Group Activity
Based on 1 Corinthians 10:21, this activity demonstrates how difficult it can be to do the right thing when you’re listening to two conflicting voices (God and the enemy).
Choose two student volunteers to stand in front of the group. The volunteers will simultaneously tell the group to either stomp or clap – they will not coordinate instructions, so sometimes they will say the same thing and other times they will say opposing commands. The group will be instructed to only listen to one of the volunteers.
This activity demonstrates how difficult it can be to listen to both God and Satan at the same time.
Set the scene
This lesson is about the very real presence of angels and demons in this world. A lot of times we think of those things on a theoretical basis – we don’t actually consider that they are real and among us. So, help the group feel the reality of the spiritual realm by setting the scene.
Dim the lights and sit in a circle on the floor to make it more intimate. Play some background sound effects like wind/rain. Light a candle or have a few dim lights scattered around.
Assign Scriptures to 3 volunteers: Matthew 4:10-11, Romans 8:38, 1 Corinthians 10:21 & 1 Corinthians 10:13
The story of the demon possessed man (Luke 8:26-37)
The church doesn’t often talk about the spiritual forces of darkness and light, but as you can see in this story, they are very real and very powerful.
What instances in the Bible do you remember hearing about angels? What were their names? (Michael, Gabriel)
What other instances in the Bible do you recall hearing about demons or Satan?
Jesus was even tempted by Satan. [Read scripture}
Matthew 4 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[e]”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Even though these forces are powerful and real, the scripture that we’re learning this month, promises that even those forces can never separate us from God. [Read scripture]
Romans 8
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers… can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
But we have to remember the part that we play. We have free will – which means that we have to choose which voice to listen to and remember that we cannot listen to two voices simultaneously like we saw to in the activity. [Read scripture]
1 Corinthians 10
21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.
We have to be very diligent in staying tethered to God and God’s Word, because when we crack open a door to things that we know are wrong, we are opening ourselves up to those evil forces. It never starts out seeming that bad, right?
The great news is that, even if we do make mistakes and get sucked into bad things, like our scripture says, we are never ever too far gone. We are never outside of God’s reach. [Read scripture]
1 Corinthians 10
13 No temptation[a] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted[b] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,[c] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.