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Game Ideas

Superbowl Challenge – A Football themed game for Church Youth

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A Christian Superbowl Challenge
Use this Superbowl themed game with youth as an introduction to the idea of the game of football as a metaphor for living the victorious Christian life.

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Superbowl / Football Games

What You Need

  • Newsprint or long strip of paper – Classified ads work great
  • A marker for writing on the paper
  • Football themed decorations

Preparation

Create a miniature football field in the center of the room.

  • Cut some newsprint into 11 long strips 3 or four inches wide (small print classified ads work best. Cut from a double newspaper spread so that you get the longest strips possible.)
  • Masking tape can be used to replace the paper strips, but be sure to check it first to make sure it does no damage on carpet or floor tiles.
  • In the center of each strip of paper or stretch of masking tape, label the yard lines. You should have one strip for each of the following:

—– GOAL —–
—– 10 —–
—– 20 —–
—– 30 —–
—– 40 —–
—– 50 —–
—– 40 —–
—– 30 —–
—– 20 —–
—– 10 —–
—– GOAL —–

  • Lay the strips of paper out on the floor to create a miniature football field as shown above.

Create a football

  • Cut a brown paper bag, or piece of brown cardboard into the shape of a football. Use a marker to draw the laces onto the football shape so it looks more like a football.
  • You can also use a small football easily found in a toy store. They are usually about the size of a large orange.

What to do

Bible Quiz

  1. Choose a quiz of at least 50 questions. It can be questions from recent Bible lessons or simply Bible Trivia.
  2. Split the youth into two different teams and sit them on opposite at opposite ends of the football field.
  3. Flip a coin to see which team plays first
  4. Start off on the 50 yard line
  5. Each “Play” involves asking a youth from the team a question to be answered. You may wish to limit each youth on the team to answering only one question to insure that all youth participate.
  6. A correct answer advances the team 10 yards. An incorrect answer causes the team to lose 5 yards. If the student is unsure of the answer they may “pass” to another player on the team that has not answered a question yet. One pass per question is allowed.
  7. The winner is the first team to reach the opponent’s endzone (A touchdown). If the game is taking too long, the team closest to the endzone wins.
  8. For more fun, decorate the room with football logos and come dresses as the referee with a whistle.

VARIATIONS

Instead of a quiz you could use the following ideas:

  • Football Charades

Place a bunch of football related words on folded slips of paper and put them in a bowl. Divide into two teams. A player from the team pics a slip from the bowl, takes a peak at it, then must act out the word for his or her team. If the team hasn’t guessed the word in one minute, the opposing team can make one guess and try to steal the ball. When a charade is correctly guessed the team advances 5 yards. There is an attached list of Superbowl / Football related words you can use for the Charades. Get more details on how to play charades here

You can also play charades using the names of various football teams. You can find some of the football teams here

  • Forbidden Word

Divide into two teams and Every time someone from the opposing team says the word football the ball is advanced for your team.

Football / Superbowl terms (for Charades)

AFL, announcer, arm guard, arm pad, artificial turf, assistant coach, astroturf, audible, back, backfield, ball boy, ballcarrier, bench, blitz, block, bomb, bowl game, carries, center, cheerleader, chest protector, cleats, clipping, clock, clothesline, coach, coin toss, completion, conferences, cornerback, count, cup, dead ball, defense, defensive back, defensive end, defensive halfback, defensive holding, defensive line, defensive lineman, defensive tackle, delay of game, dime back, double team, down, draft, draw, drive, drop kick, elbow pad, eleven, eligible receiver, end, end zone, extra point, face guard, face mask, fair catch, fake, false start, fan, field, field goal, field of play, field position, first and ten, first down, flag, flanker, football, football helmet, football player, football tee, formation, forward pass, foul, four-point stance, free kick, free safety, freeze, fullback, fumble, goal line, goalpost, gridiron, grounding, guard, hail mary, half time, halfback, handoff, hang time, hash marks, head coach, Heisman trophy, hike, hip pad, holding, home-field advantage, huddle, i formation, illegal motion, incomplete pass, instant replay, intentional grounding, interception, interference, jersey, kick, kick return, kicker, kickoff, knee pad, laces, lateral pass, line, line judge, line of scrimmage, linebacker, lineman, live ball, lob, loose ball, man-to-man coverage, mascot, middle guard, midfield, NFL, nickel back, nose guard, nose tackle, off sides, off-season, offense, offensive backfield, offensive holding, offensive line, officials, offside, onside kick, open receiver, overtime, pass, pass defender, pass interference, pass pattern, pass protection, passing game, penalty, personal foul, pick, pigskin, piling on, pistol formation, placekick, placekicker, play, play clock, playbook, playoffs, point spread, possession, post-season, preseason, punt, punt return, punter, quarter, quarterback, quarterback sneak, receiver, reception, red flag, redshirt, referee, regular season, return, reverse, roll, rookie, roster, roughing the kicker, roughing the passer, running back, running game, running into the kicker, rush, rushing, sack, safety, score, scramble, screen, screen pass, scrimmage, scrimmage line, season, set, shotgun, shoulder pad, sideline, snap, special teams, spike, spiral, split end, spot, stadium, stance, starter, steal, stiff arm, straight arm, strong safety, substitution, super bowl, superbowl, sweep, t-formation, tackle, tailback, take a knee, TD, team, thigh pad, three-point conversion, three-point stance, tie, tight end, time out, too many men on the field, touchback, touchdown, trap, trick play, turnover, umpire, uniforms, unnecessary roughness, unsportsmanlike conduct, uprights, wide receiver, wing back, wishbone, formation, wrist pad, yard line, yellow flag

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

DISCUSSION

  • How much do you know about football? Whos the football expert?
  • Do you have to know everything about the game to enjoy the football game?
  • Are there people who don’t really care about football but get caught up in the excitement of the event? Why?
  • Do you need to know everything about the team players to enjoy the game?
  • What is it about the superbowl that gets people excited?
  • Are you as excited about God as you are about the Superbowl? Why or why not?

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

  • Equipment – Ephesians 6:10-18 – In football terms, Paul, the team coach gives his team a pre-game pep talk, reminding them to put on their gear – the hip pads of truth, shoulder pads of righteousness, cleats of preparation, the face mask of faith, the helmet of salvation, and play according to the rules of the Playbook.” Then they have a team huddle to seek perseverance and strength to achieve victory over their opponent.
  • Fans – Some people are in the game and others are simply watching. Some are wearing the uniform, merely to be seen by others, but not on the field. They are watching, yet not doing. (James 1:22; Matthew 23:1-25)
  • Rules – We must compete according to the rules so that we are not disqualified for the prize (2 Tim. 2:5; 1 John 2:3-4; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 10:23)
  • Goals – Philippians 3:14 – Press on toward the Goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward.
  • Perseverance – James 1:2-4 – You’ll go up against many tests and when you persevere through these tests you will emerge victorious. (Ephesians 6:13; Hebrews 10:36)
  • Cheering – We must cheer one another on. (I Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 10:23-25; Hebrews 12:1-2)
  • The Clock is ticking down – Are you ready? Make the most of your time. (Ephesians 5:15-16; Colossians 4:5-6; 1 Corinthians 9:26-27; 1 Peter 3:15; 2 Timothy 4:2)

For more in depth scriptural applications check out last year’s superbowl lesson here:

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

  • In what ways is the church (or this group) similar to a football team?

(We are united as a team, we have a goal (the great commission), we work together to achieve a goal, there is opposition, sometimes unexpected things happen, sometimes we fumble in our tasks, sometimes we gain ground, while other times we lose ground, We have a coach (God), sometimes we have to defend against the opposition, time is short, there are people watching us (spectators), not everyone plays fair, there are penalties for mistakes, we must wear protective gear (armor of God), we have different positions on the team, there are people who are playing and there are people on the sidelines, we need a game plan, etc.)

MAKE IT PERSONAL

  • Are you part of the team (A Christian?) Why or why not?
  • If you are, what is your position(role) in the team?
  • Are you on the sidelines or playing the game?
  • Do you consider yourself a team player? Why or why not?
  • Are you focused on the goal?
  • What can you begin doing to help the team more effectively overcome the opposition and achieve the goals ahead?

SCRIPTURE

1 Corinthians 1:25-27

“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

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Game Ideas, Object Lessons

Gummy Worm Discipleship

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Gummy Worm Discipleship
Although gummy bears were invented by German Candy maker Hans Reigel in 1922, the gummy worm is a relatively recent concept. The Gummy bear wasn’t shipped to America until around 1981 and then an American candy company extended the idea to gummy worms to give youth something fun to eat and to shock their parents. Gummy worms are one of the most popular gummy candies around. Use these games with gummy worms as an object lesson to talk about Jesus’ call to his disciples to become fishers of men.

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What You Need

Lots of Gummy Worms

Games using Gummy Worms

NOTE: The intention is for these youth games to be played with gummy worms, but if you can’t get gummy worms, you can use extra long Twizzlers, or string licorice.

  • Chicken Races – In this crazy youth game, everyone is a chicken. Place gummy worms in a shallow baking pan with crushed Oreos piled on top and place it at the opposite end of the room. You can use one pan for each team or have them all fight over the worms in a single pan. On “go”, the first team member from each team must flap their arms like wings and make clucking sounds while running to the pan to collect a worm using their mouth (beaks) only. No hands allowed. Once they retrieve a worm they can return to the team and the next youth repeats the task. Worms must still be whole to be counted. The first team to have everyone retrieve a worm wins. Variation: Instead of oreo cookies, use chocolate pudding sprinkled with oreo cookies.
  • Chicken Feed – This is similar to the chicken race, but have a deeper pan with more chocolate pudding and Oreos. Each team chooses one representative. The youth who retrieves the most worms from the pan in a designated time wins.
  • Worm Fishing – To play this game you fill a fishbowl with pretzels or goldfish crackers, and the youth use a fishing rod to get one out and eat it. The bait is gummy worms that are nice and sticky. If you don’t have a real fishing rod, use a stick and some string. You could even add a reel if you wanted to. If you don’t have a fishbowl handy, any clear, large bowl will do the trick. Use lukewarm water to wet down a gummy worm and then pat it dry so that it’s nice and sticky. Tie the worm to the end of the string on the fishing rod. Players have one minute to use the wishing rod to “hook” a pretzel/goldfish from the fishbowl by getting it to stick to the ooey-gooey gummy worm. No hands allowed. Then, once one is “caught,” it must be brought back to the player’s mouth and she must eat it before the timer runs out in order to win the game. To make it more difficult, increase the distance to the fishbowl. If a pretzel/goldfish falls off the gummy worm it must be abandoned and another one “caught” on the gummy worm. If a player touches the string or gummy worm while a pretzel is attached, that pretzel won’t count. String may not be wound around the finger during an attempt. The player(s) with the most pretzels at the end of the 60-seconds wins.
  • Worms between your toes – Fill 5 or 10-gallon buckets (or kiddie pools) about 1/4 of the way up with water and drop at least 20 gummy worms in each one. Everyone takes off their socks & shoes. The first person in line for each team will run to bucket and dip their foot in the water, pulling out a worm with their toes. They must then transfer the worm into a bowl located beside the bucket. Teams only get a point for worms dropped into the bowl. Whoever has the most worms at the end of a designated time limit wins! (If you•re indoors, have some towels on hand for participants to dry their feet. You may also want to lay tarps down to minimize the mess.) Variation: Instead of a bowl, guys lie down with their heads beside buckets. The girls feed them to the guys using only their feet. The girl and guy team who can eat the most gummy bears in 2 minutes wins.
  • Gummy Worm Rulers – Provide a list of measurements in gummy worms of various items around the youth room. Youth must find the item that matches the measurements. The team with the greatest number of correctly identified items wins. (Tip: Measure the length of a typical gummy worm and then just measure things in the room with a ruler like the length of a table, the width of a door, the height of a poster, etc. Divide the measurements by the length of a typical gummy worm to get the lengths in gummy worms – 3.5 gummy worms, etc)
  • Gummy Relay – Pair up the youth. One end of a gummy bear goes into each person’s mouth. The pairs must then navigate an obstacle course without break the gummy bear or allowing it to drop from their mouths. Fastest pair wins!
  • Gummy Worm Race – Placed a marshmallow, a pretzel, or even a donut in the middle of a gummy worm. On go, players must eat their way to be the one to finish off the marshmallow. Whoever eats the marshmallow wins the game. Variation – The team who eats the worm the fastest wins!
  • Gummy Worms Pictionary – Played like normal Pictionary where you have to draw the clues for your teams to guess the word or phrase, but in this variation, instead of drawing, lay out the gummy worms to create shapes. No numbers symbols or letters are allowed. You can do it on a cookie sheet, chopping board, or butcher paper.
  • Gummy Worm Stretch – In this game, the goal is for partners to have the most stretched-out gummy worm without breaking it. Check your results with a ruler.
  • Fishies – Take a couple fishing poles and stick gummy worms to them with string. Blindfold the youth and dangle the gummy worms around. The first person to find the gummy worm with their tongue and eat it, wins.
  • Make Dirt Cups as snacks – You’ll need 8-ounce clear plastic cups, chocolate pudding mix, milk (as specified on pudding box) chocolate sandwich cookies like Oreos (crushed) and gummy worms. Mix the pudding according to the package directions. Layer the pudding and the cookie crumbs in cups. Top the layers with more crumbs and gummy worms.
  • Gummy Worm Gulpers – Youth race against the clock to eat gummy worms hanging from the ceiling. You’ll need clothespins, strong string, and lots of gummy worms. Cut various lengths of string, attach one end to the ceiling or from a tree and one end to a clothespin, and clamp a gummy worm in each clothespin. Youth run from string to string and, using only their mouths, snatch and eat the gummy worms. The winner is whoever eats all the worms in the shortest amount of time.

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

  • How would you describe a gummy worm to someone who has never seen or eaten one before?
  • What are some of the characteristics of gummy worms?
  • Name some uses of real worms?
  • Has anyone ever fished with a worm?

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

Read Matthew 4:17-22

  • Worms are attractive to fish. What are some things that are attractive to people?
  • What things does the world go fishing for?
  • What are we to fish for as Christians?
  • Is a person a fisherman if year after year he never goes fishing?
  • Is he a fisherman if he never catches a fish?
  • Is someone a true disciple of Jesus Christ if he never attempts to win a soul for Christ?

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

  • As a fisherman, do we cast our nets in our backyard or do we go to a place where fish can be found? (Jesus never suggests that the world should come to the church but 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.)
  • How is telling others about Jesus similar to fishing?
  • Lures are attractive to fish. How can you make the good news of Jesus attractive to your friends?

MAKE IT PERSONAL

  • What can you do this week to be more effective as a fisher of men?

KEY SCRIPTURE

Matthew 4:19: “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”

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Game Ideas, Object Lessons

Christian Pumpkins? – Games and an Object Lesson

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Christian PumpkinsPumpkins are closely associated with Halloween, Harvest, and Thanksgiving and are most likely native to the Americas. In this week’s lesson you’ll find a lot of game ideas using pumpkins, and also a reminder that God looks at the inside and not merely whats on the outside. He wants us to have a clean heart. Like a like shining from inside the pumpkin, he also wants us to shine out to the world.

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Pumpkin Games

  • Capture the Pumpkin – For this Pumpkin-themed version of capture the flag, divide the teens into two teams, each with a territory, a jail and a pumpkin. The teens can choose to place the pumpkin anywhere on their territory, but it must be visible. While teams can assign people to guard the pumpkin, you must set a perimeter around it that they cannot enter to give the other team a chance to capture it. The goal is to steal the other team’s pumpkin and make it back to your own territory without getting tagged. If anyone is tagged on another team’s territory, they are sent to jail. Other team members can free them if they can manage to tag them and both make it safely back to their territory. If no one has captured a pumpkin within a certain time frame, determine a winner by the number of prisoners a team has. This game is best played in a large park with plenty of hiding places.
  • Card Ninja – Players must throw playing cards at a pumpkin trying to get one card to stick in the pumpkin before one minute is up.
  • Connect The Pumpkin – This game is especially good around Halloween but can be played any time. Purchase some pumpkins and cut them up into pieces (make sure the pieces are not too small). Next to the pieces of pumpkin place a set of wooden toothpicks. Once everyone is ready instruct the group to put the pumpkin together using the toothpicks. Give the group a set time limit and ask them to begin. The team with the pumpkin that has been best put together wins.
  • Elephant March – Knock over plastic bottles filled with sand using a small pumpkin hanging from panty hose worn around the head.
  • Pass the Pumpkin – This game is a variation on “hot potato”. Seat the youth on the floor in a circle. Give them a small pumpkin to pass around. Play music as they pass the pumpkin, and periodically stop the music. Whoever is holding the pumpkin is out. The game continues until one person is left with the pumpkin.
  • Pass the Pumpkin – Youth tuck a small pumpkin under their chin and shoulder, race to their teammate, and pass the pumpkin to them without using their hands. If the pumpkin is dropped, it can be put back into place using hands.
  • Pin the Nose on the Pumpkin – Using a Black Marker, Draw a face on a pumpkin but leave off the nose. In turn, blindfold each youth and give them a black cutout shape of a nose with double-side tape on the back. Youth must pin the nose on the pumpkin. Closest wins. (You might want to have the nose draw as well. The one who pins the nose most accurately over the drawing wins.)
  • Pumpkin Bocce Ball – Place the big pumpkin several feet away. Give each player a small pumpkin. Each player rolls (No tossing or throwing) their pumpkin and tries to be the closest to the big pumpkin. The player closest wins …
  • Pumpkin Carving Contest – Working as teams, youth create the winning carvings for categories such as funniest, spookiest and most beautiful pumpkin. If you have young kids without adult participation, hold a pumpkin painting contest instead.
  • Pumpkin Golf – Played just like miniature golf where you use putters to hit the golf ball into the pumpkins mouth rather than a cup. To create a pumpkin golf pumpkin, you’ll need to cut off the bottom of the pumpkin and then clean out the inside of the pumpkin and then add the mouth to the pumpkin. The pumpkin’s mouth will also serve as the entry point for the golf ball so the mouth must be at the bottom of the pumpkin. Then create the eyes and nose just as you would a normal pumpkin.
  • Pumpkin Penny Toss – Carve out a large pumpkin, making a wide opening at the top. Give the youths a limited number of pennies. Have them stand an appropriate distance from the pumpkin and try to toss the pennies in, one at a time. Whoever gets the most inside wins.
  • Pumpkin Relay – Teams race to be the first to pass the miniature pumpkins to the end of the line without using their hands. If the pumpkin is dropped they must start over again.
  • Pumpkin Ring Toss – Toss rings over pumpkins with stems.
  • Pumpkin Roll – You need two large pumpkins and two sturdy sticks (or brooms). The racers, line up on the starting line with the pumpkins turned on their sides. On the signal, the racers use the stick to roll the pumpkins to the finish line. Since pumpkins are uneven, they rarely roll straight.
  • Pumpkin Roll Icebreaker – With a permanent marker, write some icebreaker questions on a pumpkin until the surface is covered. These can be simple things like your “favorite fall vegetable?” or more personal things like “the scariest moment in your life?”. Then sit the youth on the floor in a circle. Youth roll the pumpkin to each other, but they rarely roll in a straight line. The person closest to the pumpkin must catch it. When caught, the question your thumb lands on is yours. Answer the question then roll it on to someone else, so they can take a turn.
  • Pumpkin Seed Count – Divide the class into teams of two to four and cut the top off of a pumpkin for each team. Tell the teams that the first team to scoop out and count 50 pumpkin seeds is the winner.
  • Pumpkin Stackers – Stack five pumpkins on top of each other without them falling in the quickest time.
  • Pumpkin Toss – Ask the first player to stand 3 to 4 feet away from a deep wicker basket and give him or her 10 to 20 mini pumpkins. See how many can be tossed into the basket in 30 seconds. In the event of a tie, let the finalists compete for the win by determining which one can make 10 baskets in the shortest time.
  • Pumpkin Transport – Tie five to eight long cord/string pieces (4-6 feet long) to a large ring. Place the ring on the ground with the cords coming out from it like rays of sunshine. Place a small pumpkin on top of the washer. The challenge is for the youth to pick up the ring and pumpkin by hanging onto the strings only without the pumpkin falling off.

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

  • How can pumpkins represent us as Christians?

Just like us, pumpkins are different. God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then he cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc., and then he carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see.

  • How do the following verses relate to Pumpkins and to our lives as Christians?
    • 1 Samuel 16:7 – “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart”
    • Matthew 23:25-28 – “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”
    • Jeremiah 17:10 – “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind to reward according to conduct and deeds.”
    • Psalm 51:10 – “Create in me a pure heart, O God.”
    • Matthew 5:14-16 – “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
    • John 8:12 – “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
    • 2 Corinthians 4:6 – “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”
    • 2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
    • 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 – “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

  • How is the way we clean out A pumpkin like the way Jesus cleans us out when we confess our sins?
  • What happens when we hide our light so others can’t see it?
  • What lessons can we learn from Pumpkins?

MAKE IT PERSONAL

  • What can you do to maintain a clean heart?
  • What can you do this week to have your light shine brighter for Christ?

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Game Ideas

Bandana Games

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Bandana’s are one of those multipurpose items that should be in every youth minister’s tool kit. They can be used as blindfolds, to replace a short length of rope, as flags and to identify teams. They can be bought in bulk relatively cheaply or if you have someone in your church with a sewing machine and a little time they can be made from a few yards of cloth or even cheap sheets. If you can’t find bandanas, you can always substitute cloth handkerchiefs, washcloths, or cloth napkins. Get enough for your entire youth group to have one each, and in different colors so they can easily be used to identify different teams.

Youth Bandana Games

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Games using Bandanas

  • Dragon’s Tail – Split the youth into several teams of approximate equal number. Each team links together into a chain by lining up one behind the other and placing their hands on the waist of the person in front of them. You can also simply have them link hands or elbows. The last person on each team is given a bandana to hang from his or her pocket as the dragon’s tail. Teams must work together to chase and capture the tails from other dragons. Only the person at the front of the chain can grab a bandana from another team. They team can twist around to try to protect their own dragon’s tail but they are not allowed to disconnect. Once a team’s bandana has been taken or they disconnect, their dragon is dead and the team is out. The last team standing or the team with the most bandanas wins. If you are adverse to the idea of a dragon, you can also call it lizard’s tail.
  • Capture the flag – Divide the youth into two teams, each with its own territory. Each team will have a bandana – a flag, which must be guarded by some team members while others try to grab the opponent’s flag. If an opponent is in your territory, you can tag them and send them to jail – a designated area where prisoners are kept. Players must stay in jail until one of their own team can run in and tag them to free them. (Only one prisoner can be rescued at a time.) A team wins the game by capturing the other flag and bearing it back to their home territory.
  • Barnyard – Divide the youth into two or more teams and assign an animal to each team (ie: pig, cat, cow, dog, duck, horse, monkey, owl, rooster, sheep, snake, etc.) Blindfold one youth from each team and have them stand in the center of the room. Send each team into a different corner or area of the room. On your signal each team makes the sound of its animal and the youth in the center must find their team. First to do so wins. Or, give everyone a blindfold and a pice of paper with an animal. On your signal they must group themselves together by team using only the sounds of their animals. DEBRIEF: How did you recognise your group? In what ways do others recognise us as Christians?
  • Foxtails – Each youth is given a bandana (a foxtail) that must be put in his or her back pocket (or sticking out of their pants). At least 2/3 of the bandana must be sticking out and no knots can be tied in the bandana. The play area can be marked off or can simply be a room and when someone is eliminated that must stay touching the wall of the room at all times. Each player’s goal is to grab as many other foxtails from other youth as possible without losing his or her own foxtail. You aren’t allowed to guard your foxtail or otherwise use your hands to keep people from grabbing your foxtail. Turning and twisting your body is allowed and of course running away. If a player’s foxtail is taken, that player must then go to the sidelines. S/he may stand on the sidelines and grab foxtails as players run by, but may not step back into the game. The last person still standing in with their foxtail intact is the winner. Variation: Instead of going to the sidelines, players must immediately stop and place the foxtail on the ground and place a foot on it. They can keep playing, but must keep their foot on the foxtail at all times – only pivoting in a circle.
  • Bandana Relay – For this game you’ll not only need a bandana for each team (4-10 persons on a team), but also a marble and paper cup for each team as well. Each person on the team must hold onto the bandana with both hands. The bandana must be held out straight and flat forming a makeshift tabletop. The paper cup is then balanced upside down on the bandana and a marble is perched on top of the cup. Most paper cups will have a small rim around the bottom so the marble won’t simply roll off. The objective is for a team to work together to move the marble from one point to another, navigating any obstacles along the way, without dropping the marble. If marble rolls off the cup, the team must start over. First team to the goal line wins. Variations: Place obstacles in the path of the groups such as a tables or chairs, force them to go through doorways, up stairs, or under a table.
  • Blind Lineup – Give each youth a bandana to use as a blindfold, and then ask the group to put order themselves from the the shortest to the tallest in order fo height.
  • Sherpa Walk – In this game, youth are paired up and one person is blindfolded and led to a previously designated location. The focus is not on speed but on trust and safety. The guide cannot touch the blindfolded person but must lead them using only verbal commands. As a variation you can also require three tasks along the way such as to smell something, to touch something, to identify an object, to eat something, etc. DEBRIEF: What spiritual truths are illustrated by the way we have to watch what each person is doing so that we can warn them about things in their path or compensate for them as they go through their journey. Sometimes they may not even see what lies before them? How can we help them navigate life?
  • Knots with bandanas – In the normal game of knots, people simply hold hands, but in this variation they will hold on to a bandana between each person. The easiest way to set up this game is to use a series of instructions: 1. Everyone stand in a circle holding hands. Drop your hands and then extend your right hand into the circle holding your bandana. Reach into the circle with your left hand and grab the bandana of another person. You may not grab the bandana of someone who is already holding your bandana nor can it be the person on your left or right. Now get untangled without letting go of the Bandanas you are holding. It’s Ok if some end up facing outward and sometimes you may end up with more than one circle. Variation: Complete the task without talking. DEBRIEF: Sometimes in life things get a little tangled, a little confused. Sometimes we need to straighten things out before we can move forward. What are some lessons we can learn from this game when we find life a and circumstances a bit complicated?
  • Flag Football – Play a game of flag football using bandanas as the flags. The same rules of football apply, however there is no tackling allowed. To stop the ball moving forward a player removes another players bandana from their back pocket.
  • Blindfold Challenge: Challenge the youth to compete a difficult task while blindfolded. This could be to wrap a gift, build the tallest tower, or to put a small puzzle together. Allow the team to help the blindfolded person with verbal instructions only.

A Game with a Lesson
This game is similar to foxtails, but with a twist. If you use this game, you may not want to use the foxtails game. The only difference is that instead of calling it a foxtail, you say only the following: “This bandana represents everything you need to live in the world (Food, shelter, love, safety, etc.) If your bandana is taken away, you die instantly and are out of the game.” Without any further explanation, the leader says, “On your marks, get set, go.” Usually, the youth will all run around and take each others bandanas. When only one person is left alive, ask what happened, repeat the rules, and start another round. Keep the rounds going. Someone will pick up on the idea that they don’t need to die and that they cannot use more than what they already have. Soon the idea catches on. Some participants may even form alliances to protect one another. Follow-up discussion can center on themes of greed, persecution, wise use of what we are given, social justice, God’s provision, evil in the world, the garden of Eden, etc.

A Game with a Lesson
This game is basically the same as the Bandana Relay but with an added twist. If you use this game, you may not want to use the Bandana Relay game. The main difference is that you now inform the youth that the marble is a vary valuable but very toxic substance that can cure many of the world’s diseases when processed correctly. But in its raw form it will kill anyone who touches it. People are dying and if you can deliver this successfully you will save millions. You set up the bandanas on a table in advance with the cup and marble on top. Ready to Go. You can also replace the marble with a cup full of water or one full of beans. Everyone must hold the platform with both hands. The platform must remain flat and stretched tight at all times. Follow up discussion can be about sin and the cost to Christ to save the world, bringing the gospel to the world, obstacles to the gospel, helping those in need, and communication. DEBRIEF: What could the cup full of vaccine be a symbol of? It makes a nice picture of the gospel. What could the obstacles be? What things cause us to not get the gospel to the people who are dying without it? What kinds of things do we need to communicate as a body of believers so that the gospel isn’t hindered?

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

Regardless of the games you use, you can talk about faith, trust, communication, and working together.

Here are some General Debrief Questions

  • LEARNING FROM OTHERS – Some of you observed what other groups were doing and learned from them. What advantage do you have in learning from others that go before you? Spiritually who has gone before us? How can we learn from them?
  • TEAMWORK – In many of these games, you had to work together to accomplish the given task. How does this related to the church, the youth group and to spiritual issues?
  • COMMUNICATION – Communication was an essential ingredient. Sometimes communication was limited which hindered you in accomplishing the task. How does communication or lack of it affect our efforts in spiritual matters and in helping others? Why is it important to communicate our needs and also listen to the communication of others?
  • BALANCE – Some of the games involved balance. What made moving and balancing difficult? How is that like life?
  • PERSEVERANCE – When you faced challenges, how did your group persevere and solve the problem? Are perseverance and patience essential skills in solving the problems in our youth group, the church, and in the world today?
  • RULES – There were rules we needed to follow. What is the purpose of the rules? What is the result of not listening or learning the rules, or of breaking the rules? How does this relate to the Word of God?

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

  • What are some lessons and truths we learned from today’s games?

MAKE IT PERSONAL

  • How can you apply these lessons and truths in your walk with Christ and in serving others this week?

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE VERSES

  • 2 Timothy 2:2 – “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” (See Also Hebrews 12:1-13)
  • Ephesians 5:15 – “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,”
  • 2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
  • Colossians 3:16-17 – “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
  • Philippians 1:6 – “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
  • 1 Timothy 4:16 – “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
  • Romans 5:3-8 – “Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
  • Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.”
  • 2 Timothy 2:15 – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

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Evangelism Ideas

Candy Bar Gospel Relay

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This youth activity uses a relay race with Candy Bars in various colored wrappers to present the Gospel. You can find lots of mini candy bars around the Halloween season. Similar to the wordless bracelet, the colors yellow, black, red, white and Green are used to explain the gospel message.

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What You Need

Mini Candy bars with the following colored wrappers:
Yellow, Back, Red, White, Green

Here are some examples

  • Yellow – Butterfinger, Mr Goodbar, Peanut M&Ms, Milk Duds, Oh Henry
  • Black/ Dark Brown – Mars Bars, Hersheys, Skore, Snickers, Milky Way, M&Ms
  • Red – Kit Kat, 100 Grand, Take 5
  • White – Cookies N Creme, Zero, White Kit Kat, Toblerone (White)
  • Green – Milo, York’s Mint, Aero, After 8, Andes, Mint M&Ms

Variation: Instead of Candy Bars, use Red, Green, Brown, and Yellow M&Ms along with white Menthos. If you can’t find those simply use any candy in the correct colors.

Preparation

  1. Form two teams and assign each team one or two colors of candy bars. You can have as many teams as you have different colored candy bar wrappers.
  2. On the floor at one end of the room, unroll a several foot long strip of paper towels.
  3. Spread the candy bars randomly over the entire length of paper towels
  4. Have the teams line up at the other end of the room.

What to do

  1. One at a time, team members rush to the paper towels, and bend down and use their teeth to pick up one candy bar (Team colors only and no hands allowed).
  2. Once they have a candy bar in their teeth, they stand back up, run back to their team.
  3. They must then show the candy bar to the next person in line, who shouts out the color.
  4. If the color’s wrong – i.e. “Trick”, the person must eat the candy bar and then go back and get another candy bar of the correct color.
  5. When the color is correct “Treat”, the person eats his/her candy bar and the next person goes to the paper towels and repeats the process.
  6. The first team to remove all the candy bars of their assigned color wins.

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Explanation of the Gospel using the various colored Candy bars

Candy Bar in a Yellow Wrapper
The yellow wrapper reminds us of Heaven. Do you know what Heaven is? Heaven is God’s home. Heaven is filled with the glory, the shining brightness of God. There is no night there. The Bible says, “God is The Light and in Him is no Darkness at all”(1 John 1:5). The Bible tells us that in Heaven, the street of the city is pure, clear gold-like glass (Rev 21:21). God tells us many other things about His home. No one is sick there. No one is crippled or blind. No one ever dies. Every person in Heaven will be perfectly happyalways (Rev 21:4-2; Psalm 16:11). The most wonderful thing about Heaven is that God the Father and His Son, the Lord Jesus will be there. God made Heaven. He made you too. He loves you very much. Because he made you and loves you, He wants you to belong to Him and be with Him in Heaven someday. Jesus promised long ago, “I go to prepare a place for you” (John 3:16; John 14:1-3).

Candy Bar in a Black Wrapper
There is one thing that can never be in Heaven. That is sin. Because you and I are sinners we want to have our own way instead of God’s way. Wanting our own way is sin. Doing, or saying, or thinking bad things is sin. Sin is anything that displeases God. Sin has caused sorrow and sadness in our world. God tells us in the Bible that all have sinned (Romans 3:23). All means every one of us. This dark wrapper reminds us of our sinful way (Proverbs 4:19). When it is dark, you stumble and cannot find your way. When something is dirty it usually has dark smudges. Because of your sin, you cannot find God. Your sin separates you from God, who is holy (1 John 1:5). God cannot allow sin where He is. I am sure you can think of a sin which you have done. God has said that sin must be punished. The punishment for your sin is death-to be separated from God forever (Rev 6:23). The Lord Jesus, God’s Son, said that if you die in your sin, you cannot go to Heaven where He is (John 8:21, 24). God knew there was nothing you could do to get rid of your sin. He knew you could not be good enough to please Him. But He loves you and He made a way for you to be forgiven.

Candy Bar in a Red Wrapper
The red candy bar wrapper shows the way God made for you to have your sins forgiven-taken away. God loves you. He sent His own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, from Heaven to take the punishment for your sin (John 3:16). Wicked men nailed the sinless Son of God to the cross, but while He hung there God put all of your sins on Him. The Bible says, “…God bath laid on Him [Jesus] the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). (Iniquity is another word for sin). All your bad temper, all your lies, your meaness-all your sin-was laid on the dear Son of God, and He suffered and suffered until He cried out with a loud voice and said, “It is finished.” When you finish a job, how much is left? Nothing. What did the Lord Jesus come to do? He came to save us from punishment for sin, didn’t He? And He finished the work. When He was nailed to the cross, what came from His hands, and His feet? His blood. God calls it the precious blood of Jesus Christ, and He says “…the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanseth us from all sin” (I John 1:7). There is no other way, for God says, “Without shedding of blood there is no remission [of sin]”-no forgiveness, no payment (Hebrews 9:22). Jesus not only died for you, but He was buried, and He rose again. He is a living savior (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4). God showed His love for you by sending His own Son to die for you. Now he says there is one way for you to be saved from your sin.

Candy Bar in a White Wrapper
Tears cannot wash away sin. Prayers cannot wash away sin. Doing good cannot wash away sin. But the blood of the Lord Jesus can wash away all sin (Psalm 51:7; 1 John 1:7). This white wrapper reminds me that you can be made clean from sin. Did Jesus die for everyone? (YES!) Is everyone going to Heaven? (No, because some do not believe that Jesus died for them. They have not received Him as their savior from sin.) God’s word says, “…as many as received Him to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name” (John 1:12). God has promised you when you receive the Lord Jesus as your Savior, you become a child of God.

Candy Bar in a Green Wrapper
The green wrapper reminds me of the new life, everlasting life, you have received from God. The color green reminds me of things which are growing outdoors, like leaves, grass, flowers, and trees. when you receive the Lord Jesus as your savior from sin, you are like a newborn baby in God’s family. The Bible tells you to “grow in grace in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

(As the time permits, talk with the youth about those things which help him
grow as a member of God’s family. Explain you are not talking about growing
taller or gaining weight from eating all this candy, but the kind of growing which will help others know that he loves the Lord Jesus.

  1. Listen to God- Learn God’s Word reading and memorizing it (2 Timothy 2:15; Psalm 119: 11).
  2. Talk to God. Pray (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
  3. Talk for God. Witness or tell others (Mark 16:15).
  4. Worship God. Go to Sunday School and Church (Hebrews 10:25).

 

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Object Lessons

Trick or Treat? – Sharing the Gift of Salvation

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This youth activity uses Halloween candy as a discussion starter for the topic of evangelism. The Gospel is often called the “Good News” and it is something we should be excited about sharing with others. But like the popular Halloween phrase “Trick or Treat?” we sometimes wonder if evangelism is a trick or a treat? Is it something that frightens us, that we are tricked into doing, or are so excited about the Good News that we can’t help but share it with others.

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What you need

  • A bag of candy (As Halloween is just around the corner, you can easily get a variety of candy in individually wrapped snack sizes.)
  • a Bible

What to do

  1. Play some games with the youth as an icebreaker, preferably sitting in a circle.
  2. Once you have played a few rounds of a popular icebreaker game, simply reward one of the youth with a big bag of candy, preferable one of those who did not win any of the games. Describe and show the contents of the bag of candy to the youth and then simply reward it to one of them.
  3. If youth ask why the particular youth got the candy, simply explain that it is yours and you just wanted to give it to someone – not because of anything they did, but simply because of who you are – a good person.
  4. After you have given the candy to one of the youth, join the circle and stare expectantly at the person with the candy with your hand held out to receive a piece. Without saying anything, encourage other youth to also stare in expectation to get some candy.
  5. When the youth offers to share the candy, affirm them and thank them. (If the youth never offers to share, tell them that now is the time to share the candy, as if it was planned and they had forgotten.)
  6. Once everyone has some candy, debrief.

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Debrief

To the Youth receiving the candy

  • How did it feel to be given the big bag of candy, even though you were not a winner in any of the games?
  • How did it feel when everyone stared at you expecting you to share the candy?
  • What made you decide to share?

To the Rest of the Youth

  • What were you hoping would happen when you saw the big bag of candy?
  • How did it feel to see someone else get something good when you received nothing?
  • Once the candy was given to someone else, what did you then hope for?
  • How would you have felt if the candy had not been shared?

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

Read Acts 4:18-20

  • How was Peter and John’s sharing Jesus similar to (person’s name) sharing the candy with the rest of the youth?
  • What was Peter and John’s motivation for sharing?
  • How is salvation a gift? (Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:8-10)
  • How is does the experience with the candy, relate to us receiving the sweet gift of salvation?
  • How would keeping the candy to yourself be like not sharing Jesus with others?
  • How is the Gospel Sweet? Why does the popular hymn begin with “Amazing Grace how sweet the sound?”

One of the definitions of GRACE is

God’s
Riches
At
Christ’s
Expense

Jesus left the glory of heaven and suffererd through the agony of Calvary, dying on a cross to pay the penalty of sin in our place, so that God could give us the gift of eternal life. It is not something we deserved, but an undeserved gift. When we put our trust in him, we accept the gift and he calls us to share the same opportunity with others.

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

  • What are some of the gifts we receive as a child of God?
  • How can we share those gifts with others?
  • What is the greatest gift you could give to someone?
  • How can we share the gift of salvation with others in words?
  • How can we share the gift of salvation with others in actions?
  • Why do we need to share in both words and actions? (Romans 15:18)

MAKE IT PERSONAL

  • What is your favorite thing to talk about (share) with others?
  • Why do we find it easy to talk about things that we love, but difficult to talk about the Saviour we love?
  • What is something that you can do this week to share the gift of salvation both in words and action?

Additional Scriptures

Acts 4:18-20
“Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, ‘Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.'”

2 Corinthians 2:14-17 (NASB)
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.”

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Ephesians 2:8-10
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith•and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Matthew 5:16
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

1 Peter 2:12
“Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”

Romans 15:18
“For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience•by word and deed,”

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Object Lessons

Clean Hands and Hearts

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Here’s another summer outdoor activity that serves as a Bible Study. In the Bible, the phrase “clean hands and a pure heart” not only describes someone who is pure both inside and outside, but it also speaks of what we do (hands) and what we think (hearts).

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What You Need

  • Bible
  • towels
  • mud / dirt and water
  • bucket
  • water faucet

What to Do

  1. Mix dirt and water in a bucket to make thick mud
  2. Gather the youth around the bucket of mud and have them dip their hands in the mud.
  3. Have the youth sit down while you read Psalm 51. Fairly quickly, the mud will dry and become uncomfortable.

Take it to the Next Level

DEBRIEF

  • Ask the youth what David was feeling when he wrote this Psalm?
  • Ask them to share the circumstances of the Psalm (2 Samuel 11)?
  • Ask the youth to compare what the mud feels like to how David was feeling.
  • Ask the youth to join hands and then describe what it is like to hold a muddy hand.

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

  • Ask youth to share ways that the mud similar to sin?
  • What would happen if we never washed our hands?

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

  • How does sin affect us when we come before God?
  • How does sin affect how God sees us?
  • How does it affect relationships with God and others around us?
  • Use some of the scriptures listed below to discuss sin and cleansing.

Closing Activity

Bring the youth to a water faucet and help them to wash their hands. Let them use towels to dry each others hands.

Ask the youth to share how they feel now, and how it feels to not only hold clean hands, but also to help others get their hands clean. How does this relate to confession, God’s cleansing, and our mission as Christians? How does clean hands affect how we live life?

Explain some people think going to church, being nice, doing good things is all you have to do to remove the sin in your life. Those things are good but they are seen on the outside we have to also clean ourselves on the inside. We can wash the dirt off our bodies, but what can we do about sin which is inside our hearts? Water cannot cannot remove sin. Only the blood of Jesus can wash away our sins. And once we are clean before God, we are given the ministry to reconcile others to God, to help them to find forgiveness in him and also be cleansed from sin.

MAKE IT PERSONAL

  • Ask each youth to have some quiet moments with God of confession, and contemplating what he has done for us and how they can help others find the cleansing of Christ.

Scriptures

Matthew 23:27-28
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”

Mark 7:14-15
“Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, ‘Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.'”

Proverbs 20:9
“Who can say, ‘I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin’?”

Romans 3:23
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

1 John 1:9
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Isaiah 1:18
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”

Hebrews 10:22-23
“let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”

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Devotional, Youth Sermons

Superbowl Christians – Spiritual Lessons for Youth from the Game of Football

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It’s going to be Superbowl Sunday this weekend and we’re sure your youth are excited to be watching the game. Why not make it an opportunity to share something about how the game relates to their spiritual lives? Even if you don’t watch football, the lesson is applicable to most sports. Have a great weekend!

An Illustration

While you might not think of your Christian life as a football game, the Bible does use sports to teach about spiritual truths. In Biblical times they might not have had American football games or superbowls but they did have athletic competitions.

In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Paul writes, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

In Hebrews 12:1-2 we read, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

In Philippians 3:12-14 Paul says, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, 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.”

“Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules.” 2 Timothy 2:5

The sports may be different, but you’ll find some things in common with American football if you read the verses carefully. You’ll find running, a prize, winning and losing, competition, training, goals, fighting or struggle, opposition, spectators, obstacles and hindrances, focus and rules. Even so, there tons of lessons we can learn from football.

Take It to the Next Level

COMPETITION is part of the Game

By nature, sports are a competition. But to compete you must be in the game. Just as a coach chooses players to be in the football game, God has chosen us. Our competitor is focused on our defeat (1 Peter 5:8). But we also compete against ourselves. And it is sad to say, but just like in real life football games, most of the people in the stadium sit in the stands. Then there are those who are on the team, but sit in the bench. Most of us would prefer rest on the bench (or pew) and observe the game – both with encouragement and more often with criticism about how others are playing on the field. But God doesn’t call us to be spectators, but participants. Our field is the world (Mat. 13:38), and our goal is to win it for Jesus Christ. Sure, some will have a special call to play a bigger role, but everyone is called onto the field to play. Even if you may not have a key role a particular play, you must still be ready at a moment’s notice to dash onto the field and play your part when the coach calls your number to be on the field. You must clearly know your position, train, and practice your plays to be best prepared for that moment when you might be called upon to make a difference in the game (1 Peter 3:15, 2 Timothy 4:1-5).

There are RULES to the Game

The football field is laid out in ten yard increments, has boundaries, and there are rules to the game. The boundaries are there to keep us in the game. The 10 yard markers are there not as the object, but as a point of reference as we move toward the goal. If they weren’t there, we wouldn’t know if we were heading in the right direction or running to the wrong goal. God’s laws and the 10 commandments function in much the same way. They keep us in the game and give us points of reference for gaining or losing of ground. Violating the rules results in penalties and may even take us out of the game for a while. There are turnovers and fumbles as well. Yet when we compete according to the rules, and are victorious in our efforts, we will receive a prize (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

Our TIME on the field is limited

The clock is counting down. The game of football is played in four quarters with a set time limit. The wise player, especially the quarterback, will keep his eye on the clock and make the most of his time. The same is true for us as Christians, but unlike the game on the football field, we can’t see the clock. We don’t know how much time is left. This makes it even more important for us to value our time and make the most of it. The Bible commands us to redeem the time, to make the most of every opportunity (Ephesians 5:16) rather than waste it. In fact, if you think about the world today there is not much time left on the clock. In fact, it’s already the fourth quarter, down to the two minute warning, and now it’s up to us to play our part win another one for the coach. Things may seem dire. But in life, just like in football, nothing is impossible, everything can happen. You should not slack or give up until the referee blows his whistle and declares the Victor.

TRAINING is essential for Victory

In football there is an in season and an off season. During the off season the team works on the fundamentals to get ready for the big games during football season. They train for the big games ahead. “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 2 Timothy 4:8 “Be ready in season and in the off season” 2 Timothy 4:2. “There is a season and a time to EVERY purpose under heaven” Ecclesiastes 3:1-11. There are times in our Christian walk when we experience seasons of rest. They’re not for us to be idle, but to prepare ourselves spiritually, to grow, to draw closer to God.

GEAR up for the Game

In Ephesians 6:10-18, Paul gives the team the pre-game pep talk and reminds us to check our football gear. He’s talking about gearing up for battle, but football players also gear up for the game. If he’d been thinking about football he might have phrased it this way, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the uniform, so that you can take your stand against the opposing team… Therefore put on all of your gear so that when the game day 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 shoulder pads of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the shoes of readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the face mask of faith, with which you can conquer all the opponents’ plays. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, your playbook, which is the word of God. Let’s all commit the game to God as we kneel for a locker room prayer, that we might prove victorious in this game.”

We strive for the GOAL

It is not enough to simply be in the game. It is not enough to simply overcome the enemy. Out goal is to score one for the team. And another one. And another one. Touchdown after Touchdown. In life, the goal may seem at the far end of the field. It can be difficult to keep moving forward. It may seem that every time you run a play you get knocked down. Sometimes you may even get sacked. The solution is not to focus on where you have come from, but where you are going. “Press on toward the Goal.” Philippians 3:14 And while touchdowns are great, as Christians our goal is to do more than simply score, but to be the player the Head Coach has chosen us to be. We must be always moving forward, never fumbling the ball, and always gaining new ground. If we do stumble and fumble, we are to recover the ball quickly and press onward. If we step out of bounds, or get the wind knocked out of us, we must get back in the game and focus on the Coach. And even if you are tackled for a loss, When you are focused on Him, and run the plays He calls, you’ll find yourself moving toward the goal.

We don’t play alone, but play as part of a TEAM

Football is a team sport. You don’t win it alone. When the team is working in harmony under the direction of the coach things will happen. There’s are star players, but the star players cannot function without the core team. They need blockers, the need linemen to open up opportunities in the defences. There is an offensive team, a kickoff team, a team of receivers, and a defensive team and each are critical to a win for the team. There is no individual victory, only the victory of the team. Only when all players, from the starting quarterback, the receivers, the linemen and the person playing his part in even the smallest position work together, does the team run a successful play. Likewise, every believer has a unique role and a part to play in the Kingdom of God (1 Cor 12:4-6; 12-20)

The Victors receive a PRIZE.

It’s not Super Bowl rings, but the crown of eternal life Christ that we seek. (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

Make it Practical

Are you in the game?
No one in the crowd ever gains a yard on the field. No one in the crowd ever adds a single point to the scoreboard. The game is played and won by the players on the field, and not by anyone else. Are you in the game or a spectator? Just being a Christian isn’t enough. You are called to be on the playing field, not in the stands or on the sidelines. Are you on the field playing the game and gaining ground for Jesus Christ or are you merely watching the game? The clock is ticking away, and time is running out. Get in the game before you lose your chance forever!

Scripture References

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
– 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
– Hebrews 12:1-2

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, 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.”
– Philippians 3:12-14

“Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules.”
– 2 Timothy 2:5

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
– 1 Peter 5:8

“The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one.”
– Matthew 13:38

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
– 1 Peter 3:15

“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”
– 2 Timothy 4:1-5

“Making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”
– Ephesians 5:16

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”
– Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

“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 devil’s 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. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
– Ephesians 6:10-18

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
– Philippians 3:14

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.”
– 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.”
– 1 Corinthians 12:12-20

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
– 2 Timothy 4:7-8

Evangelism Ideas

Buzz Who?

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We all have our stock of quick, fun, easy no setup, no materials games we can pull out at a drop of a hat. How about taking another take at these games? Let’s take this classic youth game, known as “Buzz”, and see what we can do to take it to the next level.

When a person meets Christ a change occurs. Their identity, their actions, and even their thoughts will change over time. Some changes may be immediate such as they are now called “Christians,” and “children of God” etc. Other changes may take a lifetime. A classic youth game, known as “Buzz”, is used along with famous Bible Characters to illustrate some of the changes that occur when someone puts their faith in Christ or God.

How to Play

  1. Seat the youth in a circle.
  2. In a clock-wise direction, youth count up from 1. When they get to the number 7, any numbers that contain 7, AND any multiples of 7 the youth must instead say the word “Buzz.” For example: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Buzz, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, Buzz, 15, 16, Buzz, 18…
  3. A player who hesitates or makes a mistake is eliminated from the game.
  4. After a mistake, start over at 1 with the next teen in line.
  5. Eliminate youth that make mistakes until only the champion is left.
  6. Try for a group record or reaching 100.

You may wish to add the following to increase the complexity of the game:

  1. Once the game is going well and the youth group has reached 50 or so, stop them and add “Fizz” to the game. Now, substitute “Fizz” for 5. For example: 1, 2, 3, 4, Fizz, 6, Buzz, 8, 9, Fizz, 11, 12, 13, Buzz, Fizz, 16, Buzz, 18, 19, Fizz, Buzz, 22…
  2. If the number is a multiple of 5 and 7, or has 5 and 7 in it, like 35 or 57 or 70 or 75, say ‘Fuzz’!

Take it to the Next Level

Make it Spiritual

Counting up to a 100 seems like something easy to do. We can practically do it in our sleep, without even thinking. But add just one change like in the game we just played, and suddenly we all need to focus. Things that should come naturally to us make us pause or hesitate. All it takes is one change.

The same is true of changes we make in our lives. Before we met Christ, we did things the way we liked. We played according to our own rules. But now, we understand some of our old habits have to change. And that doesn’t happen naturally. Some changes take time. Some changes require us to exercise a lot of discipline.

Look at Abram. When he was first called by God, his name changed. He was now called Abraham. Did his past behaviour of not having faith in God’s protection persist? Sure! He still continued to lie about Sarah being his sister because he feared men more than God. It wasn’t until God asked him to sacrifice Isaac many years later that we see the true father of faith emerge.

What about Simon? When Jesus first called him Peter – the rock, his insecurity at Jesus’ trial caused him to deny Christ 3 times! Only later do we see the strength of his character in the book of Acts.

Sometimes, it’s the people around us who will be skeptical about the changes we’ve decided to make. When Saul was called by Jesus Himself, was now called Paul, even though he made a full 180 degree reversal, people viewed him with suspicion. Was he really changed? Or was he still an “undercover Pharisee”? It took him many more years of preparation before he was fully accepted by the brethren.

Make it Practical

When a person meets Christ we can’t help but change. Our identity, actions, and even our thoughts will continue to change over time. Some changes may be immediate such as we are now called “Christians,” and “children of God.” Other changes may take a lifetime.

When we commit to changes in our lives, we need God’s help to keep the change. It takes time for us to get used to the change. To adapt to a new way of living. Just like in the game, once we get the hang of it, we can move faster, go higher, and add more changes to our lives along the way.

Whatever happens, we have to trust God through the process of change. Don’t expect everything to come immediately or transition smoothly. We will fall along the way, just don’t beat yourself up for it. Pick yourself up and move on.

Make it Personal

Have you tried and failed and given up on changes you committed to? Maybe it’s time to think about these areas in our lives and ask God for His supernatural ability to maintain those changes. It won’t be easy, but we have to continue trusting in Him that He who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it.

Scripture References

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
– 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
– Romans 12:2 (NIV)

“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
– Philippians 1:4-6 (NIV)

Other Famous Bible Personalities and how they changed after an encounter with God:

Nicodemus

  • Before God : Pharisee, ruler of Jews
  • Met God : Met Christ by night, honest seeker
  • Response : Annointed Christ’s Body with Joseph of Arimathea

Noah

  • Before God : Not known – Father was Lemech
  • Met God : Lived a righteous life that set him apart from others
  • Response : Called to build an ark and obeyed

Abraham

  • Before God : lived with his father in Haran
  • Met God : Recieved a call to leave Haran and go to a new country
  • Response : Blessed by God and his descendents became like the sands of the earth

Simon Peter

  • Before God : Fisherman, Son of John
  • Met God : Called to Follow Christ and become a fisher of men
  • Response : Became a disciple, denied Christ three times but became a great evangelist after Christ’s death.

Zacheus

  • Before God : Tax collector
  • Met God : watched from a tree to see over the crowd
  • Response : Invited Christ to his home & paid debts/ became honest

Matthew (Levi)

  • Before God : Tax collector
  • Met God : Asked to follow Christ as a disciple
  • Response : Became a disciple and wrote one of the gospels

Joseph

  • Before God : Favored Son of Jacob and Rachel
  • Met God : Dreams
  • Response : Rose to a powerful position in Egypot in which he was able to help his family in a time of famine.

Saul

  • Before God : Pharisee, tentmaker, persecuted Christains
  • Met God : Vision on the road to Damascus
  • Response : followed Christ and became one of the most prolific writers of the New Testament

Samuel

  • Before God : Mother took him to live with the priest (Eli)
  • Met God : God spoke to him at night
  • Response : Became a great spritual leader and the last of the judges

Gideon

  • Before God : Son of Joash, Israel has forsaken God
  • Met God : An angel appeared to him, summoned him to leadership
  • Response : Might Warrior, against the Medianites

Nathanael

  • Before God : Religious, seen by Christ beneath a fig tree
  • Met God : Philip introduced him to Christ
  • Response : Followed Christ, became one of the disciples

Mary

  • Before God : devout religious life
  • Met God : appearance of an angel saying she was most blessed of women
  • Response : Became the mother of Christ

David

  • Before God : Played the harp for the King (Saul)
  • Met God : Was upset that a giant ridiculed the God of Israel
  • Response : Defeated Goliath and became one of the greatest king’s of Israel, even though he made many serious mistakes

You can probably think of other characters as well.

Evangelism Ideas, Game Ideas

Our Christian Testimony: Earth! Water! Air! Fire!

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Using the game of “Earth!” “Water!” “Air!” or “Fire!” youth will discuss how our actions affect our testimony for Christ.

Preparation

  1. Position the youth in a circle of chairs facing inward.
  2. Take a handkerchief and knot it at one end so it can be easily thrown back and forth between people.

What to do

  1. Give the handkerchief to one of the youth instructing him/ her to throw it into the lap of another youth else in the circle. As he/she throws it he/she must call out “Earth!” “Water!” “Air!” or “Fire!”
  2. If “Earth!”, “Water!” or “Air!” is called, the one into whose lap the handkerchief has been thrown must name some bird or animal that lives or moves about in that environment. For example, if “earth” is shouted then the one into whose lap the handkerchief falls might answer: “Worms!” It would be just as correct however for him to name any beast which lives upon the earth. The same animal cannot be used again.
  3. As soon as a handkerchief lands in someone’s lap the one who threw it begins to count rapidly to 10. If the animal is not given to for “Earth”, “water”, or “air”, then that person must answer a question before passing the handkerchief on to the next person.
  4. However, if the handkerchief is thrown, and the one who throws it calls out “fire!” then the one into whose lap it falls must remain perfectly silent. If he/ she does not remain silent he/she must answer one of the questions before passing the handkerchief on to another player.

Questions

The questions are related to the topic of “personal testimony.” The questions that youth must answer all involve whether the action, attitude, characteristic stated:

  • harms one’s testimony or
  • benefits one’s personal testimony or
  • has no effect on a person’s testimony.

A reason must be given for the answer. Then continue the game. You may do the questions in order or have youth pick a number between (1-66). Mark off numbers as they are used! Some of the choices involve things that happened to Paul. Others involve things to which a typical teen might be exposed.

  1. Dancing
  2. Cheating
  3. Responsible
  4. Integrity
  5. Trust
  6. Going to church
  7. Trials
  8. Being a follower of the Way
  9. Envy
  10. Belief in an afterlife
  11. Lust
  12. A clear conscience
  13. Going to a party
  14. Loving one’s enemies.
  15. Having fun!
  16. Having to appear in court
  17. Having a consistent devotional life
  18. Making good grades
  19. Having personal problems
  20. Wealth
  21. Drinking
  22. Being falsely accused of a crime
  23. Sharing your belief with someone else
  24. Athletic
  25. Serving others
  26. Speaking to a leader with great authority
  27. Taking responsibility for your actions
  28. Insisting on your rights
  29. Giving gifts to the poor
  30. Being ceremonially clean
  31. Listening to country music
  32. Listening to Rock music
  33. Theft
  34. Reading one’s Bible to the class
  35. Telling Jokes
  36. Pointing out the sins of others
  37. Hanging with the wrong crowd
  38. Obeying parents
  39. Going to an RA movie
  40. Smoking
  41. Being shy
  42. Being serious about life
  43. Being in Jail
  44. Losing your temper
  45. Listening to ONLY Christian music
  46. Praying daily
  47. Saying table grace
  48. Rudeness
  49. Anger
  50. Thinking about your sexuality
  51. Taking a stand for what you believe
  52. Showing your answers on a test to someone
  53. Being challenged to fight someone
  54. Sneaking out of the house to go to church
  55. Causing a public disturbance
  56. Telling the truth, even if it hurts someone
  57. Gossip
  58. Preaching
  59. Kissing someone in public
  60. Dating
  61. Good looks
  62. Memorizing your testimony
  63. Singing all the time
  64. The clothes you wear
  65. Your nationality
  66. Helping those in need

Take it to the Next Level

Make it Spiritual

Paul present his testimony in Acts 24:10-21.  In fact, some of the statements in the list are references to parts of Paul’s testimony as presented in this passage.  Paul shares more insight on his motives, and his actions as related to being a testimony to the gospel of Christ in 1 Corinthians 9:1-23 and 1 Corinthians 10:23-33.  Two key principles are evident.

  • While all things are permissible, Paul holds himself to a stricter standard so that he might be better witness for the Gospel, that is testimony might reach more people.
  • Paul gives up some of his rights so that others might be saved.

Make it Practical

Discuss some of the issues regarding Christian freedom, God’s forgiveness, and our our actions, words and attitudes affect our testimony as Christians.

Make it Personal

In what ways might you personally be a better testimony for the Gospel for your family, friends, and those who know you?