GIVING
About 10 labels with MINE printed in large letters on it
About 10 labels with GOD printed in large letters
Pad of fake $50 bills
Scripture:
·
Exodus 9:29, Psalm 50:10, Mt. 6:21
A while ago, there was a boy about 15 years old who had some
model cars on his dresser that he had made a long time ago, but hadn’t used for
years. His younger brother – who was 9 –
wanted the cars, and so the boys’ dad told the older boy to give them to his
younger brother. That made the older boy
angry – they were his cars, and so he wouldn’t have to give them to his
brother, he deliberately broke every one so his brother could see, and put them
in the trash.
Let me tell you another story – this one about me. When I was about 5, my mom was very
sick. My dad told me he would give me 25
cents and I could get my mom something or I could spend it on myself. I decided to spend it on myself.
That story about me is kind of funny because I was only
5. The first story isn’t funny at all
because the boy was 15. But both stories
show something important. When it comes
to money, or things, or our time – deep down we think they are ours to keep as
we want.
One of the first words little kids learn is “MINE”,
right? How many fights begin with two
people wanting the same thing? Has that
ever happened with you and a brother or sister?
(have kids answer)
We may not know it, but this is what we believe – (Use
stickers and put them on things – explain as you go – use $50 fake bills to
show all my money is “MINE”, put a sticker on a person and talk about how you
can think a friend is just for you and no one else and put a “MINE” sticker on
him/her. Talk about being too busy to
help a little brother, or in gametime, how you want to win more than anything
else, and don’t have time to help someone else – put a MINE sticker on the game
scores sheet).
That’s what we believe deep down a lot of the time. And not only does it cause problems like
fights, but it’s believing a big, fat lie.
I HATE being lied to, don’t you?
But what’s the lie?
I need 3 helpers to look up some verses in the Bible that
are going to show us what the BIG FAT LIE is:
Psalm 24:1 – The earth is the LORD’S and all that fills it
Psalm 50:10 – For every beast of the forest is mine, the
cattle on a thousand hills
Matthew 6:21 – For where your treasure is, there your heart
will be also.
Look at all these things that I say are “MINE”. Well, aren’t they? They aren’t yours! But what does Psalm 24:1 say – they belong to
God.
(Take a sticker that says “God’s” and put it one by one on
the things you had the MINE stickers on and say as you do it – my friend isn’t
mine, she really belongs to God.
That money I have really isn’t mine, it really belongs to
God.)
Let’s get back to my story at the beginning of the boy who broke the cars rather than let
his brother have them. What do you think
about what he did? How do you think his
younger brother felt?
The way I see that true story, the older boy may have
thought he won – he kept his brother from getting the cars – but I think he
really lost.
I think he lost his brother’s trust – imagine how his
younger brother felt towards him after he did that! But I also think that older boy put all his “treasure”
in stuff that was stupid, worthless. And
in a way, that stuff was pushing him around.
It was as if the stuff was saying – I’m so worth it that you need to do
anything to keep anybody from getting your stuff.
I think that’s like being a prisoner. It sure isn’t being free.
It’s hard to live as if everything is God’s. But the truth is, it really is His. We can fight it, we can act like everything
is “MINE”, but when we do, we are believing the BIG FAT LIE, and I HATE
believing lies, don’t you?
(Repeat 3 verses from above and pray)
Psalm 24:1 – The earth is the LORD’S and all that fills it
Psalm 50:10 – For every beast of the forest is mine, the
cattle on a thousand hills
Matthew 6:21 – For where your treasure is, there your heart
will be also.
