=================================================== Title: Primary Sabbath School Program, June 3, 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, JUDAS' BIG MISTAKE ==================================================== Lesson Aim: When I ask God to help me put Jesus first in my life, my life will not have a sad ending like Judas'. Memory Verse: "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matt. 6:33, NIV GETTING THEIR ATTENTION HIDE AND SEEK KISSES [Materials needed: Bag of Hershey's kisses] [Directions: Before Sabbath school hide one Hershey's kiss for each child anywhere in the room. Tell the children that they are going on a treasure hunt. They are looking for something that is a sign of affection. It is something people give other people when they want to show they care for them. When they think they have found it, without letting anyone else see, they are to quietly bring it back to their seat. When all the children return to their seats ask the following questions: 1. What did you find that is a sign of affection? (Not candy, but a kiss) 2. When are some occasions when people may kiss each other? (To comfort a sad person, to congratulate a person who is celebrating something, when people are parting, when people are reuniting, when two people love each other in a special way) In our story today a kiss was not used as a sign of affection or love. It was used to betray someone, and it was a very big mistake. GO STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE STORY GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE CHOICES CHART [Materials needed: A half sheet of paper, 8 « X 11 for each child; pencils; story below] [Directions: Give each child the half sheet of paper and a pencil. Instruct them to fold the paper in half lengthwise, then open it back up. On the left hand side of the crease at the top they are to write the name JESUS. On the right hand side of the crease at the top they are to write the name JUDAS. Say, "Jesus never forces us to choose Him or His ways. It is always up to us to follow Him or to follow what we think is best. In our story today Judas thought his plans for Jesus' life were better than Jesus' plans. Over and over he chose to do things his own way. As I tell you the story make a mark on the Judas side of your paper whenever you hear Judas choosing to do things his way. Make a mark on the Jesus side of your paper whenever he chose to do things Jesus' way." (Marks should be placed at least 1" apart from each other.) Judas had the same opportunities to be around Jesus and learn from Him that the other disciples had. He watched all the miracles that Jesus performed, listened to the sermons and talked with Him. But Judas did not choose to really follow Jesus. Judas was a very smart businessman. He was good at making money, and he was good at keeping it too. Jesus wanted Judas to learn to be more giving and unselfish with the money, but Judas chose to be a miser. Judas even used some of the disciples money for himself. All during his ministry on this earth, Jesus tried to teach his disciples that His kingdom would not be set up on this earth. His kingdom was a heavenly kingdom. But Judas would not accept this idea. He was determined to make Jesus act like a king on this earth. So he chose to go to the religious leaders and make a bargain with them. He agreed to set Jesus up and lead the mob to him so they could capture him. On the night of the Lord's Supper when Jesus celebrated the communion service with his disciples, Judas was there too. Jesus tried one more time to help Judas understand that his ideas and plans were selfish and wrong. He even told Judas he knew he was about to betray him. Judas chose to ignore this final warning from Jesus. Later that night he led the religious leaders and mob to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He chose to betray Jesus with a sign of affection, the kiss. Jesus was very sad because of Judas' choices. He did everything he could to draw Judas to himself, but he would not force him. Near the end of Jesus' trial Judas became afraid and tried to testify for Jesus instead of against him. He even gave the money back to the religious leaders. Jesus still loved Judas, but he knew that Judas was still the same man he had always been. He still had not chosen Jesus' way. Judas ended his life by hanging himself. What a sad ending! How different his story could have been if only he had chosen to put Jesus first. (Check to see if the children have at least four marks on the Judas side of their paper and none on the Jesus side.) ACTING ON SCRIPTURE EVALUATION CHECK LIST [Materials needed: Same sheet of paper with Jesus' and Judas' name on it and the marks; pencils] [Directions: Explain to the children that what Judas did seems terrible to us. We may think we would never do that to Jesus. There are things we may say or do, however, that betray Jesus also. Tell the children that you will read them some situations. If they've ever done the same thing as in the scenario, they write their initials beside one of the Judas marks they made during the Bible story. They do not have to acknowledge their response, and no one will be collecting or reading their papers. Encourage them to be honest with themselves and God.] 1. Someone swears and uses God's name in vain. They look at you to see if it bothers you. You don't say anything. 2. When you go to someone's house for a sleep over, you hop into bed like they do. You'll say your prayers when the lights are out and they're asleep. 3. Someone grabs your paper at school and steals an answer. They hand it back with a smile and say, "You don't mind do you?" You say nothing. 4. A friend of yours goes to church on Sunday. One day when you're talking about it he says, "I don't think it really matters what day you go to church just so long as you go." You agree or say nothing. 5. Your friend says they love Easter because they get such a big horde of candy. You don't speak up and say anything about Christ's resurrection. 6. When some children start picking on a Christian friend of yours, you don't do anything about it because you don't want them to turn on you. After this exercise, ask children for other ideas on how we betray Jesus in our every day life. Help them to understand that not saying or doing anything when we have the opportunity to speak for Jesus is a form of betrayal. Finally, go back over the over scenarios and think of appropriate responses that would reflect our love for Jesus. MEMORY VERSE MOBILE [Materials needed: Each child will need: 1 heavy paper plate (Similar to Chinet); 6 strands of heavy sewing thread each approximately 18" in length; 1 strand of yarn 18" in length; 6 red hearts cut from card stock each approximately 2" high; markers; scotch tape] [Directions: Prepare the following materials ahead of time: Using a pair of sharp scissors, punch six holes in the paper plate evening the spacing between the holes as closely as possible. (The mobile hearts will hang from the holes) Punch one hole in the middle of the plate where the yarn will be inserted as a hanger. Using a small hole puncher, punch one hole at the top of each heart. Give each child a plate, 6 strands of heavy sewing thread, 1 strand of yarn, 6 hearts and a Bible. Instruct them to look up the memory verse and write the first seven words on the plate. The plate must be upside down, so where you would normally place the food is facing downward. Provide the children with markers to write on the plate with. Next, have each child fold the strand of yarn in half and poke both ends down through the top of the plate. Flip the plate over and tie the ends into a double knot. This makes a hanger on the top of the mobile. Set the plate aside. On each red heart the children will print two memory verse words together. Beginning with "and" and "all" continue writing two words on each heart until you get to the end of the verse. The last heart will have the word, "well" plus the text printed on it. Poke a strand of the heavy sewing thread through the hole of each heart and tie a double knot in it. Complete all six hearts at once. Pick the plate back up and connect the mobile hearts to it by threading the sewing thread through the holes in the plate. Tape each sewing thread down on the top of the plate. Pull the threads up through the plate to different lengths so that the hearts hang at various levels from the top of the plate. When the mobile is finished, tell the children to look closely at it. What good would the mobile be without the plate at the top? It would be useless. We must put Jesus at the top of everything. When we choose to follow him first, he gives us the other things we need in our lives to make them complete.