Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
I explained to the kids that this means that Lord promises us more blessings than we can receive when we pay our tithing. (In our church we pay 10 percent of our gross income in tithing.) I had them all draw pictures or write a list of all the blessings they could think of. It was so heart-warming to watch them get into it. The little kids drew pictures of their families, houses, and food mostly, and the older kids listed all kinds of things they're thankful for. I took 1 minute of the time and wrote a list of 21 things I was thankful for.
After that I had them wad their papers into a ball (if they weren't too attached to them) and then put them in a big basket I had brought with me. I then had the biggest man in the room come up front and make a circle with his arms. Then I dumped the basket full of papers (blessings) into his arms to see if he could hold them all. There were so many they filled his arms and spilled over onto the floor around him. The kids loved it and totally got the point of that scripture in Malachi. (Oh how I wish I could take pictures in primary, it was magical.)
It was a great reminder for me, because even though Randy's job situation has challenged us we are still greatly blessed with so many things, and I know it's because we pay our tithing every month. We don't dwell on the loss of that money, because we know it wasn't ours to begin with. The Lord has given us everything we have, so giving 10 percent back is the least we can do.
**When was the last time you made
a list of your blessings?
What do you think??**
a list of your blessings?
What do you think??**
23 comments:
I LOVE this object lesson!
It is a great object lesson. I'll have to remember that one.
Many times I have seen the blessings on tithing in our lives. We once had to go to Consumer Credit Counseling because we had so much debt. They said they wouldn't help us unless we agreed to stop paying out tithing. That wasn't going to happen so we moved in with my folks instead. Months later my husband's salary doubled. Blessing recieved.
We had this same lesson in primary today! Great one- love it. The siplicity of it makes it so simple to learn.
I love the object lesson. I have a strong testimony of tithing too.
I think this was a great object lesson. Much better than what we did today in our Primary.
What a great way to teach this principle. Wonderful idea (and I love your photos that you included!).
What a great way to present the lesson. It would of been neat to see. I am with you on how great it feels with the kids really get your message!
You go girl! Thanks for sharing!
Love the visual and your testimony.
Oh wow, what a powerful message to me and to the kids. I loved your comments in the end too. Thanks.
Thanks, Jill.
Wow, that sounds like a great Sharing Time! I love the idea of pouring the paper balls into the man's arms and he couldn't hold them all. That scripture is always so powerful to me because of that wording "...there is not room to receive it". I know that paying tithing is such an important commandment and I have clearly seen the blessings of paying or not paying it in my own life. Thanks for sharing this experience. I can't wait to try and imitate it in our Family Home Evening.
That is such a great idea for teaching tithing! I loved being in Primary because teaching the gospel basics truly helps strengthen my own testimony.
We have a saying at our house:
"When we pay our tithing our needs are always met and when we pay our fast offerings then we always have extra." And I can testify that it has always been true for us.
I love to go to tithing settlement every year and say that I am a full tithe payer--how often do we get to say that we are 100% perfect at something? :)
Great object lesson, Jill!
I have a mental list running of blessings all the time. But it is high time I wrote them down.
Great post Jill! My husband has been unemployed for 3 weeks and even though we don't have a lot right now, it felt so good to write the tithing check today, because I know we are going to be ok.
Thanks for sharing this great lesson!
I do a sharing time each sunday just for the Sunbeams. Then race in to do music for Senior Primary. I actually enjoyed this lesson. I put up coin's I made on the calk board and told a story in which they had to help count the coins. Then pay the tithing using the coins. I love your object lesson so much. And your testimony on Tithing.
This was a great object lesson, Jill! I love teaching with object lessons! I have such a strong testimony of paying tithing! It is a win win situation!
I need to write down my blessings each day! I think that I will write down 5 each night and start tonight! Thanks for the springboard this morning! -
Wow...I got a little emotional just reading about your sharing time. It does sound "magical" and I am sure the kids really got the point. EXCELLENT idea (and one I will have to use!). Thanks for sharing! I love tithing and have SUCH a strong testimony of the blessings it brings...thanks for the reminder!
That is such a great object lesson! I love that. Thanks for sharing this. You have me hoping I get to teach a tithing lesson sometime soon.
ok i am so doing this in YW!
and why can't you take photos in primary, i know this seems kind of obvious, but i am serious -
Great lesson. I'll have to remember it...just in case. Did I tell you I was back in the primary?
I feel the same way as you, the money was never mine to begin with. I never having a problem parting with it...I am grateful for that.
What a great object lesson! It sounds like your sharing time was magical for sure. Good one! I make lists of things I'm grateful for fairly frequently -- it always improves my state of mind.
the greatest object lesson! thankfully this is one thing I haven't had a problem doing ever.
we have totally been blessed because of it.
i've taken pictures in primary before...are we not supposed to now?
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