Freedom Bag
What you need:
Magic change purse – the one I recommend can be purchased on Amazon.com using the link below. You definitely can find some cheaper elsewhere on Amazon but they are generally so small that your hand will not fit inside. These bags have 2 pockets in them that can be easily switched back and forth to show the contents of only one side or the other upon demand.
- Good US flag (smaller one that can be found at the dollar store or somewhere similar)
- 2nd flag that you cut the blue field with stars off of. Keep both pieces as you will need them to “build” a new flag.
- Red and white ribbon roughly the width of the stripes on the flags you purchased above. You will need to cut 7 red and 6 white stripes matching the length of the stripes in the flag.
About the Lesson:
This is a simple lesson that requires very little practice to pull off. It has a neat effect however and can be pretty funny if you play it up correctly. It teaches about patriotism and about the pride and freedom that we have in both the United States of America (if you live somewhere else you can likely adapt this for your particular country) and in the kingdom of God.
This lesson can also be easily adapted to teach about freedom from sin.
Prep:
- Get a good magic change bag (see above)
- Put good flag in right side of the change bag
- Put the flag with the missing blue field on top of the good flag making sure they are tangled together (you don’t want to accidentally pull out the good flag with the altered one)
- You can either put the strips of ribbon and the blue field you cut off in prep together in the left side of the bag OR you can just have them sitting out in sight of everyone.
Lesson:
Key verse: John 8:31 – Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
34 Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Today I have come up with a super fast way of making an American flag and I want to demonstrate my method for you.
You just need some ribbons, 6 white ones, 7 red ones and a blue cloth with stars.
PULL THEM OUT OF THE BAG AND THEN TURN THE BAG INSIDE OUT TO SHOW THAT THE BAG IS EMPTY
You just place them in the bag and give them a shake and WALLA!
Put the stripes back in the LEFT side of the bag but purposely drop the blue field making it appear as if you didn’t see it happen. The kids will likely be shrieking that “you dropped a piece”…. just ignore them. You can say, “I am a professional, I KNOW what I am doing” to make it even more funny when you see it later.
Shake the bag and then reach in and grab the flag missing the blue cloth. Be CAREFUL not to accidentally reveal the OTHER good flag in there also.
Hold up the flag missing the blue field proudly.
TADA! And there you have it! That’s all you have to do… and AAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!
Be very startled when you see the flag missing the blue part. Look around for it frantically and finally find it. Ask the kids (yes, the ones that JUST finished telling you that you dropped it) WHY THEY DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING! This will be pretty fun if you do it right.
Hmmmm, well, I must have dropped the blue cloth! I better try that again.
PUT THE MESSED UP FLAG IN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BAG ON TOP OF THE STRIPES. GIVE THE BAG ANOTHER SHAKE, SWITCH TO THE RIGHT SIDE AND THEN PULL OUT THE GOOD FLAG!
TURN THE BAG INSIDE OUT SHOWING THAT IT IS COMPLETELY EMPTY TO THE AMAZEMENT OF YOUR AUDIENCE.
You see this flag stands for freedom. As long as it flies, we are free to come and go as we please, have freedom of speech and can worship wherever and whenever we want. When I look at this flag I can’t help but think of the freedom that ALSO comes from being SAVED!
When you repent of all of your sins, the blood of Jes
us comes and washes away every sin. In fact, in Isaiah it says that by His stripes we are healed! The blood of Jesus gives us Freedom is so many ways.
These white stripes remind me how my sins were forgiven and how I was washed whiter than snow. When I was baptized in Jesus name, every bad thing I had ever done was taken away and thrown into the sea of forgetfulness.
The blue with the stars remind me of heaven and the promise we have of eternal life if we receive the Holy Ghost and live for Him with all of our heart.
This flag definitely represents TRUE FREEDOM for us as s country but God’s freedom is even MORE INCREDIBLE, saving us from sin and the consequences of it.
I hope this lesson helps you teach your class about freedom both of country and in the kingdom of God. If you have another application for this lesson please let me know about it by emailing us at info@apostolicsundayschool.com or by simply posting a comment below. Thank you and God bless!
