Let Your light Shine!

Children learn that it is important to keep their spiritual hearts clean.

TOPICS: Disciples, Following Jesus, Spiritual Growth, Light, Witnessing MATERIALS: A flashlight, small container of mud, wet cloth or baby wipe. DURATION: Approximately 10 minutes

PREPARATION:

None needed

WHAT YOU WILL SAY:

"I want to show you something really simple but super important: how much better a flashlight works when its lens is clean!"

(Show the Flashlight) "This flashlight has a nice, clear lens. Let me show you how well it works in the dark." (Turn off the lights in the room and shine the flashlight around the room.) "Wow! Look how bright and focused the beam is! It lights up the whole area and shows us clearly where we’re going." (Turn the room lights back on.)

"Now lets see what happens when the flashlight's lens becomes dirty." (Smear mud on the lens of the flashlight, turn on the flashlight and turn off the room lights.) "Hmm, it’s not nearly as bright! The beam is weak and scattered, making it hard to see anything clearly."

(Turn on the room lights and turn off the flashlight) "Why is this? The clean lens allows all the light from the bulb to shine through clearly. But when the lens is dirty, it blocks some of that light, making it less effective. This is just like our lives! When we keep our hearts and minds clean—by following God's Word and asking God to forgive us when we do something wrong (Sin)—we can shine bright and make a positive impact in the world. But if we let sin cloud our hearts, we don’t shine as brightly and may struggle to see our path clearly."

Conclusion: "So, just like we need to keep our flashlight lenses clean for them to work well, we should also strive to keep our hearts clean to let our light shine for others! The good news is God will help us keep our heart clean. When we sin and do something wrong, we should ask God to forgive us." (Wipe the dirt off the flashlight lens with a wet cloth or baby wipe.) "Remember, a clean lens means a brighter light!"