This week's theme: Faithfulnees

Goals: To teach the children that:

1. The Bible is our guide for living

2. If we are faithful to follow the instructions God has given us we will be rewarded.

3. Someday Jesus is coming back to get us and there is going to be a great party.

Chef Skit:

The Swedish chef comes in to the room in terribly depressed and carrying a very flat ugly looking cake. He explains to the leader that he entered a cooking contest, but he didn't win. He didn't get a prize at all. He is crying loudly and throwing a terribly fuss. The leader begins to ask him questions: what did he make? Did he follow the directions? She discovers that the chef was lazy and just threw some stuff together in a pot instead of reading the recipe and following the directions.

The leader explains to the chef that if he wants to win, he has to put in effort, he has to follow the directions and instructions. The chefs manual explains the purpose of ingredients such as baking soda; it makes things rise and get fluffy. If he wants to be a good chef, he has to learn what's in the manual and then follow it.

In the same way, if we want to win the prize God has promised we have to know what is in God's manual, the Bible, and we have to follow the directions God gives us in his word.

The Bible is full of stories that tell us how to live and what to do. The Bible tells us that if we do what the Bible says and we follow Jesus we will be rewarded.

Crazy Moose story: Cocoa the crazy moose pops out in the puppet stage wearing a party hat and decked out with party supplies. He has just heard about the great party God is going to throw and he can't wait to get there. The leader tells Cocoa all about the great marriage supper of the lamb.

The leader explains to cocoa that not everyone gets to go to the party; only those who have served God and have been faithful to live according to God's word will be allowed in. Take time to elaborate on how wonderful the party is going to be.

Object lesson: You will need a blue ribbon or a trophy. Take some time to ask the kids about times when they have won an award or a prize. How did it feel to earn the prize after you worked so hard?

God has promised us a prize. He has promised us eternal life, a crown of jewels, and a great party if we only just follow him. The nice thing about this prize is that everyone who finishes the race gets the prize.

Cool Clyde's death defying double dare:

Revelation 22:12 Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.

Cool Clyde comes out to teach the memory verse. After teaching the verse he challenges the kids to his death defying double dare. This dare involves eating something really gross that he has cooked up. One child from each team comes up and takes the item out of Clyde's lunch bag, put it in their mouth and eat it and then recite the verse.

This week Cool Clyde has spinach and for anyone who finishes the spinach he has a desert.

Talk about how moms make you eat your veggies in order to earn a desert. If you do the hard thing, you can get something really good. If we faithfully serve God in life we will be rewarded with a great prize.

Game: Water Relay: the object of the game is to fill the cup at the opposite end of the room with water using only a soup spoon. Team members take turns filling the spoon with water and running it down to the cup.

After playing the game discuss the following:

1. Was it hard to fill the cup?

2. Did you get tired? Did it seem like you were never going to get it filled?

3. How is this like life? Sometimes it seems like we are working and working for God and we can’t see the results.

4. If we are faithful to keep going even though it seems tiring or discouraging or like it's taking too long, God will reward us with a great prize. (Award each player a tube of m&m minis.)

Fish object lesson:

The Swedish fish comes out with a party invitation. The Swedish fish explains that he had to RSVP to go to the party. He had a great time. It was a wonderful party and he is so glad that he decided to RSVP!! Use the invitation to explain to the kids that everyone has been invited to share in the great party of God, however, only those who respond will be allowed in.

Give kids an opportunity to respond to God. Invite them to ask God into their hearts so that they too can be a part of his great party and receive his reward.