Follow the Recipe of the Bible | Object Lesson

In this object lesson, we show how important it is to follow the Bible’s instructions to live a good, healthy life. Just like a recipe, if we skip key steps or add the wrong ingredients, things can go wrong!

Theme: You can’t make your own way to Heaven — you must follow God’s recipe.

Key Verse: Acts 2:38 – “Repent, and be baptized…in the name of Jesus Christ… and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Props & Prep

For Both Chefs:

• Chef hats (Good Chef in clean white, Bad Chef in a floppy or crooked hat for humor)
• Mixing bowls and spoons

Good Chef’s Ingredients (use real or pretend items):

• Flour
• Sugar
• Chocolate chips
• Vanilla
• Eggs
• Butter
• Measuring tools
• Bible (held and referenced)

Bad Chef’s “Substitutes”:

• Hamburger buns (instead of flour)
• Salt (instead of sugar)
• Hot Cheetos or Doritos (instead of nuts)
• Mustard (instead of chocolate chips)
• Vinegar (instead of vanilla)
• Finger for sweetness (“I’m sweet enough!”)
• Twinkie (crushed into mix for no reason)
• Water (instead of milk)
• Random yelling and confident nonsense
• No Bible

Segment Breakdown

1. Introduce the Chefs

Two chefs come out excited to bake cookies. They announce they are each using a special recipe.

• The Good Chef proudly holds up the Bible, explaining it has the best recipe — Acts 2:38.
• The Bad Chef scoffs, waving his own messy paper or improvising: “I’ve got my own style! Who needs a book when you’ve got instincts?”

2. Begin Mixing

Both chefs start following their recipes.

• Good Chef carefully reads each ingredient from a “recipe” and adds the correct item, measuring carefully, staying clean, and checking with the Bible.
• Bad Chef repeatedly says things like:
  • “Close enough!”
  • “I’m the boss, I’ve got the hat!”
  • “Salt and sugar are the same color — what’s the difference?”
  • “I don’t need rules — I’m just doing what feels right!”
  • Then adds gross substitutes like mustard, vinegar, hot chips, etc.

3. The Big Contrast

The Good Chef’s mix looks great — maybe even offer the kids a sample cookie.

The Bad Chef’s bowl is a nasty mess. He offers it to the kids or to the Good Chef — nobody wants it. He complains: “Why isn’t this working? I followed most of it!”

4. The Spiritual Tie-In

Good Chef explains:

“You can’t just throw in whatever you want and expect something good. That’s how a lot of people treat living for God. But the Bible gives us a clear recipe for salvation — Acts 2:38. If we change the plan, we won’t get the result we want.”

Bad Chef looks at the mess and groans:

“So I can’t just do it my own way?”

Good Chef (with kindness):

“God loves you too much to let you fail. That’s why He gave us a recipe. If you follow it, He promises the real deal — salvation, the Holy Ghost, and Heaven.”