We read over Acts 17:1-14 tonight and discussed the differences in the way the Thessalonian Jews received Paul and Silas and their teachings about Jesus and the way the Bereans received them. We talked about the importance of being more like the Beareans who "received the Word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily". We talked about how we need to be treasure hunters just like the Bearans, and how the Bible we hold in our hands everyday is a great big treasure box full from cover to cover with hidden treasure...treasure far more precious than X Box's, Wii's, fancy clothes, gold and silver, new cars, whatever!
We gave each of the kids their own treasure rock then. It was really a great big ball of Plaster of Paris. Inside however, each one contained 8 hidden "treasures". For each treasure the kids found, we sent them to a concordance to look up the name of what they uncovered. Then they read a Scripture or two that had that word in it. For example, there was a small plastic heart inside the rocks. We read Scriptures like Psalm 19:14, Psalm 31:24, Proverbs 21:2, and James 4:8. A craft "google" eye led us to Genesis 6:8 and Matthew 9:28-30. Gold and silver (beads) were found in 1 Corinthians 3:11-13. A plastic number was hidden in each rock, which reminded us of Scriptures like Luke 12:7 and Acts 1:26. A lily flower took us to Luke 12:27-29 and a small tree branch uncovered the treasures found in John 15:7 and 12:13. A seashell brought to mind a beach and sand...Genesis 32:12 and Revelation 12:17. Lastly, some "precious" gemstones were found in 1 Chronicles 29:8.
The kids had fun breaking into their stones and digging for their buried treasures. We pray though that they had even more fun breaking into their Bibles and digging for the treasures hidden in God's Word. No hammer and screwdriver required either! We ended with Psalm 19:7-10.
