He Holds The Future Group
Group Activities

Sermon Title: "He Holds the Future"

Scripture Reading: Luke 19:5-19

BALLOON POPPING GAME: A fun activity that helps to reinforce the truths taught in this lesson. CLICK HERE for instructions and all of the materials needed to play the game. (Except for the balloons!)

HOT POTATO: Fill a sack with slips of paper of ways that people can be deceived (such as by the TV, newspaper, teachers, friends, books, billboards, etc). Children will sit in a circle and pass the sack around while someone plays music. When the music stops, the one holding the sack takes a question out of the sack, reads it and answers a question from the teacher if desired. Continue until everyone has a chance to answer at least one question or to read one slip of paper.

BEAN BAG TOSS: The teacher sits in the front of the room and tosses the bean bag to a child. The teacher will try to "deceive" the child and act like the bean bag will be tossed to a child that the teacher is "LOOKING" at but the teacher will deceive and throw it in another direction. Tell children to stay ALERT so they won't be deceived and drop the bean bag. If time allows and the teacher would like to, children can take turns doing the same tossing from the front chair.

SIMON SAYS: Let children play the game of SIMON SAYS and tell children NOT to be "deceived" as a leader named SIMON will tell the children things to do. IF "SIMON" doesn't say, then the children remain still but if SIMON says to do it, then the children will do as told, such as SIMON SAYS TO JUMP 3 TIMES, or SIMON SAYS TO TAKE THREE STEPS FORWARD...or HOP 4 TIMES (oh oh SIMON didn't say to), so if a child is "deceived" and hops, then he will sit out on the side lines. Play for as long as time allows.

MOBILE LEAVES: Give children supplies to make a mobile with leaves hanging down from the "mobile hanger" that will have words from today's Bible lesson — such as BE READY, DON'T BE DECEIVED, FOLLOW JESUS, etc. Children can cut out traced leaves of FALL colors and hang by orange or brown yarn.

FUTURE IN HAND: Children can trace their hand as it lays sideways on the construction paper or just draw a hand to look like it is holding something. Give children cut out letters to stick on the hand to write FUTURE.... or children can draw fancy large letters to say FUTURE. Tell children to remember that our FUTURE is in GOD's hand.

LOOPS NECKLACE: Give children strips of construction paper. Children will make one loop by gluing two ends together. Make another loop and hook it inside the first loop and continue to make a loop chain until the loop necklace can fit over the child's head to wear as a necklace. Tell children that each loop can stand for a way that we can be deceived if we don't follow Jesus, OR each loop can represent all the ways that Jesus watches over us to keep us from being deceived. For older children, if the teacher desires, there can be different colors to represent different types of deception, such as one color for being deceived by friends, or a color for deception of family, or TV, etc.

FORTUNE COOKIES: If time and space allows, children can make their own cookies with a message slip of paper inside, of their choice. (Directions for fortune cookies can be found on line). If this is not workable, then children can write a "fortune" slip of paper and place inside a cookie that they have made from two round pieces of construction paper taped together. Children can decorate their paper cookie with dots for chocolate chips, etc and can write FOLLOW JESUS on the cookie and decorate the edges.

FAITH AND TRUST BALLOON BOPPING: Divide the class into two groups and each group will get 2 balloons to blow up and when the game starts, children have to BOP the balloons, working together to keep FAITH and TRUST from falling down. If one of the balloons touches the floor, the team gets a point against them as being "deceived". Continue as time allows and see which team has the fewest points of being deceived and keeping FAITH and TRUST up off the floor!

SHARE A SNACK: Give children banana slices and raisins and a paper plate. Children can form the bananas into a smile or frown to tell a part of today's lesson such as... happy face because I trust in Jesus, or I have a sad face when I am deceived. Children can then put a raisin in the middle of each banana slice if desired. Children could also be given life saver candies to form into a smile or frown, as well.

SING A SONG: O Be Careful Little Eyes What You See; He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

Song:  "O Be Careful Little Eyes"

Words and Music (pdf)

MP3 Accompaniment Track

Song: "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands"

Words and Music (pdf)

MP3 Accompaniment Track