Parent Resources: Naboth's Vineyard - 1 Kings 21

Naboth’s Vineyard: 1 Kings 21

We believe that spiritual development happens in the home as well as at church.  We hope that these ideas will help you engage as a family.  It’s designed to help you connect with your child about the lesson they had this past week.  Use all the ideas one night, or spread them out throughout the week.    Enjoy!

• ACTIVITY items needed: pencil, paper

Luke 12:15 tells you to be on guard against all covetousness. To be on guard, you  must first recognize what you covet. Take a minute to think about the things that you want that belong to someone else. The things you covet may include material things, talents and abilities, or even people.

As a family, rewrite the Tenth Commandment (Exodus 20:17) in a way that applies to your lives. If you have younger children, you may want to rewrite it two times. One will pertain to the adults and one for the kids. After recognizing things that you may be tempted to covet, fill in the blanks below.   For example, instead of saying “your neighbor’s ox,” you may write “your neighbor’s car.”

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s ____________. You shall not covet your neighbor’s _____________, or his _____________ or ______________, his ______________ or _______________, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

• GAME:

The best way to fight against coveting is to count your blessings! Your family will play an active game of charades. Each family member will take turns acting out a way that God has blessed him/her. (Ideas for charades may include a talent, a material item, or a specific person that is a blessing in your life.) After the game, pray together as a family thanking God for His providing perfectly!

 

• ACTIVITY  items needed:index cards, marker, pencils

You will need 100 index cards. On each one write a number 1-100 with a dark marker and then post them around the room. They don’t need to be in order; in fact, it will be more interesting if they’re not.

The best way to fight against coveting is to count your blessings! We tend to think of big things, like our family or our church, when we answer the question, “What’s a blessing in your life?” But, there are so many little things … like dancing to some fun music, or having a tree in your yard that’s good for climbing, or having clean water to drink, or the smell of popcorn, or enjoying a sprinkler on a hot day. When you think about each one of those things, don’t you just want to smile? Give each child a pencil. Each time they think of how God has blessed them, they will write it on one of the cards. The challenge is to get a blessing written on every card, 1-100, but I think you’ll probably be able to write several on each card. Once you start focusing on God’s goodness to you, and get your mind off of wanting what others have, you’ll be amazed at how blessed you are!

 

• SNACK: items needed:  Grape Licorice Twist “Grapevines”

Give each of the kids a grape licorice twist. If you can’t find them in the candy aisle of your grocery store, you can get them online at orientaltradingc.com. They are called Juicy Twists or Grapevines

It was “twisted” the way the king coveted Naboth’s vineyard. He killed Naboth over some grapevines! That just sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? How ridiculous does it sound when you think of some of the things you have coveted? Things that you want that someone else has?

 

• KNOW YOUR BIBLE items needed:  Bibles

King Ahab coveted Naboth’s vineyard, and this sin led to many terrible choices! Is it wrong to want something? No! You may want a different car, because your car is wearing out. You may want a bigger home, because your family is growing. You may want a pet. Wanting things is not a sin. Wanting something for the wrong reason can be a sin. Wanting something that someone else has is coveting and God calls that a sin. Let’s dive into the Word of God to discover what God has to say about coveting.

Read Exodus 20:17.

1. Who is your “neighbor” in this scripture?

2. We probably don’t want their donkey or servant, but what things might we covet that belong to our “neighbor”?

Read Hebrews 13:5.

1. When you aren’t content, or happy with what you have, you begin to covet what others have. How do you feel when you aren’t content?

2. Do you find it difficult to keep your life free from the love of money? Why?

Read Luke 12:15.

1. When have you ever judged someone else based on the possessions that person owned?

2. Do you get your feeling of worth from who God says you are in His Word, or by the possessions you own? In other words, do you ever think that someone else is “better” than you because they have more stuff?

• Scripture Memory

Psalm 34:8-9 (NLT)

“Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Fear the LORD, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need.”

• Thought For The Week

WE CAN BE CONTENT WITH WHAT WE HAVE!