Object Lesson - Cookies

I love cookies! To me there is almost nothing better than a homemade cookie, whether it be the classic chocolate chip or a seasonal gingersnap or a snickerdoodle. I love pulling out my trusty red Kitcheaid mixer, measuring cups and spoons, spatula, and ingredients and whipping up a batch of deliciousness, especially with my kids.

The other day, I read a great devotional from Proverbs 31 about life and how even the hard things are an important part of it. The author used this great analogy, so I cannot take the credit, but it was too good not to share. I am hoping us parents can use it with our kids. I've added more details to make it easier to do.

Pull out your mixer, measuring cups, and spoons, spatula, and ingredients, and grab your kids for this great object lesson.

Using the classic chocolate chip cookie recipe, start with 2 sticks of softened butter. Talk to your kids about how butter is a fat and how sometimes we go through "fat times" which are times of plenty and blessing. You could share some times that you have seen God provide.

Add 3/4 cup of white sugar and 3/4 cup of brown sugar. Talk to your kids about how the sugar is like the "sweet times" which are times of super blessings. You could share some times that you have seen God do some sweet things. Mix that all up.

Then add 2 eggs and 2 tsp vanilla and mix. Talk to your kids about how we don't eat raw eggs and how sometimes we go through some pretty "raw times," that hurt pretty badly. You could talk about times in your life that hurt. You can also talk to them about how the vanilla represents "super sweet times". Share some super sweet times like your kids being born.

Then you add 2 1/4 cup flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1 tsp salt. Flour, baking soda, and baking powder are not fun to eat plain. They are pretty dry and tasteless, even yucky. They represent the "dry times" or "yucky times". Talk to your kids about those times in life. The salt represents "salty times" Those would be the really hard times. Talk with your kids about those.

Last, but of course not least, add in a bag of semisweet chocolate chips and mix. They represent the everyday sweet things that happen. Hopefully there are lots of "semisweet moments" sprinkled into your days. Making cookies could be one of those "semisweet moments."

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Enjoy! Remind them that God works all things together for the good (Romans 8:28). He puts all the "ingredients" into our "recipe" and it turns out as a good thing.

SALT and LIGHT

Believers Are SALT and LIGHT 

(Matthew 5:13-16)

13 “You are the SALT of the earth; 
      but if the SALT loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?
      It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
14 “You are the LIGHT of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 
15 Nor do they LIGHT a lamp and put it under a basket, 
      but on a lampstand, and it gives LIGHT to all who are in the house. 
16 Let your LIGHT so shine before men, 
      that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
In the most famous sermon ever preached, Jesus told believers that they were:
The SALT of the earth and
The LIGHT of the world.
For a fun object lesson, you can get out some black construction paper
and write a message or picture or scribble scrabble on it with glue.
Then, pour SALT over it (like you would glitter).
It gives kids the image of taking the SALT into the dark world.
You can also take your kids into a dark room and give them a candle or
a tea light and show them how the LIGHT pierces the darkness.
Remember that we can't be the LIGHT without THE TRUE LIGHT [JESUS] in us.

What Are You Building Your Life On? (and Object Lesson)

 Matthew 7:24-27

²⁴ “(Therefore) whoever/everyone/anyone who hears/listens to
     these sayings/teachings/words of Mine,
     and does/practices/obeys/follows/acts on them
     (puts them into practice),
     I will liken him to a wise man/person
     who built/builds his house on the (solid) rock: 
²⁵ and the rain descended/came down/poured,
    the floods/floodwaters came/rose,
    and the winds blew
    and beat/slammed/pounded on/against that house;
    and/yet it did not fall/collapse,
    for/because it was founded/built (had its foundation) on the rock.

²⁶ “But whoever/everyone/anyone who hears/listens to
     these sayings/teachings/words of Mine,
     and does not do/practice/obey/follow/act on them
     (put them into practice),
     will be like a foolish man/person
     who built/builds his house on the sand: 
²⁷ and the rain descended/came down/poured,
    the floods/floodwaters came/rose,
    and the winds blew
    and beat/slammed/pounded on/against that house;
    and it fell/collapsed.
    And great was its fall/collapse.”

Both people heard Jesus’ teachings (v. 24 and 26).
The big difference is that the wise man did/practiced/obeyed Jesus’ teachings, but the foolish man didn’t.
The wise man built his house on the rock [Jesus],
but the foolish man built his house on the sand
[the things of this world].
Both people experienced a storm (v. 25 and 27).
The wise man’s house did not fall,
but the foolish man’s house fell and the fall was great.

What are you building your life on?

OBJECT LESSON:

Have your kids build two houses out of Legos.
Put on in a sandbox and
put one on concrete with rocks around it.
Spray each with a hose.
The one on the sand should fall over.
The one on the rocks should stand.