Planned Giving: The Women with the Alabaster Jar

Scripture: Mark 14:3-9

Key Statement: Our giving is a way of worshipping God.

Memory Verse: “God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7b

Ice Breaker:

Ha Ha Ha: This is a contagious laughing game. Player #1 lies on their back and places their head on the belly of player #2. Player #2 then places their head on the belly of player #3, and so on. Players should end up lying in a zig zag formation. Now the first person shouts "ha!" and the next person answers with "ha ha!".... etc. Soon everyone loses control and starts laughing hysterically.

Think Tank:

Grumpy Giving:

  • Think about a time when someone received something you didn’t think they deserved. With a friend describe how you felt and why you felt that way?
  • How would you feel if someone was made to give you a present and they didn’t want to?

Get the children to say how it makes them feel. I feel ______because ______.

God feels exactly the same way when people give to him and don’t really want to.

  • How does it feel when someone gives you something that shows they really care about you?

Again, get the children to say how it makes them feel. I feel ______because ______.

Our giving is a way to say to God how we really feel about Him and what He has done for us.

Story time:

Read Mark 14:3-9 NIVr: Jesus was in Bethany. He was at the table in the home of a man named Simon, who had a skin disease. A woman came with a special sealed jar of very expensive perfume. It was made out of pure nard. She broke the jar open and poured the perfume on Jesus' head. Some of the people there became angry. They said to one another, "Why waste this perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year's pay. The money could have been given to poor people." So they found fault with the woman. "Leave her alone," Jesus said. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. You will always have poor people with you. You can help them any time you want to. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body to prepare me to be buried. What I'm about to tell you is true. What she has done will be told anywhere the good news is preached all over the world. It will be told in memory of her."

Going Deeper:

The Bible tells us that we are to be good stewards of what God has given us.

  • What does it mean to be a good steward?
  • What has God given us to be good stewards of?

We can use the things that God has given us as a way of honouring and worshipping God. The way in which we use our resources will determine whether they ‘worship’ or just ‘wasted’.

Write an example for each resource of how we can waste it or use it as worship
Resource / Waste /

Worship

$$ Money
 Time
Talents/Gifts
Words
Thoughts
Music

Construct! (optional)

Make an Alabaster Jar.

You will need:

  • A Jar
  • Magazines, stickers, pictures for decoration
  • Glue, scissors, textas

Method:

  • Cover the jar with pictures and words that express how you feel about God. Praise God for… God is… God gave me… etc. You may wish to fill your jar with treasures or offerings, prayers, songs or letters to God

The Big Q:

What can I give to God to show Him I love Him? Write out a pledge of what you will bring as an act of worship to God. You may want to write a song, create a dance, give Him some of your pocket money, draw a picture etc.