Materials
A toy bow and arrow set, a toy gun with darts that use suction to stick, or a darts set and target. You can get nerf targets and even velcro targets with velcro coated balls from Toys R Us or another toy store.
Activity
Demonstrate your skill at throwing the dart/ shooting the arrow without aiming at anything. Brag about how good of a shot you are. Then explain that no one really knows how good of a shot you are without a target. Bring out the target and have a competition between you and the kids.
Then place the target an impossible distance away so that it is impossible to hit the target and challenge anyone to hit it. Give them only one chance.
Application
Explain that reaching the target is a bit like us trying to reach heaven. It is impossible for us because we are not perfect enough to hit the target. If we miss once, we are disqualified. If we tell one lie, say one hurtful word, do one thing wrong, then we miss. In the Bible the word for “sin” is the same word used in archery to describe the missing of the bullseye. It means “to miss the mark.”
Variation
Add a variety of carnival games for children and display gifts (candy?) for those that are successful. Some options:
* Toss a ring over a softdrink or water bottle (very small ring)
* Toss a coin on a saucer sitting on top of a cup (impossible distance)
* Throw a dart at a balloon (impossible distance)
* bounce a ping pong ball into a small glass (slightly bigger than the hole)
* toss a tennis ball to knock over all three cans (use heavy cans)
* toss a ball through a hole in the side of a box. (Hole is almost same size as ball)
* Use a straw and cotton swab as a dart to hit a peice of adhesive (sticky) paper or fly paper. (impossible distance)
Application
After everyone has failed, reward all participants with the prizes. The Bible says it is impossible for us to reach heaven by our own efforts, but God gives us the free gift. All we have to do is trust in him. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
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.