GIVING THANKS

THANKSGIVING

Large bowl

6 pens and pack of index cards

CD player, laptop and projector

Opening Song:  Ultimate Adventure

Computer and powerpoint with Bradford proclamation

Announcements – no AWANA next week, Store on 12/7 (2 weeks)

Have children sit in front with their handbook leaders in small circles.  Have a pack of index cards, 6 pens and a large clear bowl. 

In Children’s Church I like to teach the kids that there are 4 kinds of prayers. 

• Please prayers – what do you think those are?
• Sorry prayers – “                      “
• Praise prayers – can you think of what these are?
• And finally, thanks prayers.

Most of the time we only do please prayers – we ask God for things we need.  But God loves to hear the other 3 kinds of prayers too.  He loves to hear us tell him what we have done wrong and we are sorry.  He loves to hear us tell Him how amazing He is – that’s what praise is.  And he loves us to thank him for what He has done for us.

Next week is Thanksgiving, and we mostly think of it as a day with lots and lots of food!  Sometimes we have family with us, and it’s a fun, happy day.  But when our country started way back in the 1600s, thanksgiving was a very different celebration.  When the first European settlement came to America at Plymouth Rock almost 400 years ago, the first governor’s name was William Bradford.  Most of you know that these early settlers suffered a great deal when they arrived here.  The winters were very cold – not like the winters we have been having lately.  Many people didn’t have enough food and became week.   Many got sick and died.  Of the original 102 people who arrived, only about 50 survived those first 2 years.  But in that second year, things began to change.  And so in 1623, Governor Bradford issued an official proclamation, calling everyone in the whole colony to a day of just for thanksgiving.  Here is what he wrote in his proclamation (overhead version so all can read with you?):

Inasmuch as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest of Indian corn, wheat, peas, beans, squashes, and garden vegetables, and has made the forests to abound with game and the sea with fish and clams, and inasmuch as he has protected us from the ravages of the savages, has spared us from pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience.
Now I, your magistrate, do proclaim that all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and ye little ones, do gather at ye meeting house, on ye hill, between the hours of 9 and 12 in the day time, on Thursday, November 29th, of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty-three and the third year since ye Pilgrims landed on ye Pilgrim Rock, there to listen to ye pastor and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings.
--William Bradford
Ye Governor of Ye Colony

Now let’s think - what’s missing from this Thanksgiving that William Bradford calls for compared to a traditional Thanksgiving in America?

 

Does he say anything about a big meal? 

Did they all get together for a football game? 

Was there a big parade in NYC to kick off Santa coming to town?

Thanksgiving is to be a day to give thanks to God for all his blessings.  And they were to get together for 3 whole hours to do this!  And I think that 3 hours was just fine, because they were very very grateful!

So tonight, since we won’t meet next week, we want to do just what William Bradford urged those people to do, to stop and thank God for all his blessings.

So we are going to think of as many ways as we can of reasons to thank God.

• Maybe you can thank God for being healthy, just like the Pilgrims did.

• Or maybe you can thank God for the soft bed you have to sleep in every night where you are safe.

• Or maybe for the family God has given you who love you and care for you.

• Maybe you can thank God for being a God who loves the world or who made this amazing and beautiful world

I’m going to ask you to get in a circle with your handbook leader, and talk about what you can thank God for.  Leaders, I want you to write down one reason for thanksgiving that your kids tell you on each index card and I will give you 3 minutes to write down as many blessings as your handbook group can think of.

(3 minutes)

Okay, here’s how we are going to do a real Thanksgiving tonight.  Instead of asking your leaders to just read out the things we are thankful for, we’re going to tell God!  So leaders, please get your group’s cards and come forward. 

I am going to begin the prayer and when I stop, I am going to ask Bonnie to come up and read out the things her group has told her as a prayer of thanks, and as you read them, put them in the bowl.  And when Bonnie is done, I will point to Mr. Mika who will come up and read what his group has said as a prayer of thanks and we’ll give these prayers of thanksgiving until we’re all done, okay?

So leaders, we’ll start with Bonnie and then Ken, and when Ken is done please come up with your cards and read them as a prayer of thanks to God.   And clubbers, I want us all to hold hands while we pray.  I’ll start.

Loving God, tonight we want to have a Thanksgiving just for you.  So as we read out the things we are thankful for, be hear what we have to say and be pleased with our thanks.  Here are some of the things we are thankful for…Amen.

WHAT'S CLOSE TO GOD'S HEART

I wonder if you’ve heard people talk about what a person really cares about by saying - “That’s something close to their heart.” 

It doesn’t really mean that if you opened them up and looked at the organ that pumps their blood, you’d see the things they care about stuck to their heart.  What does it mean?

·              Give me some examples of things that are close to people’s hearts?

·              Why do you think knowing what’s close to someone’s heart helps you know them better?

I want us to look tonight at some things that are close to God’s heart, and one reason for doing this is so we can get to know God better.

I cut out a BIG heart because we’re going to think tonight about what is close to God’s heart, and I think of God as having A BIG HEART!

So I have few verses in the Bible to look up - Sword Drill or Volunteers:

Proverbs 22:22

“Do not rob the poor because he is poor,

or crush the afflicted at the gate.

For the LORD will plead their case

And take the life of those who rob them.

What is this verse saying: Proverbs gives us the way to live wisely in this world.  Maybe you could think of it as walking through life with God’s light showing us the way.

(Walk using flashlight)

So this part of Proverbs is saying what?  What group of people is it talking about?  And what is it saying about them?  How are we to treat them?  Who is looking out for them, and ready to punish those who hurt these people?

Why does someone look out for someone else, or get angry when someone is harmed?  It’s because they are special to him.

So let’s write on this part of God’s heart what we just learned He cares about:

xxxxxx

One more verse:

Zechariah 7:9-13

“This is what the Lord Almighty says: Administer true justice, show mercy and compassion to one another.  Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor.  In your hearts do not think evil of each other.”

(HAVE THIS WRITTEN ON THE BOARD)

So what does this verse say about what or who is close to God’s heart?

Let’s write these on God’s heart too

Have markers and ask for volunteers - there are three things and 4 types of people that we hear about in this verse.

Now God cares so much about these people that a verse or 2 later, he says that he is angry with his people because they have seen people in need and made their hearts like stones - hard!  And it says God became very angry.  And one result of God’s anger was that when these people called to God, he wouldn’t listen.

Now it is a very bad thing to find out that God isn’t listening to you.  But it didn’t have to be that way.  If they had taken their hearts of stone, and softened them like God’s heart, God would be anxious to hear their prayers.

So, let’s make some connections to you and me.  Here is the heart that shows just a few of the things close to God’s heart.  There are many more, but these are important ones.

And we learned from the verses in Zechariah that when people make their hearts like stone against these people, God is very angry.

What then does that tell us about the kind of heart God wants us to have towards these people?

Now here’s a way to think about it.  I wonder if you have ever noticed that there is something about you that is just like your mom or dad.  Maybe it’s the color of your eyes, or the way your ears look, or how your toes look.

Or maybe it’s the way you say something, and someone laughs and says - you sound just like your dad!

God wants his children to look like Him.  He wants people to look at His children and say - oh, don’t they remind you of their father?  God!  God wants your heart to be tender to the things His heart is tender towards.  He doesn’t want His children to have hard, stony hearts towards the poor, and orphans, and widows, and strangers.

He wants my heart and your heart to be like his - to look at people in trouble with mercy and compassion, not with cold rejection.  And you know that’s just what he did for you and me.

Let me read you one more verse - James 2:15-16

If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?

Your warmest thoughts towards someone who is poor - is worthless unless you give them what they need.

And so we’re going to do something through AWANA that will help people who don’t have the warm clothes they need, and we’ll do it because we know God’s heart is warm towards the poor, and we want to have hearts like our heavenly Dad.

I’ve brought some examples of what you might have in your home.  These are really nice coats that my kids wore, but they can’t wear them any more - they’re too small.  But they would be perfect for someone else.

Here’s another coat.

Now look - are they okay?  Do they have holes, or are they smelly?  No.  They’re in good shape, and a kid wouldn’t mind wearing them.

And so we’re going to look for coats that kids would like to wear.  We want you to talk with your moms and dads, and ask them who you could ask to give coats.

Maybe it’s an aunt or uncle.  Maybe it’s families in your neighborhood.  Maybe it’s people at your church.  We could do a great drive just by asking Westerly people to help.  But who will ask?  If you want to talk with me afterwards about how to get this church to be a part, please come up after council time.

If you go to another church, you could ask your mom and dad how do to that.

I think we can know that God is very pleased by this.  We’re caring for people very close to his heart.

IT'S ALL ABOUT ME - NOT!

If you do this again, the kids REALLY connected with the cartoons intro, but the transition to self-centeredness didn’t work.  You need to either eliminate the cartoons part, or find a way to help the kids move beyond this!

VIDEO CLIP OF DICK AND RICK HOYT, marathon runners

INTRO

How many of you watch cartoons?  What are your favorites?

Why do you think people like to watch cartoons?

What kinds of things can happen in a cartoon that couldn’t happen in real life?

·         Animals talk

·         People get hurt but don’t really get hurt

·         People pull things out of thin air to use as a prop – bug bunny gets a big mallet to bang someone on the head

Maybe when you were smaller you thought that some of the things you saw in cartoons would work in real life.  Did any of you think that?

When is it fine to think this?

When might it be dangerous? 

How would this world be if we acted like we were in cartoons?  What if I really believed I was like Batman and could jump off a building and fly?

What if I really thought I could take up a big frying pan and hit my little sister on the head, and it wouldn’t hurt?

Sometimes we just don’t think – could something I want be good for me, but hurt someone else?

There are so many good things that God gives us.  One wonderful blessing is that he frees us from just thinking about “me” and think about others too. 

Phil. 2:3-5

When I think only about myself, what am I?

I am being something called self-centered.

Here’s a good way to think about what it means to be self-centered.  I want you to imagine what the solar system looks like.  What’s on the far, far edges of our solar system?

What’s in the solar system as we move in from the edges?

What’s in the very center?

Our whole solar system revolves around the sun.  That’s really good because we need the sun to have life!  The sun warms the earth so we don’t freeze and die.  It provides the energy for plants to make oxygen.  It even gives us Vitamin D that keeps us healthy.  You could say that our solar system is sun-centered.  And that’s really good!

What would happen if I deep down believed that I was the center of the world, not like the sun, but that I was the most important thing in the world?

We sometimes call it selfishness.  But selfishness is just a little part of being self-centered. 

Sometimes we’re self-centered because we’re really afraid that we won’t get what we really want.  We sometimes actually get panicky!  Maybe you find this happens when there’s only one thing left – like a donut or a piece of candy.  You want it so bad, and it’s so hard to think about anything else but how much you want that thing!   It’s easy to see this in kids, but adults can be this way too.

What if everybody was out just for themselves?

What would happen if a mom or dad only cared for themselves and not the family? (kids really got the impact of this question)

What would happen if a kid only cared for herself and not the family?

When you and I become Christians, not only does God wash our sins away and make us clean, but he begins a big, big construction project  in us.  It’s a project that is going to change who’s  the most important thing from being me to being God.  This is such a huge project it is like moving the sun out of the center of the solar system!  God moves ME out of the center and He moves into that place. 

Maybe you’ve said to someone – you’re not the boss of me.  When you and I become a Christian, we tell God – you ARE the boss of me!

(I don’t know that this idea below really made sense to the kids)

Do you know that when we act as if we are #1, we think we’re doing just what we want to do, but we are actually in slavery?  The need to be #1 pushes us around and holds us down.  I don’t know about you, but I HATE the idea of anyone pushing me around.  But I LOVE the idea of someone  helping me to be free!

When God frees me from needing to be the most important one, the funny and wonderful thing is that I am lots happier, really deep down happier!  My heart comes alive!  Because God made me and you to love God and other people.

I want to show you a wonderful video tonight.  It’s the true story of a dad and a son.  As you watch it, I want you to think  about why the Dad did what he did.

(show video of Dick and Rick Hoyt – dad and son who run marathons together)

Okay, let’s talk about what we see.

• What challenge did this family faced? 
• What new thing did the son want to do?
• What did you notice about the boy’s face as they ran together?
• Was it easy for the dad?  Do you think he believes it’s worth it?  What if the dad only care for himself?  Would he be happier?

Boys and girls, that dad could have lived his life with him in the center.  But what joy he would have missed, and how much joy others would have missed.  Not only did he look full of joy, but wow –what a grin on his son’s face!  And everyone watching them run couldn’t help but see love!

You and I can choose to live our whole lives with us in the center, like the sun.  But that is a very awful way to live a life.  God calls you and me to let HIM be the center and to get out of the middle.  Will you do that?

Repeat Phil. 2:3-5

FAITHFULNESS - 10 Commandments #7

HONORING GOD'S NAME - 10 Commandments #3

Possible props:

Crown

Picture of Martin Luther King Jr. and of Hitler

This past Monday & Tuesday, we had a remarkable 2 days.  Monday was Martin Luther King Day, and what was Tuesday  (Presidential Inauguration Day)?

(Hold up picture of MLK)

Martin Luther King had 4 children.  Did you know that one of Martin Luther King’s sons was an honored guest at President Obama’s inauguration yesterday?  Why would Obama want one of King’s children there?

The children of Martin Luther King Jr. are very, very proud of their father and their family name because of the good and brave things their father did to help end racism in our country.  When people see these children, they think of their father. 

But not all family names are names to be proud of. Many of you have heard of a man named Adolph Hitler.  He lived about 60 years ago and was the leader of Germany.  He was a cruel and clever man.  He was the one who began World War II and his plans to rule the world caused millions of people to die.

What most people remember about him is that he hated Jews and made a horrible plan to kill every Jewish person.  He succeeded in having millions killed.  Many countries went to war against Hitler to stop him, and many soldiers died trying to defeat Germany.

Maybe your grandfather or great-grandfather fought in this war.

When Hitler was finally defeated in 1945, many hoped he would be arrested and the whole world could see him punished for the evil he had done.  Instead, just as the army was getting close to where he was hiding, he decided to kill himself.  He never had to pay for the awful crimes he did – at least here on earth. 

As people learned more and more about the evil this one man had done, the last name Hitler became a name the whole world hated.

Like any other name, Adolph Hitler was not the only person with the last name Hitler in the world.  Just like there are many people named Lee or Joseph, there were other Hitlers.  But after Hitler was defeated, suddenly no one admitted they had the last name of “Hitler”.  Anyone who’s name was Hitler immediately changed it to something else.

They did not want anyone to think they were related to this evil man.  By his evil actions, he destroyed the family name of Hitler and now no one has that last name.

What this man did by all his evil was to destroy his family name.   What you do can ruin  your family name like Hitler did or you can honor your family name.

God, too, cares about his name.  Will you open your Bibles to the second book, Exodus and look for chapter 20:7

This is the third commandment God gave to Moses.  Can you tell us what this commandment tells us NOT to do?

What does it mean to take someone’s name in vain?

Vain means – it has no value.  God says you cannot treat my glorious name as if it is trash, worthless.

Let’s use an example.  Imagine that someone made a beautiful crown out of gold and diamonds, pearls and the rarest jewels in the world.  This is something of so much value that no one could really guess what it is worth.

So say somehow I was able to get this priceless crown, and I took the crown and went out into my back yard and used the crown to dig a hole in my garden.

Why is that crazy?

Right, the crown has such value, and I am treating it like it is an ordinary shovel.

Now let’s imagine that this crown belongs to God, and because it is His crown, it represents everything good that He is.  His goodness, his kindness, his hatred of evil, his power, his love for us to die on the cross.  This is the crown of the best king who has ever lived in this world.

Then using the crown for such a dirty job would be doubly awful.  Not only is the crown worthy of more care because it is made of gold and jewels, but also because it is Jesus’ crown, it should be  treated with even more honor.

Boys and girls, we don’t have God’ crown to care for.  But we do have Jesus’ name, and this commandment tells us that we are to treat his name with as much honor as God himself.

The commandment also tells us that God is not going to ignore it when people use his name in a way that is disrespectful or careless.

Now many of you, sad to say, have heard people swear and use bad language.  This commandment is not really about saying bad words.  It is about one particular way that people swear – when they use God’s name along with other words.

Many, many times, even on television, I hear people use bad language, but I have even heard people who are angry blurt out the words – Jesus Christ.  Are they really talking with Jesus?  No.  They are using Jesus’ name in vain.

Boys and girls, it’s not just adults to break this commandment.  Even kids can break this important commandment.  You don’t have to be an adult to use God’s name in a bad way.  And I am sad to say that even kids who call themselves Christians can use God’s name in a bad way.  This is particularly sad because it is a great honor to be a Christian.

Do you remember at the beginning I talked about how after Adolph Hitler died, everyone who had the last name Hitler changed their name?  They were ashamed.

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you are part of God’s family.  You have reason to be proud of God’s name far more than the children of Martin Luther King Jr. should be proud of their name, or any other family.  You would never catch Martin Luther King’s children dishonoring their great father.  Boys and girls, never, never dishonor the name of your good and great God.  

WHY DOES GOD HAVE SO MANY RULES?

You all have been putting in great questions into the Question Box

·         One that reads – why does God have so many rules?  I wonder if any of you feel the same. 

Now the question makes it sound like all God cares about is rules, or at least maybe that’s the way it feels.  And this questioner is right – God has laws about many many things. 

·         I think that most kids think that grownups make rules just to make kids miserable.  In fact, maybe you have pretended to be the boss with other kids, and I’ve seen kids do this time and again – the first thing they do as “boss” is to boss people around – they like the feeling of power to make someone else do what they want them to do.  That is NOT how God acts as boss.  What’s different about God and his laws is that God really isn’t interested in bossing people around or doing things to make him feel important.

·         God has laws because he is good, totally good and He cares about every part of life.  He cares about what happens in your family and how you treat one another in your family.  He cares that people are honest at work.  He cares that builders build houses that are safe. 

·         That’s why God says lying is bad, or hurting one another is bad, or why he tells moms and dads that they must love their children and care for them.  Do you as kids think it’s good that God tells moms and dads to love their kids?  God’s laws protect those who can’t protect themselves.

·         What if a mom said – I wish God didn’t have so many rules for me.  Why does God cares if I take care of my children  – why doesn’t he leave me alone? 

·         IA mom who doesn’t care for her children is a bad mom, right?  And when you’re a kid, you need lots of things that you can’t get – things like food or a place to live!  So God makes rules or laws about parents caring for their children  so that kids who can’t cook or care for themselves will be cared for.  God’s laws can be really good.

We’re looking at the 10 Commandments this spring in T&T.  These were 10 laws that God gave Moses after he had led his people out of slavery into Egypt.  Over and over, God said – I am giving you these laws to bless you and your children – to make your lives better and safer and to show you that I am a God who is good and loving.  My good laws show you how good I am.

As you get older, you probably see a bit more and more that some of the rules your mom and dad have for you aren’t to make your life miserable, but to help you have a better life! 

Can you think of a rule in your family that may have been hard to obey before but now you understand it better?

A family rule about bedtimes is there because we know that growing kids need lots of sleep to be healthy.  Maybe you are beginning to see the goodness of God’s laws too.

Today we are looking at #4 in God’s 10 commandments, and I think this commandment is one that is perhaps the hardest to see why it’s important to God.  Open your Bibles to Exodus 20 and we’ll read vv. 102 and then v. 8-11

Can someone tell us what this commandment says in their own words?

What

Why

A day of rest. – let’s think of it as a STOP and GO sign –

STOP -

When I was little, I thought that rest wasn’t something I wanted to do.  I would see adults sitting all day talking and think – HOW CAN THEY DO THAT?  I wanted to run and play.  I wasn’t interested in sitting all day – do you feel that way too?  I didn’t want anyone to tell me to STOP.  But is that what God is saying here?  Let’s think more about this.

Now none of you has a job, but I know some of you have lots and lots of things to do.  You have school and homework, you have lessons and special classes.  Some of you are busy all day every day and you get very tired.  Some of you have moms and dads who are always on the go.  And when people go and go and go, they get tired and sometimes kind of grouchy.  Maybe you notice this just when your family is on vacation and you find you laugh more and smile more.  So perhaps this commandment to STOP could help because God is saying – stop and rest  - you have to rest!  And resting is a gift!

It was a big surprise and kind of scary that God would tell his people to stop working – you may think you need to work every day so you have enough money, but I want you to STOP AND TRUST Me and believe that I will take care of you.  I want you to give me one day just to think about me.  Not to think about what you need but just for me.

Now let’s think about the GO of God’s #4 Commandment – God says that this special day isn’t just to be a vacation day, but a day to make God #1.  Can you think of a way most of us make God #1 on Sundays?

(going to church)

And God is so pleased when we come to church and learn about him and worship him.

And He is asking us to give even more of Sunday to him – he wants to bless you by giving you a day like this.  He made this day a holy day – a special day and if you seek to honor me, you will see that this commandment is a very good gift to you!

But what does this really mean – what is God inviting us to GO do?

·         Going to church

·         Free day from working

·         Go resting if you’re tired

·         Go and slow down and be with family and friends

·         Go enjoy the beautiful world God has made

·         Go outside if you work inside all week

·         Not a day to do everything you want but to make God #1

·         Go invite  people to come for a meal

·         Go visit people who are alone, or maybe grandma or grandpa

This is a hard commandment to keep today.  We are very, very busy people!  Lots of you have sports teams that have games or practices on Sunday.  Every store is open on Sundays.  When I was a little girl, just one or two stores were open Sundays, and so it was a different day.  That helped.

But maybe you can think of one way that you can make Sunday special – maybe it’s a “stop” thing or maybe  a “go” thing.  Either way, remember that God gives us this commandment to be a delight, not just one more rule to do!  It’s a good gift from God who loves you!.

HELPING KIDS UNDERSTAND WORSHIP

2 large posterboards folded in half like a big card or 2 whiteboards with a line across the center, big marker

Imagine it’s the Wednesday before Mother’s Day.  We’re going to imagine this poster board is a big Mother’s Day card, and we need to write things to Mom, things about her that are really great!  

So let’s think – (write on the poster board:  – Dear Mom, you are…

Okay, so help me - what can we say on our card?

(suggest they think of What she does

What she is)

Use the whiteboard or the posterboard, and encourage the kids to fill the whole thing with things about their moms.  This is GREAT!  Your moms sound awesome!

Now let’s think of what we’d write on the inside of our card…

Write and then Say:  Mom, because of all these things (read off several of the things on the white board), I…

Love you

Think You’re great

You’re the best mom in the world

Give you hugs and kisses

Am so glad you’re my mom

The same thing that makes it so easy for us to love our moms, thank our moms, and praise our mom is the same thing we can use to tell God we love him, thank Him for who he is and what he has done, who he is and how great He is

So on this second white board, we’re going to make a card for God.  

Dear God, you are…

If your kids don’t get too far, use the following verses –

Your word is truth – Psalm 119:160 - God, you never lie to me

Compassionate and gracious, abounding in love – Ex. 33

He is good – Psalm 145:9 - we never need to be afraid God will do anything for us or others that isn’t good

Wise –

Almighty – Jeremiah 32:18-19

Creator – Genesis 1:1

Eternal – Psalm 90:2

Incomprehensible – Romans 11:34

Faithful – Joshua 23:14

Unchanging – Malachi 3:6a

Never tiring – Isaiah 40:28b

Great!  God sounds amazing!  Now let’s think about what we’ll put on the inside…

(Write and then say - God,

because of these things (read some of the things the kids said about God), I’m

So glad you’re my God

Love you

Thank you every day

Think you’re great

Praise you

Worship you

Sing to you

Do you know what we just did with our God card?  We worshiped God!  We told him how amazing He is, and we told Him we love him.  

Now here’s the final thought.  Maybe your mom is like me.  When I get a card that is really personal, that my child has put a lot of time into and care, I am really touched by that card.  It is precious to me and many times I keep those cards.  In fact, I have a box of special things my children have made, and they make me so happy when I look through them.

Your praise to God and your thanks to God are also precious to him.   It makes him happy and he is delighted by words to Him that are really honest and true.

So I want to give you and me a chance to do just that for God.  We’ve thought about what makes God wonderful and special.  Now let’s tell God that, and we’re going to sing a song of praise that we know.

End with a VBS song or a song the kids know well that is a worship song.