Object Lessons

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Materials
Bring in a variety of photos from magazines or advertisements.
1. Foods
2. Tools
3. Clothing
4. Electrical devices

Activity
Create category labels. These could be simple lettered signs or envelopes with the categories printed on them. Have children sort the images according to categories.

Application
While the images point us to objects and cause us to think of specific items, they are not real items. If you eat a picture of a banana it does not taste like a banana and does not give us the nutritional benefits of a banana. If we try to drive a nail with a picture of a hammer we will not be successful. A picture of a car will not bring us to church. These are only images.

Reality–real objects are very different from the images. The same is true about God. Sometimes we have difficulty understanding God because we cannot picture him in our minds. While we can read about him in the Bible and visualize what He is like, He is far greater than what we can imagine. It is a mistake to see God as a simple image. That is why the Bible forbids us to make models and figures to represent God. There is a tendency to worship the image instead of what the image represents. This is like eating photographs instead of real food!

God is not a picture hanging on the wall. He is real! He is much greater and deserves respect.

 

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.
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Creative Teaching Ideas

Prayer Interviews

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Materials
Provide Bibles, paper, and pencils.
Optional: Provide Bible costumes.

Preparation
On a sheet of paper write one of the scripture references below these questions:
* Who are you?
* Why did you pray?
* How did God answer you?
* How did you feel?

Scripture references
Possible answers are in parenthesis. Do not include these on the student sheets
1. Genesis 24:42-46, 52
(Abraham’s servant; to find a wife for Isaac; provided Rebecca; bowed down before God).
2. 1 Samuel 1:2,10,11,27; 2:1
(Hannah; no children; son; praised God).
3. 2 Kings 20:1-5
(Hezekiah; sick; health).
4. Jonah 1:17; 2:1,10; 3:3
(Jonah; swallowed by fish; fish spit me out; obeyed God).
5. Luke 18:13,14
(tax collector; I was a sinner; forgiveness; God forgave me).
6. Acts 9:39-41
(Peter; Dorcas’ life; raised Dorcas).
7. Daniel 9:1-20
(Daniel’s prayer follows the pattern of II Chron 7:14)

Details of Daniel’s prayer
1. KNEES – Humble yourself
….v7,8 – Acknowledge shame is your fault, a result of your sin
….v16 – Our sin affects others
….v18b – Admit we have no righteousness
2. HANDS- (hands with palms together in a praying hands position) Pray
….v2-3 Daniel was reading the scriptures… and discovered that something there pertained to him, so he asked God to do what he had already promised.
….v16-18 Asked for God’s mercy
3. EYES – Seek God’s face.
….a. v2-3 Daniel was seeking God through reading the scriptures…
….b. Meditated on God’s attributes
…….NOTICE all the characteristics and attributes of God mentioned in verses 4-18.
….c. Sought God’s favor (v13)
4. BODY – Turn from your wicked ways
….a. points out the wickedness they have committed… and includes himself – “we” (v5, 6, 10, 11)
….b. was a time of personal confession v20

Application
God answered prayers in Bible times, and He answers prayers today. These stories are about people who prayed and about the answers God gave. Guide them as they answer the questions regarding each Scripture. Assign one youth the part of the reporter. He or she will ask the questions. Assign the parts of the Bible people to the other pupils. They will answer the questions. Practice the interviews. Have the groups share one or more interviews.


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.

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Creative Teaching Ideas

Who do you say that I am?

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Materials
Slips of paper with the following words written on them, one word/phrase per piece of paper.
Lamb
Bread
Shelter
Fortress
Crown
Water
Rock
Banner
Shield
Vine
Light
Hiding Place
Alpha
Omega
Life
Cornerstone
Way
Foundation
Gate
Truth
Door
Stone
Word

Activities
Choose one of the following activities

1. Play a game of “What Am I?”
Give each child a word. They must describe characteristics of the word without saying the word. The rest of the students must guess the word.

2. Play a game of charades or pictionary
In charades they must act out the word without speaking until someone guesses it. In pictionary they must draw a representation of the word without talking. Award points to the participants or teams who correctly guess the word first.

3. Name the Objects
Some of these are easily illustrated with objects. Place the objects on a tray and show them to the children. Then quickly cover the objects. have children name as many of the objects as possible from memory. Reward their answers.

4. “What am I?”
Tape one to the back of each student so that they cannot see what is written. They must wonder about the room and ask questions of each other to discover the identity of the word on their back. All questions must be answered by a simple “yes” or “no”.

Application
Explain that all these objects were used as descriptions of Jesus. Ask or explain how each object reveals some aspect of Jesus and ultimately of God. Just as the objects reveal aspects of Jesus, the Bible tells us that Jesus was an exact representation of God.


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.

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Creative Teaching Ideas

Put it on

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Materials
Large sheets of Mah Jong Paper or butcher paper or white wrapping paper, dictionary, thesaurus, Bible Dictionary

Activity
We should all have special qualities as Christians. Some of the qualities are found in Colossians 3:12 Read it aloud. Discuss with the group what it means to “put on” or “clothe yourselves with” these qualities. How could a person do that? Stress that to “clothe yourself” with these things means that you practice them and do activities that promote the qualities of compassion, kindness, humility, etc.

1. Ask the students to make a list of the qualities from the Scripture. Then have pupils look up synonyms or definitions for these qualities. What are other words that mean the same thing?

2. Each student must pick a quality, such as “the coat of compassion” or “the shirt of patience” to illustrate. Pupils should write other words on the clothing, such as synonyms or definitions of the qualities they have chosen.

3. Make sure each quality listed in the Scripture is illustrated by someone. There will probably be some silliness involved, especially if someone wants to do “the socks of kindness”!

4. Ask, “Why did you choose that particular article of clothing to illustrate that charaecteristic?”

Application
The Purpose of this activity is to get the participants thinking about what these qualities really mean, and about how important these qualities are in their own lives.


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…

Object Lessons

Thirsty?

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Materials
A clear plastic cup; a pitcher of water, a large bowl.
(Have the cup full of marbles, rocks, sand etc.)
Salted peanuts.

Activity
Allow the kids to enjoy the salted peanuts which will make them thirsty.
Would anybody here care for a drink?
I’ll fill this cup and then you’ll be able to have a nice drink.
Pour the drink into the cup.
There seems to be a problem. What seems to be wrong?
Let a child answer.
Yes, the problem is that the cup is already filled.
I can’t drink from the cup until I empty it out first.

Application
This is something like Jesus did with the woman at the well in John 4:1-26. He met her and talked to her. Then by his questions he made her curious. He made her thirsty to know about God. But then after she was thirsty Jesus showed her that he could not fill her cup with the Living Water because the cup was dirty. She had to clean the cup first. Her cup was dirty with sins she needed to confess.

Object Lesson
Write each child’s name on a cup.
* What is it that fills your cup?
* What things are most important to you?
* How do you spend all your time?
* What activities fill your day?
* Are there some things that are bad, that dirty your cup?

All you have to do is confess to God what they are and he will cleanse them away.

Are you thirsty? Do you really want God in your life? If you want God in your life you need to make room for him.

In what ways can we create a thirst for God in others?
In what ways can we be salt that creates a thirst for God in Others?

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…

Evangelism Ideas

Taste It For Yourself

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Materials
Some delicious fruit

Activity
Pull out a piece of fruit, such as an apple, and begin eating it while you’re in the midst of your discussion. Continue your discussion as you normally would. Stop occassionally and tell the others how delicious the fruit you’re eating is! Then continue again with your discussion. After stopping and telling the others about your delicious fruit several times, ask if someone else would like to try the fruit also. Have someone else try the fruit. After they agree that the fruit IS delicious, make the following application:

Application
As you have just demonstrated, you can tell others how “delicious” the Gospel is, and they can believe you …trusting in your testimony of it. But, they will never truly know and understand “how delicious it is,” until they taste it for themselves.


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…

Evangelism Ideas

Egg testimony

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Materials
Make a jello egg by making a small hole in each end of an egg using a needed or penknife. The hole can be about 1/2 cm in diameter. You can then blow through the other hole and empty the contents of the egg. Use some water to rinse the inside of the egg until the water exits clear. You can then make ordinary jello and fill the eggshell with jello. Once the jello has set you can remove the shell and you have a jello egg. You may wish to leave the jello in the egg and use a little white toothpaste to cover over the holes.

Prepare another egg just as above, but instead of filling it with jello, leave it empty.

Activity
Use the jello egg, empty egg, a raw egg, a soft boiled egg, and a hard boiled egg. Each of the 5 eggs are placed in separate zip-lock bags. The youth then get to feel the eggs and test the firmness of each one.

Application

The Jello egg is a great example of testimony or faith that is based on the continuous changes in life. It is solid. It is firm. It retains it’s shape and identity. Yet it gives a bit and adjusts to changes around it, which may include guidance from a parent, teacher, or church authority; experiences with others; revelation; inspiration; etc.

The empty egg may symbolize the vaccuum we have wthout Jesus in our life.

A raw egg might represent a new Christian and lacks the firmness in his convictions.

A soft-boiled egg might represent a Christian which is firm in some things, but still has some core issues unresolved.

The firm egg may represent someone who is legalistic or rigid in his faith.

A great change occurred in Nebuchadnezzer’s life. His heart was very hard and unyeileding to God. So God crushed his shell by giving him a time of difficulty. During this time King Nebuchadnezzer lost his senses and lived among the wild animals and acted like one of them. He ate grass like cattle do, his hair grew to look like the feathers of an eagle and his fingernails grew to look like the claws of a bird. But in Daniel 4 he turned to God and something special happened. Like the eggs of birds that hold many surprises, God can break us out of a shell and change us if we will put our trust in him.

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Evangelism Ideas

Nebuchadnezzar Testimony

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Materials
In the middle of your meeting room, lay out as many of the following items as you can find to be used as props: a packet of seeds, a flower, a pencil eraser, a pencil, a blank sheet of paper, several balloons, a fork, sandals or tennis shoes, a telephone, a newspaper, several pieces of wood bubbles, a dust rag, finger paints and paper grocery bags, a brick, a pillow, a banana peel, a flashlight, a harmonica, an empty cup, and a bar of soap. Add other things as you wish. You’ll also need Bibles.

Introduction
Read aloud the story of the change that occured in King Nubuchadnezzer in Daniel 4.

King Nubuchadnezzer’s story of how he began a relationship with God is exciting, but it’s no more unique than your story. Take a few minutes to think about how you became a Christian. Then think about ways you might use one or more of these props to explain to others the story of how you became a Christian.

Activity
Form two teams. Have as many kids who are willing use as many props as they can to tell the whole group how they became Christians. Allow only the same number of kids from each team to share. Award teams 1,000 points for each prop used by its team members. Props may be used more than once but not in the same way that someone else previously used them. After each person has had a turn, tally the points and congratulate the winning team.

Debrief
Next have kids choose a partner from the opposite team to form pairs. Wrap up the game by asking pairs to discuss these questions:

1. Why do we sometimes get more excited about “extraordinary” conversion stories like King Nubuchadnezzer than “ordinary” ones?
2. Are people better or worse Christians based on how they were before they became Christians? Explain.
3. What are some creative ways to tell others about how you became a Christian?
4. Why is it important to use different methods in telling how we became Christians?

Application
The fourth chapter of Daniel tells the story of Nebuchadnezzar’s turning to God. He told his testimony voluntarily and enthusiastically:

1) His life before he turned to God. He begins by telling us what happened eight years before. “I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my place, contented and prosperous.” But his ease and prosperous condition did not last long because he says, “I had a dream that made me afraid…” Then he shared how he suffered from a mental condition.

2) How he turned to God. “At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my sanity was restored. He repented and turned to God.

3) The results of turning to God. “At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom… and I became even greater than before.”


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

Cast the first paper wad!

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Materials
Supply of crumpled up newspaper sheets for each team

Activity
Have kids form two teams, and have teams move to opposite sides of the room. Designate one team as the Cartoon Team and the other team as the Giants Team. Give each team a supply of papers.

The goal is for the teams to get their opponents “out” by hitting them with paper wads. Each team must stay on their side of the room. When someone is out, they must lie still on the floor.

Further explain that kids on the Cartoons Team are out when they’re each hit once by a marshmallow, but kids on the Giants Team aren’t out until they’re each hit five times.

Let kids play until one team is out. Ask:
· Was this a fair fight? Why or why not?
· Is there really a winner when fighting or violence occurs? Why or why not?

Have everyone stand on one side of the room. Then stand by yourself on the other side of the room. Say: We’re going to play the game again, but this time you’ll be one team, and I’ll be the other team by myself. It’ll take ten paper wads to get me out, but only one to get any of you out.

On “go,” simply stand in place without throwing any paper wads. When you’ve been hit ten times, fall to the ground, and pause for a minute.
· How did you feel when I didn’t fight back?
· What does this passage say about returning violence for violence?

Application
Lead kids into a brainstorming session and discussion on practical responses to violence and retaliation. In John 8:1-11 Jesus refused to use violence as punishment for her sin, even though she derserved to die for her sin. Instead he chose to forgive her.


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…

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