Leader Guide

Game

Three poster boards
Three sheets of cardstock—plus extras
Marker
One hundred sheets of paper—recycled if possible
Three pairs of safety goggles or safety glasses
Two containers to hold paper balls
Timer, such as a stopwatch, clock or watch with a second hand, or timer app
Painter's tape or masking tape
Whiteboard and marker or chalkboard and chalk
Bible or the Superbook Bible App

Note: For smaller classes, use two poster boards; for larger classes, use four. Add or subtract sheets of paper accordingly. There must be an even number of teams. One team may play again but not score points. Or, change the number of players on teams.

With the marker, write “GOD’S WORD” on each poster board in large letters.

Tape or mark a line on the floor to be a “Throwing Line.”

Place the poster boards on the floor in a row with about three feet between them.

On Guard! Play a game to take a stand.

As followers of Christ, we will encounter things that are not right in this world. We will also encounter opposition—such as people mocking us or rejecting us because of our faith. Jeremiah was treated badly and suffered for taking a stand for God. He even experienced threats and actual physical persecution. Some believers in parts of the world face this today. Regardless, Jeremiah stood firm in his faith and in his calling to speak and live for God. You could say that Jeremiah stood firm for God no matter what was “thrown at him!” In the game, you will have a chance to stand firm for God. Jeremiah mostly stood alone. In this game, you won’t be alone; you will stand with others to give you strength!

Read Philippians 1:27:

Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.

Give the sheets of paper to the children to crush into paper balls. Place the balls in the containers and put them behind the line.

Hold up a poster board.

What does this say? God’s Word!

Place the poster board on the floor and stand on it. You will stand on God’s Word as the paper balls are thrown at you. The balls represent trials, insults, difficulties, temptations, and persecution as you serve God.

Hold up a sheet of cardstock. This is your shield of faith! (See Ephesians 6:16.) Use this to block the paper balls. Your mission is to be strong, courageous, and on guard as you stand firm in the faith. One team of three players will stand on the poster boards. Another team will throw paper balls at you. You must be on guard, which means to be alert, as you try to avoid the balls. One more thing: you must stand with both feet on the poster board at all times for the thirty-second round. Each time you step off, your team loses a point. The team throwing the balls scores one point each time a ball hits a player. When the thirty-second round is over, the two teams will switch positions and play again. Then two new teams will play. The team with the most points wins.

Divide the children into teams of three. Adjust as necessary; see note in Get Ready section.

Each team should choose a name having to do with being courageous, strong, or on guard. Write the team names on the board.

Two teams play two rounds of thirty seconds. Each team will play both roles: “Throwers” and “Standers.”

Each “Stander” will wear a pair of safety goggles.

Teams that are not playing will keep track of points during play: minus one point if a “Stander” steps off a poster board. One point is scored for the “Throwers” for each ball that strikes a “Stander” anywhere on the body except for the hands holding the shield.

The leader will keep time and tally the scores after each thirty-second period.

Note: You may wish to save the paper wads for Action Game, an Additional Activity in Lesson 3 of this course.

Conclusion: It is not always easy to take a stand for God. However, God’s Word and the Holy Spirit fill us with the courage and strength we need to influence the world around us. Our faith is a shield to block whatever the enemy throws at us. We must always be alert and on guard against attack as we take a stand for God! Let’s learn more about that now!

Note: Following the game, secretly give a sixth-grade helper or another leader two paper balls to hide until needed in the Teaching Time. See details below.

Take a “shield” from the game and place it on the table for the Teaching Time.