Object: A muslin bag filled with marbles, part of which are corralled together in a net bag.

Lesson: Self-control; freedom of choice; peer pressure.

As the children group themselves on the chancel steps, I hold up a muslin bag and shake it. The contents give off a telltale clicking sound. "Do you know what I have in this bag?" I ask. "MARBLES!" the children reply with evident glee. "That's right, and I'm going to need a little help here. Melissa, would you hold these?" I hand her part of the marbles which are secured in a net bag. Then I turn to Tommy and ask, "Would you hold these?" He extends one hand to take the muslin bag. However, this is not what I have in mind. "You may want to use both hands, Tommy," I suggest. As he puts his hands together, I pour into them the contents of the b…