April 20, 2012

Staff Care (DEVOTION)


The Philistines and the Israelites were at a standstill in their war, with one army on each side of a pass.  Jonathan, King Saul’s son, bravely attacked a Philistine outpost with just his armor bearer and with only one sword between them.  This caused a panic in the Philistine camp, allowing the Israelites to rout their enemy.

Saul, in his desire to completely defeat the Philistines, made a hasty rule that none of his men could eat until evening because he wanted them to continue fighting without taking a break.  Jonathan was the first to eat, and as punishment, his father sentenced him to die.

Read 1 Samuel 14:24-48.  Then answer the questions below.

  1. What do you think about Saul’s leadership?
  2. What do you think his men thought about it?
  3. Can you think of a time when an organization you worked for sacrificed the wellbeing of the staff in order to achieve a goal?  What happened?
  4. Why do you think organizations and leaders sometimes put goals above the wellbeing of their staff?
  5. What are the consequences of this approach?
  6. How can we guard against doing this as an organization?

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April 17, 2012

I’ve Done Something (ICEBREAKER)


 

Time

10-15 minutes (depending upon group size)


Description

This icebreaker can be used as a meeting opener.  It works particularly well for groups that already know each other fairly well and will help them to understand something new about each person.

 

Materials

None

 

Preparation

None

Procedure

·       Explain to group that everyone is going to participate in an icebreaker.

·       Introduce yourself first using the criteria described below so that they can see how it’s done.

·       Have each person introduce himself/herself (basic info – name, time with company, time in leadership, functional area….) and then state something they have done that they think no one else in the class has done.

·       If someone else has also done it, the same participant must state something else until he/she finds something that no one else has done.

·       Proceed to the next person until everyone has had a chance to introduce himself/herself.

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April 2, 2012

Jung’s Preference Sorter (EXERCISE)


Purpose

This activity helps participants to determine what their preferences are (according to the work of Carl Jung).  This is a simple and participative way to introduce the preferences and a good foundation for any discussion of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).  It can also be used with the Insights Discovery ® assessment.

 

Setup

  • Designate a line in the middle of the room.  You can do it by taping the line on the floor, by drawing it with chalk (if you are outside) or by using an existing line in the carpeting or tile.  (You need to have plenty of space on either side of the line, because the participants will be taking several steps to the right and to the left.)

 

Timing

Explaining the Exercise: 5 minutes

Activity: 20-30 minutes

Debrief: 10 minutes

 

Procedure

Use the following script, or modify it to suit your needs:

 

INTROVERSION – EXTROVERSION

  • “I would like for everyone to line up, single-file on the line, facing me.”
  • “I’m going to give you six pairs of words or descriptions, one pair at a time.”
  • “If you feel that you are more like the first word or description I mention, take a step to your left.”
  • “If you feel that you are more like the second word or description I mention, take a step to your right.”
  • “It’s possible that you will move left sometimes and right others.”
  • “If no one has any questions, let’s begin!”
  • “If you think you are more quiet, step left.  If you think to are more talkative, step right.” (Give them a moment to choose and step.)
  • “If you are more observing, step left.  If you are more involved, step right.”
  • “If you prefer to go deep in your relationships (have a few very close friends), step left.  If you prefer to go wide in your relationships (have lots of friends), step right.”
  • “If you prefer to reflect, step left.  If you prefer to take action, step right.”
  • “If you are more thoughtful, step left.  If you are more outspoken, step right.”
  • “If you are more cautious, step left. If you are more bold, step right.”
  • “Take a look where they are standing. “
  • “Those of you on the left side of the line are on the Introversion side.”
  • “Those of you on the right side of the line are on the Extraversion side.”
  • “If you are still on the line or very close to the line, it just means that you aren’t very clear about whether you have a preference for Introversion or Extraversion.”
  • “This might mean that even though you are really one or the other deep inside, you have learned to stretch yourself to do the opposite and have gotten pretty good at it.”
  • “That tends to make knowing your preference a little fuzzy.”
  • “Don’t worry.  If you aren’t clear by the time we are done, come to me at the break, and I’ll help you by giving you some more descriptions.” (Some additional differences: I = focused inward – E = focused outward; I = intimate – E = sociable; I = reserved – E = attracting attention)
  • (Even if the participants are familiar with the terms, it’s best to give Jung’s definitions, since the terms have come to mean something different than what he originally intended.)
  • “Introversion and Extroversion are about where you get your energy.”
  • “Introversion doesn’t mean ‘shy.’  It means that you get your energy from inside yourself – from reflecting and spending time alone.”
  • “Extroversion doesn’t mean ‘popular.’ It means that you get your energy from outside yourself – from being around people and from taking action to influence things around you.”
  • “Introverts can be very good at socializing and interacting with others, but that’s not where they get their energy.”
  • “At the end of a busy party or day of interacting, an Introverts batteries will be drained, and he will want to have time alone to recharge them.”
  • “Extroverts can be quiet every once in awhile as hard as it is to imagine (joke), but they get their energy from interacting with people and tasks.”
  • “At the end of a busy party of day of interacting, an Extrovert might want to know where the ‘after-party’ is!”
  • “Does this match what you thought about yourself?”
  • “Turn to one other person, and share your thoughts about where you are standing.”  (Allow a few minutes for them to share.)
  • “I’m sorry for making you do that, Introverts.  Please forgive me!”
  • “Does anyone have any questions about Introversion or Extraversion?”  (Answer questions.)

 

SENSING – INTUITION

  • “Okay, everyone back on the line!  Let’s do another one!”
  • “This time, I’ll give you five descriptions.”
  • “If you think you are more oriented toward the present, step left.”
  • “If you think you are more oriented toward the future, step right.”
  • “If you think you are more realistic, step left.”
  • “If you think you are more imaginative, step right.”
  • “If you think you are more consistent, step left.”
  • “If you think you are more unpredictable, step right.
  • “If you think you are more practical, step left.”
  • “If you think you are more conceptual, step right.”
  • “Last one…if you think you are more step-by-step, take one of those steps to the left.”
  • “If you think you are more spontaneous, step right.”
  • “Those of you on the left side of the line are on the Sensing side.”
  • “Those of you on the right side of the line are on the Intuition side.”
  • “These terms are less familiar, so let me help.”
  • “These terms are about what Jung calls your ‘Perceiving Function.’”
  • “They describe how you take in information.”
  • “People who are Sensing taking in information through their senses – sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch.”
  • “They like concrete details, things that are ‘real.’”
  • “A Sensing person might say, ‘I’ll believe it when I see it!’”
  • “People who are Intuition take in information through intuition.”
  • “They like big ideas, concepts and theories.”
  • “An Intuition person might say, ‘I just know it in my heart’ or ‘I just know it in my gut.’”
  • “Intuition people on the right side of the line, turn to someone close to you and tell them what you think about which side of the line you are standing on.  Then, use your ESP (Extra-Sensory Perception) to read the mind of the Sensing people to find out what they think.” (joke – allow them a few minutes to discuss where they are with someone close to them.)
  • “What questions do you have about the Sensing-Intuition preferences?”  (Answer questions.  This difference is often harder for people to understand, so you may want to go deeper.  If so, grab an object nearby that everyone is familiar with and ask a few people from each side to describe it with the first words that come to mind.  Sensing people will often focus on the factual details about the object, but Intuition people will often focus on what the object represents.  For example, if you use an apple, Sensing people might point out that the color, the taste, the sound, the texture, the smell…Intuition people might connect it to the Big Apple (New York) or the fruit that Adam and Eve ate.  Some additional descriptions for clarity: S = specific – N (Intuition – I’m using the MBTI abbreviations) = global; S = down-to-earth – N = blue-sky; S = precise – N = general; S = factual – N = abstract)

 

THINKING-FEELING

  • “Ready for another one?  Okay, back to the line!”
  • “If you think you are more formal, step left.”
  • “If you think you are more informal, step right.”
  • “If you think you are more objective (not influenced by personal feelings), step left.”
  • “If you think you are more subjective (influenced by personal feelings), step right.”
  • “If you think you are more strong-minded (i.e., stubborn!!!), step left.”
  • “If you think you are more flexible, step right.”
  • “If you think you are more competitive, step left.”
  • “If you think you are more cooperative, step right.”
  • “Last one….if you think you are more task-focused, step left.”
  • “If you think you are more relationship-focused, step right.”
  • “Those of you on the left side are Thinking types.”
  • “Those of you on the right side are Feeling types.”
  • “Now before you misunderstand, I’m not saying that Thinkers don’t feel anything or that Feelers don’t think.”
  • “That’s not what this is all about.”
  • “This is about how you make decisions.”
  • “Thinkers tend to START their decision making from a factual, objective, good-of-the-organization perspective.”
  • “Feelers tend to START their decision making from an emotional, subjective, good-of-the-individual perspective.”
  • “However, it’s possible for Thinkers to also consider the impact to individuals and possible for Feelers to consider the impact to the organization.  It just takes practice.”
  • “The best decisions that you will make will consider both sides.”
  • “So turn to the person next to you, and tell them either what you THINK or what you FEEL about where you are.”  (Allow a few minutes for discussions.)
  • “What questions do you have about the difference between the Thinking and Feeling functions?”  (Answer questions – if you need more differences for clarity: T = analytical – F = empathetic; T = detached – F = involved; T = meticulous (picky) – F = ambivalent (indifferent); T = neutral – F = personal)

 

JUDGING-PERCEIVING

  • “Last one!*  Back to the line!”
  • “If you think you are more structured, step left.”
  • “If you think you are more flexible, step right.”
  • “If you think you are more scheduled, step left.”
  • “If you think you are more spontaneous, step right.”
  • “If you think you prefer to make short- and long-term plans, step left.”
  • “If you think you prefer to adapt and change course as necessary, step right.”
  • “If you think you prefer to avoid last-minute stresses, step left.”
  • “If you think you are energized by last-minute pressures, step right.”
  • “If you think you are more methodical (like to follow a process), step left.”
  • “If you think you prefer to do things in whatever way seems right at the time, step right.”
  • “Those of you on the left side of the line are Judging types.”
  • “Those of you on the right side of the line are Perceiving types.”
  • “This difference is about how you deal with the outer world.  It’s not about whether you are judgmental or perceptive.”
  • “Judging types like to have thing structured and ordered.  They like to make decisions and move on.  They like plans and schedules and good process.”
  • “Perceiving types feel that these things are limiting.  They want to be spontaneous and see what happens.  They want their time free to do what suits them at the moment, and they prefer to wait to make decisions until all the last-minute options are clear.”
  • “Turn to your neighbor and let them know what you think of where you are related to the line.”  (Allow a few minutes for them to discuss.)
  • “What questions do you have about Judging and Perceiving?” (Answer questions.  If you need more descriptions for clarity: J = like to have things decided – P = like things loose and open to change; J = like control – P = like freedom; J = definite – P = tentative)

 

SUMMARY

  • “These sorting activities are just one way to learn more about your personality type.”
  • “You can also use an assessment tool that will give you more choices so that you can have more clarity.”
  • “This information should help you to understand yourself and others better.”
  • “Now, when you see ‘CRAZY’ behaviors from yourself or others, you’ll understand a little better where they are coming from.” (If you have time, have participants have a seat while they discuss the debrief questions at the end of this lesson.)

 

DEBRIEF

  • How do you feel about what you’ve learned about yourself?
  • What did you learn about personality types that you didn’t know before?
  • What did you learn about your co-workers/friends/fellow participants?
  • How will this knowledge impact how you interact with others in your personal and work environments?

*NOTE: This last division was not part of Jung’s original work but was added later by the daughter-mother team (Isabel Briggs-Myers and her mother, Katharine Briggs) in order to help identify a person’s dominant function (the one they use the most) and auxiliary function (the second-most used function).  Judging functions refer to Thinking and Feeling, and Perceiving functions refer to Sensing and Intuition.  A person can be dominant in either their Judging or their Perceiving functions.  If they are dominant in their Judging function, then their preference for either Thinking or Feeling will be the main motivator for their behaviors.  If they are dominant in their Perceiving function, then their preference for either Sensing or Intuition will be the main motivator for their behaviors.  Also for your information, Myers and Briggs are the ones who turned Jung’s work into a test that you can take to determine your personality type.)

 

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March 28, 2012

Hearing Impaired (QUICK DRAMA)


SCENE:       Sam enters, wearing several things that cover up his ears.  Start with cotton balls in the ear.  Then add a hat that comes down over the ears.  Finally, put on earmuffs or headphones. Label each thing with a sign that says, “SIN.”. (For the cotton balls, you might just want to tape a piece of paper or poster board with the word on each one over his ears so that the audience will be able to read the signs.) God is located somewhere unseen, but where He can be clearly heard by the audience. You might want to use a microphone.

SAM:            (Looking distraught) God? Where are you?  Why won’t you speak to me?

GOD:            I’m right here, Sam.  I’m always with you.  I will never leave you nor forsake you.

SAM:            (Obviously not hearing God, Sam keeps looking stressed.) God, I’m in trouble!  I need you now!  Please speak to me!

GOD:            Sam, you can’t hear me, because you aren’t doing what I told you to do.  Your sin is blocking you from hearing my voice.

SAM:            Please, God! Help me!  Say SOMETHING!  ANYTHING!

(Amy enters, carrying her Bible.)

AMY:            Sam, I’m not sure why, but I feel like God gave me this Scripture to share with you. (Opens her Bible and reads). “Everyone who is committed to truth hears my voice.” (John 18:37) I’m sorry if that doesn’t make sense, but I felt like it was important for me to share it with you. You can hold onto my Bible if you like. I’ll get it back from you later.

(Amy exits without her Bible.)

SAM:            (Reading the Scripture again.) “Everyone who is committed to truth hears my voice.” Is that why I can’t hear you, God?  Is it because I’m not committed to Your truth? (Pauses, looking toward heaven.)

GOD:            Yes, Sam.  Now you are getting it.  Try getting rid of some of that sin in your life.

SAM:            Alright, God. I know I shouldn’t be doing this. (Removes earmuffs or headphones) I’m going to make a commitment for Your truth.

GOD:            Much better, Sam!  Doesn’t that feel great!

SAM:            Whoa!  God, I think I know what You want me to do!  (Removes hat)

GOD:            YES!  Terrific!

SAM:            Oh, Wow!  I’ve never heard You so clearly before!  I’m getting rid of all this junk that’s been keeping me from hearing You!  (Removes cotton balls from ears)

GOD:            Sam, I’m so pleased!  You’ve done well!  And don’t worry about that problem you’re having. I’ve got that covered.

SAM:            Thank you, Lord!  I’m not worried anymore. I know you’ve been with me this entire time, and I trust you to get me through this. Thanks for helping me to hear You. (Smiles toward heaven)  I’ve got to keep my spiritual ears cleaned out! (Exits)

 

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March 13, 2012

An Unfinished Work (QUICK DRAMA)


SCENE:       Alex is painting on a canvas mounted on an easel. The audience cannot see what is being painted, because the painting is facing away. Alex is deeply absorbed in his work and doesn’t notice when John enters.

JOHN:          Hey, Alex!  What are you doing?

ALEX:          Painting a self-portrait.

JOHN:          (Looking very skeptical…)  Really? It doesn’t look much like you.

ALEX:          Well, I’m not finished yet.

JOHN:          Hmmm…  I don’t think you’ll be able to make it work.  Maybe you could turn it into a picture of a monkey or something.

(Janet enters.)

JOHN:          Hey, Janet!  Take a look at this!  Don’t you think it looks like a monkey?

JANET:        No, but maybe it could be a penguin or something. What’s it supposed to be?

JOHN:          It’s supposed to be a self-portrait, but I wouldn’t tell anyone if I were you, Alex.

ALEX:          (Concentrating) It’s not done yet. I’m still working on it.

(Tony enters)

JANET:        Hey, Tony!  Come look at this penguin Alex is painting!

TONY:          That’s a penguin?  Looks more like a kangaroo to me.

JANET:        Oh, you’re right!  I see it now!

JOHN:          Better make it into a kangaroo, Alex.  It’s never gonna look like you.

ALEX:          (Pausing and looking at his friends) Of course it doesn’t look like me….yet.  It’s a work in progress. You shouldn’t judge a work of art before it’s finished. (Returns to painting with great concentration)

(John, Janet and Tony watch in silence as Alex paints.  After a few moments, their eyes grow wide in a look of surprise, and they all say, “Ohhhhhh…” in unison.”)

JOHN:          I see it now!

JANET:        That’s amazing!

TONY:          You turned that kangaroo into you!

(Alex stops painting, smiles big with satisfaction and takes the painting off the easel.  He then walks out of the room with his painting, being careful not to reveal it to the audience (unless you want to put an actual photograph on the canvas for effect).  John, Janet and Tony follow with “oohs” and “ahhhs” and other expressions of surprise and appreciation.)

END SCENE

NOTE:          The main teaching point of this drama is that we shouldn’t judge other people or even ourselves, because we are all a work in progress.  None of us matches the vision God has of what He knows we can be one day if we follow Him and obediently continue to do what He says in His Word.  If you don’t think this was clear, you may want to say it as you debrief the drama.

If you want to tie this to a Biblical story, you could use any of the following:

  • Moses, who was “slow of speech and tongue.” (Exodus 3-4)
  • Gideon, who the angel of the Lord called a “mighty warrior”  even when he was hiding from the Midianites. (Judges 6)
  • Isaiah, who was a man of “unclean lips.” (Isaiah 6)
  • Simon, who Jesus called “Peter” (the “rock”) even when He knew Simon would deny he even knew Jesus three times. (Matthew 16:13-20 and 26:69-75)

 

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February 15, 2012

Spiritual Frisbee Golf (GAME)


Audience

Children, Teens, Adults

Time

30-60 minutes (depending upon how challenging your course is)
Description

This outdoor game is a combination of two popular sports with a spiritual twist.  Participants will throw Frisbees (flying disks) toward nine different targets.  It’s a little like playing Frisbee; it’s a little like playing golf.  The flying disk represents God’s Word, and the targets represent the hearts of those who do not yet know Him.  This can be a fun way to talk about evangelism and the importance of the Body of Christ working together to introduce people to God.

Scriptures

  • 1 Corinthians 3:4-9

Materials

o  Frisbees or flying disks (one per team, preferably different colors – if you can’t find a Frisbee or flying disk, you could use plastic plates – the heavier kind)

o  Targets (nine per team, each set of nine in a different color.  The targets should be approximately 2 ft by 2 ft or a little larger.  You could use colored towels, squares of posterboard, pieces of fabric or even circles made out of rope.)

o  Notecards (nine per team)

o  A marker with a thick tip

o  Tape (one roll)

o  Prizes for the winning team (optional)

o  Bibles (one per team)

Preparation

o  Number the notecards one to nine for each team.

o  Tape the notecards to the nine targets for each team, i.e., each team should have targets numbered, one to nine.

o  Set out your targets (nine per team) over a large area, preferably with some obstacles (like trees, bushes, buildings, cars, etc) in the way.

o   It’s important that you don’t make it too easy for them.

o   Try to make each team have about the same difficulty as the others.

o   I recommend that you space your targets at least 100 ft apart so that it takes several throws to land the disk on the target.

o   You can put your targets in numerical order, or you can mix them up to create more difficulty.

o   You might want to put all your #9 targets in the same place so that it is easy for you to determine who the winning team is.

o  Divide participants into teams.


Procedure

Use the following script (or modify to suit your needs):

  • “We are going to play a game of Frisbee golf.”
  • “If you aren’t familiar with a ‘Frisbee,’ it’s a flying disk that you pass to each other.”
  • “Many people in different parts of the world play Frisbee golf, which is like the game of golf but uses a flying disk instead of a small ball and clubs.”
  • “But this game of Frisbee Golf is a little different from how others typically play it.”
  • “We are playing ‘Spiritual Frisbee Golf.’”
  • “The Frisbee (or flying disk) represents God’s Word, and each of the targets that you will be aiming for represent the heart of someone who doesn’t know the Lord.”
  • “Your team members will take turns throwing the Frisbee (God’s Word) closer and closer to the target (the heart of a lost person).”
  • “When you get the Frisbee to successfully land on top of the target (the heart of a lost person), then you can start throwing the Frisbee toward the next target.”
  • “There are nine targets (nine lost people) for each team.”
  • “The first team to land their Frisbee on top of all nine targets will be the winner.”
  • “You can strategize as a team to decide how you will pass the Frisbee, but you have to make sure that every person on the team participates in the throwing.”
  • “That means that you have to take turns so that no single individual is doing all the throwing.”
  • “Billy Graham once said that it takes 20 people to lead someone to Christ.  The first 19 think they had nothing to do with it, but the 20th person couldn’t have led the person to Christ without the work the others did to prepare the soil of the person’s heart for the seed of God’s Word.”
  • “So you have to work together.”
  • “Each team has a different color for their set of targets.”
  • “You can’t see all the targets from here, so you will have to figure out where they are as you go.”
  • “Just remember that there are nine.”
  • “What questions do you have before we begin?”  (Answer any questions.  Then, give the signal to start.  After all the teams have finished, award a prize to the winning team if you like, and have the teams take some time to answer the debriefing questions below.)

 

Debriefing Questions

  • o What comparisons can you make between this game and getting God’s Word into peoples’ hearts?
  • o What obstacles did you have to overcome?
  • o What might these obstacles represent in our efforts to win people to the Lord?
  • o How did your team work together?
  • o How was this like how the Body of Christ should work together to win those who are lost?
  • o Read 1 Corinthians 3:4-9.  How does this relate to the activity?
  • o What will you take away from what you have learned?

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February 14, 2012

Isaiah 61 Scavenger Hunt (GAME)


Audience

Children, Teens, Adults

Time

60-90 minutes (depending on how difficult you make the pictures to find)
Description

This scavenger hunt uses images from Isaiah 61 (using the NIV translation).  You will hide 48 pictures representing lines from the chapter, and participants will try to find them.  This activity is designed for group competition.

 

There are two different sets of participant worksheets at the end of this lesson.  You can choose the level of difficulty for your group by selecting either the worksheet with descriptions of the pictures or the one with blanks.  If you choose the one with blanks, participants will have to decide which pictures represent each of the different lines from the Scripture and put them in order.

 

Scriptures

  • Isaiah 61

 

Materials

o  Copies of the participant worksheets at the end of this lesson.  Choose either the one with descriptions or the blank version (if you want to increase the difficulty).  You will need one copy of the worksheet per team.

o  Copies of the pictures representing lines from Isaiah 61.  (One set per team – you can find these pictures on the Lesson and Material Downloads page at www.teachingthem.com.  The name of the file is “Isaiah 61 Scavenger Hunt – Photos.”)  There are 48 pictures in the file.  Print them in color if you can, but black and white will be fine.

o  Tape or some other means of posting the pictures in different places.

o  (Optional) Prizes for the winning team.

o  Bible

Preparation

o  Print out copies of the participant worksheets at the end of this lesson (one per team).

o  Print out copies of the pictures mentioned in the Materials section above (one set per team).

o  Hide all the pictures around the teaching area, outdoors or in a large facility, where the group can be free to run around.  Use the tape or other adhesive to hang the pictures in different places.  You can increase the difficulty by hiding them in difficult-to-find places, or you can make them obvious for younger participants.  You may choose to put multiple copies of each picture in the same place (one copy each for each different team to find), or you can hide them in different places.

o  Divide participants into teams.

 


Procedure

Use the following script (or modify to suit your needs):

  • “We are going to do a scavenger hunt that will help us better understand a chapter from the book of Isaiah.”
  • “I’ve hidden 48 different pictures.” (Describe the general location where the pictures are hidden.)
  • “Each one represents an image from chapter 61 of Isaiah.”
  • “Each team will compete with the others to see who can find all 48 of the hidden pictures first.”
  • “I’m going to ask that in the interest of good sportsmanship and fairness that you don’t take more than one copy of any of the pictures.”
  • “Each of the 48 pictures is different from the others, so you will only need one copy.”
  • “I’m also going to ask that teams stay together as they search for the pictures.”
  • “That means that you can’t separate to find the pictures faster.”
  • “If you separate, there’s a good chance that you will collect duplicate pictures and make it impossible for another team to finish.”
  • “When you collect all your pictures, come back here and put them in the correct order on the floor (or have them stick them to the wall).”
  • “The first team to put them all in the right order wins!”
  • “Does anyone have any questions?”  (Answer any questions that they have.  Then pass out the participant worksheets from the end of this lesson.  When you are ready, give them the signal to “GO!”  If you need to give hints after awhile to help teams finish, feel free to do so.  When every team has finished, award a prize to the winning team if you would like, and then have them answer the following questions to debrief the activity.)

 

Debriefing Questions

  • o How did your team work together?
  • o What were your strengths as a team?
  • o In what ways could you have improved?
  • o Do the pictures help you understand the Scriptures from Isaiah 61 in a different way?  How so?
  • o Why do you think Isaiah (or God) used so many different metaphors in his writing?
  • o What is your favorite part of the passage from Isaiah 61?
  • o What will you take away from this activity?

 

 

 

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Scripture

Item
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me  
2 Because the LORD has anointed me  
3 To proclaim good news to the poor  
4 He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted  
5 To proclaim freedom for the captives  
6 And release from darkness for the prisoners  
7 To proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor  
8 And the day of vengeance of our God  
9 To comfort all who mourn  
10 And provide for those who grieve in Zion  
11 To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes  
12 The oil of joy instead of mourning  
13 And a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair  
14 They will be called oaks of righteousness  
15 A planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor  
16 They will rebuild the ancient ruins  
17 And restore the places long devastated  
18 They will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations  
19 Strangers will shepherd your flocks  
20 Foreigners will work your fields and vineyards  
21 And you will be called priests of the LORD  
22 You will be named ministers of our God  
23 You will feed on the wealth of nations  
24 And in their riches you will boast  
25 Instead of your shame  
26 You will receive a double portion  
27 And instead of disgrace  
28 You will rejoice in your inheritance  
29 And so you will inherit a double portion in your land  
30 And everlasting joy will be yours  
31 For I, the LORD, love justice  
32 I hate robbery and wrongdoing  
33 In my faithfulness I will reward my people  
34 And make an everlasting covenant with them  
35 Their descendants will be known among the nations  
36 And their offspring among the peoples  
37 All who see them will acknowledge  
38 That they are a people the LORD has blessed  
39 I delight greatly in the LORD  
40 My soul rejoices in my God  
41 For he has clothed me with garments of salvation  
42 And arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness  
43 As a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest  
44 And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels  
45 For as the soil makes the sprout come up  
46 And a garden causes seeds to grow  
47 So the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness  
48 And praise spring up before all nations  

 

 

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Scripture

Item
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me Dove
2 Because the LORD has anointed me Anointing Oil
3 To proclaim good news to the poor Mother Teresa
4 He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted Bound Heart
5 To proclaim freedom for the captives Broken Shackles
6 And release from darkness for the prisoners Prisoner
7 To proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor Megaphone
8 And the day of vengeance of our God Fire From Heaven
9 To comfort all who mourn Weeping Man
10 And provide for those who grieve in Zion Weeping Angel
11 To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes Crown
12 The oil of joy instead of mourning Happy-Sad Faces
13 And a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair Garment of Praise
14 They will be called oaks of righteousness Oak Tree
15 A planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor Planting
16 They will rebuild the ancient ruins Bricklayer
17 And restore the places long devastated Trowel
18 They will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations Ruins
19 Strangers will shepherd your flocks Flock of Sheep
20 Foreigners will work your fields and vineyards Vineyard
21 And you will be called priests of the LORD Jewish Priest
22 You will be named ministers of our God Minister with Bible
23 You will feed on the wealth of nations Map of Kingdoms
24 And in their riches you will boast Fake Money
25 Instead of your shame Shame on You – Pointing Finger
26 You will receive a double portion Double Portion of Bread
27 And instead of disgrace Man With Head in Hands
28 You will rejoice in your inheritance Man Rejoicing
29 And so you will inherit a double portion in your land Person Receiving Double Portion
30 And everlasting joy will be yours Arrows Pointing in Opposite Directions
31 For I, the LORD, love justice Scales of justice
32 I hate robbery and wrongdoing Robber
33 In my faithfulness I will reward my people Reward poster
34 And make an everlasting covenant with them Rainbow
35 Their descendants will be known among the nations Family Tree
36 And their offspring among the peoples Big family
37 All who see them will acknowledge Yes Man poster
38 That they are a people the LORD has blessed Sunshine
39 I delight greatly in the LORD Four People Jumping for Joy
40 My soul rejoices in my God Child Rejoicing
41 For he has clothed me with garments of salvation Jesus On The Cross
42 And arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness Robe of Righteousness
43 As a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest Groom
44 And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels Bride
45 For as the soil makes the sprout come up Sprout
46 And a garden causes seeds to grow Seeds
47 So the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness Jehovah Tsidkenu
48 And praise spring up before all nations Desert Spring

 

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