Needed:

• Two identical cardboard boxes, large enough to demonstrate their strength
• 2×4 lumber to construct a sturdy wooden frame that fits inside one box
• Wood screws and tools to assemble the frame
• Miscellaneous lightweight objects or packing materials to fill the second box
• Printed labels for each of the spiritual building blocks and worldly distractions
• Bible

Before Class | Preparing the Boxes

For this lesson, you will need two cardboard boxes that look exactly alike on the outside but are very different on the inside. The goal is to demonstrate that a full life is not necessarily a strong life. What matters is what we are building our lives upon.

Box 1: The Strong Box

Build a sturdy wooden frame using 2×4 lumber and screws. Measure the inside of your cardboard box carefully so the frame fits snugly inside. The frame should provide support from the bottom of the box to the top, allowing the box to withstand significant pressure without collapsing.

Attach the following labels to the wooden supports. These represent the spiritual principles that make a Christian life strong:

• Repentance
• Baptism in Jesus’ Name
• The Holy Ghost
• Prayer
• God’s Word
• Worship
• Obedience
• Holiness

Place the wooden frame inside the box and close it. The children should not be able to see what is supporting the box.

Box 2: The Weak Box

Fill the second box with miscellaneous lightweight materials or objects. This box should appear just as full as the strong box, but its contents should provide very little structural support.

Label the materials with the following:

• Video Games
• Popularity and Fitting In
• Entertainment and Hollywood
• Social Media and People’s Opinions
• Money and Possessions
• Drugs, Alcohol, and Addictions

These items represent things that can distract us from God, become misplaced priorities, or actively destroy our lives. Be sure to explain that not everything on this list is inherently sinful. The problem comes when we build our lives around these things instead of building on Jesus Christ.

Close the box so the children cannot see the difference.

Important: Test both boxes before class. The strong box should withstand the pressure you intend to demonstrate, while the weak box should collapse noticeably. If you plan to stand on the strong box, make sure the wooden structure is safely built and thoroughly tested. A safer alternative is to use heavy books or weights to demonstrate the difference.

Every Decision Builds Something

Begin by reading 1 Corinthians 3:11:

“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

Explain to the children that they are building something every single day, whether they realize it or not. They are building their lives!

Ask the class a few questions:

• Who do you choose to spend your time with?
• What do you watch when nobody else is around?
• Do you read your Bible and pray?
• Do you obey your parents even when they aren’t watching?
• What do you do when telling the truth might get you in trouble?

Explain that these may seem like small decisions, but every decision adds something to the life they are building. Some choices make us stronger, while others can weaken us.

Read Ecclesiastes 12:1:

“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth…”

Emphasize the word NOW. God does not want children to wait until they become teenagers or adults to begin living for Him. The decisions they make today are already shaping the people they will become tomorrow.

Which Box Is Stronger?

Place both boxes in front of the class.

Explain that these two boxes are identical. They are the same size, the same shape, and the same color. From the outside, there appears to be absolutely no difference between them.

Ask the children to vote on which box they believe is stronger. Allow several children to explain their guesses.

Tell the class that you are going to put the boxes to the test.

Begin by applying pressure to the weak box. You can push down on it, place weights on it, or use another safe method that causes it to collapse.

React to the collapse and ask the children whether they guessed correctly.

Next, demonstrate the strength of the second box. Apply the same pressure and show that it does not collapse. If the box and frame have been constructed and tested appropriately, you can demonstrate how much more weight the strong box can support.

Ask the class why two boxes that look exactly alike would respond so differently to the same pressure.

Open both boxes and reveal what is inside.

Explain that both boxes were full of things, but only one was filled with things that could make it strong.

Teaching Point: It is not what your life looks like on the outside that determines your strength. It is what you are building on the inside.

What Are You Building With?

Remove the labeled pieces from the boxes one at a time. As you reveal each item, briefly explain how it either strengthens our lives or fails to provide the spiritual support we need.

The Strong Box | Building on Jesus

1. Repentance — Acts 3:19

Repentance means recognizing when we have done wrong, admitting our mistakes, asking God to forgive us, and turning away from sin.

We do not make excuses, hide our mistakes, or blame somebody else. We acknowledge our sins and make the decision to change.

Repentance is an important part of building a life that will last.

2. Baptism in Jesus’ Name — Acts 2:38

Baptism in Jesus’ name is part of God’s plan of salvation. When we are baptized in Jesus’ name, our sins are remitted, and we take on His name.

Explain that being baptized is much more important than simply getting wet. We are identifying with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

3. The Holy Ghost — Acts 1:8

The Holy Ghost gives us power to live for God. We do not have to face life’s difficulties in our own strength.

When we receive the Holy Ghost, God gives us power that can help us overcome temptation, stand for what is right, and remain faithful when life becomes difficult.

4. Prayer — Luke 18:1

Prayer strengthens our relationship with God.

Every time we pray, we are building something into our lives that we will need later. Prayer should not be something we do only when we are in trouble. It should become a regular part of our lives.

5. God’s Word — Psalm 119:11

The Bible teaches us how to live, what is right, and how to recognize what is wrong.

When we read and obey God’s Word, we are placing something strong inside our hearts. The more we know His Word, the better prepared we will be when temptation comes.

6. Worship — Psalm 34:1

Worship should not depend on whether we are having a good day or a bad day.

We praise God because He is worthy, not simply because everything is going our way.

A life of worship helps us keep our attention on Jesus regardless of our circumstances.

7. Obedience — Ephesians 6:1

Learning to obey our parents and the authorities God has placed in our lives helps us develop discipline and character.

Every time we choose to obey, even when we do not feel like it, we are making our lives stronger.

8. Holiness — Hebrews 12:14

Holiness means being set apart for God and seeking to live in a way that pleases Him.

It affects how we dress, how we speak, how we behave, and the decisions we make. God has called us to live differently because we belong to Him.

Remind the children that all these spiritual building blocks belong in a life built upon Jesus Christ.

The Weak Box | Things That Cannot Hold You Up

As you remove the items from the weak box, contrast them with the strong wooden supports.

1. Video Games

Explain that not every video game is necessarily wrong. However, when games become more important than God, they can distract us from the things that truly matter.

Children can spend hours building characters in video games while doing very little to build their own character.

2. Popularity and Fitting In — Proverbs 29:25

If our entire lives revolve around making people like us, what will happen when doing the right thing makes us unpopular?

Popularity is not a strong foundation because people’s opinions can change.

3. Entertainment and Hollywood

Entertainment can consume a tremendous amount of time. Some entertainment may simply be a distraction, while other forms actively promote ideas that contradict God’s Word.

Teach the children to be careful about what they allow into their minds and hearts.

4. Social Media and People’s Opinions

It can feel good when people notice us, compliment us, or think we are important.

However, we cannot build our lives around the approval of other people. Their opinions change constantly, and chasing their approval will never give us lasting strength.

5. Money and Possessions

There is nothing necessarily wrong with having money or nice things, but possessions cannot provide the spiritual strength we need.

Clothes wear out, electronics break, and money gets spent. If those are the things we build our lives around, eventually we will discover that they cannot support us.

6. Drugs, Alcohol, and Addictions

Unlike some of the other items, these things can actively destroy a person’s life.

Warn the children that certain decisions can have consequences that last for years, while others can change an entire life in just a few moments.

Encourage them to make wise decisions now and avoid anything that could lead them into addiction or destructive behavior.

A Full Life Is Not Always a Strong Life

Place both boxes beside each other again.

Ask the children which box was full.

The answer is that both boxes were full!

Explain that there is nothing necessarily wrong with enjoying sports, games, friends, vacations, or other activities. We can enjoy life and have fun, but those things cannot take the place of God.

The difference between the two boxes was not how much they contained. It was what they contained.

Remind the children that they are building their lives right now.

Every time they pray, read their Bible, attend church, tell the truth, obey their parents, or respond to God at an altar, they are adding strength to their lives.

Those decisions may seem small today, but they are creating a strong spiritual structure that can help them withstand the pressures they will face later.

Point to the collapsed box and explain that someday pressure will come into every life. Difficult circumstances, temptation, and challenges will test what we have built.

The pressure does not create the strength. The pressure reveals what was already built inside.

Return to 1 Corinthians 3:11 and remind the children that Jesus Christ must be the foundation of their lives.

Close with this important challenge:

Don’t just fill your life. Build your life, and build it on Jesus!

Teacher Tips

This object lesson works especially well when the two boxes look completely identical. Avoid giving away which box is stronger before the demonstration.

Build the wooden frame carefully so it fits snugly inside the strong box. The original demonstration used 2×4 lumber and screws to create a structure capable of supporting considerable weight. You do not need an elaborate construction project, but the difference in strength should be obvious.

Consider having the children vote before testing the boxes. This creates anticipation and helps them become invested in the demonstration.

As you remove the labeled pieces, hold them where the entire class can see them. Keep your explanations brief enough that the children remain focused on the visual illustration.

You can also have the children name additional things that make a Christian strong, such as faithfulness, honesty, kindness, and attending church.

Be careful not to suggest that every recreational activity is sinful. The primary lesson is about priorities and foundations. A person can have a busy, enjoyable life and still be spiritually weak if Jesus is not at the center.

Finally, remember that the collapsing box is only the beginning of the lesson. The most important moment comes when the children understand that the decisions they are making right now are building the lives they will have tomorrow.