Monthly Archives: January 2013

January 30, 2013 · 4:37 pm

Team Member Highs and Lows (ACTIVITY)


Thumbs Up and DownTime

30-90 minutes (depending on team size and sharing times)
Description

This activity is a great way for teams to connect when they haven’t met for some time.  Each member shares their “high” (best experience) and “low” (worst experience) since the last time the team was together.  After each person shares, you might want to have another team member pray for that individual.

 

NOTE:  This activity can get very emotional.  Have a box of tissues available.  Also, if you don’t set clear guidelines at the beginning regarding how long people should share, it will be difficult to do it later if you notice you are going over time.

 

Audience

Children, youth, adults

 

Materials

  • None

 

Preparation

  • None

 

Procedure

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

  • “Since we haven’t been together for some time, I would like for us to spend some time sharing about our personal highlights and struggles.”
  • “We are going to go around the room, and each person with share their ‘high’ (best experience) and ‘low’ (worst experience) since the last time the team was together.”
  • “While they are sharing, I ask that everyone just listen carefully.”
    “Once they are done, I would like to ask for someone from the group to pray for that person.”
  • “We have _______ minutes for this activity, so I would like to ask each person to try to keep your sharing to ________ minutes or less.”
  • “I’ll go first so that you can hear what I mean by highs and lows.”  (Be the first person to share.  It’s important that you model the type of sharing you want from the group.  If you share something superficial, most of the others will probably do the same.  But if you disclose something meaningful, many others will feel comfortable doing the same.)

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Filed under Icebreaker, prayer, Relationships, teambuilding

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January 26, 2013 · 10:46 am

Consulting – Nathan and David (DEVOTION)


David and NathanRead the Scriptures listed below.  Then answer the following questions in your table groups.

 

  • 2 Samuel 7:1-17 (Nathan’s advice to King David)
  • 2 Samuel 12:1-14 (Nathan rebukes King David)

 

  1. What mistake did Nathan make in the first story?
  2. Why do you think he did it?
  3. What can we learn from it?
  4. How did Nathan anticipate and prevent King David’s resistance to his message in the second story?
  5. Why do you think this worked so well?
  6. What can we learn from his approach?

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Filed under Consulting, David, Devotion, Nathan

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January 25, 2013 · 1:26 am

Do As I Say (DEMO)


Do As I SayTime

5 minutes
Description

This demonstration helps participants understand that what they do as leaders often communicates much more than what they say.

 

Materials

  • None

 

Preparation

  • None

 

Procedure

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

  • “Everyone stand up.”
  • “Take your right hand, and hold it up like this.”  (Hold up your right hand about the level of your ear so that everyone can see it.)
  • “Now, touch your index finger to your thumb like this.”  (Demonstrate what you’ve asked them to do.  Your right index finger and thumb should be in a pinching gesture.)
  • “Good, hold your fingers like that, and touch your chin.” (Demonstrate the action, but this time, don’t touch your chin with your fingers.  Instead, touch your right cheek as you tell them to touch their chins.  Most of the participants will model what they see you doing even though you’ve told them to do something different.)
  • “Okay, let’s do it again.  Take your right hand, pinch your fingers and touch your chin.”  (Again, touch your cheek as you do this.)
  • “Everyone stop and hold your hand right there.”
  • “What are you touching?”
  • “Are you touching your chin like I asked you to do, or are you touching your cheek like you saw me do?”  (Participants will usually laugh at themselves for making the mistake.)
  • “So what can we learn from this activity?”  (Responses should include that what people see us doing is a more powerful influencer than what they hear us say.  If our actions don’t match our words, they will be more likely to follow our actions.)

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Filed under Demonstration, Integrity, leadership

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January 8, 2013 · 1:25 pm

Joseph’s Journey (BOOK)


JJ Thumbnail

This is my latest book, and it’s about the life of Joseph.  It includes 21 object lessons, challenges and Bible lessons for teaching children about forgiveness, hardship, and God’s plan for our lives.

To view the book on Amazon, click the link to the left.

Here’s a description:

Joseph’s life is one of the most exciting stories of transformation in the Bible. From favorite son to slave to prisoner to leader of Egypt, Joseph finds himself in dramatically different situations and roles. But no matter what his circumstances, Joseph continued to trust in God, and God was faithful to use Joseph in powerful ways.

This book includes the object lessons, challenges and Bible lessons that I’ve used over the years to teach about the life of Joseph and the important principles that can be learned from his example.

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Filed under Book, Joseph, Object Lesson

January 6, 2013 · 1:16 pm

Peter’s Path (BOOK)


 

Peter’s PatPeter's Path Book Cover Thumbnailh is a book I published a few months ago.  It is a collection of all my lessons about Peter, the apostle.

To see the book in the Amazon store, click on the image to the left.

Here’s a description:

We know more about Peter than about any other disciple who walked with Jesus. His life contains lesson after lesson about how to live and how to know Jesus more. In the pages of this book, you will find object lessons, Bible lessons, games and drama skits to help you teach about the most important events from Peter’s life.

 

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Filed under Book, Object Lesson, Peter