Category Archives: Creative Teaching Ideas

Ken’s ideas to add a little spark to your youth ministry lessons, improve your teaching, and add lots of fun and excitement to your teaching.

Thanksgiving Activities and Lessons

Activities and Lessons for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Object Lesson – Ten Lepers – Use this Thanksgiving Children’s sermon / Thanksgiving Object lesson to create a situation in the Sunday school classroom or Worship service to illustrate the story in Luke 17 of the healing of ten lepers and the ONE that return to Jesus and thanked him for what he had done.

Get Creative Youth Ideas: "Holiday Collection" ebook Holiday Collection
Games and Activities in Celebration of common Holidays.

Creative Holiday Ideas has over 300 pages of ideas to help you plan your next Thanksgiving event for your church youth. If you’ve ever wondered what you’re going to do with your youth for upcoming holidays and how you’re going to do it, this resource is for you.

=> Tell me more about the Holiday Collection

2010 Youth Olympic Games Sports Freeze Frames

Youth Olympics Sports Logos Freeze Frames!
Can you imitate the people in the logos and be the first to complete all the Youth Olympics Sports images?

2010youtholympicsymbols.jpg

Description
Participants will try to copy the poses of athletes in the various Youth Olympic Sports as shown in the Logos for the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

Resources

  • For some great photo opportunities have a few cameras available!
  • You can get the sports logos as individual images from the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympics website
  • They are also shown as a single image at the top of this post. Here is a list of the 26 sports included in the first youth Olympic Games in Singapore.
    1. Aquatics
    2. Archery
    3. Athletics
    4. Badminton
    5. Basketball
    6. Boxing
    7. Canoe-Kayak
    8. Cycling
    9. Equestrian
    10. Fencing
    11. Football
    12. Gymnastics
    13. Handball
    14. Hockey
    15. Judo
    16. Modern Pentathlon
    17. Rowing
    18. Sailing
    19. Shooting
    20. Table tennis
    21. Taekwondo
    22. Tennis
    23. Triathlon
    24. Weightlifting
    25. Wrestling
    26. Volleyball

Preparation

  1. Cut out the images and mount them on colored pieces of construction paper or notecards.
  2. To make it more fun, you may want to add additional photos from the specific sports with people midair and in crazy positions.

What to Do

Divide the group into teams. You can play with this in a variety of ways:

  • Randomly draw from the logo images. Have all groups imitate the same image. The first group to get in the same pose as the chosen image gets a point. To make it more difficult, allow only one participant from each group to see the image and then they must go back and form their group into the correct pose.
  • Randomly deal the images to the groups face down so they cannot see them. Provide a judge for each group that will decide if the group is close enough to the original image before moving on to the next. The first group to complete all the images first wins.
  • Make it a relay race, where group members must run to the other side of the room, grab an image and then emulate it before the next person from the group can go. The first group to have all persons go wins!
  • Give each group a camera and make it a photo scavenger hunt. Give each group a collection of photos involving props, positions, and even locations that they must duplicate with the group. The first group to complete the assignment and return with the most correct photos wins!

Variations

  • Make props available for each of the sports. Teams must also include the props.

Taking it to the Next Level


For good and for bad, we often imitate others in life. Sometimes this can be a positive thing when others have qualities or traits that we wish to develop in our own lives. At other times it can be stifling as we try to fit into roles and expectations instead of being the person we were created to be.

  • Are there people in your life you would like to imitate? Name some of your role models.
  • Who are the people you aspire to be like?
  • Is it important to have role models? Why or why not?
  • How do you draw a balance between being the unique person you were created to be and expectations that society expects us to conform to?
  • What are some of the qualities you would like to imitate from a role model? How can you develop these qualities?
  • If you don’t have a mentor or role model, who is someone that has the qualities, skills or experience to help you in your personal development?
  • Is there an area of your life where you have simply been conforming to what is expected rather then expressing your unique self? If you were not concerned about other people’s expectations and what other people think, what is something you would change about yourself?

Application

  • Choose a trait or quality you want to develop and find a role model or mentor to help you develop that in your own life.
  • Choose a trait or quality that you have stifled because of expectations that you can begin to develop and learn to express in a positive way.

Possible Scripture References:

Psalm 139:14ff, Ephesians 2:10; Deuteronomy 18:9; 1 Corinthians 4:16-17; Hebrews 6:12; Hebrews 13:7; 3 John 1:11, 1 Corinthians 11:1-2; 2 Kings 14:3; John 13:15; Philippians 3:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:7; 1 Timothy 4:12; Titus 2:7; 1 Peter 2:22-24

Get "Go for the Gold" Youth Bible Study Series
Go for the Gold

Need an evangelistic Youth Camp/ Bible Study Series with an Olympic Theme?

What is salvation all about? What does it mean to be saved? This sports themed Bible Study / Camp Curriculum uses the Olympic Flag to introduce the concepts of sin (black circle), forgiveness (red circle), purity (white background), spiritual growth (green circle), heaven (Yellow Circle) and (Baptism) blue circle.
-> Tell me about “Go for the Gold”

Get "Destined to Win" Youth Bible Study Series
Destined to Win

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

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

Fruit of the Spirit Towers

Description
This is a great learning activity for youth to introduce the fruits of the Spirit and discuss the ongoing development of spiritual fruit in youth as they grow in Christ.

Materials

  • A collection of fruits: Apples, Bananas, Custard Apples, Coconuts, Dragonfruit, Durians, Grapefruits, Grapes, Lemons, Limes, Oranges, Papayas, Pears, Pineapples, Pomelos, Rambutans, Soursop, Starfruit, Strawberries.
  • You might also include toothpicks and a plastic knife so the youth can cut the fruits up and stick them together.
  • A plate on which to build the tower.
  • Optional: Plastic or rubber gloves

 

Preparation
Place the fruits and materials in a fruit basket or bowl where all the youth can see them. You should have one fruit basket for each group of youth.

Important Note: I prefer to do this activity with the youth designating a few tower builders who wear gloves so that at the end of the activity the youth can eat the fruits. You could also use the fruits for a fruit salad afterward. Just add the cream, nuts or other ingredients for your favorite fruit salad recipe and then you will have a tasty snack for the youth instead of wasting the fruit.

What to do

  1. Tell the youth or groups of youth to build towers from the fruit and other materials provided. You may choose to give all the groups of youth the same fruits and materials or give different groups different materials.
  2. Award prizes for the tallest, sturdiest, lightest, most creative, best architectural style, strangest, etc. For fun you may wish to video tape the construction of towers for a record of the event.

 

Application
While giving the following explanation, build your own tower from the fruits:
When we abide in Christ, God starts to produce the fruits of the spirit in our lives. (John 15) The fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) And these fruits are produced in ever increasing measure. While 2 Peter 5-8, doesn’t specifically mention the phrase “fruits of the Spirit”, you’ll see some of the same qualities mentioned in the list it gives there: Faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. It also says that if we have these in every increasing measure they will prevent us from being unfruitful. Actually, there is a logical pattern to the qualities mentioned there. We begin with a faith in Christ, which leads to a desire to do the good things that we know God’s wants us to do. But as we start to live that life, we realize there is so much more that we need to know to live a life that is pleasing to Him. And the more we learn about God and his plan for us, the more we discover even more areas of our lives that we need to change. And of course, change is never easy and it requires a lot of self-control. We will struggle and fail as we seek to make these changes in our lives. Only perseverance will carry us through. As we make these changes we will show more godliness in the way that we live our lives. But Godliness is ultimately expressed in the way we treat our brothers. Brotherly kindness will ultimately be expressed as love. In fact, we are told that others will truly know that we are Christians by our love – When the love of God is expressed through us to others. (John 13:35) The gifts build upon one another in ever increasing measure leading to a life defined by the greatest commandment: Love the Lord God with all your heart soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:36-40)

(I wonder how many of us were tempted to destroy our competition instead of building our own tower? Satan is like that too. We work hard to try to be like Jesus. We do nice things like hold our tempers (place a piece of fruit onto your tower) or tell the truth (stack another piece of fruit on top) or obey our parents / teachers (place another piece of fruit on top), and when Satan sees us trying to grow more like Christ guess what Satan tries to do? (Satan tries to knock us down. ) Yes, Satan tries to knock us down. And sometimes he succeeds. But we have to pick ourselves up and try again. Sometimes it is our own weaknesses that cause us to fail – poor choices. We may be far from perfect, but if we keep making progress, ever increasing in our gifts, our lives will be fruitful.

 


MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”

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

Learn More…

Pin the Tail on the Easter Bunny

Introduction

  • Can you pin the cotton tail on the Easter Bunny?

 

Description

  • In this Easter variation of “Pin the tail on the Donkey”, youth will need to pin a cotton ball tail on to an Easter bunny. Only there is a surprise twist!

 

Materials

  • Drawing of an Easter Bunny
  • Drawing of an Empty Cross
  • Cotton balls
  • Double sided tape

 

Preparation

  • In this Easter variation of “Pin the tail on the Donkey”, you’ll need to find an image of an Easter bunny. Place the picture on a wall or flat surface.
  • Prepare a cotton ball for each youth with a piece of double-sided adhesive tape attached
  • Find or make an image of a cross as well, but keep it hidden until needed.

 

Instructions for Playing this Easter Game

  1. Each youth is given a cotton ball with a double-sided piece of sticky tape attached to it.
  2. Blindfold all of the youth and while everyone is blindfolded, replace the rabbit with a picture of a cross without them knowing it.
  3. Explain to the youth that they are to be completely quiet for this game and to make no comments when their blindfolds have been removed or to give those still playing any clues.
  4. Spin them around 3-5 times, (so they are a little dizzy) and point them in the direction of the cross (2-3 feet in front of it).
  5. Tell the youth to walk forward and place the “tail on the rabbit”.
  6. Remove the blindfold from the youth and repeat the process with the next youth in line.

 

Discussion
I understand that some in the church prefer to avoid anything related to rabbits and eggs in the celebration of Easter and this kind of plays with that idea. I thought of other ways of doing this game, but to “pin Christ on the cross” seemed a little sacrilegious to me. Even though it is true that every time we sin we are in some ways putting Christ on the Cross, because our sins were what put him there in the first place.

But I chose to use this “Pin the tail on the Easter Bunny” game as part of an overall theme on expectations, replacement, and searching. We expected a rabbit, but it was replaced with a cross. Unfortunately, the world today has done the opposite. They have replaced the cross with a rabbit! The Romans expected the death of Christ to end his following. But his followers grew stronger and more numerous after the resurrection. The women went to the tomb expected to find Christ’s body. Instead they found an empty tomb. We sometimes fear that death is the end. But as Christians we are only beginning an eternity with God! In the world today, a lot of people are searching for some place, to leave their mark, like you left your mark on the poster. But Jesus says Seek Me and you will find me. I have sealed you. And with my blood I have marked you as my own. You will leave your mark in the world when you follow me!

Closing Application
Imagine that the cotton ball is representative of your sin. When we repent and accept Christ, we are placing our sins on Christ, our sins on the cross with Him. But the story of Easter is that He is no longer there on the cross and God did a switch on us as well. Instead of us taking the punishment for our sin – death, Christ took that punishment in our place. And through his blood our sins have been forgiven! Through Christ, death has been replaced with life. Just as Christ has risen from the grave, we will also if we have repented and accepted his forgiveness!

In closing, say a prayer of confession for the sins you have committed and one of thanks for his forgiveness through the shedding of Christ’s blood on the cross. But more importantly remember that he has risen from the grave and we will one day rise to be with Him!

Don’t replace the cross with a rabbit!

Variations
You could just as easily do this game in reverse from what I have shared above. Start out explaining what Jesus did on the cross, taking the sins of the world on his shoulders and giving youth the cotton ball as a representation of their sins to pin on the cross. Then while all are blindfolded, replace the cross with an Easter bunny. Then for discussion have people share how they felt when they discovered the switch! Does God feel the same way when we replace the cross and the resurrection with a rabbit and eggs? Might create some interesting discussion.

 

Get Creative Youth Ideas: "Easter Collection" ebook Easter Collection
Games and Activities in celebration of Easter.

Get more than 80 creative ideas for planning a Youth Easter celebration or Easter Party. You can immediately download my best Easter Icebreakers, games, illustrations, Easter activity ideas AND MUCH MORE in a useful ebook!

=> Tell me more about the Easter Collection

Peter Cotton Tail

The song by Steve Nelson & Jack Rollins, focuses on the Easter Bunny, also known as Peter Cottontail. In essence they have turned the Easter Story into a Spring Santa Claus, who goes gives gifts to children. For somebody, he’s got jellybeans, while for others; he is carrying a basket full of Easter joy.

Here’s the Lyrics:

Here comes Peter Cottontail,
Hopping’ down the bunny trail,
Hippity, hoppity,
Easter’s on its way.

Bringing’ every girl and boy Baskets full of Easter joy,
Things to make your Easter bright and gay.
He’s got jellybeans for Tommy,
Colored eggs for sister Sue,
There’s an orchid for your Mommy
And an Easter bonnet, too.

Oh! here comes Peter Cottontail,
Hopping’ down the bunny trail,
Hippity hoppity,
Happy Easter day.

Here comes Peter Cottontail,
Hopping’ down the bunny trail,
Look at him stop, and listen to him say:
“Try to do the things you should.”
Maybe if you’re extra good,
He’ll roll lots of Easter eggs your way.

You’ll wake up on Easter morning
And you’ll know that he was there
When you find those chocolate bunnies
That he’s hiding everywhere.

Oh! here comes Peter Cottontail,
Hopping’ down the bunny trail,
Hippity hoppity,
Happy Easter day.

But what if Peter Cottontail knew the real meaning of Easter?

Have youth write a new version of the popular song and relate it to the true meaning of Easter!

 

Get Creative Youth Ideas: "Easter Collection" ebook Easter Collection
Games and Activities in celebration of Easter.

Get more than 80 creative ideas for planning a Youth Easter celebration or Easter Party. You can immediately download my best Easter Icebreakers, games, illustrations, Easter activity ideas AND MUCH MORE in a useful ebook!

=> Tell me more about the Easter Collection

Youth Sunrise Service

Description
An Easter sunrise service for a family or youth group is a great way to do something a little different this Easter.

Resources

  • Bible
  • Blanket to sit on
  • Breakfast – Prepare a simple breakfast of boiled eggs, Hot cross Buns, rolls, juice, etc. Add a little fun to breakfast by packing a breakfast for each person in an individual Easter Basket with each person’s name on it. You can even hide a prize in the bottom of each basket.)

 

Preparation

    • Scout around your general location for a special, quiet place from which the sunrise can be seen. Arrange transportation as necessary to the location.
    • Find and mark the Easter story in the Bible. (John 20: 14-18, Luke 24:1-12)
    • Choose one or two songs the whole family can sing about the risen Lord. You can bring along a portable music player with speakers, a guitar or sing without music. You might also want to create handouts with the words for each participant.

Find out the approximate time of sunrise for Easter Sunday from the newspaper. [You can use this online link or earthtools to find out according to your longitude and latitude]

 

What to Do – Easter Morning

  • Set your alarms so that you have enough time to get up and get ready. You might want to set clothes and other things aside the night before so you can just grab them and run in the morning.
  • Get up early enough in the morning to get everyone to your chosen location before the sun comes up.
  • Encourage youth to dress appropriately for the weather and comfort.
  • Spread out the blanket(s) and encourage everyone to take a seat on the blankets
  • Before the sun comes up, read the account of Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and possibly other women going to Jesus’ tomb and what they experienced.
  • As the sun starts to peek over the horizon, sing or play a victorious song.
  • Then thank God with your eyes wide open for the Resurrection and share what the resurrection means to you. A good outline for your short testimony is: 1) This is what I was, 2) this is what happened, 3) I cried out, and 4) this is what He’s done…You might also invite some of the other youth to share.
  • Share a simple breakfast together with the food you have brought. [One of the defining acts of Jesus’ ministry was table fellowship.]
  • Head back to your homes with enough time for everyone to get dressed in their new Easter clothes and go to church.

 

Added Meaning

  • Study the Biblical events leading up to Easter (Matthew 26 and 27) the week before you have the Easter Sunrise Service.
  • If you are doing this with your family, or in a church locking, the night before Easter, talk about how the disciples must have felt on the Saturday night before the Resurrection; how Jesus’ mother must have felt; what Mary Magdalene and those who had known Jesus were feeling.

 

Adapted from “Let’s Make a Memory” by G. Gaither & S. Dobson”

 

Get Creative Youth Ideas: "Easter Collection" ebook Easter Collection
Games and Activities in celebration of Easter.

Get more than 80 creative ideas for planning a Youth Easter celebration or Easter Party. You can immediately download my best Easter Icebreakers, games, illustrations, Easter activity ideas AND MUCH MORE in a useful ebook!

=> Tell me more about the Easter Collection

Easter Communion

Description
Do something special with your family or with your youth group this year by having an Easter Communion with them.

Resources

  • An easy to understand Bible
  • One loaf of unleavened Bread
  • One cup filled with Grape Juice

 

What to do 

  • Read through the Biblical account of the Jewish Passover and discuss what it meant to the Jews in the Bible. (see Exodus 12).
  • Explain the significance of the use of unleavened bread when Jewish families remembered the Passover.
  • Read the Bible passages leading up to the account of Jesus sharing the passover with His disciples (John 13). You might also want to include Jesus’ last words to His disciples (John 14-16) and Jesus’ prayer for us (John 17).
  • Explain the significance of Jesus as the Passover Lamb as a sacrifice for each of our sins.
  • Discuss the significance of sharing His cup and what it means to us today (John 18:11).
  • Discuss what it means to be part of the Body of Christ. (I Corinthians 12)
  • Forewarn the youth that communion is to be a time of reflection and reverence before God in remembrance of what he has done for us.

 

SHARING THE ELEMENTS OF THE FAMILY COMMUNION
(If it is your conviction that only a clergyman / pastor / minister must administer communion, invite one to do so in the circIe of your family or youth group.)

  • Use one loaf of unleavened bread and one cup so that the family may share “One Body”
  • and “One Cup.” You can make this time more meaningful by sharing with each person with whom you break bread why you feel that person has been a gift from God to you. Jesus said “I love you” with a cross. We need to practice freely saying “I love you” to each other as well.
  • Thank God together for the gift of His Son, for God’s forgiveness through His Son, and for adopting each of us into His own family, making us sons and daughters of God and brothers and sisters with the Lord Jesus, who brought us to the Father with His own Life.

 

Get Creative Youth Ideas: "Easter Collection" ebook Easter Collection
Games and Activities in celebration of Easter.

Get more than 80 creative ideas for planning a Youth Easter celebration or Easter Party. You can immediately download my best Easter Icebreakers, games, illustrations, Easter activity ideas AND MUCH MORE in a useful ebook!

=> Tell me more about the Easter Collection

God’s Will Scripture Passage ideas

In Gethsemane Jesus Prayed, “Not my will, but thine.” He was determined to do the Father’s will.

  • God’s will and the witness of your life – Matthew 5:1-16
  • God’s will and the garden of your life – Matthew 13:1-23
  • God’s will and your talents – Matthew 25:14-30
  • God’s will and your prayer life – Luke 11:1-13
  • God’s will and your salvation – John 3:1-22
  • God’s will and His provision for your needs – 1 Kings 17:1-16
  • God’s will and your experience of forgiveness – 2 Samuel 11:1 and 12:13 (Psalm 32)
  • God’s will and your willingness to forgive – Matthew 18:21-35
  • God’s will and your attitude – 1 Corinthians 13
  • God’s will and you family life – Ephesians 5:24 and 6:4
  • God’s will and your tongue – James 3:6-12
  • God’s will and your spiritual life – Galatians 5:16-26
  • God’s will and your faithfulness – Psalm 100
  • God’s will and your attitude toward the Bible – Psalm 110:97-104
  • God’s will and your spiritual life – Isaiah 1:1-20
  • God’s will and your worship – Isaiah 6:1-8, Revelation 4:1-11, 2 Corinthians 6:16-18, Revelation 20:11-15
  • God’s will and your pride – Matthew 18:1-6
  • God’s will and self denial – Luke 9:18-26
  • God’s will and your relationship to Christ – John 15:1-11
  • God’s will and your lifestyle – Romans 12:1-21
  • God’s will and your future – 2 Corinthians 12:1-10
  • God’s will and your goal in life – Philippians 3:1-16
  • God’s will and your church life – Hebrews 10:19-25
  • God’s will and your responsibility to others – 1 John 1:5 and 2:6
  • God’s will and your sin – I John 1:5 and 2:6
  • God’s will and your life in Christ – Colossians 3:1-17
  • God’s will in the life of Jesus – Matthew 16:13-23, 26:36-46
  • God’s will in the life of Jesus – John 6:1-5, John 7:1-9, John 20:1-10, 11-31


MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”

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

Learn More…

Grasshopper Olympics

Introduction
Announce that today we are going today we are going to have some grasshopper Olympics.
Whoever wins will be crowned King of the Grasshoppers!

Materials
Masking tape and a few jump ropes.

Preparation
Tape two 4-foot strips of masking tape to the floor, 12 to 15 feet apart to use as goal lines for the following special relays/ jumping competitions. You may wish to get the youth to warm up doing a few jumping jack exercises.

Grasshopper Competitions

  1. High jump (Mark the jumps on the wall with a piece of tape)
  2. Number of consecutive skips using a jump rope.
  3. Greatest number of people jumping successfully at the same time using a single jump rope.
  4. Most spectacular trick using a jump rope
  5. Long jump from a stand still – line them up along the line and let them jump forward.
  6. Least number of jumps to reach the opposite line
  7. Running long jump… allow to run and jump from the line without crossing over the line.

Take it to the next level

Award the King of the grasshoppers with a crown of grass! Then ask:

  • Is being compared to a grasshopper a good thing or a put down?
  • Read Numbers 13:33

In this story, the Israelites saw themselves as grasshoppers. They saw the Guinness World Record breaking inhabitants of the land and in comparison saw themselves as small little grasshoppers. Their focus was on their own limited abilities instead of God’s great promises. When we focus on ourselves we often get the wrong perspective on things. We need to learn to see things from God’s perspective. A king of the grasshoppers may be insignificant, but the King of Kings, God with us, can accomplish anything God desires. God promised the land to the Israelites. His promises never fail. All they needed to do was trust Him and follow in obedience. Instead they ran away in fear.

  1. What is it in your life that you need to trust God for?
  2. What promises of God are applicable to that area of your life?
  3. How can you claim those promises and walk in obedience?

When you do, God will replace fear with victory in your life!

Get "Go for the Gold" Youth Bible Study Series
Go for the Gold

Need an evangelistic Youth Camp/ Bible Study Series with an Olympic Theme?

What is salvation all about? What does it mean to be saved? This sports themed Bible Study / Camp Curriculum uses the Olympic Flag to introduce the concepts of sin (black circle), forgiveness (red circle), purity (white background), spiritual growth (green circle), heaven (Yellow Circle) and (Baptism) blue circle.
-> Tell me about “Go for the Gold”

Get "Destined to Win" Youth Bible Study Series
Destined to Win

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

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

Choices and Gray Areas

Description
The Bible doesn’t explicitly cover every possible situation in life. How do we deal with those situations and choices the Bible does not mention. Here are some guidelines.

What to do 

  1. Divide the youth into groups
  2. Have each group brainstorm a list of 10 choices that youth of today must face, but which the Bible does not mention directly. (Examples: Violent video games, smoking, movies that are not G rated, etc.)
  3. Then use the guidelines below to have a discussion about these choices.

Should I or Shouldn’t I?

  • Would Jesus put his name on this as a stamp of approval? (Colossians 3:17)
  • Does this fall into the classification of Good thinking, of a wise decision? (Philippians 4:8)
  • Will this degrade or defile the temple of the Holy Spirit? (1 Corinthians 6:19)
  • Will this sooner or later make a slave out of me? (1 Corinthians 9:27)
  • Does this have the “smell” of evil on it? (I Thessalonians 5:22)
  • Will my indulgence in this prevent someone from accepting Christ as Savior or tend to weaken someone’s faith? (1 Corinthians 8:13)

If the first two questions are “yes” and the rest of the questions are “No” then it is probably okay to participate in the questionable activity. Yet we each need to listen to our heart and the prompting on the Holy Spirit to know what things are okay for us to do. Sometimes the most difficult choices in life are not those between wrong and right, but choices of what is good and what is best. Just because something may not be wrong, does not mean it is right for you at this time and in this situation. Finally we should remember what Paul said in Romans 14:14 & 22 “…But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean…. So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves.”


MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”

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

Learn More…