No Faking It

…our great power is from God, not from ourselves. 2 Corinthians 4:7 (NLT)

Props: pair of sneakers with fake Nike symbol, sports jersey with name of athlete, fake money

 Begin with a skit in which a group of helpers is showing off their belongings.  The first has a pair of fake Nike sneakers, of which he is very proud, until the others reveal the hand-drawn logo.  The second shows off his “authentic” jersey, supposedly worn by the player himself.  The others laugh and say “(player’s name on jersey) is 6’4” and weighs 250 pounds.  There’s no way he fit in that jersey!” The third pulls out a wad of cash and brags about how much money he has.  The others show that the money is just copies of dollars and isn’t worth anything.  The three exit, arguing about which one had the worst counterfeit. 

 Teacher follow-up:

• In order for these items to be “real,” they must come from the source.  The sneakers have to come from the Nike factory, the jersey has to come from the team/player and the money has to be issued by the US Department of Treasury. 
• Today’s lesson is all about power: Only God can give you true power.
• Many people try to counterfeit (fake) power: they think power comes from being in charge, or having lots of money.  Others try to get power by being friends with everyone.  And some people even try to get power by worshiping and serving the devil.  These things may give you a little power for a short time, but only God can give you true power. 
• Remember, for something to be real, it has to come from the source.  God is power.  He can give you all the power you will ever need. 
• Don’t go to other things to get power; go to God!