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Eyes, Hands, and Mouth

A visual display of three types of biblical relationships: Above, Around, and Below.

 

Topics:

Relationships, Influence, Spiritual Growth

Materials:

4 Volunteers
3 Bandanas or blindfolds
Small table and chair
Towel
Cereal
Milk
Bowl and spoon

Duration:

Approximately 20 minutes

eyeshandsmouth


Preparation:

Before the start of the class, arrange the table and chair, as indicated by the diagram above, in a place where the class can easily observe the illustration. Place the bowl, spoon, and the other items on the table.


What you will do:

First, assign people to the roles of EYES, RIGHT HAND, LEFT HAND and MOUTH. Place a blindfold over the eyes of the students playing the parts of LEFT HAND, RIGHT HAND, and MOUTH. Then have the volunteers take their places as indicated by the diagram above.

The object is for the EYES to direct the Left and Right HANDS to find the milk and box of cereal, open them, pour them into the bowl, and feed the MOUTH. Placing a towel on the person who plays MOUTH would be wise.

Let the volunteers struggle through the exercise but make sure the task is performed. Don’t let it drag on for too long.
 

What you will say:

The teen years are a stage of life that is full of changes, both physical and mental. All of these changes stir up many questions. Many important decisions must be made during this period. A huge problem teenagers face is the lack of trust they seem to have with older adults. This forces teenagers to rely on their peers for advice, even for those decisions that can affect the rest of their lives.

The Bible teaches that relationships ought to be “tridimensional.” In other words, we need people ABOVE us, we need people AROUND us and we need people BELOW us.

Above:
Think about the HANDS in our exercise. What if one hand would have asked the other hand, “Where is the milk?” It is obvious that neither of them could see where it was. That is why they needed the “EYES” to guide them. The EYES are people that have been through what you are going through now and have “made it.” They are usually older people who have proven themselves to show wisdom in the way they live. It does not necessarily have anything to do with schooling.

Find people who you can trust and talk to about the issues that matter to you. You will find that people that are ahead of you in life will give you a new insight and a different perspective on the challenges and decisions that you face.

Around:
In order to grow in life, we also need relationships with people who are on the same level.
This is like the relationship between the right and left HANDS in our exercise. Think about the excellent team work our HANDS represent. They can do all sorts of things because they match each other. In the same way, our peers add value to our lives. We create special memories with people our same age. They understand the ups and downs of our lives. They like the same things we like.

Proverbs 18:24 says, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

Below:
There is one more level of relationships. A relationship that reaches DOWN. The only reason the MOUTH was able to taste some yummy cereal was because the HANDS were willing to do the work for it. As you find people who guide you through the tough moments of life, you should at the same time try to do the same things for others.

Look for people who look up to you. Maybe teenagers who are 1 or 2 grades below you. Develop relationships with them and try to help and advise them when you can. Your efforts will always be remembered by them. They will appreciate the fact that you went out of your way to be there for them.

We see all three of these levels of relationships demonstrated throughout both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Here are only a few examples:

           Above          Around          Below
 David's relationship with... Nathan (2 Sam. 12:1) Jonathan (1 Sam. 20:42) Solomon (1 Kings 2:1)
 Paul's relationship with... Barnabas Silas Timothy, Titus


As an option, give the students a pair of names, and let them determine what type of relationship exist between them.
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