Faithfulness Sticks Tight

Transcription

1 Copyright 2016 by Elizabeth L. Hamilton All Rights Reserved. Faithfulness Lesson 2 of 4 Faithfulness Sticks Tight (Faithfulness sticks tight to relationships involving commitments, even when it demands self-sacrifice.) Preparation Scripture: A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 Print on cardstock one copy each of the illustration pages. Print one copy of the age-appropriate assignment for each child involved. Review and Introduction Say: This month, we re adding a block of faithfulness to your character wall. Hold up the two captioned pictures from Lesson #1, reading the captions. We ve already talked about how faithfulness keeps promises. It s like the Old Faithful Geyser. Old Faithful shoots hot water into the air about every 90 minutes, as promised. Geysers don t talk, of course, so it never said it would shoot water every 90 minutes. It has done it so long, though, that it s like a promise. When you say you will do something, you do it. You keep your promise. Say: Today, we re going to learn something else about faithfulness. Today s story shows how faithfulness is like glue very strong glue! Listen. Tell this story in your own words, changing it to fit your listeners culture and ages. I can t wait to get home this afternoon! Cheri bounced up and down with excitement. Her twin ponytails bounced, too. My great grandparents are coming from Alaska, she told her friends. Michael stared. Did you say great grandparents? They must be really old. Cheri giggled. They re about 70, but they re super nice. They want to meet my friends Michael, Steven, Vivian, and Tonya. You re all invited to brunch at our house tomorrow morning at ten o clock. Dad and Mom met Cheri after school, and drove right to the airport. They watched the plane from Alaska land. Gramps and Grams came off the plane right away. Cheri could see them at the end of the long ramp. From the way they were dressed, it was still cold in Alaska. She jumped from one foot to another until they got to her. Then Gramps scooped her up into his arms. Here s my favorite great granddaughter, he said. I m your only great granddaughter, Gramps, she said. She hugged him and slid to her feet to hug Grams. Grams squeezed her. Look at how you ve grown! I hope you ll still fit inside what I brought for you. Grams and Gramps talked to Dad and Mom then as they got their bags and went to the car. Display picture of grandparents as you continue. Everyone talked on the way home. They talked some more over dinner. After dinner, Grams said, Cheri your gift! She opened her black bag and took out a bright green package. It wasn t big, but when Cheri opened it, her eyes shone. Oh, Grams! A real Eskimo suit for my doll. Thank you! But you said you hoped I d still fit into it!

2 I did, Grams said. I hope you still fit into the imagination game we play with your toys. Oh, yes! Cheri hurried to get her doll, and dressed it for Alaska. Grams played with her until bedtime. The next morning, Cheri s friends arrived right at ten o clock. As they ate brunch, Gramps and Grams answered their questions about Alaska. Yes, they saw grizzly bears now and then. Yes, people still used dog sleds. No, they did not live in an igloo. They lived in a city, in a regular house. Suddenly, Steven asked, Were you ever divorced? My parents and grandparents all divorced at least once. Never divorced! We ve been married 50 years! Gramps said. He hugged Grams close and looked around the table. We re like bald eagles. Display picture of bald eagles as you continue. Then Gramps told them why they were like bald eagles. A most wonderful fact about bald eagles is that they stick tight to each other, Gramps explained. You know that birds marry. We say they mate. When two young bald eagles marry, they stay married until they die. They never divorce. They never mate with another bald eagle. They exercise faithfulness by sticking tight to the first bald eagle they ever mated. Grams spoke up. Sticking tight also means they take care of each other. They work together and take turns doing things. Together, they build a nest even bigger than this table! When the mother lays eggs, they take turns sitting on them to keep them warm. One hunts food while the other sits on the eggs. Both bring food to feed the baby bald eagles. While one gets the babies food, the other stays home to protect them. Cheri smiled at Grams. Fifty years is a long time! You and Gramps are like bald eagles, she said. You married each other and stayed married. You help each other, too. You do a lot of things together. You always come here together. I guess you really do show faithfulness. You really stick tight to each other. Vivian asked, Can friends stick tight, too? Can we show faithfulness? Display picture of children. Oh yes, Grams answered. Friends do show faithfulness. They stick tight and help each other. They talk and act nicely. They try always to do what is best for the other. Friends show faithfulness by sticking tight. Bible Story: The Faithfulness of Jonathan to David I Samuel 18 through I Samuel 23 God tells us we can have many friends and still get no help when we need it, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. That s our Bible memory verse for this lesson: A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 How can a friend stick closer than a brother? God tells in His Word about a closer-than-a-brother friendship. We read about it in the book of I Samuel. The two men were David and Jonathan. You remember David. He was the youth who killed the giant Goliath. Jonathan was older than David, and was the son of King Saul. Jonathan was there when David asked King Saul to let him fight the giant. Jonathan was there to see David kill the giant with a stone in a slingshot! After the battle, Jonathan and young David became very good friends. God tells us, Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt. David came to live at King Saul s palace after the war to play comforting harp music when an evil spirit made the King upset. He helped the king, but the king was not always kind to him. The king even threw spears, trying to kill David. King Saul definitely did not like his son Jonathan being a friend to David. Jonathan was a grown man, though, and could choose his own friends. He liked what he saw in the young shepherd boy, and spent many hours with David. He taught David many things and he protected his young

3 friend. David also protected his friend, Jonathan. Display illustration of Jonathan and David as you continue the story. The grown man and younger man stuck close to one another. They showed faithfulness. One day, Jonathan even risked his own life pleading to his father King Saul to stop trying to kill David. When it became certain that Saul would kill David instead, Jonathan took the news to his young friend. We can t take time for that whole story today, but they arranged for David to hide in a field. Jonathan would go there as though he was going to practice shooting arrows. He d give David a secret signal to tell him if he was safe. Sadly, Jonathan had to send David running for his life. Before David left, the two friends gave each other a hurried good-bye. Then they cried together but David cried the most. Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever. Then David hurried to get away from that place, and Jonathan went back to the town. Jonathan and David s friendship was stronger than David s bond with any of his own brothers and he had seven brothers (I Samuel 16:10-11). Jonathan stuck closer than any of those brothers. He seemed more like a brother than the others. When Jonathan died in war, David wrote: Jonathan lies slain on your heights. I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother. You were very dear to me. (2 Samuel 1:25 26). David and Jonathan both showed faithfulness. They stuck tight to one another. That s a true friend! Jesus is a true friend to those who believe Him. Some people called Jesus a friend of sinners even though they didn t understand what they were saying (Luke 7:34). Jesus truly is a Friend to sinners a Friend that shows faithfulness. He keeps promises and He takes care of His friends. In fact, Jesus promised, I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5). You may have many people who say they are your friends, but they do not stick tight. They do not show faithfulness. Jesus is a true Friend. He sticks tight. He sticks closer than a brother. Apply the two stories in age-appropriate words. Hold up the pictures one at a time, saying, Faithfulness Sticks Tight. Cheri s great grandparents stuck tight to each other. They helped each other. They tried to do everything to make the other one happy. They tried to do what was best for each other. How can you stick tight to your family? Sometimes a friend sticks tighter, but you can stick tight to brothers and sisters. You show faithfulness to family when you stick tight to them. How can you stick tight to friends? What things will help them? What if someone says mean things about a friend? What if someone tries to hurt a friend? What if a friend makes you angry you fight with your friend. Can you still stick tight to that friend? How? Jonathan showed faithfulness to his young friend, David. He stuck tight to David. What did he do to show that? Was it easier for Jonathan to help David escape danger or just to enjoy being the son of King Saul? Who shows perfect faithfulness to His friends? It is Jesus. Jesus calls you to be His friend, but you have a problem. You must confess your sins before you can be Jesus friend. You must repent tell Jesus that you are very, very sorry you sinned against Him. You must believe that He is God s Son and you must ask Him to take away your sin. Then, you must obey everything He asks you to do. Jesus says, You are my friends if you do what I command you. You cannot say you are Jesus friend unless you do the things He tells you to do. We show faithfulness when we stick tight. Close by handing out assignment sheets.

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8 First and Last Name: I show faithfulness when I stick tight. Today s story was about friends who show faithfulness. You may ask for help as you make this bald eagle. Tell a parent what the bald eagles teach us about faithfulness. Tell how Jesus is a friend and how Jesus describes His friends. Then learn your memory verse before you make the bald eagle. What you do: Cut out the eagle pieces. Cut carefully. What you need: Glue the black construction paper around the cardboard tube. Look at the picture above. You want to make your eagle look like it. Glue the eagle s tummy on the front of the tube. Fold the tail tab up. Glue the tail tab inside the back of the tube Fold the tail up at the tube s back. eagle pieces on the next two pages 4½ x 6 piece black construction paper 4½ length of cardboard tube (toilet paper roll) scissors paste or glue Glue the eagle s head at the top of the tube s front. Glue it above the tummy. Glue the wings on the tube s back. This makes it look as though the eagle is flying. Fold the feet tabs up. Glue the feet tabs inside the tube at the front. Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Faithfulness #2 Ages 3 to 7 Copyright 2016 by Elizabeth L Hamilton For more information, visit

9 Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Faithfulness #2 Ages 3 to 7 Copyright 2016 by Elizabeth L Hamilton For more information, visit

10 Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Faithfulness #2 Ages 3 to 7 Copyright 2016 by Elizabeth L Hamilton For more information, visit

11 First and Last Name: I show faithfulness when I stick tight. Today s story was about friends who show faithfulness. You may ask for help as you make this bald eagle. Tell a parent what the bald eagles teach us about faithfulness. Tell how Jesus is a friend and how Jesus describes His friends. Then learn your memory verse before you make the bald eagle. What you need: eagle pieces on the next two pages 4½ x 6 piece black construction paper 4½ length of cardboard tube (example: toilet paper roll) scissors paste or glue What you do: Cut out the eagle pieces. Cut carefully. Glue the black construction paper around the cardboard tube. Look at the picture above. You want to make your eagle look like it. Glue the eagle s tummy on the front of the tube. Fold the tail tab up. Glue the tail tab inside the back of the tube Fold the tail up at the tube s back. Glue the eagle s head at the top of the tube s front. Glue it above the tummy. Glue the wings on the tube s back. This makes it look as though the eagle is flying. Fold the feet tabs up. Glue the feet tabs inside the tube at the front. Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Copyright 2016 by Elizabeth L Hamilton Faithfulness #2 Ages 7 and Up For more information, visit

12 Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Copyright 2016 by Elizabeth L Hamilton Faithfulness #2 Ages 7 and Up For more information, visit

13 Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Copyright 2016 by Elizabeth L Hamilton Faithfulness #2 Ages 7 and Up For more information, visit