Splink
» Power
1
DO NOT OPEN!
Item Needed: box with sign on top that says, "Do not open."
To introduce the concept of temptation, place the box where the kids will see it, but don't say anything about it. Watch to see if they will open it. After leaving it there for a while, ask:
Did you see the box and the sign?
Were you tempted to open it? (If they opened it, ask, "Why did you open it?")
Were you tempted to open it? (If they opened it, ask, "Why did you open it?")
Explain that it was not wrong to want to open it (to be tempted), but it was wrong to disobey the command written on top.
God gives us some commands/rules in the Bible (starting with the Ten Commandments). Breaking God's rules is called sin. We are tempted to break His rules (you might want to review the Ten Commandments—Exodus 20:1-17), but God can help us win over sin and do what is right.
2
Run Away
Do a simple experiment to introduce the idea of running away from sin.
Items needed:
Bowl (cereal bowl is fine) with water covering the bottom
Pepper
Liquid dishwashing detergent
Toothpick or matchstick
- Sprinkle some pepper over the water.
- Dip the toothpick into the detergent and place a drop of detergent in the middle of the water.
- What does the pepper do? (Runs away)
Why does the pepper run away?
FYI: Water molecules are strongly attracted to each other, which creates surface tension. This is what allowed the pepper to float on top of the water. When you put the detergent in the water, it makes the surface tension weak. The water’s surface tension is stronger than the detergent’s surface tension, so the water pulls away from the soap and carries the pepper with it.
Just like the pepper “ran away” from the detergent, Christians should “run away” from sin. First Thessalonians 5:22 says, Stay away from every kind of evil (NLT).
Ask:
What are some ways you can stay away from evil?
What are some ways you can stay away from evil?
If someone asks you to do something you know is not right, what can you do?
3
Our Shield and Our Defense
Items Needed: scrap paper (newspaper, old magazine, etc.)
Large shield (garbage can lid, plastic bin lid, piece of poster board)
Make paper balls from the scrap paper. Ask a volunteer to stand on the opposite side of a marked line and be the "target." Have the others throw the paper balls to see how many times they can hit the "target" in one minute. Then give the "shield" to the person who is the target and let the others throw the paper balls for another minute to see if holding the shield helps. (Take turns letting different kids be the target; they will probably all want a turn.)
Ask:
How did having the shield help you? (It protected me from getting hit as much)
How did having the shield help you? (It protected me from getting hit as much)
Jesus quoted the Bible to Satan when Satan tempted Him to sin. Knowing the Bible can help us win over sin.
Read Ephesians 6:10-17. These verses talk about putting on the armor of God to help us win over sin. The armor is not real armor we can see, but things that can help us not give in to the temptation to sin. When we believe in God and His Word, the Bible, we can be protected from Satan's arrows.
For example: The devil wants you to doubt that God loves you, especially when bad things happen. Instead of giving in to wrong thinking, we can remember what God says; I have loved you with an everlasting (never-ending) love" (Jeremiah 31:3). Instead of doubting God's love, we can know that God loves us no matter what happens.
If kids are having trouble with a specific sin, look up the verse, write it on an index card, post it by the bed, and say it every night until it is memorized. Pray each night and ask God for help you win over this sin.
4
About to POP!
Items Needed: 2 balloons
Water
A lit candle
Students using the D6 curriculum learned about Joseph and many of the hard things he endured. Over and over, it says “God was with Joseph.”
Do the following experiment to start conversation about God’s presence in us, which can help us stay faithful through hard times.
Ask:
What do you want to do when bad things happen? (Get angry, feel sad, cry, etc.)
What do you want to do when bad things happen? (Get angry, feel sad, cry, etc.)
Do you feel like you will just explode?
Blow up a balloon and tie it. Hold it over the lit candle. POP! The balloon explodes!
Now take another balloon, and fill it halfway with water. Blow it up and hold it over the candle.
What do you think will happen? Will it explode, splashing water everywhere?
Continue holding the balloon over the candle (It won't break. WHY? The water in the balloon absorbs the heat from the candle. The balloon conducts heat very well, so the candle flame transfers heat to the water without harming the balloon.)
When we become Christians, God sends His Spirit to live in us. He will help us handle the hard things that happen. He will keep us from getting bitter when things aren't fair. He will keep us from exploding! Just as God was with Joseph and helped him, He will be with us and help us!
Ask:
What were some of the hard things Joseph went through? (His mother died, his brothers hated and wanted to kill him, he was sold as a slave, he was wrongfully put in prison)
What were some of the hard things Joseph went through? (His mother died, his brothers hated and wanted to kill him, he was sold as a slave, he was wrongfully put in prison)
Did Joseph become hateful or bitter? No! Why not? The Bible says that God was with Joseph, every step of the way. We must not think that bad things will never happen to us if we love God. Bad things that happen do not mean God doesn't love us or that He isn't strong enough to do something. Trouble and hard times are a part of living in this world. It wasn't God's fault that Joseph's brothers did wrong. It wasn't God's fault that Potiphar's wife lied so he was wrongly thrown into prison.
Being a Christian means that God is with us every day; in fact, He has promised to NEVER leave us. And best of all, He has promised to take those bad things and make something good out of them. The bad things that happened are not good, but God is so powerful that He can turn things around and work good out of them.
5
Rocky Road
Before prayer at bedtime, ask your child:
Are you going through a difficult situation?
Are you going through a difficult situation?
Are you having a hard time doing the right thing?
Do you need God's help?
Share with your kids about a hard time you had (a temptation that God helped you overcome, a trial where you felt distant from God, a time of need when you wondered if God was going to help you). Share with them what helped you get through it.
Pray for your child and then give him or her a big hug!
6
Lean on Me
Ask kids to see who can stand on one foot the longest. (Time them.)
Ask them to pair up and try it again with one person helping to support the other when he gets tired or off balanced. (Time them again.)
Ask:
Which way was it easiest? By yourself or with help?
Why was it easier to stand longer with someone supporting you?
Why was it easier to stand longer with someone supporting you?
How could we transfer this idea to living as a Christ follower?
Would it be easier if we did it alone or if we had others supporting and helping us?
What are some ways we can help one another? (Praying for each other, listening to each other’s problems, spending time with each other, encouraging one another with truth from the Bible, etc.)
