Telephone with God's Word

Round 1: the silly message

Sit the children in a line. Whisper a silly sentence to the first one, like "The giraffe in pyjamas ate popcorn on the ark." Each child passes it on, whispering, only once. The last one says out loud what they heard. Compare it with the original and let everyone laugh at the difference.

💡 Agree beforehand: nobody makes fun of anyone who got it wrong. The fun is seeing how the message changes by itself.

Round 2: the whispered verse

Now pass on Psalm 119:11 the same way, without showing the card. When the last child says it out loud, ask: "Is that really what the Bible said? How can we find out?"

Open the Bible

Read Psalm 119:11 aloud from the Bible and show the card. Explain that God’s Word does not change when it passes from person to person, because it is written down. Also read Isaiah 40:8: the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures for ever.

Round 3: telephone with checking

Pass the verse on again, but this time each child looks at the card before whispering. The message arrives whole at the end of the line. Tell them that the people of Berea did this: they listened to the teaching and examined the Scriptures every day to see if it was true (Acts 17:11).

💡 With 5- and 6-year-olds, use only the first half of the verse: "I have hidden your word in my heart."

Closing

Say the verse together three times, more quietly each time, like someone keeping a secret in their heart. Finish with a short prayer asking God to help us keep his Word.