Our Jesus Basket

Lent/Easter Season

Teaching Goal:  Follow Jesus in every part of your life.

Scriptures:

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

1 Peter 1:14-16 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

Materials:

• 12 Plastic Easter Eggs
• Basket, label “Jesus” taped on one side.
• Pen and paper

In Advance: Write the following items on pieces of paper, put one piece of paper in each egg and hide the eggs:

Thoughts                             Words                                     Actions

School                                  Sports                                     Food

Sleep                                    Entertainment                       Reading

Friendships                         Money                                     Play

1. Play theme song
2. Pray
3. Review last lesson
4. Lesson and Discussion

• Words written in bold are when the leader is speaking. Feel free to use your own words.

There is a popular modern proverb that was first used hundreds of years ago: “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” This proverb suggests that you should divide your eggs between several baskets. What do you think this proverb teaches?

This proverb suggests that we NOT put all of our focus in one place. This strategy is often applied to money. Common wisdom suggests diversifying our money to keep it safer. Share how and why you may choose to spread your finances between real estate (your home), banks and investments. Or, in sports you may have a superstar but you need to rely on the entire team, not just one person. Using a favorite family sport, give an example like a great quarterback without protection from an offensive line will lead to more losses than wins.

It’s important to remember, that just like with proverbs from the Bible, a proverb is a guideline that applies to many but not all situations.

There are times when we do want to put all our eggs in one basket. Can you think of an example when we want to focus and put all or energy or resources into one area? Listen. In emergencies, like a fire at home. You don’t want to be distracted by things around you…you want to get out! Here is another situation when we want to put all our eggs in one basket. The Bible teaches believers to put all their eggs in the Jesus basket. Show the Jesus basket.

Invite a volunteer to read Proverbs 3:5-6. This verse says, “with all your heart” and “in all your ways” trust in the Lord.

Invite a volunteer to read 1 Peter 1:14-16. This verse says to “be holy in all you do” just like God is holy.

The Apostle Paul was a person who put all his eggs in the Jesus basket. When Paul met and started following Jesus, he changed his education, his job, his friends, where he lived, his attitude about Christians and his belief about Jesus being the Messiah.

ACTIVITY: We are going to have an Egg Hunt. When you find an egg bring it back and put it in the Jesus basket. After we find all 12 eggs we will open them up and read all the different parts of our lives that we need to give Jesus. When you open the eggs give examples of how the topic inside can be used to draw us closer to Jesus (in the basket) and how it could draw us away from Jesus (out of the basket).

Memorize:

All my heart and ways,

In the Jesus basket stays.

Close in Prayer