live a holy life like Jesus to the best of our ability. This is what God wants us to do. Let’s spend time doing good and avoid making excuses!