For this activity, you will need some whipping cream, a bowl, an electric hand mixer and some bread or crackers.

Pour the cream into a bowl and whip it with the electric hand mixer. If they are capable, have your kids take turns beating the cream. Stop once the cream is whipped and let your kids sample it.

Set aside half the whipped cream. Continue beating the remaining cream until it has turned to butter.

Spread the butter on some bread or crackers for your kids to snack on while you begin your teaching time with the discussion questions. (You might also want to reward the peacemakers in your home later by serving the whipping cream on a treat, such as buttermilk biscuits with strawberries.)

Questions for discussion

• Did the whipped cream turn into butter slowly or quickly?
• Could you tell it was about to happen?
• How can you tell if your joking around is starting to bother someone?

Read Proverbs 30:33: “For pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife.”

• What do you think Proverbs 30:33 is saying to us?
• Let’s read Proverbs 6:16-19 and Matthew 5:9. Does it make God happy when someone is causing someone else to get annoyed?

Key concepts

Just as we didn’t know the exact minute when the whipped cream was going to turn into butter, we can’t always tell when our teasing or joking is starting to bother someone. The best way to prevent making someone angry is to stop fooling around before others get irritated.

The Bible tells us that God hates it when someone causes other people to become angry with each other (Proverbs 6:16-19). The opposite of being a troublemaker is being a peacemaker. God would rather we be peacemakers and He promises a blessing for those who choose to work toward creating peace in situations (Matthew 5:9).

When we consider how our words and actions will impact others before saying or doing things, we can avoid causing difficulties.

To follow up, discuss some different scenarios, sharing ideas about how to keep the peace in each situation rather than cause discord. Here are some example scenarios to get you started:

Your brother has forgotten to take out the garbage. You could tease him saying, “You’ll get no dessert, since you forgot to do your chores.” But what would be a good way to be a considerate peacemaker instead? (Answer: Quietly go to your brother and remind him to do his chores.)

Someone spills flour all over the kitchen counter. You could say, “Wow! You can’t even sift flour properly.” But what would a considerate peacemaker say instead? (Answer with something like this: “Don’t worry, we can wipe it up quick. I know you tried your best.”)

You are excitedly telling your friend about the great weekend you just had, but you notice your friend looks a little bored. You might feel like walking off in a huff saying, “Well, if you’re not interested in what I have to say, just forget it!” But what would be a good way to be a considerate peacemaker instead? (Possible answer: Apologize to your friend saying, “I’m sorry for rudely going on and on about myself. How was your weekend?”)

Relevant Scripture

Proverbs 30:33 “For pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife.”

Psalm 133:1 “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!”

Galatians 5:25-26 “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”

Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

Romans 12:18 “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

Your choice of food for this meal could be brown rice, whole grain bread, potatoes, popcorn, crackers or oatmeal. Or alternatively, you might want to make the manna recipe included here to simulate the wafers the Israelites ate in the desert.

Eat your food without any salt, seasoning or added extras like butter, ketchup, sauces or spreads.

During your meal, read Numbers 11:4-35 or consult the “mad about manna” Bible story from the Thanksgiving lesson.

As you eat together, talk about how the Israelites must have felt eating manna day after day for so long. You may also wish to discuss what it might be like to live in underprivileged countries, where people have only one simple meal (or less) to eat each day.

Review your choice of the Scripture verses to help your children understand what the Bible says about contentment.

Finally, practice being thankful for everything – even your “boring” meal – with this thankfulness prayer based on Philippians 4:12:

Dear God, please teach us the secret of being content in any and every situation. Help us to remember to thank You, whether we are well fed or hungry; whether we have lots of things or very little. Thank you. Amen.

Manna wafers

3 ¼ cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. coriander (optional)
1/8 cup butter, melted, or olive oil
½ cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup unsweetened applesauce (equals one 111 g container of Mott’s brand)
1 egg
sugar to sprinkle on top (optional)

• Preheat oven to 375 °F.
• Use a hand mixer to blend the butter, honey, vanilla, applesauce and egg together.
• Sift in just one cup of the whole wheat flour, 1 tsp. baking soda and ½ tsp. powdered coriander (optional – note that the Bible says manna was like coriander in looks, not necessarily taste).
• Mix the dough until it is uniformly blended. Continue adding flour until the dough is stiff enough to roll out.
• Roll the dough as thin as possible. The thinner you roll it, the more authentic it will be, as manna was described as being flaky.
• If you want to sweeten the wafers slightly, sprinkle the surface of the rolled-out dough with white or brown sugar. Gently roll over the sugared surface to adhere the sugar to the dough.
• Cut the “manna” into squares or use cookie cutters to punch out a variety of shapes.
• Place the wafers on a non-stick cookie sheet and bake in the oven at 375 °F for 8-10 minutes. The manna wafers are done when they are lightly browned and spring back when pressed lightly with a fingertip.

Relevant Scripture

Philippians 4:11b “. . . I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.”

Philippians 4:12b “. . . I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.”

1 Timothy 6:8 “But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.”

You will need small bowls and a variety of sliced fruit, with each type of fruit presented in a different bowl.

Call your children together for snack time. Give them each a small plastic bowl and invite them to select fruit for a snack. Let them know, however, that one bowl of fruit is “forbidden” and they cannot choose from that bowl. (The forbidden fruit may be a favourite, or an unfamiliar fruit.)

As your children go off to fill their bowls, this is your cue to leave. Let your children know that you are leaving for a few minutes to start a load of laundry, use the washroom etc., but will return shortly to pray and eat with them. Give them a minute or two to collect their snack.

Watch your children from a distance, unseen. On your return, invite your children to enjoy their snacks as you talk through the discussion questions:

Questions for discussion

• Did you think it was strange that I asked you not to eat any of the ________? (Name the fruit that was off limits.)
• Were you tempted to sneak a taste of the forbidden fruit?
• Would it have been harder to obey if I had put out your favourite cookies and asked you not to eat them?
• Imagine that a friendly furry creature suddenly appeared and told you to eat the forbidden fruit because it would give you “mommy power” or “daddy power” – the power to decide when to go to bed, how much TV to watch, when to do chores, and what to eat for dessert and snacks. Would you still have resisted temptation?
• What Bible story does this remind you of? (Briefly review the story in Genesis 3.)
• Does God want you to obey your parents at all times, or only when the request seems reasonable?
• In the Bible story of Adam and Eve, it was a snake who talked them into disobeying God. Who in your life might tempt you to disobey God, or your parents?
• What should Eve have told the snake?
• Who can help you when you are tempted?
• What can you say to friends who try to convince you to do wrong?

Key concepts

In life, sometimes it will be easy to say no to temptation and at other times it will be much harder. Temptation can be even more difficult to resist when another person is trying to convince you that the sin isn’t really wrong. This is what happened to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. A snake tempted Eve, but you may have friends who try to get you to go along with them in doing something wrong.

It’s good to have a plan in place ahead of time so you know what to say and how to avoid giving in to peer pressure. The first thing you should do is ask God to give you strength and wisdom so you can make the right choice. The prayer doesn’t need to be long. It can be as simple as God, please help me make a righteous choice. You can also practice what to say to your friends. Here are some ideas.

• You can go ahead and do what you want, but I’m going to make my own choice.
• You may be comfortable doing that, but I’m not.
• This is my body and I’ll do what I believe is right for me.
• You make your choice and I’ll make mine.
• Sorry, I just can’t go along with that. Let’s ________ instead (suggest an alternative activity).
• I’m not sure if I am allowed to do that. I’ll have to check with my parents first.
• God is watching and that’s not something I want Him to see me doing.

Relevant Scripture

Genesis 3:1 “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, “You shall not eat of any tree in the garden”?’ ”

I Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

Find and follow your favourite chocolate fondue recipe. As you add “bricks” of chocolate, pretend the chocolate chunks are bricks of gold.

While you and your kids watch the chocolate melt, talk about how gold is heated up to high temperatures to burn off any impurities and improve the quality of the gold. The heat makes the gold pure.

In the same way too, the “fire” or the stove top are like the difficulties we face in life. As we experience trials, God wants to use our discomfort to teach us to trust Him.

When life gets hard we can be tempted to:

• feel sorry for ourselves
• lose hope in God
• get angry and blame others for our circumstances
• have a bad attitude
• refuse to believe that any good can come out of the situation.

However, that’s not how God wants us to respond. Instead, God wants us to keep a hopeful and joyful attitude and remember that He is with us. In that way, we cooperate with God so He can use our trials to make us pure, like refined gold.

We know exactly when it is time to take the chocolate off the stove, so it doesn’t burn. So it is with God: He knows exactly how much “heat” we can handle.

As you enjoy your fondue together as a family, share a simple summary of the story of Job, a man who loved God even when God allowed all kinds of dreadful things to happen to him. Follow up by asking the questions for discussion.

Questions for discussion

• What do you think Job meant when he said in Job 23 “My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and have not turned aside”?
• What do you think Job meant when he said, “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my portion of food”?
• Job said that although he knew God was at work, Job couldn’t see Him. Have you ever wondered if God is really with you?
• Job also said that God was testing him so he could “come out as gold.” What kind of a problem could make you feel like God was testing you?
• Has there ever been a time when you thought life was getting too hard for you to handle?

Relevant Scripture

Job 23:8-12 “Behold, I go forward, but He is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive Him; on the left hand when He is working, I do not behold Him; He turns to the right hand, but I do not see Him. But He knows the way that I take; when He has tried me, I shall come out as gold. My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and have not turned aside. I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my portion of food.”

Proverbs 17:3 “The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts.”

You will need a batch of cookie dough or bread dough, some fruit – such as apples or pears with a sprinkle of cinnamon, or dried fruit like figs and apricots – and some soft candies or chocolate.

Wrap chunks of fruit or candy inside the cookie dough or bread dough to form bite-size treats. Bake the cookies or buns, then have fun guessing what’s inside before you eat them.

Note: As a simple alternative, buy a box of chocolates of different flavours, then sample them without referring to the flavour guide.

Key concepts

Life is full of surprises. Some people enjoy being surprised and others prefer to always know what lies ahead. Whatever your preference may be, the best way to respond to a surprise is by thanking God for the good gift of life – even when it surprises you.

Relevant Scripture

James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”