Creative Teaching Ideas

True Greatness

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We are obsessed with competition.  We want to be the best, the fastest, the richest, the strongest, the greatest.  But what does it really mean to be the greatest?  As Christians aren’t we supposed to strive for perfection?  How does God define greatness?

Icebreaker Activity – Who Am I?

  • Make some Identity cards for famous Biblical or historical characters on them.
  • Put the person’s name and one or more characteristics that made them great or famous.
  • Place these cards on the back of people as they arrive and let them go around asking yes or no questions of each other until they learn the identity of the person on the card.

Additional Game Activity (Option #1) – Towels

Have a couple sample size bars of soap and a bucket of water for each team and a towel. Have a relay where each person goes down, washes his/her hands with the bar of soap, dries their hands on the towel and returns. First group to wear down the bar of soap until it is gone wins (if time is an issue, at a specific time, the group with the smallest bar of soap wins. Ask if anyone knows the ancient Latin name for “towel”. Jesus took a towel and wiped the disciples feet to show that it was not the greatest that was important but service to others. Jesus took a “stola” (towel) and wiped the disciples feet to teach them to serve. From this “stola” we get the word “stole”, the cloth that many ministers and choir members wear over their shoulders.

Additional Game Activity ( Option #2) – Opposite

Opposites: In today’s lesson Christ teaches us the opposite of greatness is humility. Play a game or have activity where all the rules are opposite of what they normally are.

Additional Game Activity ( Option #3) – Waiter Relay

Using paper cups and plates etc have them stack cups on a paper plate as on a tray and have relays. If they drop the cups they return to start. Ties in to the lesson by saying that intodays lesson we will learn that we are not to seek greatness but to be servants.

Additional Game Activity ( Option #4) – Shoe Relay

Shoe relay with a twist. Divide into teams. All members take their shoes off and place them in a large pile at the other end of the room. The first in each team runs down, and finds the shoes that belong to the NEXT person in line,
brings them back and puts them on the next person. Shoe laces, etc must all be tied. They then repeat until the entire team is wearing their correct shoes. Award the team that loses. Talk about how it may be a bit degrading to put shoes on for another person, but in today’s lesson we will discover that Christ said the “greatest must be the servant of all!”

Looking at the Scriptures

Mark 9:33-37 Mark 10:35-45

  • As we begin, I would like each of you to share your name and the name of one person you admire. Why? Whom do you consider to be a great person?
  • As we read these two passages, look for what they teach us about ourselves.
  • Can anyone explain everyone’s preoccupation with greatness? Why are people so hung up on who is greatest?
  • What are some examples that show the obsession people have with greatness?
  • Do you think men or women are more concerned with greatness? Or, is there a difference?
  • Is this concept of striving to be the best really all that bad? Explain?
  • Is there any good that comes out of striving to be the greatest?
  • What is wrong with our obsession with greatness? What harm does it do?
  • How have you seen people harmed by someone’s obsession with greatness? Be specific.
  • As Christians, we are immune from this tendency, true or false? Explain.
  • How have you seen the obsession to be the greatest in the church?
  • How has the tendency to strive for greatness demonstrated itself in your life? In what way have you been preoccupied with greatness?
  • When Jesus said, “the first shall be last,” what was he saying? What does it mean to be the servant of all?
  • What would it take to be great in God’s eyes? How does a person become great in God’s eyes?
  • How can you become a servant of all in your daily actions, words, and attitudes?
  • What is one practical way you can serve others you meet this week?

Look at the Mark 10 passage. How does this relate to the first passage?

  • What did Jesus mean by, “Can you drink the cup I drink. . .”?
  • Why did the ten become indignant?
  • Look at vers 42. What was the sin of the “those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles”?
  • What are some examples of the way people try to control or “Lord it over” others?
  • What are some respectable ways that “good” people try to control or “Lord it over” others?
  • Do we have the power to break this tendency to control? Do we have the power to abandon our preoccupation with greatness?
  • What can we do to break the preoccupation with greatness?
  • What is in it for us? How does the preoccupation with greatness hurt us? How would we be benefited by breaking the preoccupation with greatness? Be specific? Would it help you be a student, child, better what? How would it help you?
  • Who would join me in admitting, at least to God, if not yet to another person that you still have a tendency toward preoccupation with greatness?
  • Is admitting to God enough? Someone look up James 5:16 What can you do?

Take it to the Next Level

Step 1: Buy a couple of packs of baseball cards or another type of sports related cards. These cards are collected by many and have pictures of the athlete on the front and stats on the back. Certain cards such as those of Michael Jordan are VERY valuable because of the rarity and because many feel he was the best basketball players. Give youth a few minutes to trade cards then give them an opportunity to explain why they have the best player.

Step 2: Paste white paper over photo’s on the cards or just give youth blank white cards. Have youth make cards for the disciples.. What stats would be important for each? Would their acts of greatness such as miracles or their acts of servanthood be most important?

Step 3: Have youth make a baseball card on themselves. On the back they should write stats for themselves related to humility and service. Also have them list as accomplishments “acts of service” they have performed. They might also create a “heavenly team” name and logo for their team.

Step 4: Have youth Create a Future Baseball Card. What things do they want to be known for as a Christian? What would they Like God / Christ to say about them? What can they do to start living that life today?

Get Icebreakers ebookIcebreakers Ahead: Take It To the Next Level

This 170 page resource not only provides 52 of the world’s most popular group icebreaker activities and games, but also includes lesson ideas and discussion questions to smoothly transition into conversations about the issues common to most groups.

Click here to find out how to get your hands on this incredible resource!

Creative Teaching Ideas

Jesus, My Rock

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You’ve heard the hymn:

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

It’s a familiar Hymn, but what does it mean for Christ to be My Rock?

 

Introduction Activity

Materials: Stones of assorted sizes and shapes..

Preparation
Collect a variety of stones of different shapes and sizes. For the first activity you can place all the stones in a common pile, or split them into two separate piles with an equal number of stones.

STAGE 1: Divide into two teams and see which can build the highest tower. The key to doing this will be to make the bottom stable and continue to build the tower as stable as possible.

STAGE 2: In this activity everyone competes again everyone else. Each person in turn places one of the stones on the tower. The first person to place a stone is the only one allowed to place a stone touching the ground. The objective of this stage is for each youth to choose one of the remaining stones and place it on top the already existing stones to build the tower a tower without it falling down. Subsequent stones can rest on any already existing stone, but cannot touch the ground. Any player who knocks the tower down or causes a stone to fall off while placing his/ her stone on the tower is out of the game. Continue until only one player is left. The key to this stage is to try to make it difficult for the next person to place a stone without knocking the tower over.

Debrief
Discuss the strategies of the two games, noting that if you want something to last, you must build on a solid foundation.

Digging into the Word

Read Luke 6:46-49 in your Bible

Jesus asks,
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”

In other words, “Why do you say I am Lord of your life and yet you do not listen to me and obey me.” He then gives us a parable of two houses that teaches us four things.

1. The houses looked the same.

Both men in the story built a house. They looked the same, but there was a major difference not noticed by those who passed by. One house had a solid foundation and the other did not. A solid foundation in Biblical times consisted of two things – the actual foundation and a cornerstone.

1A. The Foundation (Reference verses: 2 Tim. 2:19; I Tim. 6:19)

A foundation was a whole substructure of a building. It was something put down to stabilize a building before construction started.

  • What are some of the things people have as the foundation for life?
  • What things do people base their lives upon?

(You may wish to give the stones back to the group members and have each write an answer to the above question on it. Another option may be to play a game of “Jenga” or “Uno Stacko” and have each youth name something people base their lives upon before pulling out a block and replacing it on top. Continue until the stack is toppled. You may wish to destabilise the stack from the onset to speed up the game)

Some of the common answers are:
Wealth, success, fame, acceptance, pleasure, logic, principles, fairness, justice, pleasing others, family, relationships, treasures, accomplishments, and specific goals are all possible answers. Your goal in life, your reason for living, is the foundation of your life.

In I Corinthians 3:10-11 (verses 12-15 are talked about later) Paul talks of building on the foundation of Christ. Christ is the only foundation. To build on anything less than Christ is to build on no foundation at all.

In Ephesians 2:20 Paul tells us that we are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets and even Christ Himself. We have a heritage (a foundation), portrayed for us in the biblical examples by the godly men and women who lived before us. But in order to know the Bible and it•s characters I must spend time in the Word. The stories and testimonies of the people in that great Book give us a first hand example of how to encounter life as Christians.

  • What does your life reveal about your personal foundation?
  • Is Christ your foundation?
  • Do you spend time in the Word studying the character examples of His people? Why or why not?

1B. The CORNERSTONE (Reference verses: I Peter 2:6; Acts 4:11, 12; Matthew 21:42; Isaiah 28:16, Matthew 7:24;1Corinthians 3:11; I Tim. 6:19; 2 Tim. 2:19; Eph. 2:20)

The cornerstone was the basis of a building in the days of Christ. The cornerstone kept the building’s walls lined up correctly. It kept things straight. If the cornerstone was no good, the building crumbled. It’s the same with our lives today. We choose what we want to base our lives on or build them around. When we choose Christ we have chosen what God’s Word says is the most precious cornerstone of all. We can use Christ and his example to line up our lives, to keep things straight. When Peter wrote about Jesus as the corner stone he had a good literal definition from life in Bible times of a corner stone. It was a huge rock large enough to mill wheat or grain that became the huge stone that whole large buildings were built upon. Yet even more importantly he saw first hand, the life of Christ, and could build his life in line with the example and teachings he saw.

In I Peter 2:6, Peter writes that when we believe in, trust in, adhere to and rely on Jesus we will never be disappointed or put to shame, disgraced, made to blush or be dis-honored. Our lives will not crumble as long as we build them according to His blueprints. Peter really believed that life with Jesus Christ was never disappointing.

  • What do you think Peter means that we won’t be dishonored or disappointed if we trust in and rely on Christ?
  • Have you ever been really put to shame or disgraced because of your belief in Christ?

In Acts 4:11, Luke tells us that this cornerstone is the basis of our faith and that it is only through relationship with Jesus Christ that we can have eternal life. Matthew 21:42 says that this was God’s plan and He finds it marvelous! (also refer to Psalms 118:22, 23) God planned for me to base my life on His Son Jesus!

  • What or Who is my cornerstone?
  • Have I rejected Christ in some areas of my life?
  • If I am rejecting Christ, is my ENTIRE building founded on Christ?
  • Is my building, my life, crumbling from poor construction?

Many people in the church are like these two houses. They may profess to be Christians and look like Christians in all their actions, but they are not Christians. Their life in not really built upon Christ. Actions and works do not determine if a person is a Christian. Ephesians 2:8-10 says that we are not saved by good works, but we are reborn or recreated in Christ Jesus for the purpose of doing good works. In John 14:6, John 17:3, and John 5:24 Jesus tells us he is the only way one can go to heaven. In I John 5:11-12 we are told that he who has Christ has eternal life. He who does not, does not have life. There is only one way to be a Christian and that is through Christ as the foundation of your life. A non-Christian can go through the actions of a Christian, and yet still not be a Christian. The house is there for all to see, but there is no foundation.

There are also those who are Christians, and have Christ as a foundation, but choose not to build on that foundation. Having Christ as the foundation is the initial step, but building on that foundation is something done daily, in the everyday decisions of life. How silly it would be if we saw a construction company lay a large solid foundation and then build on the ground instead of the foundation. They could even build with good materials and good works, but without building on the foundation everything built will be swept away. In Luke 14:25-30, 33 Christ speaks of the cost of being a disciple. He uses the parable of a man who wished to build a great tower, but the cost is too great for him to finish it. He is ridiculed because of his folly. To follow Christ is to give up everything for Christ, to surrender all to Him. We too, like the man in the parable, will be ridiculed and seen as a fool if we claim to be a Christian yet build our life upon other things. We need to clear away the rubble and build on the foundation!

1C. Clearing away the rubble.
As you read the focal passage you see that one man dug down deep, to the rock. He cleared away the rubble, removing that which would make his house unstable and building on the rock.

  • What rubble in your life do you need to clear away in order for Christ to be your foundation?

2. The time it took to build the house does not matter.

The time it took to build the house is not mentioned. It doesn’t matter. One may have been going to church and doing good things all his life, but unless Christ is the foundation, the house still will fall. It is never too late to begin building your life with Christ as the foundation.

3. The storms are the same.

A life without storms is not promised to Christians. The storm that hit the house with the solid foundation was no different than the one that hit the house without a foundation. The end result was different, but the storms were not. What is promised Christians is a foundation to weather the storms.

Why does God allow storms in our lives?
a. to teach us.
b. to test us, reveal our character
c. to toughen us up so we are stronger

I Corinthians 3:10-13 talks about the foundation of our lives being revealed IN our lives. God’s Word says there that the trials of life will reveal just what our foundations are made of! It continues on to say that those same experiences will reveal our character and the worth of the work each person has done.

Often it is the response to storms that really differentiates people. Through storms our foundations are shaken. Through storms we discover what areas in our lives have leaks and cracks and need repair. Through storms we may even discover that we never had a foundation. What storms have shaken your foundation?

4. Ultimately, the house without the foundation will fall.

The house will completely collapse that does not have Christ as a foundation. There is no option of a house half standing. What ever is built on the foundation will survive. What is not built on the foundation will be swept away. All things built will one day be judged. It is possible to be a Christian and do the right things, but for the wrong reasons. I Corinthians 3:10-15 says that our works will be judged and us rewarded accordingly. It is possible for us to get to heaven, having only the foundation with everything we have done being burnt up. As a friend once said, we would make it to heaven, but only in our underwear and those likely would be scorched. There would be no rewards. In Matthew 6: 1-8 we are told that God judges not only our actions, but our motives.

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Take It To The Next Level
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“Building Plans” Activity

Materials: Stones, paper

Have youth build something with the stones to represent what they want their life to be like. Encourage them to share the commitments they are making for building their life upon Christ.

My building plans…

1. Is my life the same on the outside as everyone else’s, but without a foundation? The foundation, my reason for living, right now is:

I need to make Christ the foundation of my life by:

2. What areas of my life am I not building on the foundation of Christ?

I can surrender these areas to Christ by:

3. Will the faith I profess stand the storms of life? Is Christ a temporary thought, a momentary decision, or a continuing commitment in my life? Explain.

4. Christ isn’t looking for an emotional experience, but commitment and total surrender to Him. I am committed to making my decision more than a mountain top experience, an emotional high. I am surrendering my life to Christ in all areas and truly committed to making Christ the foundation of all I do.

(Signature) __________________________________

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Scripture
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Luke 6:46-49

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

“Who Do You Say that I Am?” Youth Bible Study Series

Looking for a Bible Study Series for the summer that is both evangelistic and also faith building for your Christian youth at almost any level of maturity?

There are 7 Primary Bible study Sessions in the series:

who-do-you-say_sm

  1. Jesus the Life Saver – Matthew 14:22-33
  2. Jesus, My Friend – John 15:9-15
  3. Jesus, Fear Slayer – Luke 8:22-25 or Mark 4:35-41 or Matthew 8:23-27
  4. Jesus, the Healer – Mark 5:22-34 or Luke 8:40-48 or Matthew 9:18-26
  5. Jesus, The Obedient – Luke 7:1-10 or Matthew 8:5-13
  6. Jesus, The Spirit-Powered Man – Luke 4:14-30 (Luke 4:18)
  7. Jesus, The Cleanser – Romans 8:29; Selected Passages

Find out more here:
“Who Do You Say that I Am?” Youth Bible Study Series

Icebreakers

Christ Calls Us Friends

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Summer is a time of friendships. The time away from school is a welcome break and provides the freedom to spend time with friends doing the things you enjoy. Friends will come and go but all will teach you something about who you are and who you want to be. But Jesus also calls us friends. So what does that teach us?

What to do
Place a tag/ sticker with each name on the back of people as they enter the meeting. Do not tell them that these are pairs of friends. Their task is to mingle around asking “yes” or “no” questions to discover the character on the tag. After a brief time of mingling have each person find his or her “friend” and share a quality they look for in a friend! (The three stooges are included in case you have an odd number of people.) If the group is small you might give out only one of each pair and then once everyone has discovered his/her identity have them name the friend associated with the person on the tag they have been given.

Here’s a sample list of famous friendships.

Be sure to add any famous friendships from recent television shows or youth culture.

Take It to the Next Level

Put the following questions up on posters around the room – taped to the walls or to the floor. Have youth wander around the room and to add their thoughts and answers for each question. Then discuss them as a group!

  • A friend is…?
  • Real Friends always…?
  • Real Friends never…?
  • One of my friends is ________ because…?
  • What do you do to be a friend and to have friends?
  • What is one of the qualities you look for in a friend?
  • What is one of your best qualities as a friend?
  • What is one of the qualities you look for in a friend?

Take It Spiritual

John 15:13 calls us to look to the interests of others for the sake of the common good. Jesus’ whole life is an incarnation of the ideal of friendship. What Jesus teaches he is already living. Jesus gave everything to his friends—his knowledge of God and his own life. Jesus is our model for friendship—because he loved without limits—and he makes it possible for us to live a life of friendship—because we have been transformed by everything he shared with us. Through friendship we come to know God and through friendship we express the love of God. We can risk being friends because Jesus has been a friend to us.

Make it Practical

  • How can we be better friends to those around us?
  • How can we express the love of God in our friendships?

Make it Personal

  • What is something you will do this week to be more Christlike in your friendships?

Scripture

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.” – John 15:12-15

This idea is adapted from a similar idea in our ebook “Icebreakers Ahead: Take it to the Next Level”

Get Icebreakers ebookIcebreakers Ahead: Take It To the Next Level

This 170 page resource not only provides 52 of the world’s most popular group icebreaker activities and games, but also includes lesson ideas and discussion questions to smoothly transition into conversations about the issues common to most groups.

Click here to find out how to get your hands on this incredible resource!

Object Lessons, Teaching Illustrations

Visions of Christ

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Refining our gifts, skills, talents and abilities, striving for excellence, is a very important and noble task, that gives Christ more to work with. But regardless of our level of ability, everything we have is to be used for His glory so that others see a vision of Christ when they look at us. This story and Object lesson reminds us that we must live a life that is so close to Christ, that like those in Antioch, we are called Christians – “little Christs”.

Object Lessons

Instead of displaying an object lesson for the youth to learn from, we will be providing a variety of objects for youth to use as object lessons. They will be creating the object lessons.

  1. Collect a variety of small items from your office or home. A pencil, a piece of paper, a sticky note, a stapler, a sugar packet, a thumb tack, an envelop, a letter opener, a coin, a key, a ring, a bottle cap, a ruler, a knife, a shoe lace, a breath mint, a piece of candy, a cup, a plate, a napkin, a nail file, a name card, a clothes pin, a screw, a nail, a paper clip, a magnet, a towel, a battery, a toothbrush, a comb, and just about anything else you can find. Use whatever you have available. Make sure you have enough items for the entire group to each have a different item with a few to spare.
  2. Ask the youth to each take one item that represents something about God. What truth about God or Christ does it bring to mind? What is something about God it could represent?
  3. Let the youth share what the item represents about God or what it reminds them of in relation to God.
  4. After all the youth have shared, tell the following story.

An Illustration

In the 18th century there was a German sculptor by the name of Johann Heinrich von Dannecker. Legend says that he could almost bring stone to life with his skills as a sculptor.

At the height of his career, he decided to do something very special with his gift. He dreamed of shaping a piece of lifeless stone into a statue of Christ that would come to life as a witness to his world.

He chiseled, scraped and polished the marble for almost 2 years. When he was convinced that his statue carried the likeness of his Lord, he wanted to test the statue on eyes that would not lie.

So he went out to the street, and brought in a young girl. He took her into his studio, and he set her down in front of the shrouded sculpture. Uncovering it, he asked her, “Do you know who this is?” “No, sir!” she replied. But he must be a very great man. And Dannecker knew that he’d failed. The statue was good enough for kings and nobles, but it wasn’t good enough to be a testimony of Christ.

He was discouraged. He was disheartened. He was depressed. But he knew that he had to try again. So he set his hand to the task. It took him six years this time, every day, painstakingly, shaping, carving and polishing. Finally, once again he felt he was done. And again, he brought in a child as his first critic.

He took off the shroud, and asked her gently, “Who is that?” Legend has it that tears came to her eyes as she recognised Jesus. It was enough. Dannecker had finished his task. He had created his masterpiece. He had given visible shape to his faith.

Later, to a friend, he told the secret of those last six years. It was as if, he said, Christ had joined him daily in his little room. He felt the nearness of his Lord. He sensed the glory of his Presence. All Dannecker had to do, really, was to transfer the vision of Christ that he received to the block of marble.

I am not sure if the story is true, but it is a powerful story with a profound message. And…

There’s more to the story.

Some years later, the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte saw Dannecker’s work. He was so impressed, he sent for the sculptor and offered him a commission. “Make me a statue of the goddess Venus.” It was considered an incredible honor to be chosen as the creator of such a work of art! Who could refuse? But you know what? Dannecker did! He refused the commission. He gave up that honor.

And you know why?

His responded to Napoleon: “A man who has seen Christ can never employ his gifts in carving out a pagan goddess!”

Take it to the Next Level

Make it Spiritual

  • What are some of the gifts, talents, skills, and abilities that we have in our group?
  • How can these be used to teach others something about God? How can they be used to bring Glory to God?

Make it Personal

I think the true secret to making Christ come to life in my lifes, to be truly Christlike, is to spend lots of time in His presence and to project the very presence and nearness of Christ in my personal life.

Like Johann Heinrich von Dannecker many of us have failed at times, some of us decidedly more toward the disastrous rather than the masterful. But I truly believe that if we keep our hearts focused on Him, that like with Danneker, God can use our labours of love, our gifts, talents, skills, and abilities to touch the hearts of others all over the world and open doors to sharing the gospel.

Make it Practical

  1. List some of your talents, skills, abilities and gifts.
  2. How could these be used to bring Glory to God?
  3. What is something you can do this week to be more Christlike, to let others see a vision of Christ in you this week?
  4. If everything you did, was done for God’s benefit, was done to please Him, glorify Him, would your actions change? Would you do things differently?
    • Would you speak to people differently?
    • Would you treat others differently?
    • Would you do different things?
    • Would you do things differently?
    • If God were your employer, your teacher, your parent, your constant companion would anything change?

Scripture

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” – 1 Peter 4:10-11

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive and inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” – Colossians 3:23-24

In the The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-28), 3 servants were given 5 talents, 2 talents and 1 talent respectively. In those days talents referred to money. But today when someone speaks of talents, we think of the great scientists, artists, musicians, actors and athletes. From the story we learn that God has given us each different talents and abilities that he expects us to use for his benefit.

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…

Creative Teaching Ideas

Lessons from “Father May I?”

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Father May I?

This is a paternal variation of the classic children’s game: Mother, May I?  Use it for Father’s Day or simply to talk about our relationship with the Heavenly Father.

What to do

If you have played the classic game you know that everyone starts out across the room, at an equal distance from mother.  Whoever is mother calls out a person’s name and asks them to take X number of steps forward. If the person steps forward without saying “Mother May I?” he or she is penalised or sent back to the start. However if he or she remembers to say the magic words, mother will reply with directions to take X number of baby steps, ballerina steps, giant steps, scissor steps, spinning steps, crab steps, etc. The first youth to reach mother wins.

Play a variation of the game, where the children or youth don’t ask mother, but instead ask “Father May I?”

Discussion

  • Who make the decisions in your house? Father or mother?
  • On what basis do parents make their decisions?
  • What are the possible consequences of making decisions on our own with guidance from parents?

Take it to the Next Level

Make it Spiritual

How is this game similar to walking with God? In the Bible, the word “walk” is often used to describe our relationship with the Heavenly Father. We don’t stand still nor does God intend for us to go backwards. Sometimes God may ask us to take baby steps, and other times we may need to take a leap of faith. Just like the game, the outcome is a result of our paying attention to God’s instructions and seeking permission before we move.

Make it Practical
In our relationship with the Heavenly Father, if we move without asking first, we may misstep, go in the wrong directions, or experience other unwanted consequences which take us away from the Father. Instead of moving nearer we end up farther away. We draw closer to God when we learn to listen to Him and seek his permission before we move.  Then the actions we take will bring us closer to Him!

Make it Personal

  • What step is God asking you to take today?
  • Does it feel like a baby or giant step?
  • Are you seeking God’s voice, in the direction you are taking in life?
  • How can you become more attentive to his voice and his guidance?
  • What is an area of your life you need to seek God’s permission and guidance in?

Scripture
My sheep recognize my voice; I know them, and they follow me. – John 10:27 (NIV)

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Games and Activities in Celebration of common Holidays.

Creative Holiday Ideas has over 300 pages of ideas to help you plan not only your next Father’s Day event, but also other common holidays. If you’ve ever wondered what you’re going to do for the holidays and how you’re going to do it, this resource is for you.

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Game Ideas

Whose Father?

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Description

In this crowdbreaker game, youth are given a list of statements and must find another youth whose dad fits each statement.

Materials

You can print this as a simple list or make a grid of squares and include one statement in each square. If possible think about the father’s of youth in your group and use that as a guideline for characteristics.

Preparation

Be sure to prepare the list in advance.

What to do

  1. Youth mingle about the room trying to must find someone whose dad fulfills each characteristic and have them sign next to the characteristic. Each person can only sign your list once.
  2. First person to get all their squares signed wins.

Some possibilities for characteristics are:

  • Hair color isn’t black
  • Wears specs
  • Travels on business
  • Works as (name a job)
  • Drives a car
  • Wears tennis shoes
  • Favorite hobby is (Name of a hobby)
  • Likes (a specific food)
  • Is tall/short
  • Is on the church council
  • Wears a ring
  • Is between 30-40 yrs old
  • Wears (name an item)
  • Has a brother
  • Has a sister
  • Lives (location)
  • Has been to (place)
  • Wears a gold colored watch
  • Watches soccer on TV
  • Exercizes
  • Drinks Coffee
  • Plays an instrument
  • Plays a sport
  • Likes to fish
  • Has a pet
  • Has a mustache or beard
  • Is bald

Take it to the Next Level

Make it Spiritual
We each know our Father best. We know what he likes, what he does, and common characteristics about him. But we should also know our heavenly Father.

  • What are the things God likes?
  • What are the things that God does?
  • What are some characteristics of God?

Here are some Scriptures that Describe God as a Father. What can you learn about God as Father from each verse?

God as Father
“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. – Galatians 4:4-7

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” – John 1:12

Protector
“Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.” – Psalm 10:14
“When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.” – Psalm 27:10

Loving
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” – 1 John 3:1

Compassionate
“As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.” – Psalm 103:13
“The Father of compassion and the God of all comfort” – 2 Corinthians 1:3

Cares for us
“The LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.” – Deuteronomy 1:31

Gives us gifts
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father, who does not change like shifting shadows.” – James 1:17

“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” – Matthew 7:11

Disciplines us
“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good.” Hebrews 12:7,10

Make it Personal

  • What characteristics of God is most meaningful to you? Why?
  • What is the first step in becoming a child of the Father?
  • If you become a child of the Father, then how should you live your life?

 


Get Creative Youth Ideas: "Holiday Collection" ebook Holiday Collection
Games and Activities in Celebration of common Holidays.

Creative Holiday Ideas has over 300 pages of ideas to help you plan not only your next Father’s Day event, but also other common holidays. If you’ve ever wondered what you’re going to do for the holidays and how you’re going to do it, this resource is for you.

=> Tell me more about the Holiday Collection

Object Lessons

Father’s Toolbox

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Father’s Day is coming and we thought we’d pull out our “toolbox” of ideas you can use to demonstrate the many roles fathers play in the family. You could use this as a sermon illustration or object lesson for the Father’s Day weekend. We wish all our fathers out there a very blessed and fulfilling Father’s Day!

Resources

  • You may wish to bring a toolbox with all the items below as object lessons for this teaching idea.

What to Do

Many fathers have a toolbox. Inside the toolbox you will find many tools. And some of the tools in the toolbox make good metaphors for what a Father does.

In a tool box you find many different types of tools. Tools for:

  • Measuring: A measuring tape, a ruler – God’s Word, as taught by fathers become the standard by which we measure right and wrong.“Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. TEACH THEM TO YOUR CHILDREN, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.” – Proverbs 11:18-21

    “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live LONG in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” – Exodus 20:12

  • Aligning: Square, A level, A Plumbline – Commands and teaching of our parents guide us to living the straight and narrow way.“My son, keep your father’s command and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. Bind them always on your heart; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will GUIDE you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life” – Proverbs 6:20-23
  • Connecting: Stapler, Hammer, Screwdriver, Duct tape – Fathers strive to connect us with God and to live right with others.“From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.” – Acts 17:26-27
  • Cutting: Saw, Knife, Plyers – Fathers teach us the words of God“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12
  • Tightening / turning: Wrench, a spanner, a clamp, Plyers – Fathers seek to turn our attention to God, just as our heavenly Father turns our attention to our Fathers.

    “He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers…” – Malachi 4:6 
  • Shaping: Chisel, Sandpaper, files – Father’s shape our character and our values through their examples, through discipline, and through training. 

    “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” – Proverbs 27:17 

    “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?” – Hebrews 12:7 

    “My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” – Proverbs 3:11-12

Summary

In summary, our fathers are like tools, building each of us into the person that God intended. They gives us examples and truths so that we can not only measure our lives, but we can align them to God’s purpose and truth. They connect us to God and others. As they instill the word of God in our lives and discipline us, the truth cuts, shapes and sharpens us to be more effective children of God.

There’s a great passage on the role of fathers in 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12
“For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.”

ENCOURAGING, COMFORTING, AND URGING THEM TO LIVE LIVES WORTHY OF GOD, WHO CALLS THEM INTO HIS KINGDOM AND GLORY.

Scripture References

Here’s some more scriptures on Fathers:

“Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.”
– Proverbs 4:1

“Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. Buy the truth and do not sell it – wisdom, instruction and insight as well. The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.”
– Proverbs 23:22-24

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’ – which is the first commandment with a promise – ‘so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth. Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.'”
– Ephesians 6:1-4

“Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.”
– Colossians 3:20

“A wise son heeds his father’s instruction…”
– Proverbs 13:1

“A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.”
– Proverbs 15:20

“As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.”
– Psalm 103:13

“But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.”
– Psalm 10:14

“Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand.”
– Isaiah 64:8

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”
– 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Take It to the Next Level

Each one of us has different experiences with our father. Some of us have been blessed with a godly father and we need to thank Him for that gift. But the Bible is also full of fathers that were less than perfect. If your experience with your father has been difficult you can find peace and comfort from God the Father. As Christians we all celebrate Father’s Day knowing that we have become a child of the everlasting heavenly Father who is perfect in compassion, strength, and care in every way.


Get Creative Youth Ideas: "Holiday Collection" ebook Holiday Collection
Games and Activities in Celebration of common Holidays.

Creative Holiday Ideas has over 300 pages of ideas to help you plan not only your next Father’s Day event, but also other common holidays. If you’ve ever wondered what you’re going to do for the holidays and how you’re going to do it, this resource is for you.

=> Tell me more about the Holiday Collection

Creative Teaching Ideas, Object Lessons

God’s Word – A Mirror for Reflection

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James tells us God’s Word is like a mirror (James 1:22-25). Mirrors allow us to see ourselves and to make changes based upon what we see. Unfortunately, many youth not only have a hard time seeing themselves in Scripture, but they also see themselves in a lot of other mirrors which may distort the image they see when they are already struggling to discover who they really are.

 

What to do

Discussion

  1. Ask: What are the characteristics of a mirror?
  2. You can divide the youth into groups and have a competition between teams to make the biggest list of charateristics and uses of mirrors, or simply ask the question and write all the answers on a whiteboard or newsprint/ flipcharts.
  3. Then read James 1:22-25 and ask the youth to highlight ways the Bible is like a mirror using the list they have already created.

Take it to the Next Level

 

Make it Spiritual

Here are some thoughts of characteristics and uses of a mirror applied….

  • We look into the mirror to see how we look and make changes – No one looks into a mirror, sees something he needs to change and then just forgets about it.
  • The better the mirror, the better the reflection. A poor quality mirror often introduces distortions. We must be aware of looking at ourselves through the eyes of others, what we have, or titles and positions, but must instead see ourselves as God sees us. Look into the perfect Word instead of the polluted world.
  • Reflective – God’s Word reflects his personality, reflects his attributes, attitudes, and desires. It also shows us how God sees us.
  • Introspective – Through reading God’s Word, we see Him and we see ourselves and the areas of our lives where we don’t measure up to God’s standards
  • The mirror isn’t the light, but only reflects it – We are not to worship God’s word, but the God that it reveals to us. God’s Word reveals the Light to us: a. Christ the light of the world; b. personal enlightenment
  • Shows the outside, not the inside – In contrast, God’s Word and commandments are not for the purpose of making external changes, but internal changes – heart changes.
  • Reflects the sun (son) or light – God’s Word reflects Christ the Son
  • Able to see yourself as others do – Through God’s Word, we discover what God sees in us and what others also see in us
  • If we focus too much we often lose sight of the overall picture – We need to look at the Bible as a whole, not pulling scriptures out of context, and not getting caught up in petty issues, but keeping a balanced Christian life
  • Can get dirty/ collect dust if not used – Many of our Bibles collect dust throughout the week and our knowledge of God’s Word is forgotten
  • A magnifying mirror is clear in the center and fuzzy and distorted on the edges. – We must have our lives centered upon God’s word. When we are away from it others won’t see us as clear reflections of Christ, but they will get a fuzzy image of Christianity.
  • Looking in carnival mirrors give you a distorted image of yourself. – Unless we are looking into the true mirror, God’s Word, we will get a distorted image of ourselves. Also beware of preachers who make you laugh, but never really give you God’s Word or have application to their sermons. They may just be carnival mirror preachers!
  • A mirror can break – Although a mirror can break, God’s word will stand forever.
  • The only thing you usually get from a shattered mirror is a cut hand! – Often, when we have shattered families, or other aspects of our lives are shattered, we get wounded because we use these things as our mirrors instead of God’s Word.
  • You can’t see much in a small mirror – In the same way, you can’t see yourself or God very much in a few Bible verses, but the more of God’s Word you look into, the better you see yourself and God
  • Usually when we look in the mirror, we only see the obvious things – Often when we read God’s word the things that are most obvious are what we realise. Later when we read these again, other things will be made evident to us by the Holy Spirit.
  • There are different types of mirrors for different purposes (Periscopes, Rearview mirrors, etc.) – Different verses in God’s word reveal mistakes that are already behind us, and those that are possible in the future
  • Obstacles in the way of a mirror block out parts of the picture – Obstacles in our lives prevent us from see the whole picture as God sees it.
  • The further you get from a mirror the less detail you see, the closer you get, the more detail you see. – This is the same effect as getting close or farther from God’s Word.
  • Quick glances into the mirror don’t help much. – To really see what needs work, you must spend time in God’s word, focusing and concentrating. A quick reading through the word rarely does us much good.
  • Sometimes it is necessary to look from a different angle to get a better perspective. It is the same with God’s Word. Try approaching scripture from a variety of vantage points.
  • No one ever looks in a mirror just to see the glass – We look into the Bible not to see the Bible, but to see God and ourselves

Have more ideas to share, please email me as I’d love to hear what your groups come up with!  Share in the comments.

Make it Practical
What are some of the things we learn about ourselves from the Bible?

Make it Personal
How should we respond based on the reflection we see?

Scripture

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.” – James 1:22-25

Teaching Illustrations

Like the Baobab Tree

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baobab-treeWe don’t always get what we want in life. We sometimes wish we were taller, smarter, more beautiful, healthier, richer, or thinner. Things might not go the way we planned – we could be cut down in our jobs, blown over by situations, our lives turned upside-down.

Like the Baobab tree…

One of the most amazing and stunning trees that grow on earth is the Baobab tree. Native to mainland Africa, the island of Madagascar, and Australia, these striking trees can have a trunk diameter of between 7 and 11 meters and grow 5 to 30 meters in height. Some people call the Baobab the ‘upside-down tree’ as the branches of some Baobabs resemble roots.

Legends describe the Baobab as among the first trees to appear on the land. When it saw the height of the palm tree, it cried out to the gods to be taller; when it saw the red flowers of the flame tree, it was envious for flower blossoms; when it saw the fig tree with its delicious fruit, it too prayed for fruit as well. The gods became angry with the tree, pulled it up by its roots, then replanted it upside down to keep it quiet.

The Baobab looks like this for a reason. In the wet months water is stored in its thick, fire-resistant trunk – up to 120,000 litres – for the nine dry months ahead. Some trees are believed to be thousands of years old.

Besides being traditionally tapped for its water; every other part is used. The bark is used for cloth, rope, dye, used to treat fever and protect against malaria. The leaves are used in soup and medicines. The fruit is nutritious to eat and high in vitamin C and calcium and eaten to protect against illness. Sometimes people even live inside of the huge trunks.

Many references mention the exceptional resilience of this tree, noting that even after the entire tree is cut down or blown over in storms, it simply resprouts from the root and continues to grow.

Take It to the Next Level

James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

We often wonder why we have to face trials. If God was really good, why not spare us the pain and agony of having to go through difficult and sometimes traumatic experiences? We are often misguided to think that the victorious Christian life will be hassle-free and once we accept Christ as our Lord and live according to his ways, nothing bad will happen to us.

What we don’t realize is that abundant life God promises comes through maturity. If we never grow to full maturity, how can we expect to enjoy God’s plan and purposes for us? And how do we become mature? Through trials.

It is in trials that we develop our trust and faith in God. The strength to persevere. It is because God is good that he, like a loving parent, nurtures us. We learn to walk by stumbling, falling over, getting up and trying again. If God came by to pick us up every time we fell, we’d never learn to walk!

So the next time you face a harsh environment, a bully, get ridiculed for what you believe in, if your family isn’t perfect (and whose is anyway), if When nothing seems to go our way, look up to the Baobab tree.

The life experiences we gain from struggling in the harsh environments we grow up in prepares us for spiritual maturity when the time is ripe. Not just for ourselves, but for the friends and loved ones that surround us.

While it’s not the prettiest on the outside, it’s magnificence comes from what it has on the inside. It is a life-giving tree, supporting people with the water it has stored, a source of nourishment and healing.

If your life is “upside-down,” it’s time to make it “tree-mendous”!

What Faith Can Do – Kutlass

Verse 1:
Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think its more than you can take
But you are stronger, stronger than you know
Don’t you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining

Chorus:
I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do

Verse 2:
It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard
Impossible is not a word
It’s just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody’s scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It’ll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing

Bridge:
Overcome the odds
You don’t have a chance
(That’s what faith can do)
When the world says you can’t
It’ll tell you that you can!

Teaching Illustrations

God’s Embroidery – What’s your Perspective?

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Many times our lives seem like a mess and it’s often our mothers who come to our rescue. We don’t always see the wisdom in the things they tell us to do and sometimes we think that we’re smarter than they are. But we often forget that many times, they see life through the lens of their rich life experiences. Often, it is only later, when we look back, that we appreciate their wisdom and guidance. What is true of mothers, is even more true of God.

God’s Embroidery – An illustration

When I was a little boy, my mother used to embroider a great deal. I would sit at her knee and look up from the floor and ask what she was doing. She informed me that she was embroidering. I told her that it looked like a mess from where I was. As from the underside I watched her work within the boundaries of the little round hoop that she held in her hand, I complained to her that it sure looked messy from where I sat. She would smile at me, look down and gently say, “My son, you go about your playing for a while, and when I am finished with my embroidering, I will put you on my knee and let you see it from my side.”

I would wonder why she was using some dark threads along with the bright ones and why they seemed so jumbled from my view. A few minutes would pass and then I would hear Mother’s voice say, “Son, come and sit on my knee.”

This I did only to be surprised and thrilled to see a beautiful flower or a sunset. I could not believe it, because from underneath it looked so messy.

Then Mother would say to me, “My son, from underneath it did look messy and jumbled, but you did not realize that there was a pre-drawn plan on the top. It was a design. I was only following it. Now look at it from my side and you will see what I was doing.”

Many times through the years I have looked up to my Heavenly Father and said, “Father, what are You doing?” He has answered, “I am embroidering your life.” I say, “But it looks like a mess to me. It seems so jumbled. The threads seem so dark. Why can’t they all be bright?”

The Father seems to tell me, “‘My child, you go about your business of doing My business, and one day I will bring you to Heaven and put you on My knee and you will see the plan from My side.”

Author Unknown

A Learning Activity

  1. Ask the youth to imagine a big clock on the ceiling, the kind with hands on it.
  2. Ask the youth to then imagine the second hand moving around the clock in a clockwise direction.
  3. Ask everyone to reach out their hand and finger and point at the clock, and move their hands in a circle in the same direction the clock hand would be moving. (Demonstrate this for the group to see)
  4. Ask the youth to slowly lower their hand and finger to chest level, all the time still pointing at the celing and rotating their hand in the same direction.
  5. Now ask them to look at their finger and to tell you if their finger is rotating clockwise or counterclockwise?
  6. The answer: counterclockwise!

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

 
Make it Spiritual

  • What changed during the activity? – The youth’s finger has NOT changed it’s direction during the activity, but the perspective has changed.
  • Have there been experiences in your life that seemed messy, chaotic, without any apparent plan? Explain.
  • What are some of the lessons your mom has taught you? Did some of them seem to make no sense at the time?
  • Are there some things in the Bible that you once found difficult to undertand?
  • What are some ways that a mom or parents have a different perspective from a child or youth?
  • What lessons from your Mom or from the Bible now make sense because you have a different perspective?
  • What are some ways in which God has a different perspective from us?
  • What do you think some of the famous Bible personalities might say about this lesson? Jonah swallowed by a fish? Joseph sold into slavery? Israelites marching around Jericho and blowing trumpets? The disciples at Christ’s crucifixtion? Paul on the Road to Damascus? Moses in front of the red sea?

Make it Spiritual

  • What are some of the lessons for life we can learn from this story and the activity?

Make it Personal

  • Maybe there are some things in life that you don’t understand now. Maybe there are some things that look messy and without a plan. What is an area of your life where you need to trust in God’s perspective on things?
  • Take a moment this week to thank God for having a plan for your life, and working things out for your good.
  • Take a moment this week to thank your mother for also having a plan to raise you well and to help you to have the best things in life, for having faith in you and putting all those things in place so that one day you might be amazed and delighted at God’s plan for you.

Scriptures

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” – Proverbs 3:5-6

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” – Romans 12:2

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; …” – Ecclesiastes 3:1-22

“Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” – Psalm 139:16

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” – Proverbs 16:9

“But, as it is written, ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him'” – 1 Corinthians 2:9

 


Get Creative Youth Ideas: "Holiday Collection" ebook Holiday Collection
Games and Activities in Celebration of common Holidays.

Creative Holiday Ideas has over 300 pages of ideas to help you plan not only your next Mother’s Day event, but also other common holidays. If you’ve ever wondered what you’re going to do for the holidays and how you’re going to do it, this resource is for you.

=> Tell me more about the Holiday Collection

Creative Youth ideas: 1700+ Resources for youth leaders, pastors, ministers to help plan camps, retreats, and meetings using games, illustrations, Children's Worship, Bible Studies, object lessons, sermons, creative ideas,creative activities