My BFF by Alisa J. & Gary R. Linn

Copyright © Children’s Ministry Today. All Rights Reserved.

Prepare ahead of time: Before class, follow the printing and gluing

instructions on the first page after this lesson; then arrange the cards as

described in Step 1.

(Begin Step 2) This is a week where the focus of our thoughts is on freedom.

More people than we could count have laid down their lives for us, they died

for us, so that we could enjoy a life of freedom from cruelty, oppression, and

slavery. People in other countries around the world have done the same

thing—given their lives so that the people of their countries could be free.

Let’s talk a little bit about your and my freedom.

Here we have 3 cards. You can see 3 letters on these cards- F, F, and F.

The first F on my right stands for the word, “friend.” Jesus says, “I have not

called you servants but friends (Jn.15:15).” Rather than forcing us to serve

Him, all-powerful God that He is, Jesus instead desires for us to be His

friends. Some friends are just friends for a short while, but Jesus wants to

be your friend “forever.” “Forever” is what the last F out of the 3 letters

stands for.

Why would Jesus, Almighty God, want us to be His friends forever? There is

a definite purpose. It’s because Jesus loves us so much that He wants us to

have “Freedom” forever (Gal.5:1). “Freedom” is what the middle F stands

for. Freedom, however, always comes with a great price. The price for our

spiritual freedom was Jesus’ own life. He suffered terribly and died so that

we would forever be free from the powers of sin that bring death and

destruction into our lives (Rom.8:2). (Complete Step 3)

Think of all the bad things that take place in the world and destroy people’s

lives. Let’s make a brief list: (Allow the children to respond, listing things

such as violence, disease, hatred, selfishness, broken homes, poverty,

starvation. After about 10 responses, do Step 4 and then continue the

lesson.) All these bad things came into existence because of sin and keep

mankind in a spiritual slavery to them. We cannot be free from them

ourselves (Col.2:13; Rom.5:6). Jesus is the only one who is able to free us

from sin and its destruction. This is called, “salvation.”

When we accept salvation from Jesus and become His friend (point at first

“F”), then we become free (point at second “F”) forever (point at last “F”).

(Step 5) How would you think of a friend who would do something like this

for you, of someone who would suffer and die so that you could be free

forever? Scripture says that no person ever has greater love for someone

than when they love them enough to die for them (Jn.15:13). A friend who

would die for you wouldn’t just be an “OK” friend, or a casual friend. That

person would definitely be a BFF type of friend—a best friend forever.

(Step 6) Jesus desires for you to begin right now letting Him be your BFF,

your best friend forever! No one could ever love you more than He does and

no one else can free you forever from the slavery of sin and its destruction.

How many of you here today now realize that you need Jesus to be your

BFF? Let’s pray together right now. (Lead the children in a prayer asking

God to forgive them of their sins, accepting Jesus’ suffering and death for

their salvation, and committing to live with Jesus as their BFF and

experience freedom forever from sin’s destructions.)

References:

I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves.

Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told

me. John 15:15 NLT

We have freedom now, because Christ made us free. Galatians 5:1 NCV

Through Christ Jesus, the power of God’s Spirit that brings you life has freed

you from the power of sin that brings death. Romans 8:2 NCV

When you were spiritually dead because of your sins, and because you were

not free from the power of your sinful self, God made you alive with Christ;

He forgave all our sins.

Colossians 2:13 NCV

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died

for us sinners. Romans 5:6 NLT

The greatest love a person can show is to die for his friends. John 15:13

NCV

Preparing Your “My BFF” Cards

Print one complete set of cards. (B, F, F, F, Back, Back)

Use adhesive to glue the following sets back to back.

(B & F, Back & F, Back & F)

Presenting Your “My BFF” Cards

STEP 1

Arrange the cards Back & F on with F facing upward. Then lay the B & F card on top of that

card with F facing upward. Lastly, lay the last Back & F card on top of the other cards with F

facing downward. (The cards would look like this if fanned.) STEP 2

As you pick up the cards, you may casually show both the backs of the top and bottom cards

before fanning the cards. This will give the impression that all of the backs of the cards are

the same. Hold the cards so the B-side of the middle card is facing you, not your audience.

Holding the cards in your left hand, use your

right hand to turn around the front card facing your audience to reveal the F. Doing so also

shows the middle card to be an F card. Then fan the cards to show all three cards as F cards.

After a broad fan, bring the cards closer together similar to the upper image to the right. This

prepares your audience for later in your presentation when the middle card is a B card

but will appear to be an F card. (Note the side of the cards facing you should look like the lower

image to the right.

STEP 3 Turn the card closest to your audience around so

the back is facing them. Then, square the cards and lay onto a table top or casually hold them to

your side.

STEP 4

Here is the trick part. Before you show the cards to your audience again you want to be holding

them opposite from before so the B-side of the middle card is facing your audience. If the cards

are laying on a table simply turn them around as you pick them up before fanning. If you are

holding them, casually turn them while you are speaking.

STEP 5

Hold the cards HORIZONTALLY to the floor so your audience cannot see the top or back. Fan

them as the picture to the right then.

STEP 6

Reveal that the middle F card has changed to a B card. Move it to the right to form BFF.