I Have Faith To Give When Jesus Asks!

Host: Welcome to the Lab! I hope you are ready to hop aboard with us and discover why giving matters.

Co-host: Today we’re going to learn how to use the word, “No.”

Host: You mean, “Yes?”

Co-host: I thought we were saying, “No” to everything.

Host: “No” to some things, but “Yes” to the right things.

Co-host: Is there a “maybe” in today’s lesson?

Host: Definitely focused on the right, “Yes.”

Co-host: I’m intrigued. Let’s get ready to check in at the lab. First find someone else and tell them the dessert you always say, “Yes” to eating.

Co-host: Hannah has a big choice to make.

Host: Which option would you choose if you were her? (Allow for answers)

Co-host: They both have good things to offer. How do you know which one is right?

Host: I’ll get to that, but first let’s play a little game of Simon Says.

Co-host: I know that game.

Host: But you’ve probably never played it like this. We’re going to choose four teams to play. The catch is that you have to stand back-to-back with a balloon in between you. Not only do you have to follow the normal Simon Says rules, but your team is out if the balloon drops. Let’s play.

Co-host: It was hard to focus on listening to Simon while keeping the balloon up.

Host: It was challenging, but possible. It connects to our Big Point. I’m going to have our assistant press that button after we count down from three and then read the Big Point.

Co-host: Let’s all say it together, I Have Faith To Give When Jesus Asks! I get it. We need to train our ears to listen to Jesus. That’s how we know what to give.

Host: The best way to train is to read your Bible and spend time chatting with Jesus. Hopefully Rusty will give Hannah that advice.

Host: Did Rusty’s pro and con list help Hannah make her decision?

Co-host: He pointed out good and bad things, but Rusty never asked what Jesus had to say about it.

Host: Our Big Point is key to giving. You have to start with Jesus.

Host I Have Faith To Give When Jesus Asks! Let’s choose an assistant to help us reveal the Big Verse.

Co-host: This Big Verse helps us better understand the Big Point. Help us count down from three, and then you’ll read the verse.

Co-host: Do you ever have a hard time trusting others?

Host: Let’s play a game to test out our Big Verse. We need two assistants (You can choose more if time permits). One of you will wear a blindfold, and the other will guide you through an obstacle course. The goal is to get through with the fastest time. Each item you hit will add ten seconds to your time.

Co-host: The guide made a big difference. We trust that Jesus sees things that we can’t see, so it makes sense to listen to Him and do what He says.

Host: No matter how smart we become, no matter how many years we go to school there will always be things we don’t know. The good news is that Jesus knows everything, and we depend on Him. Let’s stand and worship Jesus.

Let’s bow our heads and close our eyes. Giving is more than just what you put into an offering bucket or add to your jar. It’s something you do with your whole life. You give when you are kind, when you share your stuff, when you tell others about Jesus, or help less fortunate people in some way. Giving is when you spend more time listening to what others need than talking about yourself. In all of these situations Jesus may ask you to give when you’re not sure why. That’s when you get to take that step of faith. One way to build up your faith is to repeat God’s Word. Let’s meditate on the Bible by repeating this phrase from our Big Verse, “I trust in the Lord with all my heart. I won’t depend on my own understanding.” (Repeat the phrase a few times) Now let’s stand and take time to worship our incredibly good God.

Co-host: Things worked out better for Hannah than she could have dreamed.

Host: Following our Big Point

Host: I Have Faith To Give When Jesus Asks! is a wise choice. Giving opens the door for God to bless you in big ways.

Co-host: Like Peter’s big catch!

Host: Had he refused to cast his net, he would have missed out on the haul of a lifetime.

Co-host: Our Big Story is a great reminder of what we get to do in this week’s Big Do.

Host: Gather together as a family and ask God what He wants you to do with the money you are collecting this month.

Co-host: When God shows you how to give, then you can say yes to doing that.

Host: Let’s ask a question to the audience. I need a lab assistant to interview a few kids. (Choose a kid) Ask this question: Have you ever felt like God was asking you to give something or help someone? What happened?

Host: Great answers. I’m going to be ready to answer yes to Jesus.

Co-host: I hope you will too! Remember our Big Point,

Co-host: I Have Faith to Give When Jesus Asks! Let’s gather in our small groups and talk about what we learned.

1. What were Hannah’s two options? Internship or mission trip Which one would you have been more tempted to do? Why did Hannah choose the option to serve? She obeyed what God asked her to do
2. What did Jesus ask Peter to do? Let down his nets Did Jesus’ request make sense to Peter? Why not? No, he had been fishing all night and not caught anything What happened when Peter said, “Yes?” His nets filled up with fish
3. How can you learn to hear Jesus’ voice better? Pray, read the Bible, listen for His answers in your heart, ask a grownup who loves Jesus
4. What is a way you think Jesus might want you to give?
5. What did Herman tell us to do with our families in the Big Do? Pray about what to do with the money your family saved in the jar

1. Our Big Point says I Have Faith To Give When ______! a. Jesus Asks

b. I Feel Like It

2. Hannah had to choose between serving on a mission trip or _______. a. Joining the army

b. Working at a big company

3. How many fish had Peter caught before he saw Jesus? a. None

b. Tons

4. What did Jesus ask Peter to do while they were in the boat? a. Take him across the lake

b. Throw out his nets

5. If Hannah had only relied on the list of pros and cons to make her choice, what would she have missed? The mission trip / God speaking / the scholarship

6. Complete the Big Verse: Proverbs 3:5 (NIrV), “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not depend on your own _______.” a. Thoughts

b. Understanding

7. What are some ways to train yourself to hear Jesus better? Read the Bible, pray and listen, talk to a grownup who also loves Jesus

8. True/False: Listening to Jesus creates opportunities for bigger blessings. a. True

b. False

9. What’s a way you think God might ask you to give? Money, kindness, help

10. What challenge did Herman give us as this week’s Big Do?
    

Pray about what to do with the money your family collected