A Perfect Balance

Theme: Don’t be knocked off balance by false teachers.

Bible Verse: You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked. (2 Peter 3:17)

Materials Needed:

• Potato or ball of modeling clay

• Two metal forks

• Pen or pencil

Bible Lesson

There are many false teachers in the world today. Jude 13 calls them “wandering stars,” those who do not provide a good example or proper direction. The believer must be on guard so that he or she is not misled by those who do not truly represent the Lord. In our day they may be found everywhere: in churches, on television, and in books. False teachers can be a great hindrance to faithful servants who are truly serving God. By their misdirection such teachers keep others from receiving the gospel. They may also cause believers to lose their balance and their testimony. The best way to detect error is to thoroughly know God and his Word. A positive example is provided in Acts 17:11, where the Bereans examined the Scriptures daily to see whether or not the messages they heard were true.

Science Activity

Objects can be balanced in several unusual ways. The drawing shows that a potato or ball of clay can easily be balanced on a pencil point. What is needed to make this work is some weight suspended below, provided in this case by the two forks. You might pretend the feat is difficult at first, then show that anyone can easily support the potato by a single point.

The balanced object can be compared to the Christian life. Mature Christians are not easily led astray or knocked off balance. Instead, even when swayed by temptation or trial, their lives quickly return to a stable upright position before God.

Objects can be balanced in unusual ways.

Science Explanation

For an object to balance as shown in the drawing, its center of gravity or balance point must be located beneath the top point of support. This will be true for the potato or clay if the two forks hang downward. With practice, the potato can be made to rotate while balanced.