Same Old Stuff Repackaged

…whatever is right…think about such things. Philippians 4:8

I will set before my eyes no vile thing.
       The deeds of faithless men I hate;
       they will not cling to me.

Men of perverse heart shall be far from me;
       I will have nothing to do with evil.  Psalm 101:3,4

Props: plastic bag filled with trash, gift bag and tissue paper, bow, pictures of witches, etc., Harry Potter books**

(Display plastic bag filled with trash).  As you can see, I have here a bag of trash.  There’s nothing unusual about it; it’s just common, ordinary trash.  But if you watch closely, it’s going to change before your very eyes.  It will become beautiful.  In fact, some of you may even want to take it home with you and hang it on your wall.  Here we go… (Wrap the trash inside tissue paper and place it in a gift bag.  Put a bow on the bag).  Voilá!  It’s completely different.  Now who wants it?  Beautifully packaged and decorated debris!

(Another worker interrupts and finishes lesson). You can’t do that!  That trash hasn’t changed a bit.   It’s just wrapped in a different package.  (Open gift bag and reveal that trash hasn’t changed).  See?  No difference at all.  Same old stuff repackaged. 

Kids, this reminds me of what many people do with sin.  (Hold up picture of witch).  What is this?  (Allow for response).  This witch practices witchcraft, casting spells and praying to the devil.  Witchcraft is wrong because people use it to try to get power from the devil instead of from God.  They try to go around God instead of going to Him.  Is that okay to do?  Of course not.

People today have “repackaged” witchcraft in many ways.  One of those ways is to make up stories about it that seem innocent.  (Hold up Harry Potter book).  Harry Potter is a kid that practices casting spells and trying to use a power that is not from God.  So is that okay?  (Allow for response.  If necessary, lead in a brief discussion, answering the kids’ questions).**

God says in His Word to think about what is right.  In other words, fill your mind with what God says is good.  God says to go to Him alone for power.  So let the books that you read be focused on Him!

**If you choose to address material other than Harry Potter, bring props to emphasize your specific subject matter and modify the lesson accordingly.

Think About Higher Things

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

 Props:  ladder

             How many of you have ever had someone tell you, “I want you to go far in life”?  Everyone starts out at a certain place in life–rich or poor, super-smart or average, athletic or not.  From that point, you can go up or down.  You can improve or get worse.  (Climb and come down the ladder as you speak, coordinating your words with your actions).  You can make more money or you can make less.  You can learn more or forget everything your teachers taught you.  You have the opportunity to improve your skills or to weaken them.  With God’s help, you can succeed if you want to.         

            Success does not begin with what you do, but with what you think.  If you want to go farther and “climb higher” in life, you have to “climb higher” in your thoughts.  All around you, people are thinking and talking trash.  Go higher than them: think about what is lovely, or pleasing.  You have to choose to speak well of others.  Speaking bad about others will knock you down.  You can think about positive things instead of negative things.  Focus on what is greater than the bad around you.  Fill your mind with better things. 

Program Your Mind

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

Props: computer, CDs

            Today we’re talking about the things you think about.  The Bible says that it is very important to think about the right things.  Sometimes, though, it’s not always easy to understand why we need to think about the right things.  To help us understand that, let’s look at the computer. 

            When I type words into the computer and I press “print,” what is going to come out of the printer?  (Allow for response).  The same words that I put into the computer will come out of the printer.  The same thing happens when I install a computer program.  (Show CDs).  The computer program I put in will be the one I have to work with:  If I put in Power Point, Paint Shop is not going to appear.  I will get Power Point. 

The same goes for your mind.  What you put into your mind is what will come out.  If you continually allow bad language to go into your mind through movies, music or even the wrong friends, bad language will come out of your mouth.  If you play video or computer games where people are always beating each other up and tearing each other apart, it will cause you to think about beating other people up and may cause you to start acting that way.   

            So fill your mind with worth-while things.   For everything that you spend time filling your mind with, ask yourself, “Is this worth my time?  Is it going to help me or someone else?”  And keep filling your mind with worth-while things.

Tight Packing

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

 Props: suitcase, various necessities such as clothes, shoes, soap, shampoo, Bible, Christian CDs, movies, etc.

            Imagine with me for a moment that you are moving.  You will be living in another place for the rest of your life.  You will never be able to come back to your home again.  Anything you want you will have to take with you.  The problem is that you only get a few suitcases.  That’s it; that’s the only space you have for all of your things.  Now: what would you pack?  (Allow children to respond and display various items as you lead the discussion.)  I don’t think any of you would waste this space on things like rocks and tire pumps and ant farms.  Those things won’t help you survive!

            (Clear out suitcase).  In this life we are given only so much room to carry all of our thoughts.  Our mind is only so big, and it can only hold so much.  The thoughts you put into your mind right now you will have to take with you the rest of your life.  You will have to use the knowledge you are getting right now to survive, kind of like having to live off of the supplies in these suitcases.  What kinds of things are important to put into your mind?  (Allow for response).  In life you’re going to come up on some tough situations, and the things you are learning from bad music and movies, from video games and bad books are not going to help you make good choices.  (Display Bible and put in into suitcase).  The Bible will give you all the wisdom you need to live your life.  Fill your mind with God’s Word.  (Display Christian CDs, movies, etc. and add them to suitcase).  Listening to good, Christian music and watching good movies will also help to fill your mind with the things you will need to succeed in life. 

Fill your mind with worth-while things.  Don’t waste the space in your brain on junk!

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 Outward

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

 Props: binoculars

             As you begin your lesson, a helper comes out with a pair of binoculars.  He is frustrated because the binoculars aren’t bringing anything closer into view.  Point out to him that he is holding them the wrong way.  As he exits, continue teaching the kids.

             Our friend seemed to have a problem keeping the binoculars pointed in the right direction.  He kept pointing them toward himself, but they don’t work that way.  Binoculars have to be pointed away from you before they will work. 

            It is very easy for us to keep our thoughts always pointed toward ourselves.  But if we want to fill our minds with better things, we are going to have to look away from ourselves and keep our focus on God and on helping others.  Ask yourself what others may need and how you can help.  Pray for others.  Do favors for those around you.  Get your mind off of yourself all the time and look around to others.  Fill your mind with better things, and let it start with the good things that you can do for others.   

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.          

Plant Good Thoughts

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

Props: planter, soil, seeds

            Have you ever thought about where plants come from?  We know that plants come from seeds.  It’s amazing that something so big could start out so small, but that’s the way God designed it.  Even the tallest trees begin as tiny seeds.  Seeds also always become what they start out to be.  An orange seed becomes an orange tree and an apple seed becomes an apple tree.  You get what you plant.

            Our thoughts are like seeds, as well.  Thoughts grow up to become words and actions.  The things that you say begin as thoughts in your minds.  Everything you do also begins as a thought in your mind.  You get what you plant.  If you plant nice thoughts, nice words will come out of your mouth.  If you plant nice thoughts, you will do nice things. 

            Fill your mind with better things.  Let your thoughts be better and then your words and actions will be better as well.

Optical Illusions

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

Props: two or three optical illusions, large enough to be seen by the entire group

Present two or three optical illusions that appear as something other than what is reality.  Use the optical illusions and ask the kids to identify the largest/smallest, longest/shortest items, etc. (depending on the illusion). 

Sometimes things in life are not always as they seem.  The world will try to get you to believe in a lie, but you must decide to believe the truth of God’s Word.  (Give personal example of a time when the enemy tried to convince you of a lie, but you had to stand on God’s Word.  For example, when you were sick and it looked like you wouldn’t get better, when a loved one was unsaved and you believed for his/her salvation, when you had to trust God to meet your needs, etc.) 

No matter how things look on the outside, you must believe God.  Don’t buy in to the devil’s lies.  Philippians 4:8 says, “Whatever is true …think about such things.”  Fill your mind with truth.  Focus on truth.  Speak the truth.  Then you won’t be fooled by the devil’s illusions.

Work It Out

… [Love] always hopes… 1 Corinthians 13:7

 Props: difficult puzzle (such as a “mind-bender”)

             How many of you have ever played with a puzzle like this one?  It can be frustrating!  Sometimes just when you think you’re going to solve it, you find out you really haven’t made it any farther than when you began.  It’s tempting to give up, but if you really want to solve it you’ll keep working at it and even get help if you need to, until you solve it. 

            In life you will have problems, too.  Your problems in life are usually much bigger and more difficult than this puzzle.  Many times they are problems that your friends and family are having.  Maybe your mom and dad fight all the time.  Or it could be that they drink at times until they get drunk and do bad things.  You might know kids at school that are always mean to you.  Whatever the problem, it can be frustrating and make you want to give up on those people.  You may want to give up on your parents and think that they’ll never change.  Maybe you’ve thought that those kids at school or in your neighborhood will never be nice to you. 

1 Corinthians 13:7 says, “…[Love] always hopes…” That means true love never gives up on others.  You can see a change in the people around you when you learn to want for them to change, pray and talk to God about it and believe with all your heart that it’s going to happen.

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