What are you doing with the kids you love this weekend? If you want to do something easy and super fun, with minimal time commitment and eternal significance, we have just the thing for you!! It all starts with the power of One and the weakness of … one…

First, something to think about:

Divisive. Political. Hypocritical. Weak. Failure. Power hungry…

I know what you’re thinking. You’ve been watching the news haven’t you? Sadly, I’m not talking about the current political climate. Far too often these are words used to describe God’s people–the Church. If we can’t work together, how can we possibly expect the rest of society to figure it out? If we can’t teach our children how to work together, how can we expect their future to be any better than ours?

God is the only one who is All Powerful. He doesn’t need anyone else to give Him strength; but we are not God! We need His strength to do our part.  He also designed us to need each other in order to experience the power that comes from working together as the Body of Christ. The Bible emphasizes the importance of functioning as a body. Arms, feet, fingers, toes, head, mouth… all have different functions but all equally important to helping the body thrive. We like to pick favorites, usually the part we associate with, and minimize the necessity of the others. I wonder what the community of God’s people would look like if we all started valuing each part as much as we value our own?

This weekend you can help your kids take a step in the right direction. We have a couple activities that will help you laugh together and have an opportunity to talk about God’s power as well as our need for Him and each other.

Each option is designed to illustrate the limitations of trying to accomplish something on our own rather than using the power of community effort. The conversation starters at the end can be used with either option.

Option 1: Prepare a dessert.

**Place the dessert on plates in front of each person at the table and provide the 
necessary utensils.

**Tell everyone that they’re to pretend their elbows won’t bend. If they can figure out 
how to eat the dessert, without putting their face on the plate and without bending their elbows, they can have the dessert. (The solution is to feed those sitting next to you. When you help your neighbor you each get to enjoy the dessert!)

Option 2: Pin the tail on the donkey, or whatever you want it to be – pin the mustache on a picture of dad?

**Blind fold the person with the closest birthday, turn them 3 times and see where the 
tail or the mustache ends up. Let everyone who wants to try it take a turn.

**Finally, follow the same procedure but let everyone give directions to help the 
person get the tail in the right place. (They become the blind man’s eyes.)

Talk about it:

We need each other. God says that those who trust in Jesus are His children and part of His family. We need each other because, unlike God, we are not perfect and we can’t do everything perfectly. Some people are good cooks while others are good at fixing things. Some people can teach God’s word really well and other people are really good at helping those who are hurting. God says we’re like the human body. Each part has important things to do, and the body needs each part to work right.

Listen to this:

He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.                                                                                               —Ephesians 4:16, NLT

• What does this Bible verse teach us about working together?  (Make sure your kids understand that this verse is talking specifically about those who trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior)
• Why do we need each other? 
(God has no weaknesses, but we do. Because of our weaknesses, we need each other. God promises to give us strength in our weaknesses. Sometimes that strength comes in the form of other people working with us and filling in our gaps.)
• Bringing it to a close: 
Think of someone who has helped you this week. Thank God for that person. Thank Him for helping us through other people and for using us to help others.

Blessings dear friends!  Have a great weekend!

–For more help teaching kids about the power of God go to:  http://www.dg4kids.com/attribute/god-is-all-powerful/