This object lesson/message is from Revival Fire for Kids curriculum, Building Foundations, available in March. Italics are used for when the teacher speaks.
Supplies needed: GPS, map, Bible
Hold up the Bible. Explain that the Bible is like a GPS for life. It guides us through decisions we make.
Hold up the map. Talk about how when you were young, they didn’t have GPSs. People had to use maps. It was difficult because first you would have to find out where you were on the map. Then you’d have to figure out how to get where you were going. Demonstrate. Sometimes maps didn’t work well because the roads would change or there might be a road that was closed, and the map didn’t show it. Unfold the map and show how difficult it would be to use while driving.
I’m glad we don’t use maps anymore. The GPS is much easier to use.
If you’re lost, you can press “Go Home” and the GPS will guide you every step until you’re home. If you’re spiritually lost, you can turn to John 3:16 or the book of Romans, and the Bible will guide you on how to be saved.
If you don’t know which way to turn, the GPS will let you know when to turn right and when to turn left. If we don’t know which way to turn in life, we can pray and read God’s Word, and it will guide us by giving us wisdom on which way to go.
If there is road construction or congestion up ahead, a GPS will warn the driver. In the same way, God’s Word warns us away from danger.
If we want to go in a certain destination, we plug the address into the GPS. The Bible also has addresses.
The Bible is divided into two major sections. The Old Testament is at the beginning, and the New Testament is at the end. Each section is divided into smaller section with books. In the Bible, an address contains the book of the Bible, the chapter, and the verse. You can find anything using these addresses.
As great as a GPS is, it won’t do you any good unless you turn it on. In the same way, God’s Word won’t guide your life unless you read it and learn what it says.
A GPS plugs into a charger so the battery won’t die. When you read and study God’s Word, you’ll want to plug into a spiritual charger by asking God to help you understand what He is saying in God’s Word and how to apply it to your life.