Blocks

dominoes.jpg
Materials

Building blocks, decks of cards or other materials used to build a tower. Options are dominoes, fruits, popsicle sticks, stones, people, sheets of paper, sugar cubes, soda straws, lego’s, empty soda cans, etc.

Activity
1. Have individuals or groups build towers from the materials provided. You may choose to give all the groups the same materials or give different groups different materials.
2. Award prizes for the tallest, sturdiest, lightest, most creative, best architectural style, strangest, etc. You might then decide to have a best distaster – catastrophe – see which tower has the best death scene when demolished. For fun you may wish to video tape the construction and destruction of towers for a record of the event.

Application
1. When it seems like life is knocking us down, God is there to pick us up.
2. I wonder how many of us were tempted to destroy our competition instead of building our own tower? Satan is like that too. We work hard to try to be like Jesus. We do nice things like hold our tempers (place a block) or tell the truth (stack another block on top) or obey our teacher (place another block on top), and when Satan sees us trying to grow more like Christ guess what Satan tries to do? (Satan tries to knock us down. ) Yes, Satan tries to knock us down. And sometimes he succeeds. But we have to pick ourselves up and try again, because God promises to lift us up and help us.


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Legend of the Candy Cane

Object
A candy cane for each child.

The Lesson
Candy Canes are everywhere. They are used as decorations on Christmas trees and are one of the most popular of all Christmas treats. I have heard several stories about the history and meaning of the candy cane. I don’t know if they are true, but I do think that the candy cane can teach us a few things about the true meaning of Christmas.

J
First of all, if you look at the candy cane it looks like the letter J. Jesus starts with the letter J, so that should remind us of Jesus and help us to remember that Christmas is Jesus’ birthday.

Shepherd’s Crook
If you look at the candy cane like this it looks like a shepherd’s crook. The shepherd used his crook to keep the sheep from wandering away from the flock and getting lost or eaten by a wild animal. The Bible says, “The Lord is my shepherd.” The candy cane should remind us that Jesus is our shepherd and he will keep us from wandering away and getting lost or hurt. (John 10:11)

White
The candy cane is mostly white. White is a symbol of purity. That should remind us that Jesus was the spotless Lamb of God and that because he came to be the sacrifice for our sin, we can become as white as snow. (I John 1:7)

Red Stripes
As you know, the candy cane has three red stripes. The Bible tells us that before he was crucified, Jesus was beaten with a whip which made blood-red stripes across his back. The Bible says that we are healed by those stripes. The stripes on the candy cane should remind us that Jesus suffered and died, so that we can have everlasting life. (Mt 26:28)

Sweet
The sweetness of the candy cane reminds us that God Loves us and wants us to enjoy the many gifts He has given us — especially the gift of His Son, who came into the world on the first Christmas to save us. (John 3:16)

Summary
To many people, the candy cane is a meaningless decoration seen at Christmas time or just a piece of candy to be eaten and enjoyed. I hope that this year, every time you see a candy cane, you will be reminded of the true meaning of Christmas.

Scripture
Mark 12:13-17 Mark 12:41-44

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Adventure Prayer

Materials
None

Activity
Have the group form a circle holding hands. Say, I am going to name some situations. I want you to pray silently for the persons on your left and right as if the situation were true. What/ how would you pray?

Situations
NOTE: Create your own and use discretion as not all options may be appropriate for all groups of youth.
1. Imagine you are holding the hand of someone who is sick.
2. Imagine you are praying with someone who is homeless.
3. Imagine you are praying with the President / Prime Minister.
4. Imagine that you are holding the hand of someone who is dying.
5. Imagine that you are holding the hand of a female friend who has gotten pregnant or of a guy who has just gotten a girl pregnant.
6. Imagine you are holding the hand of a convicted murderer.
7. Imagine you are holding the hand of a person with AIDS.
8. Imagine you are holding the hand of Jesus.

Debrief
Debrief this prayer time by asking:
1. What did you learn about yourself during our adventure prayer?
2. What made you uncomfortable?
3. What did you learn about prayer?
4. How can you use these ideas to make you personal prayer time more meaningful?


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A Mentor is like a Good Optometrist

glasses.jpgAn optomitrist does not invent light or create a patient’s eyes; but he helps focus the patient’s attention on the light that is already present. He uses various lenses and techniques to adjust the intensity and focus the light so that his patient has better vision.

Mentoring includes a process of looking into the life of another person and then teaching them to open their eyes and see what is there. It prevents them from seeing things from a single perspective, and allows them to see things in other dimensions. They are able to see life through the eyes of the mentor and through their own eyes.

The mentor must help the protégé to look back and notice things missed, to look through to see deeper meaning and connections in experiences, to look forward with imagination and to see dreams and possibilities. A mentor helps the protégé penetrate beneath the surface of his life and to see the inmost truth. Successful mentoring is a product of the ability to see beyond the surface to what is inside us and to respond.


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Bible Passport

passport.jpg
Materials

1. Scissors, markers, small stickers or white address labels
2. “Bible Passport” (patterned after a real passport) If you have a polaroid camera, you can even take pictures of the youth for their passports. Another option is to ask them to bring a picture of themselves for the next week. Neoprint pictures also work well.

Activity
As you discuss different Bible stories and characters you can discuss destinations and have them write brief notes in their passports. You might have youth create a special symbol or stamp for the passport based on each Bible destination. If you are really feeling creative, have someone dress up as a Bible character (like Paul) and tell them about the various places he visited. Have youth write down the names of places visited and what happened at each.

Application
“Traveling, through the Bible takes us to many wonderful places. We can travel through the promised land with Joshua, or wander in the desert with Moses. We can travel with Paul to Asia Minor and with Philip to see the Ethiopian. The Bible is like a passport to many places.”

Bible Passport Inscription
The King of Kings
hereby requests all who it may concern to permit this citizen of Heaven (statute Phil: 3:20) named herein to go into all the world and in case of need to be provided with all necessary aid and protection from enemies of God’s Kingdom. (statute John 17:17-18)


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His and Hers ATMs

His and Her ATM usage explained:

HIS
1. Pull up to ATM
2. Insert card
3. Enter PIN number and account
4. Take cash, card and receipt

HERS
1. Pull up to ATM
2. Check makeup in rearview mirror
3. Shut off engine
4. Put keys in purse
5. Get out of car because you’re too far from machine
6. Hunt for card in purse
7. Insert card
8. Hunt in purse for wrapper with PIN number written on it
9. Enter PIN number
10. Study instructions for at least 2 minutes.
11. Hit “cancel”
12. Re-enter correct PIN number
13. Check balance
14. Look for envelope
15. Look in purse for pen
16. Make out deposit slip
17. Endorse checks
18. Make deposit
19. Study instructions
20. Make cash withdrawal
21. Get in car
22. Check makeup
23. Look for keys
24. Start car
25. Check makeup
26. Start pulling away
27. STOP
28. Back up to machine
29. Get out of car
30. Take card and receipt
31. Get back in car
32. Put card in wallet
33. Put receipt in checkbook
34. Enter deposits and withdrawals in checkbook
35. Clear area in purse for wallet and checkbook
36. Check makeup
37. Put car in gear, reverse
38. Put car in drive
39. Drive away from machine
40. Travel 3 miles
41. Release parking brake

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Awesomites

“When He saw the crowds, He felt sorry for them. They were troubled and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is large, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord who gives this harvest to send workers to harvest His crops.”
-Matthew 9:36,37

“I think Christ is awesome and wants us to be ‘awesomites.’ Humble awesomites representing His awesomeness nonetheless. More than conquerors! Christ and His Christians, changing things on the earth.

There are many wounded and hurting individuals ‘tied to trees’ around the world. You work with some, others live across the street. One of them probably just served you in a check-out line, seated you in a restaurant or served you food. Their chains are alcohol, drugs, abuse, broken dreams, rejection, money, lust…Well, you get the point.

Plan A is for supernatural, but ordinary, people like you and me to: (1) wholeheartedly believe in the victory of Calvary–to be convinced that it was complete and final and (2) to rise up in our role as sent ones, ambassadors, authorized representatives of the Victor. Our challenge is not so much to liberate as to believe in the Liberator; to heal as to believe in the Healer.

Plan B is to waste the Cross; to leave the tormented in their torment; to scream with our silence, ‘There is no hope!’; to hear the Father say again, ‘I looked but found no one”; to hear the Son cry once more, ‘The laborers! Where are the laborers?’

Come on, Church! Let’s untie some folks. Let’s tell them there is a God who cares. Let’s represent–let’s mediate–let’s intercede!”

Source: Dutch Sheets “Intercessory Prayer”
“How God Can Use Your Prayers to Move Heaven and Earth”


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Wonderfully Created

sheriff.jpg
Materials

Obtain various tools and accessories associated with different occupations.

Some possibilities include:
fireman’s hat-fireman, police badge-policeman, sheriff badge-sheriff, cook’s beater-cook, baker’s hat-baker, basketball or sport’s equipment-athlete, axe-woodsman, paintbrush-artist, stethoscope-doctor, briefcase-businessman, driver’s license-driver or taxi driver, trowel-bricklayer, shovel-gardner, Bible-pastor, hammer-carpenter, Microphone- singer or speaker, telephone-secretary, bow tie-waiter, knife-butcher, ETC.

Activity
Have participants match the items with the occupation.

Discussion
1. What do you / did you want to be when you grow/ grew up.
2. Does God have a personal and specific will for each person’s life?
3. Does he have a detailed blueprint for our life?
4. How much leeway do we have in submitting our personal choices?
5. Is everything predestined?
6. Does it include every detail relating to my life? If so, how do we discover it?

Scripture
Psalm 139:15. Before you were even a baby, God knew you and what you would become. God intimately knows us. He knows our thoughts, words, and deeds (v7-12). Verse 16 says God planned all your days, all your life, before you were ever even born. He had a plan for you before you even existed.

Closing
End by discussing various things that Christians can do. Discuss the person each of us can become. Talk about the different roles in the church and how God might use some of them to accomplish these roles.

 

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Cracking Under Pressure

egg.jpg
Materials

Divide groups into teams and provide each team with 4 sheets of paper, scissors, several straws, some string, a couple rubber bands, 4 ice-cream sticks, 2 paper plates, a pencil, 4 styrofoam or paper cups, an egg and some tape.

Activity
Give each group an egg… allow them 5 minutes to build a capsule for their egg to protect it from being dropped… then drop the egg capsules from different heights. Award the group whose egg survives the fall intact. In case of a tie, the group using theleast materials wins.

Application
1. Today we are going to learn what preparations you can make to prevent you from cracking under pressure in your spiritual walk.


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Blind Guide

Materials
Blindfolds for 3 or four youth/ children

Activity
Choose 3 or 4 volunteers and blindfold them. Then divide the group into two teams for each volunteer. The objective of one team is to direct the blindfolded person through an obstacle course you have created while the objective of the other opponent’s team is to lead the blind-folded person astray. The Blindfolded person will not know which team to trust… If the blindfolded person completes course, the team leading him wins; if he is led astray the distraction team wins.

Application
1. Sometimes in life, the right path is difficult to see and even more difficult to follow
2. We need to learn to differentiate the voices around us so we can make wise decisions


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