How to Play
Keep the items you’ve prepared hidden from view. (One easy way is to use an opaque trash bag to store the items.)
Divide into teams. Each team can have 3-5 players. (Teams can be larger, but smaller teams allow everyone to be involved.)
Give each team some writing paper and a pen.
Show everyone the first item.
(To make it more like a game show, you may want to read out an elaborate description of the item.)
Give everyone 1 minute to discuss within their teams how much they think that item costs.
(They are not allowed to go online to check the price!)
Have all the teams write their answers on the paper provided.
When all the teams are ready, have them reveal their answers at the same time.
Disclose the actual price of the item.
The team with the closest answer wins that round and is awarded 100 points.
In the event of a tie, award 100 points to each winning team.
Play the next round with the next item.
You can play as many rounds as you like.
Tips
1. To make the game more fun, include a good mix of common items and not-so-common items.
Including several quirky items will also get you some laughs.
2. Instead of showing the actual items, you can use pictures of items instead.
3. To add variety to the game, for some rounds, instead of showing just 1 item, show everyone 5 items and have the teams arrange them from lowest to highest values.
Bible Lesson for Adults/Youths – Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl
Get Started
1. In the game, did you have the tendency to under-estimate or over-estimate the prices of the items?
2. Are there are things in your life that are very valuable and worth a lot, but you treat as if they were worthless? (By neglecting these things.)
3. Are things in your life that are actually not worth very much, but you treat as if it were the most precious thing on earth? (By spending a lot of time and energy on these things.)
Get into the Word
Read Matthew 13:44-46
4. Describe what each man did after finding the hidden treasure and the expensive pearl.
Why did they do that?
5. What do the hidden treasure and expensive pearl represent?
6. What principle is being taught in both of these short parables?
7. If a person considers the kingdom of heaven to be valuable, how would their life look like?
Get the Word into Your Life
8. What evidence is there in your life now that you value Jesus as much as the men in the parables valued the treasure and the pearl?
9. In light of these parables, what changes do you want to make in your life?
Bible Lesson for Kids/Youths – Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl
Discuss
1. Did you enjoy this game?
2. Was it easy to estimate the price of the various items?
3. Did you have the tendency to under- or over-estimate the prices of the items?
4. Which was the most expensive item in today’s game?
5. What is the most valuable item that you own?
Say
Today, we will look at two parables Jesus told about something very, very valuable.
Read
Matthew 13:44-46
Discuss
6. What did the man and merchant find?
7. What did they do after finding these items?
8. Why do you think they did that?
9. What is Jesus teaching us through these parables? What did Jesus liken the kingdom of heaven to?
Say
In these parables, the man and the merchant were willing to sell everything that they had in exchange for the hidden treasure and the pearl.
And Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven is like the treasure and the pearl.
The point of these parables is that the kingdom of heaven, having Jesus as our Lord and Savior, is immensely valuable; it is worth more than anything in this world!
Discuss
10. How valuable is the kingdom of Jesus to you?
Is it worth more than your most valued possession?
Would you be willing to sacrifice your time to serve Jesus?
Would you be willing to sacrifice your personal comforts to serve Jesus?
Conclude
These parables teach us that the kingdom of heaven, having Jesus as our Lord and Savior, is worth more than anything in this world! And those who truly understand this are prepared to give up everything for Jesus.
Bible Lesson for Kids/Youths– Parable of the Lost Sheep
Discuss
1. Did you enjoy this game?
2. Was it easy to estimate the price of the various items?
3. Did you usually underestimate or overestimate the price of the items?
4. Which was the most expensive item?
Say
Today, we will look at a parable Jesus told about something very, very valuable.
Read
Luke 15:1-7
Discuss
5. How many sheep did the man in the parable have?
6. What did he do when one of the sheep got lost?
7. What did he do after finding the lost sheep?
8. In the parable, what do the sheep represent?
9. What is Jesus teaching us through this parable?
Conclude
Each one of us is special and precious in God’s eyes. He loves each and every single one of us. We are so valuable to Jesus that he is prepared to give up everything to seek each one of us. And the heavens rejoice with each person who returns to God.
