Materials
An illustration or photo of the moon; an illustration or photo of a space rocket or the space shuttle

Activity
Q: “Do any of you know how far the moon is from the earth?”
A: 238,860 miles.. The moon looks close, but it is very far!

Q: Has anyone ever been to the moon?
A: In July 1969 the US spacecraft, Apollo 11, landed two men. Five more visits took people to the moon between 1969 and 1972. Now the United States wants to send people to the moon again!

Q: Would any of you like to go on a trip to the moon?
A: (Let kids raise their hands)

Q: What does it take to go to the moon?
A: A rocket, a spaceship, oxygen, food, a spacesuit, etc.

Q: Does anyone sometimes feel that God is a very far away, like the moon?
Q: Is reaching the moon difficult or easy? Does it seem easy or difficult to reach God?
Q: Can anyone reach God or only a few selected people, like those that have visited the moon?
Q: How can we reach God?

Application
The way to God is easy. Anyone can go to God.

Read the Scripture Text: John 14:5-14
Jesus said: ‘I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except by or through me.’
If we want to reach God, we have to put our faith and trust in Jesus. Anyone can do it!

Jesus identifies himself as “the way, the truth, and the life.” All have relevance. The “way” speaks of a connection, of the link between God and man. Jesus not only shows us the way, but he IS the way.

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Materials
A bag full of ‘ordinary’ things, chosen because they have nothing significant or special about them; the Bible verses related to salvation inside a brown envelope at the bottom of the bag.

Activity
Tell the children you have brought along some things to show them. Pick up your bag and bring out the items one by one, with a commentary going something like this: “Here I have a mug. Well, it’s rather ordinary. There’s nothing much I can say about it. What’s next? Here’s a pencil… have a whole box just like it at home. Here is an exercise book. It’s empty. Nothing special about it at all. A small piece of rope… I forgot what that was from. Next–a roll of sticky tape. Now why is that in the bag? a stone… hmm I wonder how that got in here… And so on until the bag is empty except for the envelope. Take it out and say.. hmm I wonder what this is… Read out the verse in the envelope: 1 Corinthians 1:26-28

Application
God deliberately chooses ‘ordinary’ people-people who have nothing special about them. Does anyone here feel they are rather ordinary? Perhaps they never win at games, or shine in class. Perhaps they never place first, never are the best at anything. These are exactly the sort of people God wants to be his own! He deliberately chose each person here. We don’t have to be rich, important or superstars to be special in God’s eyes. He loves and wants ordinary people like you and me!

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Materials
Modeling Clay.

Activity
Make several objects from modeling clay. You might choose to mold objects that were used in the trials and crucifixion of Christ:
– a basin (used by Pilate to wash his hands)
– a crown of thorns
– a robe
– a whip
– a pair of dice (used by the soldiers to cast lots)
– a sword (used by Peter to defend Christ)
– A tassel from a robe (worn by Pharisees), etc.

Explain the significance of each item, then take these same items and combine the clay together and form a cross from them.

Debrief
Explain that like the clay, Jesus was placed under incredible pressure and pain. God allowed it that we might be saved from our sins. Only a perfect sacrifice could atone for our sins. Jesus was that lamb without blemish sacrificed on our behalf.

Explain that in order for the cross to be made you had to crush down and apply pressure to the previous items. They lost their identity, but became part of the cross. The same is sometimes true in our lives. It may seem that we are under pressure and crushed, but then our identity is found in the Cross as we identify with Christ. We may wonder why God is allowing these things to happen, but he allows it and is there with us to mold us into something he can use.

For older kids, you might have children mold a piece of the clay into an object that represents how God can use them. It might be a pencil to write a friend about Christ, a microphone to tell a person about Christ, etc.

Variation
Simply use the above objects and others from the event to illustrate the events as you tell the story of Christ’s Cruxifixion. You might also bring in all the items and ask children to identify how each fits into the story of the trial and crucifixion.

Easter Collection
Games and Activities in celebration of Easter.

Get more than 80 creative ideas for planning a Youth Easter celebration or Easter Party. You can immediately download my best Easter Icebreakers, games, illustrations, Easter activity ideas AND MUCH MORE in a useful ebook!

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Materials
A bag full of ‘ordinary’ things, chosen because they have nothing significant or special about them; AND Bible verses related to salvation inside a brown envelope at the bottom of the bag.

Activity
Tell the children you have brought along some things to show to them. Pick up your bag and bring out the items one by one, with a commentary going something like this:

“Here I have a mug. Well, it’s rather ordinary. There’s nothing much I can say about it. What’s next?”
“Here is an exercise book. It’s empty. Nothing special about it at all. Next comes a roll of sticky tape. Now why is that in the bag?”
And so on until the bag is empty except for the envelope.

Debrief
When only the envelope is left in the bag. Take it out and see what is in it. The Bible does say some amazing things! Read out the verses in the envelope. Make sure you end with the following verse: 1 Corinthians 1:26-28

Application
God deliberately chose ‘ordinary’ people-people who have nothing special or significant about them at all. Does anyone present feel they are rather ordinary? Perhaps they never win at games, or shine in class. Perhaps they never come top or first. These are exactly the sort of people God wants to be his own! He deliberately chose each person present. We don’t have to be rich, important or superstars to be special in God’s eyes. He loves and wants ordinary people like you and me!

Biblical Examples
Ruth – a foreigner
Jacob – Fought with God
David – Shepherd Boy
Disciples – Fisherman, tax collectors, etc.

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Activity
You can play this game like “simon says.” but simply replace the name “Simon” with “Mother.”

“Mother Says” has a very simple rule. If a child is given a command and the teacher does not preface it with “Mother Says”, children must ignore it. If they mistakenly follow it they are eliminated from the game. Continue until only one child remains.

Variation
Instead of playing “Simon says”, play a game of “Mother May I?”
One person (it could be Mom) stands facing away from a line of kids. She then chooses a child (at random, or in order), and announces a direction. These follow a pattern, such as, “Brian, you may take (NUMBER) “giant steps” forward/backward.” The child responds with “Mother may I?” Mom then states “Yes” or “No”, depending on her whim, and the child complies.

If the child forgets to ask “Mother may I?” he/she goes back to the starting line. First one to touch Mother wins.

Other possibilities are
“regular steps”
“baby steps”
“ballet steps”
“Scissors steps”- jump while crossing your feet, then jump while uncrossing them
“Banana steps”-laying down with feet at current spot, marking where the top of your head was, and getting up there for new spot, and
“Bunny steps” – a hop

Application
Obeying our Mother’s is one way of showing them we love them.

Holiday Collection
Games and Activities in Celebration of common Holidays.

Creative Holiday Ideas has over 300 pages of ideas to help you plan your next New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Halloween or Fall Festival, and Thanksgiving event. If you’ve ever wondered what you’re going to do for all these holidays and how you’re going to do it, this resource is for you.

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Materials
Bring in a variety of objects and tools. You might use drawing materials (i.e. rulers, colored pencils, colored paper, scissors, glue, stickers, etc)

Activity
Have everyone create something with the tools you have provided. You could ask them to use the tools to draw things that are strong. Then bring the tools back together and command the tools to create representations of things that are strong. Of course the tools will simply lie where they are put.

Application
These tools are very useful, but only when they are in someone’s hands. The same thing is true of us. We can be useful to God, but only when we place ourselves in his hands.

Variation
This can be used as a teaching activity for youth by supplying a variety of tools and materials to youth and asking them to create something that represents a particular idea or concept. Award youth for the best creation, most creative representation, most realistic, etc.

This object lesson reminds us that we can only accomplish the things we were designed to do when we place ourselves in God’s hands.

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…

Easter Collection
Games and Activities in celebration of Easter.

Get more than 80 creative ideas for planning a Youth Easter celebration or Easter Party. You can immediately download my best Easter Icebreakers, games, illustrations, Easter activity ideas AND MUCH MORE in a useful ebook!

=> Tell me more about the Easter Collection

Materials
Bring in a variety of unusual objects – strange looking can openers, the scoop that makes balls of fruit, a thread bobbin, money clip, a mouse-ball from a computer mouse, a spring from a ball point pen, a toothpick, dental floss, a zipper or button, a rivet, a staple remover, a sleeve for film negatives, a chuck key from a drill, a small screw or nose pad from a pair of glasses, a chisel, a golf ball with the outer covering removed to reveal the rubber strings, door stopper, corkscrew, and any other small objects that may be difficult to recognize.

Activity
Ask children to identify the function/ purpose for each object. Whenever an incorrect purpose is suggested, respond with, “We might be able to use it for that, but that is not why it was created.”

Discussion
Discuss how each was created with a very special purpose. You could use them for different things, but they were really created with a specific purpose in mind. God created each of us with a very specific purpose. We didn’t have a choice in how we were created – But we can choose to live according to our purpose.

Jeremiah 29:11-14, Psalm 139:13-16

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This 100 Page e-Book Includes All The Help You Need To Prepare Powerful, Life-Changing Youth Sermons That Will Turn Your Preaching Around And Make Your Youth Sit Up And Listen! Includes 7 Complete Sermons.
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