The Money Pit

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

December 10, 2017, Week 2 Grade: 3-4

The Money Pit Bible: The Money Pit (Parable of the rich man) • Luke 12:13-21 Bottom Line: Don’t miss your chance to give. Memory Verse: “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” 1 Timothy 6:18, NIV Life App: Generosity—Making someone’s day by giving something away Basic Truth: I should treat others the way I want to be treated. Social: Setting the Tone for the Experience (9:00, 10:15, 11:30) 9:00 & 11:30 Early Arriver • No supplies needed 10:15 Moving Target • Empty laundry basket or bucket • Several wads of paper for each kid Bible: Communicating God’s Truth in Engaging Ways (9:15, 10:30, 11:45) • Bible Presentation in Large Group Groups: Creating a Safe Place to Connect (9:40, 10:55, 12:10) 9:00 & 11:30 24 in a Day • “Clocks” Activity Page; 1 for each kid • Markers 10:15 Nothing Lasts Forever • Whiteboard or chalkboard • Dry-erase markers or chalk • Eraser Prayer (9:50, 11:05, 12:20) • Gold plastic coins Dismiss (10:00, 11:15, 12:30)

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

December 10, 2017, Week 2 Grade: 3-4

The Money Pit Bible: The Money Pit (Parable of the rich man) • Luke 12:13-21 Bottom Line: Don’t miss your chance to give. Memory Verse: “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” 1 Timothy 6:18, NIV Life App: Generosity—Making someone’s day by giving something away Basic Truth: I should treat others the way I want to be treated.

Social: Providing Time for Fun Interaction (Small Groups, 15 minutes) Welcome kids and spend time engaging in conversation and catching up. Get ready to experience today’s Bible Truth. Before kids arrive, take a few moments to pray for them. Ask God to show kids where they have opportunities to be generous. Pray that kids would recognize these opportunities and act on them before they miss their chance. 9:00 & 11:30 Early Arriver Idea Made to Connect: an activity that invites kids to share with others and build on their understanding

What You Need: No supplies needed What You Do: • Greet kids as they arrive. • Ask them if they’ve ever missed out on something. Why? What did they do instead? • Form a circle and ask the child to your left to choose between two activities: going to the zoo or the movies, playing with a friend or reading a comic book, etc. • Once that child has chosen, begin a game. • Say, “I decided to go to the zoo instead of the movies, so I missed out on [movie-related thing such as popcorn, previews, car chase, candy, air conditioning, etc.].” • Then, the child on your right continues, “ I decided to go to the zoo instead of the movies, so I missed out on [your answer] and [new answer].” • Play around the circle, and then ask another child to choose between two activities or events. • Discuss how hard it is to miss out on something great, even if what you chose to do was fun as well. What You Say: “It’s not always easy to choose joy when we feel like we’re missing out on something. [Transition] Let’s go hear about what we really don’t want to miss out on.” Lead your group to the Large Group area.

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

December 10, 2017, Week 2 Grade: 3-4

10:15 Moving Target Made to Move: an activity that increases the oxygen in the brain and taps into the energy in the body

What You Need: Bucket and wads of paper, What You Do: • Set the bucket in the center of your small group area, and let the kids toss the paper wads into it. • For a second round, ask a volunteer or assistant Small Group Leader to hold the basket or bucket and move around the area while kids attempt to toss their projectiles in. • Direct your moving target to vary the height of the basket as well as the speed at which they move around. • When all the items are in the basket, end the game. What You Say: “It was hard to hit that moving target, and you had to throw carefully in order not to miss the goal. [Transition] Let’s go hear about what we really don’t want to miss out on.” Lead your group to the Large Group area.

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

December 10, 2017, Week 2 Grade: 3-4

The Money Pit Bible: The Money Pit (Parable of the rich man) • Luke 12:13-21 Bottom Line: Don’t miss your chance to give. Memory Verse: “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” 1 Timothy 6:18, NIV Life App: Generosity—Making someone’s day by giving something away Basic Truth: I should treat others the way I want to be treated.

Bible: Communicating God’s Truth in Engaging Ways (Large Group, 35 minutes) GETTING READY 1. Opener/Closer What You Need: •

Host

2. Bible Truth What You Need: • • • • • •

Historyteller Volunteer to be the rich man Costume for the rich man Lots of small boxes 2 large gift bags with handles Prop box to hold the small boxes, costume, and bags

3. Worship What You Need: •

Power Praise Team

Music and Sound Effects (SFX): • “Hosanna Rock” • “Go Tell It” • “Down to Earth”

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

December 10, 2017, Week 2 Grade: 3-4

The Money Pit Bible: The Money Pit (Parable of the rich man) • Luke 12:13-21 Bottom Line: Don’t miss your chance to give. Memory Verse: “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” 1 Timothy 6:18, NIV Life App: Generosity—Making someone’s day by giving something away Basic Truth: I should treat others the way I want to be treated.

Bible: Communicating God’s Truth in Engaging Ways (Large Group, 35 minutes) Engage kids’ hearts through a dynamic and interactive Bible Truth, worship, and prayer experience in a Large Group setting. SFX: Play high-energy Christmas music as kids enter. CG: Theme Slide Host enters wearing Christmas clothes. Opener HOST: “Hey, hey, hey, everybody! Welcome to The Treehouse, the coolest, most awesome, incredible, fun-tastic place ever! My name is [Host’s name] and together, you (point to audience) and I (point to yourself) are going to have the best morning ever! “Does anyone remember what we’re talking about this month? (Hold your hand to your ear.) Yeah, that’s it: generosity. Let’s take a look at this together. CG: Generosity Slide “Generosity is making someone’s day by giving something away. Let’s read that definition together.” HOST and KIDS: “Generosity is making someone’s day by giving something away.” HOST: “How cool is that? And we all have something we can give away. I’m not just talking about money. We can give away our time, we can give away kind words; we can SHARE the things we already have. It’s not hard to be generous and make someone’s day. (Point.) You, you, you, and ALL of you can do something small to make a big difference in someone’s life.” “Please welcome [Historyteller’s Name] to tell us more.” Host exits as Historyteller enters.

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

December 10, 2017, Week 2 Grade: 3-4

SETTING UP THE BIBLE TRUTH HISTORYTELLER: “Hey, everyone! Hope you are having an amazing December! I love this time of year when we get to celebrate God’s generosity with us when He sent Jesus to save us. “While Jesus was on earth, He went around from place to place teaching people about God. Some people would listen and decide to follow Him. Others listened and decided Jesus’ teachings were too difficult to understand or put into practice. As Jesus interacted with people, He lived a life of generosity as He served the people who followed Him. “On top of life of generosity, Jesus taught others how they can live more generously as well, like this one moment recorded for us in the Book of Luke. You can read it for yourself in Luke, chapter 12. For now, though, let’s check it out together.” THE DEMAND HISTORYTELLER: “Jesus was teaching to a large crowd when someone called out: Tell my brother to divide the family property with me (Luke 12:13 NIrV). “The man didn’t raise his hand or even ask Jesus a question. He just called out from the crowd and demanded Jesus tell his brother to share with him. He most likely wasn’t even interested in what Jesus had to say; he just wanted Jesus to do something for him. It seems that he wasn’t there for anybody but himself and what he wanted, and what the man wanted was more stuff. “Think about this for a second. This sounds like us, too, sometimes. We ask for more and more and MORE! And during this season, we make Christmas lists that go on for pages and pages when we already have drawers or closets full of stuff. “But this man didn’t trick Jesus with this question. Jesus knew the man’s heart and decided to tell a parable to help this man figure out a few things. Like Jesus did from time to time, He taught this lesson in the form of a parable. A parable is a story used to teach a spiritual lesson. Even though Jesus taught this lesson a long time ago, we can learn from it today. Before we dig into Jesus’ parable, I need a volunteer. Choose a volunteer from the crowd and bring them onstage. Introduce the volunteer to the rest of the group. (To volunteer) “The main character in Jesus’ parable is a rich man. How do you feel about playing the part of a rich man?! (Pause.) Awesome! If you’re going to be the star of this parable, you’re going to have to look the part. Here are some exquisite clothing items you can put on.” Retrieve the costume and give it to the volunteer to put on. THE RESPONSE HISTORYTELLER: “Great! Let’s get started. Jesus said that the rich man owned a lot of farmland where he grew grain. One year, God blessed him with an abundance of grain—maybe the most this man had ever grown in a single harvest. We don’t have an abundance of grain with us today, but these boxes will work. These can represent all of the grain that God gave the man. Hand the volunteer a few of the boxes to hold (if your

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

December 10, 2017, Week 2 Grade: 3-4

boxes are of various sizes, give the volunteer the larger ones first). “Throughout the year, the weather must have been perfect with just enough rain and just enough sun. Not too cold or too hot, but just right. By harvest time, the land produced a very large crop. Stack a few more boxes on top of what the volunteer is holding. “When the servants reported about the crop, the rich man was overjoyed. They collected more grain than he needed for the whole year. He didn’t know what to do with it all. He didn’t even have enough space to store it all. Stack a few more boxes on top of the volunteer’s boxes. It should start to be a little ridiculous and difficult. “Take a look at our rich man for a moment. Do you think he has enough grain? (Pause for response.) Yeah, of course he does! (Point to volunteer.) You can barely even see [volunteer’s name]’s face with all the grain stacked up right now. You’d think the rich man would want to share, but that was the last thought in his mind. You see, this rich man was greedy and selfish. All he wanted was more and more for himself. Add a few more boxes. “Instead of being generous, the rich man—who already had plenty for himself—decided he would keep all the grain. Stack the boxes so high the volunteer can hardly carry the boxes. Wedge one under each arm. “He told his servants to tear down all his barns and build even bigger barns that were large enough to store ALL of the grain. Try to give the volunteer another box, but fail to find a place to put it. Take one of the bags and put a few boxes into it. Hang the bag off of the volunteer’s fingers. “With his new barns full of grain, the rich man thought he’d have enough for years to come. He thought he could retire early and wouldn’t have to work anymore. He could take life easy and have a good time living off the grain he stored away. Fill the other bag with boxes and hang it from the volunteer’s other hand. If the costume allows, place a box underneath the volunteer’s hat and put the hat back on the volunteer’s head. Place one last box on top of the stack. Make sure the volunteer is completely weighed down by the boxes.

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

December 10, 2017, Week 2 Grade: 3-4

The more ridiculous this looks, the better. “When God saw the selfish actions of the man, God called him a fool. God said that very night the rich man would lose his life, and all he stored up for himself would be pointless.” JESUS EXPLAINS HISTORYTELLER: “After telling the parable, Jesus told the crowd that it would be the same for anyone who isn’t generous and who hoarded up things for themselves and missed their chance to give. He warned the crowd against wanting more and more things. He reminded them that life isn’t about the amount of stuff a person has, but what they do with what they have. “Jesus explained that this man was foolish and missed the point of why he had all of the grain in the first place. He could have used all of that grain to help others. Sure, he may not have as much for himself, but he would have richer relationships with other people and a richer relationship with God. “Just look at our volunteer for a moment. At this point [volunteer’s name] can’t even enjoy the gifts he has been given, because he has too many of them. He can barely hold them all. He is so focused on keeping it all balanced, he can’t even think about opening them, let alone do something with them or give them to others. These are stacked so high, [volunteer’s name] can’t even see others! (To volunteer) Okay, you can drop all the boxes and head back to your seat. (To audience) Let’s hear it for our volunteer!” Help the volunteer put the boxes back and collect the costume. Dismiss the volunteer from stage. WRAPPING UP THE BIBLE TRUTH HISTORYTELLER: “The rich man in the parable missed his chance to give and decided to keep everything for himself. Because of his choice, he faced a pretty severe consequence and lost everything—even his life! Let’s take a look at today’s Bottom Line. CG: Bottom Line Slide [Bottom Line] “Don't miss your chance to give. Remember, Jesus told this parable to someone who spoke out while Jesus was teaching. The person just wanted more stuff. We’re not told how the man responded to Jesus’ parable, but we can think about how we can respond. When God gives us something, we don’t have to be selfish and keep it all for ourselves. We can show generosity and give some away. Let’s not miss a chance to give. Instead, let’s be generous and look for ways to give and share with others. Let’s pray and ask God for help with this.” Pray HISTORYTELLER: “God, thank You for being a generous God who gives us amazing gifts. This week, help us to see how we can be generous with those gifts. We don’t want to miss our chance to give. Help us to be rich in Your eyes and give generously, as You have given to us. We love You, and we ask these things in Jesus’ name, amen.” “If you have an offering with you today, raise your hand and we will bring the bucket over to you.” “Now, up on your feet and give some mad respect to our Power Praise team!”

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

December 10, 2017, Week 2 Grade: 3-4

Power Praise team enters as Historyteller exits. Worship SFX: “Hosanna Rocks” SFX: “Go Tell It” SFX: “Down to Earth” Historyteller exits as Host enters. Closer HOST: “Wow. What a parable, huh? Jesus told this parable to remind someone that people are more important than money and stuff—like family, friends, and neighbors. I’m pretty sure this is something that we already know, but we don’t always get it right, do we? We still fight. We complain when we have less than someone else. We hang onto what’s ours and figure out how to get more for ourselves instead of sharing with others. “We can make a different choice, though. We can look for chances to be generous. If we’re not careful, we’ll miss our opportunity. Let’s take another look at our Bottom Line for today. CG: Bottom Line Slide [Bottom Line] “Don’t miss your chance to give. Say that with me.” HOST and KIDS: [Bottom Line] “Don’t miss your chance to give.” HOST: “That’s right. You won’t always be in the same class as your best friend. You won’t always get to share a room with your younger brother. Don’t be like the guy in Jesus’ parable who missed his chance to give because he ran out of time. Use the time you have right now to be generous and be rich in good things just like our memory verse for this month says. CG: Memory Verse Slide “Take a look: Command the rich to do what is good. Tell them to be rich in doing good things. They must give freely. They must be willing to share, 1 Timothy 6:18 (NIrV). “They must give freely. They must be willing to share. So share when you’ve got something to share, and show love when you’ve got someone you can show love to. Take time to practice generosity. You’ll talk more about how you can do that in Small Group. Have fun together, and we’ll see you next week!” Dismiss children to their small groups. CG: Small Group Slide

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

December 10, 2017, Week 2 Grade: 3-4

Groups: Creating a Safe Place to Connect (10 minutes) 9:00 & 11:30 24 in a Day [Live for God | Application Activity] Made to Connect: an activity that invites kids to share with others and build on their understanding

What You Need: “Clocks” Activity Pages; pens What You Do: • Give each kid a “Clocks” page and encourage them to write the things they would be doing at each hour on Christmas Day. • Then divide the group into two teams. o Team 1 will call out a time/hour from the Activity Page. o Team 2’s members will all act out (at the same time) what they wrote on their papers for that time and Team 1 will guess what they’d be doing during that time. o Instruct Team 2’s members to sit down once their specific activity has been guessed, to minimize the continued chaos of simultaneous charades! o Once the team members of Team 1 have identified all the things Team 2 is doing for that particular hour, they’ll switch roles. • Keep score on which team can guess all the activities of the other the quickest. o Some “sure bets” to earn points are to call out times when most people will be sleeping or eating. o If your church has a Christmas service or midnight mass, those activity times will be easy to guess as well. What You Say: “Those are some busy, happy Christmases you have planned! And I know that the whole holiday season is busy for a lot of families too. It always feels like there’s so much to do, so many people to see, and so many presents to exchange. But it’s important that even in this busy season, you [Bottom Line] don’t miss your chance to give. “There might be simple chances you miss, like not seeing someone open the present you got for them, because there was so much going on during all the present-opening. But it might be bigger than that, like you might get so caught up in playing with your new stuff or eating lots of candy that you miss giving your younger cousin the gift of your time and attention by helping him make his gingerbread house. What are some other things that could cause you to miss your chance to give? (Take a few responses and then follow up a couple of them with questions about how kids could avoid missing those chances.) [Make It Personal] (Share about a time when you stopped in the rush of the holiday to give meaningfully to someone else, or describe a time when you were touched by the generosity of another person or family at this time of year.) “I am so glad that I saw how important it is that you [Bottom Line] don’t miss your chance to give.”

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

December 10, 2017, Week 2 Grade: 3-4

10:15 Nothing Lasts Forever [Live for God | Application Activity] Made to Connect: an activity that invites kids to share with others and build on their understanding

What You Need: Whiteboard, dry erase marker, paper towel for erasing What You Do: • Draw a vertical line dividing the white board into two sides. • Tell kids that they will be answering your questions with actions instead of words. • Take suggestions from kids about things they like to do at Christmas time (i.e. decorate the tree, hang stockings, shop for Christmas presents, etc.), except instead of telling you, they have to act them out and let the group guess. • When the group guesses the activity, write it on the left side of the board. • After the ideas slow down, switch to the right side of the board. • Ask kids to act out all the things they have to do in a normal day in addition to all of the Christmas stuff (i.e. sports, school, homework, etc.). • As the group guesses the suggestions, write them on the right side of the board. • When the ideas slow down, talk about how they spend their days. What You Say: “When you look at all those things on the board, you can see that this is a very busy time of year. When we get really busy doing lots of things, it can be easy to forget to be generous. We shouldn’t neglect giving to other people and caring about them just because we have a lot going on. We give people gifts on Christmas because God first gave us the gift of His Son. God gave us Jesus to show us that He loves us and giving gifts to other people is one way we show others that we love them. That’s one reason why it’s important that you [Bottom Line] Don’t miss your chance to give.”

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

December 10, 2017, Week 2 Grade: 3-4

All Service Times

Pray and Dismiss (10 minutes) [Pray to God | Prayer Activity] Made to Reflect: an activity that creates space for personal understanding and application

What You Need: Gold coins What You Do: • Ask kids what things they have that they are thankful for. • Go around the circle and have each kid say one thing they are grateful to God for giving them. • Give each kid a coin and have them hold it as you pray. What You Say: “God, thank You for giving us the things we need, like food and water and places to live. Please help us to be grateful for what we have and remember not to miss our chance to give. We ask that You would help us to focus on what we have and what we can give, not how much we can get. Remind us this week that coins like these and the things they buy are not what really matters. Your Son Jesus and His sacrifice for us on the cross is what truly matters. Amen.” As parents arrive, pass out Parent Cues and God Time Cards. Encourage the children to complete and return the God Time cards for a trip to the treasure box.

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