Making a burden for others

Today's selected readings: – Matthew 23: 1 - 7

Kids Address

• Do you know what a burden is? (Discuss)
• Do you think you are ever a burden for your Mum and Dad? How?(Discuss)
• Just to ensure the family has sufficient money for all their needs - Food, House payments, insurance, entertaining, holidays, school fees etc it is not unusual to see both Mum and Dad having to go to work
• This means that when they come home, they are very tired and they know that all the normal household duties have to be done anyway.
• The evening meal cooked, the lawns mowed, gardens weeded, bins put out, minor repairs to the house or equipment.
• How happy do you think your parents would feel if you just sat around while Mum or Dad set the table for dinner or other duties.(Discuss)
• They don't mind doing these things, but it would be easier if they did not have you at home. They have to not only think of each other, but you, the children as well.
• Now it is not that they mind, because that is what parents do (Care)
• But imagine how much easier it would be if you helped out. It may be to set the table or clear away, load/unload the dishwasher, or to dry the dishes if they are washed in the old way, put the dishes away in the cupboard etc
• When you don't help at home doing these things, or making your bed or keeping your room tidy, you become a burden on your parents.
• Your parents don't impose extra burdens on you because you are only kids after all. They don't make you do heaps of extra things.
• That is what Jesus is saying in today's reading. The Pharisees (That group of religious police) were imposing extra demands on people. Often petty things.
• Jesus is telling us that Christians are only expected to live out the basics of the ten commandments and Loving God and each other sums them all up.
• We are not meant to make things harder for people to live the Christian life
• We don't insist that you have to pray for 1 hour a day or read 200 verses of the bible, etc. That would be a burden that is not fair.
• So if we truly love God (Pray,Bible,Worship etc) it will make us better people and then we will know how to love our neighbours and not to be a burden on other people by being overly demanding.

Kids Church Activity:
To make paper weights from baby food jars and to fill them with coloured sand mixed with powdered paint. Slogan attached around neck of bottle “Don’t be a burden to those you love and weigh them down”

What you need to get ready:
Baby Food Jars, dry sand, powered water paint, ribbon or rope twine, slogan, textas, scissors.