Gold or Glory? VBS Lesson
This race to find the treasure will present kids with the option to pick for solid gold coins or small pieces of paper. Those who went for the gold will find that they don’t have wisdom to finish the race”¦where a huge treasure lies (though everyone is rewarded in the end)! Your kids are going to love this fun VBS game!
MATTHEW 6:19″21:
DO NOT STORE UP FOR YOURSELVES TREASURES ON EARTH, WHERE MOTH AND RUST DESTROY, AND WHERE THIEVES
BREAK IN AND STEAL. “BUT STORE UP FOR YOURSELVES TREASURES IN HEAVEN, WHERE NEITHER MOTH NOR RUST
DESTROYS, AND WHERE THIEVES DO NOT BREAK IN OR STEAL; FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE YOUR HEART WILL
BE ALSO.
MATTHEW 20:6:
SO THE LAST WILL BE FIRST, AND THE FIRST WILL BE LAST.
Materials:
– Gold Chocolate coins, the exact number of your students minus two
– Index cards, 11
– 1 piece of printer paper
– Black marker
– Quarter
– Scotch tape
– Cardboard box
– Broom
– 1 treat bag containing five pieces of candy
– 1 treat bag containing ten pieces of candy plus a dollar store prize
Preparation:
– The lesson starts with a little treasure hunt involving two children, so you will have to draw out the clues and place them where specified:
o Take two index cards. On one, write the number 1, and on the other, write the number 2. Tape them to the back of the classroom door. On the other side of these index cards, write the same message on each: Herein lies your very first clue, so look in the trash to know what to do. Tape them to the window sill.
o On the next two index cards write this message on each: It’s treasure, not trash we’re after; your next clue is in the rafter. Tape these clues to the inside of the waste basket.
o On the next two index cards write this message on each: You’ve looked above, now look beneath; the next clue’s on your teacher’s feet. Hang these two clues over the edge of a light fixture, or tape them face down above the door frame”¦somewhere up high.
o On the next two index cards write this message: Your prize awaits; you’re almost there”¦look in the assistant’s hair. Tape these on the bottom of your shoes, ink side up.
o On the last two index cards write this message: The treasure is near; do not lag”¦look inside the shop rite (acme, etc) bag. Either find a way to hold these in the assistant’s hair with barrettes or bobby pins, or just have her balance them on the top of her head when the time comes. She should not get these in place until the other clues are well underway.
– Put the treasure box in the supermarket bag, off in a place where kids will at first think it’s just supplies but it is in view.
– Create the starting pieces, two paper coins as follows:
o On the last index card, trace a quarter twice on one index card and cut out the circles.
o On one side of one circle, draw a homespun likeness of a quarter; on the other side draw the number 1.
o On one second circle, repeat, only this time draw the number 2.
– Prepare the treasure box as follows: Place one treat bag containing five treats inside. Also place in there a piece of paper, balled up, on which you have written, YOUR TREASURE IS IN THE ASSISTANT’S HANDBAG. After balling up the piece of paper, wrap one piece of tape around it as a “seal.”
– Put the treasure bag with ten pieces of candy hidden away in the assistant’s handbag or tote bag.
– Seat everyone at tables or on the activity rug, where they are paying attention to you.
– Have the two paper coins and the right number of chocolate covered gold coins in a basket (# of students minus 2) when the lesson starts.
Lesson:
Hold out the basket. Look what I’ve got here in this basket. I’ve got a number of chocolate gold coins, and then there’s these two paper things that look like quarters. I’d like to pass them out to you”¦who would like what from in the basket? Everybody just take one”¦
Kids should dive for the gold coins, and two disappointed kids will end up with the paper.
What’s going on is a little like real life, isn’t it? People will go for the treasure”¦whatever looks shiny”¦or tasty”¦People will focus on getting that for themselves, won’t they?
In fact, if you listen to a lot of people today, you’d think that money is all that matters; money can buy anything; money is all that makes people happy.
But there are some treasures money can’t buy, aren’t there? Can you think of some? Gold doesn’t buy love or wisdom or happiness. Where does the best treasure in the universe come from? God in heaven.
If people hold out and wait for God’s treasure, and they don’t fall in love with silver and gold”¦sometimes it looks unfair, doesn’t it? It looks a little like what’s happened at this table. We’ve got kids who have chocolate coins”¦and we’ve got kids who have these flimsy looking paper things that are not pretty and are surely not going to taste good. Is that fair? No!
Ah. But! Maybe these paper coins are something different than what they look like. A lot of times God’s promises to us – love, wisdom, and happiness – don’t look as special as gold and silver. But let’s just see. Turn those coins over, and see what they say. What’s on the back? Children in possession should say the number 1 and the number 2. Have the two kids come up and stand beside you.
These two kids may not have grabbed as ferociously for the chocolate coins. Maybe they were the most mannerly. Or maybe they were just shy. Or maybe they were unlucky! Or maybe they had a little insight and realized these two ugly little coins could lead to something bigger. Which was it? Their answers don’t really matter, but take them anyway.
Jesus says in Luke 4:18 that he will help those who have been unlucky if they just come to him. His exact words are these:
THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS ON ME,
BECAUSE HE HAS ANOINTED ME
TO PROCLAIM GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR.
He also said in Matthew 20:16, “in the Kingdom of Heaven, the first will be last, and the last first.” These two kids with the paper coins sure look like they are in last place, don’t they? Jesus said it simply isn’t true.
Jesus has helped these two unlucky people in our class who did not get the gold. They are going to be able to pursue a treasure”¦ in a treasure hunt! Let’s watch and help out as they race each other for clues!
What does the back of your coins say again? 1 and 2. Look around! Somewhere on these walls are the numbers one and two! Race through your clues and see which of you gets to the treasure first! Help them find the index cards with the 1 and 2 on them.
For help getting down the clues in the rafters, they will have to use the broom to try to sweep them down. As there is only one broom, the first one to it gets to use it first to swipe that clue down.
Help them proceed through the steps of the treasure hunt until the clues are found.
The winner can open the treasure box. There should be one treat bag with five pieces of candy in there, plus a balled up piece of paper.
Say to the winner. Wow, that’s a much better treasure, isn’t it, that treat bag? Let the winner show it around.
We’ve got a problem here, though, don’t we? We had two kids hunting for the treasure, and there’s only one treat bag! What else is in there?
Let the winner take out the balled up piece of paper sealed with a piece of tape. Don’t let him flatten it out.
Jesus says that if we want the real treasure in heaven, we have to be cheerful givers. That takes a lot of faith, doesn’t it? Sometimes life seems like it just might take too much faith.
Tell ya what: I’ll give you a choice. You can keep that treat bag. Or”¦you can turn your treat bag over to [child who was also in the treasure hunt] and take this plain ole balled-up piece of paper.
It could end up being just that”¦a plain old balled-up piece of paper, or it could be something like those gold coins were”¦a little more special.
Class, what do you think he/she should do? Take answers.
Try to mislead him: We’ve all seen game shows like this. You have a chance to trade in your prize for a bigger prize”¦but you have to risk. There may be nothing in the piece of paper. You’ve already gotten far more than the other kids. Do you want to keep what you have?
Follow his answer. It doesn’t matter which child ends up with the treat bag. Give it to another child if so.
Here’s the thing. Jesus is not running a game show. He is the author of our faith. When he makes a promise, he doesn’t break it. If he says the first will be last and the last will be first, he means what he was saying. This is not just a plain piece of paper.
Have the child in possession flatten it and read the small message in the center:
YOUR TREASURE IS IN THE ASSISTANT’S HANDBAG.
Have her hand to the student the treat bag containing the ten pieces of candy and a dollar store prize.
Congratulations, [child’s name]. Your prize here is a lot like the prizes we will receive in heaven if we seek them out and try not to be greedy for silver and gold here on earth. You were last”¦you are now first, because Jesus does not break his promises.
Jesus says in Matthew 6:19: Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal.
Jesus’ promises are bigger and better than what we can lay up for ourselves here on earth. We may have to wait for them. We may have to make sacrifices to others. We may have to use our faith in a big way. But his promises always come to pass – he makes sure of it!
Be sure to check out our other great VBS activities and ideas, like the Kingdom Of Heaven Treasure Hunt! And don’t forget to Become a Fan on Facebook, Follow Us on Twitter and Come Hangout with Us on Google+!
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