Hitting the Mark

Pre-meeting activity: Purchase a bow and arrow set from a department store. (The kind with suction cups.) Have the kids stand in line and shoot at some sort of prize. We used baseball cards and so forth. Even small candy will work. If they hit it they get to keep it. A verity of prizes work best.

Praise and worship: As we said before in our other lesson plans, we use a lot of Group songs and Mary Hopkins Rice. We also have a woman who plays the keyboard.

Prayer Request: Give time to the kids to tell the requests they have but don’t let this be story time. Pray for the request and for other things you know of that are affecting the kids.

Offering: Let the kids know we can praise God with our offering as well as our voice and this is a time to do this.

Bible story: Tell the story of Joshua and the Promised Land. How he had faith in God and God would lead them. Tell how the ones that had no faith didn’t make in the Promised Land. Numbers 14

Game: Blindfold children and let them try to hit the target with the bow and arrow. Don’t tell them you are going to blind fold them until they get ready to shoot the arrow.

. Isaiah 43:8 Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf.

(Explain how we need to open our eyes, ears, and spirit to God and his word. How this is the only way to "Hit The Mark")

Game: Follow the leader- have the kids follow you around the room and tell them to be sure stay in the line. If they get out of the line they lose. Place candy pieces or small prizes along the trail. If the kids get out of line they must sit down. Give the ones that finish the race a bigger prize. Read Hebrews 12:1 Galations 5:7 Let the kids know this is the Mark we need to hit. When we finish the race we won’t receive a little prize but a good gift from God.

Object Lesson: Have a plumb line and a table. Put a mark on the edge of the table and ask some of the kids (one at a time) to up to the table. Have them put a mark directly below the mark that is on the table (you may want to tape a piece of paper on the floor for them to mark on.). Ask all of the kids how we can tell which mark is directly below the mark on the table? Bring out the plumb line and show them exactly which mark is closest. Read Amos 7:7-9 and explain how Gods word should be our plumb line.

Snack: This can be any teat, but when you’re handing it out tell the kids " this hits the spot". And explain to them how the word of God fills the empty Heart.

Memory work: The rebus software from the Children's Ministries Today is great for this.

2 Peter 3:13

But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.