Need a powerful preteen Bible lesson that connects well with students? Then you’re in the right place! This Bible object lesson explores some vital words Jesus spoke to his disciple Peter.
In this preteen Bible lesson, kids discover God’s lovingkindness. Students poke holes in bags of water and watch the water stay put.
Preteen Bible Lesson: Jesus & Peter
Scriptures: John 13:31-38; 18:15-18, 25-27; 21:15-25
Supplies:
- 2-quart or gallon-sized resealable bags (1 per child)
- new pencils, freshly sharpened (3 per child)
- large bowl
- water
Easy Prep:
Fill the bags 2/3 full of water, leaving air in the remaining 1/3.
Preteen Bible Lesson
Give each child a bag of water and three sharp pencils. Hold up one bag by gripping the top seal.
Say: Right now, this bag is a container. Its job is to hold the water inside without leaking. But what happens if we poke pencils through the bag? Can it still do its job?
Have kids form pairs. One partner holds the top of the bag. Meanwhile, the other takes a sharp pencil and quickly pokes it all the way through both sides. Make sure some of the pencil sticks out of each side. The bag will seal around the pencil, and water won’t leak out.
Say: That’s one pencil. But Peter denied Jesus three times. Can you poke three pencils through the bag without water pouring everywhere?
Instruct kids to quickly poke two more pencils through their bags. Make sure the pencils don’t touch each other. See if the bag leaks.
Then have kids trade roles. Repeat the process with the second bag and an additional three pencils.
Discussion
Ask:
- What surprised you about this experiment?
- Should Peter’s mistakes have ruined his friendship with Jesus? Why or why not?
- Tell your partner about a time you messed up in a friendship. Share your own example first.
