Mini-Object Lessons

Today I'm your doctor and I have my stethoscope with me.  Someone told me that there are some bad hearts in our class and I need to check them!  Now, who thinks that they might have a bad heart?   None of you?  Are you sure?

I think I had better line you up and check your hearts! (Line up the children and pretend to listen to their hearts).  Well, I'm not a doctor, and only they know what to listen for.  You might look very healthy on the outside, but have something wrong on the inside!  An unusual sound in the stethoscope could tell the doctor that something is wrong with your heart.

If you had a bad heart the Doctor would want to operate on you to repair it.  In some cases, you could even need a new heart and want a heart transplant!

I think that we all have bad hearts and so those that want a clean heart can line up for this medicine I have here (Produce the tray with the green "medicine" and offer a large serving spoonful to the children).   You need a lot to help your bad heart!

Well, not many of you wanted my medicine.  Perhaps your hearts are like this mug.  It looks clean on the outside, but look how dirty it is on the inside!  I need to wash it with soap and water before we can drink out of it! (Wash the mug with soap in the bucket).

That's looks better.  Do you think we can do the same with our hearts?  You could swallow some of this soap and maybe it will get down into your heart and wash it clean!  You say that's impossible?  You are right, only God can cleanse our hearts!

Did you know that God is also in the business of checking hearts?   When King Saul was rejected by God, God told Samuel the Priest to anoint one of Jesse's sons as king over Israel.  Samuel inspected the sons and was very impressed with Eliab.  Samuel thought, "Surely this is the Lord's anointed."

I'm sure we would have looked at Jesse's sons and chosen big, strong Eliab, over little David, the shepherd boy!  Eliab looked great on the outside and you might have thought that everything was good in his life.  But he was not God's choice and in 1 Samuel 16:7, God said:

"Man looks at the outward appearances, but God looks at the heart."

God isn't worried about how we look on the outside, He's concerned with what's in our hearts and is looking for sins like jealousy, hatred, bitterness, pride, selfishness and greed.  If God finds any of these He knows that our heart isn't right.

When we know that we have heart problems, we need to do what David did.   In Psalm 51:10, he said:

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."

Do you have some things in your heart that shouldn't be there?  If there are, then say this prayer with me and let's ask God to make our hearts clean and pure.

Dear Heavenly Father,
We know that you can see what is in our hearts and there are some things that shouldn't be there.  Please forgive us for all sins of jealousy, hatred, bitterness, pride, selfishness and greed in our lives.  Create in us a clean heart and help us to live in a way that will please You in all we say, think and do.   We ask this in Jesus' Name, Amen.

God bless!