Game Ideas

Circle Tag

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Game Description
How fast can you pass the balloon?

Game Materials

  • Two inflated Balloons of equal size
  • Chair for each participant

Game Preparation
Make a circle of chairs facing inward, one chair for each participant

Game Play

  1. Divide the group into two teams of equal number.
  2. Have each team sit in a circle of chairs, alternating so that every other person is on the same team.
  3. Each team is given a balloon. (Place the balloons on opposite sides of the circle.)
  4. At a given signal, the balloons are passed in the same direction from person to person belonging to the same team.
  5. The balloon must be relayed between players of one team as they are positioned in the circle while not hindering the opposing team.
  6. The objective is to see if one team can move its balloon from player to player at such a speed that it overtakes the balloon from the opposing team. If this happens one point is scored and the game begins again.
  7. To make it more difficult, add variations:
    • Change the direction in which the balloon must travel
    • Make each player sit on his/her right hand
    • Make each player sit on his/her left hand
    • Each player must pass the balloon behind his/her back

Discussion Ideas

  • Is Christianity a circular cycle or a straight line?
  • Is the Christian faith a race or a leisurely walk?
  • Is our Christian faith a competition where we try to catch up to pass others?
  • What are some of the things that we pass along to others in our Christian Faith?
  • What are some things that have been passed on to you regarding your faith?
  • What are some of the most important spiritual truths for you? How did you learn them? What difference have they made in your life? What difference could they make in a another person’s live if you were to pass it on?
  • What are some of the things that you have passed on to others? What was the result?

Take it to the Next Level
Choose one spiritual truth regarding your faith that you are going to pass to someone else this week. Send them a postcard, an sms, an email, make a phone call, or talk to them in person. Let them know why it is important to you and that you want to share it with them!

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Teaching Illustrations

The Greatest

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baseball.jpgA little boy was overheard talking to himself as he strutted through the backyard, wearing his baseball cap and toting a ball and bat: “I’m the greatest hitter in the world,” he announced.

Then, he tossed the ball into the air, swung at it, and missed.

“Strike One!” he yelled. Undaunted, he picked up the ball and said again,”I’m the greatest hitter in the world!”

He tossed the ball into the air. When it came down he swung again and
missed. “Strike Two!” he cried.

The boy then paused a moment to examine his bat and ball carefully. He spit on his hands and rubbed them together. He straightened his cap and said once more, “I’m the greatest hitter in the world!”

Again he tossed the ball up in the air and swung at it. He missed. “Strike Three!”

“Wow!” he exclaimed. “I’m the greatest pitcher in the world!”

 


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Devotional

Coming Home

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So I bought her for 15 shekels of silver and five bushels of barley (Hosea 3:2, HCSB)

Amos was the prophet of God’s wrath in the Old Testament; Hosea by contrast is the prophet of love. Amos addressed the conscience; Hosea addressed the heart. The truth came to Amos in the desert; it met Hosea on his own doorstep.

He married a girl at God’s command, courted her, loved her, lost her. Gomer his wife left him for a life of prostitution. In the midst of a supremely painful and personal tragedy, Hosea suddenly saw it: What Gomer was to him, Israel was to God. Israel was God’s bride. A covenant had been made and God was faithful. His love was steadfast and his commitment unbroken.

But Israel, like Gomer, was adulterous and unfaithful, playing the harlot with her Baals. Then, just when judgment seems imminent, God says something unexpected and unthinkable to Hosea: “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods… ”

Hosea’s prophecy is the record of perhaps the most difficult assignment ever handed down to a prophet. His is some of the saddest language ever spoken. As fiery as Amos in denouncing the sins of his day, he stood on higher ground when he pictured God as waiting (as he had waited for Gomer) for Israel to come home. Apparently Gomer was on her own for a while, and, needing to support herself, sold herself into slavery or became the mistress of another man.

Hosea had to pay to get her back, perhaps even having to bargain for her. He pays the Old Testament price of a slave-thirty shekels of silver. It may be that Hosea was not a wealthy man; he pays half in cash and half in barley. Gomer is no longer worth much to anybody except Hosea, but he loved her just as God loved Israel.

What must it do to God’s heart when we abandon him and his love for something or someone else? But God will not give us up. No matter how low we sink, God is willing to buy us back. If you want to understand the gospel of Jesus Christ, his view of God, his love of the human race, read Hosea. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:7). God and Hosea: loving, forgiving, waiting.

Do you know someone who needs to come home? Some people fear they are no longer welcome at home. But God always leaves a light on. Jesus would make a similar point to his generation with the story of a prodigal son and a waiting Father. God is waiting.


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Devotional, Parents Ministry

How To Pray For Your Children

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What a comfort it is to know that our Lord prays for His own. It is of great comfort to even the very young child to know that his parents love him and care for him so much that they pray to their Heavenly Father about him. The following suggestions might be helpful as you think of praying for your child, for his needs now and in the future.

  1. That they will know Christ as Saviour early in life (Psalm 63:1 and I Timothy 3:15).
  2. That they will have a hatred for sin (Psalm 97:10).
  3. That they will be caught when guilty (Psalm 119:71).
  4. That they will be protected from the evil one in each area of their lives: spiritual, emotional, and physical (John 17.15).
  5. That they will have a responsible attitude in all their interpersonal relationships (Daniel 6:3).
  6. That they will respect those in authority over them (Romans 13:1).
  7. That they will desire the right kind of friends and be protected from the wrong friends (Proverbs 1:10-11).
  8. That they will be kept from the wrong mate and saved for the right one (II Corinthians 6.14-17).
  9. That they, as well as those they marry, will be kept pure until marriage (I Corinthians 6:18-20).
  10. That they will learn to totally submit to God and actively resist Satan in all circumstances (James 4:7).
  11. That they will be single-hearted, willing to be sold out to Jesus Christ (Romans 12:1-2).
  12. That they will be hedged in so they cannot find their way to wrong people or wrong places and that the wrong people cannot find their way to them (Hosea 2:6).

Pick one point a month to concentrate on. Within a year, you will have consistently prayed this entire list.

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Resource Reviews

Hurricane Winds

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“Then He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw,
knelt down, and prayed, ‘Father, if it is Your will, take
this cup of suffering away from me. However, Your
will must be done, not mine.”
Luke 22:41 (GW)
“It went against every human instinct of survival, against every spiritual, God-implanted longing in His human being to face death and sin-caused alienation from God the Father. Body and soul cried out against it, so that in the teeth of an inner storm of protest He had to say with His naked will, ‘Not as I will, but as Thou wilt.’

He said the words by faith. He knew by faith, not by feeling, that the Father was just, omnipotent and trustworthy. But Jesus was human as well as divine, and His body was in revolt against all He was called on to face…

The story of all that follows is well known. Twice more he returned to grapple in prayer with the issue before Him. Why?

Evidently the storms within Him did not abate at once. Again they broke out threatening in their fury to sweep his resolve away. Is not this our experience too? When God calls for a course which our nature cries out against, we may know from the outset that the course is a right one. But storms do not abate simply because the helmsman decides to maintain course. Nor as waves come washing over the decks or the chart grows wet and crumpled does the captain cease to check the rightness of that course…

Let it not dismay you then that in the fiercest storms of life the wind and waves should continue to buffet you long after you have said, ‘Not my will, but yours, O Lord!’ The storm will not last forever. But it need not abate the moment you set your course.

For Jesus the inner storm eventually died down. With quietness of soul and firm resolve He woke His little band while the lights of His captors flickered slowly up the hillside. Standing with His sleepy disciples He waited in perfect composure for all that was to follow.”

Dr. John White- “Daring to Draw Near”
(Counselor, psychiatrist, author of several books, including “The Fight,” “Eros Defiled,” “The Cost of Commitment,”
“Competent to Counsel”)


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Resource Reviews

Autographed

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“I HAVE ENGRAVED YOU ON THE PALMS OF MY HANDS”
Isaiah 49:16

“Smyrna, now the city of Izmir, Turkey, was and is one of the great business and trade centers in that area of the world…

Philadelphia, due east from Smyrna, was built on a plateau looking out across the valley of the River Cogamus…We know almost nothing about either of the Christian churches in Smyrna and Philadelphia except from these two short letters dictated to John by the risen Christ on the island of Patmos.

We do know that both churches were faithful. There is not one word of criticism in the letters to the Christians in either church…

The irony of these two letters is immediately apparent. In the difficult times to come–or, as John writes to Philadelphia, in ‘the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth’–one church (Smyrna) will face terrible suffering. The other church (Philadelphia) will escape unscathed. All the assumptions we can make about suffering are tested by these two short letters. Both churches seem equally faithful. Yet one will suffer ‘even unto death.’ The other will not suffer at all…

In these passages and others we are reminded that suffering has a mysterious, unknown component. John, too, assumes that suffering is a natural part of Christian faith. He doesn’t question why one church will suffer and another church won’t. He doesn’t even expect God to rescue Smyrna from suffering, yet he credits God with protecting Philadelphia from the suffering that lies ahead…

There are several assumptions here that we must not forget in our own days of trouble that lie ahead.

First, expect suffering. Don’t feel surprised or put upon or proud or afraid. Suffering is part and parcel of the Christian life.

Second, don’t look at anyone else and what he or she does or doesn’t have to bear; comparisons are demoralizing either way.

Third, recognize that it doesn’t take great wealth or social influence to be faithful (note how few resources these two churches had), but it does take patience and endurance. Remember; one of the fruits of the Spirit is patience (Galatians 5:22).

Fourth, remember that one day all earthly suffering ill end and that second death, the eternal death of the spirit, will not touch us.

Fifth, keep in mind that, when one bears suffering faithfully, God is glorified and honored. The suffering servants of Christ will be honored in a special way and given a new name which ‘no man knows except he that receives it.’ Christ said to the church at Philadelphia, ‘Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God. (Revelation 3:12).

Some years ago the great Canadian photographer, Yousuf Karsh, sent me a book of his photographs. On the wrapping paper the customs official had stamped the words, ‘Value of Contents.’ Under that had been written, ‘Autographed by the author.’ Inside, it was autographed to me.

Our value is the fact that we are going to be autographed by the Author.”

Source: Billy Graham- “Approaching Hoofbeats – The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse” Word, Inc.


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Resource Reviews

Hand Delivered Bouquets

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by Max Lucado

Through Christ, God has accepted you. Think about what this means. You cannot keep people from rejecting you. But you can keep rejections from enraging you.

Rejections are like speed bumps on the road. They come with the journey. You’re going to get cut, dished, dropped, and kicked around. You cannot keep people from rejecting you. But you can keep rejections from enraging you. How? By letting his acceptance compensate for their rejection.

Think of it this way. Suppose you dwell in a high-rise apartment. On the window sill of your room is a solitary daisy. This morning you picked the daisy and pinned it on your lapel. Since you have only one plant, this is a big event and a special daisy.

But as soon as you’re out the door, people start picking petals off your daisy. Someone snags your subway seat. Petal picked. You’re blamed for the bad report of a coworker. Three petals. The promotion is given to someone with less experience but USC water polo looks. More petals. By the end of the day, you’re down to one. Woe be to the soul who dares to draw near it. You’re only one petal-snatching away from a blowup.

What if the scenario was altered slightly? Let’s add one character. The kind man in the apartment next door runs a flower shop on the corner. Every night on the way home he stops at your place with a fresh, undeserved, yet irresistible bouquet. These are not leftover flowers. They are top-of-the-line arrangements. You don’t know why he thinks so highly of you, but you aren’t complaining. Because of him, your apartment has a sweet fragrance, and your step has a happy bounce. Let someone mess with your flower, and you’ve got a basketful to replace it!

The difference is huge. And the interpretation is obvious.

God will load your world with flowers. He hand-delivers a bouquet to your door every day. Open it! Take them! Then, when rejections come, you won’t be left short-petaled.

God can help you get rid of your anger. He made galaxies no one has ever seen and dug canyons we have yet to find. “The LORD … heals all your diseases” (Ps. 103:2–3 NIV). Do you think among those diseases might be the affliction of anger?

Do you think God could heal your angry heart?

Do you want him to? This is not a trick question. He asks the same question of you that he asked of the invalid: “Do you want to be well?” (John 5:6). Not everyone does. You may be addicted to anger. You may be a rage junkie. Anger may be part of your identity. But if you want him to, he can change your identity. Do you want him to do so?

Do you have a better option? Like moving to a rejection-free zone? If so, enjoy your life on your desert island.

Take the flowers. Receive from him so you can love or at least put up with others.
Source: A Love Worth Giving © (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2004) Max Lucado


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Creative Teaching Ideas

Applies – Doesn’t Apply

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Description
This can be used as an icebreaker referring to simple facts about the participants and then can move the group toward discussion of issues and opinions.

Setup
This game can be organized while sitting in a circle, or standing.

What to Do

  1. Call out a statement of fact or opinion (Statements may be related to major issues / strong beliefs; or to facts about the participants.
  2. Participants stand if the statement applies to them, or remain seated if it does not apply. (If you want to make it more active, place a sign on one side of the room for “Applies” and on the other side for “Doesn’t Apply” and ask people to move to the side of the room based on the statements)

Examples

  • Factual: I am over 18.
  • Factual: I am from Texas
  • Factual: I have been to Asia before.
  • Factual: I have a quiet time devotional
  • Issue: Christian’s should have a daily devotional time
  • Issue: Christian’s not divorce.
  • Issue: Overeating is a sin.


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Creative Teaching Ideas

Missions Passport

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Creative Teaching Idea Description
Kids will be encouraged to “travel” to various destinations as they look at missions.

Central Truth
God called and used the disciples, Paul, and other Christians in the early church to bring the Gospel to the lost.

Bible Text
The life of Paul – Various passages from Acts

Resources
scissors, crayons or markers, small stickers or white address labels, and one “Missions Passport” or template for each participant.

Preparation

  • Prepare a Missionary passport for each person. The amount of work you do in advance will depend on the age of your group. For the youngest participants you may have passports already cut out and assembled. For older youth or adults, you may leave all the work to them and have the materials available. If done well, you may also use this after missions month, as you study other Bible Stories taking place in different places.
  • Look at a real passport and create a version of your own with places for VISA stamps etc. Here’s some sample text you can us on the inside: “The King of Kings hereby requests all who it may concern to permit this citizen of Heaven (statute Phil: 3:20) named herein to go into all the world and in case of need to be provided with all necessary aid and protection from enemies of God’s Kingdom. (statute John 17:17-18)
  • If you have a polaroid camera, you can even take pictures of the participants for their passports. Another option is to ask them to bring a picture of themselves for the next week. Neoprint pictures also work well.
  • Get stickers or make stamps for various locations that Paul visited with the Gospel. Set up stations where youth can learn about each location or study one each week and let the youth get a stamp for that week!

What to do
“Traveling, through the Bible takes us to many wonderful places. We can travel through the promised land with Joshua, or wander in the desert with Moses. We can travel with Paul to Asia Minor and with Philip to see the Ethiopian. The Bible is like a passport to many places. As we read the scriptures, we will travel to different places, meet different people, and learn more about missionaries. ”
Talk about some of the places PAUL visited in his missionary journeys. You may wish to summarize some of the places Paul visited and or read a narrative to the students. If you are really feeling creative, have someone dress up as Paul and tell them about the various places he visited. Have youth write down the names of places Paul visited and what happened there.

Variations

  • Options aside from Paul are: Peter, Timothy, etc. Look in the book of Acts.
  • The Church and the Golden Age of missionaries – William Carey, and other famous missionaries.
  • The church and World Evangelism – Unreached People Groups
  • Current Missionaries supported by your church and the places they are serving

Paul’s Missionary Journeys
This is an outline of a few of the places Paul visited with possible object lessons or symbols.

  • Antioch – was called the “Queen of the East” because of its beauty, being situated on a river, with an island civic center linked to the shore by 5 bridges. It was situated at intersection of caravan routes between east, west, north, and south. Could be symbolized by a beautiful island in the middle of a river with a bridge and palm trees or by a caravan of camels.
  • Philippi – was located on the east-west highway connecting Rome to Asia. Here Paul preached the gospel beside a river, was later beaten, placed in stocks, and placed in prison. It was here he established the first church on the European Continent. Famous among its ruins today is the foundations of a great arch believed Paul passed through to go to the river and preach the gospel. Could be symbolized by an arch next to the river or a whip or prison bars.
  • Cypress – Third largest island in the Mediterranean, famous for its copper mines. Paul traveled by ship to reach it.
  • Paphos, on the island was a naval station. This location could be symbolized by an island with lots of ships around it or by a copper pot.
  • Pamphylia – Was a fortress surrounded by marshes full of malaria carrying mosquitos. A fortress and mosquitos or insects could symbolize this location.
  • Pisidian Antioch – here Paul proclaimed the gospel but was driven out of the city by an angry mob – Could be symbolized by the mob.
  • Lystra – Here the people thought Paul and Barnabus were gods. The people here also had a mob, but the stones Paul until they thought he was dead and drug him outside the city. Stones could represent this city.
  • Jerusalem – Could be symbolized by the star of David (two intersecting triangles) or the temple or a menorah.
  • Troas – Near the ancient city of Troy – famous for its wooden horse. It was here where Paul saw his vision of a man from Macedonia asking Paul to come help them.
  • Thessaloniaca – located on the great northern highway and could be symbolized by this highway.
  • Athens – Could be symbolized by the Acropolis and Parthenon or by a question mark as it was here that Paul delivered his famous presentation of the Gospel in front of the temple to an unknown God.
  • Corinth – was famous for its temple to Aphrodite, the goddess of love. It was here he met Priscilla and Aquila, tentmakers like himself. A tent would be a good symbol for this city.
  • Ephesus – was famous for its temple to Artemis and a sacred stone which had fallen from the sky (meteorite) and its magicians and healers. The people didn’t like him because he was taking away their business by doing real acts of God instead of magic tricks etc.
  • Caesaria – while in Jail here he wrote many of his letters to the churches. Letters might be a good symbol of this place.
  • Rome – Paul was placed under house arrest here and later out under trial for treason, convicted and beheaded outside the gates.

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Evangelism Ideas

Knocked Down

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Central Teaching Truth
Sometimes when it seems like life is knocking us down, God is there to pick us up. Though we are all fallen, God takes our place and renews us unto life.

Bible Text
2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 5:8, Isaiah 53:5-12

Resources
Get the softest ball you can find- something that will not injure a person no matter how hard youth throw it.

Preparation
Take youth to an open area. Toss the ball into the center and then explain the rules of the game.

The Rules

  • This is a typical game of dodge ball — you pick up a ball, toss it, and if someone gets hit by the ball they must sit down where-ever they are.
  • If someone catches a tossed ball, the person who threw it must sit down.
  • When someone is hit, they are not completely out of the game. They can still grab a ball rolling by and throw it at someone still standing. However, they may NOT move around to get a ball but must stay sitting in the same place once they have been eliminated. If you want to make the game last longer, when someone sitting down hits an active player, they get to switch places and the person sitting down can get back up and continue playing.
  • When everyone is sitting down except one person, that person is the winner.

Take it to the Next Level
The circumstances of life, people, and even Satan may knock us down, but God helps us back up! We have all fallen, but God lifts us up. Christ, in his death on the cross, exchanged places with us. He died in our place that we might live. (2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 5:8, Isaiah 53:5-12)


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