Family Cent$ናሙና

Giving While You’re Living

Ask This: Has anyone ever heard the word, “Hoarding”? (Explain that this is when people hold onto stuff and never throw it away, sell it or give it away.)

Say This: There’s actually a TV show just about people who hoard everything…I mean EVERYTHING! (Suggestion: find a clip to show.)

Ask This: What are some things you noticed? Do you think this lady planned to live like that? How do you think she ended up in that condition?

Say This: She may have started like a lot of people…follow me..

Do This: Take your family on a field trip to a place in your house where the all-too-common “Junk Drawer” is and show them what’s in the drawer. It’s likely that most of the items will have a story attached to them. Share those stories.

Say This: The lady in the video has a real bad problem. She can’t let anything go. She thinks all of that stuff has value, so she holds on to all of it and you saw what happened.

Do This: Return to the dinner table or just sit down where you are.

Read This: Matthew 6:19

Ask This: What do you think Jesus meant by “treasure?” Was it like a pirate treasure?

Say This: The “treasure” Jesus was talking about is the stuff we give a lot of value.

Ask This: What are some things we might treasure? (Cars, toys, house, clothes, video games, computer, cell phones, etc)

Say This: The stuff in the “Junk Drawer” used be a treasure, but look at it now. It used to have value and look at it now. We kept it because we thought it would still be valuable later, but now it’s really nothing more than trash. It’s like food that you keep for too long without using it…it molds. We can’t keep trying to hold on to our stuff because when we do, it’s just going to be worthless. And eventually, we’re going to die and it will left for other people to take care of.

Ask This: What can we do differently to keep this from becoming a problem like the lady in the video? (Sell it, give it away)

Read This: Matthew 6:20

Say This: Jesus tells us to store our treasure (something we value a lot) in heaven and not on Earth. That doesn’t mean we can’t have things like cars, cell phones and video games. But it does mean we should use those things to honor Him and not just use them for us. But to do that, we have to be willing to let go of those things and not keep them to ourselves. We have to see that everything we have really doesn’t belong to us. It all belongs to Jesus.

Do This: Find 1 Chronicles 29:11 and ask one of your kids (or wife) to read it.

Ask This: What did that verse say belongs to Jesus? (Everything).

Say This: So if it all belongs to Jesus, our job is to use all we have in ways that make Him happy. One way can do this is to look for ways to give what we have to others as a treasure for Jesus.

Ask This: How can we give our house as a treasure for Jesus? How can we give our toys as a treasure for Jesus? How can we give  money as a treasure for Jesus? How can we give time as a treasure to Jesus?

Say This: Let’s ask God to help us see all that we have as His and not ours. Let’s also ask him to help us let go of things that we might hold on to more than we should. In my prayer, I’m going to tell Jesus we want to thank Him for the things He’s allowed our family to enjoy. And then I want each person to thank Him for something they have. I’ll go first so you can see what I mean. Mom will follow after me and then the rest of you can go next. Let’s pray.

Pray This: Heavenly Father, we are very grateful for all of the things you have allowed our family to enjoy. Jesus, I thank you for (add something you are thankful for). [Wait for the next person to say something.] Jesus, may we be wise with the things we have and use them for your glory and not ours. May we not try to hold on to them, but offer them to you as treasures in Your hands to be used for Your glory. In Your name we pray, Amen.