Creative Teaching Ideas

Predictions for the New Year

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Here’s a game we thought up to allow your youth one more chance to celebrate as they start the school year. You can invite visitors and give a small party gag gift to everyone and generate a few laughs at the same time.

Resources

  1. Index cards
  2. Gag gifts
  3. Bag or Bowl

Preparation

  1. Write out the “prophecies” below on a card, number them, and place them in the bowl or bag.
  2. Wrap the response together with the gift and number them to match the “prophecies”.

Prophecy: “Your wisdom will begin to show”
Response: “Black hair dye to cover the grey hairs”

Prophecy: “There will be unexpected revelations in the new year.”
Response: “Safety pins for when you have a busted zipper”

Prophecy: “You will be at a loss for words”
Response: “Here’s a dictionary so you can find some!”

Prophecy: “You’ll need to wipe away the results of your efforts”
Response: “Here’s a roll of toilet paper for a clean break!”

Prophecy: “Things will move a little too slow for comfort”
Response: Here’s some Chocolate Ex-Lax to make things move a little faster”

Prophecy: “You will be a little short of dough”
Response: “Here’s a cookie recipe and cutter”

Prophecy: “Circumstances may be a little bitter”
Response: “Here’s some sugar to sweeten things up”

Prophecy: “You will not quite measure up”
Response: “Here’s a ruler to help”

Prophecy: “With great changes you will need a new yard stick”
Response: “Here’s a stick from my yard to help”

Prophecy: “You will need to clean up a mess!”
Response: “Here’s a dust pan to make it easier”

Prophecy: “You will need to release a little stress”
Response: “Here’s some stress relieving capsules” (Bubble wrap)

Prophecy: “You’ll need a washer and dryer”
Response: “Here’s a dual purpose washer or dryer” (hand towel)

Prophecy: “You will discover a great deal”
Response: “Here’s a deck of cards to help you learn”

Prophecy: “You will want to take a bubble bath”
Response: “Here’s a jar of beans. Boil and eat 1 hour in advance for a natural bubble bath.”

Prophecy: “You will need to make some great calculations”
Response: “Here’s a pencil – use your head!”

Prophecy: “You will make more than a few mistakes.”
Response: “Here’s an eraser for a clean start”

Prophecy: “You will want a bigger paycheck”
Response: “Here’s a magnifying glass to help”

Prophecy: “Everyone will believe you have lost your marbles!”
Response: “Now you have at least a few.” (bag of marbles)

Prophecy: “You will want to pull your hair out in frustration.”
Response: “Here’s a wig to hide the bald spots!”

What to Do

  1. Say: Can you predict what will happen in the new year? We prepared some predictions for everyone for this year, and something special to help make them a reality!
  2. Youth draw a numbered clue from a bag and read the “prophecy” about their future in the upcoming year aloud.
  3. Then they open the matching gift and show it to everyone while reading the attached response.

Take It to the Next Level

  • What are some things people predict will happen this year?
  • Do you have some predictions you have made for your own life?
  • How are you planning to make those predictions a reality?

We often make plans for our lives that we can believe and know are possible and achievable. When we look at our predictions for the year, how much of it is what we know we can accomplish with or without God’s help and how much of it is beyond what we believe is possible? God has called us to live a life that’s bigger than that. We have a God that is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that what we can ask or imagine.

  • Maybe there’s someone in your life you feel is impossible to share the love of Christ with.
  • Possibly, it’s a subject in school you’re struggling with.
  • Could be a situation you feel will never be overcome.
  • Maybe an addiction, a habit or attitude you feel you can’t change.
  • It could even be a medical condition you’re struggling with.

If we desire to see positive changes in our lives and the lives of those around us to please the One we serve, God will give us the strength to overcome. Jesus Christ has won the victory. We just need to earnestly seek Him and exercise our faith in the One who has made all things possible through His death and resurrection on the cross.

Isn’t it time we challenged ourselves and make a faith prediction for what we want to see this year?

Closing

Have youth write the faith prediction on a piece of paper. Date it. Sign it and then seal it in an envelope for the end of the year.

Variations

In addition for a faith prediction for themselves, encourage them to make some faith predictions for the youth group, for their class, or for their church.

Scripture References

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
– Mark 10:27

“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
– Matthew 17:20

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
– Ephesians 3:20-21 (NKJV)

“God says that he has plans for each of us. Plans to prosper us and not to harm us! Plans for a hope and a future. How do we discover these plans? He will bring them to pass when we seek him with all our heart!”
– Jeremiah 29:11-14

Announcements, Humor, Teaching Illustrations

New Year Resolutions from the Dog

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  • Try to understand that the cat is from Venus, and I am from Mars.
  • I will try to leave the cat alone, once in a while.
  • I will no longer be beholden to the sound of the can opener.
  • Call PETA and tell them what that surgical mask-wearing freak does to us when no one is around.
  • Take time from busy schedule to stop and smell the behinds.
  • To always scoot before licking.
  • Grow opposable thumb; break into pantry; decide for MYSELF how much food is *too* much.
  • January 1st: Kill the sock! Must kill the sock! January 2nd – December 31st: Re-live victory over the sock.
  • I will NOT chase the damned stick unless I see it LEAVE HIS HAND.
  • Next time I fart I will not whimper – so that someone else gets the blame
  • I will worry less about things I can’t eat and play with
  • To smell more things that look interesting
  • To pick more fights with shoes and pillows
  • To take more opportunities to forget what I am doing and nap instead
  • Pay more attention to fallen cactus to avoid owies on the walk.
  • To hog the bed; stretch & spread out; hog the covers.
  • Stretch out on the couch in such a way where there’s no room for peoples or the pets
  • Only reserve kisses for times after making a public display of licking my butt or burping.
  • Counter surf more discreetly.
  • Have my way with the roll of toilet paper. Drag and decorate DIY style throughout the house. Martha Stewart would be proud.
  • Greet strangers with gusto. (Notice ME!)
  • Wag more, bark less.
  • Have a torrid one-night stand with a street mutt.
  • I will stay out of the trash, off the counters, and certainly never eat snacks from my boy’s backpack.
Humor

New Year’s Resolutions from the Cats

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  • My human will never let me eat their pet hamster, and I am at peace with that.
  • I will not slurp fish food from the surface of the aquarium
  • I will not eat large numbers of assorted bugs, then come home and throw them up so the humans can see that I’m getting plenty of roughage.
  • I will not lean way over to drink out of the tub, fall in, and then pelt right for the box of clumping cat litter. (It took FOREVER to get the stuff out of my fur.)
  • I will not use the bathtub to store live mice for late-night snacks.
  • We will not play “Herd of Thundering Wildebeests Stampeding Across the Plains of the Serengeti” over any humans’ bed while they’re trying to sleep.
  • I cannot leap through closed windows to catch birds outside. If I forget this and bonk my head on the window and fall behind the couch in my attempt, I will not get up and do the same thing again.
  • I will not assume the patio door is open when I race outside to chase leaves.
  • I will not stick my paw into any container to see if there is something in it. If I do, I will not hiss and scratch when my human has to shave me to get the rubber cement out of my fur.
  • If I bite the cactus, it will bite back.
  • When it rains, it will be raining on all sides of the house.
  • It is not necessary to check every door.
  • I will not play “dead cat on the stairs” while people are trying to bring in groceries or laundry, or else one of these days, it will really come true.
  • When the humans play darts, I will not leap into the air and attempt to catch them.
  • I will not swat my human’s head repeatedly when they are on the family room floor trying to do sit ups.
  • When my human is typing at the computer, their forearms are *not* a hammock.
  • Computer and TV screens do not exist to backlight my lovely tail.
  • I will not puff my entire body to twice its size for no reason after my human has watched a horror movie.
  • I will not stand on the bathroom counter, stare down the hall, and growl at NOTHING after my human has watched the X-Files.
  • I will not drag dirty socks onto the bed at night and then yell at the top of my lungs so that my humans can admire my “kill.”
  • I will not perch on my human’s chest in the middle of the night and stare until they wake up.
  • I will not walk on the key board when my human is writing important adagfsg gdjag ;ln.

(Circulating on the internet)

Humor, Teaching Illustrations

Flight Instructions for 2013

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Welcome to Flight #2013, We are prepared for take off into the New Year. Please make sure your Attitude and Blessings are secured and locked in an upright position. All self destructive devices should be turned off at this time. Should we lose Altitude under pressure during the flight, reach up and pull down a Prayer. Prayers will automatically be activated by Faith. Once your Faith is activated you can assist other passengers. There will be NO BAGGAGE allowed on this flight. The captain has cleared us for takeoff. Destination GREATNESS!! Have a Blessed New Year Friends .

Humor

New Year’s – Resolutions or Excuses

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Found these on cybersalt.org and thought they were humorous for today! While a bit funny, they are also a bit sad because I know some youth who have made similar New Year Resolutions. In fact I have made a few of these myself. We all know what we should do, but it is so easy to make excuses for ourselves.

This year, I resolve to…

  • Gain weight. At least 30 pounds.
  • Stop exercising. Waste of time.
  • Read less. Makes you think.
  • Watch more TV. I’ve been missing some good stuff.
  • Procrastinate more. Starting tomorrow.
  • Spend more time at work, surfing with the T1.
  • Take a vacation to someplace important: like, to see the largest ball of twine.
  • Don’t jump off a cliff just because everyone else did.
  • Stop bringing lunch from home: I should eat out more.
  • Don’t have eight children at once.
  • Get in a whole NEW rut!
  • Start being superstitious.
  • Personal goal: bring back disco.
  • Don’t bet against the Minnesota Vikings.
  • Buy an ’83 Eldorado and invest in a really loud stereo system.
  • Get the windows tinted. Buy some fur for the dash.
  • Speak in a monotone voice and only use monosyllabicwords.
  • Only wear jeans that are 2 sizes too small and use a chain or rope for a belt.
  • Spend my summer vacation in Cyberspace.
  • Don’t eat cloned meat.
  • Create loose ends.
  • Get more toys.
  • Get further in debt.
  • Don’t believe politicians.
  • Don’t drive a motorized vehicle across thin ice.
  • Avoid transmission of inter-species diseases.
  • Avoid airplanes that spontaneously drop 1000 feet.
  • Stay off the International Space Station.
  • Not swim with pirhanas or sharks.
  • Associate with even worse business clients.
  • Spread out priorities beyond my ability to keep track of them.
  • Wait around for opportunity.
  • Focus on the faults of others.
  • Mope about my faults.
  • Never make New Year’s resolutions again.

 

Creative Teaching Ideas

New Year’s Resolutions You Can Keep

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In general, each new day is like the one before. There really is no reason why New Year’s Day should be any different than the rest of the days of the year. There is no difference between December 31 and January 1. Nothing special occurs at midnight on December 31. But for many, the New Year is a day to reflect on the past and look to the future. In fact the name of the first month of the year, January, is derived from Janus, a two faced Roman deity that looked both backwards and forward at the same time. January 1st is a time of new beginnings, of getting a fresh start, of letting go of the things from the past that might hold us back and pressing forward.

If that sounds familiar, you might recognise it as a concept, not unique to the Romans but a Biblical concept as well. From the very beginning God appointed the 7th day as a day of rest, a day of renewal to begin a new week. Later God commanded a day of atonement, which allowed anyone to start with a clean slate for a new year. There was even a year of jubilee during which all inheritances were restored, all slaves freed, and everyone was given an opportunity for a new beginning.

“Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV)

In Luke 18:18-27, Jesus is asked by a rich young ruler, what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. When Jesus responded he mentioned the keeping of the 10 commandments. The man replied that he had kept them all. Then Jesus said there was still one thing he needed to do – to sell all he owned and Follow Jesus. There was one thing that stood between him and God. For him it was his money.

It is a fitting story for the New Year. At this time of the year people are making lists of commitments of things to do – New Year’s Resolutions. In a way they are personal commandments of do’s and don’ts. But maybe instead of making a long list we need to look at the one things that stands between us and all that God has planned for us. For some it might be the same as the rich young ruler – riches. For others it may be a variety of things. I wonder what that one thing is that would bring you closer to God in the New Year?

What are some of the goals or resolutions that people make for the New Year?

According to the University of Scranton Journal of Clinical Psychology, December 13, 2012 edition, the top ten resolutions for 2012 were:

  1. Lose Weight
  2. Getting Organized
  3. Spend Less, Save More
  4. Enjoy Life to the Fullest
  5. Staying Fit and Healthy
  6. Learn Something Exciting
  7. Quit Smoking
  8. Help Others in Their Dreams
  9. Fall in Love
  10. Spend More Time with Family

These things are all GOOD things. But if we were to follow Jesus completely, with nothing standing between us and Him, a good number of these things would become true. If we were to follow God wholeheartedly and depend more on him in the year ahead, there is so much more God could do in our lives.

Jesus wasn’t against wealth. He was against anything that holds us back from God. For the rich young ruler great wealth was the ‘one thing’ that stood between him and God.

What are some other things that might stand between a person and God?

So what is your ‘one thing’?

Before we focus on that one thing, there is a final thing to remember from this passage. It is found in verse 27.

“With God all things are possible.”

Of those that do make New Year Resolutions, most fail. Some last a week, some last a month, but virtually none will last till the end of the year. That’s because we need God to make lasting change in our lives. We cannot do it alone. And if we do fail along the way, there’s nothing stopping us from confessing and picking ourselves up again then and there to continue on the journey. We don’t need to wait till the end of the New Year.

Pray for God’s help to give up your ‘one thing’ to Him so that you can not only be closer to Him, but so he can bring about even more change in your life over the next year.

Pray Philippians 1:9-11 into your life “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.”

Isaiah 43:18-19 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a pathway in the wilderness and streams in the desert.”

Take it to the Next Level

 

Have youth write that one thing on a piece of paper. Ask them why to write down why that one thing stands between them and God. Then ask them to write a letter to themselves about how God might encourage them and help them to make him more important in their life of the course of the next year. Then give each an envelope to seal the letter inside. Have them write their name and address on the front of their envelope. Then on their birthday or another special day during the next year, send them the letter.

“Until you commit your goals to paper, you have intentions that are seeds without soil.”
— Anonymous

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” Matthew 6:25-34

Additional Verses

Here are some verses to contemplate for the New Year. As your youth are writing, you may wish to make them into a slideshow presentation or write them out on flipchart paper and stick them up around the room. You might also want to consider using them to encourage your youth or as theme verses for the upcoming year.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.” (Psalm 51:10-11)

“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” (Colossians 3:14-15)

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.” (Philippians 3:12-15)

“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Colossians 3:13)

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 19:20)

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31)

“How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me?” (Psalm 116:12)

“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

“May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.” (Psalm 20:4)

“Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” (Lamentations 3:22-24)

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10)

“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” (Ezekiel 36:25-27)

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

“Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” (Proverbs 16:3)

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” (Proverbs 19:21)

“Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” (2 Timothy 2:22)

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2)

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” (1 Chronicles 16:34)

“Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” (Psalm 23:6)

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15)

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23)

“For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you. Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.” (Isaiah 64:3-4)

“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord” (Lamentations 3:40).

“Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:9).

Creative Teaching Ideas

Christmas Jeopardy – Mary

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The TV show Jeopardy, is a great game for the review of Biblical lessons. It’s also great to see how much people really know about stories that they hear all the time. In this Christmas Jeopardy game, the focus is on Mary.

Resources

1. Game board
The game board can be drawn on a piece of paper, on a whiteboard, on an OHP, on individual pieces of paper taped to the wall, or on computer with a projector using powerpoint. Typically the board consists of categories across the top and point values below at 100, 200, 300, 400, 500. Powerpoint is the easiest because you can link the point values to a slide that contains the clues. Clues are phrased as statement and participants must provide the question that the statement answers. Every clue then links to the answer and then links back to the initial slide. A Christmas template for the questions below can be downloaded HERE. Links that have already been clicked will automatically show a different color in some versions of powerpoint.  If it doesn’t on yours, simple print out the first slide and keep track of which questions have been asked already.  Give a copy to each team so they can also keep track.

2. You’ll need to people to help you run the game – a host, a scorekeeper, and a person to run the game itself.

  • Host – Introduces the game, reads the clues, and decides whether the answers provided are correct or not.
  • Scorekeeper – The scorekeeper keeps the score for all teams. Correct answers add to the score where as incorrect answers subtract from the score.
  • Game Runner – The Game Runner is responsible for running the game board and identifying the first person or team to indicate they want to answer the question. You can use a bell or the simply raising of a hand to indicate they want to answer.

Game Play

On television, the jeopardy game consists of three rounds. There is a normal round, a round that is known as double jeopardy where the point values are doubled, and final Jeopardy. Depending on time you may want to eliminate the double jeopardy round to speed up the game. This game works well with 2 to 6 teams with 2-4 people on each team.

General Play

Standard Round

  • Randomly choose a team to go first.
  • During their turn, each team chooses a category and a value. (i.e. “Bible Boks for $200”)
  • The host then reads the clue, after which any player on any team can buzz in.
  • The Game Runner announces the first team to buzz in and the Host calls on that team for a response to the clue. The response must be phrased in the form of a question (for example,
  • “What is Genesis?”.)
  • Teams are allowed to discuss before someone buzzes in, but once someone buzzes in, the person who raised hand or hit the bell must give the response.
  • A correct adds the value to the team’s score whereas an incorrect response subtracts the value.
  • The response must be given within a specific time frame (I usually give a maximum of 10 seconds.
  • If the response is correct, the team also gets the opportunity to choose the next clue.
  • If the response is incorrect or not given in time, another team has the chance to buzz in with their answer.
  • If no correct response is given, the host reads the correct response, and the team who
  • originally chose the question maintains control of the board.

Daily Doubles

  • There are three Daily Doubles – one in the standard Jeopardy round and two in the Double Jeopardy round.
  • Only the team that receives the Daily Double may respond to its clue. The team may only wager as much as they have accumulated so far up to a maximum amount of the clues on the board of the current round. Minimum bid is 100.
  • When a Daily Double comes up, the scorekeeper announces the scores of each team. The team that picked the Daily Double decides how much of their score to wager and calls it out. The team may discuss their response but must respond within 10 seconds. Points are added for a correct answer or subtracted for an incorrect one.

Double Jeopardy Round

  • The team with the lowest score at the end of the standard Jeopardy round has the first selection in Double Jeopardy round. Values in the Double Jeopardy Round are doubled. This round is optional depending on time.

Final Jeopardy Round

  • Teams with zero, or negative scores are eliminated from the final Jeopardy round.
  • Distribute Note card and writing materials for the final round. In the final Jeopardy round, the score must be written down on a note card or piece of paper so you will want to have this available along with something for the team to write with.
  • The Host announces the final jeopardy category. After hearing the category the Teams have 10 seconds to discuss how much to risk on the final question and write it on their card or piece of paper. Teams can risk any amount up to what they have already won.
  • Host reads the final clue and teams have 30 seconds to discuss and write their responses to the clue on their Final Jeopardy cards.
  • At the end of the 30 seconds, teams display their cards (beginning with the team that has the lowest score)
  • Calculate the final scores. The team with the highest score wins.

The Questions

Angels
100 The name of the angel that brought the message to Mary – Gabriel
200 The month God sent the angel – sixth month
300 The name of the town where the angel met Mary – Nazareth
400 Phrase the angel used to described Mary – Highly blessed, or Most favored
500 These two births were mentioned to Mary – John the baptist and Jesus

Parents
100 The name of the mother of Jesus – Mary
200 A relative of the mother of Jesus – Elizabeth
300 The name of the person to whom the mother of Jesus was betrothed – Joseph
400 The mother described herself as this in her song – humble servant
500 The mother of Jesus hurried to this person’s home when she received
the message from the angel – Zechariah’s home (or Elizabeth’s home)

Parents
100 The name Mary was to give to her baby – Jesus
200 The other baby in the story did this when in the presence of Mary? – jumped for joy in the womb
300 The baby was also called the Son of this – The son of the Most High
400 The Lord will give him the throne of his father – David
500 He will reign over this house – Jacob

Bible
100 The book of the Bible which speaks most about Mary – Luke
200 The Book of the Bible that foretold the virgin birth – Isaiah 7:14
300 The book of the Bible that mentioned the Messiah would be a descendent of David – Jeremiah 23:5
400 The book that foretold that Mary and Joseph would flee to Egypt – Hosea 11:1
500 Book of the Bible that mentioned Bethlehem as the city Mary would give birth – Micah 5:1-2

Miscellaneous
100 Number of days until Christmas? – depends on when you play the game
200 Opposite of arrogance – humility
300 The reason Mary was travelling, even though she was pregnant – pay taxes
400 The number of Months Elizabeth was pregnant when she met Mary – 6
500 The Meaning of the name “Jesus” – God saves

Final Jeopardy Question:

What was the main characteristic of Mary that enabled God to use her? – humble obedience

Click Here to Download a Powerpoint for the Christmas Jeopardy Questions

 

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Creative Teaching Ideas

The Christmas Story: Elizabeth & Zechariah

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The story of the priest Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth is an integral part of the Christmas story as found in Luke 1:5-25; 57-66. Mary, pregnant with Jesus, visits Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John the Baptist. In the presence of Christ in Mary’s Womb, John the Baptist jumps in Elizabeth’s womb. But this story is not only about John the Baptist and Jesus. Elizabeth and Zachariah are wonderful examples of patience and belief.

Christmas Time Line Relay

Resources

  • Index Cards

Preparation

  1. On the index cards place the following events from the story of the Birth of John, one per card. Make a set for each team.
  2. On a wall/ board across the room place the numbers 1-10.
  3. Shuffle the cards and place them at the front of the line for each team.
    • Zechariah draws the small straw so he goes into the temple to burn incense
    • An angel of the Lord appears to Zechariah
    • The Angel Gabriel prophesies about the birth of John and his life
    • Zechariah doubts
    • Zechariah’s voice is taken away so he cannot speak
    • Elizabeth became pregnant
    • Elizabeth has a son
    • Elizabeth wants to call the baby “John”
    • Zechariah sings a song of prophesy
    • John the Baptist grew and became strong in the Spirit and lived in the desert

What to Do

  1. Zechariah had to communicate using his hands to gesture or by writing on a piece of paper. Play Christmas charades with the youth using the Bible events from the story of Zachariah and Elizabeth. Divide into 1 or more teams and give them the cards with the various events.
  2. The first person for each group must take a card and act out the Bible person or situation while the rest of the team tries to guess the event. Only once the event is guessed, can it be placed on the timeline.
  3. Once the event has been guessed, the youth must run and place it in what they think the correct position (positions 1 to 10) on the timeline and then run back to the line. They may rearrange those cards already placed on the timeline while they are there.
  4. Teammates can shout help.
  5. If at the end of the relay, not all cards are in the correct order, the next person in line can go up and rearrange the cards and come back.
  6. Do not tell the team whether it is correct until they come back. If something is out of place, do not tell them which events are out of order, but simply tell them it is incorrect.
  7. The first team to complete the time line in the correct order wins.

Variation

To make things more interesting, or to make it last longer in a small space, give the teams straws and peanuts or peas. They must pick up a pea or peanuts using suction through the straw and carry it to the timeline and back. If the person drops the pea/ peanut that he must return his card to the deck and go to the end of the line. The next person then goes.

Variation

Instead of charades use pictionary so that youth must draw the events on a whiteboard or large sheet of paper.

Take it to the Next Level

 

Make it Spiritual

At Christmas, most of us see gifts under the Christmas tree long before Christmas Day. It takes patience to wait until Christmas Day to open the gifts. Israel had waited a long time for the promised Saviour, the Messiah. But the long awaited Messiah had not come yet. Even though Zachariah and his wife were childless, and quite old, he still served God faithfully and continued to pray for a child. Like Israel, he He had waited for a very long time. On this occasion, while he was faithfully serving in the temple, the Angel Gabriel appeared and told him his prayers were about to be answered. He and his wife would have a son and God would use that son – to be named John, to bless Israel and usher in the long promised messiah. God was about to present not only he and his wifeWhile Zechariah was faithfully serving in the temple and praying for the birth of a child for him and his wife a very special blessing, but all of Israel with an incredible blessing as well.

At the angel’s appearance, Zechariah was at first scared, and then when he heard the message he had trouble believing it. Because of his disbelief, Gabriel told him that he would not be able to speak until the baby was born. He had been given a very special message, but he couldn’t speak about it for 9 months. Everyone knew something special had happened, but Zachariah had to patiently trust God that when the baby was born he would get his voice back. After the birth, when there was a question of what to name the baby, Zachariah wrote down the name John. Immediately, Zechariah could speak again.

Make it Practical

  • What are some of the promises of God given to us?
  • What are some promises you have seen become real in your own life?
  • What are some of the promises of God you are still waiting to see become real for you?
  • What are some things we pray for in life?
  • What lessons can we learn from the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth related to God’s promises and prayer?
  • Why is patience and belief important to Christians when it comes to God’s promises and answered prayer?

Make it Personal

  • What promises of God are you most eagerly awaiting to be fulfilled in your life?
  • Why? What different would this make to your life?
  • What is the most persistent prayer you make to God?
  • Why? What different would this make to your life?
  • What lessons regarding patience, faithful service, and prayer can you apply to your own life?

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Teaching Illustrations

The Pilot

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Just got this from a friend via email and thought I’d share it with you.

A priest was on a long flight home after a Church Conference.

The first warning of approaching problems came when the ‘Fasten Your Seat Belts’ sign flashed on. After a while a calm voice said, “We shall not be serving beverages at this time as we are expecting a little turbulence. Please make sure your seat belt is fastened.”

The priest looked around the aircraft and saw that many of the passengers were becoming apprehensive. Later, the voice on the intercom said, “We are so sorry that we are unable to serve meals at this time… The turbulence is still ahead of us.”

And then the storm broke.

The ominous cracks of thunder could be heard even above the roar of the engines. Lightning lit up the darkening skies, and within moments that great plane was tossed around like a cork in a celestial ocean. One moment it was lifted on terrific currents of air, the next it fell as if about to crash.

As the priest looked around he could see that nearly all the passengers were alarmed – except one little girl!

She sat calmly, feet tucked under her, looking at pictures in a book, oblivious of the turbulence around her. Sometimes she would close her eyes, and then she would go back to her book.

The storm blew over.

When the plane landed and the passengers were disembarking, the priest approached the little girl and asked her why she was not afraid like the other passengers.

The little girl replied, “Cause my Daddy’s the pilot and he’s taking me home.”

There are many storms that buffet us…
Physical, mental, financial, domestic and other storms that can darken our skies and throw us into turmoil.

Like the little girl, let us always remember:
Our Father is the Pilot.
He is in control… He will take us Home… Don’t worry!

Creative Teaching Ideas

Insignificant Christmas?

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As the streets get lit up, the sidewalks, shop windows, everything gets decorated with scenes of the nativity, we see it all around us, and these symbols carry deep meaning for us. But something we don’t realize is how insignificant they were at the very first Christmas.

INSIGNIFICANT CHRISTMAS?

Resources

  1. A list of 15-20 items that teens carry in their wallets, purses, or on themselves.
  2. Some possible items for your list are: a black comb, facial tissue, a cross, five dollar bill, Bible, a book mark, foreign currency, lipstick, a note from a friend, white shoe string, 1 cent coin, an identity card, brown belt, safety pin, a ring, watch with a second hand, toothbrush, a friend’s phone number, pen, fingernail file, a pencil, picture of dad, friendship bracelet, a blank piece of paper, student ID, blonde hair, credit card, mobile phone, a cosmetic mirror, etc.

Preparation

  1. Divide youth into groups of 4-5 students

What to Do

  1. Tell the groups that you are going to ask for an object.
  2. Each group should present their object to you for a point.
  3. Once they’re back in their groups, they have to form these objects into some kind of representation of Christmas.
  4. Have each group explain their representation.

Take It to the Next Level

Think about the small, insignificant things we see all around us at Christmas time, the sights, the sounds, the images. What are some of them you see?

Insignificant Places

Bethlehem
“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, TOO LITTLE to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.” (Micah 5:2 – Emphasis Mine) Bethlehem means “House of Bread.” Ephrathah means “fruitful.” It is fitting that the Messiah, the “Bread of life”, the “fruitful vine” would be born there. It is the city of David, who was initially seen by his father Jesse as the most insignificant of his sons when presenting them to the prophet Samuel. Bethlehem was not the capital city. It was not a major trade center. It wasn’t a center of attention. It was a small quiet town, an insignificant place until the Messiah came.

Nazareth
Nathanael asked of Nazareth, “Can anything good come from there?” (John 1:46) Joseph and Mary cam from Nazareth. It wasn’t significant. It wasn’t held in high regard as indicated by Nathaniel’s statement.

Fields
The shepherd kept watch in the fields by night. It was pasture, farmland, a place to raise sheep. In fact, scripture says they were “living in the fields.” It was not at a crossroads, in the public square, on the palace grounds that the Savior’s arrival was announced, but in a field filled with more sheep than men.

A Stable
There was no room in the inn. No decent room. Not even a decent bed. Christ was not born in a palace or event a place created for men. It was a place for the animals, a stable. Instead of a bed, a feed trough.

Insignificant People

Shepherds
“In that region, there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.” (Luke 2:8) Shepherds were banished from the temple, indicating that in some way they were social outcasts who spent most of their lives not among men, but among sheep. As the shepherds tended their sheep they were simply going about their daily tasks. To the shepherds there was nothing significant about the night until the sky suddenly filled with a multitude of angels announcing “Unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord.”

The Innkeeper
He was so insignificant that his name was not even mentioned, yet he gave Mary and Joseph a stable that provided some shelter for the night.

Mary and Joseph
They were not well to do and traveled the long journey from Nazareth to pay their taxes. Too young to be married, but old enough to trust God at His word. Mary’s words – “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said”.

From Insignificant to Significant

Christmas reminds us that any place can become special when God visits that place. That anyone can become important when God works through them. God specializes in making the small, the insignificant, the forgotten, and even the outcast significant in his plans. All he needs is a place, in your heart and in your life where ever you may be. When God is near, When God is with us, “Immanuel”, the insignificant grows into significance because he fills the space given to Him.

Make it Personal

  • What are some of the possibilities for God to use you and where you are at now for his glory?
  • In what ways can you allow God to fill more of your life?
  • What things can you do to allow God to use you in a more significant way?
  • You are significant to God. How would your life change if you said to God like Mary? “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.”

Scripture References

“Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”
– 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

 

Get Creative Youth Ideas: "Christmas Collection" ebook Creative Youth Ideas Christmas Collection
Games and Activities helping youth discover the Reason for the Season.

Get more than 200 creative ideas for planning a Youth Christmas celebration or Christmas Party party. You can immediately download my best Christmas Icebreakers, games, illustrations, Christmas activity ideas AND MUCH MORE in a useful ebook!

=> Tell me more about the Christmas Collection

Creative Youth ideas: 1700+ Resources for youth leaders, pastors, ministers to help plan camps, retreats, and meetings using games, illustrations, Children's Worship, Bible Studies, object lessons, sermons, creative ideas,creative activities