Unit: God Created the World
Session Title: Cain and Abel
Life Point: People should value you others as God does
Unit Verse: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1
Weekly Bible Verses: “I praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made.” Psalm 139:4
Bible Passage: Genesis 4:1-16
Extras from LifeWay (GREAT Ideas Here): http://blog.lifeway.com/biblestudiesforlife/leaderextras/by-age-group/
Craft: Love One Another Stained Glass
This craft is more involved but a good craft to help children to remember to love one another even when their family and friends make them upset. Detailed instructions on the website
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Object Lesson: Sin Will Touch Others (Older Kids)
A good object lesson but pretty mature so I would do with 2nd grade and older. Easy instructions and materials.
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Bible Story: Genesis 4 – A Murder Mystery
Another way to tell the story a good way to keep the kids interested in the story.
Here’s an activity for telling the story of Cain and Abel. You could do this activity in small groups, or if your class is small you could do it in one group.
Explain to the children:
A terrible tragedy has happened. The world’s first murder has taken place. It is our job to find out who did it and work out a suitable punishment for the murderer.
Ask the children the following questions:
- What do we know about Adam?
- What do we know about Eve?
- Read Genesis 4:1-4a. What do we learn about Cain from this Bible passage? What do we learn about Abel?
- What words describe what God is like?
Here are the suspects: Adam, Eve, Cain, Abel, God, A stranger
Give the children one clue each. They read out the clues in chronological order, but don’t show their clue to other children.
- God was pleased with Abel’s offering.
- God wasn’t pleased with Cain’s offering.
- Eve loved Cain and Abel.
- Adam and Eve had another son to replace the one who was murdered.
- Cain said to his brother Abel, “let’s go for a walk”.
- God asked Cain, “where’s Abel?” and Cain answered, “I don’t know, am I supposed to look after my brother?”
- God said to the murderer, “you will never be able to farm your land again”.
- The murder happened outside.
Children put all the clues together and work out the following:
- Who did it?
- Where did he or she do it?
- Why did he or she do it?
Ask children: What do you think the punishment should be?
Read Genesis 4:10-16: What was God’s punishment?
- What does this story tell us about God?
- How are we like Cain?
- How are we like Abel?
Why do you think this story is in the Bible?
Lesson ideas for Genesis 4 – a murder mystery
Object Lesson: Cain and Abel’s Hearts
Half fill one clear glass with water. Half fill an identical clear glass with white vinegar. Tell the children that these glasses represent Cain and Abel’s hearts. (Point to the glass of water) Abel’s heart was good and he wanted to give his best to God. (Put a drop or two of green food coloring in the vinegar glass and give it a stir.) The green glass represents Cain’s heart. He was jealous of his brother and he didn’t give his best to God. Let’s see what happens to their hearts when they gave gifts to God. Ask one child to put a teaspoon of baking soda in the glass of water (nothing will happen to the water). Abel gave his gift and God was pleased. Abel felt good in his heart because he knew he had given his best. Now let’s see what happened to Cain’s heart. (Have another child put a teaspoon of baking soda in the green vinegar glass). As the water bubbles and boils talk about how jealousy made Cain’s heart upset and angry.
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Object Lesson: Candy Fairness
Using m and m’s or skittles (or anything like it) divide in cups in different amounts. Pass out to kids but don’t let them see they are different. After you have passed out all the cups and the kids start to figure out that they are not the same. Ask about how they feel that it is not fair. Talk about if it is worth getting really mad about. After discussing fairness and how it applied to the story of Cain and Abel see if the kids can work it out to make it fair for everyone to have the same amount. (Remember allergy alert sign)