Elementary Lesson 3

…by using my talents Teacher Preparation

iReview

iPlay This game is a combination of a “Rock, Paper, Scissors” game and tag where players use their whole bodies to act out a part and the winners try to tag the losers. Divide the class into two to four teams depending on the number of students. Assign each team an area of the room to be their “base”. Players will begin on their base. Players will decide as a team which part to act out. All players will then step into the middle of the room. When play begins, everyone acts out their team’s chosen part. The teams acting out the winning parts try to tag the teams acting out the losing parts before the losing team members get back to their base. Each person must remain in character while trying to tag a losing team member. If tagged, that person becomes part of the team that tagged him. Scissors beats Paper, Paper beats Rock, and Rock beats Scissors. Play three to five rounds or more if time allows. At the end of play, the team with the most members wins.

ROCK - Squats down and places hand on floor. To travel, the Rock walks in a squatted position keeping at least one hand on the ground at all times.PAPER - Stands straight with arms overhead. To travel, the Paper hops keeping both legs together.

Service Segment Activity Props & Prep

iPlay Rock Paper Scissors Tag None

iLearn Unique Purpose Two clear pitchers filled with water, blue food coloring, red food coloring; Ephesians 2:10

iRead Parable of the Talents Small bag of chips (1/student; minimum of 15); Matthew 25:14-29

iRemember Philippians 2:4; Sparkle None

iDo Small Group Discussion iServe Service Manual (1/student)

Lesson 1: …to show God’s love Jesus showed us God’s love by serving us and then dying for us. We show God’s love to others by serving them.

Lesson 2: …to be great If you want to be great, humble yourself and serve others.

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Elementary Lesson 3

…by using my talents SCISSORS - Stands stiff with legs shoulder width apart and arms stretched out in front with one hand on top of the other. To travel, the Scissors can walk or run keeping knees straight and arms moving apart and back together in a scissor motion.

iLearn Read, or have a volunteer read, Ephesians 2:10. God made each of us unique with unique talents and abilities. God has a special plan for each them with good works that only they can do.

Show the class the clear pitchers of water and the food coloring. Tell them that your goal is to turn the water blue. Now ask them what you must do if you want the water to be blue. They will respond by telling you to put the blue food color in the water. Ask them why not the red food coloring. Ask them if you were out of blue food color, could you use the red. Explain that just like the blue food color was created for the specific purpose of turning food blue, every person was created for a specific purpose of good works. Also explain that just like the red food color cannot do the job of the blue food color, others cannot do the jobs that they were created to do. We are each unique and important in God’s plan.

Put the red food color in the water and ask if it was successful in turning the water blue. Now put the blue food color in the second clear pitcher of water and ask if it was successful in turning the water blue. Explain that we will be successful in life only when we discover God’s goals for our lives and work to achieve them.

iRead Ask for three volunteers to help you tell today’s story. Today’s bible story is the Parable of the Talents found in Matthew 25:14-29. Explain that a Parable is a fictional story used to teach a lesson. Also explain that, in this story, the talents means money but that we are going to think of the word talents as our abilities.

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iLearn Props

✴ Two clear pitchers filled with water✴ Blue food coloring✴ Red food coloring

iRead Props

✴ Small bags of chips (1/student; minimum of 15)

Elementary Lesson 3

…by using my talents Tell the story using your volunteers and bags of chips to represent the gold in the story. Explain that a master was going away and asked his servants to take care of his things while he was away. To one servant he gave five bags of gold (give five bags of chips to the first volunteer). To one servant he gave two bags of gold (give two bags of chips to the second volunteer). To the last servant he gave one bag of gold (give one gab of chips to the third volunteer). The servant with five bags of gold invested the gold and earned five more bags (instruct the first volunteer to give away the five bags of chips to five students in the class then give that volunteer five more bags of chips). The servant with two bags of gold invested the gold and earned two more bags (instruct the second volunteer to give away the two bags of chips to two students in the class then give that volunteer two more bags of chips). The last servant dug a hole in the ground and hid his bag of gold because he was afraid (instruct the third volunteer to hide his bag of chips). When the master returned he was pleased with the servants that invested their talents and earned more. He called them “good and faithful” servants and promised to give them even more in the future. But he was very angry with the one who hid his gold. At the very least he could have invested it in the bank and earned a little interest. He called this servant “wicked and lazy” and took what little he had away from him.

Just like the master gave money to his servants, God gives us talents and abilities. Some people are super talented and others have only a little talent. When the servants in the story invested their master’s money, it produced more money. God wants us to invest the talents he has given us by serving others. Do what you’re good at to benefit others. Are you smart? Help someone who isn’t as smart? Are you strong? Help someone who is weak. When we use the talents that God has given us to serve others, we bring others closer to God. The servant who hid his master’s money is like someone who uses their ability only for their own benefit. This servant was called wicked and lazy. What little he had got taken away. Allow each student to have a bag of chips.

Read, or have a volunteer read, Matthew 25:29. What if, by using your God given talents and abilities to serve others, you are given even more talent. In what area would you like to become more talented? Use what talent you have to serve others and watch God give you more.

Jesus served us by offering himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. He continues to serve us by being with us and helping us to be all he wants us to be. Because of his death and resurrection, we can have a close relationship with God.

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Elementary Lesson 3

…by using my talents

Explain that, if there is someone who has never asked Jesus to be their Lord and Savior and they would like to do so, you will lead everyone in a prayer. Remind the kids that if they have ever prayed this prayer before now, Jesus is their Lord and Savior. They don’t have to keep asking him. Ask everyone to bow their heads and close their eyes or to look at the floor. Remind them to keep their eyes closed or look at the floor and not look around. Ask for those who have never asked Jesus to be their Lord and Savior who would like to do so now to raise their hands. If some raise their hands, tell them that you see their hand and they can put it down. Then ask everyone to repeat the prayer after you. Following is a sample of a prayer you can lead them through.

“Father, thank you for your son, Jesus. I believe that Jesus died for my sins and is alive today. I know that I can’t be good and make you happy without Jesus. Jesus, please forgive me my sins and make me new. I give you my life Jesus. Please make into the person you want me to be and help me to use by talents to serve others. In Jesus name, Amen.”

iRemember We will work on learning the same memory verse throughout this series, Philippians 2:4. Introduce the verse to the class and discuss examples of looking only to our own interests and examples of looking to the interests of others. Have the class repeat the verse several times then play the suggested game.

“Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” Philippians 2:4

Words Motions

Don’t look out only for your own interests, Use hands to make binoculars and look down at your feet.

but take an interest in others, too. Grab the arm of the person next to you.

Philippians 2:4 Hold up two fingers, then four fingers

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Elementary Lesson 3

…by using my talents If time allows, play “Sparkle” to help reinforce the memory verse. Have the class stand in a circle facing the center of the circle. Choose someone to begin by saying the first word of the verse, the next person says the next word, and play continues until all words of the verse have been said. The next person says “Sparkle” and the next person sits down. If someone doesn’t know the the next word to be said they are to sit down. The first several times you play, you may want to help those who need it by telling them the next word. The last one standing, wins.

iDo Your children’s ministry may want to come up with small service projects (for the church or community) that the class can participate in together. If you choose to do this, use this time to work on those projects.

If the class is large, break into small groups. God has given us all different talents and he wants us to use those talents to serve others. In fact, by serving others with our talents we may be given even more talent. Discuss some talents the students have and how they can use those to serve others.

Pass out iServe Service Manual and encourage the students to spend a few minutes each day on the devotional. Explain that the devotionals are not homework but a tool to help them read their bible and think about what they read each day by giving them a scripture to read and questions to consider or answer.

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