Dart Test

September 18, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

A young lady named Sally, relates an experience she had in a seminary class, given by her teacher, Dr. Smith. She says Dr. Smith was known for his elaborate object lessons.

One particular day, Sally walked into the seminary class and knew they were in for a fun day. On the wall was a big target, and on a nearby table were many darts. Dr. Smith told his students to draw a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would allow them to throw darts at the person’s picture, if they wished.

Sally’s girlfriend drew a picture of a girl who had stolen her boyfriend. Another friend drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a picture of a former friend, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on the face. Sally was pleased with the overall effect she had achieved.

The class lined up and began throwing darts. Some of the students threw their darts with such force that their targets were ripped apart. Sally looked forward to her turn, and was filled with disappointment when Dr. Smith, because of time limits, asked the students to return to their seats.

As Sally sat thinking about how angry she was because she didn’t have a chance to throw any darts at her target. Dr. Smith began removing the target from the wall.

Underneath the Target was a picture of Jesus.

A hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus; holes and jagged marks covered His face, and His eyes were pierced.

Dr. Smith said only these words…..

“In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me.” Matthew 25:40.

No other words were necessary; tears filled the eyes of the students, focused only on the picture of Christ.

– Author Unknown

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.
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Improving Your Teaching

Brainstorming

September 17, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

Description
A method of problem solving in which group members are led to suggest as many solutions as possible in a designated time period. Evaluation and criticism of proposed suggestions in not allowed until later. Great to get kids to begin thinking about a topic or subject.

Example
1. What are some similarities between fishing and evangelism?
2. In what ways are Christians like a light?
3. What equipment is needed for fishing?

Key Actions
1. Leader presents a problem or question
2. Time period is specified
3. Contributions are recorded as offered by ALL the participants
4. After contributions are made the leader leads the group in evaluating proposed solutions / answers.

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…

Evangelism Ideas

Bait!

September 16, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

Materials
Fishing Lures (no hooks for safety’s sake.), Fishing pole or net, other fishing gear, tackle box, etc.

Activity
Does anyone know how to use this equipment?
Has anyone here ever been fishing?
Has anyone ever caught a fish?
This is a fishing pole, and you cast the line out in the water and hope to catch some fish. (Do this if you have room but remove the hook from your lure to avoid catching some poor fellow’s toupee.)
Display and describe important equipment used in fishing such as fishing rods, fishing line, waders, floats, weights, and hooks.

But the most important thing is missing – a fishing pole and fishing line by itself won’t catch fish. You need bait!

Select some common fishing lures and explain how each is used.
1. Some lures sink to the bottom where catfish and bottom dwelling fish can be found.
2. Others such as a fly float on the surface.
3. Some move through the water and have spinning parts and reflectors to attract the fish.
4. Some look like worms while others look like shrimp or other live creatures the fish like to eat.
5. Some people may not use lures but instead use live bait.

Application
Read Matthew 4:17-22
1. How is telling others about Jesus similar to fishing?
2. Fishing lures are created to be attractive to fish. How can you make the good news about Jesus attractive to your friends?

Jesus was sending His disciples out to fish for men, rather than fish. Jesus wants each of us to go fishing with Him every day of our lives. We are to fish for people to bring to the Lord. We are to tell them how Jesus loves them so much that He died on the cross to forgive their sins. We must tell people how they can invite Jesus into their hearts to become their Savior. That way, we become fishers of men.

Extra
As closing gesture, give each kid a fishing lure (in which the hooks have been removed for safety) and tape them to a card with a key phrase from the passage.

Food for Thought
Is a person a fisherman if year after year he never catches fish? Is a person a true disciple of Jesus Christ if he never wins a soul for Christ? Jesus never suggests that the world should come to the church but he commands the church to go into the world to witness. Jesus has given us the example – he goes to the people, he never waits for the people to come to Him.

MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”

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Object Lessons

Window Christians

September 15, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

Materials
A small mirror and a piece of window pane glass.

Discussion
1. These two objects that are both made from a flat piece of glass, yet they are quite different. Name some of the differences?
(In one you see yourself. Through the other you see other things.)
2. As you go through the day are your thoughts more on yourself or on others?
3. Imagine living in a house where all the windows have been turned into mirrors. How would you like living there? You wouldn’t be able to see outside. You wouldn’t see the sun, the trees, the clouds, your friends walking by, or anything else. It would also make your house very dark as it is at night because no light can get through a mirror.
4. The same thing happens when you and I think mostly about ourselves. Life gets dark for us. We stop seeing the beautiful things around us and the exciting ways we could help other people. We only see ourselves.

Application
God doesn’t want us to always be focused on ourselves but to be focused on him and other people. God wants us to spend more time looking out for others than looking out for ourselves. When we spend more time thinking about what other people need and less time about our own wants and needs, we become happier more blessed people.

Creative Teaching Ideas

Tipping the Scale

September 14, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

Materials
Find a balance scale or make one using paper plates, string, and ruler with a hole the middle. You can hold it with a string attached to the middle hole. Sheets of scratch paper for each participant. Wooden Cross.

Activity
1. On each sheet of paper kids / youth should write one positive thing they have done this week.
2. On other sheets they should write the other things they have done – unspiritual. No one else needs to see what is written.
3. Have everyone wad up the pieces of paper and place them on the appropriate sides of the scale. Which side is heavier?
4. Discuss things that someone might have put on each side of the scale. Make list on a whiteboard or poster of the things that are possibilities as kids / youth mention them.
5. Discuss things that could be removed from the unspiritual side and the things that could be added to the spiritual side. Have participants choose one thing they wish to change to get their life into better balance this week.
6. Now bring out the wooded cross and place it on the good side. Explain that when Jesus died on the cross, he tipped the scales in our favor. God no longer compares the good with the bad. With Jesus on your side you will not be found wanting. With Jesus on your side, your sins are forgiven and instead of having everything taken away, you will be rewarded with heaven.

Application
God evaluates our lives today in light of what Christ did on the cross.

MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”

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Scripture Memory

Special Treasure

September 13, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

Materials
* 7 brown paper lunch bags per every group of 7 (or less) children
(Note: If you have 20 children you would need 21 bags etc.) You can vary the number of bags if you want larger or smaller groups.
* twine or string (20cm piece for each bag)
* 1 large marble for every child (alternatively use another treat for each child)
* Memory Verse
* Bible for each group

Preparation
1. On the outside of each of the 7 lunch bags write one/seventh of the words from the memory verse.
2. Put 1 of the large marbles in each of the bags and fill them the rest of the way up with paper to give them a filled out look.
3. Tie all the bags at the neck using the twine. To make it easier to identify each group, use a different colored twine/ yarn for each set.

Do this same procedure for every 7 bags that you are using. Lay all groups of 7 bags at the front of the room on the floor in separate piles.

Activity
1. Divide into small groups with 7 children to a group. If there are less than 7 in a group, children may have additional turns to get all seven bags.
2. Line the children up in vertical rows, relay style.
3. Demonstrate how to find the Memory verse in your Bible.
4. Provide the first child in each row with a Bible. When you give the signal, the first child in each row is to look up the text of the memory verse and read it.
5. After finished reading it, they then CLOSE THE BIBLE and pass it to the child behind them and proceed to run to the front and grab a bag. It does not matter which bag they grab.
6. The second child may not go get a bag until they have read the text of the memory verse and the first child has returned with a bag. They then close the Bible, pass it down the line and go for their bag.
7. When all bags have been brought back to the team, they must set them up in the correct order WITHOUT USING THE BIBLE so the verse can be read.
8. When everyone on the team can repeat the verse, they may open the bags with the treasure.

Application
God’s Word is a treasure that we can hide in our hearts. Have each child takes a marble home to help them remember that everyone in the early church studied God’s word together.

MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”

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Improving Your Teaching

Acrostic

September 12, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

Description
A word is chosen and each letter in that word is used as the first letter of another word.

Examples
GRACE = God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense
FAITH = Forsaking All I Trust Him

How to use it to spice up your teaching
1. Pick an important word from the lesson
2. Have participants in the group or subgroups create an acrostic using the key word.
3. Have volunteers share the acrostics they have created.

MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”

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Scripture Memory

Hangman

September 11, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

Preparation
Use the words of your memory verse to create a hangman style puzzle. Draw a line for each letter, separating words in the phrase by spaces. Include punctuation.

Activity
Invite students to take turns selecting letters that might fit in the phrase. If a letter is correctly chosen, write it into every blank where it belongs. If the letter chosen does not appear in the phrase, write the letter out to the side and add one item to the hangman (i.e. Draw the head, body, arms, hands, legs, feet, eyes, nose, mouth, as per normal hangman) A person may only attempt to identify the phrase after he/she has correctly guessed a letter. If the phrase is guessed incorrectly, that person automatically loses.
Example
VERSE: “Abba Father” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet, not what I will, but what you will.” [Mark 14:36] (Replace the hyphen in the example with spaces)

“_ _ _ _ – _ _ _ _ _ _”-_ _-_ _ _ _,-“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _-
_ _-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _-_ _ _-_ _ _.-_ _ _ _-_ _ _ _-_ _ _-
_ _ _ _-_ _.-_ _ _,-_ _ _-_ _ _ _-_-_ _ _ _,- _ _ _-
_ _ _ _-_ _ _-_ _ _ _.”

Variations
1. Instead of using the entire verse, use short key phrases from your scripture passage and have several puzzles.
2. Divide the class into two teams and play a version of “wheel of fortune” to guess the phrases. Make a spinner from a paper plate.
3. Instead of using a hangman, use a man on a cross”hangman=man hanging on the cross”, use the normal parts of the hangman, but add the two beams of the cross.

MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”

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Teaching Illustrations

Cracked Pots

September 10, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the
ends of a pole which she carried across her neck. One of the
pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always
delivered a full portion of water.

At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the
cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on
daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of
water.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.
But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection,
and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been
made to do.

After 2 years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to
the woman one day by the stream.

“I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes
water to leak out all the way back to your house.”

The old woman smiled, “Did you notice that there are flowers on
your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s
because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower
seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk
back, you water them. For two years I have been able to pick
these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being
just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the
house.”

Each of us has our own unique flaw.

Each of us has our own unique flaws. We’re all cracked pots. But it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You’ve just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them. Don’t be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them, and you too can be the cause of beauty. Know that in our weakness we find our strength.

Plant seeds and smell the flowers!

MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”

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Children's Sermon

God Chosen

September 9, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

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

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

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

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