How to Earn Eternal Rewards

Transcription

1 How to Earn Eternal Rewards Lesson 3: My Reward- Winning Service DiscipleLand.com

2 How to Earn Eternal Rewards TM Lesson 3 My Reward-Winning Service Unit Summary God loves to reward His children for their hard work, obedience, and service on earth not only with blessings in this life, but with rewards in the life to come. The Bible teaches that every attitude, thought, and action has both earthly and eternal consequences. For believers, bad attitudes, negative thoughts, and selfish actions will burn up at Christ s judgment seat. But God will reward good attitudes, positive thoughts, and selfless actions, generously multiplying their value in heaven. This is both assuring as we know that we ll be forgiven for our failures, and also motivating as we understand that we ll be rewarded for the good things we do. Lesson Summary We live in a world that is very self-centered. In fact, one measure of success in the world s eyes is how many people work under the authority of a person. Jesus said God s measure is the opposite of that; the least will be the greatest. Jesus, the greatest man who ever lived, came to serve not to be served. God promises that when we choose to serve there will be a reward for us later. It is not humiliating to serve; rather, it is an honor worthy of reward! Paul s Power Principle: God notices and rewards everything we do. Disciple TargETs In this lesson, your children will... Know God will reward believers according to their service to Him FEEl Eager to make their service pleasing to God Do Determine specific ways they can serve the Lord and others 1

3 SUppliES General Supplies Bibles, puppets, video projection (optional) Pencils, pens, paper Spark Interest WELCOME!: three decks of playing cards, small prizes or treats LET S PLAY!: masking tape, beanbags Explore Scripture LET S LEARN: Jenga game (or building blocks), one-foot length of 2 X 4, square of shag carpet KEYVERSE: various images (see activity) Inspire Action DRAMATIZE THE POINT: various props PowerPoint Presentation As you plan your lesson, select PowerPoint slides that correspond to the lesson elements you choose. In the Slide Sorter View, you can rearrange and/or delete the slides as necessary. For descriptions of the included slides and tips on their use, see the notes accompanying each slide. SPARK INTEREST Choose from the following activities and ideas to engage kids and grab their attention. How to Earn Eternal Rewards Lesson , DiscipleLand. All rights reserved. Karl Bastian / Kidology.org Welcome! 52-Card Pickup Supplies: three decks of standard playing cards ideally, one red deck, one blue deck, and a third for the leader, small prizes or treats This is a fun game to play with the kids as they arrive. It s basically two games of 52-Card Pickup being played at the same time. However, instead of just picking up all 52 cards of a deck, it has some variety. Announce that you ll be playing 52-Card Pickup and divide the kids into two teams; boys vs. girls is simple, or it can be two sides of the room. Open the red and blue decks and fan them out face up all over the floor! Then the leader opens the third deck, draws a card, and identifies it (for example, 2 of clubs). The kids race to find that card on the floor. The first team to find it and hold it up gets a point. For variety, draw two or three cards (for example, all four aces or 3 through 6 of hearts ). When it is time to start class, say, 52-card pickup! The kids must stack the red and blue decks with the backs all facing the same way. The team with the most points wins small prizes or treats. Get the class talking about how they had to work as a team and serve each other to win, but the reward was worth it. It s the same in the kingdom of God! God calls us to do things for Him, and as we work together to do what He calls us to do, we experience true joy, and we end up being winners, too! 2

4 Let s Meet-n-Greet! Encourage the children to go meet someone who is at least two rows away. Leaders should keep an eye out for kids who do an especially good job of going around greeting others. When the greeting time is over, go up to those kids, slip them a treat, and say, I just wanted to reward you for doing such a good job greeting others. Leaders, be sure to stop whatever you are doing to move through the audience and greet the children, especially those you do not recognize. Announce any birthdays for the week. (See the How to Use DiscipleTown guide for quick and easy ways to acknowledge visitors and birthdays.) Let s Worship! As you worship today, mention that everything we do can be a gift to God. When we sing praise, that is a gift. But anything we do to show God how much He is worth to us, that is worship too. When we serve God and others, we are worshiping. The song below is a prayer for God to use us. Recommended Song: Use Me from Love Out Loud, available at Kidology.org. Puppet Intro Leader & puppet introduce today s lesson. You will find a scripted version of this intro at the end of the lesson. Preparation: Make ribbons in advance for your volunteers and leaders. Put their names on the ribbons and, if appropriate, the number of months or years they have served in your children s church or children s ministry. Puppet comes out with some reward ribbons. Leader asks what they are for, and Puppet says, You know, for the last few weeks I ve been focused on how I could get rewards and what rewards I might get from God. But as I was praying this week I really felt God telling me that I need to stop thinking about myself and instead focus on others. So I decided to give some rewards away today! Leader says, Wow, that is a great idea! Puppet says, And the first one goes to you! Puppet gives Leader a reward for being a great teacher and compliments Leader. He then gives several other reward ribbons to other volunteers and leaders in the room and talks about why they are great leaders, either commenting on how long they have served or what they do well. When Puppet is finished, Leader says, [Puppet name], how do you feel right now? Puppet says, I m so happy I could burst! Leader says, You know, that s why I ask. When we focus on our own rewards, we can get selfish, and that s not very rewarding. But when we focus on serving others, it is very satisfying. It is true that God will reward us, and God will probably reward you for honoring these leaders. But we don t serve others just because we will get rewards, but simply because we want to make others feel great and show God s love. The fact that God will reward us is just a bonus. Puppet says, Yeah, you know, even though I might get a reward from God someday, just knowing that I m doing the right thing is really all the reward I need. Leader says, You are truly becoming a follower of Jesus. That is the kind of attitude God will enjoy rewarding the most! 3

5 Let s Play! Beanbag Table Targets! Supplies: eight-foot table, masking tape, and four to six beanbags per player. Put maskingtape lines across the table every foot along the long side so that there are eight sections. Label the sections with a marker on the tape from closest to farthest with the following points: 100, 50, 30, 20, 10, 50, 100, 200. All your hard work won t be worth a pile of beans unless you are investing in eternity! Note: There is a twist to the games in this unit. While the games stand alone as fun activities, each winner will be given an important choice. The winner gets to choose: (1) keep the prize now, or (2) draw a name from everyone present to give the prize away to and instead get a prize at the end of the unit. There should be no pressure to make one choice or the other. They have earned the prizes, but on the last week of the unit the prizes they earn will be much better! (Don t tell them that.) Choose two or three contestants from the audience. Each will get a turn tossing all of the beanbags onto the table, trying to score as many points as possible. A beanbag that lands on the ground is 5 points. If a bag is touching a taped line, but is only in one area, award the points of the area the bag is in. If the bag is touching two areas, award the larger point value. After the first player tosses, add up the score. After each player has had a turn, the player with the most points wins! The Point: In this game, you may do your best job aiming, but the bags sometimes slip. The areas that were the hardest to hit rewarded you with the most points! It s the same in life. Living a life that pleases God takes effort, and often we slip; but it is the choices that take the most effort that end up being the most rewarding, both in this life and in the life to come! Be sure to give the winner a choice: get a prize now, or draw a name to give this prize away. Connect with Your Kids Children often view service as something unpleasant. That should be no surprise because they are often told what to do, and many have chores to do at home. Share with the children how your own attitude toward service has changed as you have matured as a Christian. Tell why you enjoy serving God. Even your role as a teacher at church is an act of service. While God may reward you for your investment in children, explain that you don t serve the children because of what you may get someday, but because you enjoy it, you know you are pleasing God, and other reasons you may want to share. Your goal is to communicate the joy of serving others from your own personal experience. 4

6 DiscipleTown Visitor Secret Agent: Dressed in black, wearing as much undercover gear as possible. [Secret agent comes in as sneakily as he can. He writes a note that says God loves you and gives it to a child in the audience. He sneaks around the room, picking up things and looking into hidden places. After a few moments, Leader finally catches and corners him for a chat.] Leader: Excuse me, sir, but you have been sneaking around here for a few minutes now. I am sorry, but I need to know why you are here. Secret Agent: Can t talk about it. Sorry, sir. Mission parameters and all. Leader: I saw you writing a Agent: [Rushes over to put a finger on Leader s lips.] Say nothing! I don t want anyone to know about my operations. That you even saw me in the first place means I need to practice my stealth moves more. [Strikes a few ninja poses. ] Leader: Well, who do you work for? Agent: I work for the Global Operations Director, that s all you need to know! Leader: Global Operations Director? Agent: Yeah, you know. The G.O.D.. Leader: [Winks in an exaggerated manner.] Ah, right, sorry! So why are you sneaking around? Doesn t God, I mean the Global Operations Director, want everyone to know about Him? Agent: That is why I am sneaking around. All my actions must point to Him. Every time someone notices me doing something good or kind, they think it s me. I don t want their praise. I don t want a reward. I already have my reward, the love of God. He forgave a debt I could not pay. Everything I am I want to give to Him and spend for His kingdom s sake. Leader: You don t even want people to say thanks? [Agent rushes up again and puts his finger on Leader s lips.] Agent: Shhhh! Promise you won t tell anyone I was here? Leader: [Looks at all the kids.] I won t tell a single soul. Agent: Thanks. One day I ll get to see Him face to face and tell Him thank you. That will be the best day of my life! Until then, I honor Him by honoring those He loves most people. I will love them, serve them, and do everything I can to show them Jesus. [ Sneaks out.] Leader: God will be saying thank you to that secret agent. His humility and selflessness will reap huge rewards in heaven. 5

7 EXPLORE SCRIPTURE Seize on the children s interest and direct them into God s Word. Let s Search! Bible Dash Supplies: Bibles Ask all kids with Bibles to participate, or invite a few volunteers to come to the front. As children hold Bibles closed with hands on covers, state the Bible reference twice, then on the command SEARCH! have the students race to locate the verse. Once they have a finger on the verse, they can stand and call out, FOUND IT! Have the first child read the verse aloud while you project the verse on a screen via PowerPoint. See suggestions below for comments on each verse. Keep your comments brief and to the point of the lesson. Luke 14: John 1:8 Colossians 3:23 25 Ephesians 6:7 8 Galatians 6:9 Proverbs 12:14 You will be rewarded for loving others. You will be rewarded fully for your work. Work for God and you ll be rewarded. God will reward our work. Don t get weary; you ll be rewarded. Work or service brings reward. Paul s Power Principle: God notices and rewards everything we do. Let s Learn! My Reward-Winning Service Object Lesson: Firm Foundation Supplies: Jenga game (or building blocks), a small piece of wood such as a one-foot length of 2 X 4, square of shag carpet, table Invite two children to come up on stage to compete. The object is to see who can build the tallest tower. Show them the blocks on the table. Have one build on the 2 x 4 and the other on the carpet square. (Hint: the carpet competitor will not be able to stack blocks as high!) The kids will determine that the game is not fair because one has a better base or foundation than the other. You may want to refer to the familiar story of the wise man who built his house upon the rock (Matthew 7:24 27). You could also sing the classic Sunday school song The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock. How you build your life is important! Read 1 Corinthians 3: According to this passage, how we build our lives is important. Not only are we building, but others will build upon our lives. What we build into our lives matters because some day our life will be evaluated, and only what was built well will last what was built for eternity. Everything that wasn t important will burn away. Read Psalm 19:9 11. What does this passage teach us? Allow for responses. There is great reward in following God a reward better than anything this world has to offer, even gold. Which would you rather have, 1) $1,000 paid to you every day for a month or 2) a penny doubled (and the subsequent amounts doubled) every day for a month, but you are only 6

8 paid the final amount at the end of the month? Allow responses. Did you know option two would earn you $10,737, at the end of the month? That would be a stack of $1 bills 3,578 feet high 500 feet higher than El Capitan, or two-thirds of a mile high! A thousand dollars a day for a month would earn you only $31,000. So you d be better off being patient until the end of the month! The same is true in life. We can do things that give us an immediate reward, or we can choose to invest in eternity. The reward may seem small now, but eternal rewards build over time; when we get to heaven we will be surprised to see how they stacked up beyond anything we could have imagined while here on earth! Suggested Bible Narrative Luke 10:25 37 The Good Samaritan As you start to tell this familiar story, consider having some robbers come in and mug the Leader. Leave him lying on the floor hurt after the robbers run off with his wallet or her purse, cell phone, keys, etc. One by one different leaders walk by, and as Leader asks for help, each makes an excuse why he or she can t: for instance, the person needs to get to Big Church to help in the nursery, doesn t want to get hands dirty, and so on. Finally, Leader asks one of the kids to come up and put a bandage on Leader s forehead. Thank that child for being a good Samaritan, and ask the students if they know where that expression comes from. Then briefly retell the story from Luke 10, emphasizing that we are to serve everyone and anyone, not just people we like or who are like us. Key phrase: A neighbor is anyone in need that we can serve. Dee s Disciple Tip: While the thought of getting rewards from God is exciting, the irony is that the best way to get rewards from God is to not be seeking them! It is when we are focusing less on ourselves and more on others that we become a person God desires to reward. That is why we need to develop character traits that are others-centered. Character Trait of Selflessness Putting Others First We live in a me-first society that actively teaches and demonstrates a look out for number one mentality. God s way of life is the complete opposite. Jesus said that He came to serve, not to be served (Matthew 20:28), and Paul instructed his readers to be looking out for the interests of others, not merely their own interests (Philippians 2:4). When we put others needs first, above our own, we are truly becoming Christ-like. If the core nature of sin is selfishness and putting ourselves first, then selflessness is the exact opposite. That s why God will reward those who are selfless. 7

9 KeyVerse Topic: God Rewards Us Reference: Jeremiah 17:10 Preparation: Look online for close-up images by searching guess what this is close up ; you will find many. Choose four or five and display them. Ask the children to try and guess what they are. It s hard to tell when the picture is up close, isn t it? Read Psalm 139: In this prayer King David asks God to look at his heart up close and tell him if there is anything sinful or wrong in it that he needs to confess or change. Are you willing to do the same? If you are, then you will do better at living for God and will earn more rewards in heaven someday. Take a minute or two for silent prayer. Read Psalm 139:23 24 again and challenge the kids to allow God to bring to mind things they need to confess or change. When the time is up, challenge kids to act this week on what God showed them. Review the KeyVerse again. Ask if any students want to recite it for a reward. Challenge them again to have it memorized by next week! 8

10 INSPIRE ACTION Encourage kids to apply the Bible truth to their lives. Dramatize the Point Going the Extra Mile Part 3 Transition dialogue for Leader: If possible, try to transition to this sketch by ending with a comment something along these lines: Don t forget; this week we go for the extra mile. Characters/Costumes: Justus is in regular clothes; Michael, a boy of 10 or 11, is dressed normally; a paramedic is in work clothes. Props: bandages and gauze wrapping in a first aid kit, couch, table and chair, Bible, red makeup (blood), phone, clipboard and pen [Chair, table and couch are set up on side of stage as Justus home. The first aid kit is in imaginary cupboard behind couch. Justus is sitting on the couch reading the Bible. He is distressed and upset.] Justus: Oh, man, I messed up! I let Billy think that I bought those water bottles. I am a fraud! [Looks at his Bible, then gets down on his knees.] God, I am so sorry. Please forgive me. I lied; I was proud. I let Billy think I was much more generous than I really was. The truth was I didn t even want to share one water bottle. I see now that I am proud and selfish. I know this is not the kind of person You want me to be, Jesus. Please forgive me. I am trying to look good to everyone else, but You see the truth of my heart, and I know that You judge me based on the truth You see. Please help me to walk in humility and selflessness. I want my life to be lived to make You famous, God, not me. Please give me another opportunity to do what is right. In Jesus name, amen. [As Justus finishes praying, Michael arrives on the scene beat up, limping, holding his arm, barely able to walk. Use makeup to make him look beat up. He collapses on the stage opposite Justus house. Michael hollers in pain when he lands. Hearing the holler, Justus comes to the window to see what is going on.] Justus: Oh my goodness, someone is hurt! [Looks up to God.] Wow, you answered that prayer very quickly! Thanks! I m here to save the day! [Pauses.] Sorry, God, that wasn t very humble. [Goes out to see and recognizes Michael.] Oh, no not him, God. He s a thief. He doesn t deserve my help, does he, God? I mean really, did You see how he treated Billy? [Pauses to listen and think.] Right. He treated Billy the same way I did, with no respect. Hey, God, that isn t fair. Do You really mean You want me to help him? [Sighs.] I guess this is what it means to be humble and selfless. [Helps Michael to his feet, brings him inside his house, and lays him down on the couch. He gets out his first aid kit and begins to tend his wounds, but when he gets to his arm, he realizes it s broken and that he will need to call an ambulance.] Justus: Dude, you are really banged up! I m not going to ask what happened, but I am going to need to get you to a hospital. [Gets up and grabs phone.] Yes, Emergency? I have an injured boy here with a broken arm. I ve tried to help him the best I can, but he needs treatment at a hospital. [Pauses to listen.] Yes, you can pick him up at 23 Samaritan Avenue. [Pauses to listen.] How much did you say that would be? [Shocked at the cost, he looks over to Michael as if to tell him the news, and realizes Michael can t pay.] Uh, I ll be paying that bill today. Whatever he needs. Yes, my name is Justus Riley. Thanks, sir. Justus: An ambulance should be here any second, buddy. We ll get you fixed up. Michael: [Mumbling:] I m so sorry, so sorry! Justus: It s okay, man. I am in need of help many times, too. 9

11 [Paramedic arrives. Justus helps Michael off couch and passes him to paramedic, who hands Justus a clipboard and pen.] Paramedic: Fill out this information and sign here, please. They will send you a bill once he is released from the hospital. Justus: [With reluctance:] The bill. Right. Here you go. [Signs paper and hands it back.] Take good care of him now! Paramedic: Will do! Thanks for your help! [Paramedic and Michael exit.] Justus: God, that was a lot of money. Being selfless hurts sometimes. But having to spend that money on him! That was hardest of all. I didn t even feel like he deserved it. I guess that is just how big your love is right, God? [Looks up.] I didn t deserve Your kindness, and you gave up Your life. [Sighs.] Thanks for helping me get my priorities straight, God. [Justus exits.] Object Talks The Heavenly Rewards Show: Selflessness Supplies: video projection The short video clip for this lesson features Karl, the Kidologist, presenting one of his classic ToyBox Tales. Game Show Host Mr. Rich (in eternal rewards) is back with (no surprise) Stan, who traded a valuable baseball card for a ticket on the show with rightful contestant, Sam, to compete against returning champ, Molly, yet again. The theme this week is Selflessness, and only one will be proven worthy of Heavenly Rewards. Featured Verses: Philippians 2:3-4 Let s Talk! Small Group Discussion Supplies: bowl, assignments cut apart and folded Prepare ahead: Write out a list of eight to ten menial, even unpleasant, tasks that need to be done around the room the small group is in for example, cleaning out garbage cans, checking for gum under the seats, picking up crumbs off floor (sorting and testing them). You can even include some embarrassing assignments to add some humor, such as singing a song or making funny faces. Explain that you will choose a child to draw an assignment from the bucket. The child will choose one, read the paper out loud, and then do whatever the paper says. When the child has completed the task, simply say, Please sit down. Do not say thank you, give compliments, cheer, or otherwise reward the task. If the children start to show appreciation, quiet them. Be somewhat clinical. Repeat this several times. The children will soon begin to feel that this is tedious and start looking for reward or a reason for why they are to do these jobs. Respond by saying simply, They need to be done. When time is running out, require the kids to clean up and get ready to move on to the next task. Have them shift to a new location for discussion questions. 10

12 on presented by month day year Use these questions to discuss the day s topic within your small groups: 1) How did you feel after helping me with all those tasks? 2) Did you expect to get a reward for your work? 3) Do you expect to get something for helping your parents at home by cleaning your room or doing other chores? 4) Is it hard to do something for parents or for God if you can t see a reward at the end? Why? 5) Why does God ask us to do things, when we can t always see a reward? 6) What does Hebrews 11:6 say about rewards? Awarded to for Demonstrating humility award DiscipleTown Super Citizen Reward a child who was willing to serve without asking for a prize or reward. Let s Pray! Dear Jesus, thank You so much for teaching us how to serve each other. Forgive us when we become proud, selfish, or greedy. Help us to see those things in our hearts and allow You to change them. We choose to do what is best for others first. We pray that You would show us how to walk in selflessness so that You can be made famous in our lives instead of us. Thank You Jesus. In Your name, amen. Cy s Challenge: Do something good for someone without letting the person know it was you. Let s Review! Use these questions to review the lesson with the children: 1) True or false: our work on earth determines our rewards in heaven. 2) Which is better immediate gain or future reward? 3) How did the Samaritan serve his neighbor? 4) Define the character trait, selflessness. 11

13 For the Home DiscipleTown Table Talker: Give each child a copy of this week s DiscipleTown Table Talker. As you show them how to put it together, encourage the kids to ask their parents to lead family devotions three times this week. Parent Copy and send the below to help your parents connect with their kids during the week. Send them early in the week, but not on Sunday. As a courtesy, be sure parents have opted to receive these s. Review and edit as necessary to reflect the lesson elements you have used. You can also find this as a Microsoft Word document in your download bundle. Dear Mom and Dad, As we round the corner of our theme of How to Earn Eternal Rewards, this week we explored the need to serve others with selflessness. This is a challenging concept for kids to grasp in a culture that completely opposes it. Our culture s selfish obsession with fairness, equality, inclusion, and entitlement seeps into church culture and robs us of the eternal rewards that come from selfless acts. The fairness trap shortens our sights to the immediate payoff and kills our eternal perspective. Perhaps you can share with your child(ren) how this has affected your life and faith. This week use the DiscipleTown Table Talker as a kick start to your bedtime conversations or meals around the table as you discuss the challenging life of being selfless. You can even be on the watch for selfish modeling in TV programming that could be a contrasting demonstration to what your child(ren) are learning. Why does God call us to a life that s so radically different from the world? How do we do that with confidence and security? We are praying that the Holy Spirit will lead you in your own journey so that it may enrich the insight you are able to pass on to your child(ren) as you nurture true faith in them. If there is anything else we can do to help, please let us know. Building young disciples, [Your Name] 12

14 BONUS MATERIALS Use these options to extend your time or as substitutes for the ideas above. Chip s Snack Time! The Bigger Half Supplies: brownies or cake or any treat that students can use a plastic knife to cut in half, plastic knives, plates, napkins Have children pick partners and have them sit together at the table. Give each pair two plates and two napkins. Ask for a helper from each pair. Give that helper one plastic knife followed by one goodie. Instruct the helper to cut the goodie in half. Then instruct the second partner to choose one half of the goodie. Once those children have made a choice, ask if they would like to give that piece to their partner or keep it for themselves. Alternative if you do not want to use knives: If you do not want to allow the children to cut the item themselves, or if you prefer to use fruit or something that is difficult to cut, simply have it cut ahead of time, but pair up a slightly larger piece with a slightly smaller piece on each plate for the pairs to decide over. Teachable Point: Often we look to gain an advantage for ourselves. We cut one piece bigger than the other, hoping we will get the biggest piece. We ask to pick first so that we get the best chances for the biggest or best prize. We do this all the time. What choices would a selfless person make in these situations? A selfless person would cut one piece bigger, and give the big piece away to his or her friend. Additional Ideas Sack Lunch Service Sunday Instead of just talking about service, how about giving your students a real opportunity to serve the church? Consider having a Sack Lunch Service Sunday. This is where kids are invited to bring a sack lunch to church and stay after for some fun and service. (Church can provide drinks.) Parents love an opportunity to have lunch without their kids on Sunday, and kids love to show off for their parents, so it s a great event for all. Kids who participate stay after church and enjoy their sack lunches together as a group; then plan some simple service projects the kids can do around the church. Kids can vacuum, clean windows, pick up trash in an outdoor area, pick weeds, paint a wall be creative. Don t worry if they are tasks normally done by custodial staff. The point is to give the kids a chance to serve, and your custodial staff probably won t mind in fact, they can help coordinate and plan this event. Keep the serving to an hour or hour and a half, and then do something fun to reward their hard work. Take about three hours for the entire event. 13

15 Puppet Intro Rewarding Others DIRECTOR S NOTES The words in italics are notes for you and your puppeteers; they are not to be read aloud. [Puppet* comes out with some reward ribbons.] Leader: Well, hello there, [puppet name]! You have been busy! Puppet: [Laughs.] Oh, no these aren t mine. Leader: They aren t, huh? So, where did you get them? Puppet: [Laughs.] You know, for the last few weeks I ve been focused on how I could get rewards and what rewards I might get from God. But as I was praying this week, I really felt God telling me that I need to stop thinking about myself and instead focus on others. So I decided to give some rewards away today. Leader: Okay, I didn t see that one coming! Great idea! Puppet: And the first one goes to you! [Gives Leader a reward.] I appreciate your good leadership and all the sacrifices you make to prepare lessons and help these kids learn about God and how to follow Him. Leader: [Taken aback:] Um, thank you. Puppet: I have some others, too. Is it okay if I give them out? Leader: Of course, that is very generous of you. [Puppet chooses children and volunteers from classroom, having them come up to front of class, sharing what they do, and complimenting them. Leader can help Puppet give out the ribbons.] Leader: [Puppet name], how do you feel right now? Puppet: I m so happy I could burst! Leader: It s a funny thing, you know. When we focus on our own rewards, we can get selfish, and it s not very rewarding. But when we focus on serving others, it is very satisfying. It is true that God will reward us, and God will probably reward you for honoring these leaders. But we don t serve others because we will get rewards, but simply because we want to make others feel great and show God s love. The fact that God will reward us is just a bonus. Puppet: Yeah, you know, even though I might get a reward from God someday, just knowing that I m doing the right thing is really all the reward I need. Leader: You are truly becoming a follower of Jesus. That is the kind of attitude God will enjoy rewarding the most. Puppet: It took me a while to figure out the things that God rewards. It s kind of backwards from everything the world around me says is important. I m learning that God values the sacrifices I make to serve others. Leader: I can learn from you, [puppet name]! Thanks for doing this. Puppet: Thank YOU [leader name]! Catch you later, okay? [Exits.] *PUPPET: Develop a puppet character to use regularly. The children will get to know the personality and enjoy these regular visits. Dee, Cy, and Paul puppets are available at DiscipleLand.com. How to Earn Eternal Rewards Lesson , DiscipleLand. Permission granted to reproduce for volunteers.

16 Curriculum Map (DiscipleTown Units in no particular order) How to Worship God How to Use My Bible How to Show Respect How to Pray How to Be Faithful Workers How to Love God How to Memorize God s Word How to Be Global Christians How to Grow Spiritual Fruit How to Make Good Friends How to Walk in the Spirit How to Be Jesus Disciple How to Build Character How to Navigate the New Testament How to Explain My Faith How to Earn Eternal Rewards How to Follow God s Plan How to Make Good Choices How to Navigate the Old Testament How to Love God How to Know the Truth How to Discover Gifts and Talents How to Walk Victoriously How to Meet with God Each DiscipleTown Unit will teach your kids an essential how to skill to become victorious disciples of Jesus! TM.com