13 May 2017

Basketball Outreach – Teaching Christ Through Magic Tricks

Dear friends,

It was so awesome being the Bible Teacher at a 6-week Church Basketball Outreach. Parents from all over the city send their kids to learn how to play basketball, and since the Basketball program is run by a Church, it’s understood that the kids will get a 15-minute Bible lesson each time.

This is an outstanding opportunity to reach unchurched kids and their families every week!

Every Saturday I had 15 minutes to share with three different age groups. First the youngest kids. The next hour the Intermediate boys, and then the next hour the Intermediate girls.

Between the 3 age groups, more than 150 kids and adults heard a Bible Message every weekend! Praise God!!!

How do you keep the attention of a gaggle of kids who are bursting with excitement and want to run and play Basketball rather than sit and listen? Well, God has made us very visually oriented. We retain information better when we hear it AND SEE IT. That’s why I love love love Gospel Magic Tricks!

Gospel Magic Tricks, or “Object Lessons,” can be an outstanding way to grab kids attentions (and the attention of the adults too!) and have them REMEMBER what was learned!

The topics were selected to build up to the gospel message. Here is what was taught each week:

Please feel free to watch one or all of the videos below. The sound quality is not superb in some of these, so you might have to increase your volume.

Part 1: Who Is God?

Part 2: We Need the Bible!

Part 3: Sin is a Trap!

Part 4: What is Eternal Life?

Part 5: Why is the Blood of Christ Necessary?

Part 6: The Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Here are some photos from the six weeks. Please feel free to click on them to enlarge them.

I love how the kids (and adults) pay attention and really listen so well!

I had just tied together a red rope, a white rope, and a blue rope, but then the "knots" came off revealing only one rope. This was to illustrate that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are NOT three Gods tied together, but ONE God.

Much more important than the Trick is the Truth! Explaining God's Word is an honor.

Yes, that's me about to shoot a little girl in the face. Well, technically, I'm shooting at the cup on top of her head. And instead of a bullet, I'm shooting air from my "air-zooka!" I did this because some people say that if they can't see God, then they can't believe in Him. Well, we can't see air, but we "see" the effects of it.

Using "Dutch Windmills" to illustrate why we need the Bible in order to know for certain who God is and how we enter a relationship with Him.

This bear trap illustrated the dangers of sin to the kids (and their parents too!)

They tried really hard, but they couldn't pull the Coke can out of the trap. In the same way, we can't get ourselves out of the many traps of sin we're in. We NEED Jesus to save us!

This vase has an "endless" supply of water, an effective way to teach on "Eternal Life."

The rope represents how Adam & Eve's relationship with God was before the Fall. I had one of the ladies cut the rope in half to illustrate what sin did.

After the rope was cut in half, the red silk was placed over it, illustrating the blood of Christ, and the rope was restored perfectly!

In the final week, God's plan for forgiving humanity was revealed. Great news!!!

I love seeing the kiddos pray! So precious!!!

We love you and thank Jesus for you!

Thank you so much for your prayers, financial support, and notes of encouragement, without which we would not be able to reach the Lost for Jesus Christ!

Please contact us anytime and let us know how we can pray for you!

And please feel free to forward this to anyone you think would be blessed by it!

For Christ and His gospel,

Mark, Shelby, Vivienne, Juliana, Caleb, and Gabriella