Balance Lessons

• When attempting to teach two seemingly opposing concepts in the Bible, such as grace and works, it helps for students to get a physical image of what balance looks like. This can be done using interactive lessons such as having two students balance on a raised board and try to knock each other off with a pillow, or by showing movie clips that deal with the topic, such as when the Karate Kid has to balance to beat his opponent. After using the physical or visual image, go straight to God's word and teach the students the concepts behind the game. For example, with grace and works, read from the Epistle of James and help the kids understand how these concepts can easily become opposing when spiritual balance is lost.
  
  

Associative Learning

• When discussing things such as being judgmental or making false accusations, games can be used for a message that really sticks. Games such as the mobster game work well, as they force students to use blind reasoning to isolate a fellow student who they feel is "guilty" of the game's crime.
  
  For the mobster game, secretly assign three or four kids to be the mobsters. The rest of the class are the townspeople. Have the students take turns guessing who they think the mobsters are by asking questions and using deductive reasoning. Afterward, a discussion about how those in each role felt. For example, how did a townsperson feel about being labeled a mobster? How did the mobsters hide their true identities to blend in with the townspeople? Such a discussion is an excellent segueway into Scriptures that illustrate the messages you're teaching.
  
  

Physical Expressions

• A difficult concept for any Christian to understand is that of complete forgiveness. In order to help students understand this concept, enable them to "leave" their sins behind by using an activity at the end of the lesson that discusses salvation or divine forgiveness, such as the story of King David.
  
  Some examples of physical expressions can be writing a sin on a piece of paper and then tearing it up; having the students write "Lord, forgive my sin" on a balloon and release the balloons up to Heaven, or writing sins on a piece of paper and placing them at the foot of a cross. By having students physically leave the sin behind, they are better able to understand the truth that it is completely gone.