God's Forgiveness
This Object Talk demonstrates the power of God's forgiveness of our sins through Christ, and how the Holy Spirit can melt away the barriers that keeps us from Him.
TOPICS:Forgiveness, Holy Spirit, Salvation, Trust MATERIALS:Small glass or cup DURATION:Approximately 5 minutes |
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PREPARATION
Assembly can be done during the Object Talk. You may wish to take a few practice runs.
WHAT YOU WILL DO:
Separate the 2-ply bathroom tissue into two thin squares. Some 2-ply facial tissue also works well. Separate and take one square, place it over the opening of the glass and secure it with the rubber band, forming something like a drum. Then place three nickels on the tissue near the center. Take approx. 1 ml water from the dropper and wet the tissue just around and next to the nickels. After a while, about 30 - 60 seconds, the tissue will break and the nickels will fall into the cup.
WHAT YOU WILL SAY:
God wants us to be His children and live close to Him. This cup represents God, so for this example, being in the cup would be very close to God. However, sin and fear keeps us from being with Him. This tissue will represent sin and fear. (Place one square of tissue paper over the top of the cup and fasten with the rubber band.)
These nickels represent us and the way in which sin and fear separates us from God. (Call the nickels by the names of different class members for effect.)
God wants us to trust Him, so the Holy Spirit helps us to know and trust God. (Empty water from the dropper) This water represents the Holy Spirit.
Trusting in God means believing in Him, and receiving his gift of life as in John 3:16, which says, "For God so loved the world, He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life." When we listen to the Holy Spirit and ask for forgiveness in our hearts, because of what Jesus did on the cross, God will forgive us and we can live forever with Him. Sometimes this happens when we are young, sometimes when we are older, but if we put our trust in God, and listen to the Holy Spirit, it will happen.
(Wait a little longer if necessary for the nickels to drop into the cup.)