Grasshopper Olympics

Introduction
Announce that today we are going today we are going to have some grasshopper Olympics.
Whoever wins will be crowned King of the Grasshoppers!

Materials
Masking tape and a few jump ropes.

Preparation
Tape two 4-foot strips of masking tape to the floor, 12 to 15 feet apart to use as goal lines for the following special relays/ jumping competitions. You may wish to get the youth to warm up doing a few jumping jack exercises.

Grasshopper Competitions

1. High jump (Mark the jumps on the wall with a piece of tape)
2. Number of consecutive skips using a jump rope.
3. Greatest number of people jumping successfully at the same time using a single jump rope.
4. Most spectacular trick using a jump rope
5. Long jump from a stand still - line them up along the line and let them jump forward.
6. Least number of jumps to reach the opposite line
7. Running long jump... allow to run and jump from the line without crossing over the line.

Take it to the next level
Award the King of the grasshoppers with a crown of grass! Then ask:

• Is being compared to a grasshopper a good thing or a put down?
• Read Numbers 13:33

In this story, the Israelites saw themselves as grasshoppers. They saw the Guinness World Record breaking inhabitants of the land and in comparison saw themselves as small little grasshoppers. Their focus was on their own limited abilities instead of God's great promises. When we focus on ourselves we often get the wrong perspective on things. We need to learn to see things from God's perspective. A king of the grasshoppers may be insignificant, but the King of Kings, God with us, can accomplish anything God desires. God promised the land to the Israelites. His promises never fail. All they needed to do was trust Him and follow in obedience. Instead they ran away in fear.

1. What is it in your life that you need to trust God for?
2. What promises of God are applicable to that area of your life?
3. How can you claim those promises and walk in obedience?

When you do, God will replace fear with victory in your life!