Object Lesson Summary: Put two bowls on the table, one with water and one without. Choose one person, and show him or her three utensils: a cup, a spoon, and a fork. Tell them that the goal is to move the water from one bowl to the other. They can choose whichever utensil they want to use. They most likely will first choose the cup. But then say, “Oh, actually, I need to use the cup for something else, I forgot.” And put it to the side. Then they’ll probably choose the spoon, but say, “Sorry, I just remembered I actually need the spoon for another thing.” So they end up with the fork. It is a little amusing to see them basically try to move water with a fork – a few drops of water make it from one bowl to another each try. After a few tries, stop their valiant efforts and move on to the “point”.
What you need: Two bowls, one with water in it. One fork, one cup, one spoon.
Time: This lesson takes about 3 minutes – it’s just meant as a very quick illustration!
The point: God made us all so different. Some of us are spoons, some of us are cups, and some of us are forks. Forks might be great for eating meat, or spaghetti. But we’re not all designed with the same purpose in mind. And forks just aren’t made for moving water! There are some tough questions we can ask about understanding God’s will and God’s purpose. But there are also really easy, simple ways to understand God’s will too – just look at who you are! How did God design you? What passions and interests and skills did He give you? He made you just the way you are to be able to perform His purpose in your life. So don’t be scared to follow Him!