How to Play
Divide into teams of equal numbers.
(If you have fewer than 8 players, you can also play together as 1 team.)
For each round, each team races to line up according to the criteria given for that round.
Set an appropriate time limit for each round, depending on the ages of the players and the number of players in each team.
Play as many rounds as you like.
Here are some suggested criteria for each round:
- Smallest to largest shoe sizes
- Shortest to tallest
- Youngest to oldest
- Numerical order of day of birth regardless of year or month (i.e. those born on the 1st day of the month to those born on the 31st day of the month)
- Alphabetical order of players’ first names
- Alphabetical order of players’ last names
- Number of letters in the players’ full names
- Alphabetical order the name of the street where players live
- Alphabetical order the name of the school that players attend
- Smallest to largest hands
- Shortest to longest hair
- Colors of players’ shirts (arrange according to the order of the colors of the rainbow)
- Distance between players’ homes and the venue where you are playing this game
Scoring
Award points to teams that line up in correct order, with quicker teams getting more points.
For example: If you have 4 teams playing, award 40, 30, 20 and 10 points (based on speed) to the teams that correctly form their lines according to the given criteria. No points are awarded to teams that are unable to correctly form their lines within the given time.
The team with the highest score at the end of the game wins.
Variations
To make the game more challenging (and funnier), try these variations:
- Players must form their lines silently
- Players can only use animal sounds to communicate with each other
- Players must form their lines silently and can only use facial gestures to communicate with each other (for instance, by blinking, raising eyebrows, or silently mouthing words)
Bible Lesson 1 – Salvation, The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Kids)
Discuss
1. Did you enjoy this game?
Say
In this game, we stood in line according to different criteria, for example, shortest to tallest or youngest to oldest.
Discuss
2. Were you happy to be near the front of the line for some of these criteria? Which ones?
3. Why?
4. What’s so good about being at or near the front of the line?
5. Do you remember any Bible stories that talk about being first or last?
Read
Matthew 19:27-20:16
Discuss
6. Tell us this story in your own words.
7. If you were one of the first workers hired by the landowner, how would you have felt and reacted?
8. If you were one of the last workers hired by the landowner, how would you have felt and reacted?
9. Do you think the landowner was being fair to all the workers? Tell us more.
10. Did the landowner think he was being fair? Tell us more.
Say
Jesus used this parable to tell us about God’s kingdom. In God’s kingdom, it is not important whether we are the first or last.
Discuss
11. How do you become included in God’s kingdom?
12. Are you a part of God’s kingdom? Why or why not?
13. Would you like to be included in God’s kingdom?
Conclude
God’s kingdom is different from this world. God is generous and compassionate towards everyone. And he wants everyone to be part of his kingdom. Anyone who follows Jesus is part of God’s kingdom. If we want to be part of God’s kingdom, we just need to follow Jesus.
Bible Lesson 2 – Salvation, The Rich and the Kingdom of God (Youth/Adults)
Get Started
1. What are some real-life instances where people must stand in line?
2. When was the longest time you have ever stood in a line? Tell us more.
Get into the Word
Read Matthew 19:16-30
3. What did the rich young man want to know?
4. What did Jesus want the rich young man to do? How do you think the rich young man felt?
5. Why do you think Jesus told the rich young man to do this?
6. If Jesus were to tell the people to stand in a line from the richest to the poorest, where do you think this rich young man would stand?
7. If Jesus were to tell the people to stand in a line based on how much they loved their neighbors, where do you think this rich young man would stand?
8. Which do you think the rich young man loved more? His wealth or God? Tell us more.
9. Why did the man walk away sad? What was he giving up by refusing to share his wealth with the poor?
10. What do you think Jesus meant by “many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first”?
Conclude
11. Jesus knew the man’s heart and he addressed it by asking him to give up his wealth to the poor. Jesus knows our heart too. How do you think Jesus would address you? What are some things that you love?
12. Why are these things so attractive?
13. How would you feel if God told you to give up these things?
14. How would your life be different if you were to give up these things for God?
Related Bible Passages: Mark 10:17-31; Luke 18:18-30
Bible Lesson 3 – Salvation, The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Youth/Adults)
Get Started
1. What are some real-life instances where people must stand in line?
2. When was the longest time you have ever stood in a line? Tell us more.
Get into the Word
Read Matthew 20:1-16
3. If you were one of the first workers hired by the landowner, how would you have felt and reacted?
4. If you were one of the last workers hired by the landowner, how would you have felt and reacted?
5. Do you think the landowner was being fair to all the workers? Tell us more.
6. How did the landowner justify his actions?
Read Matthew 19:27-30
7. These 4 verses precede the parable that we read earlier. Peter and the early disciples were one of Jesus’ first followers. What will they inherit?
8. Who else will inherit eternal life?
Conclude
This parable tells us that “the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard”.
9. Whether we are the first or last to follow Jesus, we will all inherit eternal life. Where we stand in the line is not important. But what is important?
10. Are you a follower of Jesus? Why or why not?
11. Would you like to become a follower of Jesus?
