28th June 2020
Apart from Jesus there are few people in the bible who demonstrated self-control, but there are plenty of examples of those who had none! We return to the son from last week’s story to explore why he “longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating”.
Click below for some colouring pages.
“A person without self-control is like a city whose walls have been broken down.”
Here are some ideas to help you explore self-control together at home.
Draw a controller onto a cereal packet (or print this one). Embellish with stickers, pens, bottle-tops and split pens.
If you really could control yourself like this what buttons would you want? You could label some on your controller.
Some button ideas: think then speak, be kind, resist snacks, calm down.
For younger children make a set of traffic lights and use it to prompt them to Stop, Pray and Go when faced with a situation where they need to practise self-control. The prayer could be "Jesus help me choose to do the right thing”.
If children seem to struggle to distinguish between right and wrong then their prayer could be “Jesus please tell me what I should do”.
If you enjoy the hands-on activity this week then follow it up with some creative paper doughnuts and add a bible verses such as the one below:
God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13
Last week we focused on the father's response to the lost son returning home. This week we will look at the son's actions.
Read Luke 15:12
What did the son want from his father?
When would he have normally received it?
Have you ever wanted something so much that you didn't want to wait for it? The more we want something, the harder it is to show self-control.
Read Luke 15:13
Once the younger son had what he wanted from his father, how long was it before he left home and where did he go? The son wasn't forced to leave home; he chose to leave home.
How do you think the father felt about his son's actions?
Do you think the son realised?
Lacking self-control often damages relationships with those around us.
Can you give an example of when you or someone you know lacked self-control? What was the effect on others?
Read Luke 15:13-14
What did the son do when he left home?
The son soon faced trouble as a result of his actions.
What was it?
Our Bible verse this week is Proverbs 25:28: “A person without self-control is like a city whose walls are broken down.” The walls around a city provided protection from enemies. Self-control protects us from our desires taking control over us.
Where do you struggle to show self-control? How can you develop greater self-control? Have a chat with your family this week about how each of you can develop greater self-control.
This one’s just for fun - the classic challenge of trying to eat a doughnut without licking your lips.
Some people do naturally have more willpower than others but the key lesson here is that our bodies do not always do what our minds want them to do. Self-control comes from God - it grows through us submitting ourselves to his will and inviting his Spirit to dwell in us. It also grows through practice!
“For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”
If you’re after a healthier option you can carry out the famous ‘Marshmallow Test’ with any treat or snack: offer the choice between 1 treat now, or 2 treats later. This is the essence of self-control: saying no now for a bigger yes later.
