galatians 5 to middle school boys:

tonight i led the small group of 6th and 7th grade boys for a volunteer that didn’t show up. we were doing a lesson on the fruit of the spirit. i had the boys turn their bibles to Galatians 5. several boys asked if they could read the passage, so i decided to have them taking turns reading verses from the entire chapter. BIG MISTAKE.


here is how it went:


BOY 1:
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.”
“uh rob? what does circumcised mean?”


ME: “i’ll tell you as soon as we finish the chapter…”


BOY 3:
“Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!”
“uh rob? what does emasculate mean??


ME: “i’ll tell you as soon as we finish the chapter…”


BOY 6:
“The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
“uh rob? what does orgies mean?”


ME: “well…
since we’re all boys…
ummm…
well…
you know,
uh… like,
you know...
does anyone have any prayer-requests?”


awkward!
thanks a lot apostle paul for making Galatians 5 so scandalous!