You’ve heard the expression, “One bad apple spoils the whole bunch.” In this Sunday School Object Lesson, a pile of apple bites can show us how bad friendships can spread poison to everyone in the crowd – but also how good friendships can spread sweetness to everyone around. Kids need to harvest a crop of good friends!
Sunday School Object Lesson: Let’s be that one good apple!
Note: Lesson includes a tasty apple snack for the end!
Household object: Apples
Sunday School Object Lesson Materials:
- 6 fresh apples of same variety
- 2 zip lock plastic bags
- Paring or cutting knife & cutting board
- Mixing bowl
- Plates and plastic forks, enough for each child
- Cider or Balsamic Vinegar
- Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Coconut
- Raisins
- Can of spray whipped cream
Sunday School Object Lesson Preparation:
1. Cube the apples into pieces about ½ inch square. Seal against browning until ready to use.
Sunday School Object Lesson (with teacher’s words):
Fall is the season of harvesting, and this month there are hundreds of apple harvesting festivals and celebrations going on. “Harvest” can mean bringing in all the crops from farming throughout the spring and summer. But it can also mean reaping the rewards of working hard at something. One thing we need to work hard at is finding and keeping friends that will support us in our Christian walk. Let me use these apples to show you”¦
Take all your cubes out and put them in two piles in a mixing bowl. Put one cube in one of the Ziplock bags. Hold it up so students can see.
Meet Helena! Isn’t that a sweet name? Funny thing is, Helena wasn’t so very sweet. She gossiped about her friends. It made her kind of bitter.
Pour a couple drops of vinegar into the bag with her. Then pass the vinegar bottle around and let the students smell it until they’re saying “pee-yew!”
This is what the insides of Helena started to get like. She also sassed back when her mom told her to do a chore.
Pour a couple more drops of vinegar in the bag with her.
Instead of saying “Thanks! It was good!” after her dad made dinner, she would say, “Well? Isn’t there any desert?”
Pour a couple more drops of vinegar in the bag with her.
When a teacher would call on her in class, if she didn’t feel like answering, she would just shrug.
Pour in a couple more drops. By now, Helena should be lying in a pool.
And you know what the worst was?? Her friends were all watching her do this. You’ve heard of 1 Corinthians 15:33, which says, “Bad company corrupts good morals.”
Deb and Katie and Penelope thought, “Wow. If she can gossip and make everybody laugh, maybe I better try this, too.”
Look incredulous, slowly dropping 3 apple cubes for Deb, Katie and Penelope in. Shake up the bag.
And before you knew it, bad company had turned a bunch of kids into gossiping, sassing, ungrateful and disrespectful, bitter people. Who’d like to have a bite of the apples in this bag? You wanna get in there with these people?
If you have a taker, let him taste it or smell it, and hopefully he’ll be saying, “Peeyew!”
Now, meet Catrina. She’s an awfully sweet girl.
Drop an apple cube into the second zip lock bag.
She prays for her friends at night. She says “thanks, it was good!” every time her dad cooks. She helps her mom and she makes nice things for all her teachers at Christmas time to show her love.
Take your half cup of sugar and cinnamon and let the kids smell it. Tell them what’s in it. Tell them it’s “Yummy!” Drop a half cup of sugar and cinnamon into the bag.
And somehow”¦all her friends are really sweet too!
Drop a bunch of apple cubes in with Catrina. Shake them all up.
Who would like to taste an apple cube from this bag?
You should get some takers. Before you serve, raise the question:
What kind of friend to you want to be? Do you want to sweeten your friends and parents and teachers, or do you want to make everyone bitter?
The expression, “One bad apple spoils the whole bunch” is not actually in the Bible! But its ancestors are: Galations 5:9 says, “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” And what does 1 Corinthians 15:33 say??
“Bad company corrupts good morals!”
Because you’re all such good company, God will “sweeten the deal” by adding his angels to your lives”¦ Let’s add angel hair and angel eyes”¦
Mix in the coconut and raisins. Spread the apple cubes on plates. Dot with whip cream and serve with plastic forks.
Do you think your kids will love this Sunday School Object Lesson? Share your thoughts and comments below! And don’t forget to Become our Fan on Facebook and Follow Me on Twitter!
This lesson the children will love. I try to find lessons that are different and fun. Thanks!