My God Can: A Reusable Object Lesson

For over 10 years, I have used a specific object lesson to teach kids about the power, love, grace, and character of God. I have used it to tell the Christmas story. I have used it to tell of the death and resurrection of Jesus. I have even used it to present the Gospel. Kids have come to Christ because of this object lesson. All of this and more has come from a coffee can.

Right off the bat, I want to say that this was not my own idea. Many years ago, I was at a conference and saw a ventriloquist using the object lesson. I thought it was amazing. I returned home and immediately used it in my own church ministry. Over the years, I forgot the name of that ventriloquist until recently. When I read that Dennis Lee was in a car accident, the light bulb came on. He was the ventriloquist. So Dennis gets the credit but lets also give him our prayers as he continues to recover from his injuries.

So what’s so great about a coffee can? It’s no ordinary coffee can. It’s the “My God Can.” In the can is a variety of items. As you pull out an item and talk about it, you will ask the audience a question. No matter what question you ask, the answer is always the same: “MY GOD CAN!”

Here’s an easy example using a band-aid: Have you ever been hurt? Have you ever scraped your knee or scratched your arm? A band-aid is great because it helps those hurts to heal. In life, sometimes we get hurt. Sometimes they are little hurts. Other times, they are big hurts. Sometimes, it’s our body that is hurt. Other times, it’s our heart. Who can heal us when we feel hurt? MY GOD CAN!

How can you put together your own “My God Can” can?

Gather Supplies

You will need to gather some supplies: a coffee can, decorations for the outside of the can, a variety of random objects to go inside the can

Put It Together

You will want to decorate the outside of the can. My can is covered in fabric that was hot-glued into place and trimmed with pom-poms. Decorate it according to your own preference or to match your children’s ministry area. How simple or detailed the decorations is completely up to you.

Formulate Questions

The most important part of this object lesson involves what you put in the can. Do not rule anything out. Keep an open mind and think creatively. A great place to start would be in your ministry office or ministry supply room. Look for objects that would fit into the can and think of how they might be used to point kids to Jesus.

Some ideas might include…

• Pens, pencils, or markers to relate how God writes our names in the lamb’s book of life or that we are written on the palm of his hands (Isaiah 49:16).

• An eraser to relate how God erases (forgives) our sins.

• A cell phone to teach how God can hear us when we talk to him and how we never get busy signal when we need to talk to God.

• A compass to remind us that God can show us the right way to go.

• Heart stickers or anything heart-shaped to show the nature of God’s love.

• A plastic spider or anything that might be “scary” to relate how God can calm our fears.

You will need to formulate a question for every item in such a way that the appropriate answer would be, “My God Can.” For the ideas given above, after talking about the item, the questions could then be worded like this:

• Who can write our names in the Lamb’s Book of Life? (My God Can!)

• Who can erase our sin when we ask for forgiveness? (My God Can!)

• Who can always hear us when we want to talk to him? (My God Can!)

• Who can show us the right way to go? (My God Can!)

• Who can love us with a love that never ends? (My God Can!)

• Who can keep us calm when we are afraid? (My God Can!)

Using the Object Lesson

As you use the “My God Can,” be sure to involve the kids or audience by having them answer the question each time.

For a more detailed video on using the “My God Can,” including a variety of examples of what can go inside the can, be sure to check out this instructional video.

Once you create your own “My God Can,” be sure to share your photos and stories in the comments below or connect with me via Facebook.