Good Stuff or Garbage in the Temple?

Children's Bible Lesson | by Kit MacLeod

Focus: making good choices about what we put into our bodies.

Objects Needed: "fillable" cream puffs or tart shells, fruit yogurt, cream cheese, and/or whipped topping, chopped dried fruits, granola, chocolate chips or mini-M&M's, (anything to make a yummy filling), mud or dirt, small rocks, coffee grounds (anything to make a nasty-looking filling), pretzel sticks, marshmallows, small plates, cups, and spoons. 

Begin the lesson by telling the group that you're going to prepare a delicious treat. Mix up a nasty-looking filling and use it to stuff one of the puff or tart shells, saying, "Doesn't this look great?" and ignoring their "EWWW's."

Place it on one of the plates and use pretzel sticks to add arms and legs to the puff or shell, and stick on a marshmallow for the head. Then ask the group what they see and why they think it's yucky. Discuss how this relates to the nasty stuff we sometimes put into our bodies - too much junk food, unclean music, T.V. shows, movies, video games. 

Then show them the yummy fillings and talk about how much better it is to fill ourselves with good things - God's Word, clean music, movies, etc. Give everyone a plate, cup, and spoon, and let them each stir up a mixture of good stuff to fill a puff or tart shell, using a bit of the mixture to stick on the pretzel stick arms and legs, and the marshmallow heads. Let them get creative as they decorate their yummy characters, and then enjoy eating them. 

Read I Cor. 6:19,20: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." 

Ask the group what they think this means, and lead them in a discussion of things we can do to honor God with our bodies. Close with prayer, thanking God for our wonderful bodies and asking Him to help us to take good care of them and make good choices about the things we put into them.

Copyright 2009 Kit MacLeod

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