We discussed our final DVD session tonight from The Reason for God study. And the best way we knew how to teach the kids about God's love and wrath was by the Way of The Master technique (http://www.wayofthemaster.com/). Tonight we put Cailin on trial for a murder she committed 25 years ago (Yes, we know she's ten!). Benjamin was our judge. We laid out the evidence for the remaining "jurors" who unanimously found Cailin guilty. Kirsten added to the drama in our courtroom as the mother of the murdered girl. Cailin's attorney Bridghid was then allowed to say something to the judge before her final sentencing. Bridghid told the judge how Cailin had changed over the last 25 years. She had been a model citizen, a school teacher even. She helped feed the homeless with her church every other week, had a family of her own, and donated money annually to Missionary Ventures.
Ben's ruling? Cailin would be set free and not have to pay for her crime since she turned out to be such a good person after all. Then we turned to the jury and asked them if they thought this ruling was fair, considering Cailin did indeed commit the crime. Most agreed it was not and that Ben would not make a very good judge if he didn't punish criminals for their crimes.
We compared Ben to God on Judgment Day and asked the kids if they thought God should forgive unbelievers of their sins just because their good outweighed the bad. Or should they be judged by the conditions of their hearts, whether or not they had a personal relationship with Jesus? This case exampled to the kids God's wrath.
Then we held another trial. In this one, Brandon sped through a school zone during school hours and went 50 MPH over the speed limit. He was brought before the judge (Rachel in this case) who told him that the fine for his crime was either $1,000,000 or life in prison. Brandon said he didn't have the money to pay the fine and the guards (Hanna and Tessa) were about to take him off to prison when a man (Ben - for a lack of more ZG boys) Brandon had never seen before entered the courtroom. Ben asked the guards to wait and then handed the judge a check to $1,000,000 to cover Brandon's fine.
We asked the kids what they thought of this complete stranger paying Brandon's fine to keep him from a life in prison. Then we reminded them that that's exactly what Jesus did for us when He took our sins upon Himself and died on the cross so that we could be forgiven and have the gift of an eternity in heaven. This case exampled to the kids God's love.
So the kids learned about the very real existence of both God's wrath and Go'd love tonight, as well as the very real existence of heaven and hell.
