===================================================================== Title: Primary Sabbath School Program, February 5, 2000 From: NAD Children's Ministries (author: Lisa Seeders) Date Completed: December 15, 1999 Abstract: Activities to use as a supplement to help teach the lesson, THE BOY CAME BACK ===================================================================== Lesson Aim: Memory Verse: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9, NIV GETTING THEIR ATTENTION - RED/LIGHT GREEN/LIGHT Materials needed: None WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) There are no advance preparations necessary. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Have the children line up in a horizontal line across the back of the room. Explain to them that the game they're going to play is similar to red light/green light. Every time you read a green light statement that applies to them, they may move forward the allotted steps. Every time you read a red light statement that applies to them, they have to retreat the allotted steps. 1. (Green light) Move forward 5 steps if you've told your mom or dad you love them. 2. (Red light) Move backward 4 steps if your mom or dad has gotten on you for talking back to them. 3. (Green light) Move forward 3 steps if you've remembered to thank your mom or dad for something they've given you or done for you lately. 4. (Red light) Move backward 5 steps if your parents have ever gotten on you for not being thankful or appreciative of what you have. 5. (Green light) Move forward 8 steps if you've done your jobs at home lately without complaining and whining. 6. (Red light) Move backward 5 steps if you've been fussed at because you don't do things cheerfully and without being told. 7. (Green light) Move forward 2 steps if you've helped your parents out by watching a little brother or sister while they got some work done. (If you don't have siblings, have you helped someone else out with their children?) 8. (Red light) Move backward 3 steps if your parents have complained about the way you treat your brother or sister. Most of the children will not have advanced very far. Talk with them about their discouragement over how every time they seemed to make progress they fell backwards again. (You may have children who will even be unable to admit and confess that they have fallen backwards from time to time) Jesus tells a story in our lesson today to help us know what to do when we have those backwards times. A young man makes several bad choices that lead him backwards instead of forwards. What lesson does Jesus want to teach us from this young man? GO STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE STORY. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - BIBLE STORY JOURNEY Materials needed: Sticks (one for each child) Socks or old knee-hi hose (one for each child) Boys and girls or mens and ladies fancy dress-up clothes (prom dresses, suits, furs etc.) 4 coins (any increment) for each child Bowl or trash bag of scraps or smelly trash WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) In one area of the room place the socks with the 4 coins in each sock. In another area of the room place the sticks. In a third area of the room place the fancy clothing. In a fourth area of the room place the bag or bowl of scraps or trash. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Have each child play the role of the prodigal son in the story. Begin by "journeying" to the socks and asking the father for their share of the money. Next, travel to the sticks and tie the socks on the ends of the sticks to represent striking out on their own and leaving home. Third travel to the area that contains the dress-up clothing. The children choose something fancy to buy and leave their socks of money at this area. Talk about the other ways the prodigal son wasted and squandered his money. Finally "journey" on to the trash area. Here the children remove their fancy clothes and sit around the trash talking about the sad outcome of the boy's dreams. He has nothing left, what can he do? Where can he go? Have the children return to their seats and talk with them about the love and forgiveness of God. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - Materials needed: Write/on-wipe/off board Markers to use on board Bibles WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) There are no advance preparations necessary. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Have the students look up the memory verse in their Bibles. Let them take turns printing the verse on the write/on-wipe/off board. Read it and repeat it together several times. Take turns erasing words from the verse and repeating it together again. Talk about how Jesus erases our sins just like we're erasing memory verse words. The best part is that even though we are trying to remember the words that were there, Jesus does not remember our sins once we have confessed them and He has forgiven them. See if you can get all the words erased and the whole verse repeated. ACTING ON SCRIPTURE - GOD'S ERASER FORGIVENESS Materials needed: Large plain rectangular erasers (1 for each child) Small fine-tip black markers WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) There are no advance preparations necessary. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Give each child an eraser and a marker. On their eraser have them print something that reminds them of Jesus; forgiveness. (Example: Jesus can erase all my mistakes. OR My mistakes are in the Master Eraser's hands.) Encourage the children to be able to share their faith about God's forgiveness when they share their eraser with their classmates at school.