There Your Heart Will Be

The Season of Lent is a time of self-reflection and spiritual examination. While that is a healthy and necessary exercise, we don’t examine ourselves in isolation. Instead, we are invited to lay our lives alongside the life of Jesus. Lent is a time for getting our spiritual house in order, but above all, it is an invitation to commit to love once again as Christ loves.

This Lenten series of Children’s Messages reinforces worship messages and can be used within a worship service seamlessly. Today, the world’s climate reminds us that we need to demonstrate compassion to others more than ever. Lent is a good time to commit to giving money to a project that helps those in need. One way to involve the whole family is to collect coins during the season of Lent; then after Easter, donate the money. This Children’s Message series provides the opportunity to implement the Coins for Lent Giving Calendar.

This series also reinforces the Holy Week House Party family activity resource. Encourage the families in your congregation to use both resources in their homes during this Lenten Season.

For this Children’s Message series, the supplies recommended include a large Easter basket, several medium-large plastic Easter eggs, as well as items to place inside the eggs. During the series, bring one egg filled with the object related to that week’s message to show the children. After each message, place an egg in the basket. Continue to fill the basket as you proceed through the series.

Children's Message

Giving to Needy People

6 “Be careful not to do good deeds in front of other people. Don’t do those deeds to be seen by others. If you do, your Father in heaven will not reward you.

² “When you give to needy people, do not announce it by having trumpets blown. Do not be like those who only pretend to be holy. They announce what they do in the synagogues and on the streets. They want to be honored by other people. What I’m about to tell you is true. They have received their complete reward. ³ When you give to needy people, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. ⁴ Then your giving will be done secretly. Your Father will reward you because he sees what you do secretly.

Prayer

⁵ “When you pray, do not be like those who only pretend to be holy. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners. They want to be seen by other people. What I’m about to tell you is true. They have received their complete reward. ⁶ When you pray, go into your room. Close the door and pray to your Father, who can’t be seen. Your Father will reward you because he sees what you do secretly.

Verses marked NIRV are from the New International Reader's Version (NIRV) Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Objects:

• Easter basket
• Plastic egg large enough to hold a tealight candle

Message:

Has someone praised you for a job well done? How do you feel when a friend tells you, “You did a nice job!”? Or when a teacher says, “Excellent work!”? How do you feel when someone praises you? (Allow children to respond.) It makes you feel great, doesn’t it? When we receive praise, it makes us try even harder!

Today is Ash Wednesday and it is also Valentine’s Day. You might not think about it, but Ash Wednesday has a lot to do with the heart, just like Valentine’s Day. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent. Lent is the season of the church when we turn our hearts toward God. Turning our hearts toward God lasts a lot longer than one hour of worship. During Lent, we should turn our hearts toward God for forty days.

I wonder if you can give ideas of things that we can do to turn our hearts toward God. (Allow children to provide suggestions.) Those are all excellent ideas. Our scripture passage today teaches us to do good deeds not to draw attention to what we are doing, but to do those deeds because that is how God wants us to live our lives. It also says when we pray, we should go into our room and close the door. The passage tells us that when we pray, we should do so secretly.

Jesus taught that God sees everything we do. God sees even the things that no one else sees. And God praises us when we do right! Jesus said we should always let God be the one who watches our good deeds. God sees our actions, even if no one else does. If we want to help people who need it, we shouldn’t make it a big show. Instead, we should help people quietly or even in secret. By doing good deeds in secret, we give honor to God instead of trying to bring attention and praise to ourselves. That pleases God very much.

This Lenten season, as we journey closer to Easter Sunday, I would like to invite you and your family to participate in a Lenten Coin Calendar. During Lent, we look at ourselves and how we live life. We may ask, "What can we do for others?" Lent reminds us that we need to demonstrate compassion to others. With compassion, if we see a need, we do something about it. Lent is the perfect time to commit to giving money to a project that helps those in need. One way to involve your whole family is to collect coins during the season of Lent; then after Easter, donate the money. I encourage you to take a Lenten Coin Calendar home with you and throughout Lent, collect coins based on “how many” of certain objects you have in your home.

I have a large Easter egg basket with me this evening. Each week during Lent, I will bring with me a plastic Easter egg with something inside to help us remember our Bible lesson throughout the week. Let’s see what is in the egg today. (Create some excitement as you open the plastic egg.)

Today, I have a candle to remind us of today’s scripture. Obviously, it is a battery-operated candle so we can be safe and not burn ourselves. Why do you think that I have a candle? (Allow children to guess.) I have a candle because, as the scripture says, “When you pray, go into your room. Close the door and pray to your Father, who can’t be seen. Your Father will reward you, because he sees what you do secretly.” If we pray in our room with the door closed, most likely it will be dark. Not only does the candle provide light, but it also reminds us of God’s presence.

I invite you to place a candle by your Lenten coin jar, and as you place coins in the jar, you will be reminded of God watching you being kind and generous to others. And that is one way we can turn our hearts toward God!

Prayer:

God, you see everything I do. Please make me kind and generous toward people who need my help. Let me do good deeds quietly, as a way of bringing honor to you. Amen.