It is what is on the inside that counts! Kids probably hear us say that but in our material world it is a difficult concept to grasp. While working in my garden I was reminded of times with my Aunt Daisy. She loved flowers and would plant them in anything: old bleach bottles, old tires, wash tubs - you name it she would plant something in it. In my youth I was embarrassed about the containers. As I was thinking back it occurred to me that what my dear Aunt saw was not the container but the beautiful flower inside. Likewise, God sees our hearts.
For this lesson just buy a plant and put it in an odd container like this boot on the left. The point you should try to make is that it is not so important what we look like on the outside but that God's Word and Spirit dwell within us. You can also talk about how a plant needs good soil, light and water to grow. By the same token we need to plant our faith in good ground and seek God's light and spiritual guidance to grow as Christians.
A good Bible illustration would be 1 Samuel 16. God told Samuel to find a successor for Saul. Among Jesse's sons Saul was thinking about what each one looked like while God was looking at their hearts. He chose David - a man after God's own heart.
Encourage students to talk about instances where someone or something was not what it appeared to be in their own lives. Talk about how we should seek God's wisdom in our lives.
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