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Illustrationobject lesson

Ten Apples: Setting Apart God's Portion

Ten apples are counted, then one is set apart, giving children a simple picture of firstfruits, trust, and generous stewardship before God.

Big Idea

Giving begins by admitting that everything we hold already belongs to God.

3-5 minplayfulyoung children, older children, teensVolunteer needed

Delivery Script

Hook Use this when teaching children about giving, gratitude, trust, or worship with possessions. Ten apples. One basket. And a question that is bigger than it looks.

1. Count together. Let's count these. Count with me. [lift each apple one by one, inviting the children to call out the number] One. Two. Three. All the way to ten. Ten apples, right there on the table.

2. Ask the big question. Now. Here's the question. [pause, look around the room] If God gives everything, how do we remember it is His? How do we actually show it, not just say it?

3. Set one apart. Watch this. [slowly move one apple into the basket labelled God's portion] One apple. Into the basket. Set apart. Not lost. Not wasted. Given back, on purpose, to the One who gave all ten.

4. Read the word. This is what God says. [lift the open Bible and read Malachi 3:10 clearly and slowly] One verse. Sit with it.

5. Name the reason. In Malachi, God's people were called to bring the tithe so there was provision in His house. It was not a transaction. It was a sign. A way of saying: we belong to You, and so does everything in our hands.

6. Hold the nine. [hold the remaining nine apples, or gesture across them] Giving one is not buying blessing. It is trusting the Giver with all ten. The nine do not shrink. They become something different. They become a gift held by a person who knows where gifts come from.

7. Open hands. [place both hands open, flat, near the apples] Stewards hold what God gives with open hands. Not clutching. Not hoarding. Open.

Land Proverbs 3:9 says honour the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of what you have. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians that God loves a cheerful giver, not a reluctant one, not a fearful one. Giving begins with gratitude, not guilt. It begins by admitting: all ten were His already.

Move from counting apples to naming one gift from God this group can steward faithfully.

Call to action Thank God for what you hold, and ask Him honestly how He wants you to hold it.

Transitions

In

Use this when teaching children about giving, gratitude, trust, or worship with possessions.

Out

Move from counting apples to naming one gift from God the group can steward faithfully.

Scripture Anchors

Props & Setup

Props Required

  • 1
    Apples x10Plastic apples are best for repeat use and no allergy concerns.
  • 2
    BasketLabel it clearly but avoid making it look like a money collection plate.

Setup Instructions

  1. 1Place ten apples on the table in a visible line.
  2. 2Prepare a short explanation that Malachi speaks to covenant Israel about the storehouse.
  3. 3Decide whether to use the word tithe or the simpler phrase one tenth.
  4. 4Do not connect the action to pressure for the day's offering.

Stage Execution

  1. 1Count the apples aloud with the children from one to ten.
  2. 2Ask, "If God gives everything, how do we remember it is His?"
  3. 3Move one apple into the basket labelled God's portion.
  4. 4Read Malachi 3:10 in one clear sentence.
  5. 5Say, "In Malachi, God's people were called to bring the tithe so there was provision in His house."
  6. 6Hold the remaining nine apples and add, "Giving one is not buying blessing. It is trusting the Giver with all ten."
  7. 7Place both hands open near the apples and say, "Stewards hold what God gives with open hands."

Safety Notes

Do not invite children to eat the apples unless allergies, hygiene, choking risk, and permissions have been handled. Plastic fruit avoids food waste and dietary issues.

Theological Grounding

Malachi 3:10 addresses covenant unfaithfulness around the tithe and the storehouse, not a fundraising technique. The verse teaches that Israel's giving acknowledged God's ownership and provided for worship life. For Christian hearers, the demonstration should lead to grateful stewardship and cheerful generosity rather than fear, manipulation, or prosperity formulas.

Preacher Tips

  • Use plastic apples if children are very young or if food rules are unclear.
  • Do not pass a real offering container immediately after the demo with children.
  • Say "God owns all ten" before you set one apart.
  • Keep the maths simple: one out of ten is enough.

If Things Go Wrong

1Children think God needs apples or money because He is poor.

Recovery: Say, "God does not need our things. Giving teaches our hearts to trust Him."

2The demo sounds like giving purchases blessing.

Recovery: Quote 2 Corinthians 9:7 and stress cheerful, willing generosity.

3Food distracts the group.

Recovery: Use plastic apples or put the apples away after the count.

Adaptations

teens

Use ten phone battery icons or time blocks to discuss stewardship beyond money.

small group

Ask members to list ten gifts from God, then mark one practical act of stewardship.

intergenerational

Use larger baskets and projected numbers so the count is visible.

online

Use ten simple objects on a tabletop with a close-up camera.

Response Prompts

1.Who gave all ten apples?

2.Why do God's people set apart a portion?

3.How can giving become worship instead of pressure?

Application Questions

  • 1Do I treat giving as worship or as a bargain?
  • 2What has God entrusted to me besides money?

Call to Action

Invite hearers to thank God for what they have and ask how to steward it faithfully.

Focus Note

The tithe in Malachi belongs to Israel's covenant life and temple provision, so it should not be used as a crude promise that giving money buys wealth. Still, the apple picture teaches a true biblical instinct: God's people set apart what is His because all provision comes from Him. Christian teaching can connect this to cheerful generosity in 2 Corinthians 9, where giving is willing, worshipful, and trusting.

Cultural Notes

Apples may not be common or affordable everywhere. Use ten stones, cups, coins, seed packets, or any local object that clearly counts to ten without implying wealth.

Themes & Tags

StewardshipWorshipFaith & Trust
applestithestewardshipgivingMalachichildren

Sermon Placement

mid illustrationresponse moment

Memorability

Counting ten objects makes the tithing idea concrete for children, especially with the correction against buying blessing.

Type

object lesson

Difficulty

simple

Setup

minimal

Cost

under_10_gbp