Lifting Up Those Around You | The Glass and the Balloon

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What you need:

• One 9 inch or 12 inch balloon
• 1 clear glass cup (approximately 12 to 16oz or so)

Quick Note:

This is a simple lesson as object lessons go but it is still rather clever and fun.

Lesson:

Hold up a balloon that is NOT inflated

This here is US. Yep, you and me. Not that impressive is it? Just kind of ordinary and flat and not all that great looking.

You see, on our own we can’t really do a whole lot can we? I need a volunteer to help me out.

Note: This is one of those situations that you actually do not want your volunteer to succeed in the task that you are giving them. Because of this and because the object of this lesson isn’t super difficult to figure out given enough time, you might want to choose someone younger who might struggle a bit more.

Okay, Today I’m going to give you a very simple task. All I need you to do is pick up that cup.

Your volunteer will probably reach over and pick it up.

No, I didn’t give you the rest of the rules. Actually, you have to pick it up without touching the glass at all. In fact, the balloon is the only thing you can touch. So go ahead and get started.

Your volunteer will probably struggle quite a bit with his challenge unless they happen upon the solution which is unlikely but possible. If they do figure it out it is not going to mess up your lesson. You can just use their success to be a building block of the next part of your lesson.

While your volunteer struggles….

And that’s how we are in life. We go about our days trying this and that, trying to accomplish things with the power that is within us. Some people rely on their own strength or their own intelligence or their own athleticism or their good looks or their talents or whatever else but what they do not understand is that they will never become everything they are supposed to until they look outside of themselves.

Here you can talk about the Plan of Salvation. Talk about repentance, baptism in Jesus name and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Yes, when you clean yourself out and prepare your heart for Jesus you then can be filled with a wonderful gift of the Holy Ghost. Here, let me help you out

Take the balloon from your volunteer.

When you get full of the Holy Ghost all of the limits come off of your life. Everything that was holding you back before whether it be other people’s criticisms or your lack of belief in yourself are removed and you can become something so wonderful and begin to affect and move and lift up the things around you.

Lower the deflated balloon until it is inside the mouth of the glass. Begin to blow up the balloon and as you do make sure that at least half of the balloon is inside the glass. continue blowing until the balloon is very firmly wedged in the mouth of the glass. You can then tie the balloon off and pick up the balloon which will also pick up the glass into which it is lodged.

You see, when you become full of the Holy Ghost we become so much more than we were before. We have the power of the Holy Ghost as it says in Acts chapter 1 verse 8. we have the power to lift up those around us, the power to make the world around us better and the power to become something great for the kingdom of God!

Ecclesiastes 4:9
9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.