Introduction: The purpose of the "Temptation Island -
Survivor" event is to emphasize that all of us can be tempted to
sin. From the time we begin to walk and talk we are tempted to sin.
Our parents didn't have to teach us to do wrong, because we are sinful
from birth. When you are young you might be tempted to steal a cookie
or to disobey your parents, these sins are equally as bad as other
sins. However, they probably won't destroy you. But as you get older
the sins that you will be tempted to do can destroy you. The Bible says that Satan is like a roaring lion seeking someone
to devour. Satan wants to defeat God's children and will do whatever
it takes to do so. God has given us his Word so that we can defend
ourselves against Satan's fiery attacks. Today, we will play some fun
games and do some special activities to learn what God has to say in
his Word about defending ourselves from Satan's attacks.
Begin the event with prayer. Then play "Survivor Scavenger
Hunt".
Survivor Scavenger Hunt
Set Up: Each team will need their own set of eleven colored
cards. Print the following lines of the Bible verse from James onto
each of the cards. One line per card. (copy and paste the verse into
your word processor. Then print them onto separate cards) Laminate the
cards for durability.
* When tempted, no one should say,
* 'God is tempting
me.'
* For God cannot be tempted by evil,
* nor does he tempt anyone;
* but each one is tempted when,
* by his own evil desire,
* he is dragged away and enticed.
*
Then, after desire has conceived,
* it gives birth to sin;
* and sin, when it is full-grown,
* gives birth to death." (James 1:13-15)
Establish a large playing area, preferably outside. (The playing
area can be set up around the island decoration.) Hide the cards.
Divide players into teams of 4-6 players per team.
How To Play: At the go, have the players hunt for their teams'
eleven colored cards. Once they've found all eleven cards, have them
arrange the cards into the proper order. After a few minutes of
trying to place them into the proper order, give them Bibles to compare
and correct the order. The first team to place the verse into the
correct order reads the verse out loud.
How To Win: The first team to place the cards into the
proper order wins for that round and receives immunity from the first
challenge, below. The winning team is allowed to help
lead the challenge.
First Challenge:
1) Fill in the Bible Blank. Have players stand in a circle.
Leader begins by reading a popular Bible verse such as John 3:16.
Going around the circle, players take turns filling in the blank for
the leader at various points in the verse. For example: "For God so (first
player fills in the blank) the world that he (second player
fills in the blank) his one and only (third player fills in the
blank), that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal
(fourth player fills in the blank). If a player cannot say the
correct word, he or she is squirted with a water gun and the next
player in the circle has the opportunity to say the correct word.
Other popular verses to use are: Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23, Romans 5:8,
Romans 6:23, and Romans 10:9-10. (You may decide to use other verses
that your group has been memorizing)
2) Name That Trait: Players stand in a circle and are given
the opportunity to identify a characteristic of a great Bible
character by multiple choice answers. If a player answers incorrectly
he or she is squirted with a squirt gun and the next player has the
opportunity to answer. The correct answer is in red.
A) Noah is best known for: a) Wearing a coat of many colors, b)
Building the Ark, c) Leading the
Israelites out of Egypt, or d) all of the above.
B) Marion was the sister of: a) Moses,
b) Ruth, c) Daniel, d) she was an only
child.
C) Paul wrote most of the books in the New Testament: a) True,
b) False.
D) Daniel is best known for: a) writing the Psalms, b) surviving
in a lion's den, c) building the temple.
E) In the Bible God is sometimes referred to as: a) The
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Joshua, b) The God of Isaac, Jacob
and Jonah, c) The God of Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob.
F) Esther was, a) a
queen, b) the woman at the well, c)
a thief.
G) Adam and Eve's first three named sons were Cain, Abel and, a)
Enoch, b) Joseph, c) Seth
H) Solomon is said to be a) one
of the wisest men that ever lived, b) a
man after God's own heart, c) a cruel King.
I) John the Baptist died by a) being hung on a cross, b) being
shot with an arrow, c) being beheaded.
J) Moses is best known for a) writing the first five books of
the Bible, b) leading the Israelites out of Egypt, c) Climbing
Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments, d) all
of the above.
K) Deborah was a) a Judge,
b) the wife of Boaz, c) the daughter of King Lemuel.
L) When King Nebuchadnezzar didn't acknowledge that God gave him
his position of power, a) his wife cursed him, b)
he went insane and ate grass like a cow, c) he was
dethroned.
Snack Time: Make Survivor Trail Mix. Offer various food
items such as nuts, raisins, tropical dried fruits, pretzels, and
M&M's. Allow campers to mix their own trail mix. Serve with
tropical fruit
punch.
Bible Discussion Time: Have the teams sit down with their
group. Begin the discussion by asking the participants, "What is
sin?" (Receive answers) Sin is missing the mark of God's
perfection. It is doing, saying, or thinking wrong things. It is
disobeying God's laws.
READ: The Bible says, "For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature...The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;
idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions
and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."
(Galatians 5:17-21)
Give each team a Post-It Note pad, pencils, and a Bible.
Ask the participants, "What kinds of sins do teens find
tempting?" Have teams discuss this with their group, then write their
individual responses onto Post-It Notes. Discuss answers with the
larger group. (Give Post-It Notes to leader for use during the "Temptation
Island Game", below.)
Have teams open their Bibles and read James 1:13-15. Discuss the
following:
Questions:
1) How are we tempted? (by our own evil desires)
2) What does it mean to be enticed? (lured, attracted, seduced)
3) What does desire mean? (longing, craving, wishing, coveting)
4) Is it wrong to desire? Why or why not? (it's what we desire that
makes a difference. God gives us the desires of our hearts. (See
Romans 8:5 and Psalm 37:4)
5) What does desire give birth to? (sin)
6) What does sin give birth to? (death - Romans 6:23)
What does this mean for us? We struggle with evil desires because
we are sinners. It is our evil desires that can drag us away from God
and into sin. How can we avoid being dragged or lured away?
First, you must be saved. Have you asked Jesus to save you.
Without God's Spirit living in you, you will not have the supernatural
power necessary to defend yourself against Satan and the evil forces
in this world. Once you have
asked Jesus into your heart and life, then how can you avoid
temptation? Have the participants think of ways to avoid
being dragged into sinful situations. (Possible answers: by staying away from
circumstances that we find tempting we can avoid being dragged into
sin. Such as: if you are tempted to cheat on a test, don't put
yourself in a situation where it is possible to cheat. Sexual
sins, don't put yourself in a situation that makes this possible such
as dating alone. Don't look and listen to such things as TV, Internet,
or music, that causes evil desire to be conceived.)
Tug O' War Game
(The game will be fought over the fake fire pit on Temptation
Island. Place a sprinkler at the center of the "fire pit".)
Point to the fire and say, "If this fire were real and you got too close,
you'd get burned. It's the same thing with sin. If you get too
close, you get burned. God doesn't tell us to stay away from sin to
ruin our fun; he knows that sin hurts us and leads to our destruction.
Satan is out to destroy us. God warns us to stay away from sin
because he loves us and wants us to avoid its negative
consequences.
READ: The Bible says, We fight not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 6:12.
We will now play a game of Tug O' War over the "fire pit" to remind us of our
struggle with sin and that if we get too close we will get burned.
Rather than a fire we will be using a sprinkler. If you get wet, you
get
"burned".
Second Challenge: Triple Trouble - What do these three items have in
common?
Write the following Triple Trouble words onto six small poster
boards and place them behind the start line. Write the answers to the
Triple Trouble words onto Post-It note pads. Make a set for each team.
Teams are to find the common bond between the following three
groups of words. Players are given the chance to earn their answers by
playing the second challenge game. (See below)
* Razor Blades - Knives - The Bible. (they are sharp and can cut. The
Bible is sharper than any two-edged sword...)
* Rusty Nails - Rotten Fruit
- Someone that seldom reads the Bible.
(things that are decaying.)
* Simon Peter - Your Pastor - You.
(people that have been tempted and need forgiveness)
* Apostles Creed - The Constitution
- Gettysburg Address (important
documents not in the Bible)
* Beatitudes - Proverbs - Ecclesiastes. (instructions for living found
in the Bible)
* School - Home - A Friend's House.
(places where we can be tempted)
Place a Hoola-Hoop for each team at the
opposite end of the playing field. First players on each team run in
relay fashion to their team's Hoola-Hoop, spin their hoop four times
around their waists, then return to their team lines to tag off to the
next player in line. Play continues as such until all
players have completed the challenge. Each time a player completes the
Hoola-Hoop challenge, he or she is given one of the Post-it note answers to the
Triple Trouble game. Teams race back to the start line to match up their answers to the
Triple-Trouble group of words. Teams continue to play until all the
answers are obtained. First team to answer the questions correctly
wins.
Temptation Island Game
Goal: Players will learn that by hiding God's Word in their
hearts it will help them to avoid sinning against God.
Set Up: Establish a large playing area around the island
decoration. Place the sins that were written on the Post-it Notes onto the Island
at the center of the playing area. You will need a set of Bible Trivia
playing cards.
How To Play: Before playing tell the players that their
post-it notes with their sins written on them are now on Temptation
Island. Players stand at the outer edge of the playing
area. Have the players close their eyes and begin asking the Bible Trivia
questions, below. (You will give two possible
answers, one correct and one incorrect. The incorrect answers
will always move the players toward the island. But don't tell this to
the players. The game ends when all the questions have been asked
or most of the players have reached or almost reached the island.
Don't allow one player to be the focus of losing.)
Bible Trivia Questions: (Secret for the teacher: the correct answer is in bold
red. By having the players close their eyes they are not influenced by
the other players.)
1) Who brought the animals to Adam so he could name them? If you
think the answer is God, stand
still; if you think it is Eve, take one giant leap forward.
2) What is the wages of sin? If you think it is working harder
to please God, take a giant leap forward; if you think it is death,
stand still.
3) According to Luke 10:27, we should love God with all our heart,
soul, mind, and what else? If you think the answer is with all our
best intentions, take a giant leap forward; if you think it is with
all our strength, stand still.
4) Without "______" it is impossible to please God. What is
it? If you think it is loving your neighbor as yourself, take a
giant leap forward; if you think it is faith,
stand still.
5) To be saved by grace means what? If you think the answer is an
undeserved favor from God, stand still; if you think it
is a special prayer to God, take a giant leap forward.
6) When the Holy Spirit first came upon the disciples, what did they
do? If you think the answer is dropped on their knees and
worshipped God, take a giant leap forward; if you think it is they
spoke in other languages, stand still.
7) To go to Heaven we must do what? If you think the answer is do
more good things in life than bad things, take a giant leap forward; if you think the answer is trust
Jesus, stand still
8) When Peter walked on water why did he begin to sink? If you think
the answer is he doubted,
stand still; if you think the answer is there was a terrible storm,
take a giant leap forward.
9) What place was guarded by an angel with a flaming sword? If you
think the answer is the Garden of Eden,
stand still; if you think it is Jesus' tomb, take a giant leap forward.
10) Christians are to be known for their what? If you think the answer
is by their love, stand
still; if you think it is by their good works, take a giant
leap forward.
11) Jesus said, I am the Way, the Truth, and what else? If you think
the answer is the Light; take a giant leap forward; if you
think it is the Life, stand
still.
12) What kind of water did Jesus offer the woman at the well? If you
think it is living water,
stand still; if you think it is cold water, take a giant leap forward.
When you have finished reading the questions tell the players that the
player that is furthest away from the island is the winner.
Unfortunately, those players that reached the island, or who are
closest to it, have lost the game, because it was their incorrect answers that brought them to the
island, or near it. This game was intended to help you learn
that by hiding God's Word in your heart you will keep
yourself from sinning. When you know what God's Word says, you will
know how to avoid real life temptations.
This is what the Bible says, "I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you." Psalm 119:11. We must read the
Bible so we will know what God expects from us. This is not
head-knowledge...but heart-knowledge. In other words, we can know
something in our minds, but still not obey it - not take it to heart. Galatians says, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life."
(Galatians 6:7-8) And, "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires."
(Galatians 5:24)
Optional discussion: What does it mean to "reap what you
sow".
Divide group into three teams and discuss the following verses and
answer the questions. After a few minutes have the groups choose a
leader to read their verse and to report what they've learned.
1)
"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the
faith..." (1Peter 5:8-9) How can we be alert so that we are
not devoured by Satan?
2) "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you."
(James 4:7-8) Discuss what it means to submit?
3) "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives."
(1 John 1:8-10) This is our only hope. Jesus makes us right before God. What
does it mean to confess? Who do we confess our sins to?
Make a "Survivor 10" Bracelet or Necklace. Have
participants string 10 shells or beads onto leather lace to remind
them of God's laws, the Ten
Commandments. Tell the participants that
God has given us his laws to protect us and to help us survive here
on Earth. (Tie a knot before and after each shell or bead as they
are strung). As each bead is
strung onto the leather lace name the corresponding command: #1 Have no other gods.
#2 Don't worship idols. #3 Don't misuse God's name. #4 Remember the Sabbath
Day and keep it holy. #5 Honor your father and mother. #6 Don't murder.
#7 Don't commit adultery. #8 Don't steal. #9 Don't lie. #10 Don't crave what others have.
Tie off the leather lace to fit around the wrist or neck.
Finish with prayer. Suggested prayer:
"Dear Jesus, thank you for giving us your Word. Help us
to read it everyday and to hide it in our hearts so that we will not sin
against you. Help us to follow you and live to please you. Help us not
to turn away from you. Help us to remember what we learned here today
and apply it to our lives. Thank you for loving us, dying for us, and
forgiving us. Amen."
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