Object Lesson #1: Jesus promises eternal life!
Object: Cell phone
Last week I went to the store and bought a new cell phone. Do you know why I bought this particular cell phone? It’s guaranteed for life. The guarantee on this phone says, “If this phone ever breaks or doesn’t work, return it for free repair or replacement.”
That is great, isn’t it? If I ever break this cell phone, all I have to do is take it back to the store and they will either fix it or give me a new cell phone.
Wait a minute! What if I lose my cell phone? This guarantee doesn’t say that they will replace the cell phone if I lose it. What if someone steals it? I guess if I lose my cell phone, or someone steals it, I’m out of luck.
Wouldn’t it be great if something was guaranteed to last forever — and was guaranteed that you couldn’t lose it and nobody could steal it? Well, there is!
Jesus has promised everlasting life to those who trust and believe in him. Listen to his guarantee! “I give them eternal life, and they shall never die!”
Is it guaranteed that no one can steal it? It sure is! Jesus said, “No one can snatch them out of my hand.”
Eternal life that you can’t lose and no one can take it away. That’s a guarantee that no one can match!
Object Lesson #2: Jesus Alone Gives Eternal Life
Object: Backpack
When you go to school, you have to make a lot of choices. What are some of the choices you make when you go to school? (Allow time for the children to answer, but if they don’t respond, here are some suggestions to get them started.) Well, one of the first things you will have to choose is what you will wear to school. That is pretty important, isn’t it? After all, you want to look your best and make a good impression. When you get to your classroom, you will have to choose where you want to sit. Is it best to sit up front, at the back, or maybe somewhere in the middle? When it is time for lunch, you will have to choose what you want to eat in the cafeteria. Will you choose chicken nuggets or pizza?
Some choices you have to make are not very important, but others are very important. There are rules in your classroom. You have to choose whether or not you are going to follow the rules. That is very important! You also choose who your friends are. That is important, because if you choose the wrong kind of friends, you might find yourself in a lot of trouble.
The followers of Jesus faced some difficult decisions too. Sometimes, the teachings of Jesus were hard for them to understand. One day Jesus was teaching in the synagogue and he said to the people, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who feeds on me will live forever.” When the people heard it, they said, “This is a hard teaching. How can anyone accept it?” Some of them quit following Jesus after that day.
Jesus knew that many people were grumbling and complaining, so he turned to the twelve whom he had chosen to be his disciples and said, “You don’t want to leave too, do you?”
Peter answered him. “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” The disciples had answered the call to follow Jesus. They were not about to turn back now.
You and I face the same decision those first disciples faced. Will we follow Jesus, or will we look for another to lead us? It may not always be easy to follow Jesus, but to whom can we go? Who else offers eternal life?
Message: Jesus Is the Only Way To Get Eternal Life
Objects: spray bottles and cleaning products labeled: giving, being good, going to church, reading Bible, praying, praising. Picture of Jesus or cross.
There are many ways people try to get eternal life. Some people give a lot of money. It’s good to give, but that won’t give you eternal life. Some people are good. But that won’t get you eternal life. Some people read their Bibles every day. Reading your Bible is important, but it won’t get you eternal life. Some people pray or praise thinking God will be pleased with them if they do. God is pleased when we pray to Him and praise Him, but that won’t get you eternal life. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will have life even if he dies. Believing in Jesus is the only way to have eternal life. If we accept Him as our savior, we can live in Heaven with Him forever. We will have life even if we die.
