Youth Group Games - Paper Plate Powerball (Focus on Jesus)

Here is a free game in your youth ministry to setup a lesson on “focusing on Jesus”.

When I was five years old, I got glasses for the first time. And let me tell you, before that I was basically living life on blurry mode. I could not even see the giant letter E on the eye chart. Anything more than a few inches from my face was just a foggy mystery. I walked into furniture, and sat about three inches from the TV like a tiny confused raccoon.

Then I got glasses. And suddenly the world snapped into focus. Trees had leaves. Signs had words. People had faces. It was life changing!

Fast forward to a few years ago. I had cataract surgery and got new lenses put in both eyes. Now I can see clearly without glasses or contacts at all. It’s amazing!

And honestly, that is a lot like our spiritual vision.

When we focus on Jesus, He helps us see clearly who we are, who others are, and what God is doing around us. But when we take our eyes off Him, we stumble through life just like I did without my glasses. Blurry, off course, and missing what really matters.

That is why we created this youth ministry lesson about focusing on Jesus!

Nick Diliberto
Founder, Ministry to Youth

Looking for youth ministry curriculum? Check out the new…

One Year Bundle, Volume 6 – Save 79% on our newest in-depth, year-long youth ministry curriculum designed to help students know Jesus, follow Him, and grow spiritually. Includes all our 2026 new releases!

YOUTH GROUP GAME – PAPER PLATE POWERBALL

Topic: Focus on Jesus

Bible: Philippians 3:13-14

SUPPLIES

Paint stir sticks (or over-sized popsicle sticks) – enough for each student
Heavy-duty paper plates for each student
Staplers, Tape or Glue (to attach plates to sticks)
4 Trash Cans
10 Red and 10 Blue Balloons

HOW TO PLAY THE GAME

Give every student a paint stir-stick or an oversized popsicle stick, and a heavy-duty paper plate. Instruct students to staple, tape, or glue the paper plate to the stick leaving enough of the stick out for a handle. This will be their “paddle.”

For the game setup, place 4 trash cans around the room—one in the middle of each wall. Inflate 5-10 red balloons and 5-10 blue balloons for the game. Be sure to have some extra in case a balloon pops.

Divide students into two teams – Red Team and Blue Team.

When the game begins, each team will use their “paddles” to try and hit their team’s balloon into one of the 4 trash cans. Place an adult at each trash can to award 1 team point for each balloon that is hit into the can. After the point is counted, the balloon can be tossed back into the game. It cannot be immediately hit into the same can. Allow students to play in 5 minute rounds.

You may change the game up by making students lock arms with a teammate.

Another variation may be to have one team on offense and half of the other team be on defense during a round. This will provide more opportunities for scoring, as the defense will be outnumbered. Just be sure to give each team an equal number of rounds.

TEACH – FOCUS ON JESUS

After the game, say:

This game was all about getting to the goal, right? Once you had a balloon near your paddle, you stayed focused until you got it into the can! There were lots of others trying to hit the balloon—and sometimes they stole it—but you were determined to get to the goal!

We need to have this same passion and determination in our walk with Jesus! Too often, we’re tempted to just sit on what we know or what we learn about Him, instead of sharing it with others around us. It’s like we come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior, and then we just sit back and wait to go to Heaven when we die.

But, God has called us to a much greater mission than that! He has called us to use our time on this earth in a way that points others to Jesus and His gift of salvation. Listen to the way Paul describes this mission that God has given to all of us.

Philippians 3:13-14 says:

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

The people Paul was talking to were living in Northern Greece. They would’ve totally understood the picture of a race that Paul was giving. Paul was reminding them that the full reward of our salvation is when we get to Heaven. So, until then, we want to continue loving, obeying, and serving God here on earth!

When we come to know Jesus, we receive forgiveness and power to grow in a relationship with Him. The Bible says that we are a New Creation! The old you, that was lost in sin and only living for yourself, is gone!

But here is the difficulty for most of us. Even after we come to faith in Jesus, meaning we are forgiven and saved, we can’t stop thinking about this part of our life over here. Suddenly, our eyes are fixed on all the reasons why we don’t deserve God’s grace or how we’re messing up as a follower of Jesus.

This is where Paul’s words speak such a great truth for us.

God’s Word says, “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

There are so many ways that we can experience glimpses of Heaven here on this earth. When we’re pressing onward and upward toward the life Christ has called us to live, then we can see His Gospel spread and His will being done here on the earth.

My challenge for you is this: press onward and upward – fixing your eyes on Jesus always!

End in prayer.

Looking for youth ministry curriculum? Check out the new…

One Year Bundle, Volume 6 – Save 79% on our newest in-depth, year-long youth ministry curriculum designed to help students know Jesus, follow Him, and grow spiritually. Includes all our 2026 new releases!