Forbidden Words (Bible Taboo)

Preparation

Download, print and cut up the Forbidden Words Cards.

How to Play Bible Taboo

Divide into teams of 2-6 players per team.

Each round of Bible Taboo lasts 1 minute.
For each round, only one team will play while the other teams watch.
Teams take turns to play.

The team playing appoints one clue-giver for that round; the other players of that team will be the guessers.

On “Go!”, the clue-giver picks up one Forbidden Words Card.
Each Forbidden Words Card will have one Guess Word at the top followed by 5 Forbidden Words.

The clue-giver must try to get his/her teammates to say the Guess Word from the drawn card.
But the clue-giver cannot use any of the Forbidden Words.

For instance, a card with “Apple” as the Guess Word may have Forbidden Words of Red, Fruit, Pie, Cider and Core.
The clue-giver might say, “Keep the doctor away with one of these” or “New York is the Big….”

Clue-givers are also not allowed to use variations of the Guess Word or any of the Forbidden Words.
If the clue-giver uses any word on the card or their variations, that card is discarded and a new one is drawn.

As the clue-giver calls out clues, his/her teammates shout out the answers.
If they correctly get the Guess Word, the clue-giver draws a new card and play continues until the 1 minute is up.

Award 10 points for each correct answer.

Play for a pre-determined number of rounds or period of time.

Bible Lesson for Adults/Youths – Power of the Tongue

Get Started
1. In this game of Bible Taboo, how hard was it for you to avoid using the forbidden words?
2. Growing up, what were some forbidden words in your household?
3. In what situations do you find your speech most out of character with who you really are?

Get into the Word
Read Matthew James 3:2-12
4. What do the examples of the bit, rudder and spark teach about the importance of what we say?
5. Which of the three illustrations helps you best understand his point?
How did that one illustration help?
6. Why does James emphasize the negative example of the fire so much more than the positive examples of the horse’s bit or ship’s rudder?
7. If no human being can control the tongue (Verse 8), why bother trying?
8. What is James trying to convey in James 3:9-12?
9. Jesus and the apostles Peter and Paul were not always “tame” in their speech. When is harsh language acceptable?

Get the Word into Your Life
10. Have you ever wished you could take back what you said?
Share your experience.
11. The tongue is not just personally destructive but damaging to all our relationships. How have you seen this?
12. Why are sins of speech sometimes overlooked as not serious?
13. What practical advice would you give someone who wanted to control his tongue better? Does this advice apply to you too?
14. How can your tongue be used for good?
15. What positive words do your friends and acquaintances need to hear from you this week? How can you remember to say these thing?

Bible Lesson for Kids/Youths – Power of the Tongue

Discuss
1. Did you enjoy the game of Bible Taboo?
2. In this game, you weren’t allowed to say certain words or phrases. Does this make it difficult for you to communicate with your teammates?
3. Do you think words (and what we say) are important?
4. Have you ever been hurt by something that someone said? Tell us more.

Say
The Bible teaches us to be careful with the things that we say.

Read
James 3:2-8

Discuss
5. How does James 3:2 describe a person who never says the wrong thing?
6. James 3:3-5 compares the tongue to a bit, a small rudder and a small spark. What do these examples tell us about the importance of watching what we say?
7. According to James 3:8, what can happen to a person who is not careful with what he says?

Read
Ephesians 4:29

Discuss
8. What kinds of things should we say? Can you give some specific examples?
9. What kinds of things should we not say? Can you give some specific examples?
10. Have you ever said something, then regret that you said it? Tell us more.
How can you prevent yourself from making the same mistake again?

Conclude
Just like the game you just played, there are some things that should not be spoken. James 1:19 offers us good advice – that we should be quick to listen, slow to speak. Before letting any words come out of our mouths, pause to consider the listener. Say only those things that are helpful and beneficial to the listener.

Bible Lesson for Kids/Youths – Love in Action, Parable of the Good Samaritan

Discuss
1. Did you enjoy the game of Bible Taboo?
2. In this game, you weren’t allowed to say certain words or phrases. Does this make it difficult for you to communicate with your teammates?
3. Do you think words (and what we say) are important?
4. Besides using words, how else can we communicate with one another?
5. Have you heard the saying “actions speak louder than words”?
Do you agree with this saying? Why or why not?
6. Have you ever encountered anyone whose actions did not match their words?
Tell us about your experiences?
7. Do you always do what you say?
For instance, have you ever said “yes, I’ll do it later” without really meaning it? And without eventually getting “it” done?
Tell us more.

Say
The Bible tells us that our actions are important.

Read
1 John 3:18

Discuss
8. What does this verse tell us?
9. What does it mean to love not just with words but also by our actions? Can you think of some examples?

Say
Let’s read a popular parable, where Jesus gave a religious leader an example of how we can “love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind” and “love your neighbor as yourself”.

Read
Luke 10:25-37

Discuss
10. Who are the characters in this parable that Jesus told?
11. How many people saw the injured man? Who are they?
12. How many people stopped and helped the injured man? What did he do? Why do you think he did what he did?
13. What are some thoughts that might have crossed the minds of the priest and the Levite, who did not stop to help the injured man?
14. What would you have done? Have you ever behaved like the priest or the Levite?
15. What is Jesus teaching us through this parable?
16. We don’t often see people being robbed or injured. What are some things that we can do to put today’s lesson into practice?

Conclude
It is easy to say that we love God and that we love one another. But God expects us to not only say these things, but to put this love into action in our daily lives.