===================================================================== Title: Primary Sabbath School Program, October 3, 1998 From: NAD Children's Ministries (author: Lisa Seeders) Date: September 15, 1998 Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps to teach the lesson, CHEATED WITH DRY BREAD ===================================================================== Lesson Aim: God wants us to ask Him for help in big and little things. Memory Verse: "The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in...(those) who are truthful." Prov. 12:22, NIV GETTING THEIR ATTENTION - TRUTH OR LIE Materials needed: None WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare in advance) There are no advance preparations necessary WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: The children are going to play a game called Truth or Lie. Each child is to think of something they want to tell the rest of the children. It can be something truthful that happened to them this past week, or it can be a made-up line. One at a time, the children come to the front and make their statement to the rest of the class. The class may ask only two questions about the statement. They try and figure out based on the child's body language and answers to the questions whether or not the child is telling the truth or making something up. Take a hands-up vote to find out who believes it's the truth. Then ask for another show of hands as to who believes it is made up. Continue in this manner until all children who wish to have participated up front. An example of a truth may go like this: (Child up front): "I stayed after school this week." (Class): "Was it because you got in trouble?" (Child up front): "No" (Class): "Did you ride the bus home afterwards?" (Could be a trick question designed to catch the child off guard. If he says yes, he may not have stayed because buses don't take 1 or 2 students home if they stay after school.) (Child up front): "No" TAKE A VOTE TO SEE HOW MANY BELIEVE IT'S THE TRUTH AND HOW MANY BELIEVE IT'S NOT. Follow-up the game with these questions: 1. How did you decide whether a person was telling the truth or making something up? 2. How did you feel when someone succeeded in tricking you? In our Bible story today Joshua and the leaders of Israel were tricked by their neighbors living close by. GO STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE STORY. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - SYNONYM STORY Materials needed: Small piece of scratch paper for each child Pencil for each child WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) There are no advance preparations necessary WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Give each child a piece of scratch paper and a pencil. Ask them what it means to trick someone. The dictionary says it is a dishonest, playful or clever act. Sometimes a trick is done in a way that is not harmful. The person you play the trick on knows you are fooling, and they enjoy the game as much as you do. Sometimes a trick is just a smart way to do something that might otherwise be harder or take longer. Often times, however, a trick is something dishonest someone does to keep from getting in trouble or to get another person in trouble. Ask the children to think of other words that mean the same thing as trick. (Outwit, mislead, dupe, scheme, fool, cheat, deceive) Print them on a newsprint pad or chalk board. Explain to the children that you are going to try and fool them this morning. As you tell the story you are going to mention some of these words from off the chalk board or newsprint pad. They need to listen very closely for these "trick" words. Whenever they hear you mention one, they make a small mark on their paper. Use the following Bible story instead of your quarterly. Erase the synonym words off the board before beginning. Everyone living in Canaan is afraid because the new people who have just occupied the land, the Israelites, are strong and powerful. God told Joshua and the Israelites to fight against the people who lived in Canaan. They were to get rid of them and not make peace with any of them because they were idol worshipers. Six of the countries made a pact between themselves that they would protect each other if Israel attacked any of them. One group of people living nearby called the Gibeonites came up with their own plan to outwit Israel. They got out their oldest clothing and shoes, worn-out sacks and torn wineskins and prepared to make a visit to the Israelites. Into their sacks they added dry, moldy bread. They wanted to mislead the Israelites into thinking they had come from a far away country. When they arrived at the camp, they told the leaders of Israel that they were from a far away country. They asked Israel to make a peace agreement with them. That would mean that Israel would at no time try to fight them. Because Joshua and his leaders did not immediately ask God for His wisdom, they were duped by these schemers. When Joshua questioned them with who they were and where they had come from, they showed him the moldy bread and worn out clothing, shoes and wineskins. They fooled Joshua into thinking they did not live in Canaan at all. Since Joshua and the leaders did not realize they were being deceived, they agreed to make a peace treaty with the Gibeonites. It wasn't until three days later, they found out they had been cheated with moldy bread. The Gideonites had to become their servants because of their scheme. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - CHOOSE THE SHOES Materials needed: Masking Tape Ink pens Bibles Small slips of paper Basket, bowl or box WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Write each memory verse word on a slip of paper. Roll the slips of paper up and put in a basket, bowl or box. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Have all the children take their shoes off. Next have them look up the memory verse in their Bible. Show them which part of the text is included in their memory verse. Lay the Bibles aside. Have each child draw a slip of paper from the basket. Give each child a piece of masking tape. Instruct them to write the word from the slip of paper on the piece of masking tape. They then stick the masking tape to the bottom of their left shoe. On a second piece of masking tape, they are to write a word that is similar to the word they just wrote on their first tape. Then they stick the second piece of tape on the bottom of their right shoe. Mix all the shoes up and pile them in a corner of the room. When the shoes are all piled in a corner, explain to the children that the shoes are tricky. The words written on the bottom of the pairs are similar, but only one is the memory verse word they read in their Bibles. When a volunteer chooses a pair of shoes, they decide, with the other children's help, which shoe has the memory verse word on it. They bring it to the front and toss the other one back in the pile. When the thirteen shoes are chosen, have the children line them up in order. Look up the memory verse again if necessary to correct any wrong words. Shoes may have to be thrown back in the pile and others chosen in their place. Some children will be able to think of some similar words for their second tape but some will need some suggestions whispered in their ear. Following are some ideas (The - This) (Lord - Jesus) (detests - hates) (lying - deceiving) (lips - mouth) (but - instead) (He - God) (delights - loves) (in - within) (those - people) (who - whom) (are - am) (truthful - honest) For small Sabbath schools bring in extra shoes and assign more words per child. For larger Sabbath schools, break into small groups of 13 per group. ACTING ON SCRIPTURE - DEAL OR DECEIT Materials needed: 3 shoe boxes Permanent marker 3 balloons Three pieces of yarn or string 3 small slips of paper 1 candy bar 1 penny 1 old mostly used-up pencil WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Blow up the three balloons. On the outside of each balloon print the words, DEAL OR DECEIT? Tie a piece of yarn or string to each balloon for easier handling. Print the number 1 on a small slip of paper and tape it to one of the shoe boxes. Print the number 2 on another slip of paper and tape it to a second shoe box. Print the number 3 on a third slip of paper and tape it to the remaining shoe box. Place the boxes on a table and turn them so the numbers are visible to the children. Put the candy bar under one of the boxes, the penny under one and the used-up pencil under another. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: The object of the game is for the children to discover that if we trust God and ask for His help we won't have to worry about being deceived. This is done by playing the game, Deal or Deceit? Choose three volunteers to participate in the game. One of the volunteers will be a child you have clued in before class begins. The three children are given a balloon. Tell them the name of the game is on their balloon, DEAL OR DECEIT? All they do is decide whether to keep their balloon or give it back to you and choose what's hidden under one of the boxes. Ask each child one at a time which they want, the balloon or the box. If the first child chooses a box, take the balloon and show him what is hidden under the box of his choice. If he chooses to keep the balloon, all boxes remain untouched. Repeat the same procedure for child # 2. Child # 3 is the child who has been clued in before class. He is to pretend he is thinking about what to do. Then he outright asks you what he should do. ("Should I keep the balloon or trade for the box?") If the candy bar box is left, encourage him to trade. If the penny box or used pencil box is left, encourage him to keep the balloon. When the other children make a statement such as, "Hey that's no fair, you told him what to do." Say, "I know, he asked." Draw the correlation that God doesn't want us to be deceived either. If we will just trust Him and ask for His help, we won't have to worry about being deceived. When Satan tries to trick us we need to study God's Word and pray for wisdom and guidance.