Today’s theme is on ingenuity. I hope today’s topic can be of use to youth ministries, family devotionals, Sunday school and family home evenings.

Object lesson: Find a collection of different types of balls such as marbles, a stress ball, beach ball, sitting ball or exercise ball, puzzle ball and any other device in a ball form. Discuss the capabilities of each ball. In the past we might think that a ball is only for sports. But as people become creative they think of additional ways of how balls can be used ranging from a stress ball to a disco ball that reflects colored lights on a dance floor.

Just as a ball being used in various ways can server multiple purposes so our imagination can come up with new ways to do things. For example
1. Someone came up with the idea that there are holes be poked in the sides of a tin foil box to crate flaps to keep the tin foil inside the box.
2. Another person came up with the idea that the lid of a pitcher when allied with the handle also has the opening on the opposite side so the liquid to be poured out. When you twist in into alignment with the handle of the pitcher you can pour the drink. When it is not aligned the hole is closed and the liquid is kept inside.
3. Don’t have a knife but you need to cut the tape of a big box so you can make it flat to recycle it? Use a key to act as a kind of saw to cut through the tape and you can accomplish your goal.
Invite the family or class members to pay attention to things around them. Evaluate why things are designed as they are. Have people start creating a journal of observations to see how others have been creative. Encourage everyone to always keep an open mind to how something can be done. Many time things can be done in more than one way and often more effectively. Each of us can learn how to do things effectively with the use of our imaginations.

Have something to add to this topic? Please do so in the comment section of this blog.