A large strip of paper with the letters H A B I T in bold.
A tube with two compartments in one of which holds hidden a rubber or spring snake.
Several silk hankies
Flash cards to tell the story of the lion cub

I wonder if you have any bad habits.  (Show the strip of paper with the letters HABIT printed on it.) like telling lies and losing your temper.  Some young people have bad habits such as getting drunk and taking drugs.

Have you noticed that once you start it is hard to stop.  You try hard to stop (Cut or tear off the H) but you find that you have ABIT left.  (Cut off the A) You still have BIT left.  You try even harder (Cut off the B) but you still have IT.  You say I'm trying but it's just not good enough.  You need help.  Christians believe that God can help you.  You have to ask.

******************************************

The trouble is that we think that it's fun to do a lot of those things which become bad habits.

Flash card 1 showing a picture of a cardboard pet carrier with air holes in it
One day a parcel was delivered to the Jones's house.  It looked very interesting.  In some places there were air holes and something was moving about inside.

Flash card 2 showing a picture of a lion cub
When they opened it there inside was what looked like a little kitten.  Everybody said , "Ah", but dad said, "That's not a kitten its a lion cub".  Everybody still thought that it was harmless though.  Bad habits look like that at first.

Flash card 3 showing a picture of a lion
The lion cub began to grow and as it grew it began to get playful.

Flash card 4 showing the picture of a clock.
When the clock chimed, the lion tried to pat it.  At first it could not reach but one day he patted it, knocked it across the room and broke it.  Dad said that it was only playing.

Flash card 5 showing a windy day
Another day the wind was blowing the curtains.  The lion thought that it would be good to play with them.  His claws got caught in the curtain, and it pulled them down with the pelmet.  Dad said it was only playing.

Flash card 6 showing a telephone
One day the phone rang while the family were out.  The lion knocked it off the hook and spoke to the person on the other end with a great big roar.

Flash card 7 picture of a fire engine.
When the family arrived back home there was a fir engine there.

Flash card 8 picture of an ambulance
An ambulance

Flash card 9 picture of a police car
And a police car.  Dad said that it was only playing.

Flash card 10 picture of step ladders
One day dad was doing some decorating.  The lion started playing with the ladder.  Dad fell down, hit his head on the floor and started bleeding.  The family were just in time to save his life.  The plaything had nearly killed him.  That is what bad habits can do.

******************************************

Pick up the snake tube and show the tube to be empty.

"Here in this tube I have a baby snake.  It's so small that you cannot see it.

"But just like a bad habit, if you keep feeding it (put the silks into the tube to represent the food) the snake starts to get bigger.

Place the lid on and ask somebody to open it (You may decide to open it yourself as the snake will spring out and make everybody jump).

"Just like the snake has grown, our bad habits grow and become dangerous.
Get rid of them".

Christians believe that because Jesus died for them, they can get rid of their bad habits, make a fresh start and get help not to do them again.

******************************************