I Have Faith To Give Freely!

Host: Welcome to the Lab! Today is going to be a lot of fun. Wouldn’t you agree?

Co-host: sneezes on the Host:.

Co-host: You’re welcome.

Host: Welcome for what? You sneezed on me.

Co-host: Technically, but I’m also sharing with you. There’s more where that came from.

Co-host: sneezes again.

Co-host: I’m just blessing you right and left. I’m not holding back.

Co-host: sneezes several times.

Host: Today is about giving, but it’s about sharing…good things. Not germs. Let’s stand up and get ready to worship. As you do, find someone and tell them this: If you could be gifted lots of any one thing, what would you want?

Co-host: Ethel and Sophia really make the SpongeBob world come alive. I felt like I was in Bikini Bottom.

Host: Skip questioned why they would give away some of their earnings. Is his fear that they could lose everything by giving right or wrong?

Co-host: What do you guys think they should do?

Host: Let’s choose a lab assistant to help us with something. (Choose a volunteer) I hope you like whipped cream because I’m going to give you this can of whipped cream to enjoy. But there’s a catch.

Co-host: Before you can enjoy the whipped cream, you have put some in each of these twelve cups. How much you put in is completely up to you.

Host: Was it hard for you to give away that much of the whipped cream you wanted to enjoy? - Or – Why did you decide to put a small amount in each bowl?

Co-host: Did not being able to see how much was left in the can make it harder to decide?

Host: If you’re afraid of running out, then you might be tempted to follow Skip’s advice. Let’s check out the Big Point. I’m going to have our assistant help us count it down.

Co-host: Let’s all say it together, I Have Faith To Give Freely! Do you know why we can give freely? It’s because we trust Jesus. He’s the one who provides what we give, just like we provided the whipped cream to you.

Host: Jesus continues to bless us even after we give. By the way, we have a second, full can, just for you to have. The blessings keep coming. Let’s hope Ethel and Sophia don’t listen to Skip.

Host: Do you think that Sophia and Ethel will end up with more or less by refusing to give?

Co-host: Some people think they’ll lose out by giving, but the Bible teaches us that we actually gain more by being generous.

Host: Which is why it’s a good choice to live the Big Point,

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

Co-host: This Big Verse is key to learning the Big Point. Help us count down from three and then you’ll read the verse.

Co-host: I think we should play a game to give us a fun visual.

Host: Great idea. We’re going to choose two teams. You must fill up the other team’s pool with as many balloons as you can fit in there. Some members of your team will deliver the balloons and others will keep them inside the pool. The team that gives away the most balloons wins.

Co-host: The more you guys gave away, the more balloons appeared. It’s like our Big Verse. We can give freely because Jesus supplies us freely.

Host: Generosity doesn’t leave you empty-handed. That’s because you give out of what God has already blessed you with. The more you give, the more you can be sure God will bless you with more to share.

If you want to be able to give with the same attitude as Abraham, it begins with receiving God’s gift to you. Being Jesus’ friend and follower will change you from the inside out so that you begin to give your best, freely, just because you love honoring God.

If you have never said, “Yes, I want Jesus to forgive me, be my best friend, and I will follow Him for the rest of my life,” then today is your day! I’d like everyone to close your eyes and bow your heads, so no one is distracted. If you have already said, “Yes” to Jesus, I want you to give me a thumbs up. That’s awesome. You can put your hands down. If you’ve never said, “Yes” to Jesus before, and you want to say, “Yes” to Him right now and ask Him to forgive you, raise your hand. We’re going to pray altogether. Those of you who are already friends and followers of Jesus can join in, too. Repeat after me, and let’s pray...

Dear God, I know everyone needs a Savior, and I know I can’t save myself. Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God. I believe You died on the cross for my sins, and God raised You from the dead.

Right now, I say You are my Lord, my Savior, and the One who forgives me. Thank You, Jesus, that You are my best friend, because I’ve said, “Yes” to You. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer for the very first time I want you to raise your hand again. We are so glad you said "yes" to Jesus! We want to talk to you more about your decision.

Co-host: Skip was greedy, and he ended up with even less than he began with. I think that example helped Sophia and Ethel decide that following our Big Point is a better option.

Host: Generosity is always better than being stingy. Let’s say it again,

Host: I Have Faith To Give Freely! Abraham believed that God could raise Isaac from the dead. He was convinced that God is good and would never go back on His promise. That’s how he was able to give freely.

Co-host: We can talk about Abraham this week as we do the Big Do.

Host: This Big Do is to gather your family together and have each person share the one thing that would be hardest for them to give up.

Co-host: Let’s think about some things that we have that we could share.

Host: What are some things God has freely given to you?

(Ask the question to several kids. Ask them whether it would be difficult to share and why.)

Co-host: We could pray and ask Jesus to help us have more to give.

Host: That’s a great prayer, and it will help you follow the Big Point,

Host: I Have Faith to Give Freely! Let’s gather in our small groups and talk about what we learned.

1. Why did Ethel and Sophia not want to give? What were they afraid would happen if they gave? They would lose everything
2. What did Abraham believe God would give him? A son Do you think it was hard for Abraham to even consider giving Isaac to God? Did Abraham love God or love his gift more? God
3. What would be the hardest thing for you to give up? How can you follow the Big Point when you feel like holding on tight to the things you have?
4. What did Herman tell us to do with our families in the Big Do? Talk about what would be the hardest thing for you to give up
5. Ask for prayer requests and pray.

1. Our Big Point says I Have Faith To Give ______! a. Occasionally

b. Freely

2. What was Abraham asked to give? a. Son

b. Money

3. True/False: Abraham had tons of other kids besides Isaac. a. True

b. False

4. Who convinced Ethel and Sophia to keep all of their money? a. Herman

b. Skip

5. Why were Ethel and Sophia afraid to give? They were afraid they would lose everything

6. Complete the Big Verse: Matthew 10:8 (NIrV), “You have received _____, so give _____.” a. Little, Little

b. Freely, Freely

7. How did Abraham show that he trusted God? By obeying

8. True/False: God provided a ram to take Isaac’s place as a sacrifice. a. True

b. False

9. Why do you think that God wants us to be generous? So we can bless others and to give us another way to be part of His big plan

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

Talk about what would be the hardest thing for you to give up