Why do we love God?
He made us and loves us and takes care of us
Made us- every hair on head…. knows everything about you (sad/happy…favorite food)
Loves us- Gospel (God loves us so much he made a way for us to go to Heaven with him!!
Takes care of us- think of your favorite thing in the whole wide world. God provided you with that. Think of how much he loves you to provide things like that for us. Think about eternity in heaven. It will be SOOOOO much better than your favorite things or place AND WE WILL BE THERE ENJOYING GOD FOREVER!!
If you love WHAT GOD MADE then YOU LOVE GOD!!!
(example: if you love a painting… you would say you love that painter too!)
SINCE we love this God so much, we want to please him!
We want our lives to please God, but God hasn’t left us alone with no way to change our hearts from sinful to obedient.
God promises through His power to help us to change our hearts from sinfulness to obedience to Him!! Listen to what He says in 2 Peter 1:3
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence”
HIS POWER gives us what we need in our life for GODLINESS!! That is great news! God is so powerful and wonderful!! He also tells us we can do ALL THINGS through Christ who gives us STRENGTH in our spirit! God can make our hearts very strong!
This week we are talking about the things God gives us to help us change our hearts:
1. Prayer (hold up prayer sign); we can talk to God and ask him for help! The Holy Spirit guides our hearts when we ask for help.
Matthew 7:7 Ask, seek, Knock and it will be given, and
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ... by asking Christ for strength,
Matthew 19:26 With men this is impossible but with God all things are possible.... on my own strength I can't do it but I can when I ask the Lord for help!!)
2. Scripture (hold up picture of the Bible); the Bible shows us what is right and wrong, and if we memorize it, we can become wise and fight sin. We also learn scripture when we go to church and listen to wise teachers, and also when we study the Bible with our parents and our families.
Psalm 119:11 “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
Boys and girls, I have a surprise for you! I want to introduce you to my friend Scruffy. Kids, can you help me welcome Scruffy by saying “Hello Scruffy” really LOUD!? On the count of three lets say “HELLO SCRUFFY!” and maybe he will come out to say hello! OK ready??? 1….. 2…..3….. “Hello Scruffy!!” (Scruffy shyly pokes his head out)
Scruffy is a little shy and fearful. God says we never need to be afraid. Scruffy is a special puppet because we can actually see what is in his heart. Should we try it? Lets see what is in scruffy’s heart (pull out heart and inside heart is a paper that says FEAR) Scruffy is afraid!! How should scruffy change his heart? He can pray to God to change his heart and he can memorize a scripture verse! Psalms 56:3-4 When I am afraid I put my trust in You, in God who's Word I praise!
Lets sing this song to memorize the verse!
(When I am Afraid- Ps 56:3-4 Steve Green; Hide Em In Your Heart Vol. 1)
This week we are going to explore what is in our hearts. Every day we need to train our hearts with God’s word!
Lets see if that song helped Scruffy (pull his heart back out) LOOK BOYS AND GIRLS! Scruffy has his memory verse in his heart along with this beautiful butterfly! Now his heart is pleasing to the Lord!
QUESTIONS and ANSWERS TO MEMORIZE from an adapted version of the Westminister Catechism (this is not the entire list.. more need to be added):
Why should we love (glorify) God? Because he loves us and takes care of us!
Who can change a sinners heart? The Holy Spirit alone.
What does it mean to repent? To be sorry for sin, to hate and forsake it because it doesn’t please the Lord.
Can you repent in your own power? No I can do nothing good without the help of God’s Holy Spirit.
How do we get help from the Holy Spirit? God has told us we must pray and ask him for the Holy Spirt.
Does God know all things? Yes; nothing can be hid from God.
Contentment vs Complaining
Philippians 2:14
Scruffy: (Whispers and looking sad)
Scruffy has something he wants to tell us! His heart is sick… (Our hearts are desperately sick… Jeremiah verse) He wants us to look and see what is in his heart. [ Pull out slimy worms] Eeeeewwwwwwwwww yuckyyyyyyyyy!!! Look what is in Scruffy’s heart!!??!? It is yucky worms!! Scruffy why are there yucky worms in your heat? (scruffy whispers in ear) OHHHHH I understand Scruffy. Boys and girls, Scruffy’s mom asked him to help with the dishes. Do you know what Scruffy said? “AWWWW MOM…. I DON”T WANT TO DO THE DISHES” Scruffy was complaining! Can anyone tell me what complaining is? Boys and girls, have you ever complained? Scruffy told us when he complained… lets tell scruffy some of the times that we have complained. (ask the kids of some times when they have complained).
What does the Bible say about complaining? Lets read the Bible and see what it says. (Read out of a Bible: Philippians 2:14)
God tells us to do everything without complaining!! Who thinks that would be easy to do, raise your hand? Who thinks that is REALLY REALLY hard to do? How can we stop ourselves from complaining??? (TRICK QUESTION… we can’t stop ourselves)
Scurffy’s heart was YUCKY because he was complaining. How can we tell Scruffy to change his heart? There are 2 things we all need to do to change our hearts (OUR SICK AND DECEITFUL HEARTS!!!) Can anyone guess the two things we need to do to change our hearts?
1st thing we need to do We need to PRAY to ask God to change our hearts! (Hold up big sign that says PRAY) How could you ask God to change your heart? What could you say? Maybe use Scruffy or a personal example of when you want to complain and what you say in your prayer to ask God to help you:
God give me strength when I have to ______ Help me not to complain, but to find something to be glad about.
God give me strength when I have to ______ Help me not to complain, but to find something to be glad about.
2nd thing we need to do We need to hide God’s Word in our hearts! (hold up sign with
Psalm 119:11 “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”)
Psalm 119:11 “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”)
Scruffy whispers something in your ear. OH MY!!! OH WAIT BOYS AND GIRLS!!! SCRUFFY HAS A GREAT IDEA!!! Scruffy wants to tell us his idea that will help us memorize this verse so we can hide God’s word in our hearts!! Can anyone guess Scruffy’s idea? He wants us to sing a song! Lets learn Scruffy’s favorite song about complaining!!
READ FROM THE BIBLE: PHILIPPINES 2:14 (Extra verse 1 Peter 4:9)
SONGS:” Do everything without Complaining” Philippians 4:13 (Steve Green “Hide em in your Heart” volume 1)
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Steve Green “Hide em in your Heart” volume 1)
How do we know that God will give us the strength to change our hearts? God promises and God never breaks a promise!!
Check Scruffy’s heart again (MnMs!!) When we are content, our hearts are sweet and pleasing to the Lord. Give each child an MnM :)
Truthfulness vs Lying
Scruffy’s heart: Spiders
OH NO boys and girls…. Scruffy is sad again today!!! Can anyone guess why Scruffy is sad? (take 3 guesses- scruffy shakes his head no- unless someone guesses it)
SCRUFFY WHISPERS IN YOUR EAR
“Oh no scruffy! Scruffy has done something wrong. Scruffy has told a lie!
Who can tell me what a lie is? (take some responses- then tell what lying is)
Scruffy has lied. (NEED AN INSTANCE WHEN SCRUFFY LIED)
Lets look at Scruffy’s heart. OH NO!!! There are lots of creepy crawly spiders!!!
Just like spiders are quiet and sneak around and try not to be caught… that is what someone who lies is like! Creepy crawly and yucky and scary!!! Can you go to sleep with a big spider on your wall above your bed or would you want to get rid of the spider? God needs us to get rid of lies. If you tell a lie, God needs you to go back to who you lied to and tell the truth!!
If our hearts are yucky with lies… what are the 2 things we need to do?
1st thing we need to do We need to PRAY to ask God to change our hearts! (Hold up big sign that says PRAY) How could you ask God to change your heart? What could you say? Maybe use Scruffy or a personal example of when you want to lie and what you say in your prayer to ask God to help you:
God give me strength when I am tempted to lie during ______ Help me not to lie but to tell the truth because I know it will make you happy!
God give me strength when I am tempted to lie during ______ Help me not to lie but to tell the truth because I know it will make you happy!
2nd thing we need to do We need to hide God’s Word in our hearts! (hold up sign with
Psalm 119:11 “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”)
Psalm 119:11 “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”)
Scruffy whispers something in your ear. OH MY!!! OH WAIT BOYS AND GIRLS!!! SCRUFFY HAS A GREAT IDEA!!! Scruffy wants to tell us his idea that will help us memorize this verse so we can hide God’s word in our hearts!!
Can anyone guess Scruffy’s idea?
He wants us to sing a song! Lets learn Scruffy’s favorite song about complaining!!
Read from the Bible: Proverbs 12:22
“Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, But those who deal faithfully are His delight.”
Psalm 34:13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies
SONGS:
Psalm 34:13
Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies
(Steve Green “Hide em in your Heart” volume 1)
Matthew 12:34 “Out of the over flow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Seeds Family Worship- Seeds of Praise “The Mouth”)
Forgivness vs Anger
Hi boys and girls! It is Easter! What a wonderful day to spend together learning about God! Should we say happy Easter to Scruffy today? Lets see if we can get him to come out of his bed. Lets say “Happy Easter Scruffy!”
Oh NO!! Scruffy is sad again today! Uhhh Ohhhhh. We all sin right? Well, I think Scruffy has sinned again. Lets see what is in scruffy’s heart today!
Oh No! Look at all these rocks in Scruffy’s heart! (Scruffy whispers in your ear) Scruffy’s brother has hit him and really hurt him. Scruffy is having a hard time forgiving his brother!! Scruffy is angry. Is anger a sin? YES, it is, isn't it? Lets help Scruffy and remind him about Forgiveness! What does it mean to be angry? What does it mean to forgive someone?
How are rocks like anger? When we are angry, it is like carrying around a big heavy rock. We can’t do anything well when we are carrying big heavy rocks… can we? (Hand someone a big heavy rock… then ask them if they would like to hold your sweet baby kitten (have a little beanie baby kitten) . Can they hold this very heavy rock and hold a sweet tiny baby kitten at the same time? NO Way) They need to get rid of the rock first!
We need to get rid of our anger by forgiving others before we can do anything to please God.
God has shown perfect forgiveness to us. How did God show that He has forgiven us of our sin?
(Gospel- Christ Died for sin- he promises to forgive us- we should to forgive others)
Lets help scruffy and remind him that if his heart is hard with rocks of Anger like… what are the 2 things he needs to do?
1st thing we need to do We need to PRAY to ask God to change our hearts! (Hold up big sign that says PRAY) How could you ask God to take anger out of your heart and give you forgiveness? What could you say? Maybe use Scruffy or a personal example of when you have anger in your heart and what you say in your prayer to ask God to help you:
God give me strength when I am angry. Help me not to show anger but to put it out of my heart and put kindness and forgiveness in my heart!
God give me strength when I am angry. Help me not to show anger but to put it out of my heart and put kindness and forgiveness in my heart!
2nd thing we need to do We need to hide God’s Word in our hearts! (hold up sign with
Psalm 119:11 “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”)
Psalm 119:11 “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”)
Matthew 5:9
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
Boys and girls, what is the opposite of a peacemaker? Maybe a troublemaker or a battle-beginner?? God will give us blessings if we decide to be peacemakers instead of battlebeginers!!
1 John 4:7
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God;”
Ephesians 4:32
“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”
Song: Do to Others (Steve Green, Hide em in your Heart, Volume 1)
Obedience vs Disobedience
Hi Kids!
Who has had a great day so far? What has happened in your day/week that was really good?
Lets praise God for all these good things that have happened today/this week!
Scruffy is taking a nap, but he needs to wake up now. Who wants to help me wake up scruffy? Lets count to three and say “Wake up Scruffy” and see if we can wake him up. OK… wake up Scruffy on the count of three 1 2 3 “ WAKE UP SCRUFFY!!!!!”
Scruffy is soooooooo tired this morning! (scruffy gives a big yawn) Scruffy, why are you so tried? (Scruffy whispers in your ear) OHHHHHHHH I see. Last night Scruffy’s mom and dad told him to go to sleep at his bedtime…. but guess what! Scruffy did not obey them. (Scruffy whispers more in your ear) OH NO! Scruffy was jumping on his bed and playing catch with his favorite bone on his bed after his mom and dad had left his bedroom!!!!!! They told Scruffy to go to bed, but Scruffy wanted to play instead. What is it called when you do something your parents tell you not to do, or when you don’t do something your parents tell you to do? (DISOBEDIENCE)
Scruffy disobeyed his parents!!! What does God say in the Bible about Disobedience? (Scruffy hands you a little Bible in his mouth) Lets turn in the Bible to a special command God gives just for Children! Who here is a child? All of you can raise your hands because everyone sitting here with Scruffy and I are children, aren’t you? God has one very important message, and it is JUST FOR CHILDREN!!
Lets look at the verse in the Bible where God is talking just to the children:
“Ephesians 6:1 Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.”
When we don’t obey our parents, we are not doing what is right. Our hearts have sin in them. Lets see what Scruffy’s heart looks like because he didn’t obey. (Open Scruffy’s heart- maybe bent nails? something for disobedience) Look at these bent nails in Scruffy’s heart. How are these nails like disobedience? If I took a hammer and tried to nail something, would I be able to? No!!! These nails are broken and don’t work. When our hearts are disobedient, they are also broken and don’t work. We are not able to do what we are supposed to do just like these nails can not be useful to nail some wood together.
Lets help scruffy change his heat to be obedient and useful to God. What is the first thing we need to do if our hearts are being disobedient?
1st thing we need to do We need to PRAY to ask God to change our hearts! (Hold up big sign that says PRAY) How could you ask God to help you be obedient and do everything your parents say right away? What could you say? Maybe use Scruffy or a personal example of when you want to disobey, what do you say in your prayer to ask God to help you:
God give me strength to obey even when I don’t want to. Help me not to do the wrong thing, but to obey all the way, right away and make my heart joyful when I obey.
God give me strength to obey even when I don’t want to. Help me not to do the wrong thing, but to obey all the way, right away and make my heart joyful when I obey.
2nd thing we need to do We need to hide God’s Word in our hearts! (hold up sign with
Psalm 119:11 “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”)
Psalm 119:11 “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”)
Who remembers the verse Scruffy has just told us?
Ephesians 6:1 Children Obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
Lets sing our obedience song to help us remember to always obey our parents!!
Songs:
Children Obey Your Parents in the Lord (Steve Green vol 1)
After song: Lets look in Scruffy’s heart and see what is in his heart now: (candy or something yummy- it delights the Lord when we obey!) Look at how sweet and obedient Scruffy’s heart is now!
Kindness vs Selfishness
Hello boys and girls! Today we are going to be talking about Kindness. Scruffy is excited to help us today. Can anyone think of a time when someone was kind to you? What does it look like to be kind to someone? (Sharing) Another word for kindness is SELFLESSNESS. Who can tell me the difference between selfish and selfless. Lets look at the two words in SELF ISH and SELF LESS SELFISH means you are thinking about yourself and caring for your self above others. SELF LESS means you are caring LESS about yourself, and more about others and about God. (Scruffy whispers something) OHHHH …. boys and girls, Scruffy wants to tell you all something. (He whispers again). Scruffy wants to tell you that he has a selfish heart right now. He was selfish with a new toy he got. His sister wanted to play with it with him…. but instead of sharing and taking turns, he said “NO, and ran away from her!!! ” Oh no Scruffy! Should we look and see what Scruffy’s heart looks like because he did this?? Lets look and see. (monster with angry face??) OHHHH WOW!! Boys and girls, when Scruffy’s heart is selfish look at what it looks like!! It looks like a big ugly angry monster!!! OH NO!!!!! Do you think God likes it when Scruffy’s heart has ugly selfishness in it? WHAT SHOULD SCRUFFY DO????!!!!!!!!!!
(See if anyone can tell you the two things)
1st thing we need to do Scruffy needs to pray and ask God to change his heart!! (Hold up big sign that says PRAY) How could you ask God to help you be selfless and sharing and giving to others? What could you say? Maybe use Scruffy or a personal example of when you are selfish, what do you say in your prayer to ask God to help you:
God please change my heart to think of others first before my self. Help me to please you by always sharing and giving to others.
God please change my heart to think of others first before my self. Help me to please you by always sharing and giving to others.
2nd thing we need to do We need to hide God’s Word in our hearts! (hold up sign with
Psalm 119:11 “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”)
Psalm 119:11 “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”)
Matthew 7:12 "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."
Lets all pray and ask God to give us kindness in our hearts. We want God to take out the selfishness! Who remembers our song about wanting to be first? Instead of wanting to be first, we need to want to serve others! Lets pray that God will help us to want to serve others.
God help us all here today to be servants. Help us to give self-LESS-ly and to always put other people before ourself. Please help our hearts to remember our scripture verse when we are tempted to be selfish. Amen.
Lets look now is Scruffy’s heart to see what is in it. OH LOOOK boys and girls!!! When Scruffy’s heart is SELF LESS it is so so beautiful!!! Look at the beautiful butterfly! Scruffy’s heart is so pleasing to the Lord when he shares his toys ISNT IT?!?!?!
Jesus’s disciples needed to learn how to be selfless one day. They were walking along the road and they were talking about which one of them was the greatest. They each thought they they were really great. Jesus interrupted them and corrected their thinking. Listen to what the Bible (Mark 9:34) says happened that day “They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.
35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
God also tells about this in Proverbs. Listen to what else God says “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.” Proverbs 27:2 Selfish people like to talk about how great they are and always want to be first. Lets sing a song about what Jesus told his disciples about being a servant:
Song: SEEDS of Courage: Servant of All
Song References:
Steve Green vol 1:
Psalm 34:13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies
Philippians 4:13 I Can Do All Things
Philippians 2:14 Without Complaining
Matthew 7:12 Do to Others
Romans 3:23/John 3:16 For All Have Sinned
Psalms 56:3-4 When I Am Afraid
SEEDS:
(Courage) Servant of all
(Encouragement) Do everything in love
(Courage) Ask Seek Knock
