everything

We've been talking about the idea of treasure with our teens over the last few weeks. Coming out of Matt. 6:19-21, "where your treasure is, that's where your heart is too." So last Wednesday night I'm in Junior High kicking around some ideas with these 6th-8th graders & I asked them how much would they pay to go to Heaven? If God where to say that they could buy a ticket that would ensure them a one way trip to heaven, how much would they pay to buy that ticket? One kid says, "Everything I have!" Another says, "All the money in the world!" Which led me to ask,
"How much are you willing to give God?" One good church answer came back, "10 percent." Then one after another they started saying that they would give God everything.

So, I pushed them a little. I know. It's not fair to be this way to Jr. Highers. But after many said they would gladly give God everything, I asked them to do it. I cleared off the stage & asked them to place everything they had on the stage & that we would give it away to those in need. One girl said, I don't have anything, obviously ignoring the warm coat she was wearing, the cell phone she was carrying, the money that was in her expensive purse. I said, you guys have plently on you tonight. I pointed out some of these things, & asked them to give tonight whatever they would to God. Not much made it to the stage. A few kids, trying to be funny, began to throw some trash up on stage. Then, all of a sudden, Samantha came up. A 6th grader. And stood on the stage. Letting all of us know that she would give "everything."

"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18.3