The Whole Package

God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished … Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

 One of the kids receives a remote control in the mail.  He seems very confused until he reads the instructions that a larger package is waiting for him at the Post Office.  He then realizes that the package must be a remote control car. He is very excited and runs to the PO.  He returns home with the large package.  The gift is now complete. 

             God does some miracles a little bit at a time.  When you give your life to God, He begins working on you, changing you and making you more like Him.  As you allow Him to (He will never force you to change), He will take the areas in your life that need to change and work on them.  He will take out the mean self and replace it with His love.  He will take out the selfish areas and give you a servant’s heart that wants to help and serve others.  God will help you get rid of the bad attitudes and He will give you His love, joy and peace. 

            There is another way that God works a little at a time: sometimes He will heal you or work other miracles for you a little at a time.  This boy could have just shrugged his shoulders when he received a remote control, but he kept looking for the rest of the gift.  Sometimes when you pray to God, you might get part of an answer from Him and then stop praying.  You might get a little better or see a little change in your family.  But that doesn’t mean God is done working.  Keep praying and asking for the complete miracle.  He will do it. 

Don’t be satisfied with just part of a miracle.  Trust God to finish the work He started in your life.

They Can’t Touch You

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.   Matthew 10:28

 Props: metal bowl, egg and hammer

 Before the service, turn the bowl upside-down on top of a table and place the egg under the bowl.  Display the bowl as you begin to speak, but do not show the egg.        

           In some places, people have a hard time having courage to believe in and live for God because there are people around them who kill Christians.  The Bible tells us to have courage no matter what people may do to us.  (Begin to lightly pound on metal bowl with hammer).  They may call you names, take what belongs to you or even hurt you.  But there is only so much they can do to harm you.  The real you is on the inside.  (Lift bowl and display egg).  You are totally protected by God.  No one can ever touch your soul.  No one can ever take God away from you.  There is no need to fear when you are in God’s hands.  No person could ever take you out of His hands or keep you away from Heaven.  Courage is facing trouble without running away.   It’s a lot easier to face trouble when we know that our soul is in God’s hands and no one can ever change that.

Tic-Tac-Toe

Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. Matthew 26:41

             Set up a large tic-tac-toe board and begin playing with a helper while you teach.  Don’t really pay attention to the game.  Allow yourself to be distracted by the lesson.  Instruct the helper ahead of time to position his letters in such a way that he forces you to lose. 

             Oh, no!  I wasn’t even paying attention and now there’s no way I can win.  (Allow the helper to place his final letter on the board).  I wasn’t really watching what I was doing, so I fell into my friend’s trap. 

            The devil has lots of traps that he likes to set for us.  He is waiting for a moment when we’re falling asleep in our spirit and not paying attention to what’s going on around us.  Jesus warned His disciples about the devil’s traps and told them to “watch and pray” so they would not fall into temptation.  They were tired in their body and couldn’t stay awake to pray.  They were falling for the devil’s tricks. 

The devil sets traps for you all the time; if you’re not paying attention, you will fall.  But God says that He will give us strength if we call on Him.  Wake up and seek the Lord!  Don’t let the devil trick you.  Stay alert; stay awake in your spirit.  Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  Call on God and He will give you the strength you need.

Time Tokens

Make the best use of your time. Ephesians 5:16 (NLV)

 Props: 24 tickets (or equal sized papers) that can represent one hour of each day; boxes with slots cut in the top and labeled “sleep,” “family,” “school,” “friends,” “TV/Video Games,” “God”

 Throughout the lesson, remind the kids that the tickets each represent one hour of the day.  Make parts of the lesson humorous (For example, tear a ticket into small pieces when you come to the family box, and only put in a small piece).

 Today’s lesson is all about time.  How many hours are there in each day?  (Allow for response).  Right!  24. Time is a precious gift from God.  He allows us to choose what to do with our time.  Let me show you what I mean.

(Show tickets).  These tickets each represent one hour of a day.  You all have 24 hours each day.  This is your time.  Some of that time you cannot choose how to spend.  (Place 9 tickets through the slot in the “sleep” box).  Your parents give you a bed time because you need your rest.  So let’s say you sleep for 9 hours or maybe more each night.  That leaves you with 15 hours.  Then, of course you have to go to school.  So you spend another 9 hours getting dressed in the morning, going to school, coming home and doing homework.  (Place 9 tickets through the slot in the “school” box).  Now you only have 6 hours left.  (Place 1 ticket through the slot in the box labeled “family”).  Everyone has to have family time, like eating dinner and doing chores.  And who wants to spend a bunch of time on chores?  So you rush through that as fast as you can.  (Tear a ticket into pieces and put one small piece in the box).  After 1 hour and 15 minutes for your family, you have 4 hours, 45 minutes to yourself. 

This is the fun time!  You can talk to friends on the phone, or play with them outside.  (Place 2 tickets through the slot in the “friends” box).  You can spend whatever time you have left watching TV, playing video games or doing whatever your parents let you do for fun.  (Place all but one little piece of a ticket into the “TV/Video Games” box).  And then, just before you go to bed at night, you remember, “Oh yeah, I was supposed to spend time with God.  I need to use my time for Him.”  But all you have left is 5 minutes before bedtime.  So you say, “Dear Lord, please bless me and my family.  Amen.” And you read a verse really fast in your Bible and then it’s time for bed.

So you think to yourself, “I wish I had more time.  Maybe if I had back some of that time I spent with my friends…”  (Turn “friends” box upside down and shake it, as if trying to get the tickets out).  “If I could just get back some of the time I spent watching TV, I could use it for God.”  (Turn “TV” box upside down and shake it).  Can you go back in time and get back even one minute?  Of course not!  Once you spend your time, it’s gone.  So it’s very important how you spend it. 

Use your time for God, and it will never be wasted.  Spend your time worshiping, loving and serving Him.

Trapped

…let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. 1 Thessalonians 5:6 (NIV)

 Props: sign that says “Don’t feed the alligators,” picture of an alligator

             In my backyard is a small pond.  It’s so beautiful to look at; I enjoy sitting on the back porch in the morning or evening and looking at the water.  However, we’ve had a little problem lately.  There are alligators in the pond.  (Show picture of alligator).  You should never come close to an alligator.  And you should especially never feed an alligator.  Feeding a gator is very dangerous because then when it sees people it thinks, “Yummy!  Food!”  It will take a chunk out of your arm or leg and it could even kill you.  There have been people who have died from alligator attacks in our area. 

            The managers of our apartment complex put up big signs beside the pond that say, “DO NOT FEED THE ALLIGATORS!”  Sadly, not everyone pays attention to those signs.  They think, “I’ve never been bitten by an alligator.  It will be alright if I give the gator just a little snack.”  They just don’t care. 

            God gives you warning signs, also.  He can see the dangers of the enemy and the tricks he tries to play on you.  So God warns you to run away from temptation and evil.  He warns you to pay attention and do what is right. 

            The devil knows if he can get you to “fall asleep” spiritually, you won’t pay attention to God’s warning signs.  God says watch out for people who lead you in the wrong direction.  He says make sure you are obedient.  He warns you to pay attention to His Word.  There are many warning signs in His Word.  But the devil wants to make you think you can relax and not pay attention to what God says.  You might get away with it for a little while, but sooner or later it will catch up with you.  WAKE UP!  Wake up and escape the traps of the enemy.  You snooze, you lose.  Wake up before it’s too late.

Turn Your Thoughts Around

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”
       declares the LORD.  Isaiah 55:8

 Props: an ambigram drawing of the words “Heaven” and “Earth.”  At the beginning of the lesson, place the board with the word “Earth” facing up.

 

              When Jesus was teaching his followers, he used parables many times to try to explain things that his disciples didn’t understand.  They didn’t always understand because they were thinking of things from an earthly view.  All of us might think the same way, because we’re all from earth, too.  Here on earth, we have a certain way of looking at things. 

            But when Jesus came, he was trying to teach His disciples that they had to turn their way of thinking upside down.  (Turn the drawing upside down to reveal the word “Heaven.”  Outline the letters to show the word if needed.)  Heaven has a completely different way of thinking that is usually opposite the way we think.  For example, Jesus said that the last will be first, and the first will be last.  It doesn’t seem fair.  We on earth think everything has to be fair.  But Jesus said differently. 

            Remember that God has a different point of view, and His point of view is always better.  Ask Him to help you see things the way He does.

Turn Your Thoughts Upward

…Whatever is lovely…think about such things.  Philippians 4:8

 Props: three identical bowls or other containers, piece of candy, table

             (Turn the bowls upside down).  You can see that these bowls are alike and it would be very difficult to tell them apart.  I’m going to place a piece of candy under this one (place candy under one of the bowls).  Watch this bowl, and don’t take your eyes off of it.  If you can tell me where the candy is when I’m done, you will win a piece of candy.  (Begin moving the bowls around from one position to another).   

Sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is focus.  There are so many things to keep your mind off of what is really important.  But the Bible says that we should think about things that are lovely, or nice.  Focus on them.  Don’t allow anything or anyone to take your attention off of what is nice.  (Stop moving the bowls.  Allow the kids to guess which bowl the candy is under.  Have the workers give candy to the kids with the correct answer.)

If you really want to fill your mind with better things, you’re going to have to keep your focus on God.  Sometimes other people will try to get in the way.  They will try to fill your mind with bad thoughts.  They will gossip and use bad language and talk bad about people.  Don’t be distracted!  Keep your mind focused on God and fill your mind with better things.          

Power to Produce

“I am the vine; you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. … If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.”  John 15:5, 7         

Props: artificial vine and grapes

• The problem that the seven sons of Sceva (Acts 19:13-20) had was that they were trying to use the power of Jesus’ name, but they had no relationship with Jesus.  They weren’t living for Him or serving Him; they just wanted to use His power.  It doesn’t work that way.  God’s power comes through relationship with Him.  As you get close to Him through prayer and Bible study, by obeying Him and worshiping Him, His power will work in and through you. 
• Let me read you some verses from the book of John.  These are Jesus’ words.  (Read John 15:5, 7). 
• (Show vine and grapes).  This is what Jesus was talking about.  These grapes grow on a vine like this.  They don’t just all of a sudden pop up in mid-air out of nowhere.  They have to grow from a source.  This vine is their source of water, nutrients and strength.  If they were separated from the vine, they’d never survive. 
• Jesus is our source of strength and power.  In Him, we can do all things.  We have all of His power to draw from.  But apart from Him we are nothing.  We would not have the strength to do anything for Him, help anyone or see anyone saved or healed.
• Stay close to Jesus and His power will work through you.    

No One Can Snatch You Away

I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. 2 Timothy 1:12

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” John 10:27-30

Prop: a small, but valuable object such as a gold necklace

Hold the necklace in your hand with your fist tightly balled.  Call forward a volunteer and offer to give her the necklace if she can “snatch it away” from you.  Allow her ample opportunity to snatch it away.  When she is unable to, thank her and allow her to return to her seat.  Continue with the lesson.

            When you give God your life, you can trust Him to guard it until the end.  When Jesus was on the earth, he was teaching one day and he was explaining how he took care of his followers.  He said, “…no one can snatch them out of my hand.” He also said, “…no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”  (John 10:27-30).  When you give your soul and spirit to God, He holds you in His hand more tightly than I was holding this necklace.  No one can snatch you out of God’s hand.  You are secure and safe there.  You can trust God to keep you, both now and for all eternity.  Your life and eternity are safe with God.  No one can ever snatch you away from Him.  Trust God with your life!

Math Drill

He has showed you, O man, what is good.
       And what does the LORD require of you?
       To act justly and to love mercy
       and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

Props: professor costume, white board or poster board and markers, tripod

 Begin with a skit in which a wacky professor enters and begins energetically teaching new math skills to a group of young students.  He is trying to explain complicated formulas, etc.  Several students try to raise their hand and get the professor’s attention, but the professor insists that there is no time for that; the formulas are too detailed and he cannot be interrupted with silly questions.  Finally, when he is done with the first formula (and out of breath and chalkboard space), he calls on a student to answer his question.  The student explains that he and the rest of the class do not even know how to add, much less follow complicated formulas.  The Professor is quite flustered and says he is going in search of another, more prepared, group of students. 

 Teacher follow-up:  The students in the skit didn’t need a bunch of complicated math formulas; they needed the basics!  The basics are the most important, because if you don’t know how to add and subtract, you won’t be able to learn the harder math.  And even when you do learn the more difficult steps, you still can’t forget the basics.  I remember people in math classes in school who knew all the very hard math, but sometimes forgot to add a simple number at the end, so they got the whole problem wrong.  Everything builds on the basics!

     The same is true with living for God.  Some people memorize lots of scriptures, but never obey the Bible.  Others might spend lots of time and money trying to think of a way to help people around the world, but they do not even help their own neighbor.  Still others might spend their whole life studying the family histories of the Bible, but they never pray for their own family.             

     In the end, it all comes down to the basics: do you love and obey God and do you love others?  There’s no skipping the basics.  They are the foundation of our relationship with God.  So don’t lose sight of the basics.  Keep your eyes on God and your heart close to him.

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