VBS Object Lesson: Gentleness

ETA: I get 50ish hits a week on this post most of the year, and 250 hits a week during VBS planning season. I'm glad people are interested in the lesson! If you'd like to take the time to come back and comment, I'd love to know if you used it and how it went, if you have any suggestions or alternative stories, etc.

Last night I taught the object lesson on gentleness for VBS. Here's what I did.

Topic : Gentleness

Intro: Has anyone ever been mean to you? Have you ever been mean to someone else? Have you ever seen someone be mean to someone else?

Story: The Woman with an Issue of Blood (Mark 5:25-34). Emphasize the woman was unclean, dirty. If anyone touched her, they would be unclean, too. If she sat in a chair or ate from dishes, they would be unclean and no one else could use them. No one wanted to touch her or be near her because, eww, she was dirty. How did she feel? (sad, angry, lonely) She spent all her money on doctors, but all their medicine just made her worse. She suffered for 12 years. Finally she went to Jesus and was healed by touching the hem of his garment. When He found out what had happened, He didn't say, "Gross, you're unclean and you made me unclean, too." No, he treated her with gentleness. He said, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."

Object lesson

Supplies: two raw eggs with smiley faces drawn on them (VERY IMPORTANT: make sure there are no cracks in the shells), safety pin or straight pin, q-tip, bowl and table, drop cloth to protect floor (or do outside), apron for adult

Process: Did you know it's impossible to break an egg by squeezing it, if the shell is intact? Let kids squeeze it. [I did not let the VBS kids try to squeeze it, too many kids who might throw it! But I would let a smaller group try to squeeze the egg.] Give your egg a name. Have the kids say mean things to the egg. You're stupid, fat, ugly, you smell, I don't like you, etc. For each mean thing that is said, carefully use the pin to poke a small hole in the shell.

I did a pattern with one hole in the center and several holes in a circle around. [I drew dots to show what I mean. In actuallity, you can barely see the holes.] Does "George" look any different? No, he's still smiling. But what happens to his heart when mean things are said?

If you put your thumb in the center of the pinhole circle, you can smash it easily. Crush the egg with your hand into the bowl.

Can we put the egg back together? No, only God can heal a broken heart.

Now have the kids use gentle words to the second egg. For each nice thing, rub the egg with the q-tip. Can we break "Bob's" heart? No, no matter how hard we squeeze, we can't break this egg because it's been treated with gentleness.

Conclusion: Treat others with gentleness, as Jesus did to the Woman.

Verse: Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Matt 11:29