Treasure in Heaven

Children’s Chapel

July 31, 2016
Proper 13C

Welcome: Children will enter quietly and sit together on the floor. Welcome all children and ask if there are any new friends today.

Theme: Treasure in Heaven        

Introduction: Raise your hand if any of you know what a treasure is. (allow several children to answer.) You are right! A treasure can be anything we see that is valuable such as jewels, or money, or gold. Treasure may also be something that is very important to us such as our favorite blanket, or stuffed animal. A treasure may even be something that we are good at, like being able to play soccer really well or being able to paint or sing. Even people can be a treasure to us! In today’s Bible store, Jesus talks about our treasure. Let’s listen to what he says in the Gospel of Luke.

Bible Reference (Read Aloud)

Luke 12:13-21

¹³Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” ¹⁴But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” ¹⁵And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” ¹⁶Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. ¹⁷And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ ¹⁸Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ ²⁰But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ ²¹So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”

Response: In the parable that Jesus told, Jesus tells the story of a farmer who had so many crops that he felt that should build a bigger barn in order to store the food. The food the farmer grew was his treasure and he wanted to protect it in order to keep it all for himself. God said that this farmer was very foolish. I wonder why? Before we answer that question let me read you another story called

“The Rainbow Fish” (Read “The Rainbow Fish” aloud to children. After the story ask the following.)

Wow! That Rainbow Fish sure was beautiful! He had a great treasure of beautiful shiny scales. Do you think the other fish thought he was beautiful? Yes! They thought he was so beautiful that they wanted to have one of his shiny scales too. What did the Rainbow Fish do? (allow responses.) No, he did not allow any of the fish to have any of his beautiful shiny scales. He kept them all to himself and he even got a little mad didn’t he? How did that make the other fish feel? (allow responses.) You are right! The other fish felt upset and rejected and decided to not talk to the Rainbow Fish. Just like the farmer in Jesus’ parable, the Rainbow Fish wanted to keep his treasure all to himself and he was very foolish. What happened after the Rainbow Fish talked to the Octopus? Yes, he started to share his beautiful shiny scales and then he realized after seeing his treasure on other fish just how happy he was because of the gift of joy in sharing with others.

You know it’s not easy to share our treasure whatever it may be. We may feel like it’s too special to share with others or that we want to keep it all to ourselves. It’s not easy to share our treasures, but when we trust God with it whether it is something we have made or earned or a special talent we have, God will help us to share our treasure with others. In our sharing, we experience God’s special gift of joy and happiness that he always gives us. Just as the Rainbow Fish felt joy when he shared his shiny scales, we will also feel God’s gift of joy when we trust God with our treasure.

Pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of your love, the gift of your Son Jesus and all the many blessings you bestow upon us. Help us to share our treasure with others so that we may receive the full joy that you so richly give us when we trust in you. Amen.

Response Activity: Rainbow Fish craft