Teaching

Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “I will freely give what I receive.”         

How much did Peter charge the lame man for his healing? Nothing; he gave freely.

Peter was obedient to Jesus’ command when He gave them power and authority to minister in His name. In Matthew 10:8, He said: 

“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!”    

What good things have you received that did not come from God? There isn’t anything. All good things come from God. 

The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4:7b:

What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?

God has given us everything, so we need to freely share all we have! (See James 1:17.)    

Hold up Sponge 1. This sponge represents us.

Point to the bowl of water. This bowl of water represents God’s blessings that we receive through Christ. Can you name some of those blessings? Children answer.

Some are our possessions, spiritual gifts, talents, abilities, forgiveness, mercy, and salvation. Every good thing we know of, and even things we aren’t aware of, come from God! 

Lift up Sponges 2 and 3, showing how dry they are by trying to squeeze them. These sponges represent other people. They are completely dry, and they are thirsty for love, hope and joy.       

Put Sponge 1 in the water; raise it, and lower it into the water repeatedly as you name each thing that we do. As followers of Christ, we have the opportunity and privilege to go to church, where we can pray, worship, and learn about God’s Word. Like this sponge, we soak up God’s blessings that He freely gives. We can also do these things at home. As God’s children, we have access to God in prayer and we have the Bible to read His Word. 

Is God’s plan just to bless us so we can keep the blessings to ourselves? No!

What does He want us to do with all we receive through Him? Freely give to others.

Exactly! Instead of just saturating ourselves in God’s blessings, His will for us is to …

Squeeze some water from Sponge 1 onto Sponges 2 and 3 in the clear pan and repeat until they are saturated. Hold up the clear pan so children can see the sponges “grow.”

What did we just do? We freely shared with others what we received from God.

What happened to the others as we shared what we have? They grew.

As they have received from God and experienced His love and goodness, they grew in their faith!

Dip Sponge 1 in the bowl. The awesome thing is that we can continue to receive from God so we always can give! 

Read Proverbs 3:27: 

Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them.

This is exactly what Peter and John did on the way to worship in the Temple. They didn’t ignore or push the beggar aside—they shared what they had, the love and power of Jesus!        

Giving is good; however it is also important to have the right attitude. We must give with a generous and kind heart that is pleasing to God. 

Read 2 Corinthians 9:7: 

You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Give a House of Prayer page to any children who missed Lesson 1 so they may assemble it at home.   

Hold up the sample craft. Part of the challenge last time was to read and discuss Philippians 2:3–4. Let’s read it together.

³ Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. ⁴ Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Is it hard to focus more on others and not only on your own needs? Children answer.

Did any of you have an opportunity to pray for someone about a need, and what happened when you did? Children answer.

In our next challenge on Beam 2, you will read and discuss Hebrews 13:16. You are also challenged to find a family with a need in your neighborhood, at school, or in church and then pray each day for them.  

The final part of this challenge is, with an adult’s help, to ask a church, food pantry, or homeless shelter what items they need, then gather and donate them. Next time, I’ll ask how it went. Remember to pray every day, expecting results. And keep in mind that God is pleased when we take action to meet other’s needs.