Missing Something?

(You will need the 5 or 6 inch Crystal Cube, yellow silk, red silk and the spring flowers. Preload the box with the spring flowers in the bottom and turn the hook to secure in place. Put the yellow silk inside the Crystal cube.)

When God made man, He made him in His image. He made man perfect. There was nothing missing. . .nothing broken. He was perfect. (Show the crystal cube with a beautiful yellow silk inside.)

All that changed when man sinned. No, Adam didn't fall over dead when he sinned. But God said the day you eat of the fruit you will die. It took his perfect body many years to die from the effects of sin, but something more precious than life died that day. . . his innocence. Adam's perfection died. (Pull out the yellow silk out of the crystal cube and close the lid.) Now there was something very precious missing in Adam.

That death left a terrible hole inside Adam. A hole that through the ages mankind has tried to fill with all sorts of things. Likes like money, fun, things, popularity. (As you mention each thing act like you are trying to shove it down through the lid. Ask the class to name some things that people try to fill their lives with so they don't notice the emptiness.)

Many of the things we have mentioned are great! They make us feel really good for a while. You may enjoy them so much, but they cannot fill the empty place in your life. Only Jesus can do that.

Because Jesus is a gentleman and because God has given you the ability to choose He will not force His way into your life. But something really amazing happens when you open your heart. When you open your heart and allow Him to come inside. (Put the red silk into the crystal cube. Close the lid and reveal the load.) He will fill your heart with His love, His joy, His peace. It is truly a life changing experience to have Christ come into your heart.

As believers, it is very important that you stay filled with Christ through Bible reading and that you develop your personal relationship with Christ through prayer. Stay filled with His love by giving it away. Stay filled with His peace by filling your mind with scripture and building your faith.

Tithing

(You will need the 5 or 6 inch Crystal Cube, a dollar bill and the spring money. Preload the crystal cube with the spring money.)

Does God really care about your needs? Does God care about your money? I am convinced from the multitude of scriptures on money that God really does care about your money. I believe it is important to tap into God's abundant supply at an early age. I began tithing off the profits of my blackberry sales when I sold them to the neighbors for fifty cents a quart. When I began an adult tithing was never difficult because I had developed not only a tithing habit, but a faith that came from personal experience that God would bless my remaining money so that it went further than keeping it all myself.

Have you ever looked in your wallet and discovered it empty? Not just empty, but totally empty? (Show the crystal cube.) Maybe you sent up a prayer, like God help me. Give me some money. God is good and He gets us through those tough times, but God has a better plan than just getting you out of trouble in those tough times. God's plan is one of constant provision. It is a God breathed plan for your money to be blessed by God. When God blesses something then it is multiplied and more effective.

 Remember when Jesus blessed the five loaves and two little fish. . . that little bit fed all those thousands of hungry folks. When God's blessings is on your money it goes further and it accomplishes more. God divine plan is called tithing.

Your lack does not move God. Your need does not move God. If it did there would be no lack. Just because you have a need does not mean that need is going to be met. Your faith  and obedience allows you to tap into the supply of Almighty God's limitless resources. Let's look at a little boy that tapped into God's supply.

Jesus sat down on a smooth stone beside his disciples. He looked out at the huge crowd that had been following him and then back to Philip. "Where can we buy bread to feed these people?"

"It would cost a lot of money to give all these folks just a little bit to eat."

Andrew said, "Jesus, there is a little boy here that has five little cakes of bread and two fish. But that won't even start to feed all these people."

The little boy was part of a huge crowd that came to hear Jesus. Maybe he was too busy listening and playing to eat his lunch. Maybe he was the only person with a lunch or maybe he was the only person willing to share his lunch. But what we do know is that in response to specific instructions by Jesus, the disciplines moved through the crowd seating them on the soft grass in groups of fifty.

The small lunch was not multiplied until it was placed in Jesus' hands. As long as it was in the boy's hands it was only enough to feed one or divided by the boy it would be a small snack for two or three.  But when the boy gave it to Jesus miraculous multiplication took place.

The same thing happens with your money. Malachi 3:10 "Bring all your tithes into the storehouse."

First, of all what is the tithe? You can't bring something that you don't even know what it is. The tithe is 10% of all your income. When you bring your tithe whether it is $1.00 or ten cents or ten dollars. Whenever you bring your tithe into the storehouse or the church. You are obeying this scripture. (Put a dollar bill into the Crystal Cube.)

Now let's see what God says He will do if we obey. (Have someone read Malachi 3:10 in its entirety. Reemphasis.) God said He would open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing.  (Reveal the spring money.) Now I didn't say that He did. Obedience is the key that unlocks God's blessings on your money. I would much rather live in His blessings that try to get by without it.

See the Resurrection story that can be used with the crystal cube.