YOUTH GROUP GAMES ON PALM SUNDAY

youth group game and lesson on Palm Sunday. Teach students that everything you do can become an act of worship.

Here’s a free Palm Sunday youth group game and short lesson to show students that everything they do can be an act of worship.

When you think about all Jesus has done, it stirs up a sense of gratitude and draws us closer to God. And while we can’t match His love, He gave it freely anyway. That’s what makes it so powerful.

Use this game and lesson to help students see that truth.

Nick Diliberto
Founder, Ministry to Youth

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YOUTH GROUP GAME ON PALM SUNDAY

Bible: Luke 19:36-37

Big Idea: Everything you do can become an act of worship.

SUPPLIES

Clothing items (two full sets of various sizes, preferably with a “spring” theme)
Suggested clothing items: two socks, belt, shirt, pants, hairband, two gloves, a sweater, a pair of shorts, scarf, coat)
2 Black garbage bags
Painter’s/masking tape

GAME PREP

Collect two sets of the used clothing items listed above – a great option would be to visit a local thrift store to choose inexpensive, various-sized clothing.
Place each “set” of clothing in a black garbage bag.
Use the painter’s/masking tape to create three, 10-foot long parallel lines on the floor of your gameplay space – you’re creating “lanes” to use for the game.
Divide students into two teams of equal size.
Have half of each team stand at each end of the parallel lines.
Give each team a garbage bag containing the clothing items.

HOW TO PLAY

Divide into teams and give each team a lane and a bag of clothes. Choose one person on your team who will wear the clothes at the end. When I say go, one person from each team will grab two items from the bag without looking and place them on the floor in their lane, one in front of the other.

Your goal is to move from one end of the lane to the other where your teammate is waiting without stepping on the floor. Stand on one item, place the other in front of you, step onto it, then move the one behind you forward. Keep repeating this pattern until you reach your teammate, then hand them the items so they can come back the same way.

When they return, give the items to the person who will wear the clothes. Another teammate then goes, and play continues one person at a time until all the clothing has been used. If you step on the floor, go back to the start of your lane and try again.

The first team to use all their clothes and fully dress one teammate wins.

When the game is over, place the clothes back in the bags and return to your seats.

TEACH

That was a lot of fun, and you looked awesome in those “spring” outfits!

Read Luke 19:36–37:

“As he rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of him. When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen.”

Imagine this moment. Jesus is riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, surrounded by huge crowds. Historians say it was not unusual for two to three million people to gather for Passover, a time when the Israelites remembered their freedom from Egypt. In that crowd were Jesus’ followers, people visiting for the celebration, and others who opposed Him.

Leading up to this, Jesus had performed incredible miracles, including raising Lazarus from the dead. Many people believed He was the Messiah, and there He was riding into the city. It may not have looked like the welcome a king deserved, so the people responded with what they had. They honored Him by laying their clothes on the road.

Think about that for a second. Would you want a donkey walking on your clothes and then put them back on? They were giving up something valuable to them. They were not offering gold or anything extravagant. They worshiped Jesus with what they had.

Today, I want you to know you can worship God with anything you have. It starts by recognizing Him in your everyday life. You can see God in nature and thank Him for creating a beautiful world. You can be grateful for your friends and family and the people He has placed in your life.

The clothes you wear, the food you eat, and the talents you have are all gifts from God. Each one is an opportunity to worship Him. In fact, everything you can become an act of worship.

On Palm Sunday, we remember the crowd waving palm branches and shouting “Hosanna,” which means “Save us.” But remember this too. They took what they had and used it to worship God.