Scripture: Matthew 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-31, Luke 18:18-30
Learning Objectives:
- Students will learn God wants us to put Him first in our lives.
- Students will learn money can distract you from worshipping and obeying God.
- Students will learn God expects us to be willing to sacrifice the things that are most important to us if He asks.
- Students will review working with percentages.
Guiding Question: How does money serve as a distraction from God?
Materials: Paper, pencil
Procedure: Review the story of the Rich Young Ruler. Remind students that the main distraction in the story was money. Distractions that are put before God are considered idols. Idols are anything that are given priority over God. Explain that when we put money (making money, spending money, etc) as a priority in our life, it can keep us from worshipping God and obeying His will for you. Making and spending money is not a bad thing if done wisely and the way God wants you to spend it, but it can become a problem when it is the most important thing in our lives. It hurts our relationship with God and with others. Remind students that God always wants us to put Him first so He can give us the best guidance for our lives.
Introduce the activity. Explain to students that you are going to introduce and practice percentages with them. Begin with an example: The rich young ruler had $100 and gave 10% away, how much money would he have given away? Model how to solve the problem (or allow a student to if they feel comfortable). After you model several examples and have students explain how you solved the problem, give students problems to work on independently or in partners. Be sure to check in on students and assist where needed.
Additional Questions: How can calculating percentages be applied to real life situations?