Last year my daughter, Emma, purchased a stuffed E.T. when we visited Universal Studios for the holidays.

On the way home from that trip, my wife Jena took this picture:

Emma and E.T.

Aren’t they cute?!?! This pic captures the essence of “peace” and “protection”.

In that moment, Emma was at total peace. All was good in her world. She was safe.

The students in your ministry need to know that God is the one who brings them peace and protection, especially when life’s circumstances are difficult.

Students especially need to know this during the Christmas season. Everyone is seemingly “happy” during the holidays. But often, under the surface they really aren’t.

Maybe circumstances at home or school are not good. Or maybe students are facing other types of difficulties.

Use this fun game to setup a Christmas lesson on God’s peace & protection.

The “lesson” is really more of a setup to a lesson. It’s not a full message, so you’ll have to add your own thoughts, ideas, Bible content, etc.

Enjoy!

Nick Diliberto, Ministry to Youth

CHRISTMAS CLIFFHANGER GAME

DOWNLOAD THE PDF OF THIS GAME

Topic: God’s Peace & Protection (Matthew 2:13–15 & Philippians 4:6)

Game Overview: Using only their breath, students will attempt to blow a Christmas card, standing ‘tent-style,’ across the width of a table, getting it to hang over the edge for 3 seconds.

SUPPLIES

Christmas Cards (inexpensive ones, or make them out of blank card stock)

Long table(s), depending on how many players

Timer

PREPARATION

Stand a Christmas card “tent-style” along one edge of a table (1 card for each student participant).

HOW TO PLAY THE GAME

Pick students to play the game.

You can play this game in multiple rounds to give more students a chance to participate.

Or you could have students play in small groups all at one time if you have access to a lot of tables.

Explain that students are to use only their breath to blow their Christmas card across the table, so that one side of the fold hangs over the edge of the table for 3 seconds.

Students may not use their hands or any other part of their body.

The game is one minute long. (Or you may choose to see who can successfully complete the challenge successfully the fastest)

Ready, set, GO!

TEACH – GOD’S PEACE & PROTECTION

Have you ever had to get out of someplace really fast, for your own safety?

Maybe not, but you’ve probably played a game where someone was ‘it’ and chasing you, right?

That’s what happened to Mary and Joseph not long after Jesus was born.

King Herod felt threatened by this newborn King.

And thinking He would be the kind of king who rules with a huge army with swords and shields, Herod wanted to get rid of Him!

Mary and Joseph escaped to Egypt and had to wait until Herod died to return to their home.

During that time, they didn’t know if Herod would find them or not so they spent a few ‘cliffhanger’ years because they weren’t sure how the story would end.

The awesome news for us is that we know how the story ends.

God protects those He loves and He loves you and me a ton!

That doesn’t mean you won’t ever have any scary moments or ‘cliffhangers’ in your life.

But it does mean that because God sent us the gift of Jesus, He will protect us as He writes the amazing story of our lives!

One way God protects us is to give us PEACE regardless of the circumstances in our lives.

Read Philippians 4:6 (NCV)

“Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks. And God’s peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Yes, it’s possible to experience peace when life hits us hard.

That happens when we go to God…when we pursue Him…when we put Him the center of our lives…when he becomes our #1 focus.

Life’s circumstances may or may not change.

But when we nurture our relationship with God, he gives us peace.

Peace that makes no sense…that we can’t understand.

End lesson.

DOWNLOAD THE PDF OF THIS GAME

Looking for more FREE Christmas lessons & ideas? Here ya go…

Teach Youth the Real Meaning of Christmas

Youth Group Lesson for Christmas (Luke 2:1-20. Main Idea: Christmas is a reminder of the incredible love God has for us.)

Inappropriate Wreaths Christmas Lesson (Matthew 23:27. Main Idea: Jesus is concerned with what’s going on inside you, not how you look or how cool you are.)

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