Splink | Freedom in Christ

The Weight of Sin

Collect household items (broom; roll of paper towels; spoon; spatula; shoe; pillow; soccer ball; teddy bear; etc.—any non-breakable item will work) on a table. Take turns seeing who can hold the most items (they can choose any from the table) without dropping any. Count the items as they pick them up. Once they drop an item, their turn is over. Congratulate the winner! (And put away all the stuff together!)

Ask:
Can you imagine trying to carry ALL those items around every day?
It would be hard to take a shower or eat your dinner or play ball if you had to carry all those items. The Bible calls sin a weight and it hinders us from doing our best for God. Jesus died so we can have a right relationship with God. He wants to free us from all sin.

Read 1 John 1:9 to learn what to do about our sin.

Finally, Free

Watch a video of the rescue of a trapped animal. Go here to see a fox rescued from netting.

How is sin like a trap? (It catches us when we give in to it; it looks good, but the end result is not good; we want what we want so we give in and we can’t stop; etc.)

What are some sins that people do? (Lying; stealing; disobeying; hating; worshipping other gods; coveting; breaking God’s commands; etc.)

Can we free ourselves? No, we need Jesus to free us from our sin.

Many people who sin get trapped by it and are hurt. They may keep sinning, even though they know it’s not good for them. Jesus died to break sin’s power in us. We no longer have to sin, and He can help us.

The Way to Freedom

Make simple crosses as a reminder of the way to freedom. Collect twigs or sticks and latch two together using twine. Or make one with two nails by holding them together with a thin piece of wire. Or cut one from cardboard and wrap it with yarn. Display the cross as a reminder of our freedom from sin.

Jesus’ death on the cross won an amazing victory over sin so we no longer have to be a slave to it. It is only through His death on the cross that we can be forgiven and free.

Say a prayer of thanks for what Jesus did on the cross.