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» Redemption
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The Twice-Owned Boat
Tell the story of the twice-owned boat. (There is an actually a visualized story called "Little Boat Twice Owned" available from Living Stories for $4.)
A boy worked very hard making a small sailboat. He even carved his initials into the wood before he painted it. He was so proud of his boat. On the first day that he took it down to the water, the current was stronger than he realized and the string broke. He chased after it, but couldn't catch it. He was very sad because he loved that little boat.
Weeks later, he passed by a second-hand store and what did he see in the window? He saw his little boat. He rushed into the store and announced to the clerk that the boat belonged to him. The clerk told the boy that if he wanted the boat, he would have to buy it. The boy ran home, emptied all the money from his bank, and rushed back to the store. He paid the price the clerk demanded and walked out with his boat. He said, "First, you were mine because I made you; now you are mine because I bought you."
This is sort of a picture of what Jesus did for us. God made us, but we were separated from Him by our sins. Jesus was willing to die on the cross and pay the price required by God (How own blood) for our sins. We can be twice His- first because He made us; then because Jesus bought us back with His blood.
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How Can a Child Understand Sin?
In order to understand why Jesus needed to die and we need to be forgiven, children must understand sin. (If there is no sin, Jesus did not need to die.)
How do we teach children about sin? One of the best ways is to help children learn the Ten Commandments (found in Exodus 20).
I googled "learn ten commandments" and several creative ways came up (coloring sheets, pictures, and even a you tube video showing a man using only his ten figures to teach the commandments). Pick a way to learn the commandments and review them until the whole family knows them.
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It is God's desire for every person living to be redeemed- to have their sins taken away. Jesus died for each person and is not willing for any to be separated from Him. (Sin separates man from God because God is holy and has NO sin.)
Write the names of family and friends who are not Christ followers on a piece of paper and pray for them at least once a week. Look for chances to show them love and share the good news about Jesus with them.
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Gift Card Redemption
To help your kids understand the concept of redemption, give each child a gift card to spend for Christmas. Take them to the store (or restaurant) to let them "redeem" it. Explain to them that they were able to spend it and buy what they wanted because you paid the price.
Ask:
How is this like what Jesus did for us? (He paid the price for our sin so we could have salvation.)
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Passover
Students using the D6 curriculum studied the Passover to understand about redemption. Review the story from Exodus 12. The name of this feast was associated with the tenth plague while the Jews were in slavery in Egypt. It was a day to remember how God passed over the homes and spared the firstborn in every family who put the blood of a lamb on their doorposts. The lamb had to die so the people could be saved. God told the people to remember and celebrate this every year.
Jesus was called the "Lamb of God." Christmas is a good time to remember what He did on the cross. He was born as a baby and grew up to give His life so we could be with God forever.
Observe one part of the Passover meal. Put three pieces of matzah bread (crackers will do) on a plate. Take the middle piece and break it in half. Hide one half in a white linen cloth (a napkin will do). Make sure the children close their eyes while you hide it. After the meal is over, let the children look for it and give a small gift to the one who finds it.
Messianic Jews (those who believe Jesus was the Messiah) believe this refers to Jesus' broken body which was buried, but was resurrected three days later.
Say thank you to Jesus for giving up His life so you can have eternal life in heaven.
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"What is this a symbol for?"
Show kids your wedding ring (let them try it on) and ask them:
What is this a symbol for? (It’s a symbol of your love that you gave and received on the day you were married.) Explain that the ring doesn't make you married, but was given as part of the ceremony to remind you that your love was to go on and on just as the ring does.
Christians celebrate communion as a way to remember what Jesus did on the cross. Explain that the bread and the grape juice are symbols that represent Christ's body that was broken and His blood that was poured out on the cross. They are not the body and blood of Jesus, but are ways to remind us of His sacrifice and great love for us. We should confess (put away) all sin before we take communion. Remind them that communion is a serious, but happy event to remember Jesus' sacrifice.
Note to Parents: It's best to make sure your children are believers and understand the significance of communion before participating.
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Gift Card Redemption - Our "Free" Gift
Item Needed: A gift card for each child (doesn’t need to be expensive; can be for $1 at Wendy’s or McDonald’s)
Give the gift card to each child (put it in a gift box or bag to make it extra special). Take them to “spend” their gift card.
Ask:
What did you like about spending the gift card? (getting to buy a treat for myself, it was free)
Spending the gift card reminds me that God gave us a great gift, one He paid for, so we could enjoy it. We didn’t pay for this gift, but it is a very special one. God sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross so we could have eternal life with Him in heaven. He takes away our sins and comes to live inside of us to help us. What a wonderful gift!
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The Wages Of Sin Is Death...
Give your kids a job to do and tell them you will pay them; wash or clean out the car, organize a bookshelf, wash windows, fold laundry, etc. When the job has been completed, give them their wages or pay.
Tell them that this reminds you of a Bible verse–Romans 6:23 (For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord).
Don’t tell them the verse, but put a short blank for each letter of the Bible verse on a piece of paper. Ask the kids to guess a letter of the alphabet that might be in the verse. If the letter they suggest is in the verse, write it in the appropriate blank. When all the letters have been filled in, say the verse together.
Ask:
What are wages? (pay for work done) You worked for me and I gave you wages or pay.
What is the pay for sin? (Death–eventual separation from God)
What is a gift? Do you work for it? (Something you don’t have to pay for or earn)
What is God’s gift? (Eternal life–to live forever in heaven)
How do we get the gift? (Jesus gave up His life as the payment for sin; we only have to receive it)
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...But The Gift Of God Is Eternal Life!
NOTE TO PARENTS:
This may be a good time to invite your child to receive God’s gift of forgiveness. You have memorized two foundational verses–Romans 3:23 and Romans 6:23. Ask the questions below to see if your child is ready. Sometimes an indication he or she is not yet old enough to understand is the unwillingness to admit that he or she has sinned. It is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict and save our children.
Item Needed: A gift box wrapped with a treat (or even a dollar bill) inside
At bedtime, ask:
Tell me about one of your favorite gifts. What did you like about it? Why was it special? Do you like receiving gifts?
Show the gift and let your child hold it, shake it, and guess what is inside.
Say something like this: I have this gift for you. What do you need to do to make it yours?
(You need to take it, receive it)
God has a wonderful gift for you. God is making a special place for you in heaven. Heaven is a wonderful place where there is no sickness, no sadness, no death, but there is also no sin.
What do we have? (sin)
Have you ever sinned? (Give your child a chance to admit he or she has sinned, even remind your child you have also sinned.) The Bible says that all of us have sinned. We could never be good enough to get to heaven.
But God had a plan. God made a promise to Adam and Eve that He would send His Son, Jesus, to pay for our sin. When Jesus died on the cross, His blood paid the price God required for sin.
What does Romans 6:23 say is God’s gift to us? (eternal life)
He will take away our sins so we can live this wonderful life in heaven with God forever.
Do you believe Jesus died on the cross for your sin?
Do you believe He came alive again on the third day?
What do you need to do? (receive this gift)
What did you have to do when I held out the gift to you? (take or receive it)
Would you like to receive God’s gift right now?
You can have them say a simple prayer in their own words or repeat the following prayer after you, but make sure they understand that they are saying this to God.
Dear God,
I want to receive the gift of eternal life. I believe You died on the cross and came alive again. I am sorry for my sin. Please take away my sin. Thank You. Amen.
Read John 1:12.
What does it say happens when you receive Jesus? (You are part of God’s family.) Encourage them to tell someone (who will be happy for them—a grandparent, a Sunday School teacher)—they have received Jesus.
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