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A Bible Object Lesson for Adults

Bible object lessons take an everyday occurrence and connects it with God's Word to teach us a spiritual truth to help us grow in Christ and bring encouragement. 

God is at work in us and all around us, but many times our lives are so busy we don't notice or recognize His presence.  Even a common everyday object as a cup can become a Bible object lesson that will continue with us into the busyness of our world as a reminder of the truths found in the Bible.


Photo by Emre Can from Pexels

A Cup 
Bible Object Lesson for Adults

Demonstrate:

Have a variety of cups available such as a tea cup, coffee cup, Solo cup, etc.  or have everyone bring their favorite cup to compare differences. 

Using the cups and following Bible object lesson for adults, point out:

  • Cups may be small, but are very useful.
  • Cups come in all different sizes & designs.
  • Cups must be clean before being used.
  • Cups have a big purpose as they are filled to overflow.


Meditate:
Bible Object Lesson for Adults

"And whoever gives just a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, I assure you:  He will never lose his reward!"

Matthew 10:42


“Then He took the cup…”

Luke 22:17

Cups are small

If a cup were to think for itself, it would probably consider itself insignificant, too small to accomplish much, just ordinary.  And yet, where would we be as a civilization without our cups?! 

There are cups made from glass, wood, precious metals, paper, plastic and clay.  We have cups for our tea, coffee, soft drinks, water, etc.  Each designed to be useful.  Each designed for purpose.

This simple Bible object lesson can teach us a world of lessons about ourselves, about life, about our own purpose and design.  The bottom line is cups matter and you, my friend, matter too!  No matter how small or insignificant you may feel, you have been designed for purpose! You have been designed for more!


CUP – (KƏP) NOUN - A SMALL, BOWL-SHAPED CONTAINER FOR DRINKING FROM, TYPICALLY HAVING A HANDLE.

It’s one word, three letters, four small marks consisting of three curves and one straight line.  As a noun, this word refers to a small bowl-shaped drinking vessel.

How often do we think of ourselves or the things we do as too small to matter?  We think of small as not enough, less, unimportant, unable to make a difference.  It’s time to change our way of thinking!

Cups are Unique

Take a look at the variety of cups we have.  Some are beautiful yet fragile; some are sturdy yet plain; some are great for on the go yet not made to last forever.

We are a lot like cups.  We come in a variety of sizes and designs.  We all have both our talents and our weaknesses.  We were not created to all be exactly the same.

Cups Must Be washed often

Think about where the cups may have been before you brought them.  Some may have been: 

  • Filled with something good to drink
  • Sitting as a decoration on a shelf
  • Left filled, but forgotten (this happens often to me!)
  • Filled with other things like coins or trinkets

As Christians, we can find ourselves in some of these same places.  We may be filled and being used to pour out the goodness of God.  Or we may be just sitting, looking good, but collecting dust.  We may have been filled, but then forgot about what God said.  Our lives may be so full of "other things," we can't be filled with what's best.

For a cup to be used, it must first be emptied, washed and then ready in the Master's hands.  A cup can do nothing by itself, and neither can we.

Like a cup we go through a cycle of being filled, poured out, washed, ready to be filled again.

Cups are Created for Purpose

Cups are something we use every day.  They may be small, but they have purpose.  They may look different, be filled with a variety of things, and have to be washed often, but they each are meant to be filled to overflow the boundaries of their rim. 

God has designed us for more, a purpose and a call – each different and unique and yet the same.  Let's allow our cups to remind us of this important lesson so we are intentional about allowing God to daily fill us and the pour us according to His good purpose. 

Bible Object Lesson  for Adults - Bible Verses:



"You prepare a feast for me

    in the presence of my enemies.

You honor me by anointing my head with oil.

    My cup overflows with blessings."

Psalm 23:5


"I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." 

Romans 15:13


New Living Translation


Activate:

Bible Object Lesson for adults - Take-alongs

If you're like me, my Bible devotion time is limited by the busyness of the day.  Therefore I like to find ways for God to continue to bring back the thoughts and lessons from that time. That's where Bible object lesson take-alongs come in!


  1. Using the three letters of CUP, draw your own cup.  Then write three words for each letter that make you think of God.  Ex:  Christ, Unity, Peace
  2. As you pour something into your cup today or this week, stop and pray a simple prayer of thanksgiving to God while also asking Him to fill you with His Spirit, love, peace, etc.
  3. Every time you use a cup let it remind you that God has great purpose for you too!


© Copyright 2018 Susan Smart


A More in-depth Bible Lesson - Why a Cup?

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood from Pexels

More Bible Object Lessons for Adults -


We also have Godprints devotions similar to this Bible object lesson and our Bible Seeker Object Lessons with extension activities for teaching or families. 



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