During the lesson, the information for you to know is written in regular type, and what we suggest speaking or reading aloud to children is in bold. All resources for this lesson, including the Teacher Guide, Student Page, Family Connection Card, and other resources can be downloaded in a ZIP file by clicking on the following link:
In some lessons you will find "resource articles." These are articles written by experts from around the world to help equip you for your work with children and adolescents. Share them with parents or guardians if you consider it appropriate.
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7
God loves a cheerful giver—someone who gives freely and joyfully from the heart. All our possessions, our time, and our money come from our generous Father. He gives freely because He loves us. And it is out of that overflow of gratitude toward Him that we can also give freely.
At times, we have all probably felt pressured to give to person or to a cause. We felt guilty and forced. But this is not the way of our Father. He wants us to give freely whether we are in plenty or want. Some of the most generous people in the world are those who have known their need. They give generously and joyfully because they do not want others to experience that same level of need. They respond from the heart. This week practice holding things with open hands so you are able to freely give in response to the needs around you.
Encourage the students to think of 1 thing they can do to give to others. Then have them invite their families to join with them in giving.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
As the students arrive, ask them to share the most generous thing they have ever done. When you are ready to begin class, invite 2–3 of the students to share their stories with the class. Then explain the game below.
Set up the bowls or buckets in a straight line in an empty area of your teaching space. Have the students form a line, 1 student behind the other, about 2 meters away from the bowls. Give each student 1 pebble. Explain the game to the students.
Each student will have a turn to either try to toss a pebble into a bowl or keep the pebble. She must stay 2 meters from the bowls. If the student tosses a pebble and it lands in a bowl, she can retrieve it and will get 2 more pebbles from you. If the pebble does not land in a bowl, that student is out of the game. Each time a student tosses a pebble into a bowl, she will get another 2 pebbles from you in addition to the pebble she tossed. If the student chooses to keep the pebble, he just goes to the back of the line. Continue play for about 10 minutes. At the end of the game, ask the students to count their pebbles. The person with the most pebbles wins.
Some of you chose to keep your pebbles and ended the game with 1 pebble. But some of you chose to toss your pebbles for the opportunity to win more. Some people who threw their pebbles lost them and were out of the game, but some gained more pebbles.
When you had only 1 pebble, it may have been hard to risk tossing that pebble. When you have just a little, it can feel more difficult to give it away. Listen to this story about some girls who had very little but still gave what they had.
A group of girls in India were learning from lessons like this one. They learned about being kind and generous to others, especially those who are disabled such as people who are deaf and blind. They decided to visit a school for blind children to sing songs and share Bible stories with the children. They even planned a Christmas program for the students at the blind school.
This was a great gift of kindness. But the compassion of these girls is even more amazing. The girls who did all this are orphans and are all infected with HIV/AIDS. Even though they had difficult circumstances, they realized that they still had something valuable to give.
We all have something to give as well! Listen to this story from the Bible about giving.
As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
Luke 21:1–4
Allow 2–3 students to share their thoughts.
Jesus knew the widow’s poverty, and He knew the sacrifice she had made to give this gift. He saw that her heart was to give and trust God with her own needs.
Guide the students to understand that giving in a sacrificial way allows us to trust in God and His provision for our lives. Giving out of abundance is also good but does not require the same level of trust.
Optional: If possible, share the image from The Action Bible.
Listen to this story about another person in want who trusted God when asked to give to someone in need.
Many years before Jesus lived on earth, a prophet named Elijah lived in a region that was in a great famine. The Lord directed Elijah to go to a town named Zarephath, where he would find a widow who would feed him.
When Elijah arrived in Zarephath, he saw a widow gathering sticks by the well. He asked for a drink and some bread. Listen to her response:
“As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”
1 Kings 17:12
This widow was very poor, as many widows were in her time. She had reached the end of her food and her hope. Yet God asked her to give out of her poverty. Elijah encouraged her to trust God and not be afraid. The widow responded in generosity, trusting God with her own and her son’s future. After she baked bread for Elijah with the last of her flour and oil, her resources were multiplied. The oil in her container was never-ending. She was able to sell the oil and pay off all of her debts. God supplied her needs through the entire famine.
Guide the students to understand that God will meet our needs and wants us to be generous even when we have little.
The story of the widow also teaches us that God sees things we do not. It would have been easy to notice the rich people who gave a lot of money. But Jesus looked up and saw the woman who gave only 2 coins. He knew the value of the widow’s gift. Even more than the amount given, Jesus was concerned with what was in her heart. Being generous, as the widow was, shows that we are not fearful or greedy.
Listen to this verse about what God sees when you give.
If you are using the Memory Verse Poster, show it to the students.
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7
God calls us to give gladly and freely. This helps us to trust Him more, but it also helps us in other ways.
Generosity changes our brains so that we feel less stress. It can help us deal with physical pain better and even make it easier to deal with painful situations. It leads to more contentment and happiness. And it can help us build better relationships with others, since the community benefits when someone is generous.
Even those who have gone through difficult or painful situations in life, such as the girls we heard about earlier, often have great compassion and are very generous because they know what it is like to be in need.
Here are some qualities of those who are generous:
Let’s listen to some situations about giving. In each situation, think of 1 way the person can give generously. Remember that there are other things you can give besides money. You can be generous with your friendship, your time, your skills, your possessions, and anything you have that can be shared to help others.
You were all creative in thinking of ways to be generous in these situations! Now let’s think of your own lives. Think of 1 way you can be generous in your family or our community. Perhaps you can spend time generously with a younger sibling you usually ignore. Perhaps you can help with a heavy load someone is carrying. Perhaps you can give some money to someone in need. Look for needs around you and ask yourself, “What can I do?” Ask God to help you see ways you can be generous!
By using your resources wisely, by working hard, and by learning to be content, you can be a good steward of the resources you have been given. And by giving generously, you make your life and the lives of others around you better.
Optional: If you are using the Student Page, give the students time to complete it.
Close the class with a blessing based on 2 Corinthians 9:7:
Blessing: May you be filled with trust in God so that you can gladly and freely give to those around you.
Lead the students in singing this quarter’s song, if possible.
Life on Life ©2020 David C Cook. Reproducible for home or classroom use only. All other uses require written permission from David C Cook [email protected]. All rights reserved.
