Dear Parents,

Thanks for joining us again as we do Children’s Worship from home!  

Note: Please let us know about how your family is enjoying Children’s Worship! Take some pictures of your family participating in Children’s Worship or share a story. You can post to the Gold Avenue Church Facebook page or send by email at goldavechurch@gmail.com

If you would like to do a daily lent reading plan as a family, the Jesus Storybook Bible has a great free printable one (that includes a fun paper chain) to use to count down!

DOWNLOAD HERE

 

It’s Not Fair!

Based on: Matthew 20:1-16, Romans 8:39

 

Activity One:  Read the intro. Watch the video.

Activity Two: Discuss the story using provided questions as prompts. Prayer.

Worship: Singing 

Activity Three:  Respond to the story by doing the activity. 

Activity Four:  Bless your children 

 

EQUIP:  

(It’s not an activity, but just a little background on the story for you, the parent, to read.) 

 

“That’s not FAIR!” I know it’s a wail I’ve heard (and made)! Everyone today, from kids to adults, seems to have the idea that some fairness exists out there that we’re missing out on; and if life were only fair, we would receive great benefits. But as a sinner who deserves eternal death and separation from God, I find great relief in knowing that I DON’T get what I deserve!

 

The Bible makes it clear that eternal life is a gift that results from God’s love and mercy. It’s a freebie that we don’t deserve! And there is no way we can ever work hard enough to earn it. God says that when Jesus died, He closed up the “works” place. There isn’t any more for us to do than to receive, rejoice and rest in the reality that Jesus paid it all— and nothing can separate us from such amazing love!

 

In the parable of the workers in the vineyard, Jesus ended the story in a way that must have surprised His listeners. The parable, along with many other teachings of Jesus, makes the point that God’s love and salvation are not based on our efforts. Through His teaching and in His life, death and resurrection, Jesus demonstrated that God’s love is given according to His amazing generosity, not according to anything that we could ever do.

 

Mary Davis

Senior Editor

 

Activity 1:  STORY

Introduction:To read the children:

 

In today’s Bible story, some workers felt that they were treated VERY unfairly. Here’s what happened. Peter, the disciple who’d asked Jesus about forgiveness in last week’s story, wasn’t finished asking questions. So a while later, Peter asked Jesus a second question. He wanted to know how he and the disciples would be rewarded because they had left everything behind and followed Him (see Matthew 19:27).

 

Jesus answered Peter by telling him a story.  Let’s watch this video to see how Jesus answered Peter’s question.

 

Watch the video:

Activity 2:  DISCUSSION

Jesus finished His story by saying, “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” Jesus’ disciples might have wondered what this parable meant. But we know there was something VERY important Jesus was trying to teach. The owner of the vineyard is like God. The workers who started early in the day are like God’s people who have been following Him for a long time. God is glad to love them and gives them salvation. The workers who started at the end of the day are like people who haven’t been following God for very long. But God is glad to love them and give them salvation, too!

 

In the story Jesus told, the owner of the vineyard was generous and paid each of his workers the same—no matter how long or short a time they had worked. God is like this generous owner! Jesus lived, died and came back to life so that we could be forgiven for our sin and receive God’s amazing love. There isn’t anything we can do to earn it! It’s God’s free gift.

• How much did the owner of the vineyard pay each worker? (One denarius or silver coin. Why did some workers think they should have received more money? (They worked for a longer time than the others.)

• How is God like the owner?

• How would you describe God’s love for us?

• What will you do because of God’s love for you?

 

Invite the children to pray thanking God for His generous love to them and asking God to help them show HIs generous love to others through them. 

 

Encourage children to pray for these things with their own words. Then, transition into a time of prayer for personal requests.

 

Worship Songs:

 

 

Activity 3: RESPONSE ACTIVITY #1 

Three ways to make a grape bunch. You could write on the paper:  “God loves us a bunch,” or “We all share in God’s love,” or something like that. Pick one with the supplies you may have on hand. (Remember red and blue paint make purple.)

 

It doesn’t matter who we are, where we are or what we do! God promises to love us generously. No one is good enough to earn God’s love. He loves us all the same.

RESPONSE ACTIVITY #2   Print and Color

Activity 4: CLOSING BLESSING

 

God’s love for us is really amazing! No matter what happens in our lives, and no matter what we do, God will never stop loving us. Read Romans 8:39: neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.       

 

(______________),  May you always remember how much God loves you.