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Developing Devotions for Your Boys

I.)                 Open with prayer

    II.)               Brief personal introduction

    III.)            Give example devotion:  Jesus is Calling 

a.       Have all props visible before arrival.  Hide Terra cotta pots.

b.      Ask for a volunteer.  Have the volunteer put on gloves and safety glasses.

c.       Explain to volunteer he will be catching the pot you throw and set it on a table.  Throw a pot to him and have him sit it down.  Ask him if this is too hard.

d.      Go get the other pots and set on another table.  Begin throwing pots to him increasing in speed until they begin to break.  Some high, some low ensuring they will break.  After a couple of the pots have broken, stop throwing and have him sit down.  Leave the broken shards on the floor, but have a broom and a box easily available.

e.       Explain:  Each one of the Terra Cotta pots represents a life and a soul.  The man catching the pots represents a Pastor of a local congregation.  Each of the pots sitting upon the table represents the souls won by the Pastor.  Each of the broken pots represents missed opportunities and broken lives.  Many congregations have depended entirely upon their Pastors to carry out the workings of the gospel.  We go to church hear the word of God and talk about the good sermon, but fail to minister to those around us.  After all, we have not been called into ministry, or have we?

f.        Read text scripture:  Ephesians 4: 11-16            

g.       Have the first man return and ask for other volunteers.  Begin throwing the pots to all of them and have them place them upon the table.  Ask “What was the difference this time?”.

h.       Conclude:  Jesus has called us to minister to our generation.  If you are a Centurion, you have been called by his name.  God has placed you in this place for this time to effectively minister his word.  End with prayer.

IV.)            Define object lesson - a lesson that utilizes all three learning styles to effectively illustrate a Biblical truth or text. 

V.)              Why should object lessons be used?  Jesus taught effectively by utilizing different teaching styles.  He often talked in parables and drew word pictures.  He drew in the sand when confronted with the adulterous woman.  His miracles were done to illustrate Godly truths. 

VI.)            Why is an object lesson effective?  It appeals to all three learning styles. 

VII.)         Identify and define the three learning styles. 

a.)    Auditory style- An auditory person learns by hearing instruction.  They will often say, “I hear what you’re saying” or “That sounds good to me”. 

b.)    Visual style-  A visual person learns by seeing examples.  They will often say, “I see what you are saying” or “That looks good to me”.

c.)    Kinetic style- Kinetic learning is accomplished by active learning.  This person must be an active participant in the learning process.  This can be accomplished by touching an object, role-playing or problem solving.  They will often say, “I feel like you are saying” or “It feels good to me”.                 

d.)    Most people utilize all three learning styles, however, they tend to favor one style more than the others. 

VIII.)       Empower Devotion: 

a.)    Ask for a volunteer who is having trouble believing in their ability to minister in this capacity.

b.)    Tell them to take the dollar bill from under the bottle without touching the bottle and without tipping it over.

c.)    Demonstrate the correct method in removing the bill.  All things are possible with God.  Often we must change our way of thinking in order to accomplish ministry goals. 

IX.)            Break into groups of four.  Distribute various items to the groups and have them practice developing their own object lessons.  Have a willing participant share the outline of his devotion if time permits. 

X.)              How do you begin to develop devotions?

a.)    Prayer- pray God’s blessing upon your devotion and for effectiveness.  Ask God to reveal his will for your topic.

b.)    Target the needs- think about who and where will you be ministering.  If ministering to children, remember ages and ask yourself the following question.  If I knew I would never have the opportunity to talk with my son, daughter, spouse, friend, etc., what would I say?  What would be important? Try to limit your topics to one main point.  Too many points cloud your message.

c.)    Try to limit your time to no more than fifteen minutes- The attention spans of children usually will not permit anything longer.

d.)    Be prepared- don’t wait until the last minute to speak to God and plan your devotion.  God and your boys deserve your best effort.

e.)    Don’t be afraid of failure- You can not base the success of your devotion on audience response.  You never know what example taught might make the difference later in life.  God is full of surprises and his word never returns void.   If you missed the mark, learn from your mistakes and press on.  Talk with trusted leaders about the effectiveness of your devotions.  Stay positive and concentrate on your strengths, not your weaknesses.

f.)      Enlist resources- utilize books, science projects, internet sources, other devotions, job skills, plays, skits, etc. to develop the visual aide for your lesson.

g.)    Teach the other leaders in your troop how to minister and rotate speakers often- effectiveness utilizes diversity.  God used all of the Disciples and Apostles to spread the gospel.  By using all of your leaders you will empower and diversify your strengths.

h.)    Never pass up opportunities to minister- build relationships with your boys and make the devotion the central part of your PFC program.

i.)      Thank God for all of your results- God is still answering prayer and changing the lives of boys.  Many will come to know Christ because of your efforts.  To God be the glory for all things accomplished in his name! 

XI.)            Sweep the remaining shards of pottery on the floor into the box- hold the shards up so all can see.  Now go forth and minister to the broken hearted, the broken in spirit and the shattered lives.  Introduce them to the only one who can put the pieces back together, Jesus Christ. 

XII.)         Dismiss in prayer