Teaching teenagers and children about God’s will can be intimidating. This God’s Will Object Lesson uses simple props and dialog (all provided in the printable below) to help you have a meaningful conversation with your children about knowing and following God’s plan for their lives.
Is it your plan or God’s will?
Understanding God’s plan can be difficult at any age. I still struggle to know what God wants me to do sometimes. But I remember discerning God’s will was especially hard during my teen years and early adulthood.
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I had to make choices about relationships, money, education, and even a job. Then came bills, heartbreak, and more pain.
So I questioned God and wondered how could He ask me to go through so many difficult situations if He really loved me? Why couldn’t His will be straightforward and easy?
Then, I realized that maybe this was super difficult because I was actually trying to impose my plan onto God instead of accepting His will as what was right for me.
Have you ever struggled with God’s will this way?
I encourage you as a parent, family member, or pastor to work through this first section to reflect on your own journey as you prepare to present this object lesson to your students.
Whether sharing with older children or young adults, suggestions are made in the lesson for keeping the talk age appropriate.
This Bible lesson on following God’s will is a powerful way to twist an abstract concept into a tangible and entertaining example of how we need to yield our will to His plan.
What does the Bible say about God’s will?
What is the first verse to pop into your mind when you think about Scriptures explaining God’s will?
For me, it’s Psalm 139:13-16:
“Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began. My bones were not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. I will praise You because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, and I know this very well. For it was You who created my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.”
Psalms 139:13-16, Christian Standard Bible
Before you and I were ever born, God had a page-by-page plan for our lives.
Another Scripture about God’s plan is a passage we often see on artwork and pillow covers:
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11, New King James Version
What some people fail to realize is that this verse, as inspiring as it is, follows an incredibly difficult time in Jewish history.
Jerusalem was in shambles. Jewish people were sent into exile.
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Jeremiah is writing to the Jewish people sent to live in foreign lands under extremely difficult situations where they could not even worship God the way their ancestors had.
Times were exceedingly difficult and Jeremiah was encouraging God people to trust that He had a plan. Their job was to keep focused on God.
That call to keep focused on God continued throughout the Old Testament into the New Testament. Jesus, after encouraging us not to worry, says in Matthew 6:33:
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
Matthew 6:33 New King James Version
We are not supposed to worry about what is next. God’s will is for us to focus on Him.
From selfish to self-less?
As a mom of five and the owner of a small business, I like to know what is going to happen before it happens. I want to be prepared for each step of the process and even be ready for the unexpected.
When preparing for a trip, I am totally the person who packs a first aid kit, medications, umbrellas or ponchos, and flashlights because… you just never know what we might need.
Even as a teenager, I remember wanting things to have a predictable order. I thought my life was supposed to be a series of organized points: First we arrive at Point A and that will take you to Point B and so on.
What I didn’t realize was the life God planned for me had very little to do with ME and much more to do with the others along my path.
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You see, life is a series of moments where we brush by people who need something we can offer. These God-ordained meetings work into a much larger plan than just my life.
It’s very hard for us to think this way as we live in a me-centered society. Does God’s will for me really boil down to seeking Him first and placing others second?
It kind of seems like it.
The entire chapter of Romans 12 makes it pretty clear that God’s plan is for us to be focused on others and the place we have in the body of Christ.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Romans 12: 1-2, New King James Version
Everything that follows the first two verses in Romans 12 is about thinking less about ourselves.
- Romans 12:3 – Don’t think more of yourself than you do others.
- Romans 12:10 – Give preference to others over yourself.
- Romans 12:11 – Be diligent in serving the Lord.
- Romans 12:12 – Be patient.
- Romans 12:13 – Give generously to others in God’s community.
- Romans 12:14 – Don’t return curses against those who don’t like you.
- Romans 12:15 – Be available to others to celebrate or cry with others when needed.
- Romans 12:16 – Stay humble.
Is that to say that we will never have our own needs met?
Absolutely not. As we follow the ins and outs of our days and weeks, God knows we will have difficult times. Even those moments are worked into His plan.
- Romans 12:5 – We are all part of God’s purpose/community.
- Romans 12:6-8 – We all have different but necessary gifts to make God’s purpose/community work together as it should.
How Can We Submit Our Will to God’s Plan
Life is not as straight as a bamboo skewer. Life is filled with twists and turns.
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But our focus cannot turn inward during these moments. Our gaze must be firmly fixed on God.
If you feel like you focus has shifted, you can pray as the Psalmist did:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.”
Psalm 51:10, New Living Translation
Allow the Holy Spirit to soften your heart and make it moldable to the will of God.
Lean into Him and seek God first, knowing that He will guide you.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6, New International Version
So, for anyone wondering, “What is God’s will for my life?” it’s strangely simple. Love and serve God. Love and serve others.
Seeking God’s Will object lesson
The purpose of this object lesson is to help students seek God’s will for their lives in a new way; not to get what we can from God, but to give what we can to others.
Supplies:
- Bible
- Bamboo skewer or straight stick
- Thick but bendable wire, like sculpting (16 gauge) wire
- Pipe cleaner
- 2 pairs pliers
- Printable Lesson Guide HERE
Preparation:
- No preparation is necessary.
What is God’s will for your life?
Can’t see the embedded video? Watch Following God’s Will Object Lesson on YouTube here.
Get the free printable lesson guide here.
Hold up the wire in front of the students.
Say to your group:
“Imagine this piece of wire is the timeline of your life.”
Point to one end and say, “This is the day you were born.”
Run your fingers down the length of the wire to the other end and say, “And way down here is the day you will get to see Jesus face to face.”
Begin to bend the wire at odd angles and say, “But life is not simple. There are twists and turns all along the way. It’s all a part of what God planned for us before we were even born.”
Read Psalm 139:16:
“Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began.”
Psalm 139:16, Christian Standard Bible
Explain to your students that before they were ever born, while still inside their mother’s womb, God already had a plan.
Hold up the bamboo skewer.
Then say: “But there is a problem. God loves us so much that He allows us to make our own decisions. And, since we live in a sinful world, we sometimes harden ourselves against God’s plan and try to make our own way.”
Begin trying to shape the bamboo skewer to fit the zigs and zags you bent into the wire.
As you try to bend the bamboo skewer to fit the wire, dramatize a decision a student might need to make.
Some things you might say to teenagers include:
- “I know I am not supposed to drink but all my friends are and I don’t want to be the weird one.”
- “Vaping can’t be that bad if everyone is doing it.”
- “God isn’t going to care if I speed / drive recklessly / use my phone while driving. Nothing bad is going to happen.”
- “This store makes millions of dollars. They aren’t going to miss this one little thing if I take it.”
- “I love him/her and I just know we are going to be together forever so it’s okay that we are having sex before getting married.”
If working with children, these ideas will work:
- “I know I am supposed to love everybody but that person is just so annoying.”
- “Cussing isn’t that bad. It’s just words.”
- “God wants me to make good grades so cheating on this test won’t matter.”
- “It’s just a little lie and no one will ever find out the truth.”
The bamboo skewer is supposed to break as you apply pressure. You want it to zig and zag like the wire but not be fitted to the wire.
Holding up the broken bamboo skewer, ask the students:
“What ends up happening when we try to force our own way instead of following God’s will?”
While you want to hear the answer “We are broken,” allow some time for responses. You might even want to ask a few students to share times when they made a bad decision and the consequences they experienced.
Say to the students:
“You’re right. We end up a broken mess and sometimes have to face some pretty messed up consequences. So how can we avoid being hardened to God’s will?”
Hold up the chenille stem / pipe cleaner.
“We can pray that God would give us a new softened heart.”
Read Psalm 51:10:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.”
Psalm 51:10, New Living Translation
Begin twisting the pipe cleaner around the wire and say:
“It isn’t easy to stay soft when our world is so hard. As we submit to God, we need to seek to renew our minds… To stay close to God in a relationship by reading His word and praying.”
Read Romans 12:2:
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
Romans 12:2 New Living Translation
As you reach the end of twisting the pipe cleaner to the wire, emphasize to the students that it is God who transforms us and nothing we can do without Him. We have to stay close to Him.
Then, point out the ups and downs in the path and say:
“But, it can be hard when we have so many broken places in the past. Sometimes, there is a lot of pressure in our past that begs for our attention.”
Explain that you understand some of those memories are extremely painful but that God has worked even those terrible moments into the plan He has for our lives.
Place one end of the wire and pipe cleaner in the grip of the first set of pliers.
You can say: “The pains of the past can grip us tightly in a vise, and it’s hard to forget our mistakes. Those memories can make us doubt the decisions we make going forward.”
Read Matthew 6:33:
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
Matthew 6:33 New Living Translation
Tell the students that it is hard to understand why things happen, but that God worked it into the plan He has for their lives.
Place the second set of pliers so that it grips near the opposite end of the wire from the first set of pliers.
Read Jeremiah 29:11:
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11, New King James Version
Say: “It’s critical to remember that our eyes have to be focused on God at all times and for all things.”
Tell the students that God’s plan includes a future for them that is good.
“We are encouraged time and again throughout the Bible to keep our eyes focused on God and to trust Him. He wrote our plan before we were born and He knows how our story is supposed to go.”
Read Proverbs 3:5-6:
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 New International Version
As you read the passage in Proverbs, begin pulling the wire and pipe cleaner with the pliers to straighten both wires.
Say to the students:
“Regardless of the mistakes we have made, God and God alone can straighten our path.”
Begin unwrapping the pipe cleaner from the wire about half way as you tell the students:
“But that’s not all of God’s will for you. It’s just the first part. He wants you to seek Him first. Then, He calls you to love Him by being open and serving others.”
Read 2 Timothy 4:5:
“But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.”
2 Timothy 4:5 New Living Translation
Say: “God’s will for our lives is to share His love with others. We are called to show the people who are broken around us how He can heal them too.”
Take the broken bamboo skewer and begin attaching it to the wire using the pipe cleaner.
Explain ways we can share God’s love with others around us as you twist the pipe cleaner around the wire and bamboo skewer.
Finish the lesson by saying something like this:
“That is God’s will in its entirety for each of us… to seek Him first and to point others to Him.”
When it comes to decisions along the way, ask yourself, ‘Does this keep God first? Does it point others to Him?’ If the answer is yes to both, go for it. If the answer is no to either one, pray for your heart to be soft and your ears to be open. This is God’s will for you.”
Frequently asked questions about following God’s will
As you have worked through this object lesson for yourself and/or with your students, you (or they) might still have some questions.
How do I know God’s will when making a big decision?
When wanting to know God’s plan while making a big decision, you can spend much time contemplating what you should do.
The first thing you must do is pray and read God’s Word. Prayer is how we communicate with God. His Word is one way He communicates with us.
As you pray about your choices, as yourself, “Is it sinful? Will it separate me from God?” If the answer is “yes,” then do not proceed. God will never guide you to a place where you will sin.
If the answer is “no,” then pray and proceed, having faith that God will close the opportunity if it is not right for you.
When you still are unsure, you can also seek advice from another Believer you know and trust.
If God is guiding you through this decision and you have approached it prayerfully, He will likely send confirmation to you through His Word, another Christian, or as a still small voice in your mind.
If God loves us so much, why do bad things happen in our lives?
Sin entered the world when Adam and Eve ate from the fruit of the tree of Knowledge. From that moment forward, every person was (and continues to be) born with a sinful nature.
At the same time, God has given us free will, the ability to make our own choices.
When you mix a sinful nature with the ability to make your own decisions, sometimes you end up doing, thinking, or saying something wrong. Our choices can lead us into bad situations.
But even if we are making good choices, we are living surrounded by billions of people who are also born with a sinful nature who can make their own choices.
When they make bad decisions, sometimes the consequences impact or bounce into our lives.
Do I have to give up things I like to do in order to follow God’s will?
Sometimes, you will need to give things up to follow God. Serving the Lord is summarized in Mark 8:34:
“Jesus called the crowd together with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].”
Mark 8:34 Amplified Bible
Often, what we like is a desire from our flesh, selfishness, or sinful nature. When what we enjoy leads us away from God, those things must be put away. We have to deny those wants.
Carrying the cross as Jesus did is not supposed to be comfortable. That means, following God’s will can be difficult. But, the rewards of following God and living in a way that brings honor to Him and shares His love with others is definitely worth anything we have to give up.
Additional Resources for Knowing God’s Will
(This section may contain affiliate links.)
More Scriptures about God’s will:
- Micah 6:8
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
- Psalm 143:10
- John 7:17
- Hebrews 10:36
- Ephesians 5:17
- 1 Thessalonians 4:3
- Hebrews 13:20-21
Other object lessons on God’s will:
- God’s Plan for Us at Children’s Ministry Deals
- MY PLAN vs. GOD’S PLAN Magic Object Lesson by Kidology
- God’s Plan for Us by The Object Lesson Channel
Helpful books about knowing God’s will:
- The Will of God: Understanding and Pursuing His Ultimate Plan for Your Life by Charles F. Stanley (Amazon) – Dr. Stanley helps us understand that knowing God’s will is not possible without being in a daily relationship with Jesus.
- Finding God’s Life for My Will: His Presence Is the Plan Paperback by Mike Donehey (Amazon) – A delightful read for teens and adults, this book helps you flip your mindset when thinking about God’s will for your life.
- Experiencing God (2021 Edition): Knowing and Doing the Will of God Hardcover by Claude V. King, Henry T. Blackaby, & Richard Blackaby (Amazon) – I actually read the original Experiencing God over two decades ago but I’m sure the renewed version still contains the same truths and encouragement. There is also a simplified version just for teens.
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