Category Archives: Annointing

June 28, 2014 · 11:45 am

God’s Anointing (CLOSER)


David's AnointingTime

20 minutes
Description

This closer can be used at the end of a teaching period on the life of David, or you can use it when you teach about David’s second anointing as king in 2 Samuel 2:4.

 

Scriptures

·      1 Samuel 16:1-13

·      2 Samuel 2:4

·      Galatians 5:22

Materials

·      One or more small containers of oil, i.e., olive or otherwise.

·      Printouts of the instructions at the end of this file for any teaching assistants you have.

Preparation

Create the following three slides or write these words on a whiteboard or flipchart.

 

  1. Prepare the containers of oil.
  2. Meet with your teaching assistants, and review the instructions for anointing with them.

 

Procedure

Use the following script, or modify to suit your context:

  • “David was anointed by the prophet Samuel when he was maybe fifteen years old (1 Samuel 16:13).”
  • “An official anointing is a ceremony where one of God’s leaders puts oil on someone’s head to let that person know he or she has been called by God to an important work for God.”
  • “David was anointed to be king at fifteen years old, but he didn’t actually become king for fifteen or more years!” (2 Samuel 2:4)
  • “Why?”
  • “Because even though God wanted David to be king, David wasn’t ready when he was fifteen.”
  • “God had to prepare him, and God did that by letting King Saul chase him around the desert for fifteen years.”
  • “During that time, God developed David’s character and skill so that when he became king, he would be able to handle it.”
  • “And God does the same for us, too.”
  • “God often anoints (or calls) us privately before we are publically anointed (or called) for what He wants us to do.”
  • “To let us know, God may send someone to us who encourages us, points out a special gifting or talent that we have or speaks a prophetic word over our lives.”
  • “This is exciting stuff, and we may get so excited that we run out and try to make God’s promise for our future happen RIGHT NOW!”
  • “That would be a mistake, though.”
  • “We have to wait for God’s timing; He knows when we are ready.”
  • “If we try to grab God’s promise before it’s time, we could damage it and maybe even ruin it forever.”
  • “David knew that he had to wait, and even though he had two opportunities to kill King Saul and take his place as king, he didn’t.”
  • “He was smart; he let God tell him when the time was right.”
  • “When God first gives us an anointing or a calling on our life, He is planting a seed in our hearts, but that seed isn’t ready to grow fruit yet.”
  • “The seed needs time to grow, and it grows as we grow.”
  • “God grows our character and our skills until we are ready to handle His anointing / calling on our lives.”
  • “God may have to take us through a hard time to grow us like when He let King Saul chase David in the desert.”
  • “Then, when we are ready, God gives us what He promised us so long ago.”
  • “Maybe you haven’t ever had an anointing or heard God’s calling for your life.”
  • “Just in case, we want to make sure you hear it today.”
  • “The teaching assistants (or other role available to you) and I are going to anoint anyone who wants to be anointed today.”
  • (Ask teaching assistants to follow the instructions from the page below to complete the anointing of the children.)

 


Instructions for Anointing

 

  1. Ask the child’s permission first.  If the child doesn’t want to participate, help him or her feel okay about that.
  2. Dip a finger or thumb into the oil, and smear a small amount on the child’s forehead (possibly in the sign of the cross, but a simple smear is fine).
  3. Tell the child something you have noticed about him or her.  It could be about:
  4. A skill or talent
  5. A spiritual gifting
  6. A fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control – Galatians 5:22)
  7. A hope for his or her future
  8. Give the child a special Scripture to bless him or her.
  9. Pray a blessing over the child.

 

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June 29, 2013 · 3:30 pm

God’s Covering (OBJ LESSON)


God's CoveringTime

20 minutes
Description

This object lesson shows how God can protect us during times of suffering and temptation.  It uses some science and some surprising ways to keep balloons from popping even when pierced or put over a flame.

 

Scriptures

  • Psalm 32:7

 

Materials

  • Balloons (3 per child and 5 for facilitator (includes a few extras just in case))
  • Wooden skewers (2 per child and 2 for facilitator)
  • Vegetable oil (just a little to dip the skewers in)
  • Duct tape (1 roll)
  • Candle with a stand (1 set)
  • Matches or a lighter
  • Medicine dropper (1 – for putting water into a balloon before you blow it up)
  • Water (1 cup per group)
  • Bible

 

Preparation

  • Get your materials ready.
  • Practice the script.

 

Procedure

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

  • “Did you know that bad stuff happens to everyone – even Christians?”  (Listen for responses.)
  • “If you don’t follow Jesus, you’ll be like this balloon when bad stuff happens.”  (Blow up and tie a balloon.)
  • “This wooden skewer represents bad stuff that happens to them.”  (Use the skewer to pop the balloon.)
  • “That’s not good!  I don’t want to be like that balloon, do you?”  (Listen for responses.)
  • “But Christians don’t have to worry, because God protects them when bad stuff happens.” (Have a volunteer read Psalm 32:7.  Then, blow up and tie another balloon, this time about halfway to two-thirds full.)
  • “Even Christians are still like this balloon, but they have something special.”  (Put a piece of duct tape over the balloon on two different sides.)
  • “They have God’s covering to protect them when bad stuff happens.”  (Slowly twist the skewer through the tape, through the balloon and through the other side.  Then show it to the kids.)
  • “Pretty cool, huh?  The bad thing still happened to the balloon, but this time, it didn’t pop, because it had God’s covering.”
  • “God know where our weak areas are, and He will protect us in those places.”
  • “God protects us in another way, too.”  (Blow up and tie another balloon about halfway to two-thirds full. Take one of the skewers, and dip it into the vegetable oil. Carefully twist the skewer into the nipple of the balloon (the thickest part at the very top) and then though the other side close to where you tied the knot.)
  • “Oil in the Bible often represents the anointing of the Lord.  God anoints us when He has something special and difficult for us to do, and the anointing protects us from Satan’s attacks.”
  • “I know one more way God protects us!”  (Light the candle. Use the medicine dropper to put one dropper-full of water into a balloon. Blow up the balloon and tie it with the water inside. Hold the balloon over the flame of the candle.  You can even allow the flame to touch the balloon where the water settles.)
  • “If we will fill ourselves with Living Water by reading God’s Word every day, He will protect us from popping when Satan turns up the heat in our lives.” (Pass out balloons and other materials to the kids, and let them try the three experiments.  Help them if they need it to tie balloons, pierce balloons with skewers and hold balloons over the flame. When they’ve all had a chance to try, discuss the Debrief Questions below.  You can use the Rhyme Time to reinforce the main point of the lesson.)

 

Debriefing Questions

  1. Why didn’t the balloons pop when the skewers went through them?
  2. How about when you put the balloon over the flame?
  3. How is this like how God protects us during times of suffering?
  4. If you have to go through a time of suffering in the future, how will you handle it?

 

Rhyme Time

We have God’s covering

To protect us when we’re suffering.

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July 25, 2012 · 7:59 am

Get Up! Get Down! (GAME)


Time

10-15 minutes
Description

Peter was given miraculous powers by the Holy Spirit after Jesus went to heaven.  When Ananias and Sapphira lied about how much money they were giving to the other believers, Peter announced that they would die, and they died immediately!  When Peter met Aeneas, a paralyzed man, he told him to get up, and Aeneas was healed!  And when the believers were sad because their friend Dorcas (Tabitha) had died, Peter told her to get up, too, and she was raised from the dead!

 

This game is a little like “Simon Says.”  The facilitator will call out one of the four names, and the children have to jump up in the air if it’s either “Aeneas” or “Dorcas” but they have to get down on the ground if it’s either “Ananias” or “Sapphira.”  If they move the wrong way, they are out!

 

Scriptures

  • Acts 5:1-11
  • Acts 9:32-43

 

Materials

  • Bible

 

Preparation

  • Select a space to play the game.
  • Practice the script.

 

Procedure

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

  • “We are going to play a game called, ‘Get Up! Get Down!’”
  • “It’s about Peter, who was so anointed by the Holy Spirit that he could raise the dead to life, heal the lame and even announce God’s judgment on believers before it happened.”  (Have a volunteer read Acts 5:1-11 and Acts 9:32-43.)
  • “Peter was so powerful!”
  • “When Ananias and Sapphira lied about how much money they were giving to the other believers, Peter announced that they would die, and they died immediately!”
  • “When he met Aeneas, a paralyzed man, he told him to get up, and Aeneas was healed!”
  • “And when the believers were sad because their friend Dorcas (Tabitha) had died, Peter told her to get up, too, and she was raised from the dead!”
  • “This game is played a little like ‘Simon Says.’”
  • “I will call out one of the four names from these stories, and you have to jump up in the air if it’s either ‘Aeneas’ or ‘Dorcas,’ but you have to get down on the ground if it’s either ‘Ananias’ or ‘Sapphira.’”
  • “If you move the wrong way, you are out!”
  • “The last person standing wins and gets to be the name caller.”
  • “Sometimes I might try to trick you by using Dorcas’ other name, ‘Tabitha, so be careful!”
  • “Does anyone have any questions?”  (Answer any questions.)
  • “Okay, let’s play!” (Have children all start standing, and begin by calling out one of the four names. Allow a few seconds each time for children to respond, but if they move the wrong way, have them step to the side while the others continue playing. If they are doing really well, try surprising them by calling out “Tabitha!” Play several rounds, allowing different people to come up and be the name caller.  Then ask the Debrief Questions below.)

 

Debrief Questions

  1. Why do you think God gave Peter so much power?
  2. Do you think people still have that kind of power today?  Why or why not?
  3. If you had that kind of power, how would you use it?

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November 7, 2011 · 8:48 am

Burnout (OBJ LESSON)


Time

10-15 minutes
Description

This object lesson teaches that when we try to do ministry in our own power, we may be able to spread light for some time, but we will eventually burn out.  Only by continually renewing our power source (i.e., by allowing ourselves to be filled with the Holy Spirit) can we continue to be strong in ministry over the long term.

 

Audience

  • Youth, Adults

 

Scriptures

You can choose from the following Scriptures depending on how you want to reinforce your lesson.

  • 2 Samuel 22:29 (“You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light.”)
  • Job 29:3 (“…his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness!”)
  • Psalm 18:28-29 (“You, Lord, keep my lamp burning…”)
  • Proverbs 20:27 (“The human spirit is the lamp of the Lord…”)
  • Matthew 5:14-16 (“You are the light of the world…”)
  • Luke 12:35-48 (“…keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return…”)
  • Ephesians 5:18-20 (“Do not get drunk on wine…instead be filled with the Spirit…”)

 

Materials

  • Two identical lamps – the kind that burn oil and have a wick
  • Matches or a lighter
  • A bottle of oil for the lamps
  • Table to put your lamps on
  • Bible

 

Preparation

  • Set up the two, identical lamps on the table at the front of the room.
  • Fill one lamp with oil, but leave the other dry.
  • Try lighting both wicks to make sure they will light quickly during your lesson, then blow them out.  (You will probably need to dip the dry wicks (both of them) into the oil so that they will light quickly.)
  • Place the bottle of oil somewhere nearby but out of sight.
  • Practice the script.

 

Procedure

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

  • “So often, people burn out in ministry.”
  • “They get exhausted meeting the daily needs of the people they serve.”
  • “So, they try harder and work longer.”
  • “They skip meals and go without sleep.”
  • “They sacrifice time with their families and friends.”
  • “They stop spending time with God each day.”
  • “In fact, this is often one of the first things to go on their daily schedule.”
  • “The harder they work, the less effective they become, but the work is so important that they don’t know what to do except double their efforts.”
  • “Everything becomes a crisis, and this further drains their resources until they have absolutely nothing left to give.”
  • “Their bodies or minds or emotions break down (or a combination of these), and they have a collapse where the good work they have been doing comes to a grinding halt because they are no longer able to keep it going.”
  • “Sometimes they will be able to return to their ministry after an extended healing time, but often, they have ruined themselves for the work and have to find something else to do.”
  • “The have killed the goose that laid the golden eggs by trying to get too much out of to too quickly.”
  • “They are like this lamp.” (Point to the lamp with no oil.)

  • “What do you think is wrong with it?” (Acknowledge responses.)

  • “Right! it has no oil.”
  • “What happens to a burning wick when it has no oil?” (Acknowledge responses.)

  • “Exactly! It burns out. The wick itself catches fire, and even though it can provide light for some period of time, it will eventually destroy itself by providing the light.”
  • “What’s different about this other lamp?” (Acknowledge responses.)

  • “Yes, it has oil, and when the lamp has oil, the wick doesn’t burn – the oil does!”
  • “In fact, as long as you keep putting oil in the lamp, the wick will never burn up!”
  • “Amazing, right?”
  • “Here’s the point of the illustration. The oil represents the Holy Spirit (as it so often does in Scripture).”
  • “You are the wick.”
  • “Unless you regularly refill your oil, you will burn yourself out.”
  • “But if you spend time with the Lord everyday and do the things that He tells you to do, your light in your ministry will come from Him and not from you.” (Open the dry lamp, and fill it with oil. Then, replace the wick, and relight it if necessary.)

  • “And His flame will never be exhausted!”
  • “Allow yourself to be filled with God’s Spirit very day, and you will never run out of light.”
  • “And be careful…some ministries and certain times in your ministry will require more of God’s Spirit than others.”
  • “If you are doing a really big work with the Lord, you will need to spend more time with Him each day to get enough of His Spirit.”
  • “The brighter you want His light to shine, the more oil you need in your lamp.”
  • “During those times, pray more, confess more, give thanks more, praise more and work less!”

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September 6, 2011 · 8:42 am

God Is There When It’s More Than We Can Bear (OBJ LESSON)


Time

10-15 minutes

Description

This Challenge teaches that God will help us get through difficult times and temptations.  He never leaves us alone when we suffer.  The lesson is made by sticking wooden skewers through balloons without popping them.

Scriptures

  • 1 Corinthians 10:13

 

Materials

  • Large balloons – 2-3 per person
  • Wooden skewers – 2-3 per person
  • Vegetable oil – 1 small container per group
  • Duct tape – 1 roll per group

 

Preparation

  • Practice doing the exercise.
  • Practice the script.

 

Procedure

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

  • “We’re going to do an object lesson today to learn how God helps us during difficult times.”
  • “Bad stuff even happens to Christians, but God will never leave you alone when you suffer.”
  • “I know that because 1 Corinthians 10:13 in the Bible says, ‘No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.’” (The Message)
  • “Let’s demonstrate this.”
  • “Okay, let’s say that you are one of the balloons in our kit.”
  • “Let’s blow it up, and tie it off.” (Help participants if they have trouble with this.  Don’t blow the balloons up fully.  You want there to be some thickness of the rubber at the nipple and at the place where you tied off the balloon.)
  • “Now, let’s say that one of those skewers is a bad thing or a temptation that’s about to happen to you.”
  • “What would happen if you put the skewer (the bad thing or temptation) through the balloon (the you)?” (Listen to responses.)
  • “Right! It’s going to pop us!”
  • “But I know a way that we can keep ourselves from being popped by these bad things and temptations.”
  • “When you face something bad, you need the covering of the Holy Spirit.”
  • “That’s God’s covering over your life, and it will protect you during bad times.”
  • “In the Bible, oil often represents the anointing of God. Let’s anoint this skewer so that it can be used by God.”  (Dip the skewers into the oil.  Then instruct them to insert them slowly into a balloon through the tie-off area and out the very top (the nipple).  These are the areas where the rubber of the balloon stretches the least, so they are more likely to receive the skewer without popping.  If the balloon pops, laugh nervously and grab another balloon – kids love it when things don’t go the way an adult plans them.)
  • “Look at that! God’s anointing was all it took!”
  • “You see, if God allows bad stuff to happen to us, He anoints it so that it ends up doing His work in our lives. God knows where you can handle the bad stuff, just like I knew just where the balloon could handle the skewer.”
  • “Now, sometimes, God allows bad stuff and temptations to happen to you, but he provides grace and strength for going through those things.”
  • “Let’s pretend that this duct tape represents God’s covering of grace and strength for us.” (Have everyone blow up new balloons.  Then, put pieces of duct tape across both the front and back sides of balloon.  Then, have them slowly twist and poke a skewer though – dry ones, not the ones with the oil.  You can repeat this several times for dramatic effect.)
  • “Sometimes during tough situations, you might feel like you could just burst.”
  • “But remember that God is with you during those times. Pray for His covering, and He will help you through them.”
  • (When you are finished, have them answer the Debrief Questions below (also on their Challenge Cards). The Rhyme Time is to help them recognize that God can cover them during times of temptation and testing.  They need to trust in Him for His protection.)

  

Debriefing Questions

  1. Why didn’t the balloons pop when the skewers went through them?
  2. How is this like how God protects us during times of suffering?
  3. If you have to go through a time of suffering in the future, how will you handle it?

 

Rhyme Time

God is there when it’s more than we can bear!

 

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July 4, 2011 · 9:58 pm

Joseph’s Journey


For summer camp this year, I’ve written ten Challenges (Bible activities for small groups and a leader to do together – sometimes in competition with other groups) and some large group lessons on the story of Joseph. They are all located on the Lesson and Material Downloads page (see the link at the top of the screen), and you can find them alphabetically in the list. They all start with the letters “JJ” for “Joseph’s Journey.”

Hope you can find some lessons that will be useful for you!

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August 4, 2010 · 9:34 am

Tapped In (OBJ LESSON)


Time

15-20 minutes
Description

This object lesson teaches that you need to stay connected to Jesus in order to have the power to live a godly life and produce the fruit of the Spirit.

Scriptures

  • John 7:37-39, 15:1-5
  • Galatians 5:22

Materials

  • Garden hose (long enough to reach your teaching area from the water spigot
  • Short garden hose (a hose reel leader hose works well)
  • Two quick connect adapters for the hose – need to have an automatic stopper so that the water doesn’t continue to flow after you disconnect it
  • Water nozzle (as small as you can find so that you can use it to fill water balloons)
  • Water supply that you can hook the hose to
  • Nine large balloons (purple is the best color for the lesson if you can find it – you may want to have extra balloons in case any pop or have a leak)
  • Posterboard – one sheet of any light color or white
  • Scissors
  • Tape
  • Permanent marker to label nine, small signs with the name of the nine fruits of the Spirit
  • Lanyard or twine
  • Clear, plastic tub to hold the balloons as they fill with water
  • Thin piece of plywood or piece of plastic or metal (4 ft long) with nine 3/4 in holes drilled in it about 5 inches apart and 5 inches from the end of either side of the board.  (You can often find a piece of metal that has pre-drilled holes in it that will work just fine near the shelving part of your local hardware store.)
  • Drill and ¾ inch drillbit (if you need to make the board mentioned above)
  • Nine, large washers with a ½ inch hold in the center (the washers must be big enough that they won’t fall out of the balloon once you put them in the opening)
  • Bible

Preparation

  • (SEE DIAGRAMS AT END OF LESSON)
  • Connect the hose to the water spigot.
  • Connect the quick connect adapter (the one with the automatic stopper) to the end of the hose, and turn on the water.  Use a steady stream of water but not full force – maybe about 1/4-1/2 turn.
  • Connect the short hose to the quick connect adapter at the end of the longer hose.
  • Connect the other quick connect adapter to the end of the short hose, and screw on the water nozzle.
  • Run the hose segments and the nozzle into the teaching area.
  • Make a large sign that says, “DISOBEDIENCE,” and put it on the lanyard/twine so that someone can wear it around their neck.
  • Ask a volunteer to be your “DISOBEDIENCE” volunteer and to be ready when you call them.  Give him/her the sign to wear when the time is right.
  • Put a washer in the opening of each balloon.
  • Push each balloon through one of the nine holes in your board.  The opening of the balloon and the washer should be on top of the hole with the rest of the balloon below the board.
  • Put the board with the balloons across the clear, plastic tub so that the balloons hang down into the tub.
  • Cut out nine, small rectangles from the posterboard (each about 4 in long and 2 in tall).
  • Write the nine fruits of the Spirit (Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control) on these.
  • Tape the signs to the bottom of the tub on the outside, facing the audience.  Each sign should be in front of a different balloon.
  • Practice

Procedure

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

  • “I’m going to show you why it is so important for you to stay close to God.”
  • “The night before Jesus was crucified, he said something very important to his closest disciples.”  (Have volunteer read John 15:1-5.)
  • “Jesus was making a comparison between His relationship with His disciples and a grapevine.”
  • “Jesus said that He is the grapevine.  That’s the thickest part of the plant that is rooted to the ground.”
  • “He said that the disciples are branches and that the branches hold the fruit.”
  • “We know from Galatians 5:22 that the fruit that Jesus is talking about is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (If the kids are not familiar with the fruit of the Spirit, you might want to take a moment to describe each one for them.)
  • “And He says that if we (as the branches) don’t stay connect to Him (the vine), we won’t have any of this fruit.”
  • “But….if we stay connected to Jesus, we will have LOTS of fruit.”  (Ask for a volunteer to come to the front, and allow him/her to help you in the following demonstration.)
  • “I don’t have a grapevine here today, and even if I did, we don’t have an entire season to watch the grapes grow on the vine.”
  • “So, instead of using a real grapevine, I’m going to use this hose, this nozzle and these balloons to demonstrate what Jesus is talking about.”  (Ask volunteer to hold the nozzle at the end of the hose.)
  • “Imagine that this hose represents Jesus as the vine.”
  • “Through Him comes a steady flow of living water, which the Bible tells us is the Holy Spirit according to John 7:39.”  (Turn on the nozzle (if it isn’t already) and have the volunteer point it into the tub.  Have another volunteer read John 7:37-39.)
  • “This nozzle represents us as the branches, and these nine balloons represent the fruit of the spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  They are like the grapes on the vine.”
  • “Now, the goal is to produce fruit and lots of it.”
  • “We produce fruit by filling the balloons with the water.  This is like the Holy Spirit flowing through us (the nozzle) to do the good works that the fruit represents.”  (Allow your volunteer to begin to fill one of the balloons.  Turn off the nozzle when the balloon is full enough that the water doesn’t come shooting back out the top – over half-way.)
  • “But by itself, this nozzle is pretty useless.  It has no water of its own to share.”
  • “We can’t connect just the nozzle to a balloon and fill it.”  (Disconnect the nozzle from the hose and give it to the volunteer.  Ask them to try to fill the balloons with just the nozzle.)
  • “That’s what it’s like if we try to do God’s work without God.”
  • “There is just no power in it.”
  • “So we have to stay connected to the hose if we want to have the power to do the work that God has given us to do.”  (Reconnect the nozzle, and let the volunteer continue filling the first balloon.  When it gets about full, start filling up another balloon.)
  • “What does it mean to be connected to the hose?  In other words, how can we stay connected to Jesus so that His Spirit flows through us and produces fruit?”
  • “There are two things we need to do in order to stay connected to the hose/to Jesus.”
  • “We need to spend time with God, and we need to obey God.”
  • “If we do these two things, we will stay connected to Jesus, and His power will flow through us and produce lots of fruit.”  (Allow volunteer to keep filling balloons slowly.  Don’t allow them to fill all the balloons before you finish the next part.)
  • “How can we spend time with God?”  (Listen to answers.  You are looking for things like, “Go to church, worship, praise, pray, read your Bible…”)
  • “Excellent! During those times, God will tell us what He wants us to do in our lives.”
  • “But spending time with Him is not enough.  We have to also do what He says.”
  • “Sometimes, we know what God wants us to do, but we don’t want to do it.”
  • “That’s called ‘DISOBEDIENCE’ (bring your “DISOBEDIENCE” volunteer forward), and it’s disconnecting the hose so that the living water won’t pass through.” (Have “DISOBEDIENCE” volunteer disconnect the hose so that the water stops.)
  • “Disobedience stops the flow of the living water coming through your nozzle.”
  • “Another word for ‘disobedience’ is ‘sin.’”
  • “Sin stops the flow of God’s power, which He sends through His Holy Spirit, through you.”
  • “But it’s easy to get the living water flowing again. What do you think you have to do?”  (Listen to responses.  You are looking for someone to say, “obey.”)
  • “That’s right!  Obey, and living water flows through you again to create more fruit.”  (Have “DISOBEDIENCE” volunteer reconnect hose, and allow volunteer to fill in the rest of the balloons.  Then dismiss the volunteer.)
  • “So what are the two things we need to do to stay connected to God?”  (Listen for the answers, “spend time with Him” and “obey Him.”)
  • “Fantastic! Let’s all go and produce lots of fruit!”


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Filed under Annointing, Daily walk, Fruit of the Spirit, Hands-on, Listening to God, Obedience, Object Lesson, sanctification, spiritual disciplines, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Health, Transformation

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August 3, 2010 · 2:45 pm

Contagious Contact (Obj Lesson)


Time

15-20 minutes

Description

This object lesson teaches that spending time with God can have a contagious impact on everyone around us.

Scriptures

  • Exodus 34:28-29

Materials

  • One large jar of gold glitter
  • A drop cloth or piece of fabric (about 4 feet long and 3 feet wide)
  • Bible

Preparation

  • Open the Bible up to the passage in Exodus, and sprinkle some gold glitter onto the page.
  • Open up the drop cloth or sheet, and sprinkle a large amount of glitter all around.
  • Carefully conceal the drop cloth / sheet or fold it up and put it aside.
  • Arrange for two helpers to come and help you open the sheet when you give the cue.

Procedure

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

  • “Here’s what happens when we spend time with God.”  (Ask for a volunteer to come to the front.)
  • “When you read your Bible or spend time in prayer or worship, a little bit of God rubs off on you.”  (Have the volunteer read Exodus 34:28-29 out loud.  It’s okay if he/she has to move some of the glitter out of the way in order to read the passage.)
  • “Moses spent 40 days on the top of a mountain in the presence of God, and when he came back down, his face glowed with the glory of God.”
  • “When you spend time with God, your face may not actually glow, but God’s glory still shines through you.”  (Have volunteer put his/her fingertips into the gold glitter and then touch his/her face.)
  • “Then, as you go out and live your life, everyone you come in contact with gets a little bit of contact with the glory of God.” (Have the volunteer go into the audience and shake hands with a few people and then return.)
  • Now, if you spend time with God every day, a lot of His glory is going to rub off on you.” (Have volunteer put his/her entire hands into the glitter and then touch his/her face.)
  • “Now when you go out and live your life, you’re going to really bless people with the glory of God.  Their lives will be better, because they had contact with you after you had spent time with God.”  (Have volunteer go out and shake hands with different people this time and then return.)
  • “But what if, like Moses, you spent a lot of time praising and worshipping God, praying to Him and reading His Word?”
  • “What would that look like?”
  • “I think it would look a little like this.”  (Have the two helpers you selected before your lesson come and lay out the drop cloth or sheet with glitter on it.  Then, have your volunteer lay down on it and roll around a few times.  When they are pretty well covered in glitter, have them go around hugging people.)
  • “The more time we spend with God each day, the more we will be able to share His glory with those we come in contact with.”
  • “As Christians, we should always leave people, places and things better than they were when we found them.”

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Filed under Annointing, Bible study, blessing, Christianity, Daily walk, Great Commission, light, Light of the world, Love, Moses, Object Lesson, prayer, Relationships, sanctification, Shekinah Glory, spiritual disciplines, Testimony, Transformation, Veil, Witness

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