Potato Chip Object Lesson (Matthew 5:13) Salt of the Earth

Today I am bringing you another object lesson! This is called the Potato Chip Object Lesson and it’s so simple you’ll love it. All you need to teach with is a big bag of cheap chips and if you like, mini bags of chips to share with kids during snack time. You will also need a clear glass bowl to dump the chips in. Before class, carefully crush the chips without opening the bag. Hide the mini bags of chips until snack time but put everything else on the teaching table.
Let’s teach!
Hey guys! How is everyone doing today? (Let kids answer.) Did everyone have breakfast/dinner before they came to church today? Sometimes I skip and boy do I get hungry. Luckily for me, I have this bag of chips. I think I’ll have a quick snack if you don’t mind. If I have enough I might even share them with you! (Open the bag of chips and dump the chips in the bowl.) Oh rats! My chips are crushed and now there’s nothing here but some potato chip dust. Look! (Pick up some chips to show.)  That’s not delicious-looking at all. I really wanted to take a big bite and enjoy the munchy-crunchy sensation and my favorite part–the salty flavor. Don’t you love that? I know I do. However when the chips are crushed up like this you don’t get that salty flavor. It just tastes like dust.
This reminds of something that I read in the bible recently. It’s Matthew 5:13. Let’s read it together. (I have the NIV bible but you can use any translation.)
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.“
These are the words of Jesus! He says that we Christians are the salt of the earth. That means without Christ-believers in the earth, the earth would not be a very good place. Have you ever eaten food that has no salt in it? It is bland and it does not taste very good but with a dash of salt the whole thing tastes better. As Christians we sprinkle spiritual salt on the earth by following God’s laws and being an example to others. We make the earth a better place and that’s no joke.
But then Jesus warns us that we can lose our saltiness. And then what good are we? Don’t be like these chips! Don’t lose your saltiness and flavor! Make the world a better place by loving God and sharing him with others often. You are the salt of the earth!
Read more from Mimi by following her blog at Tools for Kids Church.