When you are building a house, it’s essential to have a strong foundation. Jesus illustrated this in the parable about the wise and foolish builders and made it clear that the “house” is a metaphor for our life. If we build on the Rock (Jesus), our lives will withstand every storm of life. In this object lesson, children will build three different foundations and then test them to see if they will stand the test.
- Luke 6:46-49
- Sugar cubes (1 box per group – make sure they are fresh so that they will dissolve quickly in water)
- Marshmallows (1 bag of large marshmallows per group)
- Legos or Duplo building blocks (about 100 small blocks or 50 large blocks per group)
- A small house made from half of the Lego’s or Duplo blocks
- Watering can or 3 bottles of water
- Water (enough to fill you can or bottle)
- Clear plastic containers (3 – about 8-10 inches tall and large enough for kids to build their foundations in)
- Build a small house out of the Legos or Duplo blocks, but save about half of your blocks for building one of the foundations.
- Put the sugar cubes in one plastic container, the marshmallows in another and the rest of the Legos or Duplo blocks in another.
- Fill the watering can with water (if you are using one)
- Practice the script.
Use the following script (or modify to suit your needs):
- “Jesus told a story about a wise and a foolish builder.” (Have a volunteer read Luke 6:46-49.)
- “Jesus isn’t really talking about houses. He’s talking about something much more important. When He says ‘house,’ He really means life.”
- “Jesus is saying that we should build our life on a strong foundation so that when bad things happen (like the flood and the torrent, which is a fast-moving stream), our house – our life – will not be destroyed.”
- “So what is this foundation that Jesus is speaking about? Does anyone know?” (Acknowledge responses.)
- “In Scripture, the term ‘foundation’ is often used to mean truth.”
- “In the story Jesus told, He said that the wise builder dug down deep and laid his foundation on the rock.”
- “In the Bible, rocks are usually references to Jesus, the Rock.”
- “So, what Jesus was saying is that the wise builder built his life (his ‘house’) on the truth (the ‘foundation’) that Jesus (‘the Rock’) is Lord and Savior.”
- “If you build your life on any other foundation, it won’t stand up during the storms of life – the difficult times.”
- “Let’s do an activity that will show what Jesus means.” (Divide the group into three small groups, and give each group a container with different building materials. Give them 3 minutes to build a foundation out of their materials. When everyone is finished, set the small house on top of the sugar cubes.)
- “Let’s see what happens when the storms of life happen to a house built on this kind of foundation.” (Get a volunteer to poor water over the house to simulate a storm and flood.)
- “What is happening to this foundation?” (Acknowledge responses. Get another volunteer to shake the plastic container to simulate an earthquake.)
- “Now what’s happening?” (Acknowledge response. Repeat the process for the marshmallow and Lego/Duplo foundation, but when you put the house on the Lego/Duplo foundation, attach it so that it sits firmly and will withstand the “earthquake.” After you’ve finished the activity, discuss the Debrief questions below. You can use the Rhyme Time to reinforce the main teaching point.)
- If the Legos/Duplo blocks represent the Truth that Jesus is Lord and Savior, what do you think the sugar cubes and marshmallows represented? (An answer that you are looking for is that they represent what the world says is true. These are fake truths.)
- What are some examples of fake truths that some people build their lives on? (Some responses might include “money, power, fame, pleasure… are the most important things in life” or “other religions” or “if you are good enough, you can get to heaven.”)
- What happens when people build their lives on these truths?
- What truth do you want to build your life on?
A life built on the Rock
Will withstand every shock!