Unit: God Created Everything
Session Titles: Sin Entered the World
Story Point: Adam and Eve broke God’s law, and their sin separated them from God.
Big Picture Question: Who is God? God is our Creator and King
Unit Bible Verse: “All things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and by him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:16b-17
Bible Passage: Genesis 3
Extras from LifeWay (GREAT Ideas Here): http://blog.lifeway.com/biblestudiesforlife/leaderextras/by-age-group/
Object Lesson: Temptation
I have done this in a class before and it seems to really make the students think about temptation. Bring in cookies, candy, any food item the students would be tempted and want to take. Set it on the table at the beginning of class and put a do not touch sign by it. Students will ask about it and you just tell them they can’t touch it. You can even play with them a little bit and find a reason to leave the room (don’t leave the children alone though) and see if any of them touch them. Talk to them at the end of the lesson about if they were tempted or if it drove them crazy that they could not touch the item.
Craft: Snake
Have students make a snake that they can hang and remind them to walk away from temptation. The website gives pretty good instructions. This is a good short and easy craft if you don’t have much time left. You could make this out of construction paper or foam and could use a number of things to decorate it. You could even have them write the verse on the snake.
There is also a picture of a paper chain snake if you think that would be easier for your children.
http://jennwa.blogspot.com/2008/07/snake-craft.html
Craft: A Cord of Three (Older Kids craft)
Have the children make a bracelet to remind them that through Jesus we are in communion with God. Make three different colored 12” pieces of yarn for each child. Tie a knot about one inch from the end and braid the pieces together. Explain that one represents God the Father; the second, God the Son; and the third, God the Holy Spirit. When there is about one inch left after braiding, tie another knot.
Explain to the children that as they wear their bracelets, they can remember that we have a free relationship with God because of the price paid by Jesus.
http://children.cccm.com/OTTeacherGuidePDF/CUROT004.pdf
Game: Tree of Right and Wrong (written originally for teens but could be used for 3-5)
Adam and Eve thought they had good reasons for eating from the forbidden tree, but they failed at discerning right from wrong. To help students learn how to make correct discernments, draw or paint a tree on plywood or paper and designate one half of it as “Right” and the other half as “Wrong.” Cut apples from construction paper and label each one with a behavior that needs to be defined as right or wrong. Have the students take turns picking the apples from a basket and deciding which half of the tree they should be placed on. Some of the behaviors can be an obvious, such as cheating. Also include behaviors where the correct response might not be clear to young people, or where they may think they have a good reason for doing something questionable, such as covering for a best friend instead of getting them in trouble. Encourage students to discuss these tricky situations and guide them in searching the scriptures for guidance in discerning the correct response.
http://www.ehow.com/info_8469957_activities-story-adam-eve-teenagers.html#ixzz2NMEGsqLE
Object Lesson: A Bite of Truth
Give each student an apple and tell them to enjoy a few bites then set it aside. Have them check the apple 15 minutes later and they will see that the inside has already started to turn brown. Present this as an analogy to Adam and Eve biting into the fruit and exposing the world to deterioration. Also compare it to our personal lives and how quickly they change and suffer when we open ourselves up to negative influences. Though simple, this analogy can make a memorable point.
http://www.ehow.com/info_8469957_activities-story-adam-eve-teenagers.html#ixzz2NMFioTTA