Category Archives: Speaking

 

Time

30-35 minutes

 

Description

This game teaches that it is important to think before we speak.

 

Materials

·      Game Cards – available at the end of this lesson (there are enough cards for a group of six to play three, full rounds (with a few extras), so you may need to divide groups larger than six into smaller groups and give each the identical game cards)

·      Watch or clock with a second hand or a sixty-second timer for each group

·      Paper and something to write with in order to keep score for each team

·      Prizes for winners (optional)

 

Preparation

·      Print out and cut out the game cards

·      Make any additional game cards that you might want to include

·      Organize the cards into identical stacks (one for each group)

·      Pass out paper and writing instrument to each table or group

·      Practice the script.

 

Procedure

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

·      “We’re going to play a game today to help us to remember that we need to be careful what we say.”

·      “The Bible has many verses that tell us to be careful about our words and what comes out of our mouth.  Let’s read a few.”  (Ask volunteers to read the following verses, or select some of your own:

o        Proverbs 10:14 (Speaking too much can get you into trouble.)

o        Proverbs 10:19 (Speaking too many words lead to sin.)

o        Proverbs 10:31 (A perverse tongue is cut out.)

o        Proverbs 11:9 (The godless do harm to others with their mouth.)

o        Proverbs 12:18 (Words can hurt those around us.)

o        Proverbs 18:6 (Foolish people invite trouble when they speak.)

o        Proverbs 18:7 (A fool sets a trap for himself by what he says.)

o        Proverbs 26:7 (A fool’s mouth is useless to him.)

·      “And that’s just a few of the verses about watching what we say!  Our mouths can get us into a lot of trouble!”

·      “So, here’s how the game is played.” (Separate participants into groups if you have more than six participants.)

·      “First, we need a volunteer in each group to keep score.  Can I get some volunteers?”  (Make sure every group has someone to keep score and have them create a score sheet with the names of all the group members across the top of the page and columns for recording points.  Also appoint a timekeeper for each group.  Each round should last no more than sixty seconds.)

·      “Okay, each group (if you have groups) will get a stack of cards.  Be sure to keep them face down so that you can’t see them.”  (Hand out cards.)

·      “Each group member will take a turn drawing a card from the deck and reading it.”

·      “The cards have a word or phrase at the top of the card and some words commonly related to that word or phrase under it.”

·      “Then, he or she must give clues to the group to try to get them to guess the word or phrase at the top of the card.”

·      “The trick is that he or she cannot use any of the words on the card – not the word or phrase at the top of the card and not the commonly related words under it.”

·      “Also, he or she cannot use any form of the words or any gestures or body language of any kind.”

·      “To hold that person accountable, they have to show their card to the person on their right, but they shouldn’t show it to anyone else.”

·      “If the person on their right hears them use any of the words on the card or sees them do a gesture or body movement that might give away the word or phrase, he or she should stop the round and indicate which word was used.”

·      “The person on the right then gets a point, and the scorekeeper for the group should mark one point under that person’s name.”

·      “If, however, the person whose turn it is successfully gets someone to guess the word or phrase, then both the person whose turn it is and the person who guessed the word or phrase get a point.”

·      “The person with the most points after everyone takes three turns will be the winner.”

·      “Does anyone have any questions?”  (Answer any questions, and run a practice round if you think it will be helpful.  After that, begin the game, and allow each person in each group to have three turns.  Have someone at the table watch the time so that they can signal when time is up.  Then have the scorekeepers calculate the totals, and announce the winners.  Award prizes if you want, then have each group work through the debrief questions listed below.)

 

Debrief Questions

·       “How difficult was it for you to avoid using the words on the cards?”

·       “Do you struggle with any of the following temptations related to what we say?

o   Gossiping / Telling rumors

o   Lying

o   Making promises you can’t keep

o   Swearing

o   Taking the Lord’s name in vain

o   Nagging

o   Being critical of others

o   Discouraging others

o   Dominating conversations

o   Exaggerating

o   Blaming

o   Saying “yes” when you should really say “no”

o   Bragging

o   Being unkind

·       “What other temptations of the mouth can you think of?”

·       “What can you do to prevent giving in to these temptations in the future?”