Sharing What We Have
Lesson Aim
To held kids discover joy in sharing what they have with others.
Objectives
Kids will:
- discover how sharing can benefit everyone;
- learn how a woman in the Bible shared the last food she had;
- make an inventory of what they have to share; and
- identify three things they will share this week.
You Will Need
- a jar of peanut butter
- a jar of jelly
- a loaf of bread
- four knives
- paper plates
- napkins
- markers
- masking tape
- Bibles
- paper
Bible Basis
1 Kings 17:1-16
This story is set against a time of great famine in the land of Israel.
The prophet Elijah told King Ahab that God would not allow rain or dew
until the king repented of his wicked ways. Then Elijah ran for his life!
Elijah eventually made his way to the home of a widow and asked for
food. Widows had no rights and few defenders in Bible times. Asking a
widow for food would be like asking a homeless person for a blanket. But
the woman realized this was no ordinary person who asked. She recognized
Elijah's request as God's will and willingly obeyed.
We can find joy in sharing even the things that are most precious to us
when our sharing is done in obedience to God's will and in recognition
that God, our provider, will not fail us.
Philippians 4:19
This remarkable promise was not written by a wealthy person surrounded
by all the comforts of life. It was written by Paul, probably while he was
in prison or under house arrest in Rome. Paul's circumstances give special
meaning to his faith that God would care for those who care for the needs
of others.
Understanding Your Kids
"Mine!" is one of the first words toddlers learn.
"My" and "me" are quick to follow. Our healthy
instincts for self-preservation carry over very naturally into "self-ishness".
There are those few, rare children who seem to be naturally big-hearted
and generous. But most kids learn sharing by example and by receiving
praise and attention for generous behavior.
Children share more readily as they get older and more mature. some
four and five year olds may not want to share at all - they may be
perfectly happy to take whatever interests them and to go play by
themselves in a corner. Most kids are well into their elementary school
years before they learn to share for the sheer joy of meeting a need or
making another person happy.
The Lesson
Attention Grabber
The Impossible Sandwich
Direct the children into four groups.
Tell them that they will start off the class with a treat.
Give the first group a jar of peanut butter, the second group a jar
of jelly, the third group a loaf of bread and the fourth group four
knives. Give everyone paper plates and napkins.
Tell them to go ahead and eat!
Kids may or may not figure out that they can all enjoy peanut butter
and jelly sandwiches if the groups all share what they have. The kids in
the group with the peanut butter may just dig in with their fingers! If
this happens, drop a hint like, "I wonder what would happen if
everyone shared..."
When everyone is finally enjoying peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,
ask the kids the following:
- How did you feel at the beginning when you only had a jar of jelly
or a few knives?
- How did you feel about getting something you could eat right away
when other kids didn't?
- How did you feel when everyone started sharing?
- When is it hard to share things?
- When is it easy to share?
Bible Study
Read "Elijah and the Widow" below:
Once there was a wicked king named Ahab. He was so wicked, God sent
the prophet Elijah to talk to him. "There won't be any rain until
you repent of your evil ways," Elijah told the king. This made the
wicked King Ahab very angry. So God told Elijah to go hide by a brook.
God said, "You can drink from the brook, and I will send ravens
with bread for you."
So Elijah went to the brook. Every morning the ravens brought him
bread and meat. And even though there was no rain and it was very dry in
the whole country, Elijah could drink from the brook.
But finally the brook dried up. So God sent Elijah to the town of
Zarephath where he found a kink widow gathering sticks for a fire.
"Would you bring me some bread?" Elijah asked the widow. The
widow answered, "I don't have any bread, just a little oil and
four, enough to make just one more meal for me and my son."
Elijah said, "Make me some bread first. God will not let you run
out of oil and four until it rains again. The widow did as Elijah said.
she made bread for Elijah and herself and her son for many days.
Just as God promised, the oil and flour never ran out. There was
always enough to make more bread. God took care of Elijah and the kind
widow who shared, and God can take care of you, too!
Ask them questions such as the following:
- Do you think it was easy or hard for the widow to share her bread
with Elijah? Why?
- If she only had a little food left, why did she share it?
- Why did she believe Elijah?
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Sharing What We Have 