Smashing Idols!

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. (II Corinthians 10:5)

This was a particularly fun class, which opened with a Bible verse activity that was a real hit: popping bubble mailers. Patrick was the first to arrive, and he was told to obey the instructions exactly and then he could pick a card. I told him to pop a certain number of the bubbles, and he very carefully did so. Then he got to choose a card, which had a word from our verse on it, and match it up to the words already written on a piece of paper. Then we sang the verse: Children, obey your parents [please], in the Lord for this is right. [Yes, indeed] (Ephesians 6:1)
We kept doing this, and I kept increasing the number of bubbles to be popped. Patrick was very patient and showed that he can count very well. He liked the part of the verse song where we added "please", and I would be quiet at that point and let him sing the "please" by himself. CJ arrived just in time to have the game explained to him, so after we prayed together as a group, we finished the game in our classroom. We added a variation where the boys both had to pop all the bubbles on the little section I had cut out for them, and whoever finished first got to pick the next card. They had to compare their sections and make sure that they had smashed every single bubble. It was surprising how hard it was to be sure they were all popped!
This led right into our story perfectly. I told the boys that in today's story God tells someone to DESTROY something, to smash it completely so that it can no longer be used -- just like the boys had smashed all those bubbles, being so careful to get them all.
Then I brought out a pop can and said, "Or like this." And I stepped on it and flattened it, which they really liked. "This is really smashed. No one will use this again. Let's listen to our Bible story to find out who God told to smash something."
This was one of those days where that Bible time was "set apart". God's hand was over it, and the boys were listening so attentively to the story of fearful Gideon being visited by God and encouraged to fight the Midianites and to destroy the altar of Baal.
When we got done, I pulled out a bag of water bottles and had the boys stand up. (They were very excited because I think they knew what was coming.) I told them that God wanted Gideon to destroy the altar of Baal and the Asherah pole because He knew that they would never be happy worshipping a false god. They would only ever be happy worshipping the one True God. Only God is worthy of our worship and can make us happy. Then I told them that God tells us to destroy every idea that sets itself against Him.
We went back through the story, and I read Gideon's words, "The Lord has forsaken us." I asked the boys, "Is that true? Does God ever give up on His people." NOOOOO.... "God says He will be with you wherever you go. He never gives up on His people. Patrick, would you smash that false idea that sets itself up against God?"
And Patrick greatly enjoyed smashing the water bottle with his foot -- as did CJ when it was his turn! We went through the story and took turns smashing bottles for false ideas that set themselves up against God: like Gideon thinking that God couldn't use him because he was poor and unimportant; and that Gideon needed to be afraid of the men of the town, as though they were more powerful than God. As we smashed each bottle, we spoke the Truth about who God is and what He has promised in each case.
After this energizing activity, we sat down at our table to rest and color -- and answer some questions. This is where the night was so rewarding. I asked, "What did God tell Gideon?" CJ looked so earnestly and said, "He told him, 'The Lord is with you.'" These were the exact words of the story, and I praised CJ. He looked at me, again very earnestly, and said, "I was really listening." Then I asked, "And what else did God tell Gideon?" CJ said, "He told him, 'Gideon, everything that you are thinking is wrong!' " Wow! CJ understood that Gideon's fear and doubt were wrong, in the light of God's power and promises! We moved through other questions and then I asked, "How many true gods are there?" Patrick answered, "One!" Then he said, "But He's three-in-one." (And he did a version of the hand signal we use in Children's Church for the Trinity, three fingers pulled through the hand and changing to one finger.) Wow, again -- our five-year-olds are thinking about the Trinity. I praise God for the work He is doing in these children.