Family Faith and Fun Fridays: Growing Strong
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. -Hebrews 4:12Welcome to Family Faith and Fun Fridays! As the week winds down and I anticipate more family time over the weekend, I often ask God for one good idea that will enable me to bring the Word to life and bring our family together. Usually, the activity overflows out of something the Lord has been teaching me through His Word during the week. I’d like to invite you to join me and my family in the adventure. Sometimes I’ll post things we’ve tried; other times I’ll post an idea in the works. If you’ve got thoughts to add or suggestions on how to adapt or improve the activity, please don’t hesitate to comment. Enjoy!
Junk Tower Jubilee: The fuit that GROWS us STRONG
I first tried this activity with a goofy crew of sixth graders in my homeroom class when I was student teaching fifteen years ago. It was such a hit that I’ve reworked it countless times with youth groups, VBS kids, and my own children. Last fall when I was writing family curriculum for our children’s ministry program, I decided to illustrate the concept of self-control with this “old favorite” JUNK TOWER activity. My kids still see a pile of canned goods and ask if we can make “fruit of the spirit towers,” so I think the idea worked! I’d love to know if your family enjoys this old standby as well.
Preparation: Revisit Proverbs 25:28 “A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls” and pray that your children will understand the importance of self-control.
What you will need: A large amount of “recycled junk”- old newspapers, magazines, milk cartons, egg cartons, etc. and several rolls of strong tape- duct tape, masking tape, or something similar, an array of unopened aluminum food cans, a Bible and a creative spirit!
What to do: Divide your family into two teams. Give each team 10 minutes to use all the “Junk” and tape and build a tower that they believe will hold the most weight without falling. Once each team has completed their construction, begin to place one can at a time on the structure until it collapses. Count how many cans it was able to hold. See which team successfully built the strongest tower. Discuss what made the structures strong and what would have worked even better.
Explain that the final fruit of the Spirit, self-control, is a quality that Jesus wants to grow in us so that we will be strong. What will our lives be like without self-control? Read Proverbs 25:28 (broken and weak). Explain that self-control is like the tape that held all the junk together to make it strong. By obeying God’s Word and following His ways even when we don’t feel like it, we allow the Holy Spirit to grow self-control in us. And as that happens, we build strong lives that Satan can’t knock down or tear apart.
