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Object Lessons with Pencils & Pens

Object lessons use ordinary things like pencils and pens to teach wonderful Bible lessons for kids!  Have you ever thought about how a pencil can teach us that if we allow ourselves to be held in God's hand and let Him control and guide our lives, we can accomplish great things?!


Object:  A pencil and a variety of other writing tools such as pens, markers, crayons, etc.

Scriptures: 

James 1:12   "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him."

1 John 4:9   "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."


Object Lesson:

Sharpening

You can either hold up a pencil as you teach this object lesson or pass out a variety of pencils (some sharpened, some not, some with erasers, some without, etc.) so that each student is holding one.

Ask everyone that has an unsharpened pencil to hold it up.  Have them try to write something on a sheet of paper. Ask how useful their pencil is unsharpened. 

Have others with sharpened pencils hold them up.  Have them use their pencils to write something on the paper. 

Ask "What made the difference?"  Talk about "sharpening".  If you were a pencil would that feel good?  Make the point that sometimes in our lives we may have things that don't "feel" good, but God can use them to make us more useful for Him.

Have students look up James 1:12   - "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him."

Eraser

Have students hold up their pencil if they have an eraser and tell you what the eraser can do.  Have students with a sharpened pencil write a mispelled word or a math problem that has the wrong answer.  Point out that the Bible says we all do wrong things, things that displease God; we call these sins.

An eraser on a pencil is important to erase where we have written something wrong.  In the same way, we can ask God for forgiveness through Jesus and He will "erase" our sins. 

1 John 1: 9 says - "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

Most Important Part

Ask students what the most important part of a pencil is.  Is it the wood or plastic on the outside?  No; the most important part of a pencil is what is on the inside...the lead.  Without that it could not do what it was created to do - write or make a mark!

No matter how we look or what we can or can't do, what's on the inside of us is most important - a soul filled with Jesus!

Pencils are used to make marks & so are we! No matter where God has placed us - on paper, cardboard, or plastic - He wants us to make a mark...a difference for Him!

Object Lessons on Being Different

Finally, we may not all be pencils; we are not all alike. Some may be more like markers making bright bold marks, or highlighters that spotlight the work and marks of others. No matter what our gifts though, Jesus wants to use us in unique and special ways for His Kingdom!

Prayer:

Have students thank God for how He has made them each special and unique. 

Have them think about the eraser; have they accepted God's forgiveness through Jesus?  If they are already a Christian, is there anything in their life right now they need to take to God and ask forgiveness?

Are they going through a hard time of "sharpening"?  Have them ask God to help them persevere as He works in their life.

Object Lesson Take-Away Challenge:

Encourage students that each time they use a pencil or pen to let it remind them of these lessons from a pencil and how God wants to use them in a special and unique way right where He has placed them.

More Bible Object Lessons...

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