Icebreakers – "Like Something Out The Bible"
1. This or That: Which Would You Trust?
Supplies: None
Have students stand in the middle of the room. Read two options, assigning each option to a different side of the room. Students have to quickly move to the side they trust more.
Examples:
Google Maps or your parent giving directions?
Hanging out with a friend or your sibling?
Weather app or looking out the window?
Online reviews or your friend's recommendation?
Teacher's study guide or a friend's notes?
Instructions or figuring it out yourself?
Your alarm or your parent waking you up?
ChatGPT or your school textbook?
After a few rounds, ask a couple of students why they chose what they did.
Transition: “Who or what we trust affects the choices we make. Throughout this series, we're talking about what it looks like to trust God enough to actually do what He says.”
2. Do What I Say
Supplies: None
Choose one student to be the leader. Everyone else must copy their actions, but there's a catch: The leader should occasionally say one action while doing something completely different.
For example, they might say, “Touch your head,” while touching their knees. Students are only supposed to do what the leader says, not what they see.
Keep switching leaders and speed things up to make it more difficult.
Transition: “Knowing what someone said and actually doing it are two different things! God's Word isn't something we're only supposed to hear or know. James tells us to do what it says.”
3. Fill Your Brain
Supplies: None
Tell students you're going to give them 20 seconds to look around the room and memorize as many things as possible that are a certain color. Pick a color — like blue — and start the timer. (You could also pick shapes, objects that start with a letter, objects smaller than a certain size, etc.)
When time is up, have everyone close their eyes. Instead of asking them to name the blue objects, surprise them by asking them to name something different than what you originally said — for example, everything they remember that was red instead of blue.
They'll probably struggle!
Try another round with different colors/parameters, then see who can remember the most.
Transition: “What we choose to focus on affects what we notice and remember. Our minds work the same way — what we continually watch, listen to, and think about shapes us. God's Word can help us choose what we fill our minds with.”
4. Pick A Side
Supplies: None
Designate two sides of the room. Give students two random options, and have them move as quickly as possible to the side that matches their choice. Keep the pace fast, and occasionally ask someone to defend their answer.
Examples:
Sweet or salty?
Texting or FaceTime?
Beach or mountains?
Early bird or night owl?
Music or podcasts?
Crocs or sneakers?
Chick-fil-A or Chipotle?
YouTube or TikTok?
Be able to fly or be invisible?
Always be 30 minutes early or 10 minutes late?
Give up your phone for a week or dessert for a year?
Have your parents choose your clothes for a month or your friends choose your haircut?
Transition: “Some choices don't matter much. Others can shape who we're becoming. In this series, we're talking about knowing what God says and then making the choice to obey Him.”