Splink 1:
A Gift…Just for You
Buy a small gift for each child (favorite candy; small toy; gift card for fast food or ice cream; favorite treat; etc.) and put it in a gift box or bag. Give each child the small gift.
What did you have to do to get the gift? (Receive it; take it)
I used my own money to buy this gift for you because I love you. A gift is something you don’t earn and maybe don’t even deserve (especially if you were fighting over the gifts given).
This week students began learning about grace—God’s undeserved favor. God was gracious to Jacob even though he sinned and we may think he didn’t even deserve God’s kindness. But we too, have sinned and do not deserve God’s favor.
Read Romans 6:23 and Ephesians 2:8–9.
What is the payment for our sin? (Death; separation from God)
Can we do enough good works to get to Heaven? (No)
What is God’s gift? (Eternal life; salvation; forgiveness; etc.)
God is generous and has made a way for each of us to go to Heaven. We can’t pay enough money to buy our way into Heaven. We can’t do enough good works to get into Heaven. The way we can go to Heaven is by believing in what Jesus has already done—He died on the cross and came alive again.
What did you have to do to get the gift I gave you? (Receive it)
What do you have to do to get the God’s gift? (Receive it)
***If you think your child understands about salvation, you may want to lead them to receive this wonderful gift.
Make a pot of soup/stew. A recipe is included for lentil soup, but make your own if you like, allowing the kids to help.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup onion, diced small
1/2 cup celery, diced small
1/2 cup carrots, diced small
1 Tbsp. minced garlic or two garlic cloves
1 can tomato sauce
1 cup dry lentils (uncooked, but washed)
3 cups beef broth, vegetable broth, or water
1 Tbsp. of Italian seasoning (more or less to taste)
Salt & pepper to taste
1 lb. of ground beef (optional—already cooked and chopped up)
Heat olive oil over medium–high heat in a large pan and sauté onions, celery, carrots, and garlic for approximately two minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes.
Talk about Jacob and Esau’s poor choices as you wait for the soup to cook. First, Esau traded something very important for just a bowl of soup.
Isn’t it hard to wait?! Esau thought so! Second, Jacob made some soup and tricked his father, Isaac into giving him the blessing. Esau was angry and threatened to kill Jacob. Jacob left his family and fled to another country.
Ask:
What do you think you would have done? Why?
Why is it important to think about our choices?
What might happen if we only make choices because of how we feel?
Jacob made some poor choices (as we all do) but God still loved him and had a plan for him. God was kind and gracious to Jacob even though he sinned. God gives us mercy and forgiveness when we sin and don’t deserve it.
Students began learning a new Bible verse for this unit (all of July): Ephesians 2:4–5. (Try dividing it into phrases and learning it rather than word by word. If you have younger children, learn verse four well before diving into verse five.) Practice it by making a grid on the sidewalk (kind of like a hopscotch grid) and writing phrases from the verse in the squares. Take turns hopping the grid and saying each phrase as you hop on it.
Grace is the undeserved favor of God. We deserve to be separated from God because of our sin, but God is rich in mercy and full of love and wants us to be part of His family and live with Him forever. We do not deserve God’s favor, but through grace He gives it to us.
Source: Splink from D6 Family
