Lesson Day Four: God Blesses Us In Heaven
Lesson: Recite Psalm 23 with the children.
We have been memorizing Psalm 23. The first week we talked about God’s Provision (giving us the things that we need). The Second week we talked about how He protects us and/or gives us peace where anywhere he has us. Last week we discussed the blessings God gives us right now on earth. This week we will be talking about the way God Blesses us In Heaven when we believe and follow Him. The new verse is:
6 I am sure that your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life.
And I will live in the house of the Lord forever.
The deal is that every single person you meet or don’t meet is going to go somewhere after they die…And there in that place they will stay forever. Only those who choose God and give their lives to Jesus are going to live with Him forever. Where do those who don’t choose God go? –Hell. Is that the type of place you would want to live? Why, what is it like? (let them answer.) Here are some of the Bible’s descriptions: unquenchable thirst, fire that never stops burning (imagine your skin burning) (Mark 9:43), there’s a worm that can’t be killed (Mark 9:48), crying and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12). (Open a bucket of skinky compost. It would be even better if we could light it on fire, but I’m sure that is against fire codes everywhere. Just tell them to imagine it on fire. Would they like to live in this bucket forever?) This is a yucky place. You shouldn’t want anybody to go there, even the people who hurt you. Better then anything, they would come to know the one true God and be nice to you.
Were will those who believe and follow Jesus live forever? –Heaven. What does the Bible say Heaven is like. The Bible tells us that Heaven is so wonderful we could hardly imagine what it will be like. (I Corinthians 2:9) It’s described as a place of peace (2 Thessalonians 1:7) and no sadness (Revelation 21:4), a Great Party with the most wonderful food and joy (Matthew 8:11). Psalm 23 reminds us of the Blessing of Heaven that we share after we die. (In another bucket with a lid, have fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. Be sure no one has allergies to anything in the cookies or you will be sending the wrong message. Better yet think about
You have the hope those, who do evil, don’t know about. You can know without any question were you will live forever after you die. The last verse we learn is: “I am sure that your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life. And I will live in the house of the Lord forever. “ I want to point out some important words: “I am sure..” and “I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” This part of the Psalm says that I can be with out a doubt completely sure of where I am going after I die. If you have doubt or you are unsure about where you are going after you die, please come see me at the end of this class. I want to talk to you. If we can’t talk then, we will set a time.
Many of you are very sure of were you are going after you die. You know you are going to Heaven. It is important that you know how to tell people of the hope you have. One of the best ways to do that is by telling people what God has done in your life. That is called your testimony. I will hand out a paper that will help you write your testimony. Next week we will be giving prizes to those who remember all of Psalm 23, we will each come up front and tell our testimonies and have a party.
Important Point: God greatly blesses those who follow Him after we die (with things that really matter.)
Directions: Print out My Testimony page. Announce in church or ask each parent who drops off their child to help their child write a testimony of what God has done for them. You will be giving the children a paper to help them through the process. Ideally, you could start the process before class is over, but the young children will need their parent’s help to write out their thoughts.
Materials: Pens, card board to write on, Bucket of compost (covered), Covered fresh baked chocolate cookies or edible chocolate cookie dough. Bake a few before class for the smell. Even if you use cookie dough.
Psalm 23 week 4 ssp (Click to download pdf activity sheets)
Jenny’s Best gluten-free, egg-free Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Could be dairy-free too)
**These taste so good everyone will enjoy them! They do taste best baked.
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 stick butter, softened (Butter Flavored Crisco for lactose free, organic shortening for dairy free)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup shortening (like Spectrum)
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup flax meal
1 tsp psyllium husk
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp guar gum
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup millet flour
1 1/2 cup rice mix flour
1 cup chocolate chips
Beat together sugars, fats, and vanilla. Combine flax meal, psyllium, and water in separate bowl and let sit until thick. Add to main bowl. Add all dry ingredients and mix. Scoop small balls (about 1 tbsp) and bake at 350F for 10 minutes.
Rice Mix Flour: 4 parts brown rice flour, 3 parts sorghum flour, 1 part potato starch, 1 part tapioca starch
*Allergies and Sunday School Children: Take the time and energy, to the best of your ability, to make sure that every child can have the cookies. You bring out something so great, like chocolate chip cookies, to tell about Heaven and a child that wants to have one will be hurt. What will you really be telling them about Heaven? That they aren’t going to enjoy Heaven?..Perhaps that they won’t be included in Heaven? All things you weren’t trying to convey, but you may inadvertently. Know your children, know their struggles and help them all feel included and cared for. Let your love move you to compassion, and your compassion show them your love through inclusion. i.e. food.