Junior Church 15th Aug

Take - print outs of apples,

Blindfold,

plastic apple,

real apple,

monopoly money,

real money,

play utensil,

real utensil,

FOR TALK -

3 types of fruit.

2 flavours of crisps (or sweets) one in the wrong bag.

Recap

Poor In Spirit - Empty Handed

Salt and Light - We show people Jesus

Love your enemies - that’s what Jesus did

Treasure in Heaven

Do not worry - God knows what we need

Pray to our Father

Introduction Games

Blindfold a child or 3

Pairs might include: • Monopoly money and real money. • Plastic fruit and real fruit. • Toy kitchen utensils and real ones.

It’s sometimes really hard to work out what is fake and what is real! In todays true stroy from the bible Jesus teaches us how to tell the difference between his real friends and his fake friends.

Reading

Matthew 7:15–23 NIV

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Talk

This is our last session on the Semron on the mount.

And Jesus wants to teach us that sometimes people are not what they say they are.

Some poeple who teach us about Jesus might not be teaching us the truth,

and some people who say they believe in Jesus might not be telling the truth.

Some are fake, like the fake apple, and some are real!

So how do we tell the difference?

Jesus says look at the evidence - the fruit he calls it.

If I told you I picked this bananna from an apple tree, what would you say?

Where is this satsuma from then?

A tree can’t grow different fruit can it!

Jesus says it’s the same with people.

Just becasue someone says they are friends with Jesus, or teaches us somethign about Jesus, doesn’t make it true!

Talking is not the same are doing.

Did you know I can fly?

climb on table and pretend to fly!

Or if I say I love my pet gerbil but I don’t feed it and I keep hitting it,

do I really love my pet?

The proof is in doing! Not saying!

So,

if someone says they are a friend of Jesus but they don’t want to obey him, then they are fake friends!

Look at these 2 packets of sweets.

They both say they are:

So who wants to find out if they are fake or true?

get kids to taste sweets

How might we spot a fake friend of Jesus?

How might we spot a true friend of Jesus?

see print out of apples - light to Jesus, Love enemies, treasure in heaven, pray, don’t worry (not a chicken!), content.

What is we don’t always obey Jesus? Does that mean we are a fake friend of his?

Yes if we never want or try!

But remember - Jesus said his friends are those who know they come empty handed!

We wont always get it right, but the difference is that true friends of Jesus try!

So don’t worry when you get things wrong.

Only he saves us - makes us his friends.

But do try to obey Jesus - becasue that is what good fruit looks like - a true friend of Jesus keeps trying,

and knowing that Jesus loves us.

Questions?