What's Your Focus?

In today’s world, there are thousands of things to distract our students from focusing on Bible Study, Prayer, God, etc. Here is a way to help them re-gain their focus on Him!

First, go around your house and pick up certain things like magazines, video games, DVD’s, pictures of people, MP3 players, CD's, textbooks, laptop, TV remote, clock, hobby items, sports equipment, etc. The more the better; you get the point.

Second, go and grab two small sticks or twigs from the yard. Tie them together with a piece of string to make them appear as a very simple cross. The more understated, the better.

Finally, arrive early enough that you can have all of these items sitting on a table that is COVERED WITH A TOWEL OR TABLE CLOTH. Make sure the simple cross you made is in the mix somewhere, but that it is NOT “sticking out.”

After all of the students have arrived, and it’s time to start, hand out an index card and a pencil/pen to each student. Ask everyone to gather around the table and observe the items on it. They have 60 seconds to SILENTLY observe the table and objects.

After the 60 seconds is over, re-cover the table and objects with the cloth. Play a game, tell a joke, or make a few announcements, etc; whatever it takes to kill 5-10 minutes. Then tell the students to write down the things they saw (and can remember) that were sitting on the table. Give them 2 minutes to make their list.

After the 2 minutes is up, go back to the table, uncover it and ask students to honestly grade how many of the items they could remember. Most students will not even have seen the cross, or will not remember it enough to write it down. The other “flashy” things will probably steal their attention.

Now you can go straight into your lesson, or interview the students about the experience.

1. How many items did you remember and write down, that are actually up on the table?
2. What do these items on the table represent?
3. What was the first thing you wrote down?
4. Did you see the cross? Was it closer to the beginning or end of your list?
5. What does that tell you about how easy it is to lose sight of God in the midst of our stuff or in the hectic times of life?

Idea by Kevin Carter