Use It or Lose It, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #104: CLEANING, CARDS, PRAYER

PASSAGE: Matthew 25:14-30

MEMORY VERSE: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." Colossians 3:23

NOTES:Matthew 25
-A man was going on a journey and gave his servants talents (each according to his own ability):
1. Man with 5 talents: earned 5 more (perhaps by buying a field and selling grain, trading, etc)
2. Man with 2 talents: earned 2 more. He could have been bitter/jealous of the man with 5 talents, but instead and he did the best he could with what he was given.
3. Man with 1 talent: hid the talent in a hole. Feared losing his talent, so he did nothing
-The master returned and saw what each of his servants had done:
1. 5 Talents: he gave 5 more "Well done, good and faithful servant!"
2. 2 Talents: he gave 2 more
3. The man with 1 talent:  Uh oh. Angry, the master threw him out of the house and gave his talent to the man who had earned 10 talents.
-Here, talent means "money," but Jesus didn't just tell this story to talk about money. God wants us to use the abilities, resources, and gifts that He has given us (no matter how big/small) to help others! (ex: doing chores at home, doing hw, playing fairly, being a good sibling). That's how we show love to God and others!
-Think of a talent that you have, and ask God for help to use it in ways that please Him.
-Transition into memory verse

ACT OF LOVE: Today, the crafts center and 5th/6th grade helpers were assigned kitchen duty after lunch. I cleaned up yesterday (since I was part of the 3rd/4th grade staff), but I decided to help them today too. A lot of the craft centers people were busy preparing for the next day's craft, and most of the 5th/6th grade staff were parents who had already left. So, it was just me and maybe 2 other people in the beginning, and we cleaned off most of the tables. By the time they started doing the dishes, most of the crafts people had arrived to help. Even though it was extra work, it felt GOOD to do this. I honestly enjoyed serving my fellow staff in a small but heartfelt way, even if the chore wasn't all that fun to do.
Annnd I spent some time praying for each of my 20 children individually--prayed that the Word would be sown into good soil; that each activity would be used to draw them closer to God, and that they would develop lasting and foundational relationships with Christ (as well as any specific prayers for the individual kid).