Dear Parent,

The goal of this week’s lesson is to take a task involved in Thanksgiving preparation and use it to open your children's eyes to the love and cleansing nature of Jesus Christ.  By polishing a tarnished piece of silver for the dinner table, you can not only get a chore done before the big day, but you can show your child how Jesus wipes away our own tarnish and make us new, righteous and holy too. 

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Materials Needed: An old piece of silver in need of polish (candle stick, platter, or even an old spoon, bracelet or ring), silver polish, dry rag, slightly damp rag, gloves (optional)

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Bible Scripture: Ephesians 4:21-24

Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.  You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. 

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Today’s Script:

I love getting ready for Thanksgiving!  There is so much to do around our home to get ready for the holiday. 

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I know we USUALLY play our bible lessons with toys, but today we have a bit of work to do.

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Don't worry though.  We will have a fun and eye-opening experience in the process.

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This Thanksgiving, I would like to have the table look lovely, but these silver pieces are all tarnished, cloudy and dirty-looking.

 

I washed them with soap, but it didn't help.  It's like they are dirty on the inside, which is making the outside tarnished and dark.

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Could you pretty please help me polish them?

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(Let your child answer.) 

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Great!  Let's lay out our tools. 

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Let's get started!  We will pour a bit of silver polish onto the slightly damp cloth and wipe the piece of silver.  The tarnish comes right off!  Then, we dry it off with our other cloth. 

 

Gosh, look at the cloths!  They got dirty quickly, huh? 

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Did you see how easy that was?

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We took something dirty and un-shiny, and we made it look clean, shiny, new and special!  It was imperfect, and now it has been "made new" and just right!

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Oh my gosh, do you know what this reminds me of???

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JESUS wiping away our tarnish!

 

If we are pieces of silver, the mistakes and bad choices we make cause us to look dirty and our hearts to appear dark and un-shiny.

 

BUT, if we believe in Jesus, if we accept His love and if we know about how He gives His perfection to us, then we are wiped clean.  We are made shiny, new and just right in God's eyes...because of Jesus.

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Isn't that exciting and amazing?

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Let's polish more!  Let's see another transformation!  Let's allow for more cleansing!  Let's "make new" more pieces! 

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(Polish together.  Admire the cleansing.  Reiterate the lesson. Give thanks for Jesus' hand in making us new. )