Challenged But Not Conquered

Title: “Challenged but not Conquered”

2 Corinthians 4:7-9

October 18, 2009

Prior to Service:

• Supply Ping Pong Balls (one for each child)

• Supply Markers

• Set up boundary for children’s activity (boundary should be large enough that children can run inside the boundary.)

GAME: “Not Where I Put It”

Rules of the Game:

• Divide children into two (2) teams.

• Have all children take a ping pong ball and write their name on the ball with the marker.

• Have one team place their ping pong balls in an area outside of the playing boundary- team will stay outside of boundary until called.

• Have the other team go inside the boundary and place their ping pong ball down- after placing ball down this team will go to the center of the boundary and form a circle facing each other.

• On the leader’s signal children outside the boundary will go into the boundary and move ping pong ball to another area inside the boundary- after moving ball child will go outside the boundary and sit down (if numbers are not even- some children may be given permission to move more than one ball)

• After all the balls have been relocated and “raiding team” has sat down give signal and allow children in the circle time to find their ball (give “searching team” a time limit in finding their ball, this will be based on size of team or age of players). Message will be strengthened if not all children find their ball.

• After time is called collect balls from “searching team” and have leader to gather balls not located by team.

• Teams switch roles and game is repeated.

After game is completed gather all the children together and ask the following questions:

1. Question: How did you feel when you went back to find your ball and it wasn’t where you had placed it?

2. Question: How many of you didn’t find your ball after it was moved?

3. Question: How did not finding your ball make you feel?

Our Scripture today might help you when things like this happen.

Share 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 with the children.

It is discouraging when things go bad. Sometimes things happen that make us sad and we didn’t do anything to cause the problem. Sometimes people may pick on you and not treat you nice. Sometimes we feel as if nothing is going right but the Scripture tells us that things can happen to us that are not always good but we should never give up because God loves us and He cares for us. Because of God and our faith in Him we will always have the victory.

Final Example:

• Pull a ball from the balls gathered during the game and call the child up and give them the ball. Repeat this until all the balls have been returned.

In the game when your ball was moved, you may have felt discouraged. When you searched for the ball you were wondering if you could find it. If you found the ball you felt good but only for a short time because it was taken away again. When you were called up and given your ball to keep you felt that everything was going to be okay.

God wants you to know today that everything is going to be okay. Trust in Him, do not be discouraged even if you have problems now, and wait and trust on Him. He will not let you fail. You will be challenged but not conquered.