======================================================= Title: Primary Sabbath School Program, August 19, 2000 From: NAD Children's Ministries (author: Lisa Seeders) Date completed: August 15, 1997 Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps to teach the lesson, LOCKED DOORS OPENED WITHOUT A KEY ======================================================= Lesson Aim: I will ask Jesus to help me obey God even when it isn't easy. Memory Verse: "We must obey God rather than men!" Acts 5:29, NIV GETTING THEIR ATTENTION PAPER CHAIN ARRESTS [Materials needed: Construction paper cut into strips for making paper chains (two strips for each child); glue stick] [Directions: Explain to the children that we will be making some arrests today. They are to think of reasons why people might be arrested by the authorities. Call a volunteer to the front. After they tell a reason why someone might be arrested put a paper strip around their wrist and glue it shut making a link around their wrist. Call a second volunteer to the front and after they have given a reason why someone might be arrested, use a paper strip to link his/her wrist to the first child's link so they are connected. Glue another paper link to the second child's other wrist, so they are ready to be linked to the third child. Continue calling for volunteers until all children are "arrested" or linked together. The first and last child are linked together so a circle is formed. Have the children sit down carefully without breaking the links to discuss the following questions and then GO STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE STORY sitting on the floor.] Questions for discussion: 1. Why do you think people have to be arrested? 2. Have you ever heard of the wrong people being arrested? They actually were arrested for something they didn't do? 3. Do you know why two men in our story today were arrested twice? Let's find out. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE JAIL KEY [Material needed: A large appliance box made to look like a jail (barred window, painted cell blocks and a door with a key-hole. An alternate suggestions would be to block off a corner of the room as a jail cell and hang up an old sheet or cloth with the door and window drawn on); one large paper key, 6"long X 2" high for each child with the text, Acts 5:29 printed on it.); pencils; Bibles] [Directions: Before Sabbath school, hide each child's key in the Bible they use. It may be hidden anywhere in the Bible. At the beginning of this activity explain to the children that they are going to pretend that they are in jail like Peter and John were. Send 2 children at a time to the jail cell to look for the key that will unlock the door. Give each pair 30 seconds to find the key. After all have had a chance to go into the jail to look for the key, ask the following questions: 1. Were Peter and John able to leave the jail using a key? 2. Were you able to find the key that would open the jail cell door? (Obviously you will need to explain that not everyone could fit in the jail at once, so they have to pretend they're still in jail. 3. Because Peter and John learned an important lesson about obedience God delivered them from jail in a miraculous way. Instruct each child to look in their Bibles for the hidden key that will tell them the lesson Peter and John discovered. When they find the key, they look up the text and beginning with the "W" word copy the last seven words on the key. Repeat the verse together until it is memorized. What important lesson did Peter and John learn? That their obedience to God in preaching His word was more important than obeying man's orders. FREEDOM PROCLAMATION [Materials needed: Washable tempera paint in blue, red, yellow, green and white; small paper plates; paintbrushes or foam brushes; smocks or old shirts; Bibles;] [Directions: Give each child a small section of the jail box to decorate on the outside. Older Primaries may look up the texts below and paint them on their section. Younger Primaries may paint on pictures that remind them of freedom (butterflies, birds, horses running wild etc.) Provide each child with a small plate of different colored paint and a brush. Have a large bucket of water nearby and plenty of towels. Make sure each child is covered with an old shirt or smock. Use only washable paint. If your group is large, send only small groups to the box at a time, while remaining groups plan what they will draw or write on a piece of paper first. This activity would be a good one to do outdoors to save on clean up. Broad-tipped markers may be substituted in place of paint. After the "jail" has been transformed review the fact that obeying Jesus is what makes us truly free. No matter what troubles Satan brings our way, obeying Jesus gives us a good feeling that can't be taken away. TEXTS - John 8:36; I Cor. 7:22; I Cor. 9:1; Rom. 6:18; Rom. 6:22; Rom. 8:2; Gal. 5:1 ACTING ON SCRIPTURE GOD'S WORD OR MAN'S [Materials needed: A bible for each child; a construction paper book with the word's "man says" written on the front. [Directions: Give each child a bible and a "man says" book . As you read the following statements, they are to hold up the Bible if it is something God word would instruct them to do. If not, they hold up the "man says" book signifying that it is someone else's idea. 1. Whatever you find it is your right to keep. 2. Whatever job you do, you should do it with all your might. 3. If you don't stick up for yourself and fight for yourself nobody else will do it. 4. There's more happiness in giving to other people than in receiving things yourself. 5. Your tongue is as powerful as a weapon. 6. Do what you feel like doing. Don't worry if it hurts someone else. 7. When you get even with someone you'll feel much better. 8. Being deceitful or dishonest is always wrong. 9. Your body is yours, so you can treat it the way you want. 10. Knowing and obeying God is the most important thing for you to do.