Items needed:

You will need one item to represent God and one item to represent the devil.

We used a large cross to represent God, and a pitchfork to represent the devil.

If you don’t have these items, you can simple write “God” on a piece of posterboard and “devil” on a piece of posterboard.

Funny prop for your volunteer. This can be a hat, wig, beard, jacket… anything to make it fun.

Lesson:

Place the items representing God and the devil a few yards apart and choose a volunteer stand between them.

Tell the children that the volunteer is going to show us what happens to our fictitious person Egbert Grunge. (Agnes Grunge if it’s a girl.) Tell the children it doesn’t look like Egbert, and then put the funny prop on him. That’s better.

Point out the item that represents God, and the item that represents the devil.

The first thing that happens is that Egbert gets saved. Egbert turns his life over to God. Instruct Egbert to turn and face God. Point out that when Egbert turns to face God, he turns away from the devil.

Now that Egbert is saved, he starts going to church. Do you think that would bring him close to God or the devil? Take a step closer to God, Egbert. Did you notice when he took a step closer to God, he also took a step away from the devil?

Then Ebert started to pray. Do you think that brought him closer to God, or closer to the devil? Take a step closer to God, Egbert. Notice when he took another step closer to God, he took another step farther from the devil.

Then Egbert started to read his bible. Did that bring him closer to God or the devil? Take another step closer to God, Egbert. He’s now even farther from the devil.

Then Egbert started hanging out with some friends that didn’t want to go to church, so he stopped going to church. Take a step back, Egbert.

He stopped reading his bible. Take a step back, Egbert.

He also stopped praying. Take a step back, Ebert.

He started doing some of the bad things his friends were doing. Take a big step back, Egbert.

Then one day he realized how far away he was from God. Take a look around, Egbert.

He was sorry for what he had done. Take a step toward God, Egbert. He prayed. Take a step toward God, Egbert. He asked God to forgive him. Take a step toward God, Egbert. He started reading his bible. Take a step toward God, Egbert. He started going to church. Take a step toward God, Egbert. See how close he is to God now?

God loves all of us. He wants us to stay close to him. The bible tells us to draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to us. That means the closer we get to God, the closer He gets to us.

James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.