A Straight Path

Theme: With the Lord’s help we can have purpose and direction in life.

Bible Verse: In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:6)

Materials Needed:

• Sheets of newspaper

• Several volunteers

Bible Lesson

People on the Lord’s side have straight paths to follow. Not that this present life is perfect, but the Lord helps us continually to make choices and handle life’s problems. In God’s strength we can go forward with confidence that he leads us along. We talk to him in prayer and obey his Word, the Bible. In this way we will learn which paths to travel and which choices to make. In times of special need we can call upon his name for help. How sad to neglect the greatest resource available on earth.

Science Activity

How about a paper-tearing contest? Give several people full sheets of newspaper. Tell one group to tear off narrow strips from top to bottom, perpendicular to the writing. The second group must tear the newspapers across the page, parallel to the printed lines. The contest is to see which group produces the neatest, straightest strips. It will soon be apparent that the second group has great difficulty. Have fun coaching this group, encouraging them to do better.

Newspapers generally tear much more easily down the page than across. A newspaper has internal wood fibers that are lined up in the direction in which the paper was rolled during manufacturing. These cellulose fibers are somewhat like invisible threads within the paper. The paper tears easily and relatively straight along this aligned direction. Against this grain, however, it is almost impossible to tear a straight line for any length. Those on the Lord’s side have direction and purpose, like the straight strips of paper. Those who ignore the Lord, however, are headed for trouble and frustration, just like trying to evenly tear paper the hard way—against its internal grain.

Practice this newspaper tearing activity ahead of time. Some newspaper may tear the opposite way described, depending on the papermaking process.

Most newspapers will tear straight in a downward direction (left) but unevenly across the page (right).

Science Explanation

Papermaking techniques go back nearly two thousand years. Wood material is typically ground up and reduced to a slurry of loose fibers. This pulp then receives additives such as glue, clay, and color pigments. These additives determine the type and quality of the paper.

The liquid pulp is spread onto a conveyer belt. It is then pressed flat, dried, and smoothed. In this process the internal fibers tend to align themselves in the direction of the paper’s movement. For this reason a newspaper usually has a preferred direction of tearing. Individual wood fibers can often be seen within the newspaper sheet, especially if it is held up to light.

The manufacture of notebook paper or stationery involves a finer grinding of wood fibers and additional filler materials. These types of paper will tear equally well in any direction.