Tag Archives: doubts

Creative Teaching Ideas, Game Ideas, Object Lessons

Card Sharks – Playing the hand you are dealt in life

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Decks of cards are easy to find. And everyone knows a card game or two. With this icebreaker, cards are used to sort people into different groups as well as discover a little about each other! They can also be used to explore integrity, doubts, honesty, and personal character.

Card Sharks

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What You Need

Deck of normal playing cards. Add additional decks for larger groups. I have found boxes of enormously sized cards at novelty shops that add even more fun to the games. I’ve even found them as large as an 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of paper.

Using Playing cards to Breaking into Groups

Shuffle cards and let each youth choose one. (You can reduce the size of a deck to your group side by removing some of the numbers of each suit. Once youth have chosen cards, you can force specific combinations of youth by telling them to group themselves in the following ways:

* Red vs Black – Two Teams according to the color of the cards
* Odds & Evens – Two teams according to the value of cards (Face cards have the values Jack-11, Queen – 12, and King – 13)
* Suits – Four teams (Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs)
* Call out any number and they must form groups that add up to that number.
* BlackJack – Add up to 21
* Poker Hands – Groups of 5 cards (Which group has the highest hand?)
– Four of a Kind – All four cards of each number (groups of four)
– Straight Flush – 5 Cards Grouped by Colors and lined up according to number.
– Full House – 3 of one card and two of another
– 3 of a kind – 3 cards of same number, 2 additional cards
– 4 of a kind – 4 cards of same number, 1 additional card
– Straight – 5 cards in order
– Flush – 5 cards of the same color
– Two Pairs – 2 sets of two plus another card

Games using Playing Cards

  • Build a Tower – Give groups of youth a deck or two of playing cards, inside a box, and ask them to build the tallest tower in a given period of time. Do not say it is a competition between groups. Just that in X minutes the tallest tower wins. The tallest tower could actually be built when they put all their resources together. What lessons can we learn from this?
  • Card elimination – When you call out specific groupings of cards (or poker hands), The youth must scramble to form them. If groups do not meet the specified criteria or are the last group to form, they are eliminated from the game. The last remaining group is the winner.
  • Card Identity – Ask students to pick cards from the deck that represent something about themselves. These representations can be as shallow or deep as the students’ imaginations. Have youth mingle and share with one another their names and the cards they have chosen and why. One might choose a two because they have “2 parents” or “two feet” etc. Another student might choose an ace because they strive to “be an ‘ace’ at everything they do… The opportunities are limitless.
  • Card Mixer – Before the activity, write a question on each card to be shared when the youth are mixing together. (e.g. what is your favorite ice cream, most embarrassing moment, favorite musician, favorite scripture, etc.) Match these questions to a future discussion!
  • Go Fish! – 5 cards are dealt to each player. In turn, players ask another player for his/her cards of a specific rank. (Example: “Ken, do you have threes?”) A player may only ask for a card of which he already holds at least 1 card.The person asked must hand over all cards of that rank. If the call was successful, the player has another turn. But if the player asked has no cards of that rank, he says “Go fish”, and the asking player draws the top card from the deck and it’s the next player’s turn. When a player has all 4 cards of a rank they are placed face up on the table. The game ends when all sets are formed, and the player with the most cards wins.
  • Playing Card LIne-up – Instruct the youth to not peek at their cards, then pass out one playing card to each member of the group (you may need a few decks …). On your signal, each youth places the card on their forehead so that others can see the card. Without talking, all youth then group by suit, and then in numerical order (Is Ace high or low? ) Instead of placing them on their forehead where they can fall off, you can also punch a hole in each card and hand them on a strong around the youth’s necks so that it hangs in the back where they cannot see it but others can. What worked or didn’t? Who were the leaders? What are some lessons?
  • Stratego – Play a variation of “stratego” between two teams. Remove cards from the deck so that there is 1-ace, 2-two’s, 3 three’s, etc. Designate jokers as bombs. Leave only one king. The king can be captured by any card. Use the jack with the sword to his head as the spy. Play the game just as you would “stratego”, but have teams send representatives to a person on the opposing team to do battle. Do not reveal the card numbers to teams, but merely who is the victor of the battle. Those who lose battle cannot reveal the victors total to their teams and are removed to a graveyard area. First team to kill the king wins.
  • Team Sit – Give each team a suit of cards, shuffled and one chair. On your signal, players look at their cards and without talking the ace takes the chair. 2 sits on their knees. 3 sits on the next person’s knees. First team to sit in a line wins.
  • Ten – Remove 10s and all face cards. Have students choose a partner whose card added to theirs will result in a sum of 10… the combinations are numerous (1-9, 2-8, 3-7, 4-6, 5-5) Last cuple to pair up is eliminated. Blindly exchange cards with at least 3 people then have then go again , repeating until you have a winner.

A Card Game and a Lesson

Play a game of “I Doubt It” it with the cards.

  1. Divide into 2 to 4 teams.
  2. In this game the objective is to be the first team to discard all of their cards. The team who goes first must discard their aces face down, the second two’s, third, three’s… through King’s. Each time play comes back to the team, a new player must place the cards down, rotating through team members.
  3. As the team places the cards down they must announce the quantity of cards being played (i.e. 2 aces, 1 two, 3 threes, 1 jack, 4 queens, etc.) If a team doesn’t have a card of the value they are supposed to play, then they must bluff.
  4. A team may also bluff at any time by including additional cards of another value in with the cards of the correct value they are playing. For example a person may only have two aces, but includes a six and calls out “three aces.”
  5. At any time another team may shout “I doubt it.” The team that just played cards must turn them over and reveal them. If the revealed cards were a bluff and not 100% what they were claimed to be, the team picks up the entire discard pile. If they were telling the truth, then the team who yelled “I doubt it” must pick up the entire discard pile.
  6. The game continues until one team runs out of cards.

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Discussion

  • What is the primary objective of the card game “I doubt it”? What are some of our objectives in life? What does winning mean to you?
  • What type of person is best at this game? Did anyone in this game get a reputation for dishonesty or for integrity? What reputation do you have with others? How did you get that reputation?
  • What elements of this game caused you to lie, misrepresent the truth, or stretch the truth? What things tempt you to be less than honest in real life? What things tempt you to act against your normal character?
  • Are you known for your honesty, for your integrity? What actions in life build / destroy a person’s character / reputation? Why is a good reputation important? How does our reputation affect how others respond to us?
  • Is TRUTH flexible? Why or why not? Is there such a thing as absolute truth? Why or why not?

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

INTEGRITY: How often in life do we try to gain – benefit by either stretching the truth or by an outright lie? How many times do we sacrifice honesty and integrity to get ahead of others in the game of life? While in this game we might get away with it do people get away with it in life? Is integrity really important? Honesty?

Why is integrity important to God? (1 Kings 9:4, 1 Chronicles 29:17, Job 2:2-4, Titus 2:7, Proverbs 10:9)
Instances of integrity in the Bible:

  • Jacob, in the care of Laban’s property (Genesis 31:39)
  • Joseph, in resisting Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39:8-12, 40:15)
  • Moses, took nothing from the Israelites for his services (Numbers 16:15)
  • Samuel, in took nothing from the people for his services (1 Samuel 12:4)
  • David, in self-reproach for the cutting of Saul’s robe (1 Samuel 24:5)
  • Daniel, in staying pure and upright (Daniel 1:8-20; Daniel 6:4)
  • Nathanael, in whom was no guile (John 1:47)
  • Peter, when offered money by Simon Magus (Acts 8:18-23)

DOUBTS: All of us have doubts at one time or another, but that doesn’t mean we give up. We make choices the best we can not knowing what the next card in life holds for us.

What are some of your doubts related to the Bible and your faith?
Divided the youth into groups to write a short monologues of doubts that the following Biblical characters might have had:

  • The disciples when caught on the sea in storm (Mark 4:26-40)
  • Noah when he was asked to build the ark (Genesis 6,7)
  • Abraham when asked to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22:1-10)
  • Moses when God asked him to go to Pharoah (Ex. 4:1-13)
  • David when he faced Goliath (I Samuel 17,18)
  • Daniel when he was thrown to the lion’s den (Daniel 6)
  1. What options did the above people have in responding to their doubts? Why do you think they acted as they did?
  2. How could you rewrite the above passages as modern situations which might create similar doubts.
  3. What was the time of greatest doubt in your life, and why? Was it similar to any of the characters above?
  4. How are your doubts different or similar? Explain.

MAKE IT PERSONAL

Make a commitment to live a life of integrity, to face your doubts and keep playing the game regardless of the cards you have been dealt in life!

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Creative Teaching Ideas, Game Ideas, Object Lessons

Ping Pong Christians

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This lesson uses ping pong balls to remind us that as Christians we can be easily tossed around, unstable, blown off course if we lack faith. But through prayer and belief we can be strong enough to face and stand strong in any difficulties and circumstances we might face as Christians.

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Games using Ping Pong Balls

  • Balance – Who can balance a ping pong ball on a book (through an obstacle course?) without the ball falling off?
  • Bounce off – From a designated distance, bounce a ping pong ball at another ping pong ball to knock it off an open soda bottle. First to do so wins.
  • Bridge Run – Be the first to roll three ping pong balls into three different glasses set at varying distances, using a tape measure as a bridge. When the game begins, grab the tape measure and extend it towards the nearest glass. Pick up a ping pong ball and try to roll it across the tape measure and into the glass. Once you’ve found success with the first glass, move on to the next one. In order to win this game, all three glasses must contain ping ping balls and the tape measure must be retracted. The trick is getting the right angle – if the angle is too steep the ball will roll too quickly and right across the glass.
  • Double shot – Using 1 hand, toss 2 Ping balls at the same time so that they land in 2 separate glasses.
  • Fan Propulsion – Using a paper plate, be the first to fan a ping pong ball across a goal line.
  • Ping Pong Ball Catch – Holding a cup on top of your head, you try to be the first to catch a ping pong ball in the cup on top of your head as the ball is bounced off the floor and into the air. Harder than it seems.
  • Ping Pong in a cup – players stand at 10 – 20 feet apart in a room with a tile or concrete floor. One player bounces the ball toward the other who must catch the ball in a cup before it stops bouncing. The ball can only be touched with the cup.
  • Ping Pong Knock Out – everyone holds a plastic spoon in their mouth with a ping pong ball balanced on it. Using only blasts of air, each youth must blow the ping pong balls off the spoons of other youth. Last one with left with his or her ping pong ball on the spoon is the winner. (The difficult is sudden movements can drop the ball as quickly as a gust of air. And those gusts of air just might blow your own ping pong ball off the spoon) No physical contact is allowed.
  • Ping-Pong Ball Flick – Place a ping pong ball on top of an open soda bottle. Youth must quickly walk past with their arm straight out and try to flick the ball off without touching the bottle. Its more difficult than it seems.
  • Ropeway – Two team members hold a long loop of string taught with their hands and try to be the first to roll a ping pong ball to one end and back without dropping it.
  • Shake a box – Place 6 to 10 ping pong balls in an empty tissue box. (If needed, enlarge the hole in the top of the tissue box so it is big enough but not too big for a ping pong ball to fit through. Fill the box with 6 to 10 ping pong balls and attach it to the back of a youth using a piece of string or duct tape so that the bottom of the box is against the person’s waist / backside. Youth must dance around to shake the balls out of the box. First to do so wins.
  • Spoon & Ping Pong Ball Relay – A youth holds a spoon in his mouth and carries the ball through an obstacle course. Fast team to do so wins. (Variation – do it blindfolded with verbal instructions from your team)
  • Spoon Transport – A ping pong ball is passed player to player on a spoon. If the ball falls, the team must start over again at the beginning. (Variation – spoons are held in the mouth)
  • Straw Propulsion – Use a straw to blow a ping pong ball through an obstacle course on a table or the floor to a goal.
  • String Transport – Be the first to transport a ping pong ball sitting on top of an open soda bottle to another soda bottle that is several feet away using only a loop of string. (Use 36 inches / 1 meter of string with the ends tied together to create a loop. With your fingers inside of each end of the loop of string you can stretch it out to a long oval that can hold the ping pong ball in balance.) You cannot touch it with your hands. You drop it then you must start over.
  • Table Tennis Ball Goal Shoot – Set up goal markers on opposite sides of a table with team members alternating around it. Using only gusts of air, which team can shoot the ping pong ball into the most goals in a designated time limit.
  • Tic Tac Toe – Arrange 9 paper cups in a 3×3 grid for each team. The first team to bounce ping pong balls into the cups to get 3 in a row wins.
  • Wasted – Who can be the first to toss a ping pong ball against the wall so that it then bounces into a waste paper basket?
  • William Tell – From a designated distance, use a rubber band to shoot the ping pong ball off of an open soda bottle. First to do so wins.

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

  • What were some of the difficulties that you faced in these games?
  • What were some of the strategies used to overcome the difficulties?
  • What are some of the characteristics of a ping pong ball that had an effect on these games?

The difficulty with Ping Pong Balls is that they bounce back and forth easily – Ping – Pong – Ping – Pong and they are easily blown off course.

The Bible describes a man who has these same qualities in James 1:5-8

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”

When you don’t have faith in God, you’ll be double minded. That means, like a ping-pong ball, you’ll bounce back and forth. You won’t be strong in your faith. You’ll be tossed about by doubts and difficulties.

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

  • What are some of the difficulties we face as Christians? In school? In our homes? In life? In general?
  • What are some ways we can overcome the various difficulties?
  • How is faith and prayer an answer to facing life’s difficulties?
  • What are some of the doubts we face concerning God and prayer?
  • How do doubts affect a person’s prayer life? Our actions?
  • Are you easily influenced by circumstances and thing around you? Why or why not?
  • Are you able to stand strong in life’s difficulties? Why or why Not?
  • What solutions does this scripture give us?

MAKE IT PERSONAL

  • In what areas do you need God’s wisdom this week?
  • In what areas do you need to be more consistent, more stable?
  • How can faith and prayer help you in these things?

SCRIPTURE VERSES on Doubts / Lack of Faith

  • Matthew 14:31 – Peter walks on water and doubts
  • Mark 4:40 – Jesus calms the storm

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Object Lessons

The Helmet of Salvation

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Today, helmets are more commonly associated with sports and motorbikes, but in the New Testament period they were primarily known as a critical piece of a soldier’s armor. The helmet protected the soldier’s head in battle. In Ephesians 6 when Paul talks about spiritual battle he mentions the helmet of salvation as a piece of our spiritual equipment. While a breastplate protects the heart, a helmet protects our brain, our thinking. The following activities and object lesson serve as a look at the helmet of Salvation and its meaning for youth today.

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What you need

Collect a variety of helmets:

  • Cycling Helmet
  • Motorcycle Helmet
  • Batting Helmet
  • Cricket Helmet
  • Climbing Helmet
  • Hard Hat
  • Fireman’s Helmet
  • Skateboarding Helmet
  • Hockey Goalie Helmet

If helmets are difficult to come by or you need bigger numbers, you can also add a collection of hats in addition to at least one real helmet. Around Halloween it is also quite easy to find a variety of interesting hats like those for a fireman, policeman, etc.

  • baseball hat
  • chef’s hat (toque)
  • winter hat
  • cowboy hat
  • birthday hat
  • sombrero
  • straw hat

You can also make paper hats from a sheet of newspaper. Simple instructions can be found here.

When I was young we used KFC Chicken Buckets as hats.

Icebreaker Games with Hats

Musical Hats

Similar in concept to musical chairs, place the youth in a circle and give them all hats except one. The person without a hat removes the hat from the person immediately in front of him/her in the circle and places it on his/her head. When your hat is removed you grab the next one. The game continues until the music stops and the person without a hat is removed from the game. Remove one hat from play, shrink the circle and keep playing until there are only a few winners left.

Alternatively, everyone except one is given a hat to wear. Play some upbeat music and when the music stops, everyone tosses their hats in the air and quickly grabs a new one and places it on their heads. The last youth to get a hat is removed from game and play continues until there is only one youth left.

Hat Towers

Place a large pile of hats in the center of the room. Divide into 2 or more teams. The teams choose one member and try to place as many hats on the person’s head as possible. The youth with the most hats on their head after a set period of time wins the game for his or her team.

An Object Lesson with a Helmet

  1. Get two small pumpkins, that can be strapped inside a bicycle or motorcycle helmet. (Small watermelons or cantaloupes also will work.)
  2. Set up a tall ladder on a hard surface covered with a tarp.
  3. Have the youth use permanent markers to draw faces on the pumpkins and give them names.
  4. Use the chin strap to secure one pumpkin inside the helmet. Leave the other one without any protection.
  5. Climb the ladder and talk read the armor of God from Ephesians 6:10-17.
  6. When you finish it drop both pumpkins at the same time.
  7. If your ladder is tall enough one will be smashed and the other will be fine.
  8. Then ask the youth explain how this relates to the “Helmet of Salvation”

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Debrief

  • What happened?
  • Why?
  • What can we learn from this?
  • What are some activities that need helmets? Why?
  • What are some of the characteristics of helmets?
  • What does a helmet do?
  • What purpose did helmets serve in the Roman army?

Here are some common answer to characteristics of hats:

  • Different Hats have different purposes.
  • Protects head
  • Keeps hair out of the food
  • Identifies your team
  • Shade your eyes
  • Keeps your head warm
  • Some hats are ceremonial

Key point: A soldier’s helmet protected his head and gave him confidence that he was safe from the enemy’s attack.

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

  • How is our hope of salvation like a helmet?
  • In what way does salvation protect our mind? Our thoughts?
  • How does salvation protect our thoughts?
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:8-11 is similar to Ephesians 6. How does it give more meaning to the helmet?

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

  • How is our hope of salvation a protection against, doubts, discouragements, despair, bad thoughts, and temptations?
  • How does the hope of salvation give us courage in our daily living?

MAKE IT PERSONAL

  • Have you put on salvation? If not, now is the time.
  • What are some of your personal doubts, discouragements, despair, bad thoughts, and temptation for which you need protection? Which one is biggest in your mind right now?
  • How can the hope of salvation give you courage to face these with confidence?
  • What will you do different this week, because of the hope of salvation?

Additional Scriptures

1 Thessalonians 5:8-11
“But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.”

Ephesians 6:10-17
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devils schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Romans 8:37-39
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Isaiah 12:2
“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”

1 Peter 1:3-4
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,”

Isaiah 59:17
“He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.”

Philippians 4:7
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

2 Corinthians 10:5
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”

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Game Ideas

Follow the Star

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christmas_star.jpgGame Objective
The object of this Christmas scavenger hunt variation is to travel in the direction indicated by one point of a Christmas star until another star of the same color is found. A series of Christmas stars will eventually lead the youth or children to a Christmas Gift marked by a star. This Christmas game serves as an introduction to the wisemen in the Christmas Story who followed the star to find baby Jesus.

Materials
Make some stars in gold, silver and other metallic colors. Cut them from Christmas wrapping paper. You can find foil wrapping paper in various colors throughout the Christmas season. You should have at least 10 stars of each color and one color for each team. On one of the points of each star draw an arrow pointing to the tip of that point. The size of the star will determine the difficulty of the game. Smaller stars will be harder to find. Also prepare a Christmas gift wrapped in the same colored wrapping paper as the stars you have created. Draw a star on top of the Christmas gift. This gift could be a prize for the whole team such as a box of candy or chocolates they can share. Inside each box of Christmas candy include a different figure from a nativity scene.

Setting up the game
Place the Christmas stars in a circle on the floor in a large open area. Orient the stars and tape them to the floor so that the tip of the star with an arrow on it points in a direction for the youth or children to travel. Travel in that direction and place the next star of the same color for them to follow. Again orient it so that the point with the arrow indicates the direction of the next star. Place all the stars in this manner so that each team is led on a journey. Don’t make the stars too visible or too obvious but force participants to search a little for each star. (You can put the star under a table or in an inconspicuous place.) After the last star is placed, have it point to the Christmas gift you have prepared wrapped in the same color of foil wrapping paper. Make sure all the stars are securely fastened so that they will not accidentally be misaligned.

Playing the Game

  1. Inform each team of the color of star they must follow.
  2. Teams may not touch or remove the stars of other colors.
  3. They must travel in the direction indicated by each star until they find a Special Christmas gift of the same color of wrapping paper as their team’s stars.
  4. Give participants a time to return and let them go.
  5. Commend the team that returns the quickest, but make sure all teams get the same gift at the end!

Discussion

  • Who do we know in the Bible that followed a star?
    (Jesus)
  • How was your journey, following a star, similar to that of the wise men?
    You didn’t know where the journey would lead you. Weren’t sure what you would find at the end of the journey. Maybe you had to get past a few obstacles along the way, etc.
  • Were there times you thought you might have lost the way? Do you think the wisemen in the Bible story also might have felt a little lost at times?
  • Did you ask anyone for help? Who? Why did you ask that person?
    The wisemen actually stopped and asked King Herod for directions. But when the learned the type of person that he was, they left the city by a different way.
  • How did you feel when you found the final destination? How might the wisemen have felt when they finally found the King of Kings, the baby Jesus?

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Application
The wisemen followed the star to Jesus. They were not sure of where the journey would lead them. They had great faith that they would find something special at the end of their journey. There might have been some doubts and hardships along the way, but what they found was worth the time and effort. They found Jesus! Whether their journey was the quickest or the slowest, at the end they all received the same reward – Jesus.

Have you found Jesus? Maybe you have just started your journey. Maybe you have gotten lost or had doubts along the way. Even so, you have taken a step of faith to follow and see where God leads you. You may not know the final destination, but I can promise you that God not only has something special for you at the end of the journey but he is with you every step of the way!

During this advent season, seek out Jesus in your life! Ask God to guide you in your journey! Wise men still seek Jesus! What is one realistic way you can seek Jesus in your life this Christmas Season!

Teaching Hint
Use this together with my Christmas Devotional about the wisemen “They Followed the Star” Use information from this Christmas Devotion as part of your lesson, or send it to your youth as an email reminder of the lesson you covered the previous week!

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Icebreakers

Rhyme Time

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Materials
None

Icebreaker Description
Youth will ask and answer questions in rhyme

Preparation
None

Icebreaker Activity

  1. Seat the youth in a circle.
  2. Ask someone to ask the person on his/her right a question. He might ask, for example, ‘What color is my shoe”
  3. The youth questioned must answer with a response that rhymes with the question. He might say, for example, “It’s any color but blue.”
  4. He/she then turns to the person to his/her right and asks a question which must again be answered in rhyme.
  5. Do this until every person in the circle has answered.

Optional Debrief
Has it ever seemed that your questions in life go unanswered or that the answers don’t really make sense?
What are some of the questions you would like to ask God?

Conclusion
Everyone has questions and doubts. Doubts alone are not a cause for concern. Its what we do with our doubts that makes a difference. Even though we may not understand the reasons for things, we must take our doubts to God and place them in his hands. Thomas had doubts about the resurrection of Christ, but Jesus did not condemn him for them. In fact he gave Thomas the evidence he needed to remove his doubts and live by faith.

Application
What are some of your doubts that you need to place in God’s hands?

Scripture
John 20:24-29

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