Object Lesson on Stewardship - French Fries
Use this object lesson on stewardship to teach kids what God wants us to do with the things he gives us.
Object Needed: French Fries
Big Idea: Money isn't really ours, it's God's.
We've included the text for this object lesson below and we even recorded a video to help give you ideas for how to teach it. Enjoy watching!
Stewardship Object Lesson Script
I don’t think there’s a person alive who doesn’t like french fries. When they’re hot and fresh and crisp and golden like these, they’re pretty hard for anyone to resist. How many of you get french fries any time you go out to eat?
Now let me ask you this: Have any of you ever had to pay the french fry tax? The french fry tax is not a government tax. It’s a Mom and Dad tax. It’s what happens when Mom or Dad reaches over across the table and takes a french fry out of your box! Some people might consider this stealing. The french fry was in the box that came with your Happy Meal! But let me ask you another question: Who paid for the french fry? Who paid for you to have french fries with your meal? Unless you already own your own business or unless Grandma grabbed the bill first, the answer is probably Mom and Dad. It was Mom and Dad who earned the money to buy your french fries. So when you think about it, is it your french fry or is it Mom and Dad’s fries that they allow you to enjoy?
The french fry tax is a good reminder that the blessings we enjoy are not ours but are gifts from the Lord. That goes not only for our possessions, but also for our money. Yes, we work hard to earn money, but the Lord gives us money—along with everything else he gives—to manage for him. He wants us to use our money, our talents, and our possessions for him. And a big part of using our money for him is giving!
Does anyone know what a tithe is? A tithe is 10 percent of the money you make, and in the Bible, we are told that we should give a tithe—10 percent—back to the Lord. That means for every dollar you make, you should give a dime to the church.
Most people don’t give even close to that. We like to use money for ourselves, and we don’t like to give it away. But remember the lesson of the french fries: The money is not really ours. It belongs to God. Is it too much to ask that we give back at least 10 percent to God?