The Parable of the Rich Fool
Actividades del grupo

Sermon Title: "The Fool and His Money" "Trapped by Our Own Greed"

Scripture Reading:Luke 12:13-21

MONEY RACE: Have the children all stand on one side of the room, divided into two teams, with each team getting a money box or bag. The teacher will tell children to turn around or close their eyes while the teacher scatters play money around the classroom. When the teacher says GO, the children will try to gather as much money as possible in the time allotted by the teacher and place it in their box or bag. When the time is up, the children will then get back into their team group. The surprise will come when the teacher tells the children switch bags and UNSELFISHLY give their bag of collected money to the other team. Let the teams count the money and see who has the most from the RACE!! Then tell children that they all are winners because they shared their money with others!

BEAN RELAY: Before telling the Bible story of the man whose land had produced so much grain that he had no place to store it, let children play a bean or rice relay. The children will be divided into two teams and have a timed relay to see which team can fill a paper bag with the rice or beans first with each team member taking a turn using a measuring cup to dip the beans or rice from a container and put it in the bag.

BALLOON POPPING: Place a slip of paper with a selfish or unselfish idea written on it inside of a balloon. Inflate the balloons and let the children take turns breaking a balloon and reading the slip of paper that was inside. The children can then tape their slip of paper to a poster board that has a HAPPY FACE (for being unselfish) at the top of one side of the board, and an UNHAPPY FACE (for selfishness) on the other side of the top of the board. Let the children discuss why it is unselfish or selfish. (Ideas for slips of paper: stealing, taking cookies to a neighbor, taking 3 pieces of candy and giving friend just one piece of candy, standing in front of the tv when someone is watching it, leaving your dirty clothes on the floor, reading Bible verses to an older person, giving a friend first choice of which cookie to take, taking a toy away from someone, etc).

BUBBLE BLESSINGS: Let the children blow soap bubbles outside and tell children that every bubble stands for a blessing that GOD gives to us. Let children begin naming the blessings God has given them as they blow the bubbles. Have the children sit in a circle after blowing bubbles and name ways that they may have been selfish and forgot about all of GOD's blessings that He generously gives to us.

BLESSING MASK: Cut out a big circle in the center of a piece of poster board. Make sure the circle is big enough for a child's face to be seen through the cutout. Decorate around the edges of the cutout to make it look like the sun or a flower. Let children take turns putting their face through the hole and share a BLESSING as they put on a HAPPY FACE for the class to see. Take a picture of each child with his/her happy face in the MASK for all of the children to see later.

TIN FOIL ID'S: Provide each child with a circle cut out of aluminum foil. Have the children place the foil circle on a piece of cardboard and. using a bulletin board thumbtack, poke holes in the foil circle to write their name or initials or to make a happy face. They will then glue the foil circle to a small piece of poster board or heavy stock paper. Using bright markers, write words on the card stock or heavy paper such as, I THANK GOD FOR HIS BLESSINGS, or CONTENT WITH BLESSINGS, or BEING UNSELFISH MAKES ME HAPPY. Their own name or initials poked into the foil will remind them that THEY want to be unselfish and to count their blessings. Place a piece of magnetic tape on the back of each card so that the children can put their card on the refrigerator at home.

SHARE A SNACK: Give the children all of the fixings to make an ice cream Sundae! They will make a sundae or THINKING that it's for themselves, but when all have finished, the teacher will say "NOW, PASS YOUR SUNDAY SUNDAE TO THE CHILD TO YOUR RIGHT!!

Song: "Share His Love"

Words and Music (pdf)

MP3 Accompaniment Track