Description

We all have our stock of quick, fun, easy no setup, no materials games we can pull out at a drop of a hat. How about taking another take at these games? Let’s take this classic youth game, known as “Buzz”, and see what we can do to take it to the next level.

When a person meets Christ a change occurs. Their identity, their actions, and even their thoughts will change over time. Some changes may be immediate such as they are now called “Christians,” and “children of God” etc. Other changes may take a lifetime. A classic youth game, known as “Buzz”, is used along with famous Bible Characters to illustrate some of the changes that occur when someone puts their faith in Christ or God.

How to Play

1. Seat the youth in a circle.
2. In a clock-wise direction, youth count up from 1. When they get to the number 7, any numbers that contain 7, AND any multiples of 7 the youth must instead say the word “Buzz.” For example: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Buzz, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, Buzz, 15, 16, Buzz, 18…
3. A player who hesitates or makes a mistake is eliminated from the game.
4. After a mistake, start over at 1 with the next teen in line.
5. Eliminate youth that make mistakes until only the champion is left.
6. Try for a group record or reaching 100.

You may wish to add the following to increase the complexity of the game:

1. Once the game is going well and the youth group has reached 50 or so, stop them and add “Fizz” to the game. Now, substitute “Fizz” for 5. For example: 1, 2, 3, 4, Fizz, 6, Buzz, 8, 9, Fizz, 11, 12, 13, Buzz, Fizz, 16, Buzz, 18, 19, Fizz, Buzz, 22…
2. If the number is a multiple of 5 and 7, or has 5 and 7 in it, like 35 or 57 or 70 or 75, say ‘Fuzz’!

Take it to the Next Level

Make it Spiritual

Counting up to a 100 seems like something easy to do. We can practically do it in our sleep, without even thinking. But add just one change like in the game we just played, and suddenly we all need to focus. Things that should come naturally to us make us pause or hesitate. All it takes is one change.

The same is true of changes we make in our lives. Before we met Christ, we did things the way we liked. We played according to our own rules. But now, we understand some of our old habits have to change. And that doesn’t happen naturally. Some changes take time. Some changes require us to exercise a lot of discipline.

Look at Abram. When he was first called by God, his name changed. He was now called Abraham. Did his past behaviour of not having faith in God’s protection persist? Sure! He still continued to lie about Sarah being his sister because he feared men more than God. It wasn’t until God asked him to sacrifice Isaac many years later that we see the true father of faith emerge.

What about Simon? When Jesus first called him Peter – the rock, his insecurity at Jesus’ trial caused him to deny Christ 3 times! Only later do we see the strength of his character in the book of Acts.

Sometimes, it’s the people around us who will be skeptical about the changes we’ve decided to make. When Saul was called by Jesus Himself, was now called Paul, even though he made a full 180 degree reversal, people viewed him with suspicion. Was he really changed? Or was he still an “undercover Pharisee”? It took him many more years of preparation before he was fully accepted by the brethren.

Make it Practical

When a person meets Christ we can’t help but change. Our identity, actions, and even our thoughts will continue to change over time. Some changes may be immediate such as we are now called “Christians,” and “children of God.” Other changes may take a lifetime.

When we commit to changes in our lives, we need God’s help to keep the change. It takes time for us to get used to the change. To adapt to a new way of living. Just like in the game, once we get the hang of it, we can move faster, go higher, and add more changes to our lives along the way.

Whatever happens, we have to trust God through the process of change. Don’t expect everything to come immediately or transition smoothly. We will fall along the way, just don’t beat yourself up for it. Pick yourself up and move on.

Make it Personal

Have you tried and failed and given up on changes you committed to? Maybe it’s time to think about these areas in our lives and ask God for His supernatural ability to maintain those changes. It won’t be easy, but we have to continue trusting in Him that He who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it.

Scripture References

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
– 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

“Do not conform 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 12:2 (NIV)

“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
– Philippians 1:4-6 (NIV)

Other Famous Bible Personalities and how they changed after an encounter with God:

Nicodemus

• Before God : Pharisee, ruler of Jews
• Met God : Met Christ by night, honest seeker
• Response : Annointed Christ’s Body with Joseph of Arimathea

Noah

• Before God : Not known – Father was Lemech
• Met God : Lived a righteous life that set him apart from others
• Response : Called to build an ark and obeyed

Abraham

• Before God : lived with his father in Haran
• Met God : Recieved a call to leave Haran and go to a new country
• Response : Blessed by God and his descendents became like the sands of the earth

Simon Peter

• Before God : Fisherman, Son of John
• Met God : Called to Follow Christ and become a fisher of men
• Response : Became a disciple, denied Christ three times but became a great evangelist after Christ’s death.

Zacheus

• Before God : Tax collector
• Met God : watched from a tree to see over the crowd
• Response : Invited Christ to his home & paid debts/ became honest

Matthew (Levi)

• Before God : Tax collector
• Met God : Asked to follow Christ as a disciple
• Response : Became a disciple and wrote one of the gospels

Joseph

• Before God : Favored Son of Jacob and Rachel
• Met God : Dreams
• Response : Rose to a powerful position in Egypot in which he was able to help his family in a time of famine.

Saul

• Before God : Pharisee, tentmaker, persecuted Christains
• Met God : Vision on the road to Damascus
• Response : followed Christ and became one of the most prolific writers of the New Testament

Samuel

• Before God : Mother took him to live with the priest (Eli)
• Met God : God spoke to him at night
• Response : Became a great spritual leader and the last of the judges

Gideon

• Before God : Son of Joash, Israel has forsaken God
• Met God : An angel appeared to him, summoned him to leadership
• Response : Might Warrior, against the Medianites

Nathanael

• Before God : Religious, seen by Christ beneath a fig tree
• Met God : Philip introduced him to Christ
• Response : Followed Christ, became one of the disciples

Mary

• Before God : devout religious life
• Met God : appearance of an angel saying she was most blessed of women
• Response : Became the mother of Christ

David

• Before God : Played the harp for the King (Saul)
• Met God : Was upset that a giant ridiculed the God of Israel
• Response : Defeated Goliath and became one of the greatest king’s of Israel, even though he made many serious mistakes

You can probably think of other characters as well.