Kitchen Craze – 6 Week Series
OUTLINE
Lesson 1—FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS
Food: Betty Crocker Mini Molten Chocolate Cake (or brownies)
Key Point: Follow God’s Instructions
Bible Lesson: Psalm 119:9-16
Lesson 2—BE PATIENT
Food: Instant Mashed Potatoes
Key Point: Be Patient
Bible Lesson: Colossians 3:12
Lesson 3—BE PLEASING
Food: Decorate Ice Cream Sundaes
Key Point: Always do what’s right
Bible Lesson: Colossians 1:10-12
Lesson 4—BE A PART
Food: Popcorn
Key Point: God can changes lives and use you as a part of it
Bible Lesson: 2 Corinthians 5:17; Acts 26:9-18; Matthew 5:6; 1 Corinthians 2:14-15
Lesson 5—LIVE ON THE PATH
Food: Cream of Wheat
Key Point: Right and wrong is not a matter of taste
Bible Lesson: Proverbs 4:13-15; 25-27; Amos 5:15
Lesson 6—LIVE FOR WHAT MATTERS
Food: Rice
Key Point: Life is more than the food we eat and thing we have.
Bible Lesson: Matthew 6:25-33
Kitchen Craze
WEEK 1—FOLLOW GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS
YOU WILL NEED: A Betty Crocker Warm Delight Mini Molten Chocolate Cake or Brownie mix for each student; a source of water; a container of vegetable oil; a container of applesauce; at least one teaspoon and tablespoon; a spoon for each student; a microwave; and today’s Take-Home recipe.
BEFORE CLASS BEGINS
Remove the directions for making the dessert.
Set out an instant brownie bowl for each of your students.
Have a source of water.
Set out vegetable oil, and applesauce as well as measuring spoons for both a teaspoon and tablespoon.
Let’s Get Cookin’
ASK—Do you think we should or shouldn’t use the directions for making today’s dessert?
ASK—What would the benefit be of using the directions? Why might some people not use the directions?
SAY—So, if we weren’t going to use the directions, how much of each of these items would you use?
Engage your students in a discussion about what they would use and how much. Let each one tell you their thoughts. Then reveal the true instructions and explain that if they had added more water than necessary, their brownies probably would have been goo. If they had added the vegetable oil or applesauce, they most like would have ruined their dessert.
SAY: In the same way that not following the directions will ruin your dessert, not following God’s instructions in the Bible will ruin your life. God gave use rules and directions because He loves us and His instructions are our guide to living. He has given us a recipe for real life. Otherwise we might put the wrong things in our lives and get the wrong things out of our lives.
MAKE DESSERT
Let each student add the correct amount of water to complete the dessert.
As they stir and microwave their desserts, discuss questions such as:
What are some of the instructions that God gives us?
Why do you think God gave us these instructions? (Because He loves us; He wants us to know how to live; He tells us everything we need to know about how to live life right, etc.)
Why do your parents give you instructions and directions? (Because they love you too.)
As your students eat, read from your Bible Psalm 119:9-16. Ask your students to raise a hand everytime they hear a word that represents God’s instructions (such as commandments, precepts, ways, statutes, etc.)
SAY—This week follow God’s instructions for your life.
Pray with your students but if time allows, talk with them about the following:
ASK—Which of God’s instructions (or laws) do you think are the hardest for you to follow?
ASK—Why do you think so many people struggle following God’s recipe for our lives?
Introduce this week’s Take-Home Recipe and encourage them to do it with a parent.
Kitchen Craze
WEEK 2—BE PATIENT
YOU WILL NEED: For a class of 8 students, you will need two packages of dry Idahoan ORIGINAL Mashed Potatoes mix, water, milk, margarine, measuring spoons for teaspoon and tablespoon, a measuring cup and salt; today’s Take-Home recipe.
NOTE: In this session, you will be mixing both packages of instant mashed potatoes at the same time but in two groups so that more students get to be a part of measuring out the ingredients.
BEFORE CLASS BEGINS
Set out the ingredients and items that you will need.
Let’s Get Cookin’
ASK—How many of you have ever been really hungry while your mom or dad was cooking and it was so hard to wait?
SAY—Today we’re going to make instant mashed potatoes but before we do, let’s talk about last week.
ASK—Who remembers what we made last week?
ASK—Who remembers what we learned by following the instructions?
SAY—Last week we learned the importance of following God’s instructions, God’s recipe for our lives. Today we’re going to follow the instructions but before we do, we’re going to let anyone who desires take a taste of the dry mashed potatoes.
Give each student who wants a little bit of the dry mix—just enough to lick a finger and get a taste. For some, it will taste like a bad potato chip. Others will just not like it but there might be a few that think it tastes okay. Regardless of their response, it won’t change your point.
SAY—Good things come with patience.
ASK—What is patience?
ASK—What would you think about a person who was so impatient that they wouldn’t even wait for the mashed potatoes to be ready and just ate the dry mix instead? (You’d probably think they were crazy.)
SAY—If a person did that, they would rob themselves of something so much better. Let’s cook up these mashed potatoes and taste the difference.
Split your students into two groups to mix the ingredients. Instead of heating to a boil, microwave the two bowls together for 4-5 minutes. While the water/milk mix heats up, share with your students the following verse:
Read from your Bible Colossians 3:12.
What is compassion?
What is kindness?
What is humility?
What is gentleness?
SAY: God tells us to “put these on.” We’ve finished the Mashed Potatoes. They’re complete, but we can add more to them to make them even better. To your potatoes, if you want, you can “put on” butter, salt, bacon bits, etc. You can add these.
SAY: In the same way, when you are saved, your life is made complete. You’re saved. You’re going to heaven but God doesn’t want you to stop there. He wants you to grow and follow Him, to become like him by adding, not only patience, but kindness, compassion, humility and gentleness to your life.
If you have time…
Spend a few minutes discussing with your kids which of these traits they feel is the strongest in their lives and which is the weakest. How can they keep growing in and adding these godly traits to their lives?
Introduce this week’s Take-Home Recipe and encourage them to do it with a parent.
Kitchen Craze
WEEK 3—BE PLEASING
YOU WILL NEED: All the fixings for ice cream sundaes, including a variety of toppings that will “please” your students; a bowl of spinach or sea weed or mushrooms or something else that wouldn’t fit well on a sundae; bowls and spoons; and today’s Take-Home recipe.
BEFORE CLASS BEGINS
Set out all the items you need, making sure that you also have bowls and spoons.
Let’s Get Cookin’
ASK: Who remembers what last week’s verse talked about? (If they don’t, remind them of the basic meaning behind Colossians 3:12. You might also give them hints to remind them what you prepared and ate last week and what you learned from it.)
SAY: Today’s verse comes from the book of Colossians as well.
Read from your Bible Colossians 1:10-12.
SAY: I’m going to read it again and as you listen I want you to remember one word or phrase that sticks out to you in this verse.
Read it again.
ASK: What word did you choose to remember? (Let each student tell you which word they chose.)
SAY: There’s a word that I want you to remember today. The word is “pleasing,” or as the verse says, “to please Him.” (OPTION: If you want have them try to guess your word by giving hints such as: “My word begins with a P and ends with an E. It’s something you should say when you want something, etc.)
SAY: We just read a part of the apostle Paul’s prayer for the people in the church at Colosse (get it, they were the “Colossians”!). He wanted them to live a life that was “worthy of the Lord, to please Him” in all their ways.
SAY: Now, let’s pause our conversation while we make a fun dessert. Today we’ll be making our own ice cream sundaes.
Make the sundaes. Give the kids plenty of options of what to put on their sundaes—all the different things that would “please” them but don’t make a big deal about whatever you chose that they wouldn’t want on their sundae. Once everyone is eating, come back to the conversation…
SAY: While we’re eating, let me ask you a few questions:
ASK: Why didn’t anyone choose the (whatever the un-pleasing item is)? (NOTE: If someone used it, then ask them why and ask the others why not…it will still make the same point.)
ASK: What else wouldn’t belong on an ice cream sundae? (ketchup, spaghetti, sweet peas, etc.?)
SAY: You chose to put on your sundae what pleased you. You put on it what you felt would make it just right for you. Likewise, God has told us what to put in our lives that pleases Him.
ASK: Describe someone who lives a “life worthy of the Lord, to please Him” in all his ways. What would this person be like? What would they do? What would they not do?
ASK: Would you want to hang around this person? Why or why not?
ASK: Do you think they would be a lot like Jesus?
ASK: Would you like to be a person like that?
ASK: Do you feel like that’s the kind of person you’re becoming. Why or why not?
SAY: Jesus loves you and had great plans for your life even before you were born. He has told you how to live and how to follow Him. The person who is pleasing to the Lord is the person who loves Him with all his heart, (have the kids put their hand over their heart), with all his soul (have kids motion with their hands down to their whole selves), with all his mind (have the kids point to their mind) and all his strength (have the kids hold up their arms like they are flexing their muscles).
Repeat this again.
SAY: Out of this kind of love, we obey God. Out of this love, we want to know Him better. Out of this love, we want to please Him.
Introduce this week’s Take-Home Recipe and encourage them to do it with a parent.
If you have extra time…
Take a few moments to let your kids share prayer requests with you and pray for them.
Kitchen Craze
WEEK 4—BE A PART
YOU WILL NEED: For a class of 8 students, you will need three packages of popcorn and some popcorn toppings; Matthew 5:6 & 1 Corinthians 2:14-15 written on a small strips of paper and ready to be hidden; and today’s Take-Home recipe.
BEFORE CLASS BEGINS
Set out everything you need and hide the two verses that your students will try to find: Matthew 5:6 & 1 Corinthians 2:14-15
Let’s Get Cookin’
ASK: How many of you would like some popcorn?
Take a bag of the popcorn and tear it open (without cooking it!) and begin distributing uncooked kernels.
SAY: Who wants some? Nobody. That would taste terrible. An incredible change happens when these little kernels get hot. They go from being hard and tasteless to one of the best tasting treats around. In a like manner, an incredible change happens when someone gives his life to Jesus.
Read from your Bible 2 Corinthians 5:17.
ASK: What is this verse talking about? (The kind of change that Jesus can bring to a person’s life where all the bad things they’ve done are gone and God gives them a new life and a new beginning.)
SAY: We’re getting ready to see a change in this popcorn too.
Cook up the popcorn.
While it cooks, tell your students to search the room for two verses that are going to help them learn from the popcorn.
Give each student a drink. Distribute the popcorn.
ASK: What do you like on your popcorn? Has anyone ever tried strangely flavored popcorn like Nacho Cheese or Bubblegum flavored?
SAY: No matter what your favorite popcorn toppings are, one thing is true—popcorn makes you thirty.
While they eat, read from your Bible Acts 26:9-18. Explain to them that in the same way that the heat total changed the popcorn kernel, that God totally changed Saul’s (Paul’s) life. As he describes, he went from hurting and killing the followers of Jesus to being a follower and minister of Jesus.
Take the two verses they found while the popcorn was cooking and have the following brief discussion:
SAY: Popcorn makes you thirsty. Did you know that God wants us to thirst for something too?
READ Matthew 5:6
SAY: God wants us to hunger and thirst for righteousness and when we do, this has an affect on others…
ASK: When did you first smell the popcorn? When you smell popcorn, how does it affect you?
SAY: Popcorn is one of the most powerful smells in the world and did you know that the Bible talks about a sweet smell too?
READ 1 Corinthians 2:14-15.
SAY: By how you live, you can make other people hunger and thirst for Jesus. You can draw them to Christ by the things you say and do. In other words, you can be a part of God changing lives, just like he changed Paul’s—just like the heat changed the kernel from something hard and worthless to something good and tasty.
Introduce this week’s Take-Home Recipe and encourage them to do it with a parent.
Kitchen Craze
WEEK 5—LIVE ON THE PATH
YOU WILL NEED: No less than one package of Cream of Wheat for every two students; a source of water; some sugar and butter; a microwave; and a large paper sack. Have some milk to drink with this; and today’s Take-Home recipe.
BEFORE CLASS BEGINS
Be familiar with the instructions on how to make Cream of Wheat and make sure that you have all the necessary ingredients.
Put the Cream of Wheat box in a paper sack so that kids can see what you’re making.
For thicker Cream of Wheat add 1/3 less water..
Let’s Get Cookin’
ASK: How was your day today?
ASK: What all have you eaten today? (Make a list of what they ate for supper, lunch, and breakfast.)
SAY: Tonight we are going to eat a breakfast food. (Or, if a lot of kids skipped breakfast, SAY: Since so many of you didn’t have breakfast, we’re going to make up for it tonight!)
ASK: Who wants to guess what breakfast food we’re going to be making? (It might be something you’ve never had!)
SAY: We’re going to make Cream of Wheat. (Pull the box out of the bag.)
ASK: How many of you have ever eaten Cream of Wheat?
SAY: It has a totally different taste from Oatmeal. Some might call it mush. Some people like it and some people don’t.
ASK: How many of you think that you’ll like it?
Help your student follow the instructions for making the Cream of Wheat. Let them take turns doing each part. It might be good to put them into groups of about four and to make more than one mixture. Let each group make two to four packages. Some kids will really like this and will ask for more. After microwaving the Cream of Wheat, add butter and sugar. Then put it in their bowls and gently sprinkle a little more sugar across the top.
While the kids are preparing this, pour each student a cup of milk.
Ask everyone to wait until each person has a bowl so that you can all take a taste at the same time. Also warn them to be careful in case it’s hot.
After taking a bite and while they are eating, ASK: Do you like it?
SAY: Whether or not you like this is simply a matter of taste. There’s no right or wrong to it. It’s okay for one person to like it another not to—neither one is right because it’s simply a matter of what you like.
SAY: But did you know that right and wrong is never a matter of taste. Something that’s wrong will always be wrong and will be wrong for everyone. Something that’s right will always be right and will be right for everyone. There’s no such thing as something being wrong for one person but right for another. God’s laws don’t just apply to some people—they apply to all people and God’s laws do not change.
Take an object and throw in the air, almost to the ceiling and let it fall to the floor— (Car keys are great for this as long as there is nothing breakable on them.)
SAY: Wasn’t that incredible! Do you want to see that again?
Do it again. And, even again, if you desire.
ASK: Every time I throw this up, what will happen? (It will come back down.)
SAY: That’s a physical law God created call gravity. What goes up comes down. God made laws about living too. A lie is wrong. A lie will always be wrong and will never be right. Using God’s name in vain is wrong and will always be wrong for all people.
KEY: God’s laws don’t change. Right is right and will always be right. Wrong is wrong and will always be wrong, and God wants you to live a life that is on the right path.
Read either Proverbs 4:13-15; 25-27 or the first line of Amos 5:15
Or if you have time, read both and discuss what they mean.
Then PRAY for your students that they will be able to tell the difference between right and wrong and that they will do what’s right and not walk the wrong way.
Introduce this week’s Take-Home Recipe and encourage them to do it with a parent.
Kitchen Craze
WEEK 6—LIVE FOR WHAT MATTERS
YOU WILL NEED: Rice, water, salt, butter; a preparation bowl; a microwave; bowls and spoons for the kids; soy sauce (optional); and today’s Take-Home recipe.
BEFORE CLASS BEGINS
Make sure that you have all the items you need set-out and ready to go.
Since there’s more than one verse today, have both places marked in your Bible for quick access.
Let’s Get Cookin’
ASK: What is worry? (Worry is anxiety or uneasiness or allowing your mind to focus on troubling thoughts and difficulties.)
ASK: What are some things that people worry about?
ASK: What are some things that you worry about?
ASK: If you could name your biggest worry, what would it be?
SAY: Today we’re going to fix some rice. Rice might not be your favorite food but it’s what a lot of people around the world eat because they have little of anything else.
Prepare the rice and let the kids take a taste of it without any salt or butter.
SAY: All around the world, people are eating this because it’s all they have. Image what it must be like not knowing how you’ll get your next meal or even how long it will be. This is daily for many people. We are very blessed. I just wanted you to taste the rice the way most people in the world have to eat it before we add “extra blessings” to ours to make it taste a bit better.
After taking a bite, let your students add some butter, salt or soy sauce. Then while the kids eat, continue the discussion…
SAY: Listen to what Jesus said about some of the things people worry about.
Read from your Bible Matthew 6:25-34
ASK: What were some things that Jesus mentioned? What did He say about them? What did he say we should do? (Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…v. 33.)
SAY: Did you hear what else Jesus said: If God takes care of the birds, how much more valuable are you to Him than they. Won’t He take care of you too? Doesn’t He know your needs even before you ask Him?
SAY: God loves you and doesn’t want you to be “eaten up” with worry but to live in peace that trusts Him.
SAY: If you ever lay in bed at night, worrying, listen to this verse:
Read Philippians 4:6-7
Pray for your students that they will not live in worry and thank God for all the things with which He has blessed us—even every meal.
Finishing Up
Let your students know how much you’ve enjoyed having them in class with you the past six weeks. Encourage them to keep following Jesus every day.
Introduce this week’s Take-Home Recipe and encourage them to do it with a parent.
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