Producing good fruit
Children's Activity
Object:
Teachers or Parents: John the Baptist warns us that
unproductive trees are cut down and thrown into the fire. As
God's trees, we are expected to produce the fruit of good works
(Ephesians 2:10). The outward good works of a believer are the
evidence of saving faith within. Failure to do good works,
therefore, would indicate that we do not have saving faith. Let's
remind our children of this important truth.
* Have the children draw a picture of the fruit tree of
their choice: apple, pear, orange, and so forth. When completed,
have them show the picture and ask how they know that it really
IS an apple, a pear or whatever tree. When they identify the
fruit on the tree, you can talk about how we know fruit trees by
their fruit and we know Christians by their works.
* Make a large paper apple tree and give each child a paper
apple. Have them glue their apples on the tree and ask them how
we can be sure that this is an apple tree. They will, of course,
identify the tree by the apples on it.
Make another tree labeled "Christian." Give each child a
paper fruit with some good work lettered on it, i.e., "visiting
the sick," "attending church," "feeding the hungry," and so
forth. Have them glue these fruits on the Christian tree, and
discuss how we can recognize Christians by their fruits, just as
we recognize the apple tree by its fruit.
Sunday school assembly opening:
* Pass out at least three different kinds of fruit and have
the children group themselves with others who have the same kind
of fruit. Talk about how we know apples come from apple trees,
pears from pear trees, and so forth. Then ask what kind of fruits
identify us as Christians.
unproductive trees are cut down and thrown into the fire. As
God's trees, we are expected to produce the fruit of good works
(Ephesians 2:10). The outward good works of a believer are the
evidence of saving faith within. Failure to do good works,
therefore, would indicate that we do not have saving faith. Let's
remind our children of this important truth.
* Have the children draw a picture of the fruit tree of
their choice: apple, pear, orange, and so forth. When completed,
have them show the picture and ask how they know that it really
IS an apple, a pear or whatever tree. When they identify the
fruit on the tree, you can talk about how we know fruit trees by
their fruit and we know Christians by their works.
* Make a large paper apple tree and give each child a paper
apple. Have them glue their apples on the tree and ask them how
we can be sure that this is an apple tree. They will, of course,
identify the tree by the apples on it.
Make another tree labeled "Christian." Give each child a
paper fruit with some good work lettered on it, i.e., "visiting
the sick," "attending church," "feeding the hungry," and so
forth. Have them glue these fruits on the Christian tree, and
discuss how we can recognize Christians by their fruits, just as
we recognize the apple tree by its fruit.
Sunday school assembly opening:
* Pass out at least three different kinds of fruit and have
the children group themselves with others who have the same kind
of fruit. Talk about how we know apples come from apple trees,
pears from pear trees, and so forth. Then ask what kind of fruits
identify us as Christians.
