Speaking to Inner-City Kids and Object Lessons

All this week I have been speaking at a camp for Inner-City kids. I love doing this. I think it really hits where I am gifted and the energy I get from it is incredible. Each morning around 9:00 I go and lead a devotional or talk or whatever you want to call it. There is no technology whatsoever. So I am feeling totally lost. To fill most of you in, when I speak I normally have background music, sound effects, and graphics going on as well as meaningful object lessons. Think of it as an overstimulating circus speech that focuses on Jesus as Lord. Anyway, like I said no technology but I am using object lessons like crazy. Here is a break down of the main point from each day with an object lesson in which I have used to teach that main point.

Monday: Main Point: Just because you can doesn't mean you have too! (I know, it is long but so true)

Object Lesson: I do basketball tricks, i.e. balancing, spinning, and juggling. Through these different types of tricks I talk about how every action has a consequence. Some are very good consequences and others are bad but we have to make sure and make wise choices. Most of the scripture references come from Proverbs and talk about wisdom. My favorite line in this talk is, "I have the choice to punch you in the face right now, but that doesn't mean I have too."

Tuesday: Main Point: Watch your mouth!

Object Lesson: I use the illustration of a hammer and a bunch of nails. I talk about how when we say words it is like hammering a nail into a piece of wood. It has impact whether we want it to or not. We can try and take back our words like taking a nail out of the wood but we will always be reminded by the whole that is left behind. I use the book of James as my scripture for this talk.

Wednesday: Main Point: B Thankful.

Object Lesson: This is my favorite object lesson of all time. I consider it to be the perfect object lesson because you use all the senses. Are you ready? I pop popcorn in front of the kids. Now you have to use a Stir Crazy popcorn popper. If you don't know what that is go to Wal-mart. They should have one. Anyway, you talk about how you give your wants and your needs to go. The wants and needs are represented by the oil and the kernels. God is the popcorn popper. You give both over to him and let him do the rest of the work. Now here is the great part. You get to see the popcorn pop, you get to hear the popcorn pop, you get to smell the popcorn and if the group is small enough you pass out the popcorn so that they can touch it. When you do this then there are always kernels that didn't pop at the bottom. You talk about being thankful for all of the things that God has provided for you, i.e. all of the popped kernels, and don't stress, complain, and whine about the things you didn't get, i.e. the kernels that didn't pop. Psalm 100 is the main Scripture reference.

Thursday: Main Point: Jesus has impact!

Object lessons: Here are 2 for you.

#1: If you can juggle then you can talk about all of the great teachers in the past. Even talk about Mohamed and Ghandi ad how they lived and died like everyone else. Have 2 bean bags or I like to use Spaghetti balls (brand of koosh ball) represent all the other great teachers. When you say that they die like everyone else does then you drop one while juggling and make sure it doesn't bounce. Now Jesus is different because he lived, died, and came back to life. Use a lacrosse ball to represent Jesus in your juggling. When Jesus dies, you drop the lacrosse ball and it bounces back up to you and you continue to juggle. Of course Jesus is the only in history to do this and that is why he has so much impact.

#2: Get a clear container and fill it half way full of water. Also have with you a squirt bottle labeled sin that is filled with Iodine and a squirt bottle labeled Jesus that is bleach. You then talk about how God wants us to be clean and pure like the container with water in it but we all have sin in our lives. Squirt the Iodine in the water and it will look nasty. Then present the Gospel and talk about how when Jesus comes into our lives he makes us new, clean, and pure so that we can get into heaven. Squirt the bleach into the water and it will clear up all of the Iodine and make it look totally clear again. Now if you put enough bleach in the water mixture then you can continue to pour iodine into the bleached water and it will disappear to signify how Jesus has so much impact that He even takes our future sins away.

So there are the highlights from the last 4 days of teaching Inner-City kids. I hope that you can use some of them and I hope that you stretch yourself to go and speak at places that you normally don't. It is amazing when you get out of your comfort zone how much God teaches you while you teach others.