The Deam Team Teacher Zone

Materials and preparation for this object lesson:2 magnets with the word “God” attached to one and the word “mankind” attached to the other; 3-4 paper clips; a match box cover with a red cross glued to the front of it.

A magnet is really a fun thing to play with, isn’t it? (Hold up a magnet and show the kids how the magnet attracts paperclips.) Magnetism, in the scientific sense, has unlike poles which attract each other and two like magnetic poles which repel each other. (Show the children how the magnets attract then turn one magnet around and show how they repel.) The neat thing about magnets is they can be cut into smaller pieces and still keep their magnetic ability. The magnet is able to do what it does by atoms coming together and lining itself up with the North Pole of the magnet. The only way a magnet can stop being a magnet is by heating it or hammering it; by doing this the atoms scatter which will cause the magnet to demagnetize.

In the spiritual sense, we read in James 4:8 “we are to draw near to God and He will draw near to us.” Let’s think of this one magnet as being God (show children the magnet with the word “GOD”). God is positively holy, without sin. He cannot allow sin near Him. This other magnet represents you and me. (Show children the magnet with the word “mankind.”) Notice what happens when the two magnets are pushed together (make sure the magnets are turned so they repel each other). This reminds me of how sin keeps us from being close to God. (Explain about sin and its punishment, Romans 3:23 and Romans 6:23).

But God has made a way for your sin to no longer separate you from God. (Bring out a small match box cover with a cross on it representing what Jesus did.) Jesus is God who took on the form of a human. He came as a tiny baby then grew and lived a perfect life. When He was a man, He allowed men to kill Him, nailing Him to a cross, where He bled and died (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Jesus died in our place, paying the punishment for your sin and mine. However, three days after Jesus died He came back to life! God was pleased with Jesus’ payment for sin and raised Him from the dead—we call this the resurrection. Look at what happens when God’s Son Jesus comes between God and us. (Turn one magnet back around and place the “God” magnet into one end of the cover and the “mankind” magnet into the other end of the match box cover. After they’ve attracted to each other pull off the match box cover, revealing the attracted magnets.)

Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, you can be made “positively” holy in God’s sight. God “draws” you to Himself as He helps you understand you are a sinner and need Him. He gives you understanding about what Jesus did for you. God gives you the faith to believe or trust in Him alone to be made right with Him. When you believe [trust completely] in what Jesus did on the cross you become “attractive” to God. This means He no longer looks at you as one who deserves eternal punishment for sin, but He looks at you through Jesus who is living in you and has made you right with God.

Are you “attractive” to God? Maybe you are in a “negative” relationship with God and cannot draw near to Him because of your sin. The first step in drawing near to God is to “admit” you are a sinner. The next step is you must “believe” that Jesus died on the cross for your sins. The last step is to “call” on Him to forgive you. (Explain John 10:13) Won’t you call on Jesus today?
James 4:8