Skin Deep or from the Heart?
Group Activities

Sermon Title: "Skin Deep, or from the Heart?"

Scripture Reading:Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

LIPS AND HEARTS:

Children can draw and color many lips and hearts all over their paper that the teacher has given them. Teacher can give a time limit for drawing as many lips and hearts as they can. When the time is up, children can write Mark 7:6b around the lips and hearts. Red glitter can be glued to the lips and hearts for sparkle.

3 LAYERD HEART:

Children can be given 3 hearts from bigger to smaller. They will glue one heart on top of another to make a 3 heart layer. On the top heart, write – WORSHIP FROM THE HEART. If children would rather have a "pop up layered heart", they can glue an accordion-folded piece of a strip of paper between each heart layer.

APPLE WITH TAG:

Let each child pick out the apple that they want for themselves. Let children write on a tag to attach to the apple as today's object lesson. Write on the tag: ARE YOU AS CLEAN AND GOOD ON THE INSIDE AS YOU ARE ON THE OUTSIDE?

CLEAN TINS:

Give each child a clean tin of any size. Show them that the outside is very clean but when they open the lid, they'll see fruit peelings, dirt or crumbs inside and will have to use a wet wipe or cloth to clean out the inside. Children should write the Bible verse today on a slip of paper and tape to the top or around the sides of their tin. Write TRUE CHRISTIANITY IS A MATTER OF THE HEART. Give children some heart candies to put inside their tin, or M & M's, etc.

APPLE BOBBING:

Give children a shallow tub of water with apples and let them bob for an apple to eat. Provide some apple dip if desired..

CARMEL APPLES:

Have the caramel wrapping for apples available for children to carefully wrap around the apple..

HEART PRAYER WREATH:

Children can cut out many hearts of different colors and glue them around the edge of a paper plate. Write a prayer for a clean heart, on the inside of the paper plate and lightly color the paper plate and hang by a string or yarn.

TISSUE PAPER HEART:

A very large poster board HEART drawing can be hanging on the wall. Children can wad up little pieces of various colored tissue paper and begin gluing the tissue paper "wads" to the heart on the wall! With bright colored markers, children can write, IT'S A MATTER OF THE HEART!

STUFFED HEART:

Make two big hearts of the same size. Children can color the hearts and LACE around the edges. Add some tissues inside and continue lacing. Hang the heart by a string. Write something from our lesson today or SKIN DEEP OR FROM THE HEART, or TRUE CHRISTIANITY IS A MATTER OF THE HEART. If lace is available, children can glue or "lace" the white lace to the edges of the stuffed heart, as well!

HEART TAG:

This can be played like the usual game of TAG but each child can have a cut out HEART taped to their shirt. As the children play tag or run in a designated area to some children's music playing, one child or teacher/leader can try to steal the hearts from the children. If a heart is taken, that child can sit outside that area until there is one child left with a HEART! Continue to play as time allows. Tell children to not EVER let their hearts get far from GOD!

MUSICAL HEARTS:

Play musical chairs with children passing a heart cut out or a heart pillow, etc, around as the music plays. Whoever is holding the heart when the music stops, will be out for the rest of the game. Continue to play until just one child is left, holding the heart!

HEART WASHING:

Provide children with a piece of foam to cut out a large heart. Children can use dark markers to scribble all over the heart or to draw or write SINS that children may commit. Then children can each (or together as a group) have a small wash basin with warm soap sudsy water to wash off the markers from their foam heart, as they "wash their sins" away. Encourage children to keep their hearts clean through out this coming week!

SHARE A SNACK:

Children could have apple pieces to dip into carmel or yogurt dipping sauce, or children might enjoy some heart RED HOTS candy as well.

Song: "Cleanse Me

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Words and Music (pdf)

MP3 Accompaniment Track (right click to save to your computer)

This song is in the public domain and may be freely downloaded and reproduced for religious or educational use by churches, schools, home schoolers, and other non-profit organizations.