ELEMENTARY KIDS & FAMILIES date
3.2
FEW THINGS REVEAL THE CONDITION OF THE HEART LIKE A GIVING OR A STINGY SPIRIT. Inspire (for parents) I was sitting in a church worship service with my young teenage daughter, and the offering plate was making its usual trek through the hands of the faithful when it parked in front of us. As I handed it to my daughter, I watched her open her wallet, which revealed two bills of different amounts. She paused for a moment, then grabbed the larger of the two and placed it in the plate. I was impressed and inspired.
coins. She trusted God enough to let go of her treasure. She made God the Lord of her money. Jesus made mention of her heart, not her religious practice. Holy behavior, be it worship attendance, tithing, prayer, or Bible reading, not only shapes the heart, but also reveals the condition of the heart. I hope my children learn that what matters most to God is the inside of their hearts as unveiled by the good, the bad, and the ugly actions in their lives. I’m grateful my daughter gave me a glimpse into her heart.
One of the most important qualities I desire my children to carry into their adult decisionmaking is hilarious generosity. Few things by Doug Webster reveal the condition of the heart like a giving or a stingy spirit. I’ve learned from my Master and Mentor, where I invest my treasure is ew 12:1–14 proof of what is most valuable Scripture: Matth to me. There was a time when (The Sabbath) art s Looks at the He Jesus watched people give their Main Point: Jesu ur family to ned to allow yo money to the work of God. He sig de is ce ur so This re your children used it as a teachable moment to d’s Word before Go in e tim ve ha is for parents to cause God’s plan point out the sacrificial donation attend church. Be their children’s iritual nurturers of of a woman who could have be the primary sp iritually, your sp as you grow at th ow kn easily held on to one of her two we faith, spiritually as well. children will grow
Getting Started
Equip (for parents) Equip is additional background information that will help you introduce this Scripture passage to your children this week. Because God cares about the condition of our hearts, He created the Sabbath as a day set apart—a holy day—during which His people would rest from work. God gave the Sabbath to His people out of His abundant love for them. God desired for His people to experience rest and to also receive a taste of the eternal rest they would one day have in heaven with Him. In fact, God was so serious about this commandment that He said in Exodus 31:14, “Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death … ” But God’s people became increasingly concerned about exactly what constituted work on the Sabbath. Perhaps in an attempt to earn God’s favor, Jewish rabbis established many new rituals. These rituals became so complicated and cumbersome that the Sabbath day eventually transformed from a day of rest to a day of worry over keeping every single ritual. In Jesus’ day, the Sabbath day had become significantly distorted to the point of being not a blessing but a burden to God’s people. In response, Jesus describes Himself, in Matthew 12:8, as the “Lord of the Sabbath.” He “breaks” the Pharisees’ laws regarding rest on the Sabbath by healing a man’s withered hand and allowing His disciples relief from their hunger. Through these actions, our Lord of the Sabbath showed that He cares about people’s hearts—He would rather do good on the day intended for His people’s good than abstain from good in order to follow their own set of cumbersome laws.
REM “My EMB com ER V each man ERS d E o is th ther you is: L as I . Gre ove hav at than this er love e loved has , tha his life for h t he lay no one Joh n 15 is fr dow :12– iend n 13 s.”
Support
(for parents & kids) JUST FOR FUN, pick a day this week to wake up and enjoy breakfast together. Tell your children you want to make this a special day— set apart to focus on God and the amazing way He looks at us. If possible, set aside any household chores or obligations to Sabbath, rest, and play. Then together read Luke 6:1–11. After reading this passage, ask your children if they can tell you what the Sabbath is. Talk together about why God would set a day apart for us to rest. The Pharisees cared more about doing evil to Jesus than doing good for the man who needed to be healed. What does that show you about their hearts? Discuss what Jesus said in verse 9. Did Jesus care more about what the Pharisees thought or about helping the man? Share with your children that no matter what the situation, Jesus looks at our hearts. Remind your children that what they just heard was true and is part of The Big God Story. Let them know this week in church they will learn more about the Sabbath and how Jesus always looks at our hearts’ intent. End your time together by praying and thanking God that He sees our hearts.
© 2012 David C. Cook. TruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church and a national network of family and children’s ministry leaders. All rights reserved.