Welcome to my Creative Youth Ideas Library,

One day a biologist came to his lab and, as always, he went first to look lovingly at his most prized possession, a lovely geranium in a beautiful clay pot. The biologist had worked years to develop this geranium, and it was the picture of perfection. This morning, to the amazement of the biologist, he saw a line-up of a large number of caterpillars on the rim of the clay pot. The caterpillars were moving in a constant column, and were lined up in such a way that the caterpillar who was in the lead was actually immediately behind the last caterpillar in the line-up. The rim was completely encircled by beautiful, healthy caterpillars. Inside the clay pot, just a few inches from the rim, and from the caterpillars, was the biologist's pride and joy, the geranium.

Now the biologist knew that this luxuriant geranium was of a species most favored by caterpillars. And he knew too that the caterpillars would see that at the foot of the geranium the biologist had formed a small pool of clear, cool, inviting water.

The biologist watched, entranced as the caterpillar in the lead started moving ahead, and all behind him followed, around and around the rim of the clay pot. A young caterpillar near the middle of the line-up said, "Where are we going?" An older caterpillar just up ahead shot back, "Where do you think we are going? We are walking around the edge of this clay pot!" The older caterpillar bemoaned, "I sometimes wonder about the younger generation. Why must they question every single turn in the road of life? Why can they not be just like everyone else; keep their eyes on where we are going and learn to conform?" And with much tongue clicking and nodding of heads, all of the caterpillars continued following the leader on their trek around the rim of the clay pot.

Soon the young caterpillar began to get somewhat bored by the monotony of the walk around the rim of the clay pot. He had made a mental note of a large bump on the rim of the clay pot, and, (for lack of anything better to do), he had kept track of the number of revolutions which he and the other caterpillars had made around the rim of the clay pot. Also he had been watching as the sun moved across the sky, faded into starry night, only to rise again the following morning. The young caterpillar kept track of the number of days which had gone by since he and the other caterpillars had started on their trek around the rim of the clay pot.

"Did you know that we have now made 686 revolutions around the rim of this clay pot?", the young caterpillar asked of no one in particular. All of the caterpillars merely rolled their eyes, shook their heads and tried to ignore the young upstart. "Well, it's true", he continued. "And more than that, I can tell you that we have now been 4 days on this continuous trek around the rim of the clay pot".

One of the elder caterpillars could take this no longer. And between deep gasps for breath, (for the elder caterpillar was nearing exhaustion), he shot back, "Will you please just fall into line?"

Days went by and the caterpillars, (particularly the older ones), were becoming very tired and thirsty and hungry. So the biologist had compassion on the caterpillars and, in spite of the fact that it would ruin his favorite geranium, he broke off a beautiful branch and laid it up close to the edge of the rim of the clay pot, right where every caterpillar went by. "Much as it pains me to do this to my favorite geranium, there is no other way to make these caterpillars see that here just alongside of the rim of the clay pot is all of the food and water they so desperately need. The caterpillars can't help but see that the way is now open for them to come and eat and drink". To the biologist's surprise however, not a single caterpillar seemed aware that the tasty branch from the biologist's favorite geranium was right there along side of the rim of the clay pot. One particularly luscious looking leaf fell right on the path; the caterpillar's tired feet tramped right over it until soon it was ground into the rim of the clay pot. And the caterpillars continued on their walk to doom, around the rim of the clay pot.

The older, weaker caterpillars began, one by one, to be overcome by hunger and thirst and exhaustion. And they fell to the ground dead. Soon only the young caterpillar remained.

The biologist couldn't understand! "I have given of my best. I have provided food and water, more than you could ever need. I have shown you the way. All that you have to do is to come. Why do you not come?"

The young caterpillar knew he must make a decision. With tired eyes he looked longingly at the beautiful geranium just right there at his feet. Oh how wonderful to eat of that luscious fiber! And he saw the inviting pool of cool, fresh water. He could just feel the relief that would come from the sweet coolness of water in his parched throat.

Then he thought of the words of the older caterpillars and how they had warned that he must learn to conform. Slowly, wearily, the young caterpillar turned and moved off, now alone on the trek around the rim of the clay pot.

And the biologist cried. . . . . . .

How often do we miss out on the blessings and provision of God because we are too focused on religion rather than what our living God is doing?

Posted by Ken Sapp at 09:43 AM | Link | Comments (0)
Category: Teaching Illustrations
Average: 3.71 (7 votes) | Rate It: 1 2 3 4 5 | (5="Great", 1="Bad")
Keywords: tradition, leaders, followers, spiritual food, provision

"Oh Father," said a little Frog to the big one sitting by the side of a pool, "I have seen such a terrible monster! It was as big as a mountain, with horns on its head, and a long tail, and it had hoofs divided in two."

"Tush, child, tush," said the old Frog, "that was only Farmer White's Ox. It isn't so big either; he may be a little bit taller than I, but I could easily make myself quite as broad; just you see." So he blew himself out, and blew himself out, and blew himself out. "Was he as big as that?" asked he.

"Oh, much bigger than that," said the young Frog.

Again the old one blew himself out, and asked the young one if the Ox was as big as that.

"Bigger, father, bigger," was the reply.

So the Frog took a deep breath, and blew and blew and blew, and swelled and swelled and swelled. And then he said: "I'm sure the Ox is not as big as, But at this moment he burst.

Source: Aesop's Fables

Take it to the next level
Draw the face of an ox on a white balloon and a frog's face onto two green balloons in permanent marker. It helps if the balloon used for the ox is of a larger size. Fully inflate the Ox balloon and set it aside for the group to see as you tell the story. inflate one frog balloon just enough to make it visible. The other frog balloon inflate to a larger size, but not near as large as the ox. Then as you tell the story, keep inflating the larger frog balloon until it bursts.

Scripture and Pride
Pride sets people in opposition to each other and to God. A proud person sets himself above those around him and follows his own will rather than God’s will. Pride will end in destruction, but when we are humble God himself will lift us up.

• Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased, Matt. 23: 12
• Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. - Prov. 16: 18
• Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. - Proverbs 26:12
• But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." - 2 Corinthians 10:17
• Before destruction a man's heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor. - Proverbs 18:12
• “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” - James 4:6
• Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you - James 4: 10

Posted by Ken Sapp at 05:02 PM | Link | Comments (0)
Category: Teaching Illustrations
Average: 3.33 (6 votes) | Rate It: 1 2 3 4 5 | (5="Great", 1="Bad")
Keywords: pride, conceit, ego, frog, ox

Norman Geisler, as a child, went to a Vacation Bible Schools (VBS) because he was invited by some neighbor children. He went back to the same church for Sunday School classes for 400 Sundays. Each week he was faithfully picked up by a bus driver. Week after week he attended church, but never made a committment to Christ. Finally, during his senior year in High School, after being picked up for church over 400 times, he did commit his life to Christ. What if that bus driver had given up on Geisler at 395? What if the bus driver had said, "This kid is going nowhere spiritually, why waste any more time on him?"

Source: Max Lucado, "God Came Near", Multnomah Press, 1987, p. 133

Dr. Norman Geisler is the author or co-author of some 70 books and hundreds of articles. He has taught theology, philosophy, and apologetics on the college or graduate level for 50 years. He has spoken or debated in some 26 countries on six continents. He has a B.A, M.A., Th.B., and Ph.D (in philosophy). He has taught at some of the top Seminaries in the United States, including Trinity Evangelical and Dallas Seminary, and has been guest professor at numerous other schools. He was Co-founder and long-time Dean and President of Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte and was the founder and first president of the Evangelical Philosophical Society, a president of the Evangelical Theological Society, and the founder and first president of the International Society of Christian Apologetics. He also was a witness in defense of teaching creation along side of evolution in the public schools at the famous “Scopes Two” trial in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1981.

Posted by Ken Sapp at 04:45 PM | Link | Comments (0)
Category:
Average: 2.25 (8 votes) | Rate It: 1 2 3 4 5 | (5="Great", 1="Bad")
Keywords: faithfulness, VBS, salvation, perseverance

Resources

• Order a pizza for your Sunday School Class or group meeting. (you can order it in advance microwave it to control the arrival time..)
• Alternatively, you can just bring in a pizza box or pizza coupons.

What to do
Enjoy pizza with the youth if you brought one. If not, just show the pizza box and coupons to the group.

Take it to the next level
Have volunteers read aloud Psalm 50:15; Matthew 7:7-11; 21:22; and Mark 11:24.

• How is prayer like ordering pizza?
• How is prayer different from ordering a pizza?
• Do you think of God as a delivery person? Why or why not?
• Is prayer like the pizza guarantee "Delivery in 30 minutes or your pizza is free"? Why or why not?
• What's wrong with calling on God the way we call for Pizza?
• How do you think God wants us to view prayer?

Posted by Ken Sapp at 04:35 PM | Link | Comments (0)
Category: Object Lessons
Average: 3.12 (8 votes) | Rate It: 1 2 3 4 5 | (5="Great", 1="Bad")
Keywords: prayer, calling upon God, answered prayers, God's provision

"I have four things to learn in life:
To think clearly without hurry or confusion;
To love everybody sincerely;
To act in everything with the highest motives;
To trust in God unhesitatingly."

Helen Keller - "The Treasure Chest"

Posted by Ken Sapp at 04:56 PM | Link | Comments (0)
Category: Food for Thought
Average: 2.50 (12 votes) | Rate It: 1 2 3 4 5 | (5="Great", 1="Bad")
Keywords: lessons, blind, wisdom, new year, principles to live by