“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, niv).

If all the sleeping folk will wake up,
If all the lukewarm folk will fire up,
If all the dishonest folk will confess up,
If all the disgruntled folk will cheer up,
If all the depressed folk will cheer up,
If all the estranged folk will make up,
If all the gossipers will shut up,
If all true soldiers will stand up,
If all the dry bones will shake up,
If all the church members will pray up…
Then we can have a revival!

Bob and the Lord stood by to observe a baseball game. The Lord’s team was playing Satan’s team. The Lord’s team was at bat, the score was tied zero to zero, and it was the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs.

Materials

• Pieces of white paper. (Almost any white paper will work: butcher paper, Mah Jong paper, posterboard, white tissue paper).
• Charcoal or a dark crayon
• Bright light.

Icebreaker Description
In this icebreaker / crowdbreaker, youth will try to guess the identity of other youth by looking at their profiles.

The Master was searching for a vessel to use:
Before Him were many,
Which one would He choose?
“Take me,” cried the gold one.
“I’m shiny and bright;
I’m of great value and I do things just right.
My beauty and luster will outshine the rest,
And for someone like you, Master, Gold would be best.”
The Master passed on with no word at all,
And looked at a silver urn, grand and tall.
“I’ll serve you dear Master, I’ll pour out your wine;
I’ll be on your table whenever you dine.
My lines are so graceful, my carving so true,
And silver will always complement you.”
Unheeding, the Master passed on to the brass,
Wide-mouthed and shallow and polished like glass.
“Here, here!” cried the vessel, “I know I will do;
Place me on your table for all men to view.”
“Look at me,” called the goblet of crystal so clear,
“My transparency shows my contents so dear.
Though fragile am I, I will serve you with pride,
And I’m sure I’ll be happy in your house to abide.”
Then the Master came next to a vessel of wood;
Polished and carved, it solidly stood.
“You may use me, dearest Master,” the wooden bowl said.
“But I’d rather you used me for fruit, not for bread.”
Then the Master looked down and saw a vessel of clay.
Empty and broken it helplessly lay.
No hope had the vessel that the Master might choose,
To cleanse, and make whole, to fill and to use.
“Ah! Now This is the vessel I’ve been hoping to find.
I’ll mend it and use it and make it all mine.
I need not the vessel with pride of itself,
Nor one that is narrow to sit on the shelf;
Nor one that is big-mouthed and shallow and loud;
Nor one that displays his contents so proud;
Nor the one who thinks he can do things just right;
But this plain earthen vessel filled with power and might.”
Then gently He lifted the vessel of clay,
Mended and cleansed it and filled it that day;
Spoke to it kindly – “There’s work you must do…
Just pour out to others as I pour into you.”

A family had a very beautiful vase that was a family heirloom. Their little girl had been told that “it is our family treasure.” One day there was a loud crash. The little girl began to wail. Her mother ran into the room and found her daughter crying and the vase broken. She asked her daughter, “what is wrong?”. “I broke the family treasure”, she cried. Her mother picked her up and said, “Yes, but you are alright.” When the girl became a woman she said, “I found out that day that I was the real family treasure.
“

Did Jesus use a modem,
At the Sermon on the Mount?
Did He ever try a broadcast fax,
To send His message out?
Did the disciples carry beepers,
As they went about their route?
Did Jesus use a modem,
At the Sermon on the Mount?

A man and wife who are both fanciers of antiques, pottery and china enter a little china shop in Sussex, England. Their eyes single out a little teacup on the top shelf.
“May I see that?” he asked. “I’ve never seen a teacup like it. Its beautiful!”
But suddenly the teacup spoke! “You don’t understand…I haven’t always been a teacup. There was a time that I was red…and I was clay. My master took me and rolled me…and patted me over…and over…and over. I yelled out, ‘Let me alone!’ But he only smiled and said: ‘Not yet.’”
“Then I was placed on a spinning wheel,” the teacup said. “Suddenly I was spun around…and around…and around. ‘Stop it…I’m getting dizzy!’ I screamed.”
“The master only nodded and said: ‘Not yet.’”
“Then he put me in an oven…I’ve never felt such heat. I wondered why he wanted to burn me…and I yelled…and I knocked on the door. I could see him through the opening…and I could read his lips as he shook his head: ‘Not yet.’”
“Finally the door did open…whew! He put me up on the shelf…and I began to cool. ‘There…that’s better, I said.’”
“Then suddenly he brushed me…and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible…and I thought I would gag: ‘Stop it…stop it!’ I cried. He only nodded: ‘Not yet.’”
“Then suddenly he put me back into an oven…not the first one…but one twice as hot. I knew I would suffocate. I begged…I pleaded…I screamed…I cried. All the time I could see him through the opening…nodding his head and saying: ‘Not yet.’”
“Then I knew there was no hope…and I would never make it. I was ready to give up. But the door opened…and he took me out…and he placed me on a shelf. One hour later…he handed me a mirror and said: ‘Look at yourself.’”
“And I did…and I said: ‘That’s not me…it couldn’t be me! I’m beautiful!’”
“‘I want you to remember’, he then said, ‘I know it hurt to be rolled and patted…but if I had left you…you would have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin you around on the wheel…but if I had stopped…you would have crumbled. I know it hurt…and it was hot and disagreeable in the oven…but if I hadn’t put you there…you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed you…and painted you all over, but you see…if I hadn’t done that…you would never have hardened. There would have been no color to your life. And if I hadn’t put you back in the second oven…you would not have survived for very long…and the hardness would not have held. Now you’re a finished product…. You’re what I had in mind when I first began with you!’”

I found an interesting site for those of you more focused on children.

It called the Kid’s Sunday School Place and has fresh, creative Children’s Ministry resources, Sunday school lessons, Bible crafts, activities, object lessons, stories, skits, games, songs & much more. Looks like a lot of fun for children. Check out the site at http://www.kidssundayschool.com

A PARABLE

A poorly dressed woman approached the owner of the store in a most humble manner and asked if he would let her charge a few groceries.

She softly explained that her husband was very ill and unable to work, they had seven children and they needed food. John Longhouse, the grocer scoffed at her and requested that she leave his store.