Creative Teaching Ideas

Who am I in Spiritual Battle?

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If someone were to make a movie about my SPIRITUAL battles, it would be called:

  1. 300
  2. Blade Runner
  3. Braveheart
  4. Bruce Almighty
  5. Die Hard
  6. Dumb and Dumber
  7. Gladiator
  8. Gone with the Wind
  9. Greatest Story ever Told
  10. Groundhog Day
  11. Heaven can wait
  12. It’s A Wonderful Life
  13. Live and Let Die
  14. Living Dangerously
  15. Old Yeller
  16. Rambo
  17. Robocop
  18. Rocky
  19. Sin City
  20. Survivor
  21. Terminator
  22. The Blob
  23. The Incredibles
  24. The Matrix
  25. The Mickey Mouse Show
  26. The Twilight Zone
  27. Too Close for Comfort
  28. OTHER?

Why did you choose this title?

When I am in SPIRITUAL battle, I am more like:

  1. A smashed bug (no guts)
  2. Darth Vader
  3. David against Goliath
  4. Davy Crocket
  5. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
  6. General Custer
  7. Mexican Standoff
  8. Mr. Incredible
  9. Mr. Spock
  10. Pinnochio
  11. Roadrunner
  12. Rocky
  13. Scooby Doo
  14. Superman
  15. The Invisible Man
  16. The Lone Ranger
  17. The Terminator
  18. Wilie Coyote
  19. Worf
  20. OTHER?

Why are you most like this person you chose?


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Discussion Questions

Spiritual Armor – Ephesians 6

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A. The Belt of Truth

The first step in preparation for battle was for men to gird their loins. Men in ancient times wore long, loose robes. These robes were difficult to run in and could hinder a person fighting in battle. Because of this, men would pull the robes up and tie them about their wastes with a belt. From this belt they would also attach other battle gear. The belt of truth is that on which our other equipment rests. The scabbard for a sword and the breastplate are both attached to the belt.

  • Why is truth so important in spiritual battle?
  • What are some of the worlds lies about life? Satan’s lies?
  • How can untruths (lies) hinder us in spiritual battle?

B. The Breastplate of Righteousness

The breastplate guards your heart (See Psalm 119:11). Our basic defence against evil is obedience to the will of God as revealed in the Bible. Wrong actions and thoughts are weak spots through which Satan can shoot his flaming arrows. (see also Proverbs 4:23: It is important for the Christian to guide his mind and his heart. Why? They determine our actions. You might discuss ways to guard our heart and mind.)

  • Why is righteousness important in spiritual battle?
  • What are some weak spots in your breastplate (i.e. areas that you are vulnerable to spiritual attack)?

C. The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace

Bad shoes can really have an impact on you in the battle. If you have ever run for any distance with a bad pair of shoes you understand the difference good shoes can make. The gospel is one of peace—peace between God and man. Because of the peace we have with God we are able to fight our battles. (see also Romans 10:13-15)

  • Do you have peace with God? Why or why not?
  • How can peace with God help you to be a better soldier in battle?

D. The Shield of Faith

The shield Paul mentions is not a small round shield, but the shield common in his time. It measured about 2 1/2 feet across and about 4 feet tall. It was made of leather, often soaked in water so that it could protect against flaming arrows. Faith is trust in God. The root of most sin is a lack of trust that God can or will meet your needs. Because we do not trust God, we try to meet our own needs, in ways that are harmful to us. God created us and knows us best so he is best able to meet our needs. Faith thus becomes our protection against harm.

  • Why is faith so important in spiritual battle? How does it protect us from attacks?
  • What are some areas in which you have a hard time trusting God?

E. The Helmet of Salvation

The head is the most vital area of a soldier. Often as a soldier looked above his shield his head was vulnerable. With Christ as your savior, you are no longer vulnerable.

  • Are you wearing the helmet of salvation? If so, when were you saved? If not, why not?
  • How does a person become saved?

F. The Sword of the Spirit

The “sword of the Spirit” is the only offensive weapon listed. It is the only weapon adequate for spiritual battle. Only through God’s Word can we fight our battles. (See Psalm 119:11 and Hebrews 4:12) Whenever a soldier goes to battle, he takes his weapons with him. Christians are often involved in spiritual battle, yet we often leave our “swords” at home. We fail to practice using our swords and then don’t even take them to battle. Memorizing scripture helps us to have our swords available at all time. Christ was always prepared for battle and armed with the “sword.” (see Matthew 4)

  • Why is the Bible important in spiritual battle?
  • Do you practice using your “sword” of the Spirit?
  • Do you keep your scripture knowledge sharp or do you let it rust?
  • Do you carry your sword with you to battle?
  • Do you memorize scripture?
Teaching Illustrations

Sermon from a Salmon

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“Years ago I got a sermon from a salmon.

Here’s how it happened. While riding on a ferryboat to Galiano Island in British Columbia, I struck up a conversation with Mr. Thompson, a dignified and friendly gentleman who served as the Chief Clerk for the City of Vancouver.

I said, ‘I’ve heard that after a salmon is spawned, it will swim out into the ocean, and that after an extended time something happens inside the brain of the salmon, and it will then have the overwhelming urge to return to the place where it was spawned. The salmon will swim along the coast, find the right harbor, the right river, the right stream; and finally it will get back to the very spot where it started out. How in the world does the salmon do all that?’ I added, hoping it would taken as a joke, ‘After all, the salmon is underwater all the way, and it has no periscope.’

Mr. Thompson chuckled, thought a bit, then replied, ‘Yes, that is true, but it is even more remarkable than that. An experiment was recently carried out in which salmon eggs were removed from the stream where they had been laid and were put into another stream some distance away.’ Thompson then added with a questioning grin, ‘When the salmon grows up and swims out to the ocean and finally swims back home, which location will it swim to? Will it swim to the place where the eggs were laid–or to the place where they had been moved to?’

I paused for a moment, then I gave what I thought was the only sensible answer, ‘The salmon will swim back to the place where the eggs had been transported, of course. That’s where the salmon actually turned into a fish and got to know its environment.’

‘Wrong!’ said Mr. Thompson. ‘The salmon will swim back to the original place where the eggs were laid.’

I was dumbfounded then, and I still am, by the uncanny built-in guidance system of the salmon.

What a sermon on the guidance of God! If God provides such a marvelous guidance for a fish, there is certainly nothing fishy about believing that He can provide guidance for us. We are far more important to God than any fish. We are created in God’s own image.

God only knows how much we need His wise and loving guidance as we try to find our way through the jungle of ‘this world.’ And, thank God, He has personally promised His guidance.”

Donald Russell Robertson- “Dear You” 1989, Word, Inc.

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Resource Reviews

Angels – God’s Secret Agents

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“Spiritual forces and resources are available to all Christians. Because our resources are unlimited, Christians will be winners. Millions of angels are at God’s command and at our service. The hosts of heaven stand at attention as we make our way from earth to glory, and Satan’s BB guns are no match for God’s heavy artillery. So don’t be afraid. God is for you. He has committed His angels to wage war in the conflict of the ages–and they will win the victory. The Apostle Paul has said in Colossians 2:15, ‘And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them.’ Victory over the flesh, the world and the devil is ours now! The angels are here to help and they are prepared for any emergency…

Don’t believe everything you hear about angels! Some would have us believe that they are only spiritual will-o-the-wisps. Some view them as only celestial beings with beautiful wings and bowed heads. Others would have us think of them as feminine weirdos… Today some hard-nosed scientists lend credence to the scientific
probability of angels when they admit the likelihood of unseen and invisible intelligences. Increasingly, our world is being made acutely aware of the existence of occult and demonic powers. People pay attention as never before to sensational headlines promoting such books as ‘Chariots of the Gods,’ ‘Gods from Outer Spacer,’ ‘Rosemary’s
Baby,’ and ‘The Exorcist.’ Ought not Christians, grasping the eternal dimension of life, become conscious of the sinless angelic powers who are for real, and who associate with God Himself and administer His works in our behalf? After all, references to the holy angels in the Bible far outnumber references to Satan and his subordinate
demons.”

Billy Graham – “Angels – God’s Secret Agents”
1975, Doubleday & Company, Garden City, NY


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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Food for Thought

Soldiers in Battle

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Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, found it necessary to have definite and extended periods of fellowship alone with His Father. Who could be busier than He? His day was filled from morning to night, speaking to crowds, healing, holding private interviews, traveling and training His disciples; yet He found it necessary to have time alone with God…

The Christian life might be compared to a soldier in battle. He is out on the front lines but is connected with his commanding officer by radio. He calls and tells of the conditions and problems he is facing. Then his commanding officer, who from his vantage point can see the entire battle area, relays instructions. In like manner the Christian shares his joys and sorrow, his victories and defeats, and his needs, as God instructs and guides him through His Word.

It is our heavenly Father who directs our battle of life. He knows the steps we should take. We must take time to go to Him for guidance.”

Bill Bright- “A Handbook for Christian Maturity” (Campus Crusade for Christ International)

Youth Ministry

People and Programs

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People and Programs

There’s always a struggle in youth ministry regarding whether we should focus on building relationships (People) and organizing activities (Programs). In reality they are two sides of the same coin. You cannot have one without the other.

Types of Youth Programs

While balanced youth programs have elements of each of these, there tends to be a primary emphasis in certain areas from program to program.

Evangelism based.
This may be a youth group or ministry which has as it’s primary focus evangelism. The ministry is centred on outreaches, door knocking, witnessing classes etc.
Key Inputs: Preach the Gospel – Matthew 28:20
Gift emphasis: Evangelism and preaching

Discipleship Based
In this group, building up and strengthening of believers is the primary objective. Maturity in Christ for each member is the goal. Training on how to discover your gifts, healing, prophecy, tongues may be common if from a Pentecostal background or if nor Pentecostal the emphasis may be on the lay mobilisation, lay ministry, team ministry where the minister is one of the team etc.
Key Inputs: The body life – Ephesians 4:11
Gift emphasis: Discernment of gifts, exhortation.

Ministry based
This involves a range of welfare or semi welfare type ministries designed to meet the “needs” of people. Some example may be a children’s club, youth centre, feeding program, craft mornings, visitation, ethnic fellowship times, morning teas, study or tuition group, after-school care, counseling, etc. Can also be any group which is service project based or involves community care of some type.
Key Inputs: The poor – Luke 4:11
Gift emphasis: Mercy, Shepherd

Teaching Based.
A strong teaching ministry – most members bring Bibles to session with many taking notes. Traditionally the meetings are designed for the committed Christian. In some groups the line between discipleship based groups and teaching based groups is blurred.
Key Inputs: The Word – 2 Tim. 3:16
Gift emphasis: Teaching, wisdom, prophecy (proclamation) and preaching

Worship Based
The main objective of this group is the celebration of God’s presence and honoring him with our lifestyle. The ministry has a strong emphasis on Music, prayer, Scripture, giving, meditation, worshipful drama or even dance.
Key Inputs: Character of God – Romans 12:1-2
Gift emphasis: Prayer, faith

Fellowship Based
The group is seen by new comers to be very laid back with a strong emphasis on fellowship events, meals and outings after the event is seen to be as important as the meeting itself. The group is relationship based rather than organisational based. Home groups have an emphasis on sharing.
Key Inputs: The Church as a community – Ephesians 2:19
Gift emphasis: Shepherd, encouragement


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Food for Thought

Growing Faith

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“I prayed for faith, and thought that some day faith would come down and strike me like lightning. But faith did not seem to come. One day I read in the tenth chapter of Romans, ‘Now faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.’ I had closed my Bible and prayed for faith. I now opened by Bible and began to study, and faith has been growing ever since.”

Dwight L. Moody

Improving Your Teaching

Teachable Moments

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Jesus Took Advantage of Teachable Moments

Oliver Wendell Holmes once described the teachable moment this way: “A moment’s insight is sometimes worth a life’s experience.”

As Christ walked among us, teachable moments often presented themselves in circumstances, situations, and events that were seemingly unplanned. Sometimes the participants would respond to the events with a question or a simple statement of observation. Then, Jesus had a habit of responding with another question or with a saying that was difficult to understand. As he continued to fan that spark of curiosity or interest, the discussion would leave the person deep in thought and the encounter would be forever branded on the listener’s mind.

Ask Nicodemus about his conversation with Christ and he could probably tell you every single word! The same with the woman at the well, the man healed on the sabbath, the paralytic lowered through the roof, the woman in the crowd who touched his garments, and I dare say, every person who had a personal encounter with Christ.

Like the rich young ruler who walked away saddened, some left unable to accept the truth that had been revealed. But for others, that one teachable moment became a life-changing experience! Jesus began with the day to day moments of life, and used those moments to spotlight spiritual truths.

It was characteristic of Jesus to make use of whatever occasion arose. This is one of the reasons his teaching was so alive and exciting! When you see the events of life through heaven’s eyes, all of life can become a canvas on which truths of God reveal themselves in a myriad of vivid colors and hues!

  • When His disciples were accused of working on the Sabbath and breaking the Sabbath Law by threshing wheat, Jesus used the occasion to instruct the Pharisees on the real intention of the Sabbath Law.
  • When the woman anointed Jesus’ feet in the house of Simon the Pharisee and Jesus was criticized for permitting such a sinful woman to touch Him, He used the occasion to teach on forgiveness.

Do you make use of occasions as they arise in your classroom to teach your students spiritual truths? Look for them, be aware of them, and make use of them.

In the world today, it’s hard to follow your youth through the daily moments of their lives and recognize and fan into flame those teachable moments. Yet, with a carefully chosen icebreaker, game, or learning activity, you can create a controlled experience where teachable moments can spring into existence. As they do, the effective teacher can pick out those little sparkles among the mundane and polish them into life-changing diamonds of truth! Truths that will last an eternity!

For 52 of my best ice-breakers with detailed instructions on how to use them as teachable moments and transition to life changing truths, visit http://www.CreativeIcebreakers.com


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Food for Thought

Spiritual Vigor

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“The vigor of our spiritual life will be in exact proportion to the place held by the Bible in our life and thoughts…I have read the Bible through 100 times, and always with increasing delight. Each time it seems like a new book to me. Great has been the blessing from consecutive, diligent, daily study. I look upon it as a lost day when I have not had a good time over the Word of God.”

George Mueller

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