Haysville United Methodist Church

GATHER FOR THIS LESSON: Leader sheets, tug of war drawing on a sheet of paper, big marshmallows, 4 sheets of paper with LYING, STEALING, BULLYING, and SWEARING printed on then, tape

Here’s a great 3.5 minute video illustration dealing with temptation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiM7RGD1fH4

TUG OF WAR
Needed: Tug of war drawing on a sheet of paper
Keep the tug of war sheet hidden until the last minute.

As soon as the volunteers are ready (In their seats or standing) give them the tug of war sheet of paper and instruct them to prepare to pull – but don’t start yet.

SAY: The paper represents any temptation. It may be the temptation to tell a lie or steal something as small as a grape at the grocery store. It can be big, it can be small, it doesn’t matter if it is temptation. When I say “Go!” you may begin the tug of war but do not wrinkle or tear the paper. If one of you looses grip it doesn’t count. Re-grasp the paper and begin again. “Go!”

Let the youth play for a few moments and then stop the demonstration.

ASK:
• How does this demonstration represent real life?
• What would it represent if one side used too much force and tore the paper?
(To much force might represent the death of a person making them useless to either side.)
• Why can’t one side just pull the paper from the other and have a person all to themselves?
(One can’t exist without the other. It’s like light and dark, hot and cold, there is no battle or victory if only one side plays. Like in the Super Bowl – if the Chiefs are the only team that shows up, it’s meaningless. – insert obvious team puns and jabs here! )

TASTE TEST
Needed: Big marshmallows, 4 sheets of paper with LYING, STEALING, BULLYING, and SWEARING printed on then, tape
SAY: Evil tested Jesus in three ways. Similarly, we are now going to experience our own versions of those tests. Think about the act of resisting temptation, like when a part of you wants to do something bad. Maybe it’s:
– Say something mean back when someone is mean to you.
– Taking something that doesn’t belong to you.
– Telling a lie you think will keep you out of trouble.
Your conscience, where God reminds us of His Holy Spirit, will tell you to do the right thing. It “tugs” on you. When you really want bad things, it tugs on you too.

ASK:
• Who really likes marshmallows?

Hopefully, no more than 4 people don’t like marshmallows. In any case, select four people to wear the signs “LYING,” “STEALING,” “BULLYING,” and “SWEARING” by taping them on your volunteers!

SAY: Anyone not wearing a sign will put their heads back and hold a marshmallow between their lips for a few minutes without tasting it. Here’s the catch, the ones wearing the signs can say anything they want to try to get you to taste or eat the marshmallow. No touching allowed!

Pass out the marshmallows, after all are ready, begin. Give the tempters a few minutes, then check the marshmallow ends to see if they have been licked.

ASK:
• When I asked who really liked marshmallows, who thought if they just didn’t say anything they could just sit there?
• Can nonparticipation be a temptation?
• How hard was it to have the marshmallow in your lips and not taste it?
• How was this demonstration like temptation?
(Make sure an example of the proximity to temptation comes up. i.e. staying away from tempting situations)

Person ___________________ 2nd person ______________________ City _____________________
Type of building ____________ A thing _________________________ Direction_________________
Directive _________________ Animals_________________________ Type of Action _____________ Body part_________________

When all the blanks above have been filled transfer them to the story below and read it.

Mad-Lib
Then ________ took ______ to _____ ,and they stood on the highest point of the ______.
(person) (2nd person) (city) (type of building)
If you are the _____ he said, throw yourself ________. For it is written: __________ will
(a thing) (direction) (person)
________ his _______ concerning you, and they will ________ you up in their ______, so
(directive) (animals) (type of action) (body part)
that you will not _______ your ________ against a _________.
(type of action) (body part) (a thing)

READ aloud the actual scripture: Matthew 4:5-6 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

ASK:
• What emotions is the devil trying to use against Jesus in this scripture? (Pride or wrath)
• How do you respond when someone questions your character/makes fun of you?
• What is tempting about this situation?
• How could jumping from the temple prove Jesus was God’s Son?
• What would you be feeling during this temptation?

TEMPTED BY POWER
SAY: Next, we are going to do an activity called the Telephone Game. It will help demonstrate the temptation of power. Some of you may have heard about or played this game before. I have a statement that I am going to whisper into someone’s ear. She or he is then going to whisper the statement into a second person’s ear and so on. The trick is that a person can only say the statement once, no repeating allowed! Whatever you hear, pass along the statement the best you can to the next person.

The statement is: “Don’t change what I say, to say what you want, want not today “
After the statement comes around to the last person in the room, she or he will say aloud what they think they heard. Compare what the last person heard to the original statement.

CLOSE
SAY: God has given us instructions and guidelines on how to live. Every day we are faced with spiritual choices, whether to obey God or not. Temptation is the encouragement of a normal desire beyond the boundaries set by God for humankind. In other words, our desires, which in themselves are not sinful, become sinful when they exceed the limitations set by God.