Monthly Archives: September 2005

Humor

Dear Pastor Letters

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Dear Pastor, I know God loves everybody but He never met my sister.
Yours sincerely, Arnold. Age 8, Nashville

Dear Pastor, Please say in your sermon that Peter Peterson has been a good boy all week. I am Peter Peterson.
Sincerely, Pete. Age 9, Phoenix

Dear Pastor, My father should be a minister. Every day he gives us a sermon about something.
Robert, Page 11, Anderson

Dear Pastor, I’m sorry I can’t leave more money in the plate, but my father didn’t give me a raise in my allowance. Could you have a sermon about a raise in my allowance?
Love, Patty. Age 10, New Haven

Dear Pastor, My mother is very religious. She goes to play bingo at church every week even if she has a cold.
Yours truly, Annette. Age 9, Albany

Dear Pastor, I would like to go to heaven someday because I know my brother won’t be there.
Stephen. Age 8, Chicago

Dear Pastor, I think a lot more people would come to your church if you moved it to Disneyland.
Loreen. Age 9. Tacoma

Dear Pastor, I liked your sermon where you said that good health is more important than money but I still want a raise in my allowance.
Sincerely, Eleanor. Age 12, Sarasota

Dear Pastor, Please pray for all the airline pilots. I am flying to California tomorrow.
Laurie. Age 10, New York City

Dear Pastor, I hope to go to heaven some day but later than sooner.
Love, Ellen, age 9. Athens

Dear Pastor, Please say a prayer for our Little League team. We need God’s help or a new pitcher. Thank you.
Alexander. Age 10, Raleigh

Dear Pastor, My father says I should learn the Ten Commandments. But I don’t think I want to because we have enough rules already in my house.
Joshua. Age 10, South Pasadena

Dear Pastor, Who does God pray to? Is there a God for God?
Sincerely, Christopher. Age 9, Titusville

Dear Pastor, Are there any devils on earth? I think there may be one in my class.
Carla. Age 10, Salina

Dear Pastor, I liked your sermon on Sunday. Especially when it was finished.
Ralph, Age 11, Akron

Dear Pastor, How does God know the good people from the bad people? Do you tell Him or does He read about it in the newspapers?
Sincerely, Marie. Age 9, Lewiston


MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”

200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.

Learn More…

Creative Teaching Ideas

Grace

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Materials
Make a list of impossible tasks.

Potential tasks
* Youth must form pairs and toss a tennis ball back and forth (from a distance of at least 10 feet) 10 times in a row without dropping it.
* Every youth must balance three books on his or her head and walk across the room without dropping the books.
* Youth must stand on one leg for two minutes without any support from other object in the room or other people.
* Youth must form a line lying on their backs and use only their feet to pass the ball down the line without dropping it once. (Avoid this one if girls are wearing shorts or skirts)
* Youth must chew 3 crackers then chew a piece of gum and blow a bubble.
* Youth must cross the room by inflating a balloon and then releasing it and letting it go until it touches the opposite wall. The may only inflate the balloon by standing where it lands.
* Youth must spin in a circle 10 times then walk a straight line without stepping of the line.
* Everyone must do 66 jumping jacks while saying the books of the Bible in reverse backward.
* Walk across a room with a ping-pong ball in a spoon without dropping it
* Put a rubber dishwashing glove over your head and blow it up using air from your nose
ADD ANY OTHER GREAT IDEAS FOR VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TASKS

Activity
When youth arrive tell them that if they can complete the task you will give them, they will win a wonderful prize. (Your prize could be an ice-cream Sunday, a pizza dinner, a trip to the movies, a chance to cream your face with a pie, almost anything. Choose something you would like to do with the youth.) Explain that the way to win the prize is to complete ALL the tasks you give them, and they must be done perfectly and within 10 minutes (or another short time frame).

Application
When time is up gather the youth into a circle:
1. Youth will realize there is no way they can complete all the tasks in the designated time and didn’t measure up to your challenge.
2. Read 1 Timothy 1:12-17.
3. Then reward the youth with the party/ event / reward you promised.

This experience is like the mercy God showed Paul and that God shows us each day.

Food for Thought

Nothing in Return

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As long as we look for some kind of pay for what we do, as long as we want to get something from God in some kind of exchange, we are like the merchants. If you want to be rid of the commercial spirit, then by all means do all you can in the way of good works, but do so solely for the praise of God. Live as if you did not exist. Expect and ask nothing in return. Then the merchant inside you will be driven out of the temple God has made. Then God alone dwells there. See! This is how the temple is cleared: when a person thinks only of God and honors him alone. Only such a person is free and genuine.

Meister Eckhart

Creative Teaching Ideas

Go for the Goal

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Materials
On small slips of paper write down the names of numerous athletes.

Activity
1. Tape these to the back of students as they arrive. The task of the students is to discover what name is pinned on their backs by asking only “yes” or “no” questions. This continues until everyone arrives and has learned the name of the famous athlete on his/her back.
2. Then go around the group and ask each youth his/her name, favorite sport, and other information you might like to know.
3. How is a goal / points scored in each of the sports the youth mentioned?

Philippians 3:12-14
* What does this tell us about Paul’s Goal in life?
* How does this apply to our goals in life?

Get "Go for the Gold" Youth Bible Study SeriesGo for the Gold
Need an evangelistic Youth Camp/ Bible Study Series with an Olympic Theme?

What is salvation all about? What does it mean to be saved? This sports themed Bible Study / Camp Curriculum uses the Olympic Flag to introduce the concepts of sin (black circle), forgiveness (red circle), purity (white background), spiritual growth (green circle), heaven (Yellow Circle) and (Baptism) blue circle.
-> Tell me about “Go for the Gold”

Get "Destined to Win" Youth Bible Study SeriesDestined to Win
Need a Youth Camp/ Bible Study Series on “Running the Christian Race”?

The race as a metaphor for the Christian life is used in several places in the Bible. This series is a great follow up for new Christians or to re-emphasize the basics of our spiritual Journey in the Faith. This Bible Study / Camp Curriculum has a sports theme and is great for athletes as well as a tie in to the youth Olympic Games.
->Tell me about “Destined to Win”

Humor

Holy Family

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A Sunday school teacher asked her students to draw a picture of the “Holy Family.” After the pictures were brought to her, she saw that some of the youngsters had drawn the conventional pictures….the Holy Family and the manger, the Holy Family riding on the mule, etc.

But she called up one little boy to ask him to explain his drawing, which showed an airplane with four heads sticking out of the plane windows.

She said, “I can understand that you drew three of the heads to show Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. But who’s the fourth head?”

“Oh,” answered the boy, “that’s Pontius the pilot!”


MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”

200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.

Learn More…

Devotional

Firsts & Lasts, What Happened to the In Betweens?

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Lyn.jpg

by Charissa Ee
Firsts & Lasts, What Happened to the In Betweens?

A couple of weeks ago, my best friend Audra posted a photo of her daughter Lyn in her first dress. I was oohhing and ahhhing because it was such a sweet photo. But it got me thinking a bit about the firsts in my life.

We celebrate all the firsts in our lives. First smile, first steps, first time on potty, first birthday, first words, first day at school, first boyfriend, first kiss, first job, first car, first credit card, first child, first, first, first.

That wasn’t the end, when I was watching the Emmys on re-telecast last night, they honored ALL the men and women who have passed on. This got me thinking again. We celebrate the first and the lasts of our lives. What happened to the in between?

We have this saying, it doesn’t matter how you get to your destination as long as you get there. Can I suggest to you differently? Maybe it does matter whether take the scenic road or the Autobahn. I think it didn’t make a difference in my grandparents’ day but I think it does now for us because we’re so obsessed in getting there first. Not only are we obsessed about getting to our destinations first but we want to be there in the fastest time possible.

The bible is full of stories of men and women who have taken the scenic routes of their lives. Most often, we think about the pain that comes with a detour. We don’t think of how beautiful it can be.

Getting to our destination is not God’s top priority. The process of getting us there is equally if not more important than our destination. That’s because when we go through the right processes, when we finally get to our destinations, we’ll be the person God has intended for us to be.

Just like a lump of clay that first has to be pounded and slapped around before it can be thrown onto the wheel. When it gets on the wheel, it is molded. After that it’s left to dry and then fired in a kiln. When the first round of firing is done, colours can be painted onto it. After which it is put back into into the kiln for another two times before we see the final product.

Often times we admire these works of ceramics but we have no idea what great pains it took an artist to create a beautiful work of ceramic with its intense colours. God is like an artist that creates us for a purpose. Most ceramics are molded into plates, vases, cups etc. They are of purpose and we enjoy the use of them. Likewise God creates us in the same manner and He enjoys using us for His pleasure.

I was recently reading up on Moses and now I’ve moved onto Nehemiah. Both had their days in their scenic routes of their lives. But I like Nehemiah’s attitude.

Nehemiah’s my man these days. He has an attitude worth imitating. From Nehemiah 2v2, we read that the King could tell that Nehemiah was visibly sad. It was SO obvious that he asked Nehemiah what he wanted.

I don’t think the King would have bothered if Nehemiah had been throwing temper tantrums or been a complainer during his years of service. He was the best cup bearer he could be. If there was such a thing in Nehemiah’s time as best service award, he would have gotten it.

We’re all currently in our in between years now. Can I suggest to you to live out your life like God depends on it?

When we live our lives with such an attitude – life’s the best, our scenic routes suddenly take a different turn. We stop to smell the roses, enjoy a nap under the oak tree and sink our feet into the first spring grass.

You know what, I’m so enjoying my scenic drive these days that I’m taking as many “snap shots” of my drive. Do that and you’ll be amazed at the roads Christ is taking you.

What a drive!


MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”

200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.

Learn More…

Parents Ministry

Firsts & Lasts, What Happened to the In Between?

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Lyn.jpg

by Charissa Ee
Firsts & Lasts, What Happened to the In Betweens?

A couple of weeks ago, my best friend Audra posted a photo of her daughter Lyn in her first dress. I was oohhing and ahhhing because it was such a sweet photo. But it got me thinking a bit about the firsts in my life.

We celebrate all the firsts in our lives. First smile, first steps, first time on potty, first birthday, first words, first day at school, first boyfriend, first kiss, first job, first car, first credit card, first child, first, first, first.

That wasn’t the end, when I was watching the Emmys on re-telecast last night, they honored ALL the men and women who have passed on. This got me thinking again. We celebrate the first and the lasts of our lives. What happened to the in between?

We have this saying, it doesn’t matter how you get to your destination as long as you get there. Can I suggest to you differently? Maybe it does matter whether take the scenic road or the Autobahn. I think it didn’t make a difference in my grandparents’ day but I think it does now for us because we’re so obsessed in getting there first. Not only are we obsessed about getting to our destinations first but we want to be there in the fastest time possible.

The bible is full of stories of men and women who have taken the scenic routes of their lives. Most often, we think about the pain that comes with a detour. We don’t think of how beautiful it can be.

Getting to our destination is not God’s top priority. The process of getting us there is equally if not more important than our destination. That’s because when we go through the right processes, when we finally get to our destinations, we’ll be the person God has intended for us to be.

Just like a lump of clay that first has to be pounded and slapped around before it can be thrown onto the wheel. When it gets on the wheel, it is molded. After that it’s left to dry and then fired in a kiln. When the first round of firing is done, colours can be painted onto it. After which it is put back into into the kiln for another two times before we see the final product.

Often times we admire these works of ceramics but we have no idea what great pains it took an artist to create a beautiful work of ceramic with its intense colours. God is like an artist that creates us for a purpose. Most ceramics are molded into plates, vases, cups etc. They are of purpose and we enjoy the use of them. Likewise God creates us in the same manner and He enjoys using us for His pleasure.

I was recently reading up on Moses and now I’ve moved onto Nehemiah. Both had their days in their scenic routes of their lives. But I like Nehemiah’s attitude.

Nehemiah’s my man these days. He has an attitude worth imitating. From Nehemiah 2v2, we read that the King could tell that Nehemiah was visibly sad. It was SO obvious that he asked Nehemiah what he wanted.

I don’t think the King would have bothered if Nehemiah had been throwing temper tantrums or been a complainer during his years of service. He was the best cup bearer he could be. If there was such a thing in Nehemiah’s time as best service award, he would have gotten it.

We’re all currently in our in between years now. Can I suggest to you to live out your life like God depends on it?

When we live our lives with such an attitude – life’s the best, our scenic routes suddenly take a different turn. We stop to smell the roses, enjoy a nap under the oak tree and sink our feet into the first spring grass.

You know what, I’m so enjoying my scenic drive these days that I’m taking as many “snap shots” of my drive. Do that and you’ll be amazed at the roads Christ is taking you.

What a drive!


MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”

200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.

Learn More…

Discussion Questions

Elijah Mentors Elisha

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Scripture
2 Kings 1:1-4:44

Summary
Elijah mentored Elisha as both were used by God to carry his words to the Israelites.

Questions

1. Who are the mentors in your life? Who are your role models, the people you look up to? Do you have spiritual mentors? If so, who? Are you a mentor to other youth?

2. Some of you received your faith through your parents. Do you feel somewhat like Elisha following in Elijah’s footsteps? What expectations are placed on you because of your parent’s faith? What feelings do you have as a result of these expectations?

3. What needs do you have as a youth living for God? What are your struggles in defending the faith as Elijah and Elisha did? How can the story of Elisha help you in dealing with needs, expectations, and struggles in living for God?

4. In what ways was Elisha confirmed and encouraged in his call to ministry by his mentor? How can you discover your own call to ministry? What confirmations do you seek in living for God? What would it take for God to convince you to stand up for God in your school?

5. What were the things that Elisha gained as he was mentored by Elijah? What lessons did he learn? What things were most important to his own call and ministry?

6. Elisha and Elijah had many visible signs that God was with them. Name some of them. What visible signs have you seen that God is with you?

7. What lessons can we learn from the story of Elijah and Elisha about mentoring? About standing up for God? About being God’s spokesman? About answering God’s call in our lives?

Creative Teaching Ideas

Fear

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Materials
1. Choose a variety of items representing the obstacles Elisha faced. You might use an empty box of cereal, a tombstone, a glass of water, an empty coin purse, a crown (you can make one from yellow paper, etc.
2. Place two tables side by side with a gap between the two tables big enough for a person’s head.
3. Cover the tables with a sheet or cloth, including the gap. Line up the items along the top two side by side tables.
4. Arrange a youth in advance to hide beneath the table with his head sticking up between the two tables. Be sure to choose someone who is a good sport and won’t get upset with what will happen later.
5. Cover each item with a cardboard box, including the youth’s head between the two tables.

Activity
1. Choose three volunteers to compete to see who can identify all the items that Elisha faced in the quickest time possible.
2. Get someone to time each participant with a stop watch. One by one lift up the boxes and have the youth identify the item under it.
3. Save the person hiding for last. Then when you reveal the person hiding that person shouts “boo!” and tries to scare the person.
4. Repeat with the second volunteer.
5. The third volunteer does the same but have a pie tin with whip creme or shaving creme to push into the person’s face who is hiding after they scare the third volunteer. Be careful of eyes. hah hah… last laugh is on you!

Scripture
2 Kings 1:1-4:44

Application
Elisha faced many obstacles in his role as a prophet. But God always took care to provide for his needs and get him through the difficulties. One of the greatest obstacles we have to serving God and standing up when there difficulties is fear. But God can always conquer our fear in the end if we will simply trust him. Sometimes we might receive a little persecution or even a pie in the face, but when we must stand up for God because that is what we have been called to do.


MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”

200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.

Learn More…

Creative Teaching Ideas

Breakthrough

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Materials
Cardboard or newsprint, or paper large enough to block the door of the room.

What to do

  1. Using cardboard boxes block off the entrances to the classroom. You can even tape paper over the door if nothing else. You might paint it or draw bricks on it so it looks like a wall.
  2. Have youth bust through the paper to enter the classroom.
  3. Discuss the obstacles we have to living our faith in a world that does not know God. How can we bust through these obstacles like we did the wall blocking the classroom door?
  4. Give each youth a peice of paper or cardboard used to block the door. Have them write obstacles on one side and ways we can break through the obstacles with God’s provision on the other side.

Variation
As an alternative object lesson bring in a small brick or piece of wood painted to look like a brick for each student. Have the youth write a symbol of at least one obstacle they face in their spiritual lives onto this brick and keep it in a prominent place at home to remind them that there is no obstacle God cannot overcome in your walk with Him.

Scripture
2 Kings 1:1-4:44

Summary
God wants to help us move beyond the obstacles in life.



MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”
200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.
Learn More…