This engaging warm up activity from Time Out: Resources for Teen Retreats by Sr. Kieran Sawyer works well as a fun break in any Scripture course. The game operates as a regular game of charades, with teams acting out famous Bible stories for others to guess.

Directions
To begin, prepare 3"x 5" cards with Bible phrases like those below, one phrase per card.

Divide the class into teams of about six persons each. Ask each group to sit together. Then say:

In my hand I have a set of cards. On each card is phrase describing a famous scene from the Bible, like "John the Baptist baptizing Jesus in the River Jordan." Each team will pick one of the cards and have three minutes to decide how to act out the phrase so that the rest of us can guess what the card says. You may use actions, sounds, and gestures, but you may not use words. Every member of your group should have a part in your presentation.

Hold the cards face down ask ask the small groups to send up a representative to pick one. Allow about three minutes for the teams to decide how they will present their phrases.

Call the class back together and select one group to do the first presentation. Call on participants to guess the scene being enacted.

When all the teams have performed two or three scenes from the prepared cards, give each group a blank 3"x 5" card and a pencil and say:

Now I am going to ask you to write down other scenes from the Bible that your group can act out. Each scene should fit the pattern: "John the Baptist baptizing Jesus in the River Jordan." In other words, someone must be doing something specific. Your group will make up a phrase for another group to act out.

Allow a few minutes for the groups to think up Bible scenes and write them on the cards. Check back to make sure the phrases are worded correctly. Then say:

Now pass your card to the group sitting at your left, and take three minutes to plan your presentation.

Call the teams back together for another round of performances. The group whose Bible scene is being acted, of course, does not help with the guessing.

Give out another set of cards, have the groups think up another Bible phrase, and pass the cards to the group sitting at their right. The game can continue for any number of rounds.