Description
A life-size version of the classic memory card game (Also known in some places as “Concentration”) where you attempt to remove all the cards from the game by flipping over two matching cards.

Key Truths
When we confess our sin, God chooses to remember them no more. At the same time he always knows and remembers our needs.

Materials
None

Preparation

1. Send two youth from the room along with a youth leader so that they are out of sight and ear shot of the rest of the group.
2. While the two youth are away, the remainder of the youth pair up and choose a matching sound to make such as a whistle, a couple, a choo choo train, a bird call, chicken cluck, etc. Have the pairs scramble themselves up and lie face down on the floor in rows like cards laid out in grid.

Game Play

1. Bring the two youth back into the room.
2. They take turns calling the names of two youths on the floor, who will turn over and make their sounds. When a matching sound is found, the pair stands behind the person who matched them.
3. When a person makes a correct match, they get an additional turn.
4. The player with the most matches at the end wins the game.

Take it to the Next Level

1. Read Jeremiah 31:34, Hebrews 8:12, Hebrews 10:17-18; and Matthew 10:29-31.
2. What does scripture tell us about God’s memory?
3. Compare God’s memory with our memory.
4. What are some truths we can learn about our relationship with God and what he chooses to remember and chooses to forget?

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…

Materials

• Aluminum Foil
• Permanent marker that can mark on foil
• Paper and pencil for each youth

What to do
Stage 1

1. Give each youth a large piece of foil.
2. Have each youth find a partner
3. Have each youth make an image of his/her partner’s face by placing the foil up to the person’s face and carefully molding the foil sheet to the face.
4. With a marker put the owners name on the inside of each.
5. Line up the foil faces and then have youth number try to match the face with the owner.
6. Award the person who gets the most correct

Stage 2

• Have youth form a container or vessel from foil that represents their life, their goals, or their aspirations.

Take it to the Next Level

• We can become an image or reflection of Christ if we allow him to mold us.
• We can become vessels to be used by God if we allow him to work through us and mold us.
• Use it for a lesson on peer pressure and discuss how we conform to the expectations of others instead of being ourselves.

Anytime Teaching Idea
Foil can be used to play a pictionary like game with keywords from a lesson. Instead of drawing out the words, Youth are asked to represent the word using foil. Divide into teams and give each team a roll of foil and words they must mold and get their teams to guess.

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…

Materials
A remote control. If you don’t have one. Make one from a small rectangular box. Cover it with paper and draw the following buttons: rewind, fast forward, play, Pause, and stop.

Preparation
Prepare a list of temptations that youth commonly face. Describe each situation as if it were a drama script. Each situation should also culminate to a point where a specific decision, a specific choice, must be made. Scenarios can be anything with a decision to be made. Examples include the opportunity to cheat on a test, shoplifting, disobedience to parents, drinking at a party, etc.

What to do

1. Choose a few volunteers to participate in the “remote control” role play.
2. Describe one of the tempting situations and ask youth to consider the way “their peers” (friends) might handle the situation. Give them a couple minutes to think.
3. Then hit the “play” button (and say “play” aloud) and allow youth time to act out the situation as you have described it. When they come to the point where a decision must be made, press pause button while (calling out “pause”) and have the actors freeze.
4. Ask the rest of the group what how the actors should respond to the choice.
5. The actors then act out the group consensus.

Take it to the Next Level
At this point you may look into scriptures dealing with the topic, and if a difference choice becomes more evident, hit the “rewind” button (while calling out “rewind”) and have kids rewind the role play so they can come to a new Bible based conclusion.

• Were the role-plays typical of how your friends at school might respond? How would they justify these responses?
• How do we know when to listen to the group as opposed to doing what we think is the correct thing to do?

Linking ideas
1. The remote control could be kept around and used at any time during a lesson when a choice or decision arises. It allows you to place Biblical truths and principles into real life applications.

Variation

• Take any Biblical story and tell the first half of the story. Then talk about what the Biblical character might have done were he living today. Then hit the play button and explain what actually happened.
• You can also use this as an object lesson or children’s sermon about forgiveness and second chances.

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…

Description
This can be used as an icebreaker referring to simple facts about the participants and then can move the group toward discussion of issues and opinions.

Setup
This game can be organized while sitting in a circle, or standing.

What to Do

1. Call out a statement of fact or opinion (Statements may be related to major issues / strong beliefs; or to facts about the participants.
2. Participants stand if the statement applies to them, or remain seated if it does not apply. (If you want to make it more active, place a sign on one side of the room for “Applies” and on the other side for “Doesn’t Apply” and ask people to move to the side of the room based on the statements)

Examples

• Factual: I am over 18.
• Factual: I am from Texas
• Factual: I have been to Asia before.
• Factual: I have a quiet time devotional
• Issue: Christian’s should have a daily devotional time
• Issue: Christian’s not divorce.
• Issue: Overeating is a sin.

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…

Creative Teaching Idea Description
Kids will be encouraged to “travel” to various destinations as they look at missions.

Central Truth
God called and used the disciples, Paul, and other Christians in the early church to bring the Gospel to the lost.

Bible Text
The life of Paul – Various passages from Acts

Resources
scissors, crayons or markers, small stickers or white address labels, and one “Missions Passport” or template for each participant.

Preparation

• Prepare a Missionary passport for each person. The amount of work you do in advance will depend on the age of your group. For the youngest participants you may have passports already cut out and assembled. For older youth or adults, you may leave all the work to them and have the materials available. If done well, you may also use this after missions month, as you study other Bible Stories taking place in different places.
• Look at a real passport and create a version of your own with places for VISA stamps etc. Here’s some sample text you can us on the inside: “The King of Kings hereby requests all who it may concern to permit this citizen of Heaven (statute Phil: 3:20) named herein to go into all the world and in case of need to be provided with all necessary aid and protection from enemies of God’s Kingdom. (statute John 17:17-18)
• If you have a polaroid camera, you can even take pictures of the participants for their passports. Another option is to ask them to bring a picture of themselves for the next week. Neoprint pictures also work well.
• Get stickers or make stamps for various locations that Paul visited with the Gospel. Set up stations where youth can learn about each location or study one each week and let the youth get a stamp for that week!

What to do
“Traveling, through the Bible takes us to many wonderful places. We can travel through the promised land with Joshua, or wander in the desert with Moses. We can travel with Paul to Asia Minor and with Philip to see the Ethiopian. The Bible is like a passport to many places. As we read the scriptures, we will travel to different places, meet different people, and learn more about missionaries. ”
Talk about some of the places PAUL visited in his missionary journeys. You may wish to summarize some of the places Paul visited and or read a narrative to the students. If you are really feeling creative, have someone dress up as Paul and tell them about the various places he visited. Have youth write down the names of places Paul visited and what happened there.

Variations

• Options aside from Paul are: Peter, Timothy, etc. Look in the book of Acts.
• The Church and the Golden Age of missionaries – William Carey, and other famous missionaries.
• The church and World Evangelism – Unreached People Groups
• Current Missionaries supported by your church and the places they are serving

Paul’s Missionary Journeys
This is an outline of a few of the places Paul visited with possible object lessons or symbols.

• Antioch – was called the “Queen of the East” because of its beauty, being situated on a river, with an island civic center linked to the shore by 5 bridges. It was situated at intersection of caravan routes between east, west, north, and south. Could be symbolized by a beautiful island in the middle of a river with a bridge and palm trees or by a caravan of camels.
• Philippi – was located on the east-west highway connecting Rome to Asia. Here Paul preached the gospel beside a river, was later beaten, placed in stocks, and placed in prison. It was here he established the first church on the European Continent. Famous among its ruins today is the foundations of a great arch believed Paul passed through to go to the river and preach the gospel. Could be symbolized by an arch next to the river or a whip or prison bars.
• Cypress – Third largest island in the Mediterranean, famous for its copper mines. Paul traveled by ship to reach it.
• Paphos, on the island was a naval station. This location could be symbolized by an island with lots of ships around it or by a copper pot.
• Pamphylia – Was a fortress surrounded by marshes full of malaria carrying mosquitos. A fortress and mosquitos or insects could symbolize this location.
• Pisidian Antioch – here Paul proclaimed the gospel but was driven out of the city by an angry mob – Could be symbolized by the mob.
• Lystra – Here the people thought Paul and Barnabus were gods. The people here also had a mob, but the stones Paul until they thought he was dead and drug him outside the city. Stones could represent this city.
• Jerusalem – Could be symbolized by the star of David (two intersecting triangles) or the temple or a menorah.
• Troas – Near the ancient city of Troy – famous for its wooden horse. It was here where Paul saw his vision of a man from Macedonia asking Paul to come help them.
• Thessaloniaca – located on the great northern highway and could be symbolized by this highway.
• Athens – Could be symbolized by the Acropolis and Parthenon or by a question mark as it was here that Paul delivered his famous presentation of the Gospel in front of the temple to an unknown God.
• Corinth – was famous for its temple to Aphrodite, the goddess of love. It was here he met Priscilla and Aquila, tentmakers like himself. A tent would be a good symbol for this city.
• Ephesus – was famous for its temple to Artemis and a sacred stone which had fallen from the sky (meteorite) and its magicians and healers. The people didn’t like him because he was taking away their business by doing real acts of God instead of magic tricks etc.
• Caesaria – while in Jail here he wrote many of his letters to the churches. Letters might be a good symbol of this place.
• Rome – Paul was placed under house arrest here and later out under trial for treason, convicted and beheaded outside the gates.

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…

Using Ephesians 6:13-18 give youth a few minutes to list the “six” pieces of spiritual equipment and then rewrite the analogy from a new perspective as below:

Getting Started

1. List the six pieces of equipment in the passage
2. Write a short one sentence description for the purpose or use of each item listed.
3. Rewrite Ephesians 6 using the new analogy provided: (Give each group a different analogy to use) They will need to identify each new piece of equipment and how it relates to the Christian walk.

Here are some possibilities for fresh analogies:

• Firefighter
• Astronaut
• Football player
• Tennis player
• Blacksmith
• Cook/ Chef
• Orchestra Conductor
• Race Car Driver
• Policeman
• Baseball Player
• Fighter Pilot
• Tank Driver
• Construction Worker
• Doctor
• Dentist

There are lots of options…. and looking at the equipment from a fresh perspective often brings out some really nice insights.

Here are the original 6 pieces of equipment for the passage:

• Belt – Truth
• Breastplate – Righteousness
• Shoes – Gospel of Peace
• Shield – Faith
• Helmet – Salvation
• Sword – Word of God

Example of using a new analogy – Fire Fighter

• Infrared goggles – Allow the firefighter to see the heat spots and know truth of the situation
• Oxygen Mask – protects his breathing – Like the holy spirit in us
• Boots – Gives him good footing and allows him to rescue others
• Fireproof suit – shields him from the fire
• Helmet – protects head
• Fire hose – helps him to put out fires of deception so that he can get to the truth
• Axe – helps him to cut away barriers and blockages so he can rescue others
• Ladder – helps him to reach places normally out of reach

Addition Questions for discussion:

• Why are only 6 pieces of equipment listed?
• Is there something you feel is missing from this list?
• Are all these pieces of equipment necessary?
• Which piece of equipment is most useful in your own Christian walk?
• Which piece of equipment do you most often neglect?
• How can having these 6 pieces of equipment help you to live a more victorious Christian life?

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…

Race

• 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
• Acts 20:24
• 2 Timothy 4:7
• Hebrews 12:1-3
• Philippians 3:12-14
• Galatians 5:7

Sports related Traits

• Endurance – Galatians 6:9
• Perseverance – James 1:2-4, Romans 5:3-5, Hebrews 10:36
• Training – Ephesians 6:4
• Pursuit of the Goal – Philippians 3:14
• Strength – Philippians 4:13, Job 17:9
• Lose – Luke 9:25
• Physical Training – 1 Timothy 4:8
• Spur others on – Hebrews 10:24

Go for the Gold

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”

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”

Many proverbs are “variations on a theme.” What major themes have you noticed in the book of proverbs?
Possible answers are : wisdom / fool; righteous / wicked; tongue/ speech; diligence / sluggard; honesty / dishonesty; Justice; pride / humility.

Proverbs has several ways it gets across a message:

• Couplets – a pair of verses that talk about the same thing
• Personification – visual personification of the unseen characteristic (e.g. wisdom is personified as a woman)
• Simile – A is like B
• Antithesis – a second couplet states the opposite of the first (.e. first talks about the righteous and the second the wicked)
• Synonymous parallelism – a second couplet states the same as the first but in a different way
• Synthetic parallelism – a second couplet adds some new idea or thought to the first line

Ask youth to go through some of the proverbs and identify the couplets and characteristics of each one:

• Contradicts
• condones an action
• condemns an action
• compares
• combines – adds a thought
• characterizes
• etc

Some proverbs are simple observations on life, others are advice for living. How do you tell the difference?

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…

Description
Jesus ends the book of Mark with the disciples going out and doing the things he did…In this ACTIVITY youth will do mirror-image movements to demonstrate discipleship

Materials

• a Bible

What to do

1. Form pairs and have partners sit facing each other.
2. Tell one person in each pair to mirror the other person’s actions.
3. After a minute reverse roles.
4. Ask the pairs to each make up a short skit in which they do mirror-image movements (For example, partners could wave with one hand wave with the other hand shrug their shoulders then fall backward)
5. Have volunteers share their skits.
6. Did the skits have any meaning?

Discussion

• How did you feel being a mirror?
• How did you feel being a model?
• In what ways does a Christian disciple mirror Jesus?
• How would you define a Christian disciple?
• What are some of the things that Christ did?
• In what ways is Christ an example for us to follow? Actions? Attitudes?
• Did Christ’s actions have a purpose? If so, what was that purpose?

Take it to the Next Level

• Read aloud Mark 16:13-20.
• What does Jesus say about discipleship?
• Being Jesus’ disciple is kind of like the activity we just did.
• Just as we mirrored others’ actions by watching them we become a disciple of Jesus by watching and following what we see him doing in the scriptures.

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…