I wrote this devotional for Keepers of the Home, my local homeschool Mother-Daughter social and home skills group. You could use it as a Sunday school class, youth group activity, a lesson for your homeschool co-op, or as part of a Mother-Daughter social at your church. It includes a skit, a devotional talk and a craft activity.
Getting Ready for the Skit:
This skit requires one adult and one or more children. If multiple children participate, they can take turns saying the Child’s lines. The script is written as if the child is speaking to “Mommy”, but you can replace “Mommy” in the script with the appropriate adult title such as Mom, Dad, a youth leader’s name, etc.
You will need a few simple props including a Bible, some empty mason jars, a mixing bowl and spoon, a pie plate, and a sign, clock or some other way of showing 2 hours passing. A table for the actors to put their cooking supplies on is also nice.
Getting Ready for the Craft:
The craft is a watercolor-resist picture which requires some preparation in advance of the meeting. You will need to make one picture for each child.
To get the craft ready, you will need one piece of watercolor paper per child, a black sharpie marker, a new or freshly sharpened white wax crayon, a large template of a heart (big enough to cover most of the watercolor paper). During the meeting you should supply several sets of good quality watercolor paints, brushes and cups of water.
In advance, use a black sharpie marker to trace the heart template on each piece of watercolor paper.
Draw a stem and leaves out of the top of the heart to make it look like a piece of fruit.
Using the white crayon, write the names of the fruits of the Spirit in different places inside the heart outline. It might be helpful to plan where you are going to write each word before starting as it will be difficult to see them after writing them in white crayon.
Script for the Skit:
Parent
You know I have a meeting tonight, and I forgot that I have to bring refreshments! Can you grab my favorite cookbook and look up my God’s Glory Pie recipe?
Child
Sure, Mommy!
Child picks up the Bible and goes to Galatians
Here’s the recipe:
The first fruit you need is LOVE.
Parent
Ooh, that’s a pricey ingredient. I don’t know if I can afford to use my supply of LOVE. After all, I don’t know some of these people well enough to know if they love too.
I think that I’m just going to use DISTRUST instead, until I know whether or not these people are nice and will like me.
What’s next?
Child
Well, Mommy, I don’t think substituting ingredients in God’s Glory is a good idea.
But here’s the next thing: JOY.
Parent
JOY!? I don’t have any of that right now, that’s for sure! I’m late already, and I’m totally unprepared! I haven’t done the dishes! I didn’t get a chance to help you with your schoolwork! And I don’t think the ladies are going to vote for me for the Smartest Mom award!
I just don’t have any JOY. But I can just use GRUMPY. I have to use it up anyway.
Child
Okay Mommy, you’re changing so much stuff. Do you really want the recipe still?
Parent
Yes! Please keep going.
Child
Okay, you’ll need PEACE and PATIENCE.
Parent
Nope, I don’t have any PEACE handy. I’m concerned about getting to this meeting, I’m anxious because your sisters aren’t feeling great. I’m worried about the car because it’s making a new noise. So I’ll just substitute WORRY. No one will notice that.
And PATIENCE is way too hard right now; I’m already impatient with myself for forgetting about bringing refreshments. I don’t think that I can be patient with anyone right now! I’ll replace it with HURRY because I’ll hurry to the meeting and hurry home after.
So go ahead and pass me those big jars of WORRY and HURRY.
Child
What about KINDNESS and GOODNESS? They’re next.
Parent
Well, no to KINDNESS and GOODNESS. I don’t have much of either one, and I really want to keep them for myself until I really need to be KIND and GOOD.
PUSHY and SARCASM will have to do. Some people think that SARCASM is funny anyway. So maybe they’ll just laugh!
Child
Mommy, if you’re leaving out all those other things, then I don’t see how you can manage FAITFULNESS and GENTLENESS!
Parent
You’re right. It would be impossible for me to find my supply of FAITHFULNESS and GENTLENESS. I’ll just leave those out too. What’s the last thing?
Child
SELF-CONTROL
Parent
Yes! I can use my supply of SELF-CONTROL. If I just grit my teeth and work as hard as I can to smile, or at least not growl, then I’ll get through this and get home. Thanks! My refreshment’s all made. See ya!
Child
Bye, Mommy! I’ll pray for you.
Parent takes her pie and walks out of the room.
Child holds up a sign that says “2 Hours Later”
Parent comes back into the room and sits down. She is glum.
Parent
Hey, kiddo. I’m back from my meeting.
Child
How did people like your God’s Glory Pie?
Parent
Well, no one liked it at all. In fact, some of them got sick!
Child
Well, Mommy, you changed all of it. In fact, it was your recipe, not God’s recipe that you used!
Devotional
The fruit we’re talking about is not fruit we eat, but spiritual fruit – how we think and how we act.
Let’s read Galatians 5:22 – 25. {Choose a volunteer to read the verses aloud.}
I don’t know about you, but when I strive to be patient and gentle or unselfish on my own, it doesn’t work out very well. It’s hard to do these things that don’t come naturally to our human nature.
In fact, Paul, the man who wrote these verses, was writing to a bunch of Christians who were quarreling with each other. They weren’t getting along at all. Some were trying to add their own rules to being a Christian. Paul wanted to remind them and us that it is not our strength or anything we do that makes us truly good, gentle, kind, and loving. The fruit of the Spirit is a gift that the Holy Spirit gives us to help us trust and obey and give God the glory in the things we do.
{If time allows, consider reading and discussing one or more of the following passages together.}
James 3:17-18
2 Corinthians 4:6-7
Ephesians 5:8-10
God’s word, the Bible, is like a recipe. You can read a recipe, but if you don’t follow the directions to make the meal and then actually eat what you’ve made, you won’t receive any nutrition or energy. You can read the Bible, but it’s important to follow the directions God gives us there in order to live lives that glorify Him and show God to the world. Listen for the Holy Spirit to guide you in what to do.
Prayer taken from Leading Little Ones to God by Marian Schoolland
Holy Spirit, help us to remember to listen to you and walk on the right way. Help us to understand the Bible when we read it so we will know how to live for our Father in Heaven and please our dear Savior.
Craft
Give each child a prepared watercolor-resist sheet and set out watercolor paints, brushes and water.
Instruct children to paint the background and then the inside of the heart. They will see the fruit of the Spirit words appear in white as they paint over the heart.