Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts: An Object Lesson on Protecting Our Mind
Supplies Needed:
Kool-Aid
Dirt
2 Spoons
2 Clear Cups
Leading the Lesson:
Say: "Okay, kids, we've been talking about our thoughts and choosing thoughts that will help us to be closer to God and not push us farther away from God. Let's imagine this Kool-Aid are things that help us to have good thoughts (reading your Bible, watching good movies, listening to good songs, etc)". We had already discussed this a bit in the lesson, so I didn't do any extra explaining.
Ask: "As I mix this into the water, what happens?" (Allow kids to respond). Now, I'd like a volunteer.
Say to the volunteer: "Can you please get the Kool-Aid back out of the glass please?"
They might look a bit confused or they might just jump right in. My volunteer lifted a spoonful of the now-blue-water and tried to give it to me. I responded, "Oh no, just the crystals. I don't want any of the water part. No liquid. Just the crystals."
Of course, at this point someone int he crowd shouted that "This is IMPOSSIBLE!" I explained that once something is in our head, it's pretty impossible to get out, so that's why it's important to memorize Scripture, whether that is through songs or the memory verse. Once we get it in our heads, it will always be there when we need it.
Have a child drink the Kool-Aid and confirm that it does indeed taste good, just like good thoughts.
Say: "Now, imagine that this dirt are things that cause us to think bad thoughts. Thoughts that lead us farther away from God." Mix in the dirt and ask if anyone would like to take a drink. I had a few volunteers. Bravely, I called on one, but she quickly recanted (much to my own relief!) If you choose to offer the dirty drink, be sure you pick a kid with some seriously laid-back parents. Ask for a volunteer.
Say to the volunteer: "Can you please get the dirt out of the glass?" Now, this volunteer might be able to get some of the dirt out, but not all of it. The water will certainly still be cloudy and yucky looking.
Say: "It looks like we can get some of the bad stuff out of this cup, huh? When we ask God to forgive us of our bad thoughts, sometimes He takes those thoughts away, and sometimes He doesn't. That's why it's important to be really careful what we let into our heads to begin with!"
We closed with this object lesson, so as soon as I said "Class dismissed!", they all rushed forward for their own glass of Kool-Aid. I happily complied and we all toasted to "Good thoughts!"
Another Option:
If you let the dirty glass sit for awhile, some of the dirt will sink to the bottom. You could use this in a number of ways:
The water might look clear, but the same bad stuff is still in there, just waiting to get stirred up again.
Sometimes when we stay away from the bad stuff for awhile, things start to get clearer. It's not as good as when we started (importance of steering clear to begin with), but you are not without hope!
It needs some tweaking, but you get the idea!
Found at Growing Kids Ministry