======================================================= Title: Primary Sabbath School Program, August 5, 2,000 From: NAD Children's Ministries (author: Lisa Seeders) Date Completed: July 15, 2,000 Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps to teach the lesson, PETER AND JOHN IN COURT ======================================================= Lesson Aim: I can witness bravely about Jesus just like Peter and John. Memory Verse: "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12, NIV GETTING THEIR ATTENTION - ARRESTING THEIR ATTENTION Materials needed: Cheap pair of handcuffs WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) There are no advance preparations necessary. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Have the children form a circle. (You get in the circle too.) Explain that we are going to see how many arrests we can make this morning. Turn to the child to your right and say, "I'm arresting you for_______________(speeding and evading the police). Place the handcuffs around the child's hands. That child then turns to the child to his/her right and says the same thing except they end the sentence with something else someone might be arrested for. The handcuffs are removed from his/her hands and they put them on the child they've arrested. This continues around the circle until everyone has had a turn or until the children run out of ideas of why people might be arrested. In our story today two of Jesus special friends are arrested and taken to court. Do you think it was for any of the reasons we've just mentioned? If you haven't read your lesson or you don't know this story you might be surprised. GO STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE STORY. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - JUDGE AND JURY GAME Materials needed: None WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Make two lines of chairs, one line on one side of the room, the other directly across on the opposite side of the room. There should be enough chairs in each line for each child to have one. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Explain to the children that they are the judges and jury members of the court today. Because the Bible story takes place in court, they must make some decisions. As you tell the story using the following sentences, they are to decide which side the jury is in favor of. Designate one line of chairs as in favor of Peter and John. Designate the other line as being against Peter and John. As you read the sentences, the children decide what decision the jury is making and they sit in that line of chairs. (Everyone does not have to agree) After every sentence is read pause so they can make a choice whether to stay or move. They can cross back and forth as often as necessary. But they need to keep track of which side they spend the most time on. Narrate the story from the quarterly as written up to the sentence that says, "The rulers decided to arrest them." 1. Say, "The court is now in session. We will hear the case of Peter and John versus the religious leaders." Peter and John have just healed a crippled man outside the temple gate. No one that we know has performed such a miracle except Jesus. (For Peter and John) 2. Jesus, if you will recall was a trouble-maker, and if these men are anything like Him, they will be just as much trouble. (Against Peter and John) 3. Peter is not a man known for holding up under pressure. When the heat was on Jesus, he abandoned Him and ran. (Against Peter and John) 4. When asked what power they used to heal the man, Peter's response was, "By the power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth!" Apparently these men have been given the same authority over sickness and disease that Jesus had. (For Peter and John) 5. Also it is to be noted that though he is only a fisherman, Peter speaks clearly and well as if he were quite an educated man. (For Peter and John) 6. Peter claims that only through Jesus and His power can people be saved. If this man has the power of Jesus, to reject him would mean rejecting Jesus all over again. (For Peter and John) 7. If, however, we acknowledge where Peter and John's healing power came from we will be admitting that Jesus was who He claimed to be. Our authority and power will diminish with the people. (Against Peter and John) 8. We better discipline them and threaten to severely punish them if we ever hear them preaching about Jesus again. (Against Peter and John) Call the children's attention to how indecisive they were as jury members. The religious leaders, priests and rulers had just as much trouble trying to decide what to do with followers of Jesus. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - MEMORY VERSE HANGER Materials needed: Bibles 5 cardboard circle discs for each child (approximately 2 - 2.5" in diameter) Ribbon (approximately 8" for each child) Stapler Permanent Marker WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Cut out five circle cardboard discs for each child. Cut each child's ribbon into the following sizes: 2 - two inch pieces and 4 - one inch pieces. On each child's five cardboard discs print the memory verse in the following manner: Disc 1 - Salvation is found in no one else Disc 2 - for there is no other name under heaven Disc 3 - given to men Disc 4 - by which we must be saved. Disc 5 - Acts 4:12, NIV On the opposite sides of the discs print the following letters: Disc 1 - J Disc 2 - E Disc 3 - S Disc 4 - U Disc 5 - S WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Give each child their five cardboard discs (memory verse side showing) and their ribbon pieces. Have them look the memory verse up in their Bibles. Then lay the cardboard discs in a vertical row in order as the memory verse reads. Staple one of the two inch ribbons to the top of Disc number 1. Connect each succeeding disc with a 1" ribbon and staple the second 2" ribbon to the bottom of Disc number 5. Hold the hanger up by the top ribbon and practice repeating the words that are written on each disc. Then turn the hanger over and see who the memory verse is talking about. If stapled correctly, the name of Jesus will be spelled. ACTING ON SCRIPTURE - THE WITNESS WALL Materials needed: Large sheet of butcher block paper or other long roll of paper Tape Pens Markers Bibles WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Tape a large sheet of paper to one wall. Using a marker (not permanent that will bleed through the paper) write the name JESUS in large bold capital letters across the top of the paper. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Talk to the children about the war memorial wall in Washington D.C. It was built to honor and commemorate people who have fought and lost their lives for our country. Many people visit the wall and look for their loved ones name. They leave flowers, letters and other articles as a witness for their love for this person. They visit together, share stories, cry together and encourage one another. The name of the best person who ever lived, fought and died for us so we could live in a better country is on our wall this morning. If many people could visit this wall as they do in Washington, D.C., what would you say or do that would witness to them of your love for Jesus? Give the children pencils or pens. Have them choose different places on the wall to write things about Jesus they want others to know. (Children who cannot write well, can pick places on the wall and tell you the ideas to write for them.) Witnessing is just telling people what you know about Jesus and what He's done for you. Leave the wall up for awhile and add to it each week at the end of class.