Free Sunday School Lessons – Like God, Paper Clips Hold Things Together

Here is an idea for a free Sunday school lesson using an everyday object we all have access to–paper clips. Paperclips are like God’s word; they keep our lives from blowing around. Use this object to show how God helps us to keep our lives together.

Sunday School Lesson: “Like God, Paper Clips Hold Things Together”

RELATED SCRIPTURES:
In Deuteronomy 31:6, Matthew 8:24, Psalm 9:9

OBJECTS NEEDED:
Large paperclips; enough for every child to have one. Sheets of printing paper, enough for every child to have five. Pencils.

SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON PREPARATION:
Write one word on each of five sheets of paper as follows: Give Money to the Poor; Don’t Gossip; Be a Great Mom; Be a Great Wife; Pray Every Morning. Count out five sheets of paper for each child.

SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON:
Some very successful people say that if you write down the things you want to do or the things you want to be, it helps you achieve those dreams. So this morning, I wrote down things I want to be better at as a Christian. Here’s what I wrote that I want to improve at for Jesus:

– Give Money to the Poor
– Don’t Gossip
– Be a Great Mom
– Be a Great Wife
– Pray Every Morning.

Now each of you has five sheets of paper. I’d like for you to write down five things that you want to be better at as Christians. Let’s talk about this first.

Ask students how they’d like to improve their behavior and get them to write things down on their own sheets of paper. You may have to persist as kids may think of future improvements as current weaknesses, and often kids are not good at seeing their own weaknesses or setting goals. Persist until they have five and have given each other ideas.

I always want to behave like a good Christian. But hard days come along, and they can discourage me. Big bills come, and I’m afraid to give to charity and am tempted not to. One of my children irritates me, and I yell. I wake up to a problem – my husband’s car broke down and I have to go pick him up – and all of a sudden I’ve forgotten to pray that morning..

Hard days are like “spiritual storms” and a lot of “windy circumstances” are blowing through our lives. Balance all your Christian desires on the palm of your hand like I’m doing. Have them follow your lead by balancing their five sheets of paper on their palm.

Let’s see what happens when life’s storms come along”¦blow on your papers, and encourage the students to blow on theirs. Pages will go everywhere.

Before I know it, my pages – my life – are all mixed up, out of order, and I’m confused! My desires get mixed up with the desires of others, or they get trampled on. Let’s try to get our own desires back and help others get theirs. Help them sort out their own papers from others that blew.

God knows that we’re not strong enough in our own right to stand up to storms. He knows all our best laid plans can get turned into a shambles if we have a hard day.

In Deuteronomy 31:6, God says, “Be strong and courageous”¦I will never desert you nor forsake you.”

Matthew 8:24 tells of Jesus in a boat with his disciples. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping, why? He wasn’t worried. He knew God can have victory over our storms.

Finally, Psalm 9:9 says, “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a “˜stronghold’ in times of trouble.” Hold up a large paperclip.

What is a stronghold? Let them try to answer. A stronghold is something big enough and strong enough to hold things together. God wants to hold our lives together and give it strength. But we have to invite him in.

Jesus said in Revelation 3:30, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

Put the paperclip on the papers.

Most people want to be good. They just can’t be as good as they think they should be or they would like to be. They need help from above. Does having Christ in your life make things perfect?

Blow hard on the papers again. With the paper clip, the pages should flutter but not fly. Our lives can still blow around a bit, but things don’t fall apart. Not while you’re trusting in Jesus.

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