Kids Learn 7.1

Bad Marble Game You vs. Me We’re going to play a game today called Bad Marble. You have nothing to worry about in today’s game as long as you don’t pick the bad marble. Here’s how we’ll play. You get points for any marble you draw or any color except red, if you draw a red marble I win that round.

Choose a scorekeeper to come to the whiteboard.

Have the scorekeeper keep a running tally of the teams’ scores.

Each team will have one player at a time come up and choose a slip from the bag. Then they’ll show us what they drew. A picture of a blue marble is worth 100 points. A green one is 250 points. A yellow one is 500 points. There’s one marble you don’t want to pick. The red marble will lose all the points your team has earned. After you draw a slip, you’ll put it back in the bag. Got it? Let’s play!

Decide how many turns each team will have to draw slips before the game is over.

Great job, everyone! That game was pretty intense. Were any of you worried that you might pick the red marble and lose all your team’s points? (Group response) Of all the things to face in life, this is pretty small. There are some serious things we face that can be pretty hard. Thankfully, God is here to help us in those times.

Here's a condensed and kid-friendly outline of your lesson, preserving the original structure, tone, and Scripture references with verses in the New Living Translation:

1. God Doesn’t Promise Us a Life Without Trouble

Activity: Stand up! Sit down if…

• Sit down if you’ve fallen and hurt yourself badly enough you needed stitches or a cast.

• Sit down if you’ve ever dropped or hit something and broke it.

• Sit down if you’ve ever had someone say or do something that hurt your feelings and you’re no longer friends with them.

• Sit down if you’ve ever had a hard day.

Point: Everyone goes through hard times. Even when we follow Jesus, bad things still happen because the world is broken. But we can face hard times with God’s help!

Key Verse: "Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." — John 16:33 (NLT)

Faith Fact: God helps me when bad things happen.

2. God Is With Us When Bad Things Happen

Activity: Close your eyes and think of someone you go to when you’re sad. Who is it? What do they do that helps?

Point: It’s great to have people who care, but sometimes they’re not always there. God is always with us, even when no one else is.

Bible Example: Joseph may have felt we was all alone in a pit, but God was with him.

Key Verse: "Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you." — Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)

Faith Fact: God helps me when bad things happen.

3. We Hurt When Bad Things Happen to Others

Activity: What is the Golden Rule? How would you want someone to treat you on a bad day?

Point: God wants us to care about others when they’re hurting too. That’s called being “burdened” for someone—feeling their pain and showing God’s love.

Key Verse: "Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you." — Matthew 7:12 (NLT)

Key Verse: "Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ." — Galatians 6:2 (NLT)

Faith Fact: God helps me when bad things happen—and I can help others too.

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