August 22
Hey Kids
This week is all about - Trusting in God’s promise that Jesus has set us free.
Key Text & Stories -Galatians 4:21-31
God Makes A Way | The Bible App for Kids
What’s Happening - Paul is encouraging the Galatians to hold on to God's promise that they are free because they believe in Jesus. From bible times to now, everyone has the choice to live in God’s promise. Let's explore what it is like to live in God's promise.
Words to Remember - Treehouse
Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave, but of the free. Galatians 4:31
Words To Remember - Playhouse
Good News God sent his son that we might be in his family. Galatians 4:4-5 Paraphrased
SHARE - CONNECT MATERIAL FOR TREEHOUSE KIDS - Galatians 4:1-20
Have you ever been given a new game? What’s the first thing you do when you receive it?
Do you skim over the rules, keen to play with your friends?
Or do you read the rulebook for hours before you start playing?
In our text this week, Paul is talking to the people about how to live love when they are keen to live the law.
At this time, the people thought that because of who they were (descendants of Abraham), they were God’s chosen people. Paul is pointing out that God sees anyone who believes in Jesus as descendants of Abraham, God’s chosen people.
So if we believe in Jesus, we are descendants of Abraham, God’s chosen people.
At this time, just like today, some people didn't want others to be in God's family.
Here is what Paul has to say.
21 Some of you people still want to be under the law of Moses. Tell me, do you know what the law says? 22 The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons. The mother of one son was a slave woman. The mother of the other son was a free woman. 23 Abraham’s son from the slave woman was born in the normal human way. But the son from the free woman was born because of the promise God made to Abraham.
Paul is using these two mums as a “This is like”. This is called an allegory.
What is a slave?
Slave means that you have no choice in anything. Your role in everything is to serve your master.
What is free?
When you are free you get to choose what you would like to grow up and do. You can choose what sport you would like to play. You can choose what food you would like to eat. When you are a slave you have no choice in anything.
Which would you rather be?
Paul tells us in verse 24-27 that these two mums, Sarah and Hagar, are like being free and being a slave. Believing in God's love for us, or believing in the law.
Paul encourages them,
28 My brothers, you are God’s children because of his promise, as Isaac was then. 29 The son who was born in the normal way treated the other son badly. It is the same today.
Can you see where people, even families, treat each other badly?
30 But what does the Scripture say? “Throw out the slave woman and her son! The son of the free woman will receive everything his father has. But the son of the slave woman will receive nothing.” 31 So, my brothers, we are not children of the slave woman. We are children of the free woman.
Do you think Paul really means for us to throw out the slave woman and her son? No, absolutely not!
He is saying to throw out the idea and the practise of holding onto the law above holding on to Jesus.
I like how it says we are not children of the slave woman, we are children of the free woman. Paul was using this story as a way to show the enormous gift of freedom that God has given us in Jesus. His death has set us all free. Choosing to love is what Jesus did for us and that sets us free. We can do the same thing.
We started with talking about playing a new game. How do you want to play? Are you more interested in knowing all the rules or are you excited to share your new game?
Know that Jesus has won the game of life for us, by beating death. Jesus died but death could not hold him down. He wants us to play the game of life in love where ever we are.
This is what Paul means when he says we live in God’s promise of Jesus.
Jesus came to set us free, to be who he designed us to be and all he asks is, are we thankful? If we are thankful — love him and each other.
Would You Rather.
Share these questions with your family and friends and see how many things you choose that are the same or not and why. Growing together means we value each other's opinions, we wait and listen and ask questions so we get to know each other well.
Would you rather start a colony on another planet or be the leader of a small country on Earth?
Would you rather be able to see things that are very far away, like binoculars or be able to see things very close up, like a microscope?
Would you rather be an incredibly fast swimmer or an incredibly fast runner?
Would you rather own an old-timey pirate ship and crew or a private jet with a pilot and infinite fuel?
Would you rather be able to jump as far as a kangaroo or hold your breath as long as a whale?
Would you rather be able to type/text very fast or be able to read really quickly?
Would you rather randomly turn into a frog for a day once a month or randomly turn into a bird for a day once every week?
Would you rather have the chance to design a new toy or create a new TV show?
Would you rather be really good at math or really good at sports?
Would you rather be the author of a popular book or a musician in a band who released a popular album?
Would you rather live in a house shaped like a circle or a house shaped like a triangle?
Would you rather live in a place with a lot of trees or live in a place near the ocean?
Would you rather have your room redecorated however you want or ten toys of your choice (can be any price)?
Would you rather have a magic carpet that flies or a see-through submarine?
Would you rather everything in your house be one color or every single wall and door be a different color?
Would you rather visit the international space station for a week or stay in an underwater hotel for a week?
Would you rather have ninja-like skills or have amazing coding skills in any language?
Would you rather be able to control fire or water?
Would you rather have a new silly hat appear in your closet every morning or a new pair of shoes appear in your closet once a week?
Would you rather be able to remember everything you’ve ever seen or heard or be able to perfectly imitate any voice you heard?
Would you rather drink every meal as a smoothie or never be able to eat food that has been cooked?
Would you rather meet your favourite celebrity or be on a TV show?
Would you rather have a tail that can’t grab things or wings that can’t fly?
Would you rather have a special room you could fill with as many bubbles as you want, anytime you want or have a slide that goes from your roof to the ground?
Would you rather dance in front of 1000 people or sing in front of 1000 people?
Would you rather ride a very big horse or a very small pony?
Would you rather be able to shrink down to the size of an ant any time you wanted to or be able to grow to the size of a two-story building anytime you wanted to?
A Family Tree
Jesus calls us to be part of his family, to build a place where everyone is welcome.. Instead of only putting the family that we are born into on the tree add in all the people that you love. Imagine God's family tree, full of all the people that he loves. How big do you think God’s tree is? Printable family tree
Treehouse kids
Print out these Bible Promises to keep or give away as a gift. You may want to take the promise and create your own card. Whatever you choose to do, always remember that God keeps his promises.
Families, held together with love.
Print this our and create your family.
Treehouse kids
Make a game of Pick Up Sticks
Using coloured sticks or pencils drop them in a pile. Take turns to pick them up with out moving the other sticks. Use the colour code to share what you are thankful for. Check out the picture of some ideas and make up your own. Use the code to share what you are thankful for.….
I Spy
What do we choose to see? Jesus looks on us with love. This means he is cheering us on to do good things, not waiting for us to do something wrong. This week let’s learn to look on our family friends and the people we meet with love.
I spy is a guessing game where one player chooses an object within sight and announces to the other players that "Eye spy with my little eye, something beginning with...", naming the first letter of the object. Other players attempt to guess this object.
Stuck in the Mud
So often we get stuck in a way of thinking or in a bad place and we can’t get out. Remembering how much Jesus loves us is just like someone setting us free in this game of stuck in the mud. Every time you set someone free know that this is what Jesus has done for us for ever!
How to play:
Choose one player to be in.
The player who is in must run around and tag as many other players as they can.
When tagged, a player becomes 'stuck in the mud', they cannot move and must stand with their legs and arms apart.
The only way to be freed is for a non-tagged player to crawl through their legs.
We would love to see you playing, trying, making and sharing! Please share your photos with your KellyvilleKids community in our WhatsApp Group. If you’re new to our KellyvilleKids community and would like to stay connected, contact us.
