Time
10 minutes
Description
This object lesson teaches about the need to stay in the center of God’s will. Doing so will help us withstand the craziness that happens around us.
Materials
- Square plywood board (2 ft. x 2 ft. or larger)
- Twelve foot of rope cut into four, 3 ft pieces
- Drill and 3/4” drill bit
- Plastic cup
- Pitcher of water
- Water
Preparation
· Drill holes in each corner of the square board.
· Tie a knot at one end of each piece of rope.
· Thread one piece of rope through each of the four holes. Pull through until the knot stops the rope from continuing through the hole.
· Tie the unknotted ends of the ropes together in one, big knot. (Make sure that each rope is the same length from the knot to the board. Otherwise, your board will not hang flat.)
· Fill the cup ¾ full of water.
· Have a pitcher of water nearby so that you can refill the cup after it spills.
· Practice putting the cup in the center of the board and swinging the board in a 360 degree circle. If you do it fast enough, the water will not spill out.
· Practice the script.
Procedure
Use the following script (or modify to suit your needs):
· “Sometimes in life we feel like everything is out of control.”
· “Imagine that you are this cup of water.” (Show cup of water.)
· “And pretend that this board is God’s will for your life.” (Show board, and put it on any edge of the board – not in the center.)
· “Sometimes in our lives, everything starts spinning around us, and it really messes us up!” (Dramatically swing board back and forth until the cup falls off and the water spills. Be far enough from the children that you don’t hit any of them with the board.)
· “Can anyone give me some examples of times that it feels like life is spinning out of control around you?” (Take examples from the children.)
· “Does anyone know why the water spilled when I started swinging it?” (See if the children can guess that the cup of water needed to be in the center of the board.)
· “Right! The problem is that the cup needs to be in the center of the board. That’s the safest place.” (Refill cup with water, and place it at the center of the board. Dramatically swing the board back and forth in wider and wider arcs. Then swing it in a complete circle several times. Centrifugal force will keep the cup in the center and the water in the cup. The children will often be suitably impressed.)
· “Remember that I said that the board represents God’s will for your life?”
· “When you’re not in the center of God’s will, the craziness that happens in your life is really going to upset you.”
· “But if you’ll get to the center of His will (that means doing the things He asks you to do in the Bible), even when things spin out of control, you’ll be remarkably calm. Watch! (Swing the board in full circles several more times.)
· “So, what are some things you can do to keep you at the center of God’s will?” (Take ideas.)
· “Excellent ideas! Hey! Want to see it again?” (Swing the board and the cup of water again. If you are brave and have practiced the move beforehand, you can do a dramatic finish. Let the board come to a rest. Then, pop the board upward. The cup of water will pop up in the air, and you can catch it with your free hand.)
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