Lesson 4 Serving the Body as a Family

Serving the Body
Use Your Talents for God

Read: Exodus 35:10- 35 (younger families may choose to abbreviate the passage in parts)
Questions for Discussion:
What did Moses want the people to build for God?
How did the Israelites use their talents to build the Tabernacle?
What characteristics do we know about those who worked to build the tabernacle?
Where does Moses acknowledge the skills of the workers to have come from?
What special talent can you use for God?
How can you encourage others to use their talents for God?

As a family, plan a time share your individual talents. Let everybody have a turn to sing, do puppets, make everyone laugh, or do whatever it is that they are good at doing. At the end of the talent show, make sure that everyone feels appreciated for their talent by talking about how great the talent is that God has given them.

Key Thought: The talents and skills that we have are gifts from God and he wants to use them for his glory, just like the builders of the tabernacle worked hard in their own areas of expertise to build what God asked them to build. All of our talents can be used by God.

Pray that God would increase your family members’ talents and give diligence if practice to help those talents continue to get better and mature. Also, pray that God would use the gifts to bring glory to himself.


Activities

Preschool: Work together with your child to build a “Tabernacle” out of blocks, Lego’s or other building supplies that you have available. When the Tabernacle is done, compliment all of the workers on their talents as they worked (creativity, attention to details, steady hand, patience, and etcetera).

Encourage your child to use their talent for sharing, by sharing a toy with another child today.

Lower Elementary: Sit down with your child and look through the yellow pages. Discuss all of the different talents that people in Winona have. Then, talk about the talents that your child has and the different ways that God may use those talents when they are older.

Talk with your child about how, while their bodies are growing, so are their talents. Together, make a list at some of the things they are good at. Then help them pick one of the things on the list to practice today. Talk about how God gives us talents to use for his purposes, and we honor him when we work on those talents to make them even better.

Upper Elementary: Work with a parent to make a list of talents that God has given you. Pick one of those talents to practice for at least five minutes everyday this week. Before practicing, pray that God would use the talent for his glory.

Write a note to a friend saying what special talent you think God has given to him or her. Encourage your friend to use that talent for God!

Teens: Make a list of your talents and tape them somewhere that you will see every day this week. When you see your list, use it as a reminder to pray that God would give you ways to use these talents for his Glory. Also, let it serve as a reminder for you to practice your talents each day so that you may be a good steward of what God has given you.