Guided in Truth

Children have fun trying to duplicate a pattern of blocks hearing only verbal commands. The unseen Holy Spirit guides us in truth, if only we listen. 

TOPICS: Cooperation, Guidance, Holy Spirit, Listening MATERIALS: Identical sets of colorful blocks DURATION: Approximately 15 minutes

PREPARATION:

Form two teams, "A" and "B". Have each team sit back to back with a table in front of them. Give each team an identical set of colorful building blocks.

WHAT YOU WILL DO:

The object is for the members of one team to create a design using their blocks, and the other team duplicating that design exactly but without looking.

Taking turns, one member of team "A" places a block on the table, and tells team "B" how to do just as he or she had done. You can have team "B" work together, or take turns having one member of team "B" attempt to duplicate the block. After all of the blocks are placed, the teams compare and talk about what went wrong.

Then switch sides, and let team "A" attempt to duplicate the design created by team "B". The children will no doubt get better at listening and knowing what to do. So, to improve the children's problem solving skills, and add to the fun, here are ways to make it a little harder:

Tell the children they can only give the commands as before, but this time they can not say any "color words" (Red, blue, green, etc.) They must find creative ways to convey the idea of the color without actually saying it's name. For example: "Take the block that is the color of grass."

For older children, you can also take away shape words, (square, triangle, circle, etc.) They must find creative ways to convey the shape of the block they are using.

Finally, you can take away position words, (up, down, front, back, etc.)

WHAT YOU WILL SAY:

When we don't have all of the information about something, it can be hard to do what is expected. How hard would it be to build a house without a visual plan? However, when we allow the Holy Spirit to be the eyes of our heart, he will tell us everything we must do. The Bible says, "When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come." John 16:13