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» Submission
1
Hard or Easy?
Play the hard or easy game. Each person has to think of something one does and the others have to decide if this is hard or easy to do.
For example:
Is it hard or easy to make a cake?
Is it hard or easy to eat ice cream?
Is it hard or easy to open Christmas gifts?
Is it hard or easy to clean the bathroom?
Is it hard or easy to do math homework?
Is it hard or easy to obey your mom?
Was it hard for Jesus to die on the cross?
Jesus did the hardest thing EVER when He died on the cross. Even though it was HARD for Him to take on man's sin and die, He submitted to God's will. Why did He say yes to God's plan? He knew His Father's plan was best and it was the only way for us to be in heaven with Him.
2
Good Time for New Habits
This is a good time to start new habits. Teach your children to submit (another word for obey) to your family's rules by giving them a chart to mark their progress and make a habit.
For example: First, give them guidelines. Put toothpaste on the brush. Brush while you hum "Mary had a little lamb" or brush up and down, etc. Put your toothbrush in the holder. Then praise them when they do what they are told. Finally, put a sticker on a chart.
Ask:
What might happen if you don't obey and brush your teeth? What if you just pretended to do it every night? (Eventually, you would get cavities and your teeth would hurt, etc.)
Why is it important to obey Mom and Dad's rules? (They want what is best for me; they want to take care of me, etc.)
Learning to submit to or obey one's parents is the first step to obeying God. Actually, when you obey Mom and Dad you are obeying God.
3
"I Obeyed, right away!"
Like all of us, we need to be reminded to obey. Buy some stickers (address labels, name tags, anything that can be written on) and write "I obeyed, right away!" on each one. When your children promptly obey, run to them and put a sticker on them. Smile and praise them.
Even though Jesus was God, He submitted to or obeyed His earthly parents and His heavenly Father.
4
What Is Submission?
Items Needed: items of clothing (hats, gloves, boots, silly glasses, capes, etc.)
Suitcase
Run a relay to talk about Jesus' trip with His parents to Jerusalem.
Lay clothing items on one side of the room and the suitcase on the other.
Line up behind a designated starting point. At the signal to go, each person must choose one item of clothing, put it on, run to the suitcase, take it off and put it in the suitcase. Then run back and tag the next person in line who will do the same thing. Time yourselves to see how quickly you can "get ready to go on a trip."
Joseph, Mary, and Jesus took a trip to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. When it was over, they started home . . . but left was Jesus behind. Joseph and Mary assumed he was traveling with other relatives or friends.
Ask:
When they finally found Him in the temple, what did Jesus do? (He went with them.)
Read Luke 2:51-52 for the answer. (Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. NKJV)
What is submission? (Doing what those in authority say; obeying)
Submitting to His parents was part of God's will for Jesus. Submission to parents is God's will for us. (A child who obeys will grow in favor with both God and man!)
5
Whatever You Do, Do It Heartily!
Write each of the following reactions on a slip of paper and put them in a basket. (If you have older kids, you might not even need the prompts; they can think of the different responses themselves.)
- Pout
- Get angry and stomp foot
- Argue that your job is too hard
- Say you will obey, but get busy and forget to do it
- Whine
- Complain about what others are doing
- Say mean things about the person telling you to obey
- Say "Sure, I'll do it"
- Smile
- Listen carefully to what you are being told to do
- Encourage others by offering to help
- Do it right away
- Politely ask for help if you need it
Different people respond differently when told to do something by parents or others in authority. Take turns letting family members draw one and act out the different responses. After each one is acted out, let the others guess the response and decide if it is the right/wrong way to respond.
Read Colossians 3:23 (And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. NKJV)
Ask:
How should we obey and do what we are told to do? (Heartily; with a good attitude remembering that we are pleasing God and not just men)
It is important to submit to/obey those who are in charge of us, but it is also important to do it with a right attitude.
6
Happy Face Obedience
Items Needed: Happy face stickers or a homemade happy face (glue a magnet to the back; the pizza shop ad magnets work great for this)
If you have preschoolers, encourage them to submit/obey by putting a sticker on them or sticking the happy face on the fridge every time they obey. Say, "Yeah, you obeyed" every time they obey . . . with a smile and a hug!
7
Ethan, the Expert Excuse-Maker
Make up a story about Ethan, the Expert Excuse-maker. Start the story by saying something Ethan needs to do (get out of bed, eat his breakfast, put his shoes on, take the dog outside, etc.) and then give a real or outlandish excuse why he can’t do it.
For example:
1st person: Whenever Ethan was told to do something he ALWAYS made an excuse. When his mom said, “Get out of bed and get ready for school,” Ethan said, “I can’t, there’s a dragon sitting on top of my chest.”
The next person will continue the story and add another thing Ethan needs to do and give an excuse why he can’t do it.
Go around adding situations and excuses.
Ask:
Why do we give excuses? (Because we don’t want to do it, we don’t think we can do it, we’re afraid, etc.)
God met Moses at a burning brush and laid out a plan for Moses. God wanted Moses to go to Pharaoh and tell him to free the Israelites from slavery.
What did Moses do? What are some of the excuses Moses gave?
(I can’t do this, I doubt it anyone will listen to me, I’m not good at talking to others, Please send someone else to do it.)
Even though Moses made excuses, he finally submitted (said yes) to God’s plan.
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8
Our Excuses, God's Answers
God was NOT asking Moses to do something he could not do. God was going with him and would help Him. God may ask us to do hard things, but He will help us.
At bedtime, ask:
What is something God has told you to do that you think you can’t do?
Read with your child God’s words in answer to Moses’ excuses.
Moses’ excuses God’s words to him
I can’t do this I will be with you.
I doubt if anyone will listen to me Tell them I have sent you.
I’m not good at talking to others I will help you know what to say.
Please send someone else to do it I will send a helper to go with you.
Pray and work together on one thing (sharing Christ with a friend, obeying Mom right away, forgiving a friend, being kind to a sibling, etc.) Talk about the progress each night at bedtime. Continue to pray and ask for God’s help to say yes to what God wants.
PS: Share your own struggle to do a hard thing God has asked you to do. Without God’s help, none of us can do all God has instructed us to do.
9
Sharing the Good News!
Christmas is Jesus’ birthday, so make plans to share the good news at a party with neighborhood kids or families.
Assign (by writing it out on an index card or piece of paper) each person a job (plan two games, bake a birthday cake, read the Christmas story from Luke 2, greet the guests, deliver the invitations, etc).
Ask each person:
Will you say yes to your assignment?
Make invitations from construction paper and deliver them to invited guests.
A couple of game ideas:
Christmas stocking relay: Hang two Christmas stockings on one side of the room and put a bowl of small wrapped candies on the opposite side. Divide into two teams and line up behind a designated spot. Give the first person on each team a spoon and at the signal to go, see which team can empty their bowl and fill their stocking with candy. Divide candy between team members and enjoy.
Birthday Lineup: Divide into two teams and see which team can be the first to line up by their birthdays–January to December.
Christmas Carol Pictionary: Write the names of familiar Christmas carols on slips of paper and put them in a bowl or Christmas stocking. Take turns letting someone pick one and try to get the others to guess it by drawing picture clues.
When we say YES and work together, we can have fun and tell others the good news about Jesus!
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