Truth Taught: Without Jesus, we are fragile and easily fall apart, but with him as our foundation, we are strong and secure no matter what comes our way.
Materials:
- Playing cards for building a fragile house
- Blocks, bricks, or Legos for building a sturdy house
- A spray bottle filled with water (representing life’s storms)
- Bible
Instructions:
- Begin by dividing the children into two groups. Give one group playing cards to build a house and the other group blocks, bricks, or Legos to build their own house. Ask: Which house do you think will be stronger when the storms come? Let them build for a few minutes.
- Once the houses are built, spray water over the house of cards. Watch as it collapses easily. Then spray the house made of blocks or bricks, showing how it remains standing.
- Explain: The house of cards represents what happens when we build our lives without Jesus. We are fragile and easily knocked down by the storms of life—things like fear, trouble, or sadness. But the house built on strong blocks represents the person who trusts in Jesus. When we follow Jesus, he keeps us strong and helps us stand firm through any storm.
- Read Matthew 7:24-25 (NLT): “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.”
- Ask the children: How can we build our lives on Jesus? Encourage them to think about praying, reading the Bible, trusting Jesus when things are hard, and obeying what God says.
- Conclude by saying: When we build our lives on Jesus, we have a firm foundation that will never fail. Jesus is strong and will hold us up through all the storms of life.
Aha Moment: The comparison between the fragile house of cards collapsing and the strong house made of blocks standing firm gives children a clear visual demonstration of what it means to build their lives on Jesus and the security he provides.