Precious Family Ties

A VERY GRAPHIC LESSON ON PUTTING GOD FIRST
Grades 3-4 or older

 You will need an empty wide mouth quart jar along with the lid, filled with dry beans. Three golf balls OR 3 small voltive candles.　 Make sure the beans (beans only) fill the jar to the top and that the lid will fit.

Illustration: Start with an empty jar and ask the children to name some of their activities they do during the week. They will think of plenty...School, homework, sports, play, cleaning room, sleeping, eating and many more.
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As they name them one by one, put a handful of beans into the jar, to represent that activity. (The three voltive candles or golf balls represent God, Jesus and His church) When it is full, put the golf balls or the candles on top and try to screw the lid on. Take note that there is no room for the golf balls.

Then say, "Oh let's get our life right!" Then pour the beans back out and put the three golf balls in, representing God, Jesus and the church...and explain that They come first in our lives, if we are to have peace and be happiness. Do the activity above over and they will see that when we put God, Jesus and the church FIRST in our lives, there is room for everything and the lid will fit! But...when we don't put them first, there is no time for them and no room in our busy lives for them. Make the point that God MUST come first.
 

The kids love this activity. When I came back by the classroom on the way to the auditorium, two little ones were showing the lesson to another.