Privilege of Talents

Transcription

1 God s Messenger: Meeting Kids Needs Privilege of Talents Grade Levels: 5, 6 Objective: To show that all of us have been given talents that we can use for God. In This Lesson Plan: Audio Story: Following the Path of Duty (5:27 minutes) - Summary (for teacher) - Introduction (to read to students before playing the audio) - Discussion questions (after playing the audio) Story Time: A Bolt of White Cloth (read to the students) - Discussion questions - Class activity - Worksheets (2) + Teacher s KEYS Class Project Ellen G. White Quotes DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: (after playing the audio) 1. Have you been sick with a fever? Did your parents take care of you? How long did the fever last? 2. How do you think James and Ellen White felt when the doctor said their son would not recover? What would you do if one of your family members was deathly ill? 3. What had James and Ellen White been doing with their talents? 4. How did God provide? AUDIO STORY Following the Path of Duty (5:27 minutes) SUMMARY (for teacher): James and Ellen White turned down several preaching invitations. They didn t have enough money, plus traveling with their new baby boy would be difficult. One night, James and Ellen White discovered Baby Henry burning up with a fever. They tried everything they could, but the baby didn t get better. The doctor said he doubted Henry would recover. James and Ellen White prayed and asked God to heal their baby, but even that didn t seem to work. Then James and Ellen White realized they had been using Baby Henry as an excuse not to travel and do God s work. They knelt down and prayed again, promising to go wherever God would send them. Henry began to recover. Soon after this incident, James and Ellen White received an invitation from friends in Middletown, Connecticut. From Maine where they were then living, they had only enough money to get to Massachusetts, but they decided to go anyway, trusting that God would provide. In Massachusetts, the people they were visiting gave them some money, enough to Copyright 2006 Ellen G. White Estate, Inc. 1 Privilege of Talents: 5 th & 6 th

2 God s Messenger: Meeting Kids Needs pay for their fare to Connecticut. INTRODUCTION (to read to students before playing the audio): James and Ellen White had a new baby boy and so had to turn down several preaching invitations. They didn t have enough money, plus traveling with their new baby boy would be difficult. Then one night, they discovered their Baby Henry burning up with a fever. They tried everything they could, but to no avail. Even the doctor said he doubted Henry would recover. What could they do? And what had they done wrong? DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: (after reading the story) 1. Have you ever felt discouraged? Why? What made you feel better? 2. What did the dream about cutting cloth into garments mean to Mrs. White? 3. What message does it contain for us? 4. What talents do you have? And how can you use them for God? CLASS ACTIVITY Write everyone s name on the board. Then as a class, come up with one talent that each student has. (Although some students may have more than one visible talent, stick to one per person so that everyone is treated equally.) You may wish to give this activity some thought beforehand and think of talents for each individual in case the students need some suggestions. WORKSHEETS Talent Scout (Coded Message) Directions: Use the symbols to fill in the blanks. Be a talent scout and fill in the message about who is the source of all our talents. Answer: Every talent that we possess, whether of mental capacity, money, or influence, is of God. STORY TIME A Bolt of White Cloth Ellen White lay in bed, sick and discouraged. The long hard trips, the many hours of preaching, the sleepless nights of writing, and the difficult task of taking care of the house had worn her out. Why did God want her to write so many messages? Some people didn t even pay attention to what she wrote, and her work was being wasted. That evening Mrs. White had a dream. In her dream, she saw a messenger with a bolt of white cloth. Cut the cloth into garments, the messenger told her. We need all shapes and sizes. Make big ones and small ones, short ones and long ones. Hang them up here when they are done. That way they ll be ready when we need them. Is this the last piece of cloth I have to cut up? Mrs. White asked. No, the messenger replied. As soon as you finish this bolt, I ll bring you another one. Mrs. White sighed. How could she ever finish all this work? There seemed to be no end. She had been cutting out garments for 20 years, but no one appreciated her work, and as far as she could tell, neither had it done much good. Mrs. White also sensed that some of the clothes she cut out would be given to people who didn t deserve them. Listen, she began desperately, I know the woman this garment is being cut for. She won t value it at all. She s poor and sloppy and not very smart. It s a waste of time and energy to cut out a dress for her. Copyright 2006 Ellen G. White Estate, Inc. 2 Privilege of Talents: 5 th & 6 th

3 God s Messenger: Meeting Kids Needs Talent Puzzler (Word Puzzle) Directions: Place the puzzle pieces together in the correct order to discover a message from Messages to Young People, page 70, by Ellen G. White. Write the message in the lines provided below. Answer: Jesus has purchased you with His blood. Do not bury your talents in the earth. Use them for Him. CLASS PROJECT Have the students plant seeds (for a higher success rate, you can use little seedlings). It doesn t matter what type of plant you use (flower, vegetable, etc.). Label the plants with names of different talents. Then divide the plants into two groups. Have the students carefully water and take care of half the plants, making sure the plants get an adequate amount of sunlight and nutrition. Place the remaining plants in a dark closet with no water or sunlight. Monitor the growth of the two sets of plants over the next couple weeks. Students can take measurements or count how many leaves the plant has. See what happens when talents are nurtured versus when they are ignored. The messenger shook his head reproachfully. You cut out the garments, he insisted. That is your duty. The loss won t be yours but mine if she doesn t want the dress. God doesn t look at things the way you do. He gives you your work. You don t know what will succeed this or that. Many poor souls that you think won t go to the kingdom will be there, and many that you think are sure to go will be left out. Mrs. White held up her hands. They were covered with calluses from the scissors she had been using for so many years. She shuddered at the thought of cutting more bolts of cloth. Cut out the garments, the messenger commanded once again. Mrs. White felt too tired to pick up the scissors, but she reached for them anyway. At least they were shiny and new and looked sharp. Dull scissors were so hard to cut with. To her astonishment, the moment she picked up the scissors her weariness and discouragement fled as if chased away by angels. Clip, clip, clip. She began cutting the new cloth, and the work went quickly. When Mrs. White awoke from her dream, she felt much better. The dream had been a direct message from God. She was not to give up her work. She was not to judge which of her messages would be helpful and which would be wasted. God would take care of that. What she needed to do was continue using her talents for God, and He would reward her faithfulness. ELLEN G. WHITE QUOTES Those who feel it a privilege to give the best of their life and learning to Him from whom they received them, will shun no labor, no sacrifice, to render back to God in highest service His entrusted talents. Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 584 You are not your own. Jesus has purchased you with His blood. Do not bury your talents in the earth. Use them for Him. In whatever business you may be engaged, bring Jesus into it. Messages to Young People, p. 70 Those who get the most good out of life, who feel the truest satisfaction, are those who receive to give. Those Copyright 2006 Ellen G. White Estate, Inc. 3 Privilege of Talents: 5 th & 6 th

4 God s Messenger: Meeting Kids Needs who live for self are always in want, for they are never satisfied. We are to bring brightness and blessing into the lives of others. In Heavenly Places, p. 232 Every talent that we possess, whether of mental capacity, money, or influence, is of God, so that we may say with David, All things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee. Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 82 To every one of us He has given a work to do, according to our ability; and it is our privilege to enjoy His blessing while devoting strength of body and mind to its faithful performance, with His name s glory in view. Fundamentals of Christian Education, pp. 419, 420 Copyright 2006 Ellen G. White Estate, Inc. 4 Privilege of Talents: 5 th & 6 th

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