Object Lesson on Doing What’s Right - Drivers Permit
Use this object lesson on doing what's right to teach kids that they can trust God to guide and direct their lives.
Object Needed: Drivers Permit
Big Idea: Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should do it.
We've included the text for this object lesson below and we even recorded a video to help give you ideas for how to teach it. Enjoy watching!
Doing What's Right Object Lesson Script
I’m going to show you something that will one day change your whole life. It’s not a very big object. It’s small—only about an ounce in weight. As a matter of fact, it’s just a piece of paper—not even a full sheet, but a little slip. But this slip of paper will be your first step into a whole new world.
What is it? It’s a learner’s permit. If you have one of these with your name on it, it means you are finally old enough to learn how to operate a car. When you have this piece of paper in hand, you will be able to sit in the driver’s seat, start the car, put it in gear, and drive—so long as you have a licensed driver in the car, of course. A learner’s permit is a legal document stating that it is permissible for you to drive. It is one step away from a full-fledged driver’s license. When you have your permit, you’ll learn to drive on your street, park in your driveway, parallel park, and even navigate the interstate.
Let me ask you a question: How many of you think it would be wise to take the car out on the interstate your very first time behind the wheel? No practice on side streets, no practice on local roads. Just merge onto the interstate and take it up to 70 miles per hour. Would that be legal? Sure! If you have a licensed driver in the car, it’s legal. That permit says you are allowed to drive on the interstate. But it would not be a wise decision for an inexperienced driver who has no feel for being behind the wheel to hit the interstate on day one.
The apostle Paul talked about how some things are permissible but not beneficial. As you grow up, you’re going to discover that a lot of things are permissible but not beneficial, just like driving on the interstate for your first driving lesson. When you turn 18, it will be permissible for you to smoke cigarettes, but given the health risks that come with smoking, it would not be beneficial. You will also be permitted to get a credit card when you turn 18, and the credit card company would be happy to permit you to max out your card on the very first day. But would it be beneficial to put yourself in debt for $500, $1,000, or more when you’re still in high school? No way!
Having permission to do grown-up things is exciting, but with growing up comes more responsibility. You’re going to find a whole world of things that are permissible. But it’s crucial that you stay close to the Lord so that you’ll know when something permissible may not be beneficial.