Use Object Lessons to . . .

• Visualize the Story — Lessons from the Wise and Foolish

Material: casserole dish, a flat medium-size rock, two Styrofoam cups, mud, water

Verses: Matthew 7:24-27

Lesson: Read the passage and then ask the audience why they think the foolish man’s house fell. If speaking to an older audience, have them relate the storm in the passage to the “storms” they may face at school, at home, with friends, at work, and within themselves. Ask why a foundation needs to be strong. Illustrate it by placing a mound of dirt and a rock inside a casserole dish. Place a cup on each foundation. Pour water into the casserole dish and watch the cup on the dirt fall over. End your discussion by asking them how they can incorporate a strong foundation in their lives.

• Understand a Difficult Doctrine — The Blessings of Giving

Material: lots of pennies, 8½ x 11 sheet of paper, scissors

Verses: Luke 6:38; Proverbs 19:17

Lesson: Begin with how God loves a cheerful giver. Ask the audience how they could be cheerful if they had to give away things. Ask them if they would like some money. Hand out pennies to several people in the audience. Not everyone will get one, but this is okay. Then have those that received a penny give it to someone else who does not have a penny. This will most likely be difficult to do (especially with a younger audience), but God tells us that we need to give as it has been given to us, and the Lord will give us more. In simplest of terms, when we give, we receive more in return. You then show them the corner-cutting illustration (ask the audience how many corners are on the paper and then cut a corner and ask them how many corners are now on the sheet of paper because each time we cut a corner we create two more corners). Ask the audience to list things that God has given them. Try to direct them to kindness, forgiveness, peace, joy, love, goodness, etc., as well as the material things God has given. Then ask them how they plan to give to others what has been given to them.

Lesson idea came from Donald Burns

• Grasp a Biblical Principle or Truth — The Importance of Our Words

Material: a tube of toothpaste, small dessert dish

Verses: Psalm 19:14; Proverbs 10:19, 12:18, 15:1, 18:4, 8; James 3:2-12; Ephesians 4:29

Lesson: Begin with the tube of toothpaste. Tell the audience to be sure that they watch very carefully. Squeeze out the entire tube of toothpaste onto the plate. Ask for a helper. Ask the helper to put all of the toothpaste back into the tube and then say, “What do you mean you can’t put it back in the tube? It is nearly impossible to put the toothpaste back into the tube. Did you know, ladies, that our words are just like this toothpaste? When we choose to speak to others, we can’t take back those words; so we need to be very careful not to use hurtful or lying words. The Lord says He loves pure words. How can we be sure that what we say is pleasing to the Lord and not words we wish we could take back?” Psalm 119:9-11 is another verse that can aid in the application of this lesson. Psalm 141:3 brings in the “cap” of the tube.

Lesson idea came from Charles Kirkpatrick