=================================================== Title: Primary Sabbath School Program, May 27, 2000 From: NAD Children's Ministries (author: Lisa Seeders) Date: April 30, 1997 Length: Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps to teach the lesson, PETER'S BIG MISTAKE ===================================================== Lesson Aim: Jesus is happy to forgive me when I sin, no matter how big or bad the sin is. Memory Verse: "You are forgiving and good, O Lord," Psa. 86:5, NIV GETTING THEIR ATTENTION FOOT IN MOUTH DISEASE [Materials needed: (items to make a small fake campfire such as wood, orange and yellow tissue paper etc.)] [Directions: Seat the children on the floor in a circle around the campfire. Say, "Have you ever heard of foot in mouth disease? I've had it a couple of times. It's when you say something before you think about the consequences. You usually end up wishing you hadn't said it. The comment either embarrasses you or may even hurt someone else. Foot in mouth disease looks something like this." (Take your shoe off, lean over and put the front part of your foot in your mouth.) "One time I made a comment about how yucky a potluck dish tasted. The person who had made it was sitting at the same table with me." (Use your own example if you wish) Have the children take their shoes off. Beginning with the child with the smallest foot, let them share a foot in mouth experience they may have had. The children may have to stick a foot in the circle from time to time to check to see who goes next. DO NOT FORCE ANY CHILD TO PARTICIPATE WHO IS NOT WILLING. After each experience is shared, the group as a whole may "stick their foot in their mouth". End the exercise by saying, "Someone in our story today had a bad experience with foot in mouth disease. His mistake cost him a lot of pain and sadness. He didn't think of the sorrow his words of denial would cause his best friend." GO STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE STORY. REMAIN AROUND THE CAMPFIRE TO TELL IT. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE SINS AND CONSEQUENCES [Materials needed: scrap of old white cloth (4" X 4") for each child; red crayon for each child; one large plastic pail half-filled with bleach; one large plastic pail half-filled with water (THIS OBJECT LESSON REQUIRES VERY CAREFUL SUPERVISION BECAUSE IT INVOLVES BLEACH) [Directions: Before you begin the bible story around the campfire, pass out the scrap of white cloth and red crayon to each child. Instruct them to make a mark on the cloth with the crayon every time they hear Peter deny Jesus. Proceed with telling the bible story. At the end ask the children to show you the marks they have made. Explain that Peter's sin was no different then when we sin. All sin separates us from Jesus. The marks they have made could very well represent the times they have sinned recently. Have the children bring their scraps to the pail of bleach and drop them in. Leave them in the pail until the end of class. At the end of class have each child retrieve their scrap, squeeze the bleach out and rinse the cloth in the water pail. Examine the cloth. The marks should be pretty well gone. Tell the children that the bleach represents Jesus' forgiveness. When He forgives us it's as if we had never sinned. Undoubtedly there will still be a faint stain where the mark was. Emphasize that the stain represents the consequences we still see in our lives because of sins. Jesus completely forgives us, but He does not wipe away all the consequences that occur because of our choices. Ask the children what consequences they have experienced because of a sin. End with prayer specifically focusing on asking for forgiveness. SEVEN TIMES SEVEN [Materials needed: Write on/wipe off board with markers or chalkboard and chalk; Bibles] [Directions: Write the following texts on the board, one blank for each letter of the verse: Mark 2:7"......_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ " (Answer: Who can forgive sins but God only) Matt. 9:6"....._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ...." (Answer: The Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins) Psa. 86:5" _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _." (Answer: You are forgiving and good, O Lord) Read the text, Matt. 18:21, 22 to the children. Since Peter thought seven times should be enough to forgive a person, the children will have seven guesses to figure out the above texts about forgiveness. Beginning with Mark 2:7 ask the children to give you the names of seven alphabet letters. Encourage them to include at least one vowel. Fill in any of the letters they submit that occur in the verse. Give them 45 seconds on the clock to figure out what the verse says using the letters you have written in. If they cannot fill the rest of the letters in, give them 2 more minutes on the clock to look it up and finish filling it in. Continue in the same manner for Matt. 9:6 and Psa. 86:5. At the end of this exercise discuss how Jesus' answer of seventy times seven differed from Peter's. ACTING ON SCRIPTURE FORGIVENESS REMINDER [Materials needed: For each child: A heart cut from red card stock (use a half of sheet for each heart); fine-tip black marker; pretty sticker of Jesus; a piece of magnetic tape or an 8" strand of lace] [Directions: Print the following words on a posterboard or chalkboard where all children can see them for copying. There are four little words that are hard to say But I need to use them every day No matter how big or small my sins be, Lord, help me to say, I'M SORRY FORGIVE ME If you have younger Primaries that struggle with writing, print the words lightly with a pencil onto the heart for them to trace over with the black marker. Pass out a heart and Jesus sticker to each child. Help them locate the Jesus sticker close to the tip of the heart. Instruct them to write the words of the verse on the heart. Give them the choice of a lace hanger to loop from the front of the heart to the back or a piece of magnetic tape to glue to the back. The lace hanger can be stapled in place. Encourage them to hang the heart where they can see it every day as a reminder to ask for forgiveness from those they have wronged. Emphasize that Jesus is the one who gives us the courage to admit our mistakes and ask for forgiveness.