Every Day, I Have A Part To Play

Let’s get up and dance with your kids in praise! Play some worship music in your home, have fun with it! Raise your hands, jump, close your eyes – enjoy a time of worship as a family. To get you into a groove, here are some songs to choose from:

Trust In You https://youtu.be/vEpAeqqSURI
This Is What You Do - by Bethel Kids https://youtu.be/eXhMfGK00ZA

Bible Passage: 1 Corinthians 12:12-19, The Body of Christ

Every day, I have a part to play
Lesson: Serving God with our talents brings us closer to God every day.

Today’s story comes to us from the Bible. (Hold up a Bible.) The Bible is God’s word to us, so we know that everything it says is true. (Open the Bible and set it down in front of you as you give the lesson.)

God loves us and wants us to be close to him. What can we do to be closer to God every day? One thing we can do is to use our talents to serve God and other people.

Every day, I have a part to play. Say that with me. “Every day, I have a part to play.” (Repeat with kids.)

The Bible says that everyone who believes in Jesus is part of one great big body. We call that The Body of Christ. Each person in the body of Christ is different, with different talents and abilities. We each have a different part to play..

On your body there are ears and eyes, arms and legs. A nose, fingers, toes. Each part of your body does something different, but each part is important. What would happen if you didn’t have a nose? (Allow kids to answer.) That’s right, you wouldn’t be able to smell. What if you didn’t have a mouth? (Allow kids to answer.) You wouldn’t be able to speak or eat. If you didn’t have an elbow, your arms would be straight all the time. (Demonstrate)

Each person in the body of Christ is different, just like a nose and an ear are different. Some people in the body of Christ can sing. Others can preach and tell others the story of Jesus. Others can write. Others have great big hearts they use to take care of people. Whatever they are, you can serve God and other people with your talents. You have a part to play.

Every day, I want to be close to God. So I have a part to play, every day.

Simple Prayer:
Dear God, help us to use our talents to serve you and others. Bring us closer to you every day. Amen

Discussion Questions:
Wiggle Tamer: Play a few rounds of Musical Chairs.

Small Group Memory Verse: Have kids repeat the verse popcorn style. Point to kids randomly. Each time you point to a kid, he or she says the verse. (If a kid can’t repeat the verse, say a gentle “that’s okay” and move on to another kid.)

Questions: Finish this sentence: God’s great big family is called the Body ____ _______.
What are some of your talents?
How can you serve God and help other people with your talent?

Game: Take brown craft paper and cut out a large potato-like shape. Tape it to the wall. Ask kids to name a part of the body. One at a time, give kids a marker and have them draw that body part onto your makeshift Mr. Potato Head. Keep working until the group is satisfied that the entire body has been created.

Make this week’s lesson real:
At Dinner: During the mealtime prayer, ask God to show each member of the family how they can use their abilities to help other people. As you eat, discuss anything you think God might be telling you in this area.

Playing: Bring out the Mr. Potato Head. Have a contest to see who can create the wackiest, wildest body. Speculate on what it would really be like to live that way – say, with a foot where your eyes should be. Each piece of our body has a particular part to play, just like every person in God’s family has a part to play.

Bedtime: Snuggle up and talk to your kids about the talents and strengths you see developing in them. Pray together that God would help them use their talents to serve God and to help other people.

Skit or Puppet Show: I Can Pray

ITEMS NEEDED: We recommend employing the toy figures used in the Hands-On activities in this series as “puppets” to perform the skits: Cowboy, Space Ranger, Slinky, and Mr. Potato Head.

Two to four actors can be employed to play the four characters.

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN: 4 Flexible CHARACTERS: Cowboy, Ranger, Slinky, Mr. Potato Head Ranger, Slinky, and Cowboy are on stage.

COWBOY: Have you all seen Mr. Potato Head lately?

SLINKY: No, I haven’t. He’s been keeping to himself. I wonder what’s wrong.

RANGER: Whatever it is, we can help him.

Mr. Potato Head enters, wearing a frown.

POTATO HEAD: Hello Sheriff. Space Man. Slink.

COWBOY: Why so down there, Mr. Potato Head

POTATO HEAD: I just don’t know why I’m here.

RANGER: What do you mean?

POTATO HEAD: I don’t feel like I’m a useful toy like all of you. I’m not a fun cowboy for Wild West adventures. I’m not a space ranger with flashing lights and my own rocket ship. I can’t stretch and climb down stairs the way Slinky can.

COWBOY: Thank goodness.

POTATO HEAD: What do you mean, thank goodness?

RANGER: You don’t want to be me. You want to be you.

SLINKY: We don’t need two space rangers or two Slinkys. But we do need one Mr. Potato Head.

POTATO HEAD: You do?

COWBOY: Of course. Every one of us has a part to play. God made each of us unique in our own special way.

RANGER: We each have special skills, talents, and abilities.

SLINKY: That we can use to serve God and grow closer to Him. Mr. Potato Head’s frown is switched out for a smile.

POTATO HEAD: I definitely want to grow closer to God.

COWBOY: Then use your talents. Play your part. Every day.

POTATO HEAD: Every day, I have a part to play.

RANGER: Every day, I have a part to play.

COWBOY: Every day, I have a part to play.

SLINKY: Every day, I have a part to play.

End.