Predicting the Future – Checkers in a Change Bag

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Needed:

  • 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.
  • 20 red checkers (I just purchased some cheap checker games from the Dollar Tree)
  • 20 black checkers

About the lesson:

Using a magic change bag (this is a bag that has two compartments with a little switch that allows you to reveal only what you want to reveal) you can be able to “randomly” pick the color of checkers you want.

Lesson:

Have a volunteer come up and pour the red checkers into the bag.  Change the bag to the other side and then have them pour in the black checkers. Shake the bag and make it look like you are really mixing up the checkers.  The audience should think that there is no way whatsoever for you to know which color of checker is going to come out.

Did you know that God knows everything?  Really?! He is omniscient which is a long complicated word for saying that Dod knows everything!  EVERYTHING!

He knows how many hairs are on your head.  In fact, He knew that before you were even born.  He knew how many hairs you would have when you were born, when you were 10, when you are 20 and when you are 75.  He knows EVERYTHING!

Like this…. check this out.  If my volunteer here were to reach into this bag here and pull out a random checkers, do you think I could possibly know what color it was going to be?

LIKELY YOUR CLASS WILL SCREAM “NO!”

But God does know… Reach into that bag and swirl your hand around… don’t look inside.   

MAKE SURE HERE THAT YOU HOLD THE BAG ABOVE EYE HEIGHT SO THE VOLUNTEER COULDN’T LOOK IN IF THEY WANTED TO

Now, before you pull that checker out… let me make a prediction.  This is kind of like when you were born, God knew what color of eyes you would have.  I think you will pull out a “BLACK” checker.

TO YOUR AUDIENCES AMAZEMENT THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY WILL PULL OUT

God knows what school you will attend

PREDICT CORRECTLY AGAIN

If you will make the decision to live for Him

PREDICT CORRECTLY AGAIN

Who you will marry

PREDICT CORRECTLY AGAIN

How many children you will have

PREDICT CORRECTLY AGAIN

But the neat thing about God is that just because He knows something it doesn’t mean that He is forcing you to do anything! Volunteer, am I making you a certain color?  No, of course not… just because I know what color you will get doesn’t FORCE you to do it does it?

God is on your side and He loves you.  He wants you to make the right choices in life.  He wants you to live for Him but He is a gentleman and He will never ever force you to do anything.  You have a free will and the choice is yours.

BUT GOD STILL KNOWS!!!!!!