Will You Melt Down or Rise Up?

About the Lesson:

This is a very different type of lesson that requires a bit more than you might usually have in a typical Sunday School classroom. Yeah, for this one, you need a MICROWAVE! REALLY!

We are going to use a microwave to teach about the power of being transformed. When you are changed the way God wants you to be, you don’t react to things and situations the same way you used to. You rise to the occasion and become something great for God.

What you Need:

• Ordinary bar of soap (whatever is cheap… Dial etc)
  • Note: I have had several people mention that you may need to try several different kinds before finding one that REALLY melts.  Reports that other types of soap ALSO rise or do other unexpected things have come in so make sure you get more than one option AND that you give yourself time to experiment before doing this live.
• Bar of Ivory soap
• Microwave
• 2 Paper plates
• Knife

Lesson:

HOLD UP A BAR OF SOAP THAT IS NOT IVORY SOAP

So this is us… or at least it was before we came to God.

Does anyone have a bad temper? Well, let me tell you a bad temper can get you in some SERIOUSLY bad problems.

If you don’t give that over to God… OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! Life can get awfully, awfully crazy.

When you encounter certain situations without God our humanity takes over and it usually isn’t a pretty sight. Let me tell you about my younger brother.

UNWRAP THE SOAP AND PLACE IT IN THE MICROWAVE

You know how kids are right? They are kind of mean and me and a few friends were in my dad’s brand new car… but my younger brother, Larry wasn’t. But he WANTED to BE IN THAT CAR!

We would unlock the car and he would run up and try to pull the handle to open the door. JUST before he got there, we would lock the door again.

WE THOUGHT IT WAS SO FUNNY! But HE didn’t!

In fact, he used to have a really bad temper and this made him mad.

TURN ON THE MICROWAVE

We did it again… and again and we LAUGHED SO HARD! But he didn’t laugh… he got MAD!

REALLY MAD!!! BLINDING RAGE MAD! TO THE POINT THAT HE FINALLY SNAPPED AND KICKED IN THE SIDE OF OUR DAD’S BRAND NEW CAR! HE MADE A HUGE DENT!

STOP THE MICROWAVE AND PULL OUT THE MELTED SOAP

Yeah… my brother had melted down. He let his rage get completely out of control! AND NEEDLESS TO SAY, MY FATHER WAS NOT A HAPPY MAN…

He did not spare the rod or spoil his child that day.

Another time he…

PUT THE SOAP BACK IN THE MICROWAVE

…was mad at me for something else and I was running away laughing and I ran into a room of the church, slammed the door in his face and locked it. He could hear me laughing through the door and ONCE AGAIN, HE WENT CRAZY. HE REARED BACK AND KICKED A HOLE IN THAT DOOR!

STOP THE MICROWAVE AND PULL OUT THE NOW DESTROYED SOAP

Yikes… our humanity has a way of getting us into some BIG trouble sometimes doesn’t it? If we aren’t careful we will try to make excuses for our actions by saying, “I can’t help it… that’s just the way I am!”

• I can’t help the fact that I say mean things to people… IT’S THE TRUTH! That’s just the way I was raised.
• I can’t help my terrible temper
• I can’t help that I get irritated and grumpy with those around me
• I can’t help it that I’m always late
• I can’t help it that I’m lazy
• I can’t help it… that WHATEVER!

DON’T MAKE EXCUSES FOR ACTING IN A WAY THAT GOD DOESN’T LIKE!

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

The Bible says that we should be conformed or be LIKE what the world is but we should instead be TRANSFORMED OR CHANGED.

There is only one way to be truly CHANGED. You can try all you want to read self-help books or to think positive thoughts but ONLY GOD can truly change YOU! And you will NEVER be the same again.

• When you repent of all of your sins
• Are baptized in Jesus name
• Receive the gift of the Holy Ghost
• And do your best to live for God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength
• AND IF YOU WORK AT IT, PRAY, READ YOUR BIBLE AND DO THE THINGS GOD WANTS YOU TO DO, YOU CAN CHANGE… YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE THE SAME WAY YOU USED IT

So now, we are changed…

PULL OUT THE IVORY SOAP

We are different, we are washed, cleaned and sanctified

Our hearts are clean now, washed white as snow by His precious blood.

Unwrap the soap and show it is clean and white.

Now, when those same situations occur, if we are living for God and wanting to do what is right, Jesus, who is now living inside of us will HELP US REACT CORRECTLY!

It doesn’t matter what life throws at us… big situations or small, it just doesn’t matter because EVERYTHING is in God’s hands.

It may feel like we are broken by the cares of this life but…

Cut the ivory soap into four pieces and put them in the microwave.

My younger brother now has the Holy Ghost and is a GREAT man of God! He has a wonderful family and he quite simply is NOT the same man he used to be.

Now when silly thing happen in his life that make him frustrated… he doesn’t react the same.

TURN ON THE MICROWAVE

Now if someone locks him out of a car, instead of kicking the door in, he would just turn and walk away.
Now when something bad happens in his life instead of lashing out and FREAKING OUT and relying on himself to fix the problem, he goes to God and GOD HELPS HIM AND ME AND YOU RISE TO THE OCCASION.

THE IVORY SOAP WILL EXPAND AND GROW

We are TRANSFORMED by allowing God to work in our lives. We don’t melt down every time something bad happens, by the grace of GOD obstacles that the devil tries to use to melt us down actually HELP US and MAKE US better!

This is a great lesson that requires a regular bar of soap, a bar of Ivory soap and a microwave. Any brand of soap besides ivory will just melt down when put in a microwave but a bar of IVORY soap will expand and grow… Honestly, I don’t know why and I really don’t care… it’s just really cool.

Thank you so much and I hope this object helps you teach your class. Make sure you check out the rest of apostolicsundayschool.com to find other object lessons like this, magic tricks that teach, how to tie balloons, teacher training and a WHOLE LOT MORE!

Also, if YOU have a good lesson that you would like to share with others PLEASE tell me about it. Email info@apostolicsundayscool.com, comment on the website lesson, send feedback, record a video, post it somewhere and share the link… However you do it really doesn’t matter just please share it!

God bless and happy Sunday schooling.