Object Lesson: Hearing God thorugh the noise

Here is a great object lesson to talk about listening to God in a busy world. This can be done with the story of Samuel mistaking God's voice for Eli 3 times or keeping God first above all else.

Objects needed: duffel bag, 2 Cell phones, a towel and some popular objects that represent things kid do such as books for school, clothes for fashion, cds for music, video games, basketballs/footballs/softballs for sports.

Lesson:

(Begin with the bag on the ground and all the objects either laying behind you, out and about on stage or hidden behind something.)

You know we live in a busy world today and because we stay so busy it can be kind of hard to stop and listen to what God is trying to tell us. So lets pretend that this cell phone represents God (hold up 1 cell phone) and when it rings that is Him trying to tell us something. Now this phone is on loud so when it rings we should hear it (show a kid or two it is as loud as it goes). We are going to put the phone into the bag which represents our life because obviously we want God to be part of our life but that means we have to spend time with Him. (To really drive home to the point have a towel placed in the bag before hand and wrap the phone in towel as you place it in). But God isn't the only thing in our busy life right? Lets see what are some things you do everyday?

1. What about school? Yes for a big part of the year ya'll go to school for 8 hours a day so lets put some books into the bag to represent school.

2. Oh, and clothes! We all wear clothes of course but some people really love to have the coolest newest clothes so they are always watching what is popular to wear.

3. A lot of us like sports too right. So lets put in some basketballs, and footballs because maybe we are consumed with sports or our favorite sports team and that is all we do and think about constantly because we just love it so much.

4. Then we have music and video games because a lot of people listen to music and play video games.

5. Of course we probably can include some friends in here but it'd be kind of hard to fit a person so lets just pretend.

(by now the bag should be full and barely be able to close)

So I think that we have put just about everything we can into our life, its pretty full so lets close up this bag. (now pull out the other cell phone) So obviously there is a lot in our life but lets see how well we can hear that phone ring. (call the other phone it should be a very faint ring if at all).

We could barely hear that phone right and only when we got really still and quiet could we hear the ring. Now think of our lives and if we let all these things take importance in our lives how hard it will be for us to hear God too. Not that these things are bad, we need to go to school and sports are fun and help us stay healthy and video games are even fun but we can't let them become more important that God and drown Him out.

Journey Off the Map

It is that time of year again. VBS is just around the corner. Children's ministers and VBS directors are scrambling to get those last minute volunteers to sign up and help out with what is probably one of the greatest outreach opportunities for the church throughout the year. Decorations are being made so the church looks awesome. Snacks and crafts are being ordered in bulk to make sure that everyone has enough supplies. I encourage you to take a quick break though and look at what VBS is all about. That's right for just one second take a break, put down the volunteer recruiter sheet or supplies request list that is in your hand and think about VBS as a whole, not just the workers or stuff you need.

The Message

Of course every year Lifeway seems to come out with an awesome, amazing, and exciting theme for the week. This year is no different as kids will Journey Off the Map in search for God and the amazing truths in His word. This message is great for kids because in order to meet Christ we have to come to know and have faith where we didn't before. We have to come to the realization that Jesus is God's son, who paid the price for our sins. Which means we journeyed into unknown or uncharted territory.

Throughout the course of the week kids will go through stories of Jesus and his ministry, death, burial, and Resurrection. But they will also spend time in Daniel looking into the life of people, who were not much older than them when they made amazing stands for God. This is a driving home point to utilize in showing the kids (especially preteens) that they don't have to wait to become adults to follow God.

The Week

What an important week this is! Hopefully you will see kids come through the doors of your church that never would have otherwise. Family Night might bring not just kids but their parents as well. And this is the time you have to try to reach or connect with them. Don't take that time for granted. Instead be mindful and intentional with the opportunity your church has been given. If you haven't already begin praying for the kids and their families, who will take part in your VBS. Also remember that while now is the planning stage. The week of should be all about relationships. Building relationships with kids, their parents, and your community as a whole.

Now that you've thought about some aspects of VBS as a whole, take a moment to pray then pick that volunteer sheet back up and get ready for what is probably going to be an amazing week.