Purpose of the Safety Patrol

Jesus…said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Mark 9:35

Props: safety patrol belt and badge

Have a helper come forward and model the safety patrol belt and badge.  You may even want to have him/her model the actions you describe (flaunting authority vs. helping the other students). 

Many of you have seen the safety patrol in action at your school.  Does anyone know the reason for the safety patrol? (Allow for response).   The reason some kids are on safety patrol is to help protect the other students and keep them safe.  In order to do that, the kids on safety patrol are given some power.  They have the power to tell the other kids to get back in line or to slow down and stop running in the halls.  They also have the power to report any bad behavior to the teachers.  But there is a reason for their power.  They aren’t given power just to make them better than the other kids.  Their power is not given to them so that they can boss everyone else around, or so that they can tease the other kids and say, “Ha, ha, you have to listen to me!” 

            Some of you may be on the safety patrol.  Whether you are or aren’t, God has given or will give you a certain amount of power.  You may end up serving on the Junior Leadership team of KIDS Church.  Maybe you will be a leader on a sports team or in the student government of your middle school or high school.  God may have plans for you to grow up to be the president of a large company or the pastor of a church. 

He does have incredible plans for you, but there’s one thing you have to remember: when God gives you power, He wants you to use it to help people.  Power can help or hurt people.  Make up your mind that you are going to use your power to help others.  If you’re on the safety patrol, do your best and help make your school safer.  If you’re a leader on your sports team, people will look up to you.  Think of ways to bring your team together and make it the best team possible.  And one of the best ways to use your power is to be a leader and a positive example to your friends and family.     

Everyone has some power—some have lots, some just a little.  Use your power to help others.

Your Gifts and Talents Will Grow

God has given each of you a gift. Use it to help each other. 1 Peter 4:10

 Prop: can of silly string, table

 1 Peter 4:10 says, “God has given each of you a gift.”  That means that you have a gift from God.  It could be teaching, preaching, giving, serving, helping others or showing special kindness to people.  Whatever it is, God gave it to you to be a blessing to others.  Right now you may not think much of your gift.  You may not even know what your gifts or talents are.  But they’re there, just waiting to be used. 

            I was thinking about the gifts and talents in each of us and it made me think of silly string.  (Show can of silly string).  There is a lot more silly string in this can than it may appear.  (Begin squirting silly string onto the table in a circular shape and moving upward as you go, creating a tower effect).  Until I start squirting the silly string, I will never know what is inside of the can.  I’ll never know how much there is until I use it.  That is why it is so much like your gifts and talents.  You will never know how much God has given you until you start using your gifts and talents for Him.  It may not seem like much at first, but keep growing in your abilities.  If you feel like God has given you a special ability to pray for people, start praying for people.  That will grow and pretty soon you will be praying for many people, and seeing answers to your prayers!  If you believe your gift is teaching, start teaching.  You may only be teaching the kid who sits next to you at lunch, but your gift will grow.  God will help you get better and better at teaching.  You may be a musician, singer, or an extra friendly person.  Keep working at your gifts and talents and watch them grow.

            (Show pile of silly string).  Now look at all this silly string.  It’s bigger than the can it came in.  And God can use your gifts and abilities to do something greater and bigger than you are.  Use your gifts and talents for God.  Work at them so they will grow, and watch God work through you to do great things.

Hand Tools vs. Power Tools

Jesus…said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Mark 9:35

Props: a few hand tools with their corresponding power tools (e.g., screw driver and drill)

            Take a minute and just look around the room.  Now tell me some of the things (not people) you see.  (Allow for response).  We can look around and see walls and a floor, chairs, lights… (Continue to name things in the room).  Almost all of the objects we can see have something in common—they were made using tools.  Tools have been around for thousands of years.  (Hold up some of the hand tools).  People since Adam have been using them to make things.  But only just a few decades ago something wonderful happened—the invention of POWER TOOLS.  (Display and run a power tool.  Whichever tools you are using, give examples of the inefficiency of the hand tool versus the efficiency of the power tool).

            It’s easy to get excited about the power of these tools, just like it’s easy to get excited about the power you have.  I could go on and on about how easy my work is now that I have this tool, just like some people brag about their power.  I could put together a whole house of furniture while someone with a hand tool only has one piece put together.  But there’s something very important I need to keep in mind: while you can do a lot more with power tools, you can also easily destroy things with them and you can very easily hurt yourself or other people with power tools if you’re not careful. 

            The more powerful something is, the easier it is to build things and the easier it is to destroy things.  Power can help or hurt.  The more powerful something is, the more careful you must be when working with it. 

            God has given you power, but He gave it to you with the purpose of helping others.  You must be careful how you use your power.  And the more power you have, the more careful you must be that you use it to build others up and not tear them down. 

            Remember, God gives us power for the purpose of helping others.  Use the power you have to help, not hurt.

God’s Gift—Accessories Included! (Complete Lesson)

Spiritual gifts (Complete lesson)

Lesson Introduction:  Which Are From God?

            Props:  video game system (without accessories)

Last week we began studying 2 Timothy.  Can anyone remember our memory verse?  (Allow for response and review 2 Timothy 1:6).  We learned that God has given each of us a special gift we can use for Him, and it is our job to use our gift and to make it even greater by spending time with God and growing in whatever He has called us to do.  (Review examples of spiritual gifts and how the children can practice their gifts).

Today we’re going to talk about all the things God gives us to help us use our gifts for Him.  (Display video game system).   We’re going to use this video game system to represent your special gift from God–whatever it is He has blessed you with.  This (name the game system) is incredible.  (Name and describe the special features of the system).  But by itself, it doesn’t do much good.  You have to have all the accessories that come with it to make it work properly.

God has given you a special gift and you have amazing abilities to do awesome things for Him.  But God didn’t stop there—He gave you what it takes to use your gifts and make them work like they should. There are three main things God gives us to help us use our gifts.  Paul told Timothy about those things in 2 Timothy 1:7.  We’re getting ready to learn that verse right now.  So sit up straight and get ready to learn the Word of God.

Memory Verse:  For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.  2 Timothy 1:7

(Teach the following lesson as you introduce the memory verse). 

Props: 4 gift-wrapped boxes [one each marked fear (black box), power, love, self-control]; 1 tag labeled “from the enemy;” 3 tags labeled “from God”

Today we’re moving on in 2 Timothy.  After Paul told Timothy to use his gift, he told him not to be afraid to do God’s work and not to be shy about using his talents for God.  God had already given him everything he needed to grow in his talents and ministries and to use them.  God has given all of us what we need to use our gifts and talents, too.  There’s no need to be shy or fearful about using our talents for God. 

            Paul taught Timothy that there are things every person gets along with their gifts.

As I name each one, see if you can guess if it is from God or from the enemy.  (Hold up “power” box).  The first thing you get with your gift is power.  Power is the strength, energy and ability to do what you need to do.  Who do you think power comes from?  (Allow for response and place “from God” tag on the power box).  God gives us the power to use our gifts for Him.  (Hold up “love” box).  You also receive a spirit of love when you receive you gifts.  Love causes you to care about, show kindness to, and give to others.  It makes you want to use your gifts to help others.  Who does love come from?   (Allow for response and place “from God” tag on the love box).  God gives us the love for others that makes us want to help them by using our talents.  (Hold up “self-control” box).  Self-control also comes when you receive your gifts.  Gifts take time to develop.  You have to have self-control and self-discipline enough to learn from others and practice to become better at the gifts you have.  Who does self-control come from?  (Allow for response and place “from God” tag on the self-control box).  There is one more thing that usually comes when you receive special gifts and talents from God.    (Hold up “fear” box).  Fear of what others will say or think about you will keep you from using your gifts and talents for God.  You will think things like, “I can’t speak in front of people.”  “I can’t sing; I might mess up.”  “I can’t help other people; I won’t do any good.”  Fear will keep you back.  Who does fear come from?  (Allow for response and place the “from the enemy” tag on the fear box).  Our enemy, satan, will bring fear to try to keep you from what God wants you to do.  He’ll lie to you and tell you that you can’t do it.  Don’t accept what he brings to you.  Just give it right back to him and take what God gives you—power, love and self-control. 

Object Lesson 1:  The Power Source  

            (Micah 3:8; Zechariah 4:6; Luke 10:19; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:3, 4)

 

Props:  video game system and gift box (power) with power cord inside

            Remember we mentioned that we were going to use this game system to represent the special gifts and talents God has given you.  Right now there’s a problem with this game system.  There’s no power supply!  This box holds an amazing amount of information and ability; but without power, it’s no good.  (Open the “power” gift box. Display power cord and plug it in).  Now we can get somewhere!  It’s plugged in to the power supply.  It has the ability to do what it was created to do.

God has given you a power supply, too.  He has given you gifts and the power supply of the Holy Spirit to make them work.  In Acts 1:8, Jesus spoke to His disciples and said to them, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  They received special power from God’s Holy Spirit to do His work.  God promises us the same power.  Say for example you have the gift of teaching.  When you are plugged in to the power of the Holy Spirit, He will give you the power to speak God’s Word in such a way that people’s lives will be changed.  If you have the gift of encouraging others, the Holy Spirit will give you the power to say just the right thing to help others make it through hard times.  The Holy Spirit can give you the power to use whatever gifts you have to help others and build the Kingdom of God. 

            You wouldn’t try to use this game system without the power cord plugged in.  Don’t try to do God’s work without the power of His Holy Spirit.  Use the power God has given you.  

Object Lesson 2:  Spirit of Self-Control

            (Galatians 5:22; 2 Peter 1:6)

Props: video game system and gift box (self-control) with controller

            Now that I have a power cord for my game system, there’s something else I need.  Can anyone guess what it is?  (Allow for response).  I need a controller.  If I don’t have a controller, I can’t control what happens in the game.  My man (or woman, or team, or whatever) will lose because he/she/they will just stand there instead of playing.  They won’t be able to make the moves they need to make to win.  (Open the “self-control” gift box. Display controller and plug it in).  Now that I have a controller, I can make the moves and play the game. 

            God has given you the spirit of self control.  Not using self control is like not using a controller in a video game:  You won’t get anywhere.  Gifts don’t just “happen,” they must be developed.  It takes work and effort.  You don’t just wake up one morning and have the ability to be the best at something.  You have to work at it.  You have to do something.  And usually, you have to use self-control and self-discipline, because working at things isn’t always easy. 

            In the same way that I use this controller to tell my man/woman/team what to do, you can use self-control to tell yourself, “Okay, it’s time to practice the piano.”   “Read the Bible, even though you want to watch TV.”  “You need to listen to what your teacher is telling you.”  When you use self-control, your gifts will develop and you will become all God has called you to be.  Use God’s spirit of self-control to win in life!

 

Object Lesson 3:  Spirit of Love

(Mark 12:30, 31; Romans 5:5; 1 Corinthians 13; Galatians 5:22; 1 Peter 1:22)

Props: video game system and gift box (love) with headset and/or extra controllers

 

            In order to use God’s gifts, you need to be plugged in to the power supply of His Holy Spirit.  You also need the love that God gives you for others. 

This game system was meant to be used with more than one player.  You could play it alone, but that’s not as much fun!  (Open “love” gift box.  Display headset/extra controller(s) and set them up).  This extra controller lets me share my gift with others.  I can invite a friend over and play with him, or I could share with my brother or sister.  I could play with anyone I want to.  With the headset, I can even play with friends who are on the other side of the world.  This game was meant to be played with a number of people at the same time.  It wasn’t just meant to be kept to myself. 

God give you a spirit of love that will help you share your gifts with others.  When you love others, you want to help them and bless them.  You want to use your special gifts—like singing, speaking positive words to others, leading, or preaching—to be a blessing to other people.  The spirit of love won’t allow you to be selfish and use your gifts to see how much money and fame you can get for yourself.  You will use them for others. 

Let God’s spirit of love guide you as you use your gifts for Him.

Choose to Use It

God has given each of you a gift. Use it to help each other. 1 Peter 4:10

Props: various toys, games/gadgets and a handful of cash (or play money)

            What is the best gift you have ever received?  (Choose a few students to respond).  Imagine if you got one of these for your next birthday (Display ipod).  Wouldn’t that be great!    Or maybe your parents will finally get you the ripstik you’ve been begging for.  (Hold up ripstik.  Ride it if you’re brave enough).    If you really have a great year, you could get a card with lots of money inside.  (Show handful of cash).  All of these gifts are great, aren’t they?

            God has given each of us gifts.  His gifts are different for each person.  Some of you have been given a gift of serving others.  Others have a gift of strong faith for miracles.  A few of you may have the gift of teaching.  You have a real gift of telling people about God in a way they can understand.  There are many gifts God gives: leadership, generosity, helping others, preaching.  God has also given you talents to bless others.  You may sing or draw, write or build things.  These are all gifts from God.  They are just as real as the gifts I have here.  However, in order for these gifts to be valuable, you have to use them. 

            (Set ipod on shelf).  Imagine if your birthday came and went, and you just put the ipod on your shelf and never listened to it.  You wouldn’t be any better off than before you had it.  (Put ripstik on shelf).  Let’s say you did the same thing with your ripstik.  Would you have any fun with it?  Not if it just sat there!  (Set money on shelf).  Now I know you would never do this: but imagine if you put your money on the shelf and never spent it!  Would it be worth anything?  No!  Money isn’t worth anything until you use it.

            The same is true of the gifts and talents God gives you.  If they are going to be worth anything, you must use them for God.  Like I said before, God have given each of you gifts and talents.  He wants to use those gifts and talents to help other people.  But if you don’t use them, no one will be blessed. 

            Use your gifts and talents for God.  You can use your talent or let it sit there on the shelf.  Choose to use it for God.