Items needed: a $1 bill and a $10 bill, chocolate syrup, scotch tape, peanut butter sandwich ,paper, stapler, staple remover, cigarettes (empty box).
Ask for a volunteer from the group, but don’t tell them what they are volunteering for. Hold up the dollar and ask them what it is, of course they will say a dollar or money. Say, “No! it is a life” Today we will decide what to do with our life. We could spend our life, waste our life, lose, invest, save, or give. Elaborate on each point. Ask them what they want to do. Hopefully they will say give, if not suggest it. Who should we give our life to? JESUS! Then tell the volunteer that he/she will be Jesus and you will be the person giving your life. When you go to hand it over, say. Jesus, I like a lot of this stuff, I think I’ll give you this part (Rip a small portion of the dollar and give it to the volunteer).
Then say, I guess I’ll give you my cigarettes,(hand over a portion of the dollar with the cigs pack. Then hand over pride, (covered and stapled with paper), then lying, cheating, stealing, etc. Make up your own. I used overeating as a sin and put the piece of the dollar in the PBJ sandwich. I candy coated my lies with chocolate syrup, be creative.
Then when you are done ask them what you have given Jesus. Not only are you dirty, torn up, thrown aside, but you are worthless to him too. Save a little part (the head) and say, not until we give ourselves totally to Jesus can He use us. Give the last part of the dollar. Say Jesus is a redeemer! and hand the volunteer, paper towels staple remover, scotch tape. Have them repair the dollar while you share a message about Jesus. After the repair, say, “Something happens between the Son and the Father when we give ourselves totally to Jesus. Jesus can present us whole and worthy to the Father.” Have the volunteer trade the tattered dollar for a $10 bill sitting (hidden) on the altar. Say< "Jesus goes to the Father and presents our lives to Him, then he takes our lives and not only makes them whole, but worth far more than before." Then have an altar call ask the kids if they have parts of their dollar they would like to give to Jesus. In large groups, you can even have a coffin set up for the kids to burry their things. Have them write them on paper if they don't have the thing or it is not tangible. I have seen kids throw in cigarettes, secular music, drugs, necklaces from boyfriends, etc. This is a moving illustration of what God can do with our lives. I improvised from a similar illustration of a tattered $20 bill . Stating you are still worth something even if dirty.