This review game uses clothespins, and pennants to remind youth and teens about Bible lessons learned.

Materials
string, paper and clothespins

What to Do

1. Tie the string across the front of the room.
2. On pennants or pieces of paper, write the themes, topics, central characters, etc from recent Bible lessons youth have studied.
3. For each theme create several questions relating to facts, events, and important information to be answered by the youth.
4. Attach the pieces of paper to the string with one clothespin for each question.
5. Youth then choose a topic and are asked one of the questions. If the answer is correct one peg is removed from the pennant. If it is missed the next youth or team gets a turn.
6. This continues until all the questions are answered and all the pegs are removed.
7. Whoever removes the last peg from the pennant gets to keep it.
8. Once all the pennants are removed, whoever has the most pennants wins.

Variation
Instead of questions, youth must state one fact about each topic for each peg that is on the pennant. If all the facts are correct and no pegs are left then can remove the pennant. If a fact is wrong, then game play is passed to the next person or team.

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…

Preparation

• On 10 sheets of paper place the numbers 1-10.
• Tape these across the floor on one side of the room.
• Ask youth to stand on the sheet of paper that corresponds to how they feel about the any or all the statements below. (scale: 1 highly disagree, 10 highly agree)
• You may choose to ask youth why they have chosen their positions on the scale.

Statements

1. Alcohol abuse is a serious problem at my school.
2. Most parents of youth at my school do not know their teens drink.
3. Most parents of youth at my school do not care if their teens drink.
4. Drugs are not a problem at my school.
5. Most youth at my school drink because they think alcohol tastes good.
6. Most youth at my school drink because it is the cool thing to do.
7. Christian youth at my school do not drink.
8. It is a sin for youth to drink.
9. A youth is affected only while actually using alcohol.
10. A youth is an addict only when the addiction become apparent to others.
11. Alcoholism is the third cause of early death behind cancer & heart disease.
12. A youth is not addicted if he or she can periodically control his or her drinkingYouth with good mental health do not become addicted; imbalanced youth do.
13. Cutting down can lead to cutting out alcohol all together.
14. If you think you have had too much to drink, the best solution is to drink black coffee and get some fresh air.
15. The stages of alcohol abuse are experimentation, then social-recreational use, preoccupation, then finally dependency.
16. If a Christian youth were in a dark room, no one saw them buy the alcohol, and no one could see them, and they only drank a little, but did not get drunk, would it be wrong?

*These are questions for youth discussions. Different churches and individuals may have different perspectives on the issues. They can be used as an introductory discussion to “how we treat our body as a temple of God”, gray areas in scripture, purity, decisions and choices and a variety of other topics for youth.

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…

The Old Testament used a great many object lessons or parables for teaching spiritual truths and lessons to the people of God. In almost all instances these object lessons are still easily understood today.

An object lesson is the use of a physical object, sometimes in the context of a story, to illustrate a point or teach an important lesson or truth. By using a material object to illustrate the point of the lesson, it makes it more real to the listener.

Biblical object lessons were used both in the Old Testament, as well as the New Testament. By Jesus’ use of the Old Testament Object Lessons, he revealed that he considered the lessons of the old Testament were still viable and valuable as teachings in his time.

In order for object lessons to have the greatest impact, the people you are talking to need to be receptive to what you are trying to say, and you will need to say it in such as way that your audience understands.

An example of an object lesson might be 1 Samuel 16:6 where men are paraded before Samuel as possible candidates to be the King of Israel. The men saw the outward appearance and believed them to be the right person for the role, but God on the other hand, saw something different. The object lesson here is much like the old saying, “don’t judge a book by its cover.” Seeing people for who and what they really are is far different than looking at beauty or outward appearance and judging based upon those qualities. The end result of the object lesson was that a man will usually be fooled by the outward appearance, or be led to believe someone to be other than they are if you are led by the “skin deep” part of things.

Today, we’ll require objects that speak to the people of today, since times have obviously changed since Old Testament times. Still, object lessons translated into terms that the youth or adults of today would relate to and understand, can be extremely useful in teaching good values and judgment.

Characteristics or photos of animals, which are not overly pleasant looking, could today be used to replace the “don’t judge by outward looks” lesson from the Old Testament.

One of the most powerful and hard-hitting object lessons that God uses in the Old Testament has to do with the power of prayer and faith in God. A landscape of bleached human bones was used to illustrate that prayer is a powerful and valuable tool for living. God, in order to illustrate the lesson, turned the field of skeletons into a living, breathing army. Using the vast and seemingly endless landscape of death, God illustrated that prayer, belief and obedience make nearly anything possible, even if it seems impossible.

While some people today use object lessons solely for Children’s sermons and teaching children and youth, they are practical for people of all ages. In fact, the instances in which object lessons are used in the Old Testament were mostly directed at adults. People of all ages can benefit from the use of object lessons that are found throughout the Bible. They are no less true today, and even for those who are not Christians, the Bible holds some important lessons on living.

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…

Many a new Sunday School teacher has stood in front of a group of youth and experienced the stage fright that comes with being responsible for imparting spiritual knowledge to them. Teaching youth can be intimidating, to say the least. Some people seem to be born with the ability to connect with students, while others need a lot of tools to make the process go smoother.

Luckily, regardless of what category you would place your own teaching abilities into, object lessons are a tried and true strategy that can really turn a ho-hum lesson into a interactive experience with your youth. Most teachers recognize that there is a certain mood that is present when youth are engaged- a learning zen, if you will. Object lessons are one of the easiest ways to create this sort of learning environment. They were also frequently used in various forms by the greatest teacher of them all – Jesus.

In fact, the use of object lessons to teach spiritual truths traces back to the very beginning of Creation. God has not only consistently revealed himself through his creation, but God has used objects as metaphors for spiritual truths throughout the entire history of his communication with us. And contrary to their common use today with children and for children’s sermons, God and Christ both used them to teach adults. They are in fact very effective with children, youth and adults of all ages.

Understanding Object Lessons

Most people who have spent any time at all teaching understand the concept of object lessons. Instead of basing your entire lesson plan on lectures or pen and paper based activities, the effective teacher introduces the youth to the concept being discussed in a more tangible way. Object lessons are most often applied to difficult abstract concepts and spiritual truths.

The main thing that an object lesson does is create an emotional connection to the abstract concept, driving it home to the students under your influence. Instead of jumping right into a lesson plan, you pique the interest of the youth, unveiling an “aha” moment that gets brain cells engaged in the total learning process.

Object lessons do more than tell about what they are teaching. Instead, they show, in an easy to understand way, what it is that you are trying to portray. As mentioned previously, they are easily used in a teaching environment that involves children, but they are in fact more suitable for youth and adults that can discern and draw more powerful insights and connections. Furthermore, because older audiences have more biased viewpoints, object lessons are ideal for breaking through those barriers, which is a distinct advantage in any teaching situation. In order for students to grasp a concept, they must be open to it in the first place.

Why Use Object Lessons with youth?

As a teacher, preparation is always a part of the process. Teachers that are well prepared are able to reach their students in a much more profound way. Students realize that they are being made a priority and the learning is enriched. There are many other reasons to use object lessons are part of your teaching strategy with youth.

• Learning Retention: There is a teaching cliche that brings this concept into focus. When a student hears something, they may forget it; when they see something, they may retain it; when they experience something, it becomes a part of them, and learning becomes easy. Object lessons assist in the retention of learning, because more parts of the brain are engaged and the student experiences the lesson as a more wholly involved process.
• Simplifying Concepts: Especially when you are dealing with children and youth, there are a lot of times when you want to bring complex lessons down to a more understandable level. In order to do this, you have to create a connection between what is being presented and something that your student is already familiar with. Object lessons make this possible.
• Increased Involvement: Youth can become easily bored with the learning process. When you are able to get them up, moving, and involved, the synapses are activated and a more energetic class time is the result.

Overcoming Teaching Challenges

While object lessons almost always add value to youth lessons when properly placed in a lesson plan, they don’t always hit the mark, and there are few common reasons why.

1. First, it can be extremely difficult to develop object lessons. While there are plenty of already developed plans, they may not directly relate to your specific curriculum used by your youth ministry or Sunday School. However, a good teacher can adapt an object lesson to their needs, as well as become adept at developing their own tangible representations of what is being presented.
2. You also will want to carefully assess the impact that your object lesson is creating. While a properly designed demonstration will increase understanding and participation among youth, one that is placed in the wrong place, or doesn’t really apply can actually undo the potential good, creating more confusion and disconnect for your students. Keep a close eye on how your youth are reacting to the lesson that you selected and adjust it according to how effective you feel it was.
3. In some instances, the presence of your demonstration can draw the attention of your students in such a way as it actually distracts from what you are teaching. This is more likely to occur if you are teaching young children. As a skilled teacher, be aware of this risk and be ready to counteract it in your class.

Finding Object Lessons Suitable for Youth

There are many places that you can look for object lessons:

1. First, having several books with already developed lessons for youth on hand is a good idea. These are often developed for a certain demographic of students or for similar types of teaching situations. In fact, most of the books of object lessons on the market are geared towards children rather than youth and adults. However, they can be adapted by a skilled teacher to be used in many different situations.
2. With teachers being classically inclined to share what works for them in the classroom, it is not at all uncommon to find compilations that other teachers have found to be useful in their own classrooms. Again, if your own teaching situation is fairly similar to the lessons being offered, you can apply them to your youth classroom almost verbatim. However, that is not always the case, and some adaptation may be necessary.
3. Visit www.CreativeObjectLessons.com for almost 100 fully developed object lessons for youth and another 200+ started ideas.

As you can see, object lessons add a great deal of value to many different teaching situations. They provide a readily accessible way to reach students of all ages in a tangible way. They also allow students to become involved in the classroom environment and become engaged in the learning process. As a teacher, you can become skilled at using object lessons as a way to reach youth in a more useful way.

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…

Paul, the apostle said, “I have become all things to all men that by all means I may save some.” ( I Cor. 9:19-23) Paul was a master at learning how to communicate in terms that were most contextually effective. Good teachers and leaders spend as much time considering the needs of their youth as they do in planning the content for their lessons. The best teachers have learned to teach in the way they LEARNERS prefer, rather than according to their PERSONAL learning styles.

Characteristics of Right Brain Oriented Thinkers

• Prefer to learn through their emotions (intuitive senses)
• Prefer to learn through a problem solving approach (Prefer inductive learning (moving from real-life to theory) rather than a deductive approach (moving from theory to application)
• Prefer examples, demonstrations, and case studies rather than studying theories
• Respond more to an emotional presentation that provides more inspiration than information
• More interested in how ideas are presented and by whom than the content which is given
• More contextually dependent in their approach to problem solving (More focused on the situation rather than rules and principles; more experiential in solving problems than abstract)
• Prefer to learn by doing rather than listening to others teach
• Prefer to follow the examples of people who they feel can be trusted
• More interested in relationships than almost any other thing
• Willing to follow leaders regardless of their character faults
• Need to feel accepted, liked and approved
• Skilled in presenting oneself in a socially approved and diplomatic manner
• Need attention, recognition and public support (compliments, emotional reinforcement, public affirmation)
• Able and willing to compensate for others’ weaknesses, shortcomings or deficiencies because of their emotional empathy
• Need positive reinforcement, respect and recognition before cooperation is given
• Prefer intuitive, sensory and experiential decision-making that is reinforced by the group
• Prefer to look at similarities and comparisons
• Prefers open-ended experiments that allow for creativity
• Respond best to demonstrated instruction
• Draw upon qualitative patterns in people that are not sequential, but are indicative of one’s felt images
• Prefer information to be given in verbal and personal presentations
• Tend to be subjective
• Freely express feelings
• Rely mostly on images in thinking and remembering
• Prefer the authority of their group rather than of an individual
• Solve problems with hunches and previous patterns observed in people or groups

Characteristics of Left Brain Oriented Thinkers

• Prefer to learn through the use of principles (deductive) rather than through a problem-solving approach (inductive) or a trial and error method.
• Prefer to understand the principles of how and why things work rather than looking at a variety of examples, demonstrations or case studies
• Generally more responsive to an analytical presentation of the facts that are supported with solid results
• The quality, breadth, depth and relevance of the content is more important than how it is presented
• More contextually independent
• Prefer to learn from experts in the field
• Prefers to explore new ways of improving on old models
• More interested in accomplishing tasks
• More willing to follow leaders that measure up to their character, mental and productivity standards
• Need to feel a sense of accomplishment
• Skilled in presenting information in a qualitative and quantitative manner
• Craves a sense of empowerment through the accomplishing of set goals
• Able and willing to compensate for others’ weakness, shortcoming and deficiencies because of their commitment to the greater goals
• Best dealt with through assistance in helping one to complete goals
• Need authority, resources and freedom to allow one to carry out goals
• Prefer rational, analytical and deductive decision-making that may or may not be supported by the group
• Prefers to look at differences and contrasts
• Is more theoretical in solving problems
• Prefer controlled experiments
• Respond best to oral and written instruction
• Prefer information to be given in written instruction
• Objective tendencies
• Control feelings most of the time
• Relies on written instruction in thinking and remembering
• Prefer hierarchical authority
• Solve problems logically, methodically, and sequentially by looking at the parts of people or things

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…

2 Timothy 3:14-16

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you have learned it and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Progression of spiritual education
Learned -> Convinced -> Continue in

Teaching is not just words, but also a person’s life – More is caught than taught!
Knowing those from whom you have learned

Effect of Scripture in a person’s life
• Teaching – tells us the path to take
• Rebuke – tells us when we have strayed from that path
• Correcting – tells us how to get back on the path
• Training – helps us to stay on the path

Twofold Purpose of God’s Word!
1. Salvation by faith
2. equipped to serve God

Get Help on Your Youth Sermons

Creative Sermon Ideas
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.
–> I want More Youth Sermon Ideas…

Try this three step approach to improving your storytelling:

1. Read and learn about storytelling. (see below)
2. Listen to others who are good storytellers.
3. Learn good stories and tell them to others.

Preparing the Story

1. Read the main story out loud. If it is a Bible story, read it in several Bible translations and also read the passages before and after the story for context. Look up an unfamiliar words, places, or people. A good background for the story will make it easier to tell and remember.
2. Visualize the story. Rather than memorize, visualize. The better you are able to picture the story in your mind, the better you can relate that picture to the others. Create story boards in your mind of the sequence of the events. Divide the stories into episodes and learn them episode by episode. Episodes change when the action, scene or speaker changes. Use key, repeated words as your guide in “re-experiencing” the story. If you have to look back at the printed copy, you have not spent enough time preparing to tell the story. The story must become your story. Keep it vivid. Use words that paint mental pictures.
3. Adapt the story. The story length should be about one minute for every year of a child’s age. This holds true for youth, but you can stretch it a little more with an interesting story. For adults, the art of story telling applies to your illustrations and testimonies of real life applications. Also consider the background, vocabulary level, and characteristics and interests of your intended listener.
4. Practice. Practice stories in the dead spaces of time–while trying to fall asleep, driving the car, waiting for an appointment, taking a bath or shower. Practice telling the story in front of a mirror. Record the story so you can listen to it. By listening, you are able to learn and refine the story, making it your own. The more you practice, the easier the story will flow.

Telling the Story

1. Use a natural and relaxed manner and an expressive tone of voice. Hold the attention of the listeners with your voice. Speed up, slow down. Lower your voice or raise it. Express delight and surprise. Create suspense.
2. Make eye contact with each person or scan the audience. With children, remember to sit on their level.
3. Open the Bible to the correct reference and hold the Bible in your lap.
4. Grab the listener’s attention with the first sentence. Get the action going.
5. Alter the timing or pace of the story. Think about how boring music or life would be if everything existed at the same speed.
6. Portray characters and events with your voice and your gestures, keeping in mind that gestures should be genuine, but not exaggerated.
7. Beware of tangents. tangents tend to confuse. Avoid too many details. Excessive detail also tends to confuse.
8. Don’t forget to link the story to your lesson. In a simple sentence or two, tell them why you are going to tell them this story or why you told them the story. Keep it brief. Let the story simmer in your listeners’ minds. Let the story speak for itself. Don’t make it a sermon. Stories enhance sermons; sermons do not enhance stories.

Tools for Storytelling

1. Voice. Your voice is your most important tool in telling Bible stories. The tone and mood of your voice should interpret the Bible story. The feelings of fear, sadness, anger, frustration, or even sleepiness should be evident in your voice to the same degree that they are evident in the story. The speed and direction of your voice will communicate. Example: “Jeremiah was put into a hole in the ground. He went down, down, deep, deep down in the hole.” Your voice can drop with the words “down” and “deep.” Also, using action words and sound words (“Slap,” “Crash,” “Smack”) can add interest, movement, and meaning to the Bible story. The pitch and inflection of the voice should be used from time to time to indicate different characters in a story. Be careful. Too much character can distract from the story. Don’t panic in the pauses. Pauses actualy can be used to great dramatic effect. In pauses, listeners feel the presence, not the absence of God.
2. Facial Expression. Your face is the movie screen of the story. It can be blank with sound only or filled with the action of the story. A smile or a frown can help project the image of the place and people. As you portray different people in the story, think about what their faces would look like.
3. Gestures and Movements. It’s been said that if you tie the hands of a storyteller, he or she will forget the story. Use your hands and body to tell and live the story. The best rule for using gestures is to use only meaningful gestures and to use them on a limited basis. Storytellers who use gestures and movements for every event or person in the story risk losing the preschoolers or making gestures and movement less significant by overuse.

Get Help on Your Youth Sermons

Creative Sermon Ideas
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.
=> I want More Youth Sermon Ideas…