Object Lesson | Have It On The Inside!

Source (Where I saw it): Original

Supplies: A camera or phone camera

Preparation: None

The object lesson & how I used it...

Main Point: We need to internalize God’s word!

Illustration: Come to the front and show the boys and girls the camera.  Ask them if they know what it is.  Then ask them what the use of a camera is.  Now tell them you are going to take a picture.  The first time explain to them you click the button, there is a flash and the picture is captured so you can look at it later.  Then goo around the room and just point it at people but don’t click the button.  Now look in the camera and wonder out loud that none of the pictures you took are stored in there.  The kids will probably say you didn’t push the button to make them save.

Explanation:  Explain that a camera is a great thing to recall information and moments in time, but if we don’t actual push the button and let the image store on the inside, then we make the camera obsolete and useless.  Sadly that’s what a lot of us do with the Bible and God’s word.  We carry it around with us, but never internalize it.  If we don’t let it be stored on the inside then when we need it it won’t be there!  We need to hide God’s word in our heart!

Object Lesson | Who Do You Affect?

Source (Where I saw it): Original

Supplies: Glass of water, food coloring

Preparation: Fill a glass with water

The object lesson & how I used it...

Main Point: We affect more people than we realize.

Illustration: Come to the front and show the boys and girls the glass of water.  Explain that this glass of water represents all the people you know and come in contact with.  Friends, family, neighbors, people at school, etc.  All those people you affect in some way.  Drop one small drop of food coloring in the glass.  You see boys and girls, all of us have an affect on the others around us in some way.

Explanation:  Now when we decide to go like Jesus did, we can impact people in a great way!  Drop a bunch more food coloring in and shake a little.  When we allow God to use us, and we start sharing the love that God has, we can make a huge impact in the people around us.  If everyone trusts God to use them, and we all affect the people around us, we can change the world for God.  We don’t have to do it alone!  It starts with those around us.

Object Lesson | Blind Catch

Source (Where I saw it): Original

Supplies: A soft lightweight ball, blindfold

Preparation: None

The object lesson & how I used it...

Main Point: Vision is important!

Illustration: Come to the front and show the boys and girls the ball.  Ask the kids who thinks they can catch the ball.  Choose a volunteer (one that won’t be easily embarrassed) and have them come up to the front.  Throw the ball a few times back and forth and show that they can catch the ball.  Now reveal the blindfold and blindfold the volunteer.  At this point start talking about how vision is important.  We use our eyes for just about everything we do.  Vision is really important!  As you talk about this stuff throw the ball toward the volunteer.  It is very unlikely they will catch the ball, especially if you surprise them with it.

Explanation:  You see boys and girls, our physical vision is really important, but more than that we need vision for our lives!  God helps gives us vision on where we need to go and what we need to do.  It is like having a plan or direction for our life.  Just like this volunteer kept dropping the ball when they were blindfolded, we can drop the ball in our life when we don’t open our eyes to what God has for us!

Object Lesson | Puzzles

Source (Where I saw it): Original (This went along with the story of David and Goliath)

Supplies: Puzzle

Preparation: I used this as a challenge to kids and parents in a service, and actually passed out puzzles to each family.

The object lesson & how I used it...

Main Point: Don’t let fear stop what God wants to do in you!

Illustration: Come to the front and show the kids the puzzle.  Ask a few people how they attack a puzzle.  Is it from the corners in, or maybe somewhere in the middle, or something else?  Everyone has a certain way they attack a puzzle.  Surprisingly no one said they try and conquer a puzzle by hiding under the table.  Would anything get done that way?

Explanation:  Of course not!  In our lives their will always be puzzles, there will always be problems and issues that come our way, and we can’t let fear stop us from moving forward.  We need to be able to trust God and cast away any fear about any situation.  Whether it is a test that is coming up, or the dark, or losing a job, or where the next rent payment is coming from, when we dwell on our fears we are frozen.  Much like the Israelites where frozen in fear when faced with the puzzle of Goliath.  David said no way!  With God on my side no puzzle will stop me from accomplishing what God has for me!  In fact David had told King Saul that God had delivered him from a bear and lion already so Goliath isn’t anything.  As we grow and trust God it’s like starting out with an easy puzzle and working our way up.  The more we trust God the more we push the puzzles of life out of the way.  As we pray, I want one representative of each family to raise their hand.  As you raise your hand a leader is going to come and hand you a puzzle and a sheet with a family devotion on it.  This week, I challenge you to sit down with your family with no electronics on, and work on this puzzle together.  While you work on the puzzle talk about the fears each person has and talk about how God can help with that, then pray with each other!

Object Lesson | Fear Pushes God Out

Source (Where I saw it): Original (This went along with the story of David and Goliath)

Supplies: Glass of water, sand, bowl/pan/something to catch water

Preparation: Fill a glass with water and place it in a pan or something to catch the water that will fall out

The object lesson & how I used it...

Main Point: Don’t let fear stop what God wants to do in you!

Illustration: Come to the front and show the kids the glass of water.  Explain that God wants all of us, and when we give ourselves to Him we are able to see all the great things He has planned for us.  Sometimes though either life, or sometimes even the plan God has for us can be scary.  David must have been a little scared when he fought Goliath!  But just like David we can’t let fear stop us from allowing God have all of us.  Then pour some of the sand in the glass.  

Explanation:  At this point some of the water will be pushed up and out of the glass.  When we let fear stop us and fill us we are missing out on what God wanted for us.  The Israelites where satisfied just living in fear of Goliath and were missing out on what God had for them.  David refused to let fear push out what God had for his life!  In our life, whatever our fear is, we can’t allow that to fill our life.  We need to trust that God is bigger than our fears, and has a plan that is greater for our lives.