HAVE A CHRISTMAS GIFT TO EXCHANGE?

 I'M CARRYING A VALUABLE FREE GIFT

CLIMBING TO SUNDAY SCHOOL 

In the remote Sichuan Province in China, Debra a blond hair missionary takes some of the children that live below, up an 800 meter climb to the village above on Sunday morning. Debra smiles, "Are you excited about Christmas?  Did everyone bring a gift to exchange for your classmates?"

A boy named Dong speaks, "I love to make paper crafts.  Everyone's going to like my gift."

Debra replies, "Dong, keep you gift a secret."

A cool morning breeze blows as the children climb, one run at a time.  Mei a young girl shouts, "I love to paint, can anyone guess what gift I'm bringing?"

Ying, another girl guesses, "Could it be a painting of a bird or animal?  My gift is something a girl would like to wear."

Debra adds, "I wish we had gloves to wear, my hands are cold holding onto the metal ladder.  I wonder who would like to receive a valuable free gift today?"

A quiet girl named Fen waves one of her hands, saying, "Me!"

Debra shouts, "Keep both hands on the ladder.  Let's get to our classroom and celebrate Christmas!"

Fen replies, "Sorry!  My gift is something good to eat, everyone will love."

Beautiful birds fly by as they climb up the ladder.  Chun with red cheeks, "God's birds are here to bless us.  I love to make gifts made of wood.  It's going to be the best gift."

Dong adds, "Is it a gift for girls only?"

Debra interrupts, "Don't say another word, I want each gift to be a surprise and I want everyone to be happy what they receive."

Debra reaches the top, offering a hand grip for each of the children to reach to safety.  All the children clap their hands after everyone is on top the plateau.

Later in the classroom, Debra serves Sticky Rice Balls and Juice for all of the students. Debra begins, "Does anyone know why we celebrate Christmas?"

Dong replies, "It's Jesus Christ's birthday!"

Debra continues, "Who is Jesus?"

Ying speaks, "He's the Son of God."

Debra continues, "Yes, Jesus is totally God and totally Man.  God humbled Himself to become a man, so he could live with us."

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

All of the gifts the children brought were gather on a table with a red table cloth.  

Fen grins, "Debra, can I be first to chose my gift?"

Debra shakes her head 'no.'  "Look at all the wonderful gifts you have brought.  I don't want anyone opening their gift until everyone has received there Christmas present and I tell you when to open it."

Debra points her finger, one child at a time as they wander over to the table and grabs a gift.

Fen is the last one to walk to the table, seeing her gift still remaining there."

Fen says, "That's my gift on the table."

Debra smiles, "Fen, you can trade your gift with anybody, just be happy!"

After trading gifts with Dong, Debra speaks, "Open your gifts and say 'Thank You!"

Dong stands up, "I got a yummy nut roll.  I'll take it home and eat it later."

Mei adds, "Someone made me a new scarf!  I wonder who made this fantastic gift!"

Ying talks, "I love this wooden house, thank you!"

Chun giggles, "Look at the paper bird."

Fen marvels, "I adore this painting of flowers."

Debra is silent for a moment, "I have one more gift.  It is very valuable.'

Dong, "Is it made of gold, silver or gems?"

Debra continues, "It is a valuable free gift from God.  All the gold, silver and gems in the world cannot buy it."  Debra hold a small box wrapped in red paper.  "And it's no longer a free gift if you have to work for it."

Ying questions, "What is it?"

Debra continues, "It's your choice if you want this gift, but you must be willing to receive it."

Mei is the only one brave enough to walk over Debra and take the gift.  Mei says, "Can I open it now?"

Debra smiles, as she opens it.  All eyes were staring at the present, waiting to see what she would pull out.  It was a wooden plaque with and a ancient nail to hang it on the wall, with the word "GRACE," engraved, and painted in red.

Debra reads:

"All people have sinned and are not good enough for God’s glory.  People are made right with God by his grace, which is a free gift. They are made right with God by being made free from sin through Jesus Christ."  (Romans 3:23-24  ICB - International Children's Bible)

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

(Ephesians 2:8-9  NKJV - New King James Version)

Dong asks, "I see the word 'GRACE' on the plaque; but what does it mean?"

Debra replies, "Grace is a free gift from God, that you never worked for or even deserved.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  (John 3:16 NKJV)

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast."  (Ephesians 2:8-9  NIV)

Mei asks, "How can I receive the gift of Grace?"

Debra adds, "If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from death, then you will be saved."  (Romans 10:9  ICB - International Children's Bible)

Dong stands, "I want that gift of Grace too."

Debra concludes, "We are all sinners on a pathway to eternal destruction and our righteousness is like filthy rags.  We become righteous when we have faith in Jesus Christ, asking forgiveness, turning away from our sins, and receiving His free gift of Grace." 

All the children in the class stand up to receive Jesus.

 

Debra continues, "Our sins make us guilty and we should have been the one dying on the cross.  God gave his only son Jesus to die in your place if you receive this free gift.  Anyone want this gift.  Do you believe in Jesus?  Are you willing to turn away from sin?

The class shouts, "I do!"

Debra holds the Grace plaque, saying, "Do you have faith believing in Jesus Christ?

Stand up if you would like the most valuable gift in the world, God's Gift of Grace.  And you will receive the Holy Spirit and eternal life with Jesus!"

DID EVE HAVE A BELLY BUTTON?

 QUESTIONS KIDS ASK

SUNDAY SCHOOL 

Debra a missionary to the Philippines brings her class to the beach, Sunday morning.  An eleven year old boy, Benjie, wearing no shirt asks her a question.

Benji says, "Teacher, all the girls tease me because I have a big belly button.  They laugh and point their fingers at me."

Debra replies to the class, "God has made each one of us unique.  If Jesus was standing here, would you laugh at Him?"

Everyone says, "No."

Benji adds, "Debra, did Eve have a belly button?"

All the girls, GIGGLE.

Debra speaks, "I'll answer your question, if you can answer mine.  Which did God create first, the chicken or the egg?"

Benjie is silent.

Debra asks the class, "Raise your hands if you think God created the chicken first."

Only a few raise their hands.

Debra continues, "Raise your hands if you think God created the egg first."

Benjie and the rest of the class raise hands.

Debra speaks, "Hens sit on the eggs to keep them warm called brooding, until the baby chicks hatch.  Did God leave baby Adam and baby Eve in the Garden of Eden all alone?

Benjie replies, "Who would feed them and change their diapers?"

Rachel a 10 year old asks, "What about our Heavenly mother?"

Debra replies, "God's word says..." then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.  And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.  (Genesis 2:-9  ESV - English Standard Version)"  There is no Heavenly mother.  God created Adam from red dirt."

10 year old Rachel blurts out, "Are you telling me that Eve never had a mother either.  If she was here right now, I would ask to see her belly button."

Debra continues, "Smile, Eve was not formed out of red dirt, like Adam.  Does anyone know how God made Eve?"

Everyone remains silent.

Debra reads, "The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

"Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.

But for Adam no suitable helper was found.  So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh.  Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man."

"The man said, “This is now bone of my bones    and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” 

(Genesis 2:18-23 NIV - New International Version)

Rachel adds, "Was God like a doctor, putting Adam to sleep to have a rib surgery?  Did he use the DNA from the rib's bone marrow to create Eve?"

Debra continues, "I guess, Adam and Eve didn't have belly buttons.  We believe God is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit who made the heavens and the earth.  Sorry, there are no heavenly mothers, aunts, uncles and grand parents...only one God."

Benji smiles, "My belly button is living proof I had a mom."