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Game Ideas, Object Lessons

Thanksgiving Object Lesson – 5 Kernels of Corn

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The cornucopia, also known in English as the Horn of Plenty, is a symbol of prosperity and affluence, dating back to the 5th century BC. It was often filled with the fruits of the harvest which included corn, fruits, and other vegetables. Corn itself was one of the staple foods of the Pilgrims and early settlers. The native Americans taught them how to bury a fish with the kernel of corn to act as fertilizer and speed its growth. After the first year of the Plymouth colony, only half of the 102 settlers were still alive. Times were hard. At a later harvest, after a particularly tough winter it was said that each person had only 5 kernels of corn to live on each day.  Yet they still gave God thanks in spite of the difficult circumstances. Here are a variety of games using corn kernels.

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What You Need

  • Dried Corn Kernels or popcorn – you can get dried feed corn like that sold for bird feeders or unpopped popcorn will also work.

Games using Corn

  • Chopsticks and corn – Using a pair of chopsticks and a couple shallow bowls or saucers, each youth is given one minute to move corn from one bowl to the other using only the chopsticks. Only one hand can be used to hold the chopsticks. The youth to transfer the most corn wins.
  • Corn and Straws Relay – Divide the youth into teams and give every person on a team a plastic straw and a paper cup. Place a piece of corn in the first team member’s cup. The youth must create a vacuum in the straw to pick up the corn and place it into the next person’s cup. First team to get the corn into the last person’s cup wins. If the corn is dropped on the floor, the team must start completely over at the beginning.
  • Corn Bocce – On a smooth surface like a table, one youth acts as the referee, sliding out the first piece of corn. He then marks this piece with a toothpick. Contestants take turns sliding 4 different pieces as close to the referee’s mark as they can. The referee determines which piece is the closest, awarding that youth or team a point. Play until someone gets ten points
  • Corn Catch – You’ll need one cornucopia or basket for each team, one bag of corn per team, and a belt or length of rope for each team. Use the rope or belt to secure the cornucopia around the waist of one player per team. Have the team member who is wearing the cornucopia stand about 7 to 10 feet away from the players who will be throwing the corn. The player wearing the cornucopia may move around to try and catch the corn as it is thrown without using their hands to deflect the corn in any way. Once everyone has thrown the corn, take the cornucopia and count the corn inside. The youth with the most corn wins.
  • Corn Foosball – Have two youth stand at either end of a large table. One youth throws corn (or a plastic bag of it) to the other end of the table, and the other youth must block it from going through and making a goal. Use a dry sponge for blocking making sure it is one that will not scratch your table.
  • Corn Pitching – Players takes turns pitching ten corn kernels, one at a time, into a bowl from a set distance. You might choose to have various bowls of different sizes and at different distances. Display the points based upon difficulty. Keep score of how many kernels end up in the various bowls. The winner is the one with the highest score after three rounds.
  • Corn Race – Using a drinking straw, the youth must blow a kernel of corn across a table. First to blow it from one end to the other wins.
  • Corn Straw Relay – Race to see who could move the most corn from the table into a bowl in sixty seconds using only a single straw.
  • Kernel Relay – Mark a starting line and a finish line with masking tape on the floor roughly 15 feet apart. Set an empty bowl for each player at the finish line and a bag of corn and a spoon at the starting line. Have each player stand at a bag of corn and take the spoon in hand, placing a single kernel on the spoon. The youth will then carefully race a piece of corn to an empty bowl at the finish line, trying not to let the corn fall off the spoon. Each player will continue to race from the bag of corn to the bowl to see how many pieces of corn she or he can get into the bowl within the allotted time of one minute. If a player drops a kernel from the spoon, that youth must then run back to the bag of corn and get another piece to start over again.
  • Odds or Evens – Each player starts out with the same number of corn kernels. Players rotate about the room pairing up with others. When they find a partner, one player hides a few kernels of corn in his hand. The other player must guess if the number of corn kernels is odd or even. If guessed correctly, the player can add the kernels to his own collection. Players take turns hiding and guessing, until one player has all the corn or until a specified time limit!
  • Turkey Feed – Mix a few pieces of candy corn in with a bowl of corn kernels. Blindfold players and have them retrieve the candy corn from the bowl within a designate amount of time. (As a gross out variation, have them retrieve it with their bare feet then eat it.) The player that retrieves the most candy corn in the designated time limit wins.
  • Where’s the Corn? – Line up three plastic cups out on a tabletop in front of a youth. Place a single piece of corn under one of the cups, allowing the player to see which cup the corn is under. Begin to change the cups’ formation around for five to ten seconds. The youth then must try to remember which cup is hiding the corn and will continue to play and collect corn until he or she chooses the wrong cup. Give the earned corn to that player, and continue on with the next player until every youth has won pieces of corn.

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

  • In these games are you someone who plays it safe or shoots for the moon?
  • Was the voyage to the new world by the pilgrims a safe bet or a big risk?
  • What were some of the potential risks? Potential rewards?
  • What were some of your strategies in these games?

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

Some people play it safe in life. Others take risks. Most of the time we evaluate if the potential reward is worth the risk. For the Pilgrims, coming to America was a great risk. But the lure of religious freedom was worth the risk. Many of them lost their lives in pursuit of the opportunity to freely worship God as their conscience dictated. After the first year of the Plymouth colony, only half of the 102 settlers were still alive. Times were hard. Later during a particularly tough winter is was said that each person had only 5 kernels of corn to live on each day.

Yet in spite of their hardships, they gave thanks to God. Eternal blessings outweighed the physical ones. There may be times when we do not have much, but to have a relationship with God is worth any cost and any hardship! They made a choice, a decision to pursue God at any cost.

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

  • What risks are worth the reward of knowing Jesus as Lord and living for him?
  • Is Christianity a risk? Why or why not?

MAKE IT PERSONAL

  • Has God called you to do something out of the ordinary?
  • To what has God called you?
  • What are you willing to risk for religious freedom?

CLOSING ACTIVITY

Just as a single grain of corn has the potential for an abundant harvest, even one decision for God can lead to a harvest of blessings in your life. What choice is God calling you to make today? Take a kernel of corn home as a reminder of a decision God has called you to make for him regardless of the risk.

SCRIPTURES

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:18 – “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
  • Ephesians 5:20 – “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
  • Philippians 4:6 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

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Game Ideas, Object Lessons

Frozen Chosen?

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Youth Ideas - Frozen

Beat the hot days of summer with a frozen T-shirt contest for your youth. The objective is simple – Unfold a frozen t-shirt and wear it. But it’s not quite as easy as it sounds. It can be played as a team effort or you can have one frozen tee for each youth. Add a few additional ice games to get things moving before you have the final T-shirt thaw.

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Games Using Ice

  • Back to Back Ice Relay – Split the youth into two teams. Freeze a water balloon for each team and just before the game starts, remove the balloon so you are left with a ball of ice. The first two people in line on each team have to put the ball of ice between both of their backs and walk to a designated finish line and then back to the team. If they drop it, they must go back to the beginning and start over again. First team to complete the relay wins.
  • Build with Ice – Freeze and pop out a bunch of ice cubes. Use hot water to make clearer ice. Shake a little salt on the ice to act as glue as the salt melts the ice a little to help the cold cubes stick to one another. Construct creations by salting and adding cubes to create ice people, igloos, and other shapes.
  • Cold Head – Place one ice cube on your head and the other on a competitors head. No hands allowed. First youth to drop the ice cube is eliminated. Continue until you have one champion. Variation – place the ice cube on the back of their necks.
  • Ice Cube Melt – In this game, the objective is for the youth to fill a glass with water to the top using only the dropping water from melted ice. They may only use their hands to melt the ice. Only one ice cube can be melted at a time.
  • Ice Cube Melt Relay – One Large ice cube per team (the ice cubes should be the same size). Divide the youth into two equal teams. Give each team an ice cube. The first player on each team holds and rubs the ice cube until their hands get too cold. Then they pass it to the next person on their team, and so on, until the ice cube is completely melted. The first team to completely melt their ice cube wins the game.
  • Ice Cube Melting Race – Give each child an ice cube and see who can get it to melt the fastest in their hands. Working in pairs or teams is best, so when a child’s hands get too cold, they can pass the ice cube off to a teammate.
  • Ice Cube Melting Race – Give each youth an ice cube and see who can get it to melt the fastest in their hands. Working in pairs or teams is best, so when someone’s hands get too cold, they can pass the ice cube off to a teammate.
  • Ice Cube Transfers – Fill a bucket with water and lots of ice cubes. Teams try to remove ice cubes from the bucket using only their feet. Make it more challenging by putting on a blind fold.
  • Ice Puzzles – Get some small lego sets with the instructions to create the object. Freeze all the pieces individually in ice cubes (It’s ok if longer pieces stick out of the ice cube). First team to thaw the pieces and follow the instruction to create the lego set wins.
  • Marbles in Ice – Place a marble into each one of your ice cube trays’ sections. Fill with water as usual and freeze. Repeat this process until you have anywhere between 30 and 100 marbles. The more marbles you have, the longer the game will last and the more fun it will be. Give each youth an equal-sized cup and tell them that whomever fills their cup full of marbles first wins the game. Alternately, you can deem the youth with the highest number of marbles the winner. Then, let the youth decide how to melt the ice cubes and retrieve the frozen marble.
  • Musical Ice Pass – This is a variation of musical chairs, with players passing an ice cube to music. When the music stops whoever is holding the ice cube is eliminated. Make it more fun by freezing a giant water balloon to replace the ice cubes. As a variation, give those eliminated a small ice cube. If any youth who was eliminated can use their hands to get the ice to melt before the game finishes they can join back into the game.
  • Pick up ice cubes – Fill a paddling pool up with water and add ice cubes. Each person has to try and remove the ice cubes using their feet. Count out how many ice cubes each team/person is able to remove.
  • Thaw it – Freeze a coin or any other small item in a block of ice. First team to unthaw the item without putting it in their mouth or hitting it with another object is the winner.
  • Thread the Spoon – The day before the game, cut some yarn or string into long segments, allowing about 4 feet of yarn per team member. If in doubt, always make your yarn longer than necessary. Tie one end of one piece of yarn to the end of one spoon. Do this for each team. Put the spoons (with the yarn attached) in the FREEZER to freeze. For even more fun, run the string through one or more ice cube trays so that there are ice cubes froozen along the string as well. You may want to dip the spoons in water a few times to add a little ice build-up. When you’re ready to play, divide the youth into equal size teams. Hand the spoon to the first player and instruct them to put the spoon down their shirt, through pants legs (or skirts) and out by their feet. The fact that the spoons are cold will be apparent very quickly. The first person should also be instructed to hold the end of the yarn while the rest of the team repeats the threading process. NOTE: the spoon does not, and should not, go in undergarments; only inside of shirts, slacks, etc. The object of the game is to see which team can “thread the spoon” from the first person to the last. When done, the entire team will be stitched together!

Main Teaching Game – Frozen T-shirts

RESOURCES

  • Gallon Freezer Bags
  • You’ll need one t-shirt for each team or participant. Larger shirts are best and if possible you want them all to be the same size. Sometimes t-Shirts can be torn or stretched in the process.
  • Water
  • Freezer

PREPARATION

  • Soak each t-shirt in about 2 cups of water then wring it out. If there is too much water it will take too long to thaw.
  • Once the shirt has been wrung out, nicely fold each one into a square that will fit inside the freezer bag. Once you have folded it flat, press it down again to try to remove even more water.
  • Seal each bag, and place each t-shirt in the freezer so that each lies flat.
  • Let them freeze for a couple of days for best results.
  • If you need to transport the shirts to another venue, place them in a cooler filled with ice so they stay frozen.

WHAT TO DO

  • Tell the youth you are going to have a real icebreaker game.
  • If you play by teams, don’t tell the youth what you are going to do and instead ask for a volunteer from each team. (You don’t want more than 4 or 5 on a team or it gets too crowded and some youth end up sitting on the sideline and watching.)
  • Give each youth (or team) a frozen tee.
  • The objective is to use whatever means possible to thaw the t-shirt enough so that it they can put it on. (They’ll sit on them like hatching an egg, throw them on the ground, rub them with hands, roll them, stick them on bare arms and legs to use their body heat to warm them up enough to unfold them and put them on.) They’ll be worn out trying to get them unfolded enough to wear.
  • The first person to get the t-shirt on wins! Heads and arms must be completely in the t-shirt for normal wear to be declared the winner.

RULES OF THE GAME

  • You might want to set some rules such as:
  • You cannot place the t-shirt in water or any other liquids
  • You cannot microwave it or use any appliance or machinery to heat it up.
  • You cannot leave the game area
  • You are not allowed to use any sharp object on the t-shirt

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Like many things in life, this game takes a lot of effort. It’s the same with building relationships. If you want to have relationships that aren’t so cold and are more warm and friendly, it takes work. “Cold hearted” and “Hard – hearted” are terms we commonly use to describe how youth relate to others. We also often talk about the warmth of friendship.

  • What happened during the game?
  • What were the difficulties encountered?
  • What made these tasks difficult?
  • How difficult was it to melt the ice?
  • What did you try that didn’t work so well?
  • Did you get frustrated? Why or why not?
  • What was the most effective strategy?
  • What could you do differently to be more successful if you played again?
  • Did you ever feel like giving up? What are some things that you have tried to do that ended up being so difficult that you gave up?
  • What is something that was difficult but you kept at it until you got it done?
  • What happened as a result?
  • What lesson did you learn?

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

  • How is following God like playing this game?
  • When we become Christians, are we able to put on holiness right away?
  • Do you ever get frustrated thinking God isn’t working fast enough for you?
  • How do you respond to God when He isn’t working fast enough?
  • Have you ever gotten so frustrated with God, and impatient that you tried to rush things in your own way? What happened?

In the Bible, Cold and Hot are used to describe the relationship of a person with God. But God’s greatest criticism is not to a person is either hot or cold, but to someone that is lukewarm. In Revelation, God refers to the church of Laodicia in the same terms.
“I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot”. “Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15-16).

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

Laodicia had no water supply of its own, so an aqueduct was built to bring water to the city from hot springs. By the time the water reached Laodicia is was neither therapeutically hot nor refreshingly cold. And because of it, one of the strongest words in Revelation is used, emesai, meaning to vomit.

  • What actions of a Christian might be described as Hot? Cold? Lukewarm?
  • How does a lukewarm Christian behave?
  • Why is lukewarm worse than being either hot or cold?
  • What is an area of your devotion to God that could be described as Lukewarm?
  • If we are cold or lukewarm, how can we become “On Fire” in our devotion for God?

MAKE IT PERSONAL

  • What can you do this week to become more fired up about your relationship with God?
  • What can you do this week to share the warmth of Christ with someone?

SCRIPTURE

  • Revelation 3:15-16 – “I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot”. “Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth”
  • 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV) – “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

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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!

Object Lessons

Tough Nuts to Crack

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All of us face tough situations in our lives. We could be having the time of our lives but when bad things happen, the good times are forgotten, and all we can see ahead of us is despair. Christ passed through the gates of Jerusalem triumphantly, people waved palm leaves, cloaks were laid at the feet of the donkey He rode on, the crowds cheered and welcomed Him. Barely a week later, the cheers turned to jeers, it was His cloak that was ripped from Him and it was a whip that greeted Him. This Easter themed object lesson uses a walnut to teach the youth that even in the darkest hour and hopeless situations, something good awaits for those who know the plan of the Master.

Resources

  1. Walnuts, one for each youth
  2. Fine tipped markers, one for each youth
  3. Bibles

What to Do

  1. Give each youth a walnut and a fine tipped marker.
  2. Ask youth to think of some difficult situations Bible Characters faced that turned out for good. They can search their Bibles for more examples. (See Examples Below)
  3. Ask the youth to think of difficult times that could end up working out for good for people today? (e.g. Failing a test might lead a youth studying harder and passing a class)
  4. Then ask the youth to think a situation in their own life where something difficult turned into something good. Once they think of something, have them come up with a word, phrase or symbol that represents that situation.
  5. Ask the youth to write the word of phrase or symbol onto the shell of the walnut.
  6. Ask for volunteers to share the word or phrase with the rest of the youth and a little about what happened.
  7. After the sharing, ask the youth to take their walnuts outside and do whatever it takes to crack open the walnut. (You could also provide a hammer or nut cracker if you wish).
  8. When everyone has cracked the walnuts, ask the youth to collect all the pieces and return to the room. Encourage them to taste and eat the walnuts.

Biblical Examples:

  • Moses: Murder and ran away to desert – Exodus 2:11-22
  • Joseph: Sold into slavery – Genesis 37
  • Daniel: Carried off as a captive to Babylon – Daniel 1
  • Joseph: Accused by Potiphar’s wife – Genesis 39
  • Esther: Forced into a harem for a pagan king – Esther 4:14
  • Jonah: Swallowed by a whale – Jonah 1
  • Paul: Imprisoned in Rome – Philippians 1:12-14

 Take It to the Next Level


  • How did you feel as you crushed the walnut that represented the difficult situation?
  • How is breaking open the walnut and finding something good inside similar to the difficult situations in life – when something good comes out of a bad situation?

Make it Spiritual

  • How is Jesus’ death on the cross similar? (Acts 4:27-28)
  • What good came out of Christ’s death? Resurrection?
  • How is Jesus’ resurrection like tasting the good meat inside the walnut?

Make it Personal

  • What does Christ’s death and resurrection mean to you personally?
  • How has Christ’s death made a difference in your life for good?
  • Psalm 34:8 tells us to taste and see that the Lord is good. How does this relate to the object lesson?

Make it Practical

  • What are some tough situations you’re struggling with?
  • How does Romans 8:28 and the Easter story give you hope and strength to crush these situations in your life?

Scripture References

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”
– Psalm 34:8 (NIV)

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
– Rom 8:28 (NIV)

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'”
– Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

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Game Ideas

Bible Lessons from the Olympics: Victorious in the Challenges of Life

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When you think about the Olympics, you can’t help but think about the challenges the athletes face in pursuit of the gold, bronze, and silver medals. Many of the athletes have faced tremendous personal challenges simple to be at the Olympic games. They will be challenged by the best athletes in the world. They will be challenged by world records. They will be challenged by their own limitations. As Dorothy Stuart Hamill, an American figure skater and the 1976 Olympic champion once said, “I wouldn’t say that there’s ever been an Olympic champion that didn’t deserve to win an Olympic Gold Medal.”

Wacky Challenges

  • Bubble blowing contest – who can blow the biggest soap bubbleCoin toss – toss the coin closest to the wall
  • Thumb wrestling
  • Finger wrap – Give youth a length of string and have them race to wrap the strong around their finger.
  • Toilet Paper Roll – They must race to roll a roll of toilet paper along the ground until all the toilet paper is off the roll.
  • Marshmallow balance: see who can balance the highest number of marshmallows or candy pieces on his/her nose.
  • Porcupine Relay
  • Balloon Popping – Whose the fastest at blowing up a balloon until it pops
  • Peel an orange – Who can peel an orange the fastes

Make up your own wacky challenges
Also check out Tiny Olympics

Take It to the Next Level

  1. Have the youth make a list of challenges that today’s teens face. What are the struggles, the difficulties, the tests that today’s teens face?
  2. After youth have listed their challenges on a large sheet of paper, ask:
    * What makes these things challenging?
    * How have you been able to overcome such challenges in the past?
    * How does experience with God change the way a person faces challenges from day to day?
    * How could your relationship with God help you deal with the challenges you listed?

Scriptures Verses for Youth Bible Study

Isaiah 40:29-31
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Philippians 3:12-14
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Applying Scripture to Life

What promises do these verses hold for us when we face life’s challenges?

Ask volunteers to share personal testimonies of how God has given them strength along the way to get to this point in their lives. As a group, discuss how God can help youth face challenges during the year ahead. Close with a time of personal prayer and recommitment for youth to follow God as they begin a new phase in their lives.

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Need a Youth Camp/ Bible Study Series on “Running the Christian Race”?

The race as a metaphor for the Christian life is used in several places in the Bible. This series is a great follow up for new Christians or to re-emphasize the basics of our spiritual Journey in the Faith. This Bible Study / Camp Curriculum has a sports theme and is great for athletes as well as a tie in to the youth Olympic Games.
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Icebreakers

Weather Report

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Materials
None

Icebreaker Description
Youth will describe various types of weather they have experienced as an icebreaker / crowdbreaker. This is a good crowdbreaker to use at events or meetings that have been forced inside by inclement weather

Preparation
None

Icebreaker Activity
Give youth a question related to the weather. They must mingle and share the answers to the question with one another. On a periodic basis, change the question.

Possible Questions

  • the hottest temperature they’ve experienced
  • the coldest temperature they’ve experienced
  • the deepest snowfall they’ve seen
  • the worst windstorm they’ve experienced
  • the closest they’ve been to a tornado or hurricane
  • the densest fog they’ve witnessed
  • the most beautiful sunset they’ve seen
  • the strangest weather they’ve experienced.

Debrief
If you had to describe your life at this moment in terms of the weather, how would you explain it?
Examples: Partly Cloudy, thunderstorm, dry season, flooded, sunny, clowdy, lightning, hot, hurricane, tornado. pleasant breeze, windy, clear, sunny, overcast, warm, cold, freezing, hail, ice, fog, smog, mist, frost, drizzling, raining, afternoon showers, blizzard, snow, scattered showers, windy, gusty, squall, gale, stormy, pleasant, dusty

Conclusion
Sometimes life seems stormy, at other times it is a pleasant afternoon. Sometimes the world can be a cold place and other times is can be warm and sunny. There are times when we are in a fog and other times it is clear. The nice thing about weather is that it changes all the time. The same is true for life. Life is always changing. Next time live sends you rain, don’t worry… the sun will shine again!

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