We've included the text for this object lesson below and we even recorded a video to help give you ideas for how to teach it. If a total stranger looked at how you spend your time, what would she conclude about what is most important to you. Planning ahead by gathering your supplies and having a set time and place will put you into the right frame of mind for following through on this highest priority. But Paul went for their consciences, bringing the message pointedly to bear on their corrupt, immoral, worldly lifestyles. - Nick Diliberto, Ministry to Youth And he didnt just say to them, Dont worry about your sins. If you click & make a purchase, I receive a commission! Do you ever get tired? An emotional appeal that bypasses the mind may get decisions, but they will be flimsy, at best. Help us all to spend a little time learning from You every day. If you click & make a purchase, I receive a commission! He lived in light of the coming judgment, and he trusted that God would deliver him from prison if and when it was Gods will to do so. God is not satisfied with our leftovers. If you can only manage a few minutes at a time with the Lord, dont use those minutes searching for your Bible, devotional, or prayer list. Youll get distracted. Our website has teaching material for children of all aged starting with the church nursery (age 0-1 years old), toddlers (age 2-3 years old), preschool (age 4-5 years old), young elementary (age 6-8 years old), older elementary (age 9-10 years old), and preteen youth ministry groups (age 11-12 years old). Thank you for Sharing. If you bring your sin to the Lord now, in repentance, He is rich in mercy and abounding in love. "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.". But Paul acted according to his stated purpose, of doing all things for the sake of the gospel (1 Cor. Think about it and ask yourself if this is true in your life. To live out this priority, you may have to make some hard choices. 5 Things You Must Do, Making Time For God (No Matter How Busy or Unmotivated You Are!). If Jesus spent a day at your house, what would be some things He might say are distracting you from spending time with God? Woai!!! Join my email list and get instant access! We have to do chores around the house, go to school, eat, and shower (hopefully).right? It is often difficult and painful to root sin out of our lives. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. All thr. Are the TV shows youre watching promoting adultery, violence or gluttony? But even if there wasnt, my top priorities deserved the best time slots, and I made sure they got them. Time for God This Sunday school activity will help kids see where they are spending their time and show how much time they spend with God. Just adopting a Go with the flow attitude Bible study takes effort. Why risk offending this powerful couple with the gospel? Play a couple of times and once all the students are tired of running, have them sit down for the lesson. Only one thing is important. Yep, three of them in fact, each combined with a fun and easy classroom activity to get kids charged up. listen to worship music while you drive. May 18, 2015 by Mimi Patrick Kids have a lot to distraction them from God. Find Time for God: Say an activity out loud such as clapping hands or jumping jacks. Who makes my choices? If you've been following Jesus for a while, you've probably figured out a few ways to grow spiritually. Honestly look at your choices in time usage and see where you can find more time for God. Tell them that they can talk to Jesus about anything they want to. His fear would seem to indicate that the Holy Spirit was bringing conviction of sin to his conscience as he felt the force of Pauls words. Each person will hold the hand of someone not immediately next to them. Tired? As I have already mentioned, it would have been tempting for Paul to set aside the gospel and focus on his release. Read Scripture (5 minutes) Our scripture reading today gives the disciples the task of going to build communities of Christians across the world. Say, Next, Jesus follows through by getting up and working. Can you pray while walking instead of listening Can you imagine hitting 75, looking back on your life and thinking, What have I accomplished with my life? Don't waste this precious gift that God has given you. Every kids church ministry deserves the very best resources for teaching Gods Word, even when they dont have the financial resources. A short and encouraging read, Putting God First offers tons of practical tips and suggestions to help you make God your #1 priority no matter how busy you are. Even if its just for 5 minutes at a time. Just like we put all our other activities on the calendar, we need to set a time to meet with God. This is a really easy way to make time for God, to give time to God you just have to switch out what youre already doing anyway! This FREE resource has discussion questions and suggested action activities, all ready for Sunday School: https://www.clamcentral.com/your-16-iphone-object-lessons/ Sign up for my free, online magazine I mentioned, Christ's Love and Majesty Monthly:https://www.clamcentral.com/clam-monthly/ And my website homepage: https://www.clamcentral.comTime Stamps:00:00 Countdown to \"Make Time for God\" object lessons.00:43 First Object Lesson, use your time to do God's will.01:33 The free Lesson Plan.01:54 Second Object Lesson, make the most of the time God gives.02:41 Third Object Lesson, do your best for God.02:54 About our free online monthly magazine.03:03 A funny mistake.Christs Love And Majesty Ministries (aka CLAMcentral) has a clear purpose: Provide tips, ideas and resources to those who serve God by working with kids. Dont get me wrong I love it but it can really take a toll physically, mentally, emotionally AND spiritually. Suggested Scripture: The Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:14-30. Instantly download this video's lesson plan!https://www.clamcentral.com/objectlessons/Make-Time-for-God.pdf Sign Up for all future links to our upcoming helpful videos and lesson plans to be sent to you immediately after they are posted:https://www.clamcentral.com/links/ Accelerate the Success of your Children's Ministry Learn about our 3-Steps to Lifelong Disciples program that trains you up, draws kids in and graduates true disciples of Jesus! They give no thought to advancing Gods kingdom. You still need to do those other things, especially the things youre asked to do by parents or teachers. You can imagine how this made Martha feel. God uses the most unlikely persons to shake a church or a community or a nation. Have students separate around the room. Which personality are you more like: the to-do list Martha or the laid-back Mary? Looking for youth ministry curriculum? Can you have 5 minutes of Bible time with the Please see our. 5:9b-10). Luke 6:12 Materials Needed: Large jar Sand Rocks Pebbles Pitcher of water Directions: Put rocks into jar until it's completely full. What does it look like? What can we do to be quiet and learn from Jesus? When you do read your Bible and pray, do you do so with a humble, willing, and receptive spirit? When your body is in pain, its a warning that something is wrong. After all, ones political career is more important than a prisoners life! By the way, if you regularly struggle to make time for God, even though you really want to, I have a book I really think would help you out. God may use His Word, the preaching of the Word, or someones godly words or behavior to prick your conscience. If you click & make a purchase, I receive a commission! Something undeniable and indescribable that will mark Is Your Faith as Important to You As You Say It Is? Put pebbles into the jar until it's completely full. Be a witness to what God has done for you as a Christian. subscribe to sermon podcasts. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad (2 Cor. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. To make time for God you must first decide that time with God is your first priority. Whether you have a job outside the home, are a student in college, run a home-based business while the kids are in school, are a single parent, or retired you have responsibilities that seem to take every minute of the day. And its a great thing to be able to play sports, play an instrument, spend time with friends, and all those things, right? I like ur talk it encourage me on my own time to God.thank u.. Suggested Scriptures: Deuteronomy 18:22 - a prophet needs to be 100% accurate or the message isnt from God. Main Points. If you struggle with finding time for God, I urge you to make a 40-day commitment to spending time with Him every day. Maybe take 3-4 days and write down absolutely everything you do. Honestly, making the commitment wont make finding the time easier, but it will motivate you to make that time. But Paul would not compromise his priority of testifying to the gospel of Jesus Christ, both by his words and by his life. 7:23)! 1 Samuel 16: 7 tells us, But the LORD said to Samuel, Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. Most of them know that there is a God. Another said, Send me. If any students start or stop at the wrong time, theyre out. Jam-Packed Jar One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. Read my full disclosure policy. Did he need some instruction on how to present the gospel more sensitively? She had to cook. Bible Lesson: Make Time For God July 3, 2014 by Brittany Putman In this passage Jesus gets up early and finds a place to pray before He begins his busy day. Shes just sitting at Jesus feet and listening to Him talk and teach. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. In one of his plays, Shakespeare describes a dying man calling on God. I could go on, but I think you get the idea. Lay one pot aside for the lesson. With 100+ Bible-based curriculum packages to keep your kids engaged, you'll find the perfect children's ministry resources for your Sunday School and kids ministry classes. In the current situation, Paul easily could have rationalized a little bribe to get himself out of prison. In John 7:6, Jesus says to his half-brothers who advised Him to go up to the Feast of Booths and do some miracles to make Himself known, "My time is not yet here, but your time is always opportune." Jesus was drawing a contrast between how He lived in view of God's time versus how His brothers lived their lives. Yell Martha! a couple of times in a row to see if you can trick the students. kids at breakfast? Download Your Growth Questions : Lesson # 4 - God is . These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. ( Eccl. 2023 Ministry-To-Children.com | Bible Lessons for Kids, Activities for Sunday School, Free Resources for Children's Ministry Leaders. Enjoy watching! Have kids each write on their rock one thing that distracts them from spending time with God. Each of us needs to ponder Felixs excuse, when I find time. We all live busy lives. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lords feet listening to what He said., What was Mary doing? Read my full disclosure policy. He was keeping Paul in prison with the hope that Pauls wealthy friends would come up with a bribe to set him free. Use today to plan and prepare. How can we change our prayer life to be more intentional and specific? Say, How do you feel early in the morning? The regular text is simply directions for the teacher. Thanks! they had a sixth sense, if I got up at 7:00, they were up at 7:05. June 30, 2022 by Editor Use this free Bible lesson in your High School or Middle School youth group when teaching about the importance of choices. I once saw a cartoon that showed Martin Luther sitting in front of a TV set with the remote in his hand. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. She had to make sure that there was water and towels to wash everyones feet. It takes time. Talking or scrolling mindlessly on your phone? The more pots you have, the longer the game will last. But Paul would not use corrupt means, even to achieve a noble cause. Again, note the contrast between Paul and Felix: Pauls priorities shine through here and everywhere else that you see him in action. Treat it like an unbreakable appointment even when you dont feel like it. It was When you call Martha! again, they continue running. Craft: Quiet Rocks Give kids fine-tip permanent markers. Felix should have responded as the trembling Philippian jailer did, by asking, What must I do to be saved? Instead, Felix became frightened and told Paul, Go away for the present, and when I find time, I will summon you (24:25). Not whenever we feel best for Him to be in our schedule. From the time we wake up to the time we go to bed, we have to go-go-go to get it all done. Focus Verse: Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left his house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Mark 1:35 Who or what pressures us to do what we do? God is in control of our lives and wants to be personally involved in our lives. But He isnt looking to become one more item on your to-do list. In 40 days, God can completely change your heart and your relationship with Him. It may be to get your priorities in line. These questions will help reinforce the truths in this lesson. Jesus wants us to talk to Him before anyone. She had to clean. However, we need to be sure that we make time in our schedule to meet with God. Perhaps he called for Paul so that as a governor, he would be more knowledgeable about this rapidly growing new religion. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. It will help us to manage our time and still make time to be with god. Needed: Bibles Intro Game: Mary and Martha Marathon Have students line up in a row on one side of the room, facing you. They profess to be Christians, but other than attending church and living a relatively moral life, theyre not much different from the world in their goals. Besides, the system worked through bribes. Encourage them to hang the picture somewhere in their home where it will remind them to pray each day. wasting an entire day. Do you strive every day to grow deeper in your faith than you were the day before. So how are you spending your time currently? He went from slave to governor; from being a piece of property with no rights, to owning much property; from being powerless to powerful. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Create small groups of 8 to 10 people. Felix was a rags to riches, Horatio Alger, all-American success story! your Grand Creator in the days of your youth.". Probably so, and this is exactly what Martha was doing. For example, you could make time for God in your everyday life by: Of course, if fittinganother thing into an already jam-packed schedule really is going to be a challenge, chances are you have way more things on your plate than you should. I remember as a young mother desperately trying to get up What must, Read More Intentional and Specific PrayerContinue, This post contains affiliate links. Felix apparently knew a lot about Christianity (24:22), but he liked to keep things in the realm of safe intellectual discussions. He graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M., 1976 in Bible exposition) and Califo More. But if you live for Jesus Christ, no! At the end of the discussion, give each student an index card and have them write down their chosen time. After you have about ten things on the board ask the class which of the activities that are listed on the board that God would like to be involved in. Youth Group Lesson - Prickly Relationships $ 3.00 Add to cart . This point is connected to the first. My prayer for you today, is that you will live as if you had an hourglass in front of you. Part of maintaining a blameless conscience is to confess and turn from our sin as soon as the Holy Spirit convicts us of it. Jesus said, I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32). Be willing to stand up for what you believe in. Does watching more than 1 hour of shows at a time make you feel more or less motivated to do something else like to meet with God? There is no arriving in the Christian life while we are alive on Earth there is only progress. Read my full disclosure policy. Same goes for the play clock in football. Felix had been living to accumulate all of the money and possessions that he could get. There are some periods of life that are naturally going to be busier than others and thats okay. The most important thing is spending time with Jesus. TOPICS: Choices, Commitment, Contentment, Honor God, Idols, Priorities, Walking with God MATERIALS: Activity chart handout [PDF] Click here Pencils DURATION: From 10 to 15 minutes PREPARATION: Lessons From a Renters' Utopia. He went for the jugular! Is scrolling through social media stirring up feelings of jealousy, anger or discontentment? With Paul, will you seize present opportunities for spiritual advance or, with Felix, will you make up excuses and miss those opportunities? What you'll need: An orange and paper plate for each student This is a good one, it has rekindled my relationship with God. 3 Keys to Setting Boundaries for Children. There's a time to be born, a time to die, a time to plant, a time to reap, a time to cry in, a time to laugh. Shop our Sunday School Curriculum and Bible Lessons for Kids. Martha was very busy playing hostess. If you click & make a purchase, I receive a commission! Do the shows you watch increase your faith or promote a godless lifestyle? This youth lesson will show you from the Bible about who God really is. So if it lands on the five then they must do five jumping jacks. God's gives us instruction about staying focused and keeping God first. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In his personal life, from a worldly point of view, Felix had not done badly for a slave. He missed his opportunity to respond to the gospel. Use this free youth grouplesson to teach students the importance of having a relationship with God. When you yell Martha! students should run as fast as they can to the other side of the room, then back to their original side, then back to the other side of the room until you yell Mary!, When you yell Mary! everyone must immediately stop. A box, a basket, a table, a shopping bag, a nightstand. You will go from having no time for God to having a deep and meaningful relationship with Him. Do you ever feel like youre going to forget to do something youre supposed to do or be somewhere that youre supposed to be? The Bible is full of examples of 40: 40 days of rain for Noah, 40 days in the wilderness for Jesus, 40 years in the wilderness for Israel, 40 days on the mountain when Moses received the 10 Commandments, 40 years of peace under several different judges (Judges 3:11; 5:31: 8:28); David was king 40 years. Or, you can squander those resources on American junk. Divide students into groups of 3-5. Ill tell them there is a God, a heaven, and a hell, but theres no hurry to decide. Ah, said Satan with satisfaction, that is the best plan! He was sent out into the world to spread this lie (source unknown). Basketball and football players going to make the most of their time and not waste it, if they want to win. It may mean they wake up 10 minutes earlier or spend less time on fun things, but encourage them to make time for God. Or, you can forsake assembling together with the saints. Yet he sent Paul away with a lame excuse about finding time later. Our strength and wisdom will eventually run out, but God's power has no end. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. The disciples went looking for him because they did not understand the importance He placed on spending time with God. Thanks! The point of the activity is to get a visual representation of the extremely busy schedules we all have. Do you genuinely hunger for quiet time with the Lord? Instruct the small groups to talk about their weekly schedule.. Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen what was better.. That is the way the world thinks: Dont trouble yourself with God until youre at deaths door. Then there was homeschooling and baseball games and Drusilla was his third wife, a famous beauty whom he seduced from her husband, a king in Syria. Only you know where you are wasting time that could be spent with Jesus. Just like it is for you. What would it take for you to change your morning so that you could get up 30 minutes earlier? This very day, God is giving you a great spiritual opportunity through the fact that youre hearing His Word. ), who were rumored to be living together in incest. God didnt reward Pauls faithfulness with a quick release. Instruct the small groups to talk about their weekly "schedule." Have students write their daily chores and activities on the schedule under the particular day. What was the one thing that Mary did? Set it aside. And if you never seem to have enough time for godly influences in your life, maybe its time for some of those ungodly influences to go to make room. I take care of my grandsons during the day my schedule is easier to manage. Honestly, making the commitment won't make finding the time easier, but it will motivate you to make that time. If a married woman looked sexier than his current wife, dump his wife and seduce the other wife from her husband. He was a man of integrity, who did his best always to maintain a clear conscience. However, comments that are rude,hateful, malicious, or spammy will be immediately deleted without warning. What is intentional and specific prayer? Otherwise, what were a few years in prison in comparison to eternity with Christ? Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. He wants to hear what is weighing you down, receive your worship, and speak peace and comfort into your soul. We spend time goofing off instead of ministering to others. First, I dont think that I, Read More 20 Biblical Ways to Pray for Your WifeContinue, This post contains affiliate links. Are the books youre reading teaching selfishness, self-pride or even witchcraft? (Pray, read our Bibles, go to church, etc.). Disappointment comes in many forms: lost jobs, financial problems, divorce, prodigal children, lost opportunities, and, Read More Learn to Handle Disappointment in God-Honoring WaysContinue, This post contains affiliate links. Can Christians pursue the kingdom of God and the American Dream at the same time? All three object lessons center on the topic \"Make Time for God.\" That is, what God wants us to do with the time He has given each of us.First, \"Give Me a Minute\" challenges everyone in your audience to guesstimate when 60 seconds pass by. Big Idea: Don't waste the time God has given you. Mary has chosen to spend time with Jesus so that she could learn and grow closer to Him. Continuing to ignore the warnings can destroy your engine. As soon as the play is whistled dead, they start the clock and give the offense a limited amount of time to get set, and run the next play. Does anyone know what this is? Here are five things you can do to make time for God a priority even when you barely have time to pee. Here are five things you can do to make time for God a priority even when you barely have time to pee. start your day with a quiet time. Polls reveal that American evangelical Christians watch the same amount of TV and the same programs as the population at large! The purpose of this Bible Study series is to communicate to youth how amazing and wonderful God is. Why not at least give them a more pleasant version of things? I actually did this myself lately, and it was really beneficial. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Felix should have allowed his fear to drive him to ask, What must I do to be saved? Instead, he blocked out the warning and missed his opportunity for salvation. Enjoy watching! Jehovah says: "Remember . What does your heart look like? The list went on and on. Before we do anything. We all know that we should make time for God, but were prone to think, Ill do that later, when I find the time. We can get busy doing lots of important things, but we need to make sure that we remember the main thing. The main thing is spending time with Him and growing in our relationship with Him. Its totally fine to get a variety from various sources. She wanted everything to be just right for such a special guest. Setting boundaries for children can seem unnecessary. Thank you so much the lesson. But the Lord answered her,Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things. Have everything you need for your devotions gathered into one place. How do you squeeze one more thing into your already over-crowded schedule? the Holy Spirit to let you know how to live them, Spending those precious 5 minutes singing a Having devotions with only praying and praising, Reading only 2 verses of Scripture and then asking 9:23). These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. A legend tells of the devil summoning his evil forces to consider how best to keep the world on his side. Usually, this is through Bible reading or study and prayer in what many people call a quiet time or devotional time. But before I jump in further, let me just stop a moment and say it is OK to take it easy, to have downtime, to take a break for a few minutes, an entire day, or even a week or two. The most common use of an hourglass these days is in games like Cranium. But one choice is more important than all others your decision to serve Jehovah. Finding Time: Bring several watches to class or print several small picture of a clock before class. Having a prayer list on your phone so you can You can freely license our resources under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International. And last but not least, when deciding how to make time for God with a busy schedule, keep your expectations realistic. He is our route before we start our day. If you buy into the American dream, yes! Making Time for God When You Barely Have Time To Pee! Dont be like Felix and miss it! While these verses typically refer to food offerings, the same concept applies to how we spend our time as well. Dont choose 10 pm if you know youre going to be brain dead by then or 6 am if you know you wont get up. How could you shorten that time (social media, streaming, games) to free up time for God? Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition The Lockman Foundation, Related Topics: Discipleship, Hamartiology (Sin), Sanctification, Spiritual Life, Steve served as the pastor of Flagstaff Christian Fellowship from May, 1992 through his retirement in December, 2018. Do the same with Mary!. Ive talked about this before. 1 John 3:2 - This is God's final purpose for you: That when Christ . Don't miss our other free websites10 Bible Verses and Ministry Got Question and Bible Answers. Spend time reading your Bible and make knowing God a priority in your life today! List these things on the chalk board. Just what I needed to guide me for our small group discussions. Make Time Craft: Make a clock to remind each child to make time for God. It is HIS divine will that young people come to faith in Jesus Christ and find salvation through the Gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit to bring them to faith. As Paul testified, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience before God and before men (24:16). Why? Your number one ambition should be to be pleasing to Him. Was the work Martha was doing a bad thing? Say:Jesus was very close to Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus. Everything that Paul did was with a view to furthering the kingdom and glory of Jesus Christ. Introduction: Ask the class to think of things that they do each week. How much time each day do you spend on screens: social media, streaming services, video games? Let go of old ideas about how you "should" approach God. Each of these principles is illustrated positively in Paul and negatively in Felix and Drusilla. While Jesus and his followers were traveling, Jesus went into a town. Write Make Time for God on the background of the plate. Knowing about God's goodness helps you love Him more. Ask me how I know. Sure, they may be good, and even important, but if they are taking up so much time that you cant make time for God, they have to go. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Pray Scripture back to God. Its like the warning lights on the dashboard of your car. Do you sleep in or go to bed earlier so you can Write down where your time is actually going. Children's Message: No Room for God Ask the children to think about what takes up a lot of their time, attention, and money-for example, TV, video or computer games, soccer practice, or playing with friends. That means no permission is needed as long as you credit this Ministry-To-Children.com in the final work.