Story Devotions

The questions and activities with each devotion are optional and may need to be adapted depending on the age of your campers.

Ship vs. the Lighthouse (Coaching Journey)A battleship had been at sea on its routine manoeuvres under heavy weathers for days. The captain, who was worried about the deteriorating weather conditions, stayed on the bridge to keep an eye on all activities.

One night, the lookout on the bridge suddenly shouted, “Captain! A light, bearing on the starboard bow.”

“Is it stationary or moving astern?” the captain asked.

The lookout replied that it was stationary. This meant the battleship was on a dangerous collision course with the other ship. The captain immediately ordered his signalman to signal to the ship: “We are on a collision course. I advise you to change course 20 degrees east.”

Back came a response from the other ship: “You change course 20 degrees west.”

Agitated by the arrogance of the response, the captain asked his signalman to shoot out another message: “I am a captain, you change course 20 degrees east.”

Back came the second response: “I am a second class seaman, you had still better change course 20 degrees west.”

The captain was furious this time! He shouted to the signalman to send back a final message: “I am a battlefield. Change course 20 degrees east right now!:

Back came the flashing response: “I am a lighthouse.”

The captain duly changed course.

Moral: Sometimes we get so sure of ourselves and set in our ways that we don’t listen to what the world throws at us or what people who care about us are trying to tell us, even

though they may be right! We do the same with God. We get focused on our everyday lives, and we think we can tell the lighthouse (God) our path.

Questions:1. What could have happened in the captain hadn’t changed his course?2. Why do you think it was so important to him at first not to change?3. When in your life have you been like the captain? How did it end up?4. How do you think the captain felt when he realized he HAD to change course or

crash? Is that similar to how we feel when we realize we have to change our ways? How?

5. How can we do a better job about relying on God as our lighthouse instead of being set in our ways?

Activity: Have campers work together to create a lighthouse representing God, writing words that describe God to them. Then, have them make and decorate ships that represent themselves. Have them write down things that might get in the way of them hearing what God is saying to them. Put these on a poster or big paper and hang in your cabin.

The Next ChiefThe chief of an Indian tribe knew he couldn’t lead much longer, so he decided to hold a contest to see who the next chief would be. After some deliberation, three very strong chiefs emerged. The final competition had been set for a certain day, and on that day, they (along with the rest of the tribe) showed up. They expected they’d have to do something like test their strength by picking up many canoes, test their hunting skills by being the first to get an animal, or something similar to that. But when the old chief arrived, he looked at the three potential chiefs and told them something very different.

“Do you see that tree in the distance?,” he asked. The three shook their heads - the tree was about 200 yards ahead. “Whoever can run to that tree and back in the straightest line - he will be our next chief.”

Obviously, the contestants were very confused, but they all felt confident. Walking in a straight line?! How hard could it be?!

The first man set off, knowing just how to make a straight line. He stared intently down at his feet, put one foot in front of the other over and over, made it to the

tree, turned around, and did the same coming back. He stood back to look at his line, and it was completely crooked. He didn’t understand why.

The second man pondered what happened with the first, and he felt confident his way would work. He walked backward to the tree, then turned around and looked backward on the way back, never taking his eye off the step he’d just taken. When he stopped and looked at his line, his was just as crooked as the first. He didn’t understand why.

Immediately after, the third man took off running toward the tree. The people knew this couldn’t work. Who runs in a straight line? But the man ran toward the tree, his eyes never moving from it. Then, he turned around and ran back, his eyes never moving from his starting spot. When they looked at his line, it was almost perfectly straight. They all understood why. He had never taken his eye off what he was running toward.

Moral: In our lives and our relationships with God, we have choices. We can always look down at where we are right now and focus on ourselves, like the first man. We can always look back and focus on where we’ve been, like the second man. OR we can fix our eyes on God/other things we want in life, like the third man. By never turning our attention from what we want, we’ll follow the straightest line.

Questions:1. Talk about a time you looked down at yourself and where you were instead of

looking straight ahead. How did that work out?2. Talk about a time you looked backward at where you’d been instead of looking

straight ahead. What happened?3. Talk about a time you looked straight ahead, fixed on your goal. What happened?4. Do you most often look down, look back, or look straight ahead? Why?5. How do you think this applies to our relationships with God?

Activity: Have a tree pre-made. Have campers make leaves, knots, animals, etc. for the tree and write on the trees different ways we can keep our eyes on God and/or different reasons we should keep our eyes on God.

Becoming a Man (from GodUpdates)A father takes his son into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone.

Once he survives the night, he is a MAN.

He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own.

The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm.

The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man!

Finally, after a horrific night, the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm.

Moral: When we feel scared, defeated, like we’re all alone, etc., we’re not. God is still there watching and protecting us - we just have to remove our blindfolds to see.

Questions:1. Have you ever felt alone, like not even God was with you? What was that like?2. Have you ever felt like that but then realized God was there? How did that feel?3. What can we do to “remove our blindfolds” when we’re going through tough times

so that we remember God is there?

Activity: Have campers take turns sitting on a “stump” (a bucket, stool, chair, etc.) and putting on a blindfold. Take turns praying for the person on the stump.

The Tightrope Walker A LONG time ago, there was a famous tightrope walker named Charles Blondin. EVERYONE knew about Charles and his incredible tightrope feats.

After months of fame and many stunts, Charles decided to attempt his greatest walk yet: to cross a tightrope stretched 11,000 feet (over a quarter of a mile) across the mighty Niagara Falls. People from both Canada and America came from miles away to see this great feat.

Charles looked down at his large crowd and asked how many believed he, the greatest tightrope walker of all time, could walk this tightrope - 11,000 feet across, 160 feet above the falls. Hardly anyone raised their hand. But Charles persisted. He put one foot in front of the other. He bobbed, but straightened. After a few breathless minutes from the crowd, he made it to the other side. The crowd went wild! They can’t believe he’d done it!

Charles, always wanting to outdo himself, looked back at the crowd. He called to them, “Who here thinks I can walk across this tightrope pushing a wheelbarrow?” A few hands went up. He’d done it once - surely he could do it again. So Charles set off with the wheelbarrow, and the crowd again held their breathe. He made it to the other side, and the crowd could not believe what they’d seen.

But he wasn’t done yet! “Who here thinks I can walk across this tightrope pushing a wheelbarrow with bricks inside?,” he asked. More than half of the hands went up. This guy was impressive. The bricks would be no problem. And they weren’t. Charles easily reached the other side, and the crowd went wild once again.

But Charles still wasn’t content. He had one more trick up his sleeve. “How many of you think I can push a wheelbarrow across with a PERSON in the wheelbarrow?,” he yelled down. Nearly every hand went up. He was obviously a master tightrope walker. A person in a wheelbarrow? No problem. So Charles asked his next question: “Now, who wants to volunteer?,” and every hand went down.

Moral: Sometimes our relationships with God can be like this. We grow in our trust for Him, and we get to the point where we say we believe. We put our hands up for God. We know he’s there. But when He asks us to do something scary or uncomfortable, we put our hands down. We’re not ready to volunteer.

Questions:1. Has there been a time when you felt like you should do something for someone

you believed in (your friends, family, God, etc.), but when the time came you couldn’t do it? Why couldn’t you? How did that feel?

2. Has there ever been a time when you felt like someone should do something because they believed in you, but when the time came, they didn’t? How did that feel? How do you think that compares to how God feels when we do the same thing?

3. When we say we believe but aren’t willing to do what we’re asked, how does that impact our relationship with God?

4. How can we prepare ourselves to keep our hands up when God asks us to do something?

Activity: Have each camper think about things that they have trouble really trusting God for. Take turns having each camper stand up and saying what that is then doing a trust fall with the other campers.

Alternate Activity: Borrow a wheelbarrow from maintenance and clean it out. Use cones or tape to make a line (aka “tightrope”). Have each camper take a turn being a pusher and ask the group if someone wants to volunteer to be pushed across the wire. Before getting in, the pushee should look at the pusher and say “I trust you because….” Then the two go across the tightrope together. This activity requires some re-direction to be less about God and more about trusting each other.

The Son (Tony Cooke)Years ago, there was a very wealthy man who, with his devoted young son, shared a passion for art collecting. Together they traveled around the world, adding only the finest art treasures to their collection. Priceless works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet and many others adorned the walls of the family estate. The widowed, elder man looked on with satisfaction as his only child became an experienced art collector. The son’s trained eye and sharp business mind caused his father to beam with pride as they dealt with art collectors around the world.

As winter approached, war engulfed the nation, and the young man left to serve his country. After only a few short weeks, his father received a telegram. His beloved son was missing in action. The art collector anxiously awaited more news, fearing he would never see his son again. Within days, his fears were confirmed. The young man had died while rushing a fellow soldier to a medic.

Distraught and lonely, the old man faced the upcoming Christmas holidays with anguish and sadness. The joy of the season, a season that he and his son had so looked forward to, would visit his house no longer. On Christmas morning, a knock on the door awakened the depressed old man. As he walked to the door, the masterpieces of art on the walls only reminded him that his son was not coming home.

As he opened the door, he was greeted by a soldier with a large package in his hand. He introduced himself to the man by saying, "I was a friend of your son. I was the one he was rescuing when he died. May I come in for a few moments? I have something to show you." As the two began to talk, the soldier told of how the man’s son had told everyone of his, not to mention his father’s, love of fine art. "I’m an artist," said the soldier, "and I want to give you this." As the old man unwrapped the package, the paper gave way to reveal a portrait of the son.

Though the world would never consider it the work of a genius, the painting featured the young man’s face in striking detail. Overcome with emotion, the man thanked the soldier, promising to hang the picture over the fireplace. A few hours later, after the soldier had departed, the old man set about his task.

True to his word, the painting went well above the fireplace, pushing aside thousands of dollars of paintings. And then the man sat in his chair and spent Christmas gazing at the gift he had been given. During the days and weeks that followed, the man realized that even though his son was no longer with him, the boy’s life would live on because of those he had touched. He would soon learn that his son had rescued dozens of wounded soldiers before a bullet stilled his caring heart.

As the stories of his son’s gallantry continued to reach him, fatherly pride and satisfaction began to ease the grief. The painting of his son soon became his most prized possession, far eclipsing any interest in the pieces for which museums around the world clamored. He told his neighbors it was the greatest gift he had ever received.

The following spring, the old man became ill and passed away. The art world was in anticipation!

Unmindful of the story of the man’s only son, but in his honor, those paintings would be sold at an auction. According to the will of the old man, all of the art works would be auctioned on Christmas day, the day he had received his greatest

gift. The day soon arrived and art collectors from around the world gathered to bid on some of the world’s most spectacular paintings. Dreams would be fulfilled this day; greatness would be achieved as many claim "I have the greatest collection." The auction began with a painting that was not on any museum’s list. It was the painting of the man’s son. The auctioneer asked for an opening bid. The room was silent.

"Who will open the bidding with $100?" he asked. Minutes passed. No one spoke. From the back of the room came, "Who cares about that painting? It’s just a picture of his son. Let’s forget it and go on to the good stuff."

More voices echoed in agreement. "No, we have to sell this one first," replied the auctioneer. "Now, who will take the son?" Finally, a friend of the old man spoke, "Will you take ten dollars for the painting? That’s all I have. I knew the boy, so I’d like to have it."

"I have ten dollars. Will anyone go higher?" called the auctioneer. After more silence, the auctioneer said, "Going once, going twice. Gone." The gavel fell, cheers filled the room and someone exclaimed, "Now we can get on with it and we can bid on these treasures!"

The auctioneer looked at the audience and announced the auction was over. Stunned disbelief quieted the room. Someone spoke up and asked, "What do you mean it’s over? We didn’t come here for a picture of some old guy’s son. What about all of these paintings? There are millions of dollars of art here! I demand that you explain what’s going on here!" The auctioneer replied, "It’s very simple. According to the will of the father, whoever takes the son…gets it all."

Moral: God has given us the opportunity to get everything in His Kingdom - all we have to do is accept and love His son Jesus.

Questions:1. How do you think all the art collectors felt when this happened?2. How do you think the old man felt?3. What do you think we gain by accepting Jesus?4. What can we do to build a relationship with Jesus?5. Why is our relationship with Jesus important to God? How do we know?

Activity: Have campers make their own artwork (crayons, colored pencils, paint, markers, magazines - whatever) that represents how they see Jesus. Share with the group.

Tension in the Toolbox (Tony Cooke)At first, they were glad just to have been selected. There were other tools that the Carpenter could have chosen, and the tools were pleased that he, a Master Craftsman, had picked them.

But they quickly forgot their initial joy and began to focus on each other. With this, they began to be bothered by and irritated with each other. One by one, each tool began to dwell on the shortcomings and faults of the other tools. No one was exempt from the critical and demeaning evaluation of the others.

The Hammer overheard the others saying that he was hard and noisy, and that he lacked sensitivity and tact.

The Screwdriver was not immune from criticism either. “He’s too rigid and has no flexibility,” they said. “Besides, he never does anything except go around in circles.”

The Screwdriver was quick to point out that the Drill and his family of little Bits also go around in circles, but they’re also loud and tremendously “boring.”

Just then, the Saw (who was agreeing with all the criticisms) came under fire as well. The others said that they didn’t mind a little change now and then, but every time he got involved, all he wanted to do was cut things, and they were always deep cuts that brought division and separation.

Becoming defensive, the Saw immediately noted what everyone already knew about the Sandpaper. “He’s rough and abrasive, and he always rubs everyone the wrong way.”

The Plane, it was pointed out, had to be pushed to do any work, and when he did work, what he accomplished was fairly superficial.

The Ruler was next. It was observed that he was always measuring everyone against himself. He obviously felt that he was “the standard” or something like that. In the same breath, they also criticized the Level. “If the Ruler wasn’t judgmental enough,” they said, “the Level is just as exacting, and just as legalistic.”

The Pliers were criticized for always putting pressure on others.

Even the Pencil got picked on. “He’s so small, and he always seems to get lost; you can’t find him when you need him. When he is found, he’s often dull, and sometimes he even breaks under pressure. He’s always having to get sharpened.”

The Toolbox was now a place of strife and division. The various tools were feeling offended, unappreciated, insecure, and defensive. Each felt a need to validate itself.

Just then, the Carpenter came in and began to use each of the tools. He had a special project to complete, and he saw the value and potential in everyone of them. The Master Craftsman was aware of each tool’s limitations and shortcomings, but he focused on what they could do… what they could accomplish.

He didn’t try to use the Pencil like the Hammer, nor did He try to use the Screwdriver like the Sandpaper. He used each one skillfully and proficiently, according to its perfect design.

As he held and used all the tools, they no longer focused on the shortcomings of the others. Rather, they saw the value that each of them possessed and began to appreciate the contribution that each of them made. They became secure in their own worth and began to celebrate their mutual and collective contributions to the successful completion of the Carpenter’s Project. In addition to recalling the original joy they had in being selected, they now were experiencing the great delight of being useful in the hands of the Master Craftsman.

Moral: God made us all different. We look different, we think differently, we have different interests, and we were made for different purposes. However, we were all made for specific purposes. God loves us for who He made us to be, not who others are.

Questions:1. Talk about a time when you felt like you didn’t have value. How did that impact

you?2. Thinking back, have you ever made someone else feel this way? What happened?

What was the impact on that person? On you?3. Why do you think God made us all different?4. How can we celebrate differences in others instead of making fun of them? How

can we celebrate differences in ourselves?5. Why is it important to God that we know our own worth?

Activity: Have each camper design their own “toolbox” (paper bag). Have cut outs of different tools, and ask campers to write down positive messages about other campers on each tool then put them in the appropriate toolbox.

The Three Trees (Word4Life)Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up. The first little tree looked up at the stars and said: " I want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I'll be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!" The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on it's way to the ocean. " I want to be traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings. I'll be the strongest ship in the world! The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women worked in a busy town. I don't want to leave the mountain top at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me they'll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world.

Years, passed. The rain came, the sun shone and the little trees grew tall. One day three wood cutters climbed the mountain. The first wood cutter looked at the first tree and said, "This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining ax, the first tree fell. "Now I shall make a beautiful chest, I shall hold wonderful treasure!" the first tree said.

The second wood cutter looked at the second tree and said, "This tree is strong. It's perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining ax, the second tree fell. "Now I shall sail mighty waters!" thought the second tree. " I shall be a strong ship for mighty kings!"

The third tree felt her heart sink when the last wood cutter looked her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven. But the wood cutter never even looked up. "Any kind of tree will do for me." He muttered. With a swoop of his shining ax, the third tree fell.

The first tree rejoiced when the wood cutter brought her to a carpenter's shop. But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feed box for animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, or treasure. She was coated with saw dust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals. The second tree smiled when the wood cutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ship was made that day. Instead the once strong tree was hammered and awed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail to an ocean, or even a river, instead she was taken to a little lake. The third tree was confused when the wood cutter cut her into strong

beams and left her in a lumberyard. "What happened?" The once tall tree wondered. " All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point to God..."

Many days and nights passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams. But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feed box. "I wish I could make a cradle for him." Her husband whispered. The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and sturdy wood. " This manger is beautiful." She said. And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in the world.

One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon a thundering and a thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. She new she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through the wind and the rain. The tired man awoke. He stood up, stretched out his hand, and said, "Peace." The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the king of heaven and earth.

One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten wood pile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man's hand to her. She felt ugly and harsh and cruel. But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God's love had changed everything. It had made the third tree strong. And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God. That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.

Moral: Sometimes we want things and they don’t happen. We get frustrated at God. But we can’t see His plan! He may be answering “no,” or He may be answering “not yet,” but, either way, He’s answering us and He’s got the best for us in mind.

Questions:1. Have you ever really wanted something, prayed for it, and not gotten it? What

happened what did that feel like?2. Have you ever really wanted something, prayed for it, not gotten it, but

understood later that it wasn’t really the best thing for you? What happened? What did that feel like?

3. How do we know that God has the best for us in mind? How can we be more patient of and understanding about his plan?

Activity: Split campers into groups. Give them all the same beginning of a story and end of a story and have them write the middle of the story. After they’re done, have them share. Use this to illustrate that just because things happen in a different way doesn’t mean they won’t have the same ending and that as the storywriters, we knew the end goal the whole time we were writing. That’s how God is. (Ex Beginning: “Once upon a time, a girl named Sarah was so excited to start her first day at her new school.” Ex Ending: “Sarah thanked God, and she lived happily ever after.”)

Sleep Through a Storm (SkyWriting)Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops.

As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals. Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farmhand?" the farmer asked him. "Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man. Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work.

Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!" The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."

Enraged by the old man's response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, and he returned to bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

Moral: When you’re prepared, you can sleep through anything. Whether than means having your clothes picked out the night before, taking time to study, etc., it’s always a good idea to get it done earlier rather than later, because you never know when a

“storm” will pop up. That also applies to our relationship with God. If we spend time with Him in prayer and scripture reading as part of our everyday lives, it’ll be easy to call on Him when a storm hits us.

Questions:1. Have you ever needed to get something done but kept putting it off, and then you

weren’t able to get it done? What impact did that have on you and/or others?2. Have you ever prepared something well beforehand then had something time-

consuming or “stormy” happen that made you glad you did it early? How did that make you feel?

3. When it comes to school, friends, family, etc., what are some storms that could pop up and prevent us from doing what we needed to do?

4. What about when it comes to God? What storms could pop up that would make it more difficult to rely on Him?

5. How can we prepare ourselves for stormy times?Activity: Together, make a tornado and write on it difficult things that could come our way. Divide campers into groups. Assign them a difficult thing and a piece of barn. Have them talk about specific ways to prepare for the difficult thing coming then create that piece of barn and write it on the piece. Put all the pieces together and talk about it as a group.

The Little Hut (Word4Life)The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forth coming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

But one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. He was stunned with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me!" he cried.

Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching

the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

Moral: Sometimes we don’t think God’s listening, but He’s always there for us. We may not be able to see the plan, but we should feel confident that there’s one in place - even during the bad times.

Questions:1. The story said the man was “stunned with grief and anger.” Put into your words

how you think he felt.2. How do you think the man felt when he was rescued and realized God did provide

for Him?3. Share about a time when you felt “shipwrecked” and alone. How did you feel?

How did you feel about God?4. Share about a time when you felt shipwrecked and alone but then felt rescued.

How did you feel? How did that impact your relationship with God?5. When we feel shipwrecked and alone it’s hard to see God. Why do you think that

is?6. How can we do a better job of being patient and remembering God has a plan

during these tough times?

Activity: Put out a large piece of paper and have campers each write/color their own “smoke signals” (prayers) to God.

The Broken Pot (Word4Life)A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on an end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the masters house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his masters house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to

accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.

"I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you." "Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?" "I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your masters house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts." the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the masters house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again the Pot apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pots side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my masters table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."

Moral: We all have flaws. We all make mistakes. But God loves us regardless, and all of our cracks, chips, dents, etc. are part of His plan. Don’t be afraid of your mistakes and imperfections. Embrace them and see the beauty.

Questions:1. We heard that the pot carrier was ashamed. Put those feelings into your own

words.

2. Have you ever had a flaw or made a mistake that you felt embarrassed by? How does that feel?

3. Have you ever had a flaw or made a mistake that you felt like held other people back or impacted other people negatively? How did that feel? Is that easier or harder for you to deal with mistakes/flaws you’re just embarrassed by?

4. Have you ever had anyone apologize to you for a mistake/flaw that really didn’t bother you? How did you react? What were you thinking when they apologized?

5. Why do you think God gives us imperfections and allows us to make mistakes?6. How can we celebrate these things instead of trying to hide them?

Activity: Give each camper a pot cutout and have them write a mistake/flaw on the pot. Put a flower cutout between each pot. Have campers walk around and read each pot then write positives that could come out of that mistake/flow on the flower beside the pot. Make sure every flower has something written. Let campers grab their pots and flowers. Reflect as a grop if desired.

John, Sally, and the Duck (Tony Cooke)A little boy visiting his grandparents was given his first slingshot. He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit his target.

As he came back to Grandma’s back yard, he spied her pet duck. On an impulse he took aim and let fly. The stone hit, and the duck fell dead.

The boy panicked. Desperately he hid the dead duck in the wood pile, only to look up and see his sister watching. Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.

After lunch that day, Grandma said, “Sally, let’s wash the dishes.” But Sally said, “Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen today. Didn’t you Johnny?” And she whispered to him, “Remember the duck!” So Johnny did the dishes.

Later, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing. Grandma said, “I’m sorry, but I need Sally to help me make supper.” Sally smiled and said, “That’s all taken care of. Johnny wants to do it.” Again she whispered, “Remember the duck.” Johnny stayed while Sally went fishing.

After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally’s, finally he couldn’t stand it. He confessed to Grandma that he’d killed the duck.

“I know, Johnny,” she said, giving him a hug. “I was standing at the window and saw the whole thing. Because I love you, I forgave you. But I wondered how long you would let Sally make a slave of you.”

Moral: We all make mistakes. People forgive mistakes. God forgives mistakes. But when we try to hide our mistakes - by doing good deeds to make up for them, by lying, etc. - we become a slave to them. They consume us and don’t get better. Instead, we should own up to what we do and ask forgiveness. God always has it for us.

Questions:1. Have you ever been Johnny - made a mistake that you wanted to hide from

someone? What happened? How far did you go to hide your mistake? How did it feel?

2. Have you ever been Sally - known about someone else’s mistake and used it against them? What happened? How did you feel? How did the other person feel? Was it worth it?

3. Has someone ever been gradma - made a mistake they tried to hide from you? When/how did you find out? What was your reaction? Were you able to forgive that person?

4. Have you ever asked for forgiveness and not had it given? What did that feel like?5. Have you ever been unable to forgive someone? What did that feel like?6. Have you ever prayed and asked God for forgiveness? What did that feel like? Did

it change anything?

Activity: Give each camper a rubber duck. Have them write something on it (in washable markers) that they’d like to be forgiven for or to forgive someone else for. Take turns washing the duck clean and sharing if desired.

The Fencepost

There once was a boy named Johnny, and Johnny was VERY bad in school. He pulled Suzi’s braids, he bullied people on the bus, he put tacks on the chair in front of him, he gave the teacher an apple with worms - he was just VERY bad. He’d had detention, and he’d been suspended. His parents had tried everything - grounding him, taking his phone, having him do extra chores - but nothing worked!

So, finally, his dad, who was exhausted, took Johnny to the fence in the backyard. He looked at Johnny and said, “Son, from now on, every time you misbehave, everytime you get in trouble at school, every time you talk back to your mother - we’re going to come out here and put a nail in this fencepost.” Johnny laughed. I mean, he actually laughed at his dad. A nail in a fencepost? Who cares?!

So Johnny went to school and pushed someone off the swingset, then he came home and smart-mouthed his mom. When his dad came home, they went outside and put two nails in the fencepost. The next day, it was three nails. This went on, adding nails day after day, for weeks. Finally, the fencepost was almost full of nails. It was tough for Johnny to see. Had he really done THAT many bad things? He had an idea. He asked his dad, “hey, if I do some nice things, can I get nails out?” His dad thought about it and agreed. They’d see what happened.

Johnny went to school the next day and gave the teacher a good apple. He said thank you to the bus driver. He helped his mom with dinner - but then he got a little angry when she said he needed to wash his hands. So when his dad got home, they took out three nails and put one back in. Day after day, nails came out. Sometimes, nails would go back in, but not nearly as quickly as Johnny was getting them out. Finally, a few weeks later, Johnny and his dad went outside, and Johnny removed the last nail.

As he did, tough Johnny started to cry. His dad was confused. He asked Johnny, “Son, look at all the good you’ve done! Why are you crying?” Johnny hung his head and said, “Because even though the nails are gone, the holes are still there.”

Moral: We can always apologize after we hurt someone, and we can even go further and do good things to make up for it. But no words or actions can completely heal a wound

once we’ve made it. Maybe the person feels a little less confident, always questions a part of himself/herself, or trusts you less. It may be small, but there’s still an impact. That’s why it’s so important to think before we talk or act.

Questions:1. How do you think the kids in class viewed Johnny? Have you ever had anyone in

your class like that? Have you ever been that person?2. Once Johnny started to care about all the bad he’d done, do you think he felt

embarrassed by his reputation in class? Do you think it stayed with him even after doing good things?

3. Has someone ever hurt you then apologized? Did you feel like the relationship was exactly the same after that? Did it take time to go back to normal?

4. Have you ever hurt someone and made up with them but known that it wasn’t all the way fixed? What was that like? How did it make you feel?

5. How can remember to stop and think before making a Johnny-like decision?Activity: Ask campers to give examples of hurtful things we could do at camp. As each one is said, cut a piece off of a sheet of construction paper. Do this until there are no more pieces. Then, have campers give examples of nice things we could do at camp. As each one is said, put one of the pieces in the middle of your circle. When all the pieces are in the middle, give campers tape and ask them to put the sheet back together. Does the sheet look the same as it did before?

The Seed (Tony Cooke)A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. He called all the young executives in his company together. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you.”

The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going to give each one of you a SEED today – one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO."

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil, and compost, and he planted the seed. Everyday he would water it and watch to see if it had grown.

After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by,but still nothing. By now others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn’t have a plant and he felt like a failure.

Six months went by – still nothing in Jim’s pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn’t say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil – He so wanted the seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn’t going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick at his stomach. It was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right.

He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful – in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed. A few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!" All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the financial director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I’m a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!" When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed – Jim told him the

story. The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold, your next Chief Executive! His name is Jim!"

Jim couldn’t believe it. Jim couldn’t even grow his seed! How could he be the new CEO the others said? Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead – it was not possible for them to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive!"

Moral: When we look around and compare ourselves to others, it can be hard to stay true to ourselves, who we are, what we believe, and to God. But what others have isn’t even always real. It’s much better to be honest and true to ourselves.

Questions:1. How do you think Jim felt when he saw the growth from the other people’s plants?

Have you ever felt that way?2. How do you think the other people felt? They knew their plant measured up to the

others, but they knew their own plants were lies. Have you ever known you were living a lie but thought those around you were living the truth? How did that feel?

3. Share about a time you compared yourself to others only to find that it wasn’t worth it. What happened? How did that feel?

4. How does God come into play when we talk about comparing ourselves to others? How does it make Him feel?

5. How can we do better about not comparing ourselves to others?

Activity: Have campers do a self-portrait of themselves and incorporate five qualities/traits that they value and want to stay true to in the picture. Then, have them use pieces of paper or their hand to cover up the different qualities/traits. Talk about how the picture becomes not complete when we do that.

The FrogOnce upon a time, a happy little frog hopped into a barn. He was excited to explore and looked all around. He checked out a tractor. He checked out a goat. He checked out a rake. He checked out a hay bale, which he jumped on to get a better view. He was just about to jump to the taller hay bale, but he misjudged the jump and went tumbling down. He landed in a bucket full of milk.

The milk was much taller than the frog, so he struggled to keep his head high enough to breathe. He swam, and he swam, and he swam, but he was getting so tired. He had no clue how he was going to get out. But deep inside, he heard a voice that said “Just keep swimming,” so he swam and swam until he thought he could swim no more. As his little legs were just about to give out, he kicked something hard. “What’s this?,” he wondered. As he looked down, he saw something yellow. He was saved! His swimming had churned the milk, and the milk had become butter. He found a solid spot of butter, jumped out of the bucket, and continued exploring the barn. And he lived happily ever after.

Moral: Sometimes, giving up is the easier thing to do. But if we just keep pushing ourselves, we can find a way out.

Questions:1. Have you ever felt stuck and hopeless? What did that feel like? What did you do? 2. If you quit trying, what happened? What do you think COULD have happened if

you’d kept going?3. If you kept trying, what happened? Did it change the outcome? How did you feel

knowing you had a little bit of control over what happened?4. What are some things we could change if we just kept trying? What are some

things you think we can never change?5. If someone faces a hard time but they don’t give up, what does that say about

them? What skills or values would you say that person has?6. What are some things we can remember or say to ourselves next time we want to

give up?

Activity: Have each camper write down something they want to accomplish but they think would be hard to do. Get them to hand these in, then line up. Make sure their papers are in order from back to front. Explain that we’re going to play leapfrog and demonstrate if necessary. Stand in front of the line, and tell campers that when they hear what they wrote, they need to leapfrog to the front. As they’re doing this, ask the other campers to yell out words of encouragement/support or specific ways they could help this camper with their goal. At the end, debrief how we can help each other this week and even after camp.

The Starfish Story (CityYear - adopted from “The Star Thrower” by Loren C. Eiseley)A young girl was walking along a beach upon which thousands of starfish had been washed up during a terrible storm. When she came to each starfish, she would pick it up, and throw it back into the ocean. People watched her with amusement.

She had been doing this for some time when a man approached her and said, “Little girl, why are you doing this? Look at this beach! You can’t save all these starfish. You can’t begin to make a difference!”

The girl seemed crushed, suddenly deflated. But after a few moments, she bent down, picked up another starfish, and hurled it as far as she could into the ocean. Then she looked up at the man and replied, “Well, I made a difference to that one!”

The old man looked at the girl inquisitively and thought about what she had done and said. Inspired, he joined the little girl in throwing starfish back into the sea. Soon others joined, and all the starfish were saved.

Moral: We can all make a difference one thing, one person at a time. And that makes a world full of difference.

Questions:1. Have you ever seen someone try to save something and think there’s no point?

What about when you see some people recycle but not others? How do you think people like that feel?

2. Have you ever tried to save something that other people didn’t think was important? Why was it important to you?

3. What are some small things we can do each day to make a difference? Each week? Each month? Each year?

4. What are some big things we can do each day to make a difference? Each week? Each month? Each year?

5. Would those things be more powerful if we got people to join us? How can we do that? Should we do that?

6. What can we as a cabin do this week to make a difference at camp?

Activity: Give each camper a starfish (or starfish cut out) and have them write down something they want to do to make a difference in the world. Hang these up in the cabin. At the end of the week, let campers take them home.

Wealth Without Value (Moral Stories)A Miser had buried his gold in a secret place in his garden. Every day he went to the spot, dug up the treasure and counted it piece by piece to make sure it was all there. He made so many trips that a Thief, who had been observing him, guessed what it was the Miser had hidden, and one night quietly dug up the treasure and made off with it.

When the Miser discovered his loss, he was overcome with grief and despair. He groaned and cried and tore his hair. A passerby heard his cries and asked what had happened.

“My gold! O my gold!” cried the Miser, wildly, “someone has robbed me!”

“Your gold! There in that hole? Why did you put it there? Why did you not keep it in the house where you could easily get it when you had to buy things?”

“Buy!” screamed the Miser angrily. “Why, I never touched the gold. I couldn’t think of spending any of it.”

The stranger picked up a large stone and threw it into the hole. “If that is the case,”

he said, “cover up that stone. It is worth just as much to you as the treasure you lost!”

Moral: God gives us spiritual gifts, and sometimes we’re overprotective of them. But when we hide these gifts, they don’t do us any good. You’ll only get something out of your gifts if you’re willing to share them.

Questions:1. Have you ever had something like this happen? Maybe you had a snack you were

saving for a rainy day, and when you finally went to get it, it was gone.2. Why did the Miser hide his gold? Are there times when we do things for the same

reason?3. Why is it better to use what you have than to hoard it?4. How can we share our spiritual gifts?

Activity: Give each camper a strip of paper and have them write down one of their spiritual gifts (or good qualities if they can’t think of a spiritual gift). Have them put it in a box or bag. Ask the campers what good their gifts are doing in the box/bag. Then, take the gifts out one by one, read them, and have people say ways they think this gift could help the world. When the ideas die down, you can have campers guess who the gift belongs to, or you can have the person the gift belongs to claim it and explain a little bit about the gift and its imapct.

A Pond Full of Milk (English for Students)Once there was a king who told some of his workers to dig a pond. Once the pond was dug, the king made an announcement to his people, saying that one person from each household has to bring a glass of milk during the night and pour it into the pond. So, the pond should be full of milk by the morning. After receiving the order, everyone went home.

One man prepared to take the milk during the night. He thought that since everyone will bring milk, he could just hide a glass of water and pour inside the pond. Because it would be dark at night, no one would notice. So he quickly went and poured the water in the pond and came back. In the morning, the king came to

visit the pond and to his surprise, the pond was only filled with water! What had happened is that everyone was thinking like the other man that “I don’t have to put the milk, someone else will do it."

Moral: We can’t just skate by relying on others. We have to take accountability in what we’re asked to do. Do the right thing, even when no one’s looking.

Questions:1. Have you ever been part of a group when someone didn’t pull their weight? How

did that feel?2. Have you ever been part of a group and not pulled your weight? How did that

feel?3. Why is it important to contribute to the good of the group?

Activity: Divide campers into groups. Give each group a pond with something they’ll need to work together on this week at camp. Have them come up with milks (ways to help) and waters (ways to get in the way) for their pond. Share at the end.