Objects Needed: a previously carved pumpkin, candle, matches/lighter
Prior to the lesson, carve eyes, a nose, and a smiling face out of the pumpkin (but put the pieces you carved out back in the holes so it looks intact still). Take out all of the pulp and seeds and refrigerate (so they don’t smell). Right before the lesson, put the yucky stuff back in, and turn the pumpkin so the uncarved side is facing the kids.
Tell kids that today we’re going to carve a pumpkin. While the pumpkin is still put together, ask kids what they think it’s like in there. They will probably say it is “dark”. Tell them that it’s a lot like how our lives are without Jesus. Dark.
But Jesus opens the darkness for us. (Take off the top of the pumpkin).
He takes out all of the yucky stuff. (Take out the seeds and guts). All of our sin. He takes out the lying and the cheating. He takes out the sadness and the loneliness. Jesus gets rid of all of it, so there’s nothing inside there to keep it dark.)
But, it still isn’t exactly… light, is it? Even with the top off, it still has some darkness in it. So Jesus keeps carving.
(Turn pumpkin around and begin taking the pre-cut pieces out)
First, he gives us eyes. He gives us eyes to see the world the way he sees it.
Then, he gives us a nose. He gives us a nose to sniff out the parts of the world that aren’t so great-smelling, so we can help.
Then, Jesus gives us a smile. You see, when Jesus died on the cross, a lot of people thought they would be stuck in darkness forever. They thought a frown would always be on their faces. But Jesus gave them a smile when he rose from the dead.
And then, Jesus lit a fire in us. (light the candle inside). The truth about Jesus and what He’s done for us shines so bright that even when the lights are off and we are surrounded by darkness (turn off the lights), we can still find the light of Jesus.
This object lesson was taken from the Halloween Lesson – “Day of the Dead” available inside the Curriculum Membership
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