Cannonball Love

Idea From Mandy Arioto Devotional

Teaching Goal:  Live so that the love of Christ in you is transferred to others.

Scriptures:

Ephesians 3:17-18 I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ…

Mark 5: 1-20 Healing of the man from Gerasene

John 13:34-35 Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

Materials:

• Swimming pool or lake
• Paper and crayons or color markers (optional: alternatively, you can just try to splash the other people without using the paper)

1. Play theme song
2. Pray
3. Review last lesson
4. Lesson and Discussion

• Words written in bold are when the leader is speaking. Feel free to use your own words.

Read Mark 5: 1-20 or in your own words tell the story of Jesus healing the man from Gerasene. Highlight these key points:

1. Jesus meets a man who is sick, hurting, scares people, and is living alone.
2. Jesus cares about the man and heals him.
3. Other people notice the change in the man’s life. It is so drastic that it scares them.
4. When Jesus leaves, the man wants to go with him…stay with Jesus who cared.
5. Jesus tells the man to stay at home and tell others what has happened in his life.
6. Now people listen to the man and are amazed at what he has to say.

 ACTIVITY #1: On a piece of paper, have each family member draw an outline of a person.

Over the top of the person image write:

1. Your name. This person represents you.
2. I need Jesus to heal __(sickness, attitude, behavior)_____.
3. Jesus loves me!
4. Here is how Jesus makes me different ______________________.
5. Because of Jesus love for me, I will love others!

ACTIVITY #2: At a swimming pool (year-round) or at a lake in the summertime.

Be safe!  Off the diving board or side of the pool, take turns making cannonball splashes. The splasher represents themselves after Jesus loves and heals them. The water represents love in our life—the loving things we do, say, think.

Everyone else sits on the side of the pool holding their piece of paper with the writing over their person. The splasher tries to hit their papers with the water, which represents the love of Jesus now being passed on to others.

Invite a volunteer to read John 13:34. “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Close in Prayer