No Way! Food Challenge

In this Sunday school activity, children will try unusual food combinations to learn about spiritual maturity.
by Leah Pittsinger

TOPICS: Salvation, Spiritual Growth MATERIALS: Various food items: chocolate, mustard, bananas, jelly, strawberries, ketchup, pickles, peanut butter, etc. Plastic baggies Plastic plates, napkins DURATION: Approximately 10-15 minutes

PREPARATION:

Cut or break the larger food items into smaller pieces and place the pieces in plastic baggies. Then decide which foods you’d like to pair to make the “no way” combinations. Suggestions include:
1. Chocolate dipped in mustard.
2. Bananas with jelly.
3. Strawberries and ketchup.
4. Pickles with peanut butter.

Place a small amount of the food on each plate. Set a plate and several napkins at each child’s place.

WHAT YOU WILL DO:

Invite the children to try the food combinations with you or create their own combinations (also explain that they may carefully discard any food they don’t like into one of the napkins). Congratulate the children who try the food and acknowledge that it’s strange to eat food this way.

Application: How would you describe what you tasted (nasty, surprising, gross, etc)? What would have been better with the food (“The chocolate would have been better with milk”)? It’s easy to see from this food challenge that some foods definitely don’t go together. And the same is true for us – if we say we are Christians, but don’t show love, patience, and kindness to others, then we are giving off a bad “taste.” Romans 8:1 says, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” but that doesn’t mean we get a free pass to sin once we become believers! Rather, we should use our position in Christ to serve Him faithfully so no one will be able to look at our lives and say, “No way!” to Jesus because of our actions. Believing in Jesus and being okay with sin just doesn’t go together. Let’s pray and ask God to help us be more like Him.