How important is it for kids to choose the right friends? Since you work with children you probably know the answer. It’s hugely important! Now matter how strong a leader a child is, he or she can and will be influenced by their friends. That’s why we need to talk about choosing friends using the Bible as our guide. Since this object lesson calls for using food coloring it’s perfect for before or after Easter when you have plenty on hand. You ready?
Here are the verses I use to begin a conversation about the topic of choosing friends.
- The righteous is a guide to his neighbor, But the way of the wicked leads them astray. Proverbs 12:26
- He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm. Proverbs 13:20
- Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” 1 Corinthians 15:33
Prepare to Teach
You will need food coloring dye, four bowls of water and cooked spiral pasta. Arrange the bowls on a garbage bag or tablecloth. Add water to each bowl and drop in three to four drops of water. Put a few pieces of pasta in each bowl. Keep the rest to the side.
Let’s Teach
As always, before I get into the nitty-gritty of teaching, I present a verse–sometimes several verses that illustrate the point I am trying to make. There are so many fun ways to get kids involved with Bible reading. Ask kids to read one word at a time, each child reading a different word, or have them read in unison but in a funny way. One of our favorite ways to read the verse, after we’ve read it normally is to read it “underwater.” That’s simply rubbing your fingers across your lips as you read. Invite children to stand around the teaching table and to look, not touch. (Food dye stains clothing and skin.)
Say, “As you can see, boys and girls, I have some pasta in water here. See how some are red, some are blue, some are yellow and some are green? That’s because each bowl of water has some dye in it. What you probably also noticed that the red pasta is in the red water bowl and the blue pasta is in the blue water bowl. There are no red pastas in the green dish, nor is there any blue pasta in the yellow dish. Whatever water the pasta is in, that’s the color the pasta becomes.
That’s kind of like friends. Did you know that we become like the people we hang around? It’s true! (Add some more pasta to the bowls and watch as they began take on the color of the water.) Remember the verses we read? Bad company corrupts good morals. That means if you are friends with the wrong people they will influence you to do bad things. It is so important to have friends that love God and respect his laws and commandments. That’s one way to make sure we do right–by hanging around people who love God.
It is true that people make mistakes and sometimes we can show people the right way, God’s way. Other times you have to know when to say goodbye. Pray about your friends. Ask God if you have the right ones.
Read more from Mimi by following her blog at Tools for Kids Church.
Thanks for sharing ideas that can be re used without plagiarism.