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» The Descent of Man
1
"Sin Brings Bad Results"
Items Needed: A roll of Mentos mints
2-liter bottle of diet soda (diet or regular soda will work, but diet soda is not as sticky)
Piece of paper (to use to drop the mints into the bottle)
Go to www.stevespanglerscience.com to see it done. (This activity is best done outside in the middle of a huge lawn.)
- Carefully open the bottle of soda. Position the bottle on the ground so that it will not tip over.
- Unwrap the whole roll of Mentos. The goal is to drop all of the Mentos into the bottle of soda at the same time (which is trickier than it looks). One method for doing this is to roll a piece of paper into a tube just big enough to hold the loose Mentos. You'll want to be able to position the tube directly over the mouth of the bottle so all of the candies drop into the bottle at the same time.
- Don't drop them into the bottle just yet! Warn the spectators to stand back. Drop all of the Mentos into the bottle at the same time and then get out of the way.
Say something like this:
If we were to do this experiment again, what do you think would happen? (The soda would squirt up like it did the last time.)
Why? (Because of the physical and chemical reactions between the soda and the Mentos; for more details, read the explanation on Steve Spangler’s website)
Just as there are physical laws in the universe, there are spiritual laws. One of these is that sin brings bad results. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden, bad things happened. They had to leave the garden and suffer punishment for their sin.
What are some of the bad results that can happen as a result of sin? (guilt, pain, suffering, thorns and weeds, prayers unanswered, death, no peace inside, separation from God)
2
Sin Isn't So Sweet
After dinner, read or tell the following scenario to your kids and discuss the bad results that might happen.
When Marc and his mom were at the grocery store, he asked his mom, “Can I have a candy bar?” His mom said, “No.” Marc really wanted one, so when his mom wasn’t looking, he took a Snickers bar and put it into his pocket.
Ask:
What bad results could happen from Marc stealing the candy bar? (the store manager could catch him stealing and call the police; his mom could see him take it and make him confess to the manager and give it back; his parents might punish him at home; he would feel guilty, etc.)
What if no one caught Marc stealing the candy bar? (There would still be bad results. He would feel guilty; he might think that he could get away with stealing and do it again; he would feel bad inside and not as close to God)
Sin always brings bad results!
3
HOOKED
Take your child fishing or show him or her some fishing lures.
Why does a fisherman put a lure on his fishing rod? (To capture the fish’s attention so it bites the hook)
Sin sometimes looks good and we are tempted to give in, then we are hooked.
Do you think the fruit looked good to Eve? The Bible says that when Eve saw that the tree was good for food, it was pleasant to the eyes; when she was told it would make one wise, she ate the fruit.
We are tempted when we want things so badly that we disobey God to get them.
What are some sins that might look fun, but are really just a lure to hurt people? (Drugs, alcohol, gambling, etc.)
People who are addicted to drugs probably didn’t realize how badly they would be hooked by sin. It may look like it is fun to sin, but sin always brings bad results. Don’t give in to the lure of sin.
Optional: If you don’t go fishing or have a lure, tell a story about a feisty fish who was warned by his momma, but didn’t listen and got caught because the lure caught his eye.
