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Creative Teaching Ideas, Game Ideas

Coin Toss – Dangers of Temptations and How to Deal with Them

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INTRODUCTION TO THE OBJECT LESSON ON TEMPTATION

This simple game serves as a Creative Teaching Idea and discussion starter and Object Lesson on the topic of temptation. Youth will learn how to handle the temptations that are a normal part of life.

A. TRIVIA

The is a variation of a game commonly known as “Pitching Pennies.” In the traditional version of the game, players take turns to throw a coin at a wall. The coin which lands closest to the wall is the winner. The winner collects all the losing players’ tossed coins. Ancient Greek children played a similar game using bronze coins. In modern Israel a version of the game is played with Apricot kernels, and called “Gogoim”. This game is also known by other names: Pigeon Toss, Britain Pap, Penny Up, Keeley, Pitch and Toss, Chucks, Tinks or Jingies.

B. WHAT YOU NEED

  • Coins for each youth
  • Prize for the winner.
  • Tape to mark the boundaries.

C. GAME PLAY

  1. Put a line across the floor on each side of the room.
  2. Give each youth a coin and ask them to line them up on one side of the room.
  3. Demonstrate from a specific distance a toss of a coin toward the goal. Do not give them any strategy. Do not tell them how to play. Only demonstrate the game.
  4. Hype up the prize for the person who can toss the coin closest to the line without going over it.
  5. Then let everyone have an opportunity to try. If there is time, you can let them try more than once.
  6. Award the prize to the winner

D. SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

If playing with younger children, there is a danger of children swallowing a coin. For safety reasons, you play the game with a golf ball, a tennis ball or another object. Older youth can play with marbles, checkers, washers, buttons or any other objects available.

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

DEBRIEF

As you were playing this game,

  1. What was your goal or objective?
  2. What was your strategy?
  3. What are the possible risks with your strategy?
  4. Did you follow your own strategy or learn from others?
  5. What is the best way to guarantee you will not cross over the line (i.e. the boundary)?

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

  1. Starting in Genesis 1 and continuing throughout Scripture, God gave us boundaries for what we should and should not do. What are some of those boundaries?
    – Related to our thoughts
    – Related to our feelings
    – Related to our bodies
    – Related to our words
    – Related to our decisions
    – Related to our actions
  2. What is temptation?
  3. What are some things that tempt youth today?
  4. In this game, the objective was to get as close to the line as possible without crossing over? Sometimes, youth, adults, and even children have a similar mindset when dealing with temptations. We want to get as close to the boundary as possible without crossing over. Why is this strategy dangerous?

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

How do we manage our boundaries and temptations and avoid crossing the line into sin?

THREE PRINCIPLES (I CORINTHIANS 6)

  1. The Help Principle (6:12a). Some things, even if they are within the boundaries of the law of God, are to be avoided simply because they do not build up the individual toward spiritual maturity or because they do not help others.
  2. The Habit Principle (6:12b). Some things are wrong because they are habit-forming. They take control over a person’s life. [II PETER 2:19 – “a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him”] ROMANS 6:16 – “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey–whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?”
  3. The Holiness Principle (6:15-20). – Some things are wrong for the believer simply because they do not honor or please God.

SEVEN QUESTIONS

  1. Would Jesus put his name on this for a stamp of approval? (Colossians 3:17)
  2. Does this fall into the classification of good thinking? (Philippians 4:8)
  3. Will this degrade or defile the temple of the Holy Spirit? (I Corinthians 6:19) Does this have the “smell” of evil on it? (1 Thessalonians 5:22)
  4. Will this sooner or later make a slave out of me? (I Corinthians 9:27)
  5. Is it spiritually beneficial or does it have the potential to control me? (1 Corinthians 6:12)
  6. Does it benefit others? (Romans 15:1-2; Philippians 2:3)
  7. Will my indulgence in this prevent someone from accepting Christ as Savior or tend to weaken someone’s faith? (I Cor. 8:9-13)

Remember what Paul says in Romans 14:22 “Happy is he that condemns not himself in that thing that he allows.”

MAKE IT PERSONAL

  1. Of those temptations of youth we mentioned previously, which are most difficult for you?
  2. What steps can you learn from this lesson to avoid crossing the line from temptation into sin?
  3. Say a prayer for God to show you a) ways to FLEE from your personal temptations, b) show you holy things on which you can FOCUS your thoughts, energy and time in pursuit, and c) to give you good Christian friends who are also seeking purity in their relationship with God.

TOUCH POINTS

  1. We often imitate what we see others do rather than seek guidance from God and God’s Word.
  2. If we don’t set our own goals, someone will set our goals for us. Satan’s goal for us is self-destruction.
  3. In temptation we often want to clearly know the boundaries so that we can get as close to the boundary as possible. God’s goal in setting boundaries is not so that we can get as close to those boundaries as possible, but so that we know where they are and can keep a safe distance.
  4. Sometimes things do not turn out as we planned. When we are trying to get so close to the boundaries the chances of us crossing over are very high. (e.g. In this game sometimes the coin lands on the edge and rolls, sometimes we underestimate distance, strength, or how slippery the floor is.)
  5. To get as close to the boundary as possible is the wrong objective. We should seek to stay as far from temptation as possible to avoid crossing over into sin.
  6. The hype of temptation may be greater than what we actually receive. It may be enjoyable but it is fleeting and the more we get of it, the less satisfying it becomes.
  7. No one said you had to toss the coin. You just followed an example. The way to ensure we do not cross the boundary is to remain in control and set our own boundaries a safe distance away from sin.
  8. We need to recognize that we are drawn toward sin. (James 1:14)
  9. A key to handling temptation is mention by Paul to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:22:
    A) Flee – Flee the evil desires of youth
    B) Focus – pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace and
    C) Fellowship – along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

ILLUSTRATIONS

  1. In the comic strip “Cathy”, Cathy loves candy. In one story line, Cathy is trying to avoid the temptation of eating candy:

Cathy goes for a drive to get her mind off the temptation of eating candy.
She thinks, “I’ll go for a drive, but I won’t stop at the grocery store.
Next frame, “I’ll drive past, but I won’t stop.”
Next frame, “I’ll stop, but I won’t go inside.”
Then, “I’ll go inside, but I won’t go down the candy aisle.”
“I’ll go down the candy aisle, but I’ll just look. I won’t pick up any candy.”
“I’ll pick up the candy, but I won’t buy it.”
“I’ll buy it but I won’t open it.”
“I’ll open it, but I won’t smell it.”
“I’ll smell it but not taste it.”
“I’ll taste it but not eat it.”
Then in the last frame “EAT EAT EAT EAT”
So much for avoiding temptation.

Too often, we deal with temptation in the same way as Cathy… getting closer and closer until we can no longer resist and yield to the temptation.

a. If you were to design a similar comic strip with one of those temptations we mentioned that youth of today face, what might be some of the steps in the process of a youth being lured to indulging in the temptation?
b. In each of these real-life scenarios that youth of today face, what could be done differently? How could we break the cycle at different stages in the temptation?

  1. The boy was standing near an open box of peanut butter cookies.
    “Now then, young man,” said the grocer as he approached the young boy.
    “What are you up to?”
    “Nothing,” replied the boy: “Nothing.”
    “Well it looks to me like you were trying to take a cookie.”
    “Oh you’re so wrong, mister, …. I’m trying not to!”

SCRIPTURE

  • 2 Timothy 2:22 – “Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lordd out of a pure heart.”
  • 1 Corinthians 6:12 – “I have the right to do anything,” you say–but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”–but I will not be mastered by anything.”
  • 1 Corinthians 8:9-13 – “Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.””
  • 1 Corinthians 9:27 – “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 10:13 – “No temptation[a] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,[c] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:22 – “reject every kind of evil.”
  • Colossians 3:17 – “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.”
  • Galatians 5:1 – “Stand fast therefore in the liberty with which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
  • James 1:13-16 – “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.”
  • James 4:7 – “Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
  • James 4:17 – “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”
  • Philippians 2:3 – “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
  • Philippians 4:8 – “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
  • Proverbs 17:27 – “The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.”
  • Romans 6:12-14, 22 – “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” “But now having been set free from sin, and having become servants to God, you have your fruit of holiness, and the end, everlasting life.”
  • Romans 13:14 – “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.”
  • Romans 14:22-23 – “So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.”
  • Romans 15:1-2 – “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.”

INTERESTING QUOTES RELATED TO TEMPTATION

  • “If thou wouldst conquer thy weakness, thou must never gratify it. No man is compelled to evil: his consent only makes it his. It is no sin to be tempted, but to be overcome.” – William Penn
  • “Our minds are mental greenhouses where unlawful thoughts, once planted, are nurtured and watered before being transplanted into the real world of unlawful actions… These actions are savored in the mind long before they are enjoyed in reality. The thought life, then, is our first line of defense in the battle of self-control.” – Jerry Bridges
  • “Every time I say ‘no’ to a small temptation, I strengthen my will to say ‘no’ to a greater one.” – Mother Angelica
  • “He who chooses the beginning of the road chooses the place it leads to. It is the means that determines the end.” – Harry Emerson Fosdick
  • “He who chooses the beginning of the road chooses the place it leads to. It is the means that determines the end.” – Harry Emerson Fosdick
  • “In the last analysis it is not the temptations that meet us on the streets that determine our conduct; it is the heart of the man who faces them. Two men may face the same conditions; one falls, the other stands. The difference is not in the temptation but in the heart of the man.” – Martyn Lloyd-Jones
  • “The first degree [of temptation] relates to the mind – it is dragged away from its duties by the deceit of sin. The second aims at the affections – they are enticed and entangled. The third overcomes the will – the consent of the will is the conception of actual sin. The fourth degree disrupts our way of life as sin is born into it. The fifth is the flesh’s goal, a hardened life of sin, which leads to eternal death (James 1:14-15).” – Kris Lundgaard
  • “Temptations, of course, cannot be avoided, but because we cannot prevent the birds from flying over our heads, there is no need that we should let them nest in our hair.” – Martin Luther
  • “It’s easier to avoid temptation then to resist it.” – Bill Shannon
  • “It’s easier to resist temptation at a distance than when it is near.” – Unknown

MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”

A 200-page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.

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Creative Teaching Ideas

A New Year: New Priorities

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A New Year - New Priorities
With the New Year we typically evaluate the past year and set new priorities for the upcoming year. Sometimes we call these new priorities or renewed priorities New Year’s Resolutions. New Year’s Resolutions may be focused around family, personal goals, money, jobs, and many other things. While these things are not necessarily wrong, when they take precedence over our relationship with God they become a problem.

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What You Need

  1. Large sheets of paper or newsprint
  2. Whiteboard markers (that will not bleed through the paper)

Preparation

  1. Put a Poster or large sheet of paper in each corner of the room for each of the following labels:
    • Possessions or Provision
    • Power or Position
    • Popularity
    • Others
  2. Place a chair in the exact center of the room as a marker.

What to Do

  1. Explain:
    • Possessions refer to the material things we seek in life.
    • Power refers to positions we want to obtain in life.
    • Popularity refers to social recognition and fame that people seek in life.
    • Explain that the center of the room represents living for God.
  2. Allow youth to brainstorm about the things that people have as priorities in their lives. Examples might be good grades, a good job, a marriage partner, a house, to serve God, to have lots of money, etc.
  3. Then have youth write the priority on the poster that represents that priority. Some items might fit into more than one category (i.e. good grades might be a priority but the reason could be for popularity or for the purpose of getting a job with more money and a higher position – power.)
  4. After the posters have been filled with examples of each priority, have youth stand somewhere in the room that reflects their most important priorities in life. (For example, if someones priority is to make lots of money they might stand in the possessions corner.)

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

Read Matthew 4:1-10

  • How does this passage relate to the posters in the corners of the room?
  • Which poster represents each of the temptations?
  • How did Christs understanding of his purpose in life reflect his priorities?

Jesus was tempted with popularity, power, and possessions (material needs). But because Jesus understood his purpose in the world he did not give into temptation. There is nothing wrong with material possessions, power or popularity. But when they replace God as a priority in our lives they become a problem. In fact, later in Jesus ministry we would see him providing for the physical needs of people, he would demonstrate the power of God, and he would be popular. Yet his priority was to do the will of God, to accomplish the purpose for which he had been sent into the world. God has brought each of us into the world for a purpose. The better we understand our purpose, the better we will be able to balance our priorities to fulfill that purpose in the new year.

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

  • What are some things that are part of Gods plan for every persons life?
  • How can a person discover and trust Gods plan for his or her life? (See Proverbs 3:5-6; Philippians 4:6; Romans 8:28)

MAKE IT PERSONAL

  • What do you believe is part of Gods purpose for bringing YOU into the world? (You may not know all the details yet, but you might have some ideas.)
  • Each of you has positioned yourself in a specific corner of the room based on your own priorities. How can someone in your position move closer to Gods Purpose for your life and away from the wrong priorities?
  • What are some of the practical steps you can take this year that would move you closer to Gods ideal plan for your life?
  • Commit to one of the steps you can start this week!

————————————————–
ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURES
————————————————–

Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will direct your paths.”

Philippians 4:6
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

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

1 Thessalonians 5:18
“in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 3:8
“What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.”

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Creative Teaching Ideas, Game Ideas, Object Lessons

Watermelon Seed Christians

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Watermelon Seed Christians

Watermelons are almost synonymous with summer – cool, refreshing, and great on a hot summer day. Watermelons can also be used for a variety of fun, and sometimes messy games, though the cost could be a bit prohibitive for some youth groups. Here are a variety of games using watermelons as well as some ideas for spiritual lessons using this popular summer treat.

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Games Using Watermelons

  • Greased Watermelon – Grease two watermelons down with butter and jelly, then divide the youth into two teams and have them line up across from each other. Ask players to wear disposable gloves to make the game more challenging. The youth must pass the watermelon to each other in the lineup without dropping it. If dropped, it must begin again at the beginning. The team that passes the watermelon all the way to the end of the line first wins.
  • Seed Teams – To split into team, set aside an equal number of watermelon seeds and pumpkin seeds and pass them out, 1 seed per person. Everyone with a pumpkin seed forms team one. Everyone with a watermelon seed forms another team. Add more types of seeds for more teams.
  • Steal the Watermelon – (like Steal the Bacon) Grease a watermelon an place it in the center of a tarp. Each team lines up facing each other while you number them off on each team. When you call a number and that person has to grab the watermelon and get it back to their side of the tarp.
  • Ultimate Watermelon – This is just like Ultimate Frisbee . . . but with a small watermelon. Each team tries to get to the opposite end zone. Instead of a kick-off, just have one team start on their side of the field. When a player catches the Watermelon, they can take only 3 steps. Then they must throw/toss it. Each team works their way down the field, passing to each other until a team scores. If the team’s melon hits the ground, it’s the other teams turn. If one team busts the watermelon, the other team automatically scores. (Have extra watermelons available or seal the watermelon in a heavy duty plastic bag first.) The watermelon goes to the opposite team of the last person to touch it before it hits the ground. Defensive players must give any person already holding a watermelon at least 3 feet clearance.
  • Watermelon Artists – Cut watermelons into slices and give each youth a slice. Slices can be small or large, depending upon the object you plan to carve. If you want many objects carved, you may want to make them all small, such as turtles, suns or birds. Write down the object each youth will carve on separate slips of paper and give each player their slip to read silently. Instruct each youth to begin carving, but not to reveal the object. Non-carvers can guess what each object is to earn prizes for themselves and the carver.
  • Watermelon Carving Contest – Carve funny faces in the watermelons as you would a pumpkin and award prizes for the funniest face, best carving, most creative, met unusual, etc. You might want to have some plastic utensils rather than knives or assign an adult to handle the knives under the directions of the youth.
  • Watermelon Eating Contest – Ask the youth from each team to hold their hands behind their backs, using only their mouths to eat a large piece of watermelon. First to do so wins points for their team.
  • Watermelon Head – Youth must roll a watermelon down a plastic tarp with their heads. First team that has each member complete the task wins. To make it more fun coat it in shaving cream or whipped cream.
  • Watermelon Horseshoes Contest – For this contest you need watermelon rind cut across the width of the watermelon to form rings. These rinds can be made from wounded watermelons, injured in earlier games. All you need are rind rings, not the fruit. The object of the game is to toss watermelon rind rings onto a stationary post. Score the game as you would score horseshoes.
  • Watermelon Jigsaw Puzzle – Cut several watermelons into slices and pieces and mix them up in a bowl. Have one watermelon for each team. The objective of this game is for youth to eat the watermelon (red part), then using toothpicks, be the first team to correctly piece the watermelon back together again into a whole watermelon. To put it back correctly, youth will need to pay attention to the pattern on the outside. Variation: Instead of toothpicks, you can also use duct tape.
  • Watermelon Pass – The first youth in line takes the watermelon and passes it between their legs to the person behind them. The next youth then takes the melon and lifts it backwards, over their head to the next person. It is really a game of over/under, over/under. This is repeated until the watermelon reaches the end. At this point, the watermelon is then passed back up to the front in like fashion (with everyone continuing to face forward). The first team to return the melon to the front with their team sitting down in single file fashion is the winner!
  • Watermelon Race – Set a Start Line and a half way point where each team must roll their watermelon, circle and then turn around and roll the watermelon back to the starting point. Once the youth rolling the watermelon returns to the starting Line, they tag the next youth in line and they take their turn roll the watermelon. The first team to have all players rolls their watermelons around the course is the Winner.
  • Watermelon Rolling Contest – Players must roll small watermelons toward specific soft objects. Once the object is touched by a watermelon, players can roll watermelons toward the next soft object, until the last goal is reached. First one to the end with a watermelon that still rolls, wins. Some youth would rather take out another player, than hit the soft object next in line.
  • Watermelon Seed Flinging Contest – The youth must snap the seeds off the finger, using only one hand. This is done much like you were playing marbles. The nail of the thumb flips the seed off the back of a curled index finger.
  • Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest – In this contest, you draw your line and give game players their slice of watermelon. They will eat their way to the seeds they spit. Spitting needs to happen over an area where you will be able to see where the seeds fall. The player who spits the farthest seed within certain amount of time is the winner.
  • Watermelon Seed Spitting Target Competition – Players focus on hitting a target rather than going for distance. Use a cup, bucket or create a bullseye target, then as the youth find seeds in their watermelon they can step to the start line, aim and try to spit the watermelon seed into or onto the target. They receive 1 point for each time they land on or in the target. Add up the scores and the youth with the most points is the winner. If there is a tie, do a sudden death round until someone hits the target and can be declared the winner.
  • Watermelon Smash (Suikawari) – This is a party game often played on beaches in Japan where someone is blindfolded, given a large stick, spun around to disorient them and then directed to smash/crack a watermelon. While the aim is for the blindfolded participant to find and crack the watermelon on their own, spectators may shout advice or distractions.
  • Watermelon Water Polo – This is played in a swimming pool which is not too deep, but a watermelon is used instead of a ball. It can also be coated in Vaseline to make it more difficult.

WaterMelon Games with a Message

  • Watermelon Puzzle Relay – Cut off the end of some watermelons and remove the seeds and flesh so that they have been cleaned out. (Be sure to set it aside for eating later.) Cut a different face in each watermelon, but save the pieces that you remove and set them aside. Collect all the pieces you removed from the watermelons and mix them up and place them on a trap or trash bag on the ground at one end of a field. At the other end of the field place the watermelon for each team. Youth from each team must run across the field grab one piece that looks like it might fit the holes in that team’s watermelon and return to his team with the piece. If the piece fits in the watermelon, the next person can run to get a new piece. If the piece doesn’t fit, the next person on the team must return it to the table at the end of the room and collect another piece to try. First team to complete it’s watermelon wins the relay! Variation: Play the game with the relay runners blind-folded and the team shouting directions.

Teaching Point: Talk about how we all have holes in our our lives (an emptiness) we are trying to fill. Some people may try to fill it with money, with relationships, with various types of pleasures, etc. But the only thing that can fill the emptiness we have in our lives is a relationship with God. Blaise Pascal says we were all created with a God-shaped vacuum that only he can fill. Just as you had to align the pieces with the various holes in the watermelon, we have to align the various areas of our lives with the will of God. Only those things of God which are aligned with his plan for our individual lives, will fit correctly and make us whole.

  • Watermelon Seed Targets – Cut different size holes in the top of a watermelon and place it on the ground at some distance from the youth. Youth must toss watermelon seeds into the holes in the top of the watermelon for points depending on the hole they get it in. You’ll want to cut the holes deep enough to catch a seed, but not deep enough to expose the inner red flesh of the watermelon so that you can cut it open and eat it later.
    • Why did you choose your target?
    • Some people chose the smaller holes because they were worth more. Others chose the larger holes because they were an easier target.
    • When it comes down to real life, do you choose your targets based on value or upon which is easier?
    • What are your targets in the Christian life? Are they easy? Why do you value these targets?

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

The Bible says in Galatians 6:7-9 that we will reap what we sow. So if we plant good things then that is what we will reap. But if we plant bad things then that is what we will reap. What things are you planting in your life? Those are the things that you will reap. I hope that you all reap many good things in your life because you choose to plant the right things. Inside a single watermelon are hundreds of seeds, each with the potential to grow a watermelon plant which can produce several more watermelons each containing hundreds of seeds.

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

Read Matthew 13:3-23

  • What are the four types of soil mentioned and the results of seeds sown?
  • Again list the four types of soil, but this time explain what each represents.
  • Why do some people choose not to listen?
  • Why do some people not want to see?
  • What is the main problem with the rocky soil?
  • What happens when trouble or persecution comes? What are some of the troubles and persecutions that youth may face?
  • Of the troubles and persecutions you listed, which ones do you have the most difficult time dealing with?
  • In what ways can a person sink roots deeper in order to be better able to withstand trouble and persecutions?
  • What are some of the worries of life?
  • How can worries and the pursuit of wealth and materialism choke out the spiritual life?
  • Of the worries listed, which ones cause you to lose focus in your relationship with God?
  • What are the priorities in your life at the moment?
  • Are you prepared to hear what God wants to teach you? What are some things he might want you to hear during these studies?
  • Are you really trying to understand what God’s Word is saying and how it affects your daily life? What are some things God might want you to understand this week?
  • Are you willing to act, to make changes, to live a life of obedience to God’s Word that will be fruitful? In what areas of your life might God be calling you to obedience? In what areas are you not living as a Christian should?
  • What can be done to make the first three soils good soil?

MAKE IT PERSONAL

  • What soil are you and what do you need to do to become good soil?
  • What heart changes do you need to make to allow God to plant his Word in your life?
  • Are there some areas of your life that have become hardened like the path soil? Ask God to help you break through that hardness and to soften your heart.
  • Are your spiritual roots too shallow to withstand the persecutions and troubles? Make a commitment to sink your roots deeper by spending time with God.
  • Are the worries and daily activities of your life taking away from God as your first priority? Ask God to give you the faith and commitment to keep him first.
  • Ask God to make you good soil. If you’ve never accepted Christ, ask him into your heart. He wants you to have a life that is vibrant and fruitful. If God is already in your heart, ask him to make you more fruitful. Pray for a specific area of your life where you would like to be more fruitful, more obedient.

SCRIPTURE

  • Matthew 13:3-8 – “Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop•a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
  • Matthew 3:18-23 – “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
  • Matthew 9:36-37 – “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.’ “

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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

Bubbly Christians

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Everyone loves soap bubbles – Preschoolers, Children, Youth and Adults. They gleam and sparkle in all the colors of the rainbow. They float along and drift in delightful and unexpected ways. They come in all sizes and shapes, and can be caught or set free, alone or connected. But one thing is true of all bubbles. There will come a time when each bursts and is forever lost. Bubbles do not last forever. They remind us to focus on this things that last forever.

Bubbly Christians

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What You Need

1. Soap Bubbles

You can buy ready-made soap bubble solutions with wands inside, but it is so much cheaper to make your own by simply mixing together the following ingredients in a container:

  • 1/4 cup glycerin – You can find it at drugstores
  • 1/2 cup dish soap – Various dish washing detergents will have different characteristics so experiment a little to get the best solution.
  • 2 cups warm water – Distilled water is recommended by some.

2. Bubble Wands

For bubble wands you can use pipe cleaners, plastic lids with a hole cut in the center, a can or round plastic container with the bottom cut out, fly swatters, a slotted spoon, a wire whisk, cookie cutters, strainers, cheese graters, or a clothes hanger wrapped tightly with cotton string.

Games using Soap Bubbles

  • Biggest Bubble – Using a bubble wand, see which team can blow the biggest bubble without popping it.
  • Biggest Bubble using only your hands – Put your fingers together so they form an opening, dip your hands in a bowl of bubble solution to get a bubble film, and if you blow gently, you can make bubbles up to two feet in diameter.
  • Bubble Archery – Place a bullseye target at the end of the room. Youth must blow a bubble from behind the line and then use their breath to blow it into the target to get points.
  • Bubble Baseball – Divide the youth into teams and have them stand in line one behind the other. Set up a turn around point at some distance from the starting line. One at a time the someone from each team will blow a bubble and catch it on their wand. They must then run to the turn around point and back to their team with out losing or popping their bubble. When they return to the start then the next person in line goes. If a bubble pops or they lose their bubble from their wand they must run back to the start and begin again. The team with all their players to finish first wins.
  • Bubble Blast – With just one breath, see who can blow the most bubbles. If you get a good deep breath, you’ll be amazed just how many bubbles you can blow!
  • Bubble Catch – Blow a limited number of bubbles then youth run after them and try to catch them on their wand. If they pop the bubble or don’t manage to catch one they are out.
  • Bubble Count – One youth blows bubbles while you call out a number. The first person to pop that many bubbles wins.
  • Bubble Dodgeball – Youth each get a bubble wand and bubbles and staying in a designated area they try to blow bubbles at each other. If a bubble pops on you, you are out. Players must be stationary in one spot and can only pivot on one foot, but can duck and twist to avoid the bubbles. They can even blow them away.
  • Bubble Float – Who can float one bubble in the air the longest before it pops. Youth can keep their bubble floating in the air the longest by blowing gently underneath it. Variation, give the team 30 seconds to blow the bubbles. After the 30 seconds is finished, time them until the last bubble pops.
  • Bubble Freeze – Youth blow bubbles on a paper plate and then, before the bubbles pop, put them in the freezer. Biggest frozen bubble wins.
  • Bubble Pop – Form pairs or teams. One person (or more) blows the bubbles while another person pops them. The pair / team who pops the most bubbles in 1 minute wins. Make it more difficult by not allowing them to use their hands. Change it up by requiring the bubbles to be popped with different body parts – nose, ear, elbows, foot, etc.
  • Bubble Race – Divide the youth into teams. Teams line up in single file lines. Mark off a finish line at least ten feet away. The person at the front of the line must blow a bubble and he or she must then guide that bubble across the finish line. He or she then runs back to the team and sends the next person to do the same thing. If anyone’s bubble pops or floats away, they must go back and start all over. This continues until every member of one team gets a bubble over the line and makes it back to her team.
  • Bubble Race – Youth must blow their bubble along the race track and across the finish line!
  • Bubble Stack – One person blows a bubble while another catches it on the bubble wand. Another team member blows another bubble, which also must be caught and placed on top of the first bubble. The team with the highest stack at the end of sixty seconds wins.
  • Highest Bubble – Who can blow a bubble the highest into the air?
  • Mega Bubble – This game from Minute to Win iIt requires the youth to first blow a bubble from behind a starting line, then use their own hot air to move it across the play area and through a waiting hoop that is hung from the ceiling. The smaller the hoop, the more difficult the challenge. You can also increase the distance to the hoop to increase the challenge. Rules: You cannot touch the bubbles. If a bubble bursts while traveling through the hoop it does not count – it must actually go through the hoop and be seen on the other side. You may not touch the hoop itself. If a player must return to the beginning and start again, he or she must be standing behind the foul line to blow the next set of bubbles.
  • Nested Bubbles – Blow bubbles inside of bubbles. Using straws, who can get the most bubbles inside of a bubble without it popping.

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Use the games as a discussion starter about the things in life that are temporary vs. eternal.

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

  • What do all bubbles have in common? – Eventually they all burst!
  • What are some things that last forever?
  • What are some things that we strive for in life that are only temporary?
  • Why is it so much easier to focus on the temporary things?

Some bubble last longer than others, but in the end the bubble bursts. The same is often true of life’s attractions.

  • What are some things in life that may at first seem long lasting but in reality are only temporary?

Explain that each bubble is filled with air. While you cannot see the air you know its there because it gives the bubble its shape. In life sometimes we must believe in what we cannot see and this is called faith.

  • How is faith related to the desire to live for things that are eternal rather than temporary?

Bubbles grab our attention. So do the things of the world. In fact the bubble is like a small little world.

  • What are some of the things in life that grab our attention?

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

  • What are the characteristics of a person that is living for eternal things?
  • What things do they live for? Focus on? Strive for?
  • How can a reminder that so many things are temporary change the way a person thinks and lives life?
  • How can having an eternal perspective on things affect a person’s focus? Dreams? Aspirations? Actions? Priorities?

MAKE IT PERSONAL

  • What are some of the priorities in your life right now?
  • Are these things more beneficial for the here and now or for the eternal?
  • Are you focused on things that will last?
  • What would change if you had a more eternal perspective on life?

SCRIPTURE VERSES

  • James 4:13-14 – “Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
  • Matthew 6:19-21 – “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
  • Luke 12:15-21 – “Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”‘ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
  • Colossians 3:1 – “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”
  • 1 John 2:15-17 – “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”
  • Mark 8:34-36 – “Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”
  • Matthew 6:31-33 – “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

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Spoon Fed Christians

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We often use the term “spoon fed” to refer to babies. It is also used for people who have been given so much by others that they never learn how to think for themselves or take care of themselves. Scripture uses a similar term to describe some Christians. Like a spoon fed baby, some Christians have never grown up in their faith.

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Games using Spoons

  • Cotton Ball Spooner – Each youth is blindfolded, given a metal spoon, and placed in front of a large bowl of cotton balls. They must also hold a bowl or cup on top of their head. In the time given they youth compete by using the spoon to scoop the cotton balls into the cups on their heads while everyone else watches. Many times, they will deliver empty spoons to their heads and many times they will miss the cup. When time is up, the youth with the most cotton balls in the cup wins.
  • Fastest Spoon – Get two volunteer victims from each team. Both youths will need to put on a big garbage bag with arm / head holes so they don’t get messy! The first youth sits on a chair. The second person is given a bowl of chocolate pudding with a spoon and stands behind them whilst blindfolded. The idea is that the person who is blindfolded has to feed the other person by following their verbal instructions. Alternatively you could get other members of the team to hold to bowl or give instructions. First team to finish wins.
  • Hang it on your beak – The first youth to hang a spoon on his or her nose for mmore than 30 seconds wins. Variation: how many spoons can they hang from their face? Variation: See who can get the spoon off the nose and into his or her mouth using only his or her tongue. BTW, there is a world record for the most spoons hanging on a person’s face. It is 31 and was achieved by Dalibor Jablanovic (Serbia), in Stubica, Serbia, on 28 September 2013. Can you break it?
  • Musical Spoons – While the music is playing, a spoon is passed from person to person. When the music stops, the person holding the spoon must eat something gross like babyfood and is eliminated from the game play.
  • Potato Fencing – Players hold a spoon with a potato on it in one hand. In the other hand the players hold an empty spoon. Then they try to knock the opponents potato off the spoon without losing their own potato.
  • Pudding Slurp – A new pair of stockings per contestant, a small bowl of pudding, some newspaper to play on and some damp towels for cleaning up. Contestants pull the stocking over their face and must race to eat all their pudding through the stocking.
  • Spoon clumps – Clang two metal spoons together. If they clang 5 times then the youth must clump together in groups of 5 persons. If anyone is not in a group of five they are eliminated from play. Continue with different numbers of clangs until there is one small group of winners.
  • Spoon Delivery – Choose a collection of objects of increasing size to be passed from the front of the line to the back of the line for each team. To avoid chipping teeth it might be best to use plastic or wooden spoons. First team to pass all the objects to the end of the line wins. Here are some ideas for objects: Cotton Balls, Ping Pong Balls, an egg (raw or hard boiled), marbles, lemon, apple, inflated balloon, ice cube.
  • Spoon Feeding – Divide into pairs. For each pair, tape a spoon to the end of a broomstick and place a bowl of food on the table. One person stands on one side of the table and attempts to feed his or her partner the food using the spoon. The pair that eats the most food in a minute wins. Chocolate pudding works great for this.
  • Spoon frog – Teams must launch teaspoons into plastic cups, using another spoon as a catapult. When the timer starts, the person must place a spoon in front of the cup with the spoon end facing him/her. Place the second spoon, facing the same way, so that the rounded end of the spoon is resting on the end of the first spoon. Then give the rounded end of the first spoon a good whack to send the second spoom flying. Keep sending spoons into the air and try to get one to land in a the cups. First to get one in, or the person who gets the most in the cup in one minute wins.
  • Spoon fulls – Using spoons in the mouth for each team member, each individual team member will scoop up dried beans or popcorn kernels from a bowl and then drop them into a 1 liter soda bottle. At the end of one minute, the team with the highest filled bottle wins.
  • Spoon Launch – One team member uses a spoon to launch food to the other. The youth that catches the most launched peanuts, M&Ms, or kernels of popcorn in their mouth wins.
  • Spoon Tunes – Place ten tall drinking glasses that are filled with different amounts of water in order so that, when you tap them in a row with a spoon, they play a simple but familiar tune like Mary Had a Little Lamb. There should be one set for each team. Set them up and then scramble them so they have to figure out the order. Get the song right in under a minute to win the game.
  • Spoons – Depending on the number of players, you need at least one deck of cards, and one spoon less than the number of players. Players sit in a circle with the spoons in the middle of the circle with their ends touching. To begin, each player is dealt 4 cards. The first player picks up a card from the top of the pile, and can choose to keep it, or pass it to the person on his or her left. Players can only hold a maximum of four cards. When someone gets four of a kind, he grabs a spoon. Once one person grabs a spoon, everyone else also grabs one until all the spoons are gone and 1 person is left without a spoon. Play resumes with one less player and one less spoon. Play continues until there is only one player left, the winner.
  • Thread the Spoon – Cut some yarn into long segments, allowing about 4 feet of yarn per team member. If in doubt, always make your yarn longer than necessary. Tie one end of one piece of yarn to the end of one metal spoon to create a needle and thread for each team. Put the spoons (with the yarn attached) in the FREEZER to chill for at least an hour. If you want to make it even more fun, feed the string through an ice-cube tray so that when the ice is removed it forms cubes spaced along the string. In teams, the first youth must put the spoon down their shirt, through pants legs (or skirts) and out by their feet and repeat it down the line until everyone on the team is connected. First to finish wins.
  • Wooden Spoons – Blindfolded, a youth must guess someone’s identity by feeling them with wooden spoons. Each person in the youth group in turn is guessed. Of course, any outburst of laughter when the spoons are going over a face would disclose the identity, so participants must keep perfect silence. When anyone’s identity is guessed, he/she has to be blindfolded and must take the spoons. Be careful when using the spoons to touch another person with them quite lightly, so as not to hurt anyone.

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

Some of these games required us to feed others with a spoon. We often use the term spoon fed to refer to babies. It is also used for people who have been given so much by others that they never learn how to think for themselves or take care of themselves. Scripture uses a similar term to describe some Christians. Like a spoon fed baby, they have never grown up in their faith. What is normal for a baby is NOT normal behaviour for an adult.

  • What are some things that babies do, that adults normally do not do?
  • What are some immature, childlike habits and actions that might be ok for children, but are not acceptable for adults?

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

Read Hebrews 5:12-14 and 1 Corinthians 3:1-3.

  • What were some of the characteristics of the Christians referred to in the scriptures?
  • What are some of the signs of Christian immaturity?
  • What is it that spiritual babies need to know and do in order to mature?
  • What are some characteristics of spiritual maturity? What attitudes and actions would you expect to find in a mature Christian?

MAKE IT PERSONAL

  • How would you describe your current level of spiritual maturity? Why?
  • In what ways have you grown as a Christian?
  • What do you need to do to continue to grow and mature as a Christian?

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE VERSES

  • 1 Peter 2:2-3 “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”
  • 2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”
  • Ephesians 4:11-15 “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.”
  • 2 Thessalonians 1:3 “We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters,[a] and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.”
  • Philippians 3:12-14 “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.”

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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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Creative Teaching Ideas, Game Ideas, Object Lessons

Easter – The Empty Tomb and Empty Eggs

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This object lesson for youth uses eggs to make the Easter message of the empty tomb memorable and fun while re-creating, the emotions felt by Christ’s disciples upon finding the empty tomb on Easter morning.

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Games using Easter Eggs

  • Armenian Egg Crush – Each youth must knock their hard boiled egg against another person’s hard boiled egg. The egg that doesn’t crack wins. Have the winners face off with other winners until only one person is left.
  • Broken Eggs – Raw Eggs are placed on the floor while all the youth look on. Ask them to carefully memorize the locations of the eggs. Then ask for a volunteer who will be blindfolded to walk through the eggs without stepping on any of them. Once blindfolded, the eggs are quickly swapped with peanuts or corn chips. The blindfolded person will think they are eggs when stepped upon. (Be sure to have a vacuum or broom to sweep up the mess)
  • Capture the Egg – Play a game of capture the flag with eggs. Divide into two teams and give each team 4 eggs. You’ll need a large open area with lots of obstacles and obstructions. Divide it into into three areas, one for each of the two teams separated by a neutral area. Each team must hide their 4 eggs somewhere in their area, making sure that nobody from the opposing team can see where it is. In order to win the game, you must capture the other team’s eggs and bring them back to your own territory. But if an enemy team member grabs you while you’re standing in their territory, they are allowed to take you straight to jail (which is a small area somewhere inside their territory). You can be freed from jail if one of your team members tags you, and join back in the game. When time is up whoever has captured the most eggs wins.
  • Don’t Drop The Egg – Two youth pair up and stand back to back. Place an egg between them. They objective is for the youth to lower the egg to the floor without breaking it. Best done with a hard boiled egg, but if you are feeling particularly playful you could use raw eggs.
  • Egg Blow – (Messy Game) Get a clear flexible tube from the hardware store, preferably of large enough diameter to hold a cracked egg inside. Youth compete against each other by placing their mouths on each side of the tube and blowing. The loser get’s a face full of egg. (Cautions: Let them place a garbage bag over clothes. You can also use an egg substitute (like Eggbeater’s) to avoid bacteria or chance of salmonella. Have moist washcloths and towels handy.)
  • Egg Drop – Give each team of youth 6ft of masking tape, 1 balloon, a handful of straws, and 1 raw egg. They have to build a protection “capsule” out of those materials that will protect the egg when dropped from various heights off a tall ladder until only one egg survives.
  • Egg Fan – Create a start and a finish line on a hard floor using masking tape. Each youth must use an empty medium sized 14″ pizza box to fan the egg to the finish line. They are not allowed to touch the egg and can only move the egg with gusts of air from waving their pizza box. This can be a team relay race or an individual race.
  • Egg Pass – Each youth has a spoon in his mouth. Teams must pass an egg to the end of the line as quickly as possible using only the spoons. First to finish wins. Do you dare use raw eggs?
  • Egg Roll – Create a start and a finish line on a hard floor using masking tape. Each youth must push the egg to the finish line using only his/her nose. This can be a team relay race or an individual race.
  • Egg Roulette – Choose 4-5 volunteers from among the youth. Place 4-5 eggs on a table. The volunteers are told that one of the eggs is raw, but the others are hardboiled. (In fact, all are hardboiled) Each player takes a turn, taking an egg from the table and tapping it on the other players foreheads until it breaks. The players are told whoever gets the raw egg is the bravest. Because all of the eggs are hardboiled, the last player gets the prize before an egg is tried on his forehead.
  • Egg Run – A youth is given a spoon to hold in his mouth while an egg is placed on the ground (hard boiled) in front of him. He must stoop down, get the egg onto his spoon without using his hands, stand up, travel to the other side of the arena, return to the starting place and return the egg to its starting position. This can be played as a relay or as individuals.
  • Egg Toss – Pairs form two lines facing off and toss an egg back and forth. Every time a catch is successful those who survived back up a little further and try again. The pair that catches the longest toss wins. Use hard boiled or raw eggs.
  • Egg Tower – Using 4 Easter eggs and 4 paper towel rolls be the first to build a tower using all the objects to create a single pillar. Be careful not to get the tower out of alignment or it will come crashing down! Play with raw or boiled eggs.
  • Hot Eggs – As music plays, youth must pass the “hot egg” around the circle from person to person. No one is skipped. The youth caught holding the egg when the music stops is out, and the game begins again.
  • Raw Egg Drop – (Messy Game) Choose 4-5 volunteers from among the youth. The volunteers lay down on their backs on the floor with a cup on their forehead. One teammate stands over them and cracks the egg with their hands attempting to drop the content of the egg into the cup as it spills out. Most of the egg will wind up on the participants face. It’s rather tricky. The team with the most egg in their cup wins. (Cautions: You might want to cover the floor with some newspaper or plastics bags first, and make sure the youth on the floor keeps eyes and mouth closed. Has some wet towels for cleanup)

An Object Lesson

A lot of the games using Easter Eggs have an element of surprise. The Eggs might not be as expected. They also tend to create a variety of other emotions as well – fear, excitement, hesitation, anger, disappointment, relief, doubt, disbelief. Many of the those same emotions are found in the resurrection accounts in the gospels. The following demonstration or object lesson helps to draw out more feelings as an empty egg reminds us of the empty tomb.

Preparation

  • Remove the contents of a raw egg. Some people create a hole in each end using a needle, then use a pipe cleaner or piece of wire to scramble the contents inside the egg. You can then carefully blow into the smaller hole so that the egg comes out a bigger hole on the other side. Some people use a syringe to suck the contents out. Once you have emptied the egg, and likely broken a couple trying, rinse it with a little water and then set it aside to dry. Later you can hold the egg with your thumb and finger to cover the holes on the top and bottom so they are not visible.
  • You also want to have a real raw egg. You can have a dozen raw eggs in a carton to add a little more credibility to the object lesson.

What to do

Holding up the real egg, ask youth what is inside an egg. After the games they should already have a good idea. Explain that unlike some of those used in the game, this one is a raw one. Inside you would find a raw yellow yolk and the clear runny white part of the egg. Break it into a glass so they can see.

Then ask for a brave volunteer to come in front of the group with you. Ask them to stand still and take out the emptied egg and proceed to crack it over the volunteer’s head. You’ll hear exclamations of surprise from both the volunteer and those watching then there will be sighs of relief or complaints from the more mischievous ones.

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

  • Ask youth how they felt when they first broke an egg during one of the games or when you broke it during your demonstration? What feelings did they have?

Read the Resurrection story from the various accounts.

  • What were some of the reactions people had to the empty tomb in the Easter story? Mary? John? Peter? Roman Guards? High Priests? How do you think each person felt?

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

  • If you had been one of them at the empty tomb on that first easter morning, how do you think you might have reacted? What do you think you might have been feeling?
  • How did those who heard the story react? How do you typically react when you hear something unexpected?
  • Have you ever experienced anything in life that at first reaction shocked you, surprised you, or maybe even frightened you, but later turned out to be something good?
  • Was it a good thing or bad thing that the egg was empty? Was it a good thing or a bad thing that the tomb was empty? How do you think the people in the story might have answered this question?

MAKE IT PERSONAL

When Jesus’ followers found out the tomb was empty, they weren’t sure right away what to think, just like you didn’t know what to think about the empty egg. But the empty tomb was the best news of all: Jesus was alive! And because Jesus rose from the dead, we can be saved from sin and death and live with him forever in Heaven.

  • Who do you need to tell about the empty tomb of Christ this week? How do you think they might react? How does the easter story give you confidence to tell others about the Risen Saviour?
  • What personal lessons can you apply from the Easter story when you face unexpected surprises in life?

SCRIPTURE VERSES FOR THE EASTER STORY

  • Matthew 28:1-11
  • Mark 16:1-8
  • Luke 24:1-12
  • John 20:1-18

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Creative Teaching Ideas, Game Ideas, Object Lessons

All Wrapped up? – Sin Easily Entangles

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This idea centers around toilet paper. All you need to do is show a few rolls to youth and the giggles will start. But sin is no laughing matter. While at first it seems innocent and not a threat, it quickly binds us and hinders us, preventing us from doing and being all that God has planned for us.

What You Need

  • Lots of toilet paper

Games using Toilet Paper

  • Diaper Derby – Divide the youth into guys vs girls and give each group 1-2 rolls of toilet paper. Each group must then use all the toilet paper to create a mock diaper on someone on their team. First team to finish wins.
  • Marble Run – Using the left over toilet paper tubes, teams must connect them together and let a marble roll through the entire length without dropping it. (You can add rolls from wrapping paper, paper towels, etc to make it even longer.
  • Mummy Wrap – Create groups with three youth each in each group. Give each group two rolls of toilet paper. Two people wrap up (like a mummy) the third person in the group. The object of the game is to see who can wrap up their “mummy” the quickest with the entire rolls of toilet paper.
  • Over and Under – Relay teams must pass the end of a toilet roll between the first person’s legs and then over the next person’s shoulder. When they get to the end of the line they reverse direction to the opposite end of the line again until the toilet paper gets to the front. If the toilet paper breaks they must start over again from the beginning.
  • Roll drop – Be the first to hold an empty toilet paper tube six inches above a table and drop it so it lands upright and remains standing on one end. The secret: Hold the tube horizontally before you drop it.
  • Stuffed – Each team receives the same number of rolls of toilet paper. At your signal, the teams must completely unroll the toilet paper and stuff it into the shirt of someone on their team. First team to completely unroll and stuff the toilet paper wins.
  • Take What You Need – As youth arrive, offer a roll of toilet paper and ask each to take as much as they think they will need. If they ask, just say you are running a bit low on toilet paper and want to make sure everyone has what they need. Once everyone has arrive, sit everyone in a circle and ask them to share one fun fact about themselves for each sheet of toilet paper. Variation: Each youth must says one positive thing about themselves for each sheet of paper.
  • Toilet Paper Blow – Teams of youth compete to see how long they can keep one square of toilet paper in the air by blowing it.
  • Toilet Paper Dodge Ball – Take the core out of several rolls of toilet paper and then use them to play a game of dodgeball. If you get hit you must sit down and are out of the game. But if a roll of toilet paper happens to roll within reach, you can pick it up and join the game again.
  • Toilet Paper Fight – The objective of this game is to have the least toilet paper on your side at the end of the game. Give each team several rolls of toilet paper, count down, and then let the toilet paper fly for 30-60 seconds. Part Two: First team to have their side entirely cleaned up wins.
  • Toilet Paper Rollers – You need two broom sticks and 4-6 rolls of toilet paper. You will need 3-4 people to hold the poles. Pick two teams of 2-3 kids, usually boys against girls. Place rolls of toilet paper (ready to unroll) on broomsticks, (one per player) and on the command “go” they begin to unroll the toilet paper. First team to have all rolls completely empty wins.
  • Toilet Paper Tag – Each youth sticks a length of toilet paper in a back pocket or the waste of their pants. It should hang down at least to the person’s knee. On go, players try to yank the toilet paper from each other’s waste. Last person to lose the toilet paper wins.
  • Toilet Paper wrapper – Each team of youth (4-8 persons) is given two rolls of toilet paper and must stand in a circle next to each other and facing outwards (i.e. their backs are to each other). The person with the paper has to wrap the first roll around his or her waist a couple of times so that it stays in place. Then, without breaking the paper it must be passed to the next person on the right in the circle who does the same thing. If the toilet paper breaks, the youth must hold the broken ends against themselves and wrap the paper around his or her waste so that it covers this break and holds the wrapping in place, and then continue. There’s a good chance that at least one player will accidentally drop the roll of paper. It’s up to them how they decide to recover it, but they have to ensure that the wrapping of the whole team doesn’t break. The winning team is the first to hold up the two empty rolls with the paper wrapped around themselves.
  • Toilet Tissue Measurements – Measure various items in the youth room using sheets of toilet paper (i.e. 6 1/2 squares). Make a list of items along with their measurements. Later, give the youth a list of the measurements along with a roll of toilet paper. The youth must then, in a given time, identify as many objects as possible by their measurements in sheets of toilet paper.
  • Unrolled – Each player needs two assistants and a pole or broom. Place two rolls of toilet paper on each poll. Have the assistants hold each end of of the limbo pole. Using just their hands the players must unroll both rolls of toilet paper. The first player that is finished with both rolls wins!
  • Unroll and Re-roll Race – Teams compete to unroll a roll of toilet paper and then re-roll it again. They must not break the roll of paper. If a roll does break, they must use masking tape to reattach it. Variation: They must use their nose to unroll and roll the toilet paper.

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Take a roll of toilet paper and roll it around a person’s two outstretched fingers of one hand. Use the whole roll of toilet paper. Then ask them to separate their fingers and break the toilet paper roll. For most youth, if you have wrapped them good and tight, they will not be able to do so.

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

Explain that this is similar to what happens when we get tempted and sin. At first it seems very light and easy to break free from so we don’t think we’re in danger. But as we get wrapped up in it deeper over time it becomes increasingly more difficult to break free and becomes more and more of a hindrance. Other sins, like a piece of rope can bind us and hinder us almost immediately which prevents us from doing what God wants us to do. In either case, we are soon caught and can’t free ourselves.

Read Hebrews 12:1 – “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”

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

  • What are some of the sins that easily entangle us?
  • How can we break free from the various sins and temptations mentioned?

1 Corinthians 10:13 – “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

Romans 10:9 – “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.””

1 Thessalonians 5:23 – “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”

MAKE IT PERSONAL

  • What are the temptations and sins that easily entangle you?
  • How can you break free from them?
  • How could God use you more effectively this week if you were less hindered by sin and temptation?

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE VERSES

James 1: 13-15 – “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”

200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.

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Creative Teaching Ideas, Object Lessons

Grasping at Straws or Doing the Impossible?

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This week’s idea of the week centers around the drinking straw. The main lesson reminds youth that what sometimes what we see as impossible is not always as impossible as it seems.

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What You Need

  • Lots of soda straws for games
  • Depending on the games chosen, various games may require additional resources
  • Apples or potatoes for the final object lesson

Games using Straws

  • Candy Pass – This game can be played with drinking straws and any candy that has a hole in it that is big enough to slide onto a straw. (Lifesavers or Polo mints usually work fine.) Each team stand in a line and with straws in their mouths they must thread the candy onto the straw then successfully pass it from straw to straw until it reaches the end of the line. First team to do so wins. To make the game last longer, give them a whole roll of candies to pass. (You can also use washers, paperclips or rubber bands to pass) (Make it more interesting by blindfolding one person in the middle of each team) If the diameter of the straws is a problem, use coffee straws for this game.
  • Jello Slurp – Give each team a bowl of Jello and using straws, the first team to slurp up the jello wins
  • Peas and Straws – Give each team a cup containing twenty peas and an empty cup as well. Each team selects a champion to compete on their behalf. At a signal, all the players must compete to be the first to transfer the peas from one cup to the other using only the straw. They may not touch the cup or peas with anything except the straw. (Note: there is nothing in the rules to stop players from bending the straw in half and using it like a pair of tweezers.) (Note: You can also use skittles or M&Ms)
  • Pick up Sticks – Using straws, play a classic game of pickup sticks. Divide the youth into two teams. Hold a fist full of straws upright and then remove your hand and let them drop into one big messy pile. Players from each team will take turns to carefully pull a straw from the pile without moving any other straws. If he or she is successful, the player keeps the straw and can go again. However, if any of the other straws move in the process of removing one the turn ends for that team. The team with the most straws at the end wins. You can find detailed directions here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pick-up_sticks
  • Pingpong ball Soccer – Clear a table (a ping pong table works great) and place pencils at either end as the goals. Give everyone a drinking straw and then divide the youth into two teams. Players must position themselves around the table so that no two teammates are standing next to each other. Place the ping pong ball in the center of the table and then the teams try to blow jets of air through the straws to move the ball so that it hits one of the pencil goals to score. If the ball flies off the table, simply replace it back on the table at the place where it went out. No shoving, pushing, or use of hands is allowed. First team to make it to a designated number of points wins.
  • Pipeline – Give all the youth straws and then divide them into teams of 8 to 20 persons. Each team designates a sipper at the far end. At signal they must join the straws together to create a pipeline and the sipper must drink all the coke from a cup. (It’s not as easy as it seems because air leaks from the connections between the straws)
  • Plastic straw Javelin – Youth stand behind a line and flip or throw the straw as far as possible. Farthest toss wins. (Note: Straws may not be torn, folded, bent or changes in anyway not can anything be placed inside the straw.)
  • Puzzler – Using a small jigsaw puzzle for each team (You can usually find some with less than 50 pieces), youth must put the puzzle together using only straws in their mouths. They may not touch the pieces with their hands. First to complete the puzzle wins. (Alternatively you can cut a photograph, postcard, or greeting card into pieces)
  • Q-Tip War – Divide the room in half for two teams or if you want four teams divide it into quarters. A piece of strong or masking tape on the floor can be a simple divider. Give everyone a straw and each team a package of q-tips. Youth will use the straw to wildly shoot the q-tips like poisoned darts across the room until time is up. When the time is up, the team who has the least number of q-tips in their area wins. Q-tips may not be thrown and players cannot leave their area.
  • Straw & Paper – Divide the youth into teams, with team members lines up single file, one behind the other, and give everyone on the team a plastic straw. The first player must place the straw in his or her mouth and use the straw to carry a piece of tissue to a finish line and then back to his or her team. No hands are allowed. If the tissue drops, they must get it back on the straw, by sucking in through the straw, before moving on. The first team to have everyone on the team complete the relay wins.
  • Straw Chomp – Each team chooses a champion to represent them who will be given a straw. The first person to get the entire straw in his or her mouth without using hands wins. It’s harder than you think.
  • Straws and Rubberband mixer – All the youth are given straws to hold in their mouth and half of them are given rubber bands to hang on the straws. The youth go around the room challenging each other to pass the rubber band using the straws. But if the rubber band is dropped, the straw has 1 cm (1/2 inch) cut off the end of the person who was supposed to pass the rubberband. The last person with the longest straw wins.
  • Swapping ends – Each youth puts one end of a straw in their mouth then using only their tongue and lips (no hands) they must turn it around so that the opposite end of the straw is in their mouth. First person to do it wins. (Have a camera ready for this as there will be a lot of funny faces)
  • Tallest Tower – Teams must create the tallest tower in a set time period using only the materials provided. You’ll want to have a lot of straws. For connectors use marshmallows.
  • Two straws, one cup – Each team chooses a champion to drink from a cup through a straw. The first one to finish the drink wins, but there is a catch. They each receive two straws, one which is in the cup and one which is not. Both straws must be in their mouth when drinking.
  • William Tell – Each team chooses one player to be the ‘King’ who will wear a paper cup on his head as a crown. Using the q-tips as poison darts, on your signal, other teams must shoot the crown off the opponent King’s head to win. (The king needs to keep still or he may just lose the crown himself.) Players cannot cross the divider lines, nor can they use their hands to protect the crown.

Final Challenge and Object Lesson

You’ll need a ripe potato or (ripe apple) for each team. You’ll want to try this yourself on a sample to make sure it is ok with the straws you have. If they are too flimsy it may not work. Also you don’t want one of the straws that bends. You want a straight plastic straw. Note: When you place your thumb over the end, the trapped air inside causes the straw to be more rigid.

Each group chooses a champion to represent them. Give each a straw and a potato. On your signal they must put the straw through the potato.

Let them try for a minute or two then ask the teams if they think this is an impossible challenge?

Then tell the teams how it can be done.

  1. Hold the potato in one hand at waist level so that your hands are on the sides of the potato and not the top or bottom.
  2. Hold the straw in your other hand so that your thumb is over the top end of the straw so and no air can escape.
  3. Looking directly at the potato (not your hand), jab the straw into it and it will go completely through.

“We just made the ‘impossible’ possible.” A weak straw suddenly became strong enough to do something powerful.

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

The same thing happens when we place our lives in God’s hands. Like the straw we may be weak, but when we are in God’s hands, he can use us to do impossible things.

Quote Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

This does really mean all things. I can’t swim across the Atlantic Ocean or swallow a car. Those are absurd. What it means is that God can use me to do anything he wants me to do. I can do all things that God wants me to do. If God wants me to do it, He will give me strength to do it.

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

  • What are some of the things God wants us to do?
  • What are some of the things that prevent us from doing what God wants?
  • How can we overcome our doubts and fears when God wants us to do something that is difficult or even seems impossible?

MAKE IT PERSONAL

You might want to allow each youth to put the straw through the potato as a demonstration and reminder that God can do impossible things through everyone.

  • What is something that God wants you to do? Something he has laid on his your heart?

Whenever you are having a hard time with something God has asked you to do, I want you to remember putting a straw through a potato, and I want you to think about Philippians 4:13. ‘You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

SCRIPTURE VERSES

  • Matthew 19:26 – But Jesus beheld [them], and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
  • Mark 9:23 – Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things [are] possible to him that believeth.
  • Mark 10:27 – And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men [it is] impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
  • Luke 1:37 – For with God nothing shall be impossible.
  • Luke 18:27 – And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.
  • Matthew 17:20 – And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
  • Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
  • Romans 8:31 – What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
  • Job 42:2 – I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
  • Jeremiah 32:17 – Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.

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